Archive for Friday, July 18, 2008
Gaea retreat: Music, environmental awareness, spirituality collide in new festival
July 18, 2008
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Chris Yager, left, Jennifer Lacey and Merridy Yager gather at Camp Gaea prior to the festival.
Past Event
Gaea Retreat and Music Festival
with Jah Roots / 77 Jefferson / Lonnie Fisher and the Funeral / Seedlove / Madahoochi / Bockman / Brother Bagman / Deadman Flats / Flatland Dub Club / Livitation Station / Cosmic One Trio / Free State Revival and many more!
- When: Friday, July 18, 2008, noon
- Where: Camp Gaea, 25110 235th St., McLouth, Kansas 66054
- Cost: $30 - $100
- More on this event....
When Chris Yager decided to launch a music festival, he experienced a rude awakening.
He proposed the idea to Earth Rising Inc., a group that owns Camp Gaea, a 168-acre spiritual retreat center 10 miles north of Tonganoxie. Yager hoped to stage his festival at the scenic, isolated sanctuary that once functioned as a church camp.
The concept did not go over well.
“They were concerned about it turning into this big party,” Yager says. “I understand. I’ve already been through the big party stage, and I’m ready to develop and move forward. They said, ‘The challenge is for you to educate and have a point — then we’ll agree to it.’”
So after enduring several board meetings, Yager and his staff finally convinced the proprietors to embrace the Gaea Retreat and Music Festival, which begins at noon today.
“We’ve spawned into this weird festival where it’s a mesh of cultures. We have introduced education through imagery by focusing on things like the environment, free energy, energy conservation alternatives, performing arts,” he says.
“It’s more of a social experience than a music festival. I think of it as a cultural brothel — though I hate to use that phrase.”
Those at Camp Gaea might not be too comfortable with the phrase either.
The venue has spent years living down its reputation as a haven for nudists and pagan rituals. This was in part due to the publicity revolving around a 2001 lawsuit Earth Rising filed after neighbors pressured Leavenworth County to revoke Camp Gaea’s permit. (A compromise was eventually reached out of court.)
Since then, the site’s board of directors has worked hard to alter its anything-goes notoriety.
“We have a little of that reputation which we’re hoping to break,” says Chris Byram, president of Earth Rising.
“We have a lot of people come out there who are Catholic or Christian. They come out there just because there is not the cultural hold over everything you do. You don’t feel like you’re constantly being judged. We’re not a nudist camp. Personal nudity is a spiritual and personal choice. It’s not anything we encourage or discourage. We have certain areas that are clothing-required, such as the main public buildings and areas around the outlying gates.”
In fact, Byram admits he has never gone nude on the Camp Gaea premises.
“I have clothes on right now,” he says, laughing.
Pooling talents
Yager was initially distressed that his festival was forced by Earth Rising to head in a different direction.
“We weren’t prepared for it. Then I turned it into a positive. Now we have a point. Now we have a purpose,” he says.
So Yager, a former Lawrence resident who recently moved to Kansas City, adopted the concept with reckless abandon by turning to his staff and determining what talents they had to offer.
One was an advocate of the energy crisis point; another an expert on entanglement theory.
For Yager, he had just experienced a home birth with his girlfriend seven weeks ago, and he decided to speak to the benefit of that trend by recruiting a midwife activist for the festival.
“If one girl goes to the festival and decides to have her baby at home, my job is done,” says Yager, who named his daughter Merridy, which means “a happy song.”
“She was named after this thing,” he says of the concert event.
Other education-oriented aspects to the Gaea gathering (which is taken from the ancient Greek word for Mother Earth) include performing arts preservation, fine arts preservation, drug decriminalization and ways to improve gas mileage by building hydrogen cells.
In addition to various speakers, Yager has assembled informational DVDs to air on projection screens in-between the bands.
“We’re going to open up some really touchy subjects that most stock model events wouldn’t even touch,” Yager says.
Increasing scope
A year ago, Yager was simply another guitarist in Lawrence trying to start a band.
He threw a few house parties to get the word out about his group, Bad Sushi, and the events started to balloon.
He marshaled three Lawrence bands — Truckstop Honeymoon, Fast Food Junkies and Deadman Flats — and took them out to Perry Lake for an event called Lost Family Reunion.
