I Heart Local Music
Wakarusa Live!
Posted Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Welcome to Wakarusa!
Oh boy! Oh boy! Oh boy!
This is my first year at Wakarusa. Yup, I'm a nube. But my goal this week is to bring you the experience through my eyes.
I'll be posting video of the Wakarusa experience here.
Today you will see constant updates, with picture and video clips. So stay tuned, and check back often!
Thursday, June 5th
1:00 p.m.
*Wind is the word today at Wakarusa. Fans are just beginning to trickle in on the first day of Wakarusa, 2008. Despite numerous warnings, there doesn't seem to be much concern over the dangerous weather headed our way.
2:00 p.m.
*Recycalusa! KU & K-State students put their differences aside to come together and help keep the festival clean. It's part of a program called "Recycalusa." Co-directed by Rylan Ortiz, who we hear from in this video. Today they started gathering up barrels to place all over the camp site for trash and recycling. They also began their day by handing out plastic sacks to festivarians entering the site.
3:44 p.m.
Digging the stage decor.
People are still trickling in. Seen lots of people with kids, some even flying kites. It's calm now, but I wonder what will happen when the storm hits.
6:08 p.m.
*The Waka blog came to an abrupt halt at about 5:00 p.m. because severe weather started tearing up Kansas. I got called into the station to help out. More info to come in a bit.
6:14 p.m.
*Douglas County officials are warning festival goers of oncoming severe weather. Public Service Announcements will be made on all stages at the festival.
If warnings are issued two counties away from Douglas County, the Festival will be on alert, and officials will start taking safety precautions.
If hail strikes, festival-goers may have to get inside their cars for shelters.
Officials do NOT want festival goers to get inside their cars in case of a tornado. If a tornado strikes, stay in low lying areas.
6:20 p.m.
*Here is a message from Douglas County Sheriff Spokeswoman Lt. Kari Wempe on safety procedures to take at Wakarusa, in case of severe weather.
6:40 p.m.
*Here's some video from earlier in the day of local sweethearts Truckstop Honeymoon.
6:42 p.m.
*Fally loves hula girls.
And because I love you, here's a picture and some video.
6:43 p.m.
*That's all for me tonight, severe weather is taking center stage in my life. If you're heading out to Wakarusa, please review the severe weather information posted above, and be safe! I will let you all know if something happense (severe weather-wise) at the festival.
FRIDAY, JUNE 6TH, 2008
4:30 P.M.
*Oh by, it sure is hot! And there's a lot more people. Getting here was a bigger chore.
Everybody's trying to beat the heat.
4:50
*The internet out here is a bit slow at the moment, so the updates are too. In the meantime, staying cool with ice cream and water. Woohoo! Hooray for ice cream!
Also, I have blisters on my feet. Curse my stubborn sense of fashion and insistance on wearing the cowgirl boots!
6:00
*Buckethead is starting to play now. Just got done watching Blackalicious in a very muddy tent. It was rad. Neat crowd.
Blackalicious
Oh boy, it sure is muddy and steamy after last night's monsoon like weather.
6:20 p.m.
*Technical difficulties! Argh!
Well, I have lots of video to show you, but because of a slow internet connection, you won't get it until later.
SO, coming your way is:
*Built to Spill concert footage
*Blackalicious concert footage (hooray for hip hop!)
*Mates of State interview
*And of course, more hula girls. Yeah!
6:30 p.m.
*Oh boy! I can see some teletube costumes from where I'm sitting. I wonder if those belong to the flaming lips. . . .hmm. ..
So excited!
Cake is up next!
7:45 p.m.
*Cake's flight was/is very late, SO instead of going on next, they're swaping with Galactic and playing at midnight on a different stage. In the meantime, Wayne from the Flaming Lips is busting out some wacky props and entertaining the masses onstage.
7:45 p.m.
*Hey look what I found!
It's made out of old tires. Woohoo!
Arrested Development was rad. Remember them? Way back in the early '90's. Kind of like Gospel hip hop. 
They got the crowd going pretty good.
SATURDAY, JUNE 7th
1:32 a.m.
*Video!
Here are some video highlights from earlier in the day:
Built to Spill:
Interview with Mates of State on coming back to their hometown to play Wakarusa
Blackalicious
THE FLAMING LIPS
*Oh my GAWD! The Flaming Lips were amazing! This could be the best show ever (even though I've seen them before). They seemed taken aback by the crowd, and the overall vibe of the show. 
At one point, somebody set off fireworks, and the timing just worked perfect with their song. It wasn't planned, is what I gather from it. They talked about it for quite a bit after the song, they were just amazed.
But before anything went down, in perfect Waka style, Wayne came out in a bubble! 
Then, they continuously showered us with confetti throughout the show.
And they had Teletubbies! And a caterpillar!
Here they are playing my favorite Flaming Lips song, "Fight Test."
The most heartwarming moment of the night, though, was when they lead the crowd in a soft and sweet rendition of "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots." Here's just a snippet of it, but it really is worth listening to.
Monday, June 9th, 2:50 a.m.
*I got called into work this weekend, so the lovely husband went and got some more Waka footage for you Waka-files.
Ben Folds pleased the crowds on Saturday night.
But that just about does it for me. My friends and I liked noting that the festival had such a great vibe. Nobody got rowdy and violent, and people were for the most part pretty clean. Looks like the green and recycling efforts had a positive impact.
I loved how smitten the Flaming Lips were by the crowd. And everybody at the festival was just a barrel of fun.
I had WAY too much fun.
I'm definitely heading out next year.
See you all then?
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