So my BFF Amy over at Drawings In Motion has kicked off a themed photo adventure, to be continued by other participants throughout the coming weeks. This week was color week, so each day people needed to post photos that emphasized the color of the day. Sadly, I was too sick to get out and participate on Mon & Tues, but I’ve jumped in mid-week for Yellow Wednesday. I’m gonna be tossing all my photos for this sort of thing here, as if any of you care :) As awesome as this is for making me take photos everyday (even if it is with my P&S), I think the real outcome is overcoming my social anxiety for taking photos of public things. I am so self-conscious when it comes to whipping out the camera. I live in fear of being labeled as a tourist. Anyway, I grabbed my yellow shots on the way home from work and I think I actually got some cool ones. Even if they aren’t cool, I wrote some hilarious captions, which you would have seen already if you’d followed the link that I shared that I said you wouldn’t care about so you clicked it just to prove me wrong. Otherwise, here it is again hehe.

Also, I’m feeling better. Thanks for all the "get well soon’s". Even though you didn’t send them, I could just feel you were all thinking of me. I’m not back to 100% but I’m functioning. I got put on a new account at work, which was actually a lot of fun to work on today. I started in on The Art of Happiness on the bus ride home, and it’s just re-enforcing all the things I’ve been doing. However, it did bring about a revelation about "desire". He said something to the effect of desire being good if you desire what you already have or need, but not so good, if your desires consist of a bunch of wants. Even if you get the first want, it will just create the desire to outdo the first one. Eventually, however, your wants will surpass what is realistic for you to attain, and then you’re just gonna go get all down on yourself. Also, most of those wants relate to comparisons we make with the people around us. I’m totally embracing the fact that I am good at taking a shitload of content and making it all pretty on a website. And I can do it super fast. I handled the task that they had allotted a week for me to do in 4 hours. Yeah, I’m amazing haha. Anyway, point is I enjoy this stuff, even though other people think it’s trivial & mundane. I need to stop thinking about what other people think of it, and embrace the fact that an awesome agency is paying me pretty good money to do this "simple" work, allowing me to live in beautiful San Francisco. Heck yeah. It’s only when I start trying to justify my place in life to people around me that I feel it sucks, so I need to remember that I’m the only person I have to answer to and leave it at that. I wasn’t planning on a rant but it kinda happened, didn’t it?

Oh, and Tyler thinks I’m a good friend. He totally cheered me up by saying so, without me even hinting about wanting to hear it, so it’s definitely something I wanted to put on the record. Tyler’s turned out to be a pretty amazing friend, too.

I awoke yesterday with a pretty bad sore throat. I counted it as a side effect of being around all the cigarette smoke the last couple days. But it lingered and got worse. I had a serious debate about sitting out the last day of the festival. My obsession with Andrew Bird pulled me in to the shower and out the door to the bus. On top of not feeling well, I was quite fatigued, as I’d been unable to let myself sleep in the past 2 mornings after the late night. I was walking about in a bit of a daze, but the warm, sunny day helped keep me awake.

I arrived just after Stars had taken the stage. I listened and they were pretty good, but they didn’t make me fall in love with them. I didn’t even grab any photos. As soon as they wrapped up, I worked my way as close to the stage as possible in anticipation for Andrew Bird. That silly boy has gotten too big of a fan base. I got a spot 1 row back from the front but off far to the right. I didn’t get many awesome photos since I had to zoom so far, which was sad, since I could be paid to walk around taking photos of this man all day. He’s just so interesting to watch. He opened the show as he often does with a solo drawn out, theatrical version of Why?. I was surprised when an extra man appeared on stage alongside Dosh & Jeremy E. Apparently, he added a bass/clarinet player and never told me... The guy was a nice addition, though, especially the clarinet solo during Tables & Chairs (I think...it’s blurring). It made me want to re-cork my clarinet and get the sheet music.

He played a new track off his upcoming album, which was great. I was mainly excited because I’m really in to Tables & Chairs right now, so when he said they had 1 more and played that track, I was in heaven. Overall, it might have been the best Andrew Bird show I’d seen, aside from the venue. He restructured (yet again) so many of the songs, so it was as if I were hearing them for the first time. And of course, he was still a little strange & quirky and I spent most the show fantasizing about how awesome it would be to be his best friend and take walks together on his farm. I haven’t found a full setlist, but I believe he played: Why?, Fiery Crash, Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left, The Happy Birthday Song, Skin is, My (dedicated to Ben, the boy who calls it the balloon song), Tables & Chairs, Imitosis, & Heretics. Plenty of tracks from Mysterious Production, which was lovely. I love you, Andrew Bird. Whenever you want to hang out, you need only to let me know.

