Wednesday, September 09, 2009

The Bedford Blues Festival

I had heard about the Bedford Blues Festival for a long time but never made it over there before Saturday. It started in 1995 but was discontinued in 2004. I remember wanting to go several times in those last few years because they were featuring a lot of old bands that I really liked like The Drifters and Al Green, although those aren't really blues bands. I guess it was misnamed and turned into more of just a music festival. Their peak attendance was 78,000 in 2001 but they had only 16,000 people in 2004 - the year they stopped. They decided to revive the thing this year and go back to the roots of the thing which was blues and Texas music.*
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The event was held in a big flat field that I didn't even know existed. It's just south of Airport Freeway in a heavily congested restaurant row area that's also just slightly west of the airport. The field is between the hospital district where I spent my pneumonia days and the local school district's football field. And right next to The Movie Tavern. I had no idea there was a field there.
In the photo above, the red rectangle is where we parked, the yellow rectangle is the VIP tent and the blue spot is about where I made the video at the bottom. Right at the tip of the arrow is where the main stage was.
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It really was just a big flat field and this is a shot of the main stage (there was a smaller one over in the craft/shops area to the left.):

That should give you an idea of how far away we were from the stage. But the food and drinks were right behind us, so that's where I wanted to be. My reasoning was that music is aural anyway, not visual. So we got some simple food and lots of beers and were feeling happy and goofy. It's not like we were wasted or anything, it's just that we had that perfect little buzz where we were silly and giggly. It was probably a combination of the weather being cooler and the good music and the moon being off just one day of full.
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It got dark and we were just standing out there laughing and talking (and I made that goofy video at the bottom) when this happy buzzed couple walked up to us. The last band, The Fabulous Thunderbirds were playing. I had been eyeing the distance to the gates and the crowd and thinking maybe we should head out. Then this couple approached us and said, "We're leaving and we have these VIP bracelets. See that tent over there? They have seats and free beer. You just can't take your beers in or take those beers out." We were sort of caught off guard, but said, "Sure!" They had trouble getting their bracelets off, and had to actually break them, but I had safety pins in my purse, because I am always prepared for anything, so we put them on.:

We made our way over to the VIP tent which had lots of chairs and tables and FREE BEER and was way close to the stage. I had gone from maybe it's time to go to Cool Beans! I am so hanging out here! And the very best thing of all was when I needed "to go" I looked around and there was a bathroom trailer with running water and flushing toilets and paper towels and soap and everything like a real bathroom whereas we had formerly been dealing with port-a-potties. So that was really the best part. When I came back, I said, "I V.I.Peed!" Here's a pic of the VIP tent area (we were sitting outside of the tent and that's the stage on the left):

In the video below, you will see the tent just after I pan to the right by the main stage. Oh and when we got ready to leave, I figured since we were VIPs we'd have a VIP exit. We wandered over the wrong way and were practically backstage:

There was a VIP exit and we avoided the crowds which was good because we actually were there until the end. So I wonder why that couple didn't just take the VIP exit. Why did they walk all the way through the crowd, find us, and give us their bracelets? We'll never know, but I'm glad they did. It was fun. Here's the goofy video. My Sweetie was using a fake southern accent but unfortunately mine was real. I cringed when I heard my "Shut up!" Hopefully you will find it amusing.


*Thanks to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram for this information.

11 comments:

Jazz said...

Gotta love getting VIP bracelets for free! Sounds like a cool festival.

Anonymous said...

VIPeed... ha ha ha! Was the show over when you left or did you pass the bracelets on to some other deserving couple? Our Blues festival is almost anything but blues anymore: http://www.ottawabluesfest.ca/en/ And really, really expensive. It would be nice if it was in a field like this and back to its roots

Mr. Jazz said...

Wow! Freebird!!! (or was that "Free Beer!") Great post and given your good karma, I'm not surprised you were bestowed with the Blues Bracelets.

Carole said...

Gee, my daughter and son-in-law use to live in the apartments right next to that field. So they walked to the Blues Festival as well as the Movie Tavern, back in the "old days" (5 yrs ago).

VIPeed. hahaha You are too funny! Always cracking me up.

Your accent is like good barbecue. You have a wonderful mix of North Carolina & Texas which gives you a totally unique sound. Goes well with your unique personality! :)

Big Brother said...

See, good karma pays off... after all you've done for others (meal on wheels) karma gave you some back.

Scarlet said...

What a fun time! I love festival food and drinks and who can say no to free beer??

Your video is hilarious, btw. You sound like a fun couple.

Freebird!! Woo-hoo!

geewits said...

Jazz,
~~It was not exactly what I expected, but it was fun. We really did laugh a lot.

Xup,
~~After we wandered accidentally to the backstage area we headed back to the VIP area to find our way out and that was the end.

Mr. Jazz,
~~I still have no idea why he kept yelling "Freebird!" I kept trying to shush him but was laughing at the same time.

Carole,
~~There's so much stuff over there. I bet that was a cool place to live. And I wish I could program an F key that I could just hit to say, "Carole, you always say the sweetest things!"

Big Brother,
~~Thanks. Also it really made up for Soap Nation which was not really very fun.

Scarlet,
~~My Sweetie read the comments and loved your last line! We always have fun. I think our whole marriage is based on who can make the other one laugh the hardest.

Lone Grey Squirrel said...

You got me at "free beer" but the rest of the post was interesting too. As to why you guys were given the VIP bracelets......you must have done something good !!

VioletSky said...

Perhaps these people could see how much fun you were having together and wanted you to have more. Maybe they didn't like the Fabulous Thunderbirds (who, I have heard of, and I'm not in the least upon these things!)

Now, you have been tagged. Play if you wish (but I hope you do).

geewits said...

LGS,
~~I'll never know why they picked us, but I'm glad they did.

VioletSky,
~~Oh everybody in Texas loves the FT! I think they were just "very tired." I'll go check out what game is afoot.

Anonymous said...

You should have went the next night. Buddy Whittington followed by Chris Duarte, and then a real blues legend, Buddy Guy. It was great.