Django in June 2023

jonpowl

I am considering going to Django in June 2023 in Northampton for the first time. Of course, I have a few questions. Lots of my favorite players are going to be there this year, Sebastien Giniaux, Romain Vuillemin, Julien Cattiaux, Russell Welch, Fanou Torracinto, Max, Brad, Lisa and everybody else.

Best place to fly into?

Take your best guitar or your Altamira? Flying can be bad for a guitar's health.

What is the best travel case at a reasonable price? Hiscox or carry on?

Food plan on campus or local restaurants?

Rent a car or Uber, bus, etc?

Any tennis players going this year, and is there time to play?

More questions to follow.

John Powell

wim

Best place to fly into?

Bradley (BDL)

Take your best guitar or your Altamira? Flying can be bad for a guitar's health.

Best guitar

What is the best travel case at a reasonable price? Hiscox or carry on?

Gig bag / carry on

Food plan on campus or local restaurants?

Local restos

Rent a car or Uber, bus, etc?

Uber

Any tennis players going this year, and is there time to play?

No time for tennis

Buco

Yup, what Wim said. I mean, you can make time for tennis but something else will have to give. The slowest time I think is 5-7pm.

billyshakes

I've only been to DiJ once, mind you, but I found a lot of people that I got to know eat there at the dining hall. It is dining hall food, but it is convenient and good. If you are a foodie, then by all means eat out in town. If your palate is less discerning (i.e. it all makes a turd), you might enjoy the convenience of the dining hall option. Who knows, you might end up eating next to Marcel Loeffler....or Sebastian G., Romain, etc. So some additional "food for thought" there.

As for the case issue, I think a gig bag is helpful to carry around your guitar. I took the train up and left my guitar in the hard case, but then left that in my room and used my cheap gig bag to tote the instrument around. There are nicer gig bags that might satisfy both demands.

Re: which guitar to bring, I think that is going to be up to your comfort level. There were all sorts of guitars there. Vintage DiMauros coming from California or Altamira/Saga from next door. If bringing your $30k Selmer is going to give you anxiety while flying United (Breaks Guitars), then bring your Altamira. Bring the guitar you are comfortable playing with, but also traveling with. Would hate to have your experience be negative because you kept trying to make excuses for your guitar.

djangology

1. Costs about $25 to Uber from airport to DIJ. There might be a way to use the Uber app to calculate this ahead of time.
2. Carry-on your guitar. Here are my tips for that: a) there are planes with large overheads and planes with small overheads. you want to get on in the first phase of boarding if you pay extra. if there are small overheads, those planes sometimes have closets. b) you will likely be on a plane with another django-in-june person carrying another guitar, unless you schedule to avoid that. try to share overhead with them, if you are. c) cheaper seats probably mean less overhead opportunities.