I lacked faith that any of the other bands could top my Andrew Bird time, but after another debate, I decided to give them a chance. I meandered over to check out The Cool Kids. I knew nothing about them other than having a few people tell me they were awesome. They turned out to be an entertaining set of gentlemen, really keeping the crowd hyped up with their antics. Personally, my favorite part was their beatboxing. It was a good time, for sure.

I was really tired by this point, so I stuck to the back of the crowd for Broken Social Scene. I’d never heard these guys but several people seemed to think I should be a fan. I liked them a bit more than Stars, but it was still the same deal, where they didn’t really grab me. Granted, being so far from the stage makes it really hard to get in to a show, especially when you don’t know any of their songs. It was pleasant background music, while I sat on the ground with standing people all around me.

I left Broken Social Scene a bit early to walk over for Rogue Wave. I just didn’t feel like sitting in the crowd anymore. I grabbed a spot near the stage and just passed the time staring at the ground. I enjoy the few Rogue Wave songs in my library, so I was hoping it would be a good show. These guys well-surpassed my mid-level expectations. I might go so far as to say they were the most entertaining performance of the festival. They were having a fantastic time on stage and it carried in to their performance. The guitarist on my side of the stage was dancing, running in place, and rocking out with all the other members. I loved them. They played Publish my Love and Bird on a Wire, which was hands-down my favorite song of the show. They went in to an extended jam and carried it straight in to the next song. Pretty amazing. High energy and great music. Highly, highly recommend them.

Honestly, coming off Rogue Wave, Wilco felt like a bit of a downer. I can’t even decide how I feel about this band. I have some of their music, and I enjoy it but never crave to hear it. It’s like I really want to love them but don’t. I had tried screaming at Rogue Wave and what was left of my voice was nearly gone. I was in pain and tired. Luckily, they played Company in my Back as the second song, so I just left after that. I could hear them for blocks as I walked towards the bus, though. So yes, I skipped out on Jack Johnson and half of Wilco, and I have absolutely no regrets about it.

I got home, got some groceries, spent the evening making soup, and sent out my sick notice before crashing. I took some sleep aid because my throat was so bad I could barely swallow without wincing. I slept in and feel a little better. I knew I needed rest or this would just get worse. I’m taking it easy, sipping on my jasmine green tea, and it’s definitely helping. I may not be too far from taking a nap, though. I just really need to be able to get to work tomorrow. It has potential to be a busy work, especially since it’s a short week leading in to a long weekend.

Being sick does indeed suck, but this festival was pretty amazing and it’s likely they can count me in for next year, even if I have to go by myself again. My only request would be that smoking be banned. It was pretty impossible to avoid getting a blast of smoke in my face. My favorite time was when smokers would obviously try to blow it away from their own group of people, literally angling it right at me. Thanks. Thanks, a lot. A girl can only hold her breath so much & so often.

All photos from the festival

Oh, and as a final note, Be Kind, Rewind was not all that good. In fact, it bordered on bad. I can appreciate a mindless comedy, but I’m not sure I ever laughed, not once.

My afternoon departure was greeted with some welcome SF sunshine & warm temps as I walked towards the bus stop. By the time the bus made it down to Golden Gate Park, all signs of that lovely weather were gone. No bother. I had my gloves, scarf, hat, and blanket, ready to withstand anything the day had to bring. I found myself over in Lindley Meadow, up on an embankment that ran along the edge of the area. I spread out my blanket, pulled out my successfully smuggled snacks, and had a private picnic for one with the sounds of Devendra Banhart streaming from the stage ahead of me. As his show came to an end, I watched the mass of people move away from the stage, slow & steady like a glacier. I sat waiting patiently to see just how many people would clear out. It turned out, most of them. I meandered down the hill, closing in on the stage. I found a lovely spot on a slope at stage right already dotted with others planning to enjoy the show from the comfort of their blankets. I made camp and in seemingly no time, the gaps around me slowly filled. I was just high enough to see over those standing in front of me but close enough to feel part of the show that was about to begin.

M. Ward quietly took the stage and breathed a "hello, San Francisco" to the crowd that had gathered. They began with Poison Cup and proceeded to play Post-War in its entirety, closing with a drawn out jam of Afterword/Rag. It was simple and lovely. He’s very well-suited to an outdoor venue. Sure, I would have enjoyed hearing some older tracks, but playing the album set did make for a seamless show. The guitar solos were outstanding. I’ve never seen anyone bent over his guitar, playing so intensely. Even the other musicians on stage seemed to be in awe at his picking. Post-War melted my heart and Chinese Translation made me sway and when I closed my eyes, I was transported to another time. The sound was perfect, and looking over the crowd, you might have confused the show with a small town street festival. It was entirely opposite of a typical "rock" show. People weren’t just rocking out, they were happily dancing like it was a party.