“There wasn’t enough food for everyone. There wasn’t enough light,” he says. “But for being underbudgeted and amateurly planned, it went way good. ... It hit about 400 people. It didn’t make it to my idea of a festival; it was a gathering.”
For the upcoming event, Yager says he’s recruited a staff of about 100 people that includes such necessities as emergency response teams.
He’s also increased the amount of musical acts from three to more than 40. Bands and DJs are trekking in from places such as Michigan and Nebraska.
“Most are friends or people I’ve done gigs with,” Yager says. “The others came from posting bulletins on MySpace.”
Despite the increase in artists and activities, attendance at Camp Gaea (pronounced guy-uh) is capped at 750.
Byram says, “When speaking with Chris Yager, he’s just got such a really good sound mind for finding that even balance between having a music festival that has a community behind it. It’s not just music for him; it’s also about building that community. It’s getting the 18-year-old kids to find that realm of evenness and spiritual soundness.”
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18 July 2008 at 11:25 a.m.
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stephenj (Anonymous) says…
I'm glad this event is getting some press! I'm playing there on Saturday (Lonnie Fisher and The Funeral @ 2:00) and I wasn't sure if anyone had ever heard of this thing.
18 July 2008 at 2:25 p.m.
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Quigly (Anonymous) says…
LAME!
18 July 2008 at 3:13 p.m.
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ihatelv (Anonymous) says…
stephenj, no, nobody has heard of it.
How retarded…… What's ironic, is that this story is on the internet… How do hippies have computers? I thought using energy was a sin?
18 July 2008 at 3:22 p.m.
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geniusmannumber1 (Anonymous) says…
Typical. This is an event I have no interest in attending, but you know what? I bet those people who go are going to have a good time. Good for them. Nobody hates on you for wasting your time at Brothers, Quigley and ihatelv.
18 July 2008 at 3:23 p.m.
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consumer1 (Anonymous) says…
this just looks like another retro trust fund hippie going capitalist to me.
18 July 2008 at 3:29 p.m.
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tangential_reasoners_anonymous (Anonymous) says…
Music, environmental awareness, spirituality… collide….
Collide?
18 July 2008 at 3:31 p.m.
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devobrun (Anonymous) says…
“We’ve spawned into this weird festival where it’s a mesh of cultures. We have introduced education through imagery by focusing on things like the environment, free energy, energy conservation alternatives, performing arts,” he says.
“It’s more of a social experience than a music festival. I think of it as a cultural brothel — though I hate to use that phrase.”
For those of you who have run into me on these blogs before, let me remind you of the connections between bad science, bad engineering, and Gaia (or Gaea).
I feel therefore I am.
Think holistically, which means rationalize the stuff you like to do.
Gaea (or Gaia) is the ultimate and nebulous concept that exists over all (uber alis). We must believe in her because she gives us spiritual hope.
We don't like:
oil.
capitalism,
math,
thermodynamics, quantum electrodynamics, etc. because they are Nazi-science. They impose horrible limits to our feelings. They will be the death of us all.
Promote evolution because it is against religion. Never mind that it suffers from the same storybook leaps of faith. It is your faith.
My guess is that every morning when the drugs have worn off, Mr Yager experiences a rude awakening.
Free energy………Gaea (Gaia)………hydrogen………..music……….decriminalize drugs……..my head is spinning………gotta go………..
18 July 2008 at 3:44 p.m.
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devobrun (Anonymous) says…
Gained control of myself.
You got me. My knee jerked. This is a hoax, right? Not really happening, right?
So when the hydrogen-powered VW bus is sold at this festival and it leaks fuel will the energy from the mushroom cloud be free energy?
18 July 2008 at 3:44 p.m.
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Fort_Aubrey (Anonymous) says…
Free energy? Is that what we call “it” nowadays?
I hope they all practice “Safe Fission” tonight. I would not want a lot of fatherless by-products later on to be a burden to society.
18 July 2008 at 3:53 p.m.
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devobrun (Anonymous) says…
That's the spirit Fort_Aubrey. Sorry for my semi-serious tone earlier. Come on now everybody, lets keep this joke goin'.
“If one girl goes to the festival and decides to have her baby at home, my job is done,” says Yager
Whose baby, Yager, yours?
18 July 2008 at 3:54 p.m.
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pimp11 (Anonymous) says…
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
18 July 2008 at 3:59 p.m.
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devobrun (Anonymous) says…
Hey, “Lost Family Productions”, whose the shovel for?
