Tag: Cascades Park

Train in Tallahassee

Studly Doright would rather have a root canal without local anesthesia than attend a concert. He isn’t a big music fan and has even less interest in rubbing shoulders with the hoi polloi. I’m the exact opposite, in fact, I’m a proud member of the hoi polloi, and if possible I’d go in search of live music every day. I’m not averse to attending concerts on my own, but they’re so much more fun with a friend.

When I read that the group Train was appearing in Tallahassee I began hinting that I’d like to go. Studly, however, wasn’t taking the bait. I’d about despaired of getting to see Train when one of my Meetup friends posted the concert on the app. With the click of a couple of buttons I’d bought my ticket and was set to go.

Four of us met at the Cascades Park amphitheater on Thursday night to enjoy Train. It seemed the perfect way to celebrate the summer solstice.

I fought off gnats to take that photo above. Next to me is Shavani, then Martha, and Mary Kay.

Although the opening band wasn’t scheduled to play until 8, we’d arrived at 6 p.m. to score a good spot in the grassy general admission area. The temps were in the mid-90’s, a storm was building to the west, and the humidity was intense. We even had to take shelter from lightning for a while. The shelter was an air conditioned bar with cold beer, so it wasn’t much of a hardship.

A local band, Brightside, kicked things off right on time. They were fun and energetic even as they battled heat and gnats. Once the sun dipped low and we all stopped perspiring both problems were solved and the night was perfect for soaking up the music.

Of course, we were there to see Train and they didn’t disappoint.

They played one hit after another and did a couple of covers that were mind-blowing, including Tom Petty’s Free Falling.

My favorite Train song is Drops of Jupiter. They didn’t play it until the encore, but it was worth the wait. I videoed a bit of it, but my camera work wasn’t great. This one is much better:

https://youtu.be/7Xf-Lesrkuc

What a fun evening with friends! I was happy I got to attend and Studly was ecstatic that he didn’t have to. That’s a win-win.

Peace, people!

Sweet Weekend, Part 2

I had so much fun bumming around the Word of [South] festival on Saturday that I couldn’t wait to return on Sunday. Pre-festival I stopped in at one of my favorite eateries, the Crepevine for breakfast and then once at Cascades Park I was immediately handed a free mimosa. Life was good!

Part of me was a little nervous that Sunday wouldn’t be able to compete with Saturday, but that free mimosa totally erased my doubts. I’m uncomplicated that way.

My first stop was to the stage where an act billed as The Sonnet Man was already in progress. http://www.thesonnetmannyc.com  

This young man has set Shakespeare’s sonnets and soliloquies to music, creating “Hip-Hop Shakespeare Fusion.” He was incredibly fun. I loved watching the kids in the audience head bobbing to Sonnet 130. 

Next up on the same stage was musician Jim White, whose debut album, The Mysterious Tale of How I Shouted “Wrong-Eyed Jesus” was the inspiration behind the 2003 doucumentary “Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus.”

 http://www.jimwhite.net 
I became an instant fan of Jim White who bills himself on his website as “songer/songwriter, author, fine art photographer, crackpot philosopher, folk artist, record producer, film maker, dad.” He’s quirky, immensely talented, and might be a little addictive.

  
Jim’s set made me thirsty. There might’ve been alcohol involved, but I had decisions to make. Did I want to listen to Grant Peeples and Tom Franklin or Chatham County Line? Ultimately I flipped a coin and ended up at Grant Peeple’s gig. 

Pictured below is Grant. He’s the bald guy. I didn’t catch his guitarist’s name. A self-described “’vegetarian that watches NASCAR, and tree-hugger with a gun below the seat,’Grant Peeples is known for his axe-sharp socio-political tunes, raucous humor and heart-gigging ballads.”

Watching the crowd as Grant performed, it occurred to me that many in attendance weren’t quite grasping that his lyrics were hitting close to home. He poked pointed fun at the GOP, racists, homophobes, etc., and they loved him. 

http://grantpeeples.com
  
Trading off with Grant was author Tom Franklin, who read aloud excerpts from his novel, Smonk. https://g.co/kgs/uCw4M

I didn’t get to the book tent in time to purchase his book, but it quickly was added to my wish list on Amazon. He writes the south as he sees it, and he sees it clearly. 

