More cigarette smoke than ever before?

[UselessJo]

there is no doubt my last post was negative. It was just a shock to us that all of this was going on day after day. It was not what we expected or what we experienced before. That being said, we did have a very positive experience overall and happened to be the recipeint of the true festivarian spirit.
My wife Kim had set down both her purse and a camera while watching the tarp run. She walked away forgetting the purse and camera only to realize a good 30 to 40 minutes later what had happened. When she went back to the hill both were gone. She talked to the camp host, the lost and found, and a T-ride police officer. The lost and found folks even alerted KOTO. Within a half hour, we were texted by lost and found that her belongings had been turned in. And yes, everything including tyhe camera, credit cards and a good deal of cash were still there!
Sort of blows my Bonaroo theory from earlier doesnt it?

[fundirector23]

Let's remember folks...kids will be kids. Smokers will be smokers. The thing about Telluride, is you cannot accidently get into Box Canyon--it is not an easy or cheap festival to get to.  The people that are there share a common  love for this music. I did not see one person there smoker, tripper or bible thumper that didn't absolutely love the music. Some come from different backgrounds with different social behaviors.  I live in Chicago, where it is completely normal to toss a cigarette butt out the window (I rarely do, however).  But the point is that when I was 18-19, I may not have known that the social and ecological values one is expected to practice are VERY different in Telluride!  Lighten up and let's help each other--especially our younger festivarians-- in respectful ways and let the newcomers know how it is supposed to go down at TBF.  The younger and older crowd alike have spent a lot of time and money to get to Telluride.  Let's not beat them to bloggy pulp for coming out of their shell a bit!

[TellurideTom]

Being a smoker I didn't notice it, but that was probably because I always moved near the entrance to the festival next to the country store to smoke, and always put the butt in my pocket.
Back at camp my spot was the smoking area and I always had an ashtray on the table.
If only those that smoked had respect for non-smokers and moved away from them like I try to.

[schaefda]

Always good times and great memories at TBF. I do think the pot and cigarrette smoking is out of hand. Maybe there could be a designated smoking section somewhere in the back, say about 50 yards or so behind the center area recycling section  . Regarding loud talkers, I think Nanci Griffith said it best when there were loud talkers at a show she did in Hollywood in the late 80's (coincidentally Newgrass Revival opened for her). She told a group of people that were loud talking during one of her songs "where I come from that's considered to be rude. Please take it to the lobby so those that came here to listen to the music can enjoy it." To which a loud applause commenced. Long live TBF, long live bluegrass!

[FaceOnMars]

Certainly didn't intend to ostracize smokers or create negative waves, was just an observation.  Living in Ophir, I'm struggling to think of even a single (cig) smoker, but there are definitely a bunch in Telluride.  Still, I noticed a gradual ramping up from the normal "baseline" of smokers in town as the week progressed leading up to Bluegrass ...  then it totally spiked as soon as the festival started.

I've seen many respectful smokers, so not looking to lump everyone into the same boat.  I suppose it all boils down to respect for others; whether it's talking loud, spilling beer, standing up (and not dancing) when everyone else around you is sitting, or physically moving someone aside in the crowd as one walks by.

Saw Furthur at Shoreline about three weeks ago & had some guy behind me who must have yelled "Bob Weir" at least 3 dozen times directly in my ear.   He didn't yell anything else, just "Bob Weir".   Eventually, I started dancing more 360 degrees while looking at him in the eye (made sure to still smile) ... eventually I think he got the message, but he kept "sneaking them in" (at a lesser frequency).   The second night there,  and stranger yet, someone kept jiggling some change in their pockets ...  very noticeable, almost like he brought some special coins which were way louder than quarters.   As annoying as both of these behaviors were, I realized there wasn't a whole lot I could do about anything other than try to engage them in a positive way (although the change rattler wasn't as responsive).     I believe some people (and all of us at some point) can be kind of uncomfortable in a concert setting and they just do what they do out of reflex ... whether it's yelling at the top of their lungs, talking loudly to their neighbors, compulsively on their phones, whooping it up well beyond normal, rattling change, etc., I think some people just aren't really 100% aware of what they're doing and that it might be affecting others.  To say something to such individuals can be very difficult in terms of actually getting through or across to said person.  So, I typically just move away if it's over the top and not tethered to seats or other people.

