Violins and Lances

When mom called to ask if I wanted to return south for a week, I was hesitant. There are a number of reasons why I dislike my hometown, hence my lack of eagerness to return. Mom, however, knew this and was prepared. "Barrage is coming to town," she informed me, "and FlaRF starts up the same weekend."

Next thing I knew I was on a plane, leaving my icy driveway behind.

Saturday night was the first time I saw Barrage in about five and a half years. Even though I didn't recognize most of the musicians, it was still the fun, high-energy show that I remembered. But don't just take my word for it; check out the video and see for yourself  :)



Most groups will sneak away to a tour bus after a concert, but not these guys. After their two-hour concert they still came outside, wearing smiles, to sign merchandise and answer questions. (My signed copy of Scrapbook has been playing nonstop since then).

The next day was FlaRF (known to many as the Florida Renaissance Festival). After 11 years of attending, it shouldn't be a surprise when I say that the faire has played a huge role in my life. It's where I had my first job. It's where I learned a bunch of tidbits of the time era...like the belief that women only have half a soul. It is where some great friendships had started. And it also helped me to find Barrage. Lost? Let me explain. One of my friends at the faire was ShaeLaurel, a family band who introduced me to the wonderful genres of Irish and Folk music. A band who showed me that violin music can be (GASP) fun! If it hadn't been for them, I probably would have ignored the advertisement for Barrage. The fast fiddlin' and impressive choreography in the commercial reminded me of a ShaeLaurel show... I knew I had to go. The rest is history.


So thank you FlaRF for the work experience, the memories, and for introducing me to great music.

And I guess we'll never know exactly where this river's gonna flow. And I guess we'll never understand till we reach that promised land. - "River" by Hanson