Sunday, May 30, 2004

Earlier in the afternoon I really tried to walk down the street to the Sowebo Festival but I felt afraid. There were all these cars parked in my neighborhood that would not normally be there. Also there was this group of white youths standing on my corner who I knew did not live in the neighborhood. I feel uncomfortable when I see groups of people standing around in one area. I feel like there either going to rob or harass me. So yes, I admit I felt frightened and went back inside. I don’t recall if they were all wearing black leather, smoking cigarettes and brandishing chains, and guns. I just recall feeling weirded out because it was a group of people on my corner! A group of people I had never seen before a day in my life! I suppose I’ll make another try after the people have left my corner, that is if they ever leave my street corner.

On second thought maybe they were drunk teenagers or wanted to drink they kept asking asking each other if any of them brought along there ID’s. Eeek! Juvenile delinquents on the corner! I recall that when I first stepped out the door a girl who was with them said, “Ewww!” I know I’m no beauty contestant but I’ve never had someone look at me and go, “Ewww!”

So I decided right then and there that I would not be intimidated by teens. I promptly went back inside and waited for them to leave. I passed the time by going over to the Union Square web site to look at photos of last years Sowebo Festival. When I had exhausted those photos I went over to the Sowebo web site to look at even more photos. The photo’s seemed to mostly consist of freaky looking people. Maybe this would be almost like visiting the fabled, Land of the Misfit Toys.

When I finally ventured out the door the gang of teens were gone. I felt safe. The first stage I went to there was this band playing. They sounded really good. They played a mixture of rap, reggae, and rock. The two lead singers were a black guy and girl the rest of the band was white. I was feeling good bopping my head along to the intensely rhythmic music. So good that I gathered the courage to walk down to the Carriage House to see if my two paintings were still intact. As you may recall these two paintings are in cased in cheap Walmart frames. My main fear was that they would fall apart. They were in fact intact and prominently displayed.

I decided right then and there to explore more of the festival. I walked down the street and found myself at the food court. I bought a $1.00 egg custard flavored snowball. I recall that one of the men tending the stand had pretty light brown eyes. I then visited all the music stages in the festival. My only regret was that I only have $8.00 to my name. I saw so much pretty jewelry there that I wanted to buy but couldn't.

The last place I visited before leaving the festival was the place I think used to be Gallery M. I went there because I wanted to visit my poster. It was at the very tipy top of the wall. When I went there I was also surprised to see that an artist named Gabriel Kroiz had contributed a poster this year. I wonder if this is the same Gabriel who used to run the festival? It’s kind of hard to say. I can’t recall Gabriel’s last name. The only thing I can recall about Gabriel was that he had a hard to forget unusually angelic first name.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen I finally did it! I went to the Sowebo Festival!