Oregon Country Fair July 9-11, 2010 Olivia Delacruz, Bucky and Doug Abrams at Front Porch Friday AfternoonWhat most struck me about the fair, other than the occassional peacock feather and parade of painted bosoms, was the kindness of this community that gathers under the embrace of the forest. I was camped with the Spoken Word family and would wake up every morning to the sounds of children and music playing in our shadey living room. I'd get up early even though I'd stay up until 5am every night, and I'd practice yoga and jam with my new family over coffee. Then I'd set out with my guitar over my shoulder to wander the paths and play the gigs that Doug had arranged for me at Front Porch, Spirit Tower, Energy Park and, most exciting of all, at Main Stage for Saturday's midnight show. (I will be getting a sweet video of the performance soon!) Throughout the fair were hand-made and US-made crafts of all sorts - leatherwork, carnival masks, organic clothes, pottery, musical furniture, geez anything you could imagine - and the food here was off the hook! But to be honest I couldn't eat as much as would have liked because it was so incredibly hot and I was running mostly on the positive energy of this place. There are a ton of hippies here, but also a lot of families, kids and young adults. The performances ranged from bluegrass to hip hop, reggae to gypsy music, circus to spoken word, and many folks busk on the side of the paths that wind through the fair. Every evening at 7pm the fair closes and a marching band sweeps through, but the volunteers, performers, and crafters stay on to party until the early morning. Each night around 1pm I would make my way to the Ritz, a beautiful open air sauna where everyone is naked and some band plays in front of a large fire pit. In the actual sauna people sing together anything from old hymnals, to the Beatles, to favorite hippy singalongs. Going to this place every night is probably what allowed me to function on so little sleep! I am in withdrawal I must say, I loved the fair and the people there way more than I had expected and am excited to go back next year and the next and the next! For those who donated at the Energy Park Show: Thank you! I forwarded your generosity to the brave Burmese journalistic efforts of the Democatic Voice of Burma:  aloha nui loa! Just spent the last week on the Big Island Hawaii, as usual it has been just splendid. Lots of yoga and lots of music. Catching up with the folks and friends on the island. This was at Kiholo Bay on a silver bleached driftwood finding new ways to not fall on my face. I'm about to head out to Oregon Country Fair to play at my first festival. Psyched for it! much love bucky  This was recorded live at the Railway Club and the story was filmed around Vancouver. The song is about the being as unburdened as possible when we embark on a romance, about being as free and in the moment with our lover as possible. Rosalee Yagihara did all the filming and editing, while I worked on the audio. We spent an afternoon with Alexandra Rodrigues and Rosalee's son Solen, cruising around the train station and downtown getting our shots. This is as DIY as it gets! visit Rosalee's site: sumitramedia.wordpress.com 
 The Apocalypse is Not Guaranteed - First Home VideoI have started recording this song with my buddy Rob Fillo. My plan is to sell it to raise funds for a local BC organization called Living Oceans. Details to follow!  Jokers Always Crush LiveThis was from the Spring Fete CD release party for Latest Waking. Kirk Moses and I have started planning a music video for the album version of the song. It'll be an intense metaphor for the hyper-neuroticism of our minds and society in this Babylonian age. To me the Joker is an archetypal force that operates both within and without the structures of civilization to reveal the ridiculousness of ourselves and our society, and undermine & weaken the establishments in our minds and in our world. It's also just a fun song.  Mistakes and Victories Live at the Spring FeteMy string broke in this song, perfect! I ended up doing handstands for five minutes while the soundguy changed my D string. If I remember correctly Isis was counting for me...I can do better than 11 seconds honestly!  Give Up the FrightI had a little show the night after the epic show with Chinese table harp (zheng) player Vi-An on Thursday April 8th. I had to nap in the afternoon and had time to pick Andraya Starnino up to sing with me. It was a humble little affair and just the die-hard fans came out for a second evening of music. I have been feeling the Jester archetype strongly influencing me these days, stronger than ever.  Lift Yourself Up - Hope for Haiti Benefit Jan28This was such a magical event, I know that there were at least 3 benefit shows happening in Vancouver over those first couple weeks, and they all were well-attended and did well raising funds. I am proud of my community and how it can be relied upon to pull together. I was also recently speaking to an old girlfriend who is over in Haiti volunteering as a physiotherapist and she relayed to me the impressiveness of the spirit of the Haitian people. When we come together as a community and act on behalf of the collective, we are truly capable of anything.  Burning Man Recompression This weekend is the Burning Man Recompression on Sunshine Coast. I went over some photos from last September from the wonderfully harsh playa in Nevada. That was such an amazing opening for me, so necessary for my soul as artist. In many ways the drive behind the album was to be able to give my music to the people who had responded with their hearts at Burning Man. I am sure the "burn in the forest" this weekend - despite the forecasted rain - will inspire with the same deep sense of community  
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