Michfest 40: Off Land, Opening Day & a Little Herstory (Part 2)

Tuesday August 4, 2015
In all the years I had been to Fest (this year being my 9th) I had never left the land during the festival at all. It’s not rare for women to go for beer and wine runs, snack runs, or even thrifting for a cool outfit for some special occasion or another on the land. At Fest, you never know when you might be called on and need to look your outdoor fly best. This year I hatched a plan to leave and go hang with the boys for a while. It just so happened that Living Colour was playing with Aerosmith in Grand Rapids and I just knew I had to go. Of course I’ve seen Living Colour many times, but I had never seen Aerosmith! I didn’t know how I was going to get to the show. I didn’t have a car on the land so when I first hatched the plan I didn’t know how it would work, but I needed it to work.

Just a little background in case you are not clear why I could and wanted to make this happen. It’s because Vernon Reid of Living Colour produced my forthcoming record. So this is how I came into tickets with such ease.

One day before Fest, while on the phone with Shirley, she says, “Why don’t you ask Sharon if you can borrow her car?” Now see, this is the thing about Fest and the people there that I need you to understand. In the real world that would have been a crazy idea. Someone driving your car, and you’re out of state, and the venue is at least four hours total there and back and you are not on their insurance? Oh Hell Nah! But in Michigan, Oh Hell Yeah! When I asked Sharon she just said yes. No questions, just yes! I asked her if she wanted to be my plus 1 for the show, but she didn’t want to leave the land at all that week, which I get. So I asked LaFrae and got one more ticket so my friend Allison (my former college roommate who lives in Grand Rapids) could come too! Everything was a go; well kind of. We had to get LaFrae out of one Chix rehearsal, which proved to be much easier than I thought it would be and then we were headed into Area 51. Me in my pink Stetson once again and LaFrae in her 10 gallon hat. Rock n’ Roll Baby!

That night turned out to be pretty amazing! Besides seeing Living Colour and Aeorsmith who were both off the chain, we also got to meet Bret Michaels of Poison! Now that was a surprise! Although Vernon knew we were coming, Will, Doug and Corey (the rest of the band) did not so we surprised them, which was fun! We took some pics in the green room and then headed out to see the Aerosmith show, but not before getting a staggering wave from Joe Perry. Now that was a rock ‘n roll moment! Ha! Crazy.

The Area 51 Crew!

Me & Vernon!

Sadly we didn’t get to meet any of the members of Aeorsmith because the LC crew had to leave early because they had to catch a crazy early flight in the morning, but we still had the best time ever and one of the best seats in the house. But as much fun as I had, I was so happy to be heading back to the land. Everyone seemed real strange out on the world on that day. Area 51 is real. That night energetically felt like the Wild West.

Side Note: On the last night of the tour in Canton, OH, Vernon delivered my girl Kelly Horrigan’s package of a feather and leather armband to Steven Tyler. I may not have gotten a chance to meet him, but that was a big score!

Steven Tyler with his custom Kelly Horrigan Handmade!

Wednesday August 5, 2015: Opening Day
Sounds like baseball in a way. Opening Day. It’s like the Goddess screamed “Play Ball!” and we lined up the batters. But like in all sports there is the pre-season and that time for us is sound check. But not just any sound check, a sound check that takes so song that it damn near ends right before we are called for the show to begin! That’s just how it is and it’s OK. It’s just what it is. It is OK right? LOL. I had missed rehearsal for one of the songs in the Opening due to my LC/Aerosmith jaunt, but I knew I would be able to catch up.

Reina, Teresa, Gina, Nedra, Vicki! Sound check! 

Judith reached out a couple of weeks before about singing “Kind and Generous” by Natalie Merchant along with Gina Breedlove, Teresa Trull and Reina Williams.  Since I didn’t make rehearsal, sound check was my rehearsal. As much as I talk about how long this sound check process is, I’m so glad it happened so I could be ready for it all. For what you ask? Well, when we got to the chorus of the song women started running, walking and rolling out from behind stage with signs saying things like, “Thank You Workers,” “Thank You Nutloaf,” “Thank You Carps,” “Thank You Sweat Lodge,” and the list went on as women danced down the aisles and down the catwalk. What??? Too Much! We go through the song and somehow I don’t break down, but then here comes Staceyann with her damn poem! Damn you Staceyann! {Read "Rebirth for Michfest" by Staceyann Chin} I was doing so good and then the water works. We are all on the side of the stage listening to her, hanging on to every word, and we…were…a…mess! A straight up mess! Ha! I was so glad I heard that piece right then and not only at the opening. Really I would have fell out. When sound check for opening ended I was totally clear on what this week was going to be. Before arriving at Fest I was calling it CryFest 2015 or ManicFest 2015 (because I knew the emotions were going to way up and way down). It lived up to all of those things and maybe more.

Thank You! 

Staceyann Chin!

Read "Rebirth for Michfest" by Staceyann Chin

Yaniyah & Aleah: Love

Opening dress and shoe game! 