18 July 2008 at 4:02 p.m.
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devobrun (Anonymous) says…
So after enduring several board meetings, Yager and his staff ………whoa there partner, there ain't enough reefer in the world to sit through board meeting!
18 July 2008 at 4:12 p.m.
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tangential_reasoners_anonymous (Anonymous) says…
“I hope they all practice “Safe Fission” tonight.”
Apparently, they're using colliders ( to achieve fusion ).
18 July 2008 at 4:17 p.m.
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devobrun (Anonymous) says…
There's a laugh in every line of the above story.
“I have clothes on right now,” he says, laughing.
“adopted the concept with reckless abandon by turning to his staff and determining what talents they had to offer.
One was an advocate of the energy crisis point; another an expert on entanglement theory.”
“a haven for nudists and pagan rituals”
There are many more. Softballs waiting to be hit outta da park.
I know its Friday, you're all tired, don't make me right all the punch lines.
Oh, Jon Niccum, have you thought a career as a sketch writer?
I know a guy in LA……
18 July 2008 at 4:18 p.m.
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Quigly (Anonymous) says…
for too long the corporations have bled the earth of its love and and its resources. It is time for us to get to work and make this world a better place. And we're gonna start right NOW!!!
http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/15…
18 July 2008 at 4:25 p.m.
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devobrun (Anonymous) says…
Thank you Quigly, nice addition.
Now come on folks step up to plate. Its Friday and Mr. Niccum has set us all up.
18 July 2008 at 4:42 p.m.
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devobrun (Anonymous) says…
Could anybody float me a twenty, all I got is 10.
Gotta see “David Hasselhoff on Acid”, man.
18 July 2008 at 4:57 p.m.
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Quigly (Anonymous) says…
crunch man, crunchy!
18 July 2008 at 5:08 p.m.
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Pywacket (Anonymous) says…
Yager states, “It’s more of a social experience than a music festival. I think of it as a cultural brothel — though I hate to use that phrase.”
No, he doesn't. He thinks it's a very clever phrase, obvously, since there are a million other, more fitting, terms he could've used.
More brilliant thoughts from Yager: “If one girl goes to the festival and decides to have her baby at home, my job is done,” says Yager, who named his daughter Merridy, which means “a happy song.”
Yes, it will be all about him if some 17-year-old at the festival happens to hear a midwife speaking and plans a home birth. How self-congratulatory. Maybe they'll name the kid after him. And speaking of names, “Merridy” sounds like “happy song,” all right—more exactly, it sounds like the way someone doing a very bad parody of an Asian accent would say”melody.” As in, “Risten to this rovery merridy!”
No doubt, a fine time will be had by all at this festival. Let me check my calendar…. Oh—sadly, I will have to miss it. I'm going to be … Um… let's see… Oh, yeah—I need to clean the litter box that day. That's it. Shoot. And I really wanted to go.
18 July 2008 at 5:12 p.m.
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TheEleventhStephanie (Anonymous) says…
cultural brothel
18 July 2008 at 5:17 p.m.
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mtoplikar (Anonymous) says…
Bahhhh…
me no like hippies…
them too happy….
funny clothes— long hair bad…
why they bother me with weird thoughts?
why they like music and earth?
me no get.
me hate what me no get.
must crush
bahhh…
18 July 2008 at 5:17 p.m.
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dandelion (Anonymous) says…
Going to a festival or any place fun where real people are would require you guys to leave your computers and deal with real people, not virtual people, wouldn't it? You are a vippie, virtual hippy.
18 July 2008 at 5:18 p.m.
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devobrun (Anonymous) says…
Gotta get there.
It will be so great to see so many people turn out to make an impact on the WORLD….
Crunchy, baby, crunchy
18 July 2008 at 5:20 p.m.
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HootyWho (Anonymous) says…
Jeeze people
listen to yourselves,,,
it sounds fun,,
just cause it ain't your cup of tea, don't ruin it by hating
18 July 2008 at 5:29 p.m.
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devobrun (Anonymous) says…
Look its rainin' outside. So I'm in from my chores on the farm. Havin' some fun.
mtoplikar, I love hippies, they're fun, and crunchy.
Hey folks, how do you spell the sound of someone inhaling a doobie? I mean, whew, phht, what is the accepted spelling for that well-known sound?
