Mayfest kick-off
by BernieIt was a bit windy at Mayfest yesterday evening, but for an event that has seen cataclysmic weather events in the past it was hardly even noticeable.
I went to see one of my favorite bands, The Gourds, play an amazing set. If you’ve never heard The Gourds, you really missed out. They have a style as broad as Texas, drawing from bluegrass, tex-mex, zydeco, and good old rock-and roll. And the lyrics are razor sharp and smart (for example, they’re the only band I know can pull off working the lyric “Pythagorean Theorem” into a song).
If you are familiar with the Gourds, then you’re probably familiar with their now-infamous countrified cover of Snoop Dogg’s hit Gin and Juice. The song was an internet sensation, and the Gourds can’t play a show without being heckled by the crowd all night to play Gin and Juice. This time, the begging worked, and the band decided to go ahead and channel Snoop, much to the crowd’s delight.
They rarely play it in a festival setting because there are a couple of words in their parents might not like the kiddos to hear. Kevin did make a noticeable effort to mumbler the F-bombs, but the rest of the PG-13 language is there in full force. Consider yourself warned.
I recorded several songs from the show, but I thought Gin and Juice would be a great one to share with West and Clear readers, especially since there’s an interlude where Kev drops some George Strait “Fort Worth” lyrics into a Snoop Dogg song. When’s the last time you heard that?
Go give it a listen:
Gin and Juice - the Gourds - live in Fort Worth
Tags: bluegrass, George Strait, Gin and Juice, Gourds, Mayfest, Music, Podcast, Snoop Dogg, Trinity River
11 Comments, Comments or Pings
Chewy
Thanks for sharing! Love the George Strait tie. If only they could have worked in “Cold Fort Worth Beer” in addition to “Does Fort Worth Every Cross Your Mind.” Maybe they did and I missed it.
That’s probably my favorite cover of all time simply because it’s so unexpected and done flawlessly.
May 2nd, 2008
Don Young
I don’t mean to rain on the parade, but, does it matter to anyone that Mayfest is sponsored by Chesapeake Energy? They are using this forum to promote their urban gas drilling agenda. They will likely have a booth set up with fliers, etc. No surprise, right?
Should this matter to you and your family who just want to go hear some music, see some art and let the kids run wild? Remember Trinity Trees, Eighth Avenue, East First St. injection wells and soon to be downtown Fort Worth drilling site? The list is growing daily.
I urge you to boycott the festival and tell the Mayfest organizers and the City of Fort Worth that you disapprove of the Chesapeake sponsorship. If you must attend, at least take the time to tell organizers that you find the relationship incongruent.
Our younger kids should not be subjected to Chesapeake’s propaganda machine. The money they inject into the community is not equal to the destruction they are doing and will continue to do for decades to come.
DY
May 2nd, 2008
quaid
I have a better idea… go to the event and confront the pr machine and tell them you don’t agree. You will be heard by other festival attendee’s and that might have more of an impact than not going.
Hand out your own flyers asking people to come to W&C to get facts about urban drilling.
May 2nd, 2008
Russell
I am so surprised that so many intelligent people like yourselves can be so naive about natural gas drilling and so blatantly ignore all the inflow of money it has provided this great city!!!!
Give me a break
May 2nd, 2008
Don Young
Hi Russell. Your sarcasm is worthy of Oscar Wilde.
May 2nd, 2008
Steve-O
I know I am off topic, but I thought the Gourds song was totally crunk.
May 3rd, 2008
quaid
Russell,
Yeah… tons of money flowed into Bhopal India in the early 80’s as well. Look at the good it did. I am not suggesting the same could happen, but money for the sake of money is not the best thing. Money made, when following established rules and environmental regulations is ok by me.
A brief refresher on Bhopal:
On the night of Dec. 2nd and 3rd, 1984, a Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, India, began leaking 27 tons of the deadly gas methyl isocyanate. None of the six safety systems designed to contain such a leak were operational, allowing the gas to spread throughout the city of Bhopal.[1] Half a million people were exposed to the gas and 20,000 have died to date as a result of their exposure. More than 120,000 people still suffer from ailments caused by the accident and the subsequent pollution at the plant site.
May 3rd, 2008
Jonathan
I don’t see how a retelling of the infamous Bhopal disaster story adds to the discussion here.
I spent Saturday at Mayfest and had a great time. It was my first time attending despite several years in Fort Worth. I spent most of the day waiting for my friend’s two little sisters to enjoy whatever ride they were on. Somehow several hours of that completely wore me out (thank goodness for the Starbucks booth) but I would definitely do it again.
As an event I think it went really well. It didn’t take us too long to get in. There were trash cans everywhere to keep most garbage contained. The different rides, concessions, booths etc. were scattered evenly throughout so you weren’t required to walk long stretches without something you were interested in. Of course, it could have been less expensive, but all that economic stimulus has to be good for something. At least 8 tickets for a beer is not unreasonable.
May 5th, 2008
Kevin
Wish they wouldn’t block off the trails for weeks for a three-day festival.
May 5th, 2008
Jonathan
It’s been a while since I tried to ride through there during Mayfest, but my memory was of detours around rather than just roadblocks. It actually led me to discover some bits of trail I didn’t know were there. It did require some riding on grass though. Maybe that doesn’t work for roadies.
May 5th, 2008
RidgeD
Good fortune appointed me a volunteer at the inaugural Mayfest in 1973, selling (and drinking) beer. The next year, we couldn’t drink beer- only sell it. Since then, it’s devolved into an infomercial for a corporation engaged in urban drilling, the antithesis of its original purpose. Check the history on the Mayfest website and you’ll find it was conceived for the purpose of providing funds to improve the local environment. Now it’s just another corporate event sponsored by a corporation as environmentally friendly as China (or the Bush Administration) is human rights friendly. The term “human rights” embraces all humans, irrespective of social standing or material wealth. It seems to me that a healthy environment is an aspect of human rights. Chesapeake, China, the Bush Administration and their ilk promote human rights only to the extent necessary to achieve their inhuman ends. Their is little benevolent about these institutions. Mayfest now officially sucks.
May 5th, 2008
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