Django in June 2024 -- Our 20th Anniversary!

Buco · June 17

I think the biggest contributor is probably the nature of accomodations and Smith college campus layout.

paulmcevoy75 · June 18

https://www.djangobooks.com/forum/discussion/comment/117763#Comment_117763

I would kinda like a mattress that cost more than $17 tbh. And a blanket that had actual blanket qualities.

Andrew does an amazing job. I hope the visa thing doesn't destroy it in general.

Buco · June 18

https://www.djangobooks.com/forum/discussion/comment/117765#Comment_117765

Haha yes the mattress is super cheap. But, I've never slept uncomfortably on it. Often when I stay in a hotel, there can be this super tall, posh, fancy mattress. And I still get sore pressure spots from it. That never happened while staying in dorms. I don't know, maybe my body is saying that I'm not built for fancy.

I'd be concerned about the visa thing if it happened 10 years ago. Today we have plenty of teachers and performers from nearby, as we saw this time around. Business will survive, I'm not worried about that. What will suck is we won't be getting so many superstars of the genre that we kinda took for granted in the past.

Scoredog · June 18

I think for some it will be a big deal, for others like Joscho and the Django Festival Allstars, bands that spend a lot of time in the states as opposed to a gig here and there will probably be fine. I talked to Joscho a month ago and he did not seem too concerned (his visa does not run out for a couple of years though).

Beds...I did not sleep great but I doubt it was the beds fault. I actually went to bed with back pain from all the playing and jamming and it went away only of course to return after an hour or two of playing again.

paulmcevoy75 · June 19

https://www.djangobooks.com/forum/discussion/comment/117766#Comment_117766

yeah well I like seeing the Euros. That is no dig against the new American virtuosos at all. It would be great if it was just them.

My mattress kinda tilted too. I had my own blanket and pillow ready to go but then forgot them.

Buco · June 19

Oh I think American virtuosos would agree as well.

lorenzop · June 19

After all day playing, learning and listening to such great music - I would have had a delightful night's sleep on a pile of rocks.

Buco · June 19

Some of my personal highlights;

The concerts,

Jean Claude Laudat and Jean Yves Dubanton had such sweet and warm stage energy, maybe it was the closeness that the two have that seeped onto the entire audience and we were all sucked into their world of chansons and musettes.

Brad Brose and his Bad Bros, they play the songs from the genre completely reimagined in the best way. I kept thinking psychedelic as I was listening and enjoying every second of the atmosphere they created.

Les Violons de Bruxelles, we all know they're some of the world's best musicians. What was a joy to see is how much fun they had on stage. They kept laughing the entire show. That joy was felt throughout.

Max O'Rourke, the opening song...I can't think of another show at DiJ where the opening song lifted me up like that. And then the rest of the show kept me in the clouds.

Sam Farthing...man, well after listening to this genre for so many years, which I still love, that initial magic starts to wear off a little. Listening to Sam play brought it all back. His playing embodies everything I love about this music.

Convincing Craig @Scoredog to come, I doubt he'll need any convincing next time.

Playing @lorenzop Ivanovski guitar, holy cow what a freakishly incredible instrument. Bass is insanely deep, but focused, and it's got the darkest tone of any guitar I've played, it's as dark as a bottom of the ocean. It's like Pat Martino sound in the acoustic guitar. I freaking love it!

@MarkA thanks for saving my pride with being the only visitor at my rhythm workshop (it wasn't a fair fight, I had Tcha next door), but that gave us the opportunity to finally jam and make music together after knowing each other and hanging out during the festival for several years.

Finally meeting @Chiefbigeasy in person. Thanks for being my second day workshop visitor (two for two), and jamming. We've known each other and talked for years but never met in person. Then Tomoko joined us on violin which was pretty awesome. (although she was bummed when she found Tcha was next door the whole time, yikes)

Seeing old friends and meeting new ones. Coming back here makes me feel like a first day of highschool after the summer break.