I had an hour to pass before The Walkmen took the stage, so I caught the latter part of Nellie McKay’s show. Two songs in, and I was pretty confused by her entire act. I knew nothing about this lady, and I couldn’t determine if she was drunk/high, mentally challenged, or just a bit strange. She made some amusing remarks, but really, I did not enjoy her performance all that much, though the several people around me who kept repeating, "Man, I love her." begged to differ. She gets points for being a strange character and addressing some good topics in her songs & in-between soap boxes, I suppose.

I sat my blanket down directly in front of the stage. I’ve been wanting to see The Walkmen for at least 4 years, but they’ve never played anywhere close to me. Well, I cannot say they are as well-suited to the outdoor setup. In fact, it seemed a bit weird seeing them in plain dress, but it did not lessen the impact of the music. Though they played several tracks off their upcoming release, You & Me, they did pull out several Bows+Arrows tracks, including two of my favorites, No Christmas While I’m Talking and Thinking of a Dream I Had. The intensity of the latter made me think it was the show closer. I was rocking out as much as I had room to and singing along. They killed it. Vocals were stretched to the max. I thought he might explode. It was so great. I really, really hope I can catch them at another venue. I had always feared they would be one of those bands that are less good live, but I was completely mistaken. It was a fantastic performance, and I got to take it in front & center. Even one of the security guys said to some of us after the show, "I’d never heard of these guys, but they’re pretty awesome." More unexpected when I tell you he was a really large hispanic man with a shaved head and wrap-around shades. Stereotypes are just so hard to break. I would have loved to hear We’ve Been Had or Hang on, Shioban but I heard enough of B+A to leave completely satisfied.

I ventured back to the same spot on the hill where I had started the day to sample some Cake. I wasn’t close enough to see much, but they sounded great. It was near 7pm by then, and it was pretty cold. I was wrapped in my blanket too tightly to consider clapping, but the thousands of others had it under control. They seemed to talk more than they played, but did play through the classics Wheels, Sheep Go To Heaven, and Never There, the show closer. Show moment to highlight was the giving away of a tree. He literally surveyed the crowd for a person who could name the type of tree he had on stage. Well, a guy not only knew it was an oak but new it was a "live oak." So this guy walks up to the edge of the stage and the lead singer hands the man a tree and asks only that he send them photos of him with the tree as it grows up. I thought that was really cool. "Hey, look honey, Cake gave me a tree."

About half the Cake audience dispersed mid-set to venture over to the polo fields in preparation for Tom Petty, which was set to kick off 10 minutes after Cake wrapped up. I walked in to the polo fields and looked upon the 3/4 full grounds. After some debate, I forged on toward the stage, discovering a railing along the side which provided a clear view of one of the screens and 1/4 of the stage. I took it. I enjoy a lot of Tom Petty songs, but I’d be lying if I said I was really anxious to see the show. I had pretty much decided I wouldn’t be sticking around the whole time. I enjoyed Free Fallin’ and Last Dance with Mary Jane from my close spot, before venturing away from the stage to take in the ambience of the evening lighting. After finding I’d taken pictures of just about everything, Petty announced Steve Winwood would join them on stage, so I stuck around to see that since I had passed on his solo set earlier. I actually didn’t realize who he was at the time. I don’t know many Traffic songs either, though.

By this time, I was 3/4 back in the polo field, well behind the mass of people and very much standing by myself in the dark with the glow of a stage far out ahead of me. It was a surreal moment, being near thousands of people and yet feeling as if I had the place all to myself. I thought ahead to years from now. I thought about younger generations getting to my age and possibly getting in to bands that I had enjoyed at their age who by that time have long since been broken up or buried. I pictured them looking on me with the same envy that I do with people years older than me now who got to see the likes of Hendrix and The Doors. I want them to be overcome by the power of OK Computer, and I can tell them of the night I saw Radiohead in Golden Gate Park and heard thousands of people sing along to Karma Police. And after this festival, that story will translate to so many other great bands. I was still by myself all day today, but I’m making some amazing memories and completely comfortable doing it alone.

As you may have guessed by now, I left about half-way through the Petty show. It was freezing, and I knew I could get home a bit faster if I left before the masses. Sure enough, I was home in only an hour tonight. I had time between bus transfers to stop in for a chai at Starbucks (free, thanks to Ashley’s gift card). It was so good. In fact, I just finished it. When I got off the bus, it was strange that the Marina felt warmer than where I’d been. I can’t say for sure whether it really was warmer, or if it were just the effects of the chai or just that warm feeling you get when you’ve been away from home for awhile and you’re almost back. Either way, as I sipped on my chai and walked the few remaining blocks to my place, I was greeted by Karma Police on my ipod. I smiled and rediscovered my Radiohead happy place all over again as I sang along.

See all festival photos. I love my Powershot. Sure, digital zoom is a bad idea in general, but it helped me see things I couldn’t and the quality wasn’t nearly as bad as expected. My back is thankful not to have the extra weight of the DSLR, too.

Tomorrow marks the last day of the festival. It has a lot of awesome to live up to.