The Opening was an OPENING. There was joy and tears and laughter and sobbing and smiles and hiding the face and dancing and broken hearts and new love it was all there. All wrapped into a moment that we knew was the beginning of the end. I heard that Elvira broke down on the Acoustic stage the day before as she realized that it would be her last time hosting there. She called it “Battlestar Acoustica” and we gladly rode the ship. The water works were on, but so was the stuffing down of feelings. The declarations of, “I’m not processing this with anyone this week so don’t even start!” and “I just want to be present and enjoy this,” were abound. I can totally dig that. I didn’t want to spend my whole week breaking things down. I would rather just sit in my denial and be “happy.”

The Opening had its usual flair, but this time it was laced with a huge weight of sadness wrapped in gratitude. At some point I was hugging Hanifah and wiping tears from both our eyes. I wouldn’t be there without her. We came in, while simultaneously on our way out, in a blaze of glory. Elvira said it best when she said, “Thank You Blaze of Glory” and “Fuck you, Blaze of Glory!” That about sums it up. Gratitude.

After the Opening Ceremony, Teresa Trull and Barbara Higbie took to the stage. I think this particular set was the beginning of me really thinking about the legacy of this festival. Teresa played at the first festival (along with Linda Tillery [who also produced her album], Holly Near and Meg Christian) and although she hadn’t attended all 40 years it has been part of her life that long. It started to really come into perspective for me what this particular festival has really done for female artists and how it really helped to galvanize an audience for women artists who were outside of the mainstream. Women who were lesbians/queer/feminist, the “Sister Outsider,” who chose to sing or speak the struggles of women, the love of women and the evils of the world. This festival gave them a space. I learned that there were a few other women’s festivals happening around the time that Michfest started. Some were one-offs like Boston and San Diego, but then there were others like Campfest, East Coast Lesbians’ Festival, New England Women’s Music Retreat (NEWMR), Sisterfire, the West Coast Women’s Music and Comedy Festival, Northampton Lesbian Festival, Gulf Coast Women’s Festival, Women’s Jazz Festival, all happening in the 70s and 80s, and of course National Women’s Music Festival (National) that still goes on today. But I’m just gonna go ahead and say that Michigan was different. A little bias? Sure, but it’s my blog so…   Lisa Vogel and her sister Kristie kicked off this crazy venture as teens and it is one that Lisa admittedly said she never thought she would do again after the first year.

Teresa Trull. The beginning and the end.

Teresa and Barbara have been playing together for a long time and their friend Vicki Randle also jumped on the set on bass for a song or two. According to Teresa she has played with Vicki off and on for over 40 years! Now that is a long and enduring friendship. Suddenly it dawned on me. As I was boo-hooing about my own festival loss, I hadn’t really thought about those who grew up there. Teresa, Barbara, Vicki, Toshi, Linda, Connie, Ferron, Judith, Shirley, Amoja (may she rest in power), and the list goes on and on. I hadn’t even reached my 10th year, but what about those who were their 30+, damn even 20+, that is a lifetime of once a year meetings and greetings, love, friendship and intimate relationships that saved lives. Well at least I know it saved mine year after year. Refuge.

Back to the stage, Teresa and Barbara concluded a sweet set with a mix of both of their tunes. I was supposed to be done for the night so I changed out of the dress I wore for Opening and back into my “street clothes.” As I said, I thought I was done till Skip the Needle came on.

For those of you who don’t know this band I urge you to get up on it. The crew is Vicki Randle, Kofy Brown, Shelley Doty and Katie Colpitts. Vicki says it’s her fantasy high school band and I totally understand what she means. Some of you might remember the R&B band Switch, well they were named that because of the fact that they could switch instruments during the show, well this band could probably do that on the instrument front (cuz they all play another instrument besides the one in the band), but instead they are switching up the lead vox from song to song and every single one of them is killin’! Then Kofy had the nerve to come from behind the drum kit and rhyme her ass off! Say what?! As Hanifah would say, 
“Say word!”

Skip the Needle

The Skip show began my run of crashing sets on the Night Stage. I didn’t think it was going to quite go down like that on this set, but Julie Wolf (who was sitting in with Skip) brought me on stage with her and I can’t say no to Julie! I honestly was just going to dance on the side next to her on the keys, but Vicki wasn’t having it. So next thing I know I’m out front with Katie, Vicki and Shelley singing their song “Stand Up.” Of course it wasn’t long before Marcelle was on stage with us and it was a party!

Seeing as how it was Opening Night and the last Fest, all of the sets on Night Stage ran extra long. Really Elvira did her best to drag out the Opening so everything else was behind. But the end of the Skip set was epic with Katie just leaning back into the crowd with her guitar still on and attached to the amp, but seamlessly she took it off and handed it to Shelley just in time to be lifted away by the crowd. Rock AND Roll yo! It was a great official start to the week, but now the real countdown was on. Breathe…

The Womyn

Michfest Part 5 (The Colored Girls and the OG's)

Day 5 (8/6) Thursday
I can’t remember what I did during the day this day. I think I got up and went running, but I really can’t totally recall. I remember the shows I went to go see and…oh wait! I think it’s coming back to me a bit. Yes it’s back! Thursday: Womyn of Color tent dedication, C.C. Carter at acoustic stage, CocoMama, Teresa Trull, Barbara Higbie, Vicki Randle & Julie Wolf, and Girl in a Coma on night stage. Luciana barely makes it to the fest. I’m gonna back up to the tent dedication. Oh yes, now I remember why we were late. Let’s roll back.

