Cornerstone 1999: Jason’s Diary, June 30

Campground cornerstone 1999 5

Even though the fest didn’t technically start until the next day, it did start for me today. Nolan, Jenn, and Becky rolled into the fest around 8:00 that night, and we were in for quite a ride.

The day started off in a fairly nondescript manner. Much of it was spent hanging out at the Asylum (a common thread to this year’s Cornerstone). I believe it was today that I met Todd Brown, from the Deus Albedo and Indie-Culture mailing lists. I’ve always enjoyed reading Todd’s articles and reviews in TrueTunes, and he’s also recommended some great reading and viewing materials.

We spent some time talking about John Woo, David Lynch, and Terry Gilliam. We also compared notes and views on a few different bands. All in all, a cool guy. I also saw Don Hill, which is always a highlight. Don’s an incredible fellow, and I always enjoy reading his posts to Deus Albedo.

The rest of the day was pretty mellow, meeting and greeting people. However, it was during that night that things changed quite a bit. Nolan, Jenn, and Becky rolled in at 8:00pm, which really surprised me, because I thought it’d be next to impossible to find them.

I had kind of planned to see Freaks, which was showing over at the Imaginarium, but was unable to due to the arrival of Nolan and Co. After moving some stuff from their car over to the site, we went to hang out. Like the previous night, I went to the dance put on by the Found Kids with Greer, Nolan, Becky, and Jenn.

While we were there, it started raining. At first, it was nice and cool to dance in the rain. However, it slowly started to pick up. Nolan and Becky had gone to put some stuff in my car. Greer had to take off for a little bit, so Jenn and I hung out there for a little while longer. However, it soon got a little too much for us, so we headed back to the Asylum. On the way there, we hooked back up with Greer (who, might I add, looked incredibly cheeky with her feathered boa and pigtails).

We headed back to the Asylum and hung out there for a little bit longer. In the meantime, that little shower turned into a downpour, and it was looking pretty nasty. Jenn headed back to the campsite to get some rest, but Greer and I stayed behind. Finally, I decided to get some sleep. I headed back to the site, pretty confident that I’d just spend the night in my car, without having to deal with a possibly wet tent.

However, much to my chagrin, I discovered Nolan, Jenn, and Becky all sleeping my car. Seems great minds think alike. After thinking about what to do, I grabbed a few jackets and headed back to the Asylum to weather it out. Little did I know that this little downpour would last until 4 in the morning. You know, at the time it really sucked because I knew the grounds would be torn up and my tent would be soaked. But in a way, it was incredibly cool.

Maybe it’s a wierd case of “survivor” mentality. You know, weathering the storm with a bunch of others almost made it into something like a bonding experience. There was just something in the air that night, I think, because I had an incredible time hanging out with Greer and Christian (even though Christian was staying in a camper, lucky punk).

Another thing that made it all worthwhile was the fact that Shaniqua himself, the incomparable Juan, was there. If you’ve never met Juan, and I’m sure a lot of you reading this haven’t, you are missing something very special. Juan is one of the most distinct individuals I’ve ever met, and seeing him at Cornerstone is always a thrill.

Since I didn’t have anyplace to sleep, I endeavored to just hang out at the Asylum that night. To be honest, much of that night is a bit of a blur. I finally got a little sleep, and as the sun came up, hoped to get a little bit more in my car.

After the sun rose, I went back to my site to see the damage. True to my predictions, my tent was wet, although nowhere near as badly as other people’s tents. In all honesty, my campsite made it through relatively unscathed. I finally did get a little sleep in the back seat of my car, but only a few hours.

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