As we work out the kinks that come after the sort of long, sound, fitless sleep that follows a weekend at Faire, we come to that yearly realization: it’s over. The Boggards’ 15th Pleasure Faire and 16th year as a band. It’s a realization that comes with a mix of melancholy, relief, gratitude.
Certainly there is some sadness: so many folks we won’t see for another year; the performing — we do love the performing.
But there’s also not a small bit of joy: no more Friday night laundry marathons; leisurely Sunday morning breakfasts are back on; a trip to the dry cleaner to get that dead rat smell out of the duds.
But really, now is a time for the high points of the season:
Firstly, we had a new Rogues’ Reefe Stage, and it was a beaut. It was built by the students in the Theater Arts and Design Academy (TADA) at South El Monte High School.
Secondly, we had a new tenant at Rogues’ Reefe, Windsor’s Tavern, staffed by the Merry Wives of Windsor.
We had several new acts at the Reefe this year: Bey’Abi Belly Dance troop, Sportive Tricks, Odd’s Bodkin, Dread Crew of Oddwood, Dan McCann’s Pennyworth’s Variety Show, David Springhorn’s Famous Shakespeare Schoole. And the returning acts: the Merry Wives of Windsor, Pye Powder Court.
It was an honor sharing a stage with these talented performers.
We have one more weekend at Faire site: next weekend, we must tear down everything we built. That little village that lasts two months goes away surprisingly quickly. By next week it’ll be nothing but dirt, dead grass and pallets of lumber.
Then begins the preparation for next year. It’ll start with some kernels of ideas; and some of those kernels will become new songs, jokes, poorly painted signs.
We have a few irons in the fire for the remainder of the year. We’ve started preproduction on our next CD, and we’ll work on it throughout the summer. We’ve booked a headlining show at the Galaxy Theatre in Santa Ana, on Saturday, November 7th. (go to tickets.poxyboggards.com if you’d like to attend.
And there may be more, when the details are finalized.