Black Patti had to sign CDs at Goldenrod (the on-land record store) that morning. So we all went over to the craft area and set up to greet folks. After that was over we headed to the Womyn of Color Tent Dedication. It was already under way when we got there. Olive, Hanifah, Ri, Maritri and I made the trip. A few people performed at the tent dedication, but the thing that stood out for me the most was Yaniyah Pathfinder doing the dance of the four directions. It was off the hook. I still have to reach out to her to make sure I learn how to do that. It was beautiful and amazing.

After the tent dedication I headed back to eat lunch real quick so that I could get ready to go see C.C. Carter at the acoustic stage. Bombshell was dancing with her. C.C. is a writer and spoken word artist who is very proud of her hips! They are beautiful hips if I do say so myself. So she makes it her business to gather all of the women of color that she can find on the land with big hips to share a stage with her while she praises them. It’s really fun and it gives women of all shapes and sizes to stand up and be proud of the fact that they have more to love. Also you have to be size 12 or up to be in her show. Now that's what's up! After C.C.’s set ended we headed back for dinner and to stake out a space at the night stage for the set to come. Gloria Bigelow was hosting.

Thursday night kicked off with CocoMama lead by percussionist Mayra Casales. Talk about a hot band. People were on their feet dancing for the whole set and we literally kicked up some dust. My feet were filthy and the bottom of my pant leg was nothing but dirt, but it was all in good dancing and good fun. Christelle and Sofia Tosello are the lead vocalists of the band and they are both incredible. Mayra came out from behind the congas once to sing and Christelle took her seat behind the drums. All these ladies have the most incredible stage presence and they are all just beautiful. CocoMama is not from Brooklyn, but they are representing New York. Holla!

After CocoMama, the OG’s (as Gina calls them) hit the stage. OG stands for Original Goddess and these ladies are nothing short of that. Thursday's OG’s were Vicki Randle (vocals, percussion, guitar), Teresa Trull (vocals, guitar), Barbara Higbie (vocals, fiddle, piano) and Julie Wolf (vocals, keys). These ladies are nothing short of the truth. It was so wonderful to watch them work. They are all stars in their own right, but when they come together it’s magic. Maritri was going to take a shower after CocoMama and I told her that she needed to wait and check out the OG’s. After the first song she understood why I suggested she hold off on the shower. I’ll have more to say about these ladies as the story unfolds, but I’ll just say it was an honor to be a part of a festival that included them and even more of an honor to later share the stage with them.


[Lisa, Aleah, Judith & Juanita. Just a small section of the OGs]


[Teresa & Barbara! Total OGs]

Finally Girl in a Coma hit the stage. I had been hearing about them for some time. I believe that Bitch and Von Iva had toured with them at one point or another. Lee kept telling me about their lead vocalist Nina Diaz and how great she is. Well they did not disappoint. The band is a trio and talk about power. I’m glad I got to check these ladies out. If they are in your town go see them. Don't sleep!

Thursday down, well almost. Luciana was supposed to be in that day, but she missed her plane in New York. I had no idea until late in the afternoon when Lisa Vogel (co-founder of the Michfest) saw me in Central Heating and very calmly squatted down next to me and told me that Luci missed the plane. I love how clam Lisa is. Clearly she’s been doing the festival so long that not too much can rattle her. She told me that they tried to get her on standby on the following flight but her name wasn’t called. So they were trying to get her on a third plane. Periodically I would ask the folks in Central Heating if they had any idea when or if Luci was getting in. Finally I got word that she should be in at Midnight. Then Midnight turned into 1am. I was tired, but I told the Central Heating ladies that I would wait for Luci and show her to her tent so they could go off duty. They work really hard for us all day and it was the least I could do.

As I said, I was tired and I started to realize that I really needed to shut up because I was hoarse and I had to do a rehearsal on Friday and the show on Saturday. I had tried to have vocal rehearsal earlier that day with Maritri and Tiffany and I had nothing to give vocally. So it was starting to worry me. I really needed to shut up and be in bed. These cold nights weren’t helping.

Finally at around 1am Luci shows up out of the shadows with a plate of food. I was expecting to see her come from one direction, but she came from another. I was in Central Heating and CocoMama were in there doing a little percussion jam. Vicki was jamming too. Luci started eating, but she soon put her plate down when she recognized Mayra Casalas. It was like a reunion and she just jumped in on the jam as if she had been there all week. That was great to see considering how long her day had been. Besides missing two planes she had a layover in Chicago. It was truly a trains, planes and automobiles type of day for her.

After the jam was over it was time for bed. No running for me on Friday morning. It’s time to sleep, but not through breakfast. ☺