Next on my impromptu itinerary was author Adam Johnson. Adam is an FSU graduate with some serious writing credentials. According to Wikipedia “Adam Johnson is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist and short story writer. 

“He won the Pulitzer for his 2012 novel, The Orphan Master’s Son. He is also a professor of English at Stanford University with a focus on creative writing.”

 
Adam read his short story, Nirvana, and had the audience in the palm of his hand. Check out this man’s work. He is amazing. https://g.co/kgs/ZdTev

You’d think I could’ve gone home happy after all I’d experienced, but like a glutton I stayed for one more author, renowned columnist Leonard Pitts, Jr. Having read Mr. Pitts’s column in the Miami Herald for years I could scarcely believe I was sitting just a few feet from him as he read excerpts from his latest novel, Grant Park.  

  
I was in awe, and pray that I didn’t sit there on the front row with my jaw hanging open like a beached fish during his talk. He also offered his keen insights on the current political climate in the U.S. and accepted questions from the audience. 

As soon as the applause died down at the end of the presentation I sprinted to the book sellers’ tent and bought a copy of Grant Park. 

 
Best of all, I made him laugh when he signed my book. Leonard Pitts, Jr. has a great laugh. Here’s the link to his website:

http://www.leonardpittsjr.com
What an awesome day. I cannot wait to dig into the books I purchased, and I’m already looking forward to next year’s festival.

Peace, and happy reading, people.

The Shadow Knows

Recently we had a guest from the Hoosier State spend a few days with us. On one day of his stay, Studly Doright and I took our friend Jerry to Cascades Park in Tallahassee. As the former State Director of Parks in Indiana, Jerry is keen on such outdoorsy venues.

I’ve written about Cascades Park before. It’s a beautiful multi-use site that serves as part of Tallahassee’s drainage system–the park is intended to flood.

Within the park are a restaurant and bar, an amphitheater, as well as walking/biking trails, various monuments and works of art, a splash pad, and a natural playground area.

Jerry snapped this photo of me standing next to one of the climbing rocks in the playground. I was not prepared to see the shadow I cast. 

 

I think I look like *Kokopelli:  

Or alien:

 
Only the shadow knows. Bwahaha!

Peace, people!

*From Wikipedia: Kokopelli is a fertility deity, usually depicted as a humpbacked flute player (often with feathers or antenna-like protrusions on his head), who has been venerated by some Native American cultures in the Southwestern United States. Like most fertility deities, Kokopelli presides over both childbirth and agriculture. He is also a trickster god and represents the spirit of music.

A Walk in Cascades Park 

One of the best spots in Tallahassee for running, walking, playing, or just chilling is beautiful Cascades Park.

http://discovercascades.com
From the link:

Cascades Park is the newest social center of our community, enhancing our quality of life by offering one venue that brings together arts, entertainment, education, history and wellness. It is the perfect example of how the one-cent local option sales tax we pay is invested back into our community.

Located in the heart of downtown, Cascades Park offers a variety of outdoor and recreational amenities, including a state-of-the-art amphitheater, interactive water fountain, children’s play area, Smokey Hollow Commemoration and miles of multi-use trails. Constructed by Blueprint 2000 in partnership with the City of Tallahassee and Leon County, Cascades Park is a stormwater facility that doubles as a unique urban park. Designed to flood, the park will offer relief to nearby areas during major storm events. This park was built by the citizens of Tallahassee and Leon County through the use of a one-cent local option sales tax.

I’ve been driving across Tallahassee a couple of times a week to get in my 10,000 steps by walking in Cascades Park, and every time I spot something new. 

On Saturday I discovered the Korean War Memorial:

 

Korean War Memorial

The piece that gives the impression of having broken off lists the names of those from Leon County who died in the conflict.

 

Note the word, “LIFE” on this sculpture.
 
I sat and read each of the names and thought about the loss to the families, the community, and perhaps to the world. We use the word moving to describe many things. This memorial moved me to tears.

 The amphitheater, below, hosts concerts and plays in a beautiful setting. Every time I walk I make a detour through the stage area. Sometimes I dance a few steps, other times I sing a few notes, but I always take a bow.

  

  

 I’ve still got a lot left to explore! I didn’t even realize how big the park was until I found this map while writing this post. 
Come visit me in Tallahassee. We’ll walk.

Peace, people!