Southside Social 2012

Well...we did it!  Another amazing Southside Social and Barn Dance.  The term "family reunion" kept coming up and I think it really captures the spirit of the Social.  For many of us, the Southside Social is the place and time that we get to connect with folks that we may not be able to visit with any other time of the year.  Like a typical family reunion, we've got all types of characters but we surely wouldn't trade this family for another.  John Stuart Mill said "Eccentricity has always abounded when and where strength of character has abounded; and the amount of eccentricity in a society has generally been proportional to the amount of genius, mental vigor, and moral courage which it contained."

 But maybe the poet Edith Sitwell put it better: "I am not eccentric. It's just that I am more alive than most people. I am an unpopular electric eel set in a pond of goldfish.” 

Either way, there are all manner of freak flags flying at the Social.

Friday highlights: 

-Great response to the square dance!  Participants had a grand ole time and the band was terrific!

-Celeste and Roger's amazing two story bus

-T-shirt art was a hit!

-Fiddler John opened the evening with some great tunes

-In a bold move, Anarchists' Union went on strike in solidarity with all of bands who didn't make the cut... and refused to play their set.  They did however, hang their banner as a backdrop behind every single act throughout the weekend as a direct action move.

-Hot Tamales!

-Daddy Treetops played a great set--and apparently knows every single person in the world.  He's in the ether, man.

-Jesus Chords, the all female country band, played great.  

-I don't know why the Sanctimonious Kid and friend didn't play longer...we could have listened to their mix for hours! 

Saturday highlights:

-So many new friends!

-Seedeater....cover of Billy Jean was pretty darn awesome.

-Brent Offerings-the return of Brent Haines, a local upriver favorite.

-Meanstreet Meanie played great set, and so did the Barley Bandits...Everett has good musicians and smokin' hot redheads!

-Junkyard Amy Lee keeps getting better every year!

-Hot Damn Scandal...new to the Social but a total crowd pleaser. 

-It was super great to see WTC, it had been a while and we all missed them!

-Red Heart Alarm was also new to the Social and we loved them!  

-I am clearly biased, but I think the dance party was the most fun I've had in ages.  The spontaneous act of putting the dance platform out was a stroke of brilliance and some of those awesome dance moves will be etched into my brain forever.

-Swimming at the creek...Northern Lights....naked campfire party...what a great way to end the Social!

Here are some photos...I am going to post a link to this on Facebook. If anyone else has photos to share, send me the link and I'll post it here as well.  

I'm having trouble uploading the square dance video but will try again soon...