18 July 2008 at 6:07 p.m.
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devobrun (Anonymous) says…
Since the setup jokes aren't coming forth like they should, I decided to move on. The first story I came to is:
http://www.knbc.com/news/16924310/detail…
He was just tryin' to get off at the Tongy exit. Catch some crunchy tunes.
18 July 2008 at 6:20 p.m.
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tangential_reasoners_anonymous (Anonymous) says…
HootyWho: “just cause it ain't your cup of tea, don't ruin it by hating”
Mistake not jest for hate.
And besides… if it can be “ruined” by “hate”… well… then it's just not crunchy, is it?
18 July 2008 at 7:06 p.m.
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Quigly (Anonymous) says…
Nice one devobrun. He heard the RatDog was playing at Perry. And yeah what is up with the “cultural brothel” thing? I like the bordello of culture. lupanar of enlightement. how about. So is this festival run off of the grid? Where are they getting the energy to run this festival is it free? I cannot bale grass if I have a rain day and my chores are done early. It is nice to poke and jest at the hippies. Asa matter of fact I am naked now in honor of free energy. It is too much energy to put on clothes!
18 July 2008 at 7:27 p.m.
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devobrun (Anonymous) says…
Lighting provide by Thai sticks.
Amplifiers are powered by giant coils of wire near a 500kv Aquila line.
Food prepared on burners gassed by drilling a 1/4 inch in a Williams high pressure line. Very delicate work.
Had to look up lupanar. Nice Pompeii reference.
Who said you can't learn anything on a blog?
Byram said…….”It’s not just music for him; it’s also about building that community. It’s getting the 18-year-old kids to find that realm of evenness and spiritual soundness.”
Especially the gals, ne'st pas mon cherie? Oui, Oui.
I think we're in good hands, Quigly. These folks are meek and the meek shall…….
18 July 2008 at 7:37 p.m.
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Pywacket (Anonymous) says…
t_r_a~~ Well said! I, for one, was just going for some cheap amusement. I hope they have a crunchin' good time. And that all the home-birthed babies whose husband-free earth mamas bury the placentas and plant a special tree over them are named Yager or Yagerina (Yagerette? Yagerice?) after the hip dude who made it all possible.
18 July 2008 at 7:57 p.m.
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George_Braziller (Anonymous) says…
I'm not a “hippie” but please tell me who CAN stand death metal?
____________________
gl0ck0wnr (Anonymous) says…
Hippies can't stand death metal.
18 July 2008 at 8 p.m.
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devobrun (Anonymous) says…
“A year ago, Yager was simply another guitarist in Lawrence trying to start a band.
He threw a few house parties to get the word out about his group, Bad Sushi, and the events started to balloon.”
I'll bet. I had some bad sushi last year and ballooned all over the place. Hydrogen, sulfur dioxide, man I was downright bilious.
Tincture of “Fast Food Junkies” and I was right as rain again.
18 July 2008 at 11:23 p.m.
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Quigly (Anonymous) says…
Enter my whorehouse of wholeheartedness!
18 July 2008 at 11:32 p.m.
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Quigly (Anonymous) says…
I am sorry, I used to be a hippie too. http://www.adultswim.com/video/?episodeI…
19 July 2008 at 12:54 a.m.
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bearded_gnome (Anonymous) says…
I'll bet. I had some bad sushi last year and ballooned all over the place. Hydrogen, sulfur dioxide, man I was downright bilious.
–
uh, what about the governor in that?
***
“cultural brothel” … and he stayed up late nights to come up with that one! darnit!
spiritual oneness? yeah, right. “Dave ain't here!”
19 July 2008 at 1:20 a.m.
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lonnie4local (Anonymous) says…
so entertaining and clever are your comments.
chickens that cackle and views from legends of the mind.
It's easier to tear something down than to build it.
the hearse is coming for you…and the hippies too…..
19 July 2008 at 6:49 p.m.
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snap_pop_no_crackle (Anonymous) says…
spiderham, stop emailing me.
20 July 2008 at 5:24 p.m.
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ontheotherhand (Anonymous) says…
Wow, these are the type of silly narrow-minded comments I used to hear out of Manhattan (and Lawrencians used to make fun of). Looks like Lawrence has its full quota of narrow-thinking hillbillies who take up space and do nothing to contribute to the awesome culture of Lawrence. lol