Coney Island, Baby

The Great Irish Fair//Drier Offerman Park @ Coney Island//9/10/05

I told myself I was never going to this thing again. Last year I thought the festival was by Stillwell Ave. where they have the Siren and needing to get from the beginning of the R line to the end of the F and not knowing exactly how long that would take, I allowed myself enough time only to find out that the F was only going to King's Hwy so I had to take a bus to Stillwell only to find out that "Coney Island" is bigger than the Boardwalk/Mermaid Parade/Siren Festival area (How awesome would it be to have the Irish Festival in that part of Coney Island and see Black 47 in the shadow of the rides?) and then it was onto another shuttle bus. I was wandering around, trying to kill time, and ended up standing between two tents. I heard "Dirty Old Town" in my left ear and "Whiskey in the Jar" in my right. Or vice versa. Or maybe it was "Wild Rover" and the trad version of "Fields Of Athenrye" (you get the idea) and I thought: Oh my God, I am in hell.

This past March I was stuck in Hoboken for their Annual Alcohol Festival--complete with horns, feather boas, plastic hats, beads, and inflatable dolphins that had shamrocks on them. I guess since all that shwag was green and there were 2-hour waits to get into the bars at noon and public urinating, and it was March, this all had something to do with St. Patrick's Day. (Oh my God, I am in hell.) I bought an Irish flag. Somebody had to. Besides, I've never been a follower. Needless to say that by the time St. Pat's actually rolled around I'd completely had it. As if that wasn't enough, I ended up in one of the worst cases of Subway Hell later that early the next morning.

So, yeah. I told myself I was never going to this thing again. But Seanchai is playing. Oh, yeah. And Black 47. I mean, it's just that I've seen Black 47 at so many of these Irish festivals and they're all the same to me.

First off, though, how awesome does my little flag waver look? That was me at the St. Pat's parade in Hoboken. I didn't get any good pix from the festival last year due to standing on the makeshift flooring that everyone was jumping on so the pix came out kinda blurry. (When will I ever learn? My pix from the So. St. Seaport were always pretty much the same.) I'd been meaning to try to put some smilies on. I started this as a draft and kept signing in and looking at it in preview mode to see them. I wanted to get the clover after the mention of the bands but they kept coming up on the left. Maybe I need to right justify? Eh, I've screwed with my HTML enough. Obviously, I need more happy faces.

But I digress.

I was getting a little excited and felt the pulse of anticipation but I had this sinking feeling that as soon as I got there, I was going to see that it sucked and would be a carbon copy of all the other festivals, which is why I told myself I was never going again. I can't even remember what the bathroom sitch was like last year, so I can only assume it was a nasty porta potty that I've blocked from my memory. I bought bagel chips. I imagine they'd make me have them deep fried. At least the weather is nice.

The night before I was checking show listings and tix for Street Dogs, which were supposed to go onsale last Wednesday and then they said Monday, were going onsale Saturday at noon. Shit! I know--I wasn't that wowed by them when I 1st saw them and I like River City Rebels in theory but I am curious about Brain Failure. Plus the money and all. And since when do I miss a happening? Maybe there's a Kinko's someplace or an Internet cafe. And if it sells out then oh well, I never wanted to go in the first place. And tix for the Briefs onsale Wed!

Anyway, remember when you were in elementary school and took a class trip to the museum and then your homework that night would be to write about the trip and the teacher would always say, "Don't mention the bus ride in?" The ride in was the best part. At least I was excited, thinking that maybe, just maybe, the festival wouldn't be all the same. I mean, it's so nice out so how could it go wrong? I got on the F train wondering if maybe I'd get hit with the inspiration to write a song. And Black 47, whom I haven't seen since March, is playing at 2 and Seanchai is playing at 5 and it's so nice out. When I got on the shuttle bus a member of the Irish Drinking Team (according to his T-shirt) sat across from me.

Still, this is like Thanksgiving dinner with my family only with dirt, fried foods, good music, and people I like. But while looking for all the stages I heard "Belle Of Belfast City," "Black Velvet Band," and then while I was singing along to one, thinking, Now there's one I never hear at these things, I was cringing and trying to recall the title. Oh my God, it's the original to "The Town That I Loved So Well." I've only heard the Devil's Advocates version, never heard the 1st one. The original version is terrible! You're ruining some kickass Celtic punk music, you know that? I hope I don't have a gag reflex the next time I hear it performed correctly. New rule: Never go to these things unless the Devil's Advocates or United 32s are playing. And since I can't imagine they'll ever be asked to play and even if they are I can't imagine they'll accept, I'll never do this again. Aaaah.

I know I've said in the past that if you play a venue with seating people will sit and such was the case with Black 47--yeah, I know it was like 85 degrees in the blazing sun but everyone mostly sat in the bleachers on either side of the stage or behind the wooden dancefloor. So there I was, baking in the sun, trying to support the band and hoping no one would come up to me and bitch that they can't see through me and trying not to feel like an idiot. It's really easy to bring it in a bar, but out in an open field? That's a whole other story. Plus my Zambonis shirt, green and XL as it is, is tight in the sleeves and I was soaked. And the two guys with the professional cameras? Sat on the edge of the dancefloor. Since there was no one really dancing, I hope my pix came out. If not, it's not like I don't know what the band looks like by now.

Thing is, when I was a kid I lived on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. That was my usual. I think this is why I have not eaten a pb&j sandwich since junior high. Though I haven't seen them in 6 months, I may be all Black 47ed out. Maybe it was the wide open field, but there was no connection, not like in a small club. I just wasn't feeling it. So after their set it was eat, piss, head over to see Chris. One truck was selling "fried chocolate ravioli." Three things which, independant of each other, are great but all at once? I can't imagine that.

I also have to guard against getting burnt out with Seanchai (or Sean Chai, as the sign on the tent says) and start taking them for granted. I don't know how I'd be able to cope if that happens. I know it's my fault, that these bands are always here and I always go. They started out strong despite sound problems. Chris said he was wandering around Coney Island looking for the Irish festival. Also, that they were gonna play for hours. I couldn't tell if this was sarcasm but they took a little break after the high point of "Fields Of Athenrye" with a crowd of kids on the dancefloor. I don't know exactly how it started cause it was the break and I wasn't paying attention, but the next thing I know, some piper was onstage and in Rachel's face. They got him offstage and I saw him in the back of the tent, gesticulating angrily and pointing at the stage while a guy tried to calm him down. I was thinking that someone had promised him stage time, unbeknownst to Chris. But he was quoted as saying, "Turn that off! That's not Irish music!" I can only imagine what tomorrow will bring. After the break they were playing to a diminished crowd--last bus out was 8pm.

I was considering going to see Les Sans Culottes after. But the next day was going to be another long one with an early start and lotsa film used. I wanted to go and get that bad taste out of my mouth but I just didn't have it in me. Besides, my sinuses felt all weird, probably due to dust and dirt up my nose. I was thinking I should make myself cry to get it all out.

I wouldn't've had that far to go.