It was so nice to see everyone yesterday at the Fourth of July spectacular at Goodbye Blue Monday. It feels like it's been forever since there's been a big event that has drawn a large cross section of the community, but I had that great feeling when I arrived yesterday of walking into a place where the vibe of groovy friendship was strong. It was fabulous to see people like Matt, Nan, Dan, Rachel, Brian, Elizabeth, Annabel Lee, Debe, Doug, Isaac, Uchenna, Jen, JJ, Joe Crow, Jon, Brook, Erin, Dan, Erin, Brer, Brent, Mark, Gina, Ray, Adam, Madison, Josh, Ben, Justin, Barry, Amos, Michael, Jason, TPM, Charles, Reginald, Scott, Vin, Luke, Mike, Morgan, Betsy, Mary, and....(yeah, I know I'm probably forgetting someone important...sorry if it's you).

Goodbye Blue Monday has really spruced itself up recently and the backyard area now is a very comfortable place to sit and schmooze with people. So comfortable in fact that I think I did more schmoozing then concentrated music listening. The barbecue that was going on out there was a nice touch too. But there definitely was lots of energy in the performances that were swirling around in the front stage and in the backyard space. Among the performances, most notable for me was seeing Debe Dalton play a set for the first time after her recuperation from her finger injury. Debe played the dojo instead of the banjo, and her show also included the reading of some poetry by Walt Whitman.

So, congrats to Brian and Dan for organizing a great show!

I also managed to stop in briefly at Scapegrace for Sexual Independence Day. It's the first Fourth of July event I've attended that featured dildo-making and naked body painting (along with a backyard kiddie pool and a barbecue). I was glad to get to hear Susan Hwang and Julie Delano, both among my favorite performers, alternate songs in a short set. I believe that Jacinta Mack and Yoko Kikuchi were the main organizers of the event. It was kind of cool that there were two interesting functions going on that involved people connected to the same community. I hope they both continue next year, but if so, maybe the organizers can communicate and find a way to stagger things so more people can go to both...especially since the locations are so close.