Back to blogging – a brief time Downhome

Well, it’s certainly been longer than I anticipated between blogs.  What started as a summer cold last month turned into bronchitis before morphing into full-blown pneumonia.  For a commoner who likes to travel and be on the go, being out of commission for more than three weeks is enough to drive me stir crazy.

Fortunately, even in my weakened state, I was able to make it to downtown Springfield last Saturday for part of the inaugural Downhome Music Festival.  And even more good fortune that it was so close to my personal “Cheers” – the Brewhaus, which also happened to be one of the bars sponsoring the festival. 

One of the key selling points of the Downhome Music Festival was that its devotion to “supporting locally grown original live music.  So, all gate proceeds went directly to the artist performing at the festival.  That made the $5 admission a very good deal and well worth it, even if I was only there long enough to see a couple of bands. 

Gypsy Collabo

Dave Littrell Band

As you would expect, food vendors were on hand with the customary ribeyes, nachos, etc., and beer and other beverages were for sale.  As an old-school beer aficionado, I appreciated having Pabst Blue Ribbon as one of the choices.  Hipster kids apparently love the stuff these days.  Who knew? 

A blurry beer truck ... the $3 PBRs got me shaking with excitement.

And, as luck would have it, an exotic and hung over Gypsy accompanied me to the festival, and sensing that we both needed some citrus in our diet, we opted for the vodka lemonade shake-ups.  And honestly, how could you resist being served a refreshing drink from one of these friendly ladies?

Always wary of the creepy guy with the camera.

I will admit, when I got there, the crowd seemed a little light for what I was expecting. 

It's like they knew I was coming ...

But it is only the first year, and let’s face it, starting an event from scratch has to be tough.  Plus, you’re competing with everything else going on during the summer.  Last year, for example, I was in Decatur for the Decatur Celebration and choking back the smell of soy in the air, all just to listen to Charlie Daniels.  Really, it was a better time than it sounds. 

One other thing that is both an advantage and disadvantage for the festival – the ease of which you could go in and out of the Brewhaus and Celtic Mist, the other bar sponsor.  And since it had been quite a while since I had been to the Brewhaus, we wound up drinking and visiting inside with friends for at least an hour during the evening, while the music continued outside.  It’s hard to resist great company and perfectly made drinks.      

Anyway, I’m looking forward to next year’s festival and the larger crowds that are sure to come with a year in the books.  And better health for myself, so I can enjoy a longer day and more music.