The Not-So-Secret Meijer Gardens

Our euphoric high from Hiawatha continued the Tuesday after, temporarily dulling our senses for the Tuesday Evening Music Club. Held in the Meijer Gardens Outdoor Amphitheater in Grand Rapids, the Music Club originated from the mind of prominent Grand Rapids singer-songwriter Ralston Bowles to showcase regional up and coming artists. Every Tuesday night from the beginning of July through the end of August, two bands take the stage between 7pm and 9pm. Earlier this summer, music legends Elvis Costello, Huey Lewis, and Brian Wilson played on the very same stage. It was both empowering and nerve-wracking to play on the same stage in an amphitheater large enough to to fit 1,900 people. Easily, this would be the largest venue we had ever played.

Drive UP to Old Folkie - The Hiawatha Music Festival

Unlike BIMF, Hiawatha Music Festival (HMF) defied most of my expectations for a folk festival. Due to its location in Michigan's upper-peninsula within the 'Hiawatha State Forest', I braced myself for a trek deep into the untamed woods surrounded by bears and Yoopers. Instead, the space used for festival day-parking is a Northern Michigan University student lot just minutes away from downtown Marquette, the U.P.'s largest city. The festival grounds themselves butt up against suburban cross-streets in a spacious R.V. park.

The park itself is surrounded by a thicket of trees and light forest which conceals sights of the surrounding city. Inside, a paved, winding road leads through a few acres of now tromped on grass and dirt decorated by metal playground pieces and cement public bathrooms. Heading into the park Thursday evening (the night before we were supposed to play) felt like being pumped through a fat clogged artery. Campers and trucks on narrowed our path on either side and festival goers with no where else to walk, lackadaisically strode in the in our path virtually oblivious to our presence until we practically ran them over.

After a second pass around the great circle, we finally found a parking spot nudged in between two other campsites. Dusk provided enough light to set up our tents efficiently. Since Nic's friend Alex joined us (and claimed Nic's other air mattress), I resigned to sleep in Eric's tiny tent instead.

Somehow even without an air mattress, sleep came much easier this weekend than at Beaver Island, an anomaly that I will simply credit to practice.

Leave it to Beaver Island – Highlights from BIMF 2011

After this weekend, I feel I've learned something about evolution, or at the very least, about my ability to adapt to new environments. Once I accepted the fact that I could not shower for three days in a row, I found comfort with each progressive layer of dirt, sweat, and bug repellent building on my skin if only for its ability to keep swarming mosquitoes away. But this festival was not about the dirt or the bugs, it was about enjoying music outside and away from cell phone towers.

Admittedly, this point was mostly lost on me as I spent more time at the coffee shop in town or in Nic's tent than I did in front of or behind the stage. Despite this self-made seclusion, I still managed to hear several incredible artists, two of whom I recommend below.

Return of Paulivers Travels

Dear Loyal Readers,
My sincere apologies for the posting delay. I am about caught up on a backlog of posts. Do expect a new post every other day. My goal is to maintain the blog more regularly than I have. Thank you for continuing to follow my travels with me.

All the best,
Paul Wozniak