lydia's musical travels

My first time at this festival, and I loved it. So glad I decided to wriggle it into my itinerary. Comfortable size, lovely venue, friendly people, amazing concerts, great dance sets, some nice jamming opportunities. Fun to catch up with friends, especially surprise visitors from afar. Even gorgeous weather alllllmost the whole time, with the notable exception of an afternoon featuring two downpours (I had cavalierly decided after the first one that it was too late to bother fetching my raincoat from the locked car now that it had cleared up).

I stayed with my friends Eva & Bengt, who live about a half-hour’s drive from the festival, and who kindly offered to squeeze me into their already full house. Before that I’d worked out how to borrow a tent and sleeping bag, but it turned out to be a smart idea to head out for quieter parts by midnight-ish, given my level of jetlag. (I arrived directly from the airport. The festival continues pretty much all night, so of course I missed a lot.)

So pleased to be part of a high-quality kitchen session the day after the festival. Wish I’d gotten to play more with all of these folks. Next time!

first night jam session, led by Magnus Gustafsson. great despite jet-lag (landed that morning). sad not to have recorded! profuse thanks to Jon Antonsson for photo.

tunes with Eva and Peter

CD release, Ulrika Bodén with Ahlberg Ek Roswall

this venue is the “dance hall”, but usually only at night — later on there was less than no room for dancing there.

Sunniva’s band on the [near the] Restaurant [sic] stage

Limbohofvet!

in the center of a sweet little festival

right before i played a bunch of Sahlström tunes with Einar. which would have been easier if i’d had a ‘harpa with me.

best session location

session with P-O, Eva, and friends, plus dog

attendees of all ages

lovely setting in perfect weather

rocks for climbing on

picnic tables, rehearsal of the massive Finnish band

lovely day for a swim. there were also canoes, if you had time for such things. most of the swimmers were pretty small kids.

Ahlberg Ek Roswall! brilliant as always. fortunately we knew to get there early, sat on the floor near the front.

Hazelius-Hedin with chamber orchestra

H-H audience that mostly fit inside the space

some of the H-H overflow audience

session spearheaded by the Danish gang

one of the two major cloudbursts that day. my raincoat was safely in the car.

session behind the youth hostel, with Eva + Tommy + Jane + Lars + P-O, &c.

Einar & Saana

Pelle Björnlerg & Anders Löfberg, at Anders’s CD release

a long lineup of ESI alumni played for an evening dance set. here are a very few of us. thanks to Byron Wiley for the photo.

Peter & Eva (& sometimes Bengt) play a midnight dance set

morning-after jam in the kitchen at Eva & Bengt’s house

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