On the whole, I think the random acts of kindness and the generally positive festivarian spirit did dominate the festival .... so definitely not saying smokers or anyone else have tarnished the festival in any significant way, but it was enough to kind of raise an eyebrow (which might simply mean I'm getting older!).

[synchronicity]

FaceOnMars - Just Curious.....

Were You wearin' a Faded Blue Furthur T Sunday?

Do you post on DNC?

Just Wondrin"

An why didn't Peter do Land of the Navajo and fix that Damn Storm Sunday?

 Listening to: Decemberists

[FaceOnMars]

FaceOnMars - Just Curious.....

Were You wearin' a Faded Blue Furthur T Sunday?

Do you post on DNC?

Just Wondrin"

An why didn't Peter do Land of the Navajo and fix that Damn Storm Sunday?

Nope, but I do have one of those t-shirts!  I wore tie dies w/ faded blue furthur hat all four days.  Don't post on DNC, but do so on furthur.net, ratdog.org, and philzone.com, and phantasytour.com (SCI board).

Yeah, would've liked more O&ITW tunes including Navajo, but am always happy to hear whatever Rowns plays in any configuration (although crucial reggae would be my first choice if asked).

[SantaFe_Sue]

A designated smoking section would be MUCH appreciated. There's still gonna be smokers in the crowd, but with a designated space available, I'd at least have the option to say "Hi, I have bad asthma, would you mind moving to the smoker's section with that ciggy? Thanks!"

Might not hurt to add a blurb to the handouts pointing out the dangers of tossing butts, either...lots of folks traveling in from greener pastures seem to have NO idea how easy it is to start a fire in high desert country.

[rubysue300]

Let's remember folks...kids will be kids. Smokers will be smokers. The thing about Telluride, is you cannot accidently get into Box Canyon--it is not an easy or cheap festival to get to.  The people that are there share a common  love for this music. I did not see one person there smoker, tripper or bible thumper that didn't absolutely love the music.

Unfortunately, I did sit behind a large group of people on Sunday who didn't seem interested in the music at all.  I just have to vent.
Due to medication, I can't sit in the sun, so I was part of the shade tent group.  We set up our EZ-up style shade tent in the second row behind another EZ-up and next to other EZ-ups.  We thought we had a great spot.
The people in the tent in front of us turned out to be part of a large group that filled three tents along the front shade tent line.  More adults and small children joined the group as the morning went on.
The adults were busy standing, chatting loudly and drinking and were neither listening to the music nor paying attention to their small children.  The adults were blocking the view of everyone behind them and many of the kids ran in and out of the other tents creating havoc.  I had a ball thrown at my head, one three year old child stole a claw hammer from a Kelty tent behind our tent and ran through various tents swinging it at other children, and another child stomped on my backpack where my new camera was.  Not one parent did anything.
Then the group had a birthday party.  Did they have it during the break between acts? No.  They waited until 10 minutes into Peter Rowen and started singing "Happy Birthday" at the top of their lungs.  Then they handed out PARTY HORNS to the kids.  For the rest of Peter Rowen all I could hear was HONK HONK HONK HONK HONK HONK.
This was Telluride Bluegrass Festival, not Chuck E. Cheeze.  If you want to have a birthday party, please set up in the back behind the other shade tents.  And there are hundreds of quiet party favors.  This was a large group of irresponsible and rude adults teaching their kids to be irresponsible and rude.   

Luckily, this was the only bad incident during an otherwise great festival.
On a positive note, I want to say that all of the other families that I sat near were great.  The adults were enjoying the music, yet still supervising their kids.  The kids were having fun while still being respectful of other people's property and enjoyment of the music.
So here's a big thank you to those families!

[FaceOnMars]

Another thing that bothered me was the women who wear the chains that jingle on their hips. Sooo annoying when trying to listen to a show. I've told someone at red rocks to take them off before. I don't get why people wear them to concerts.

Saw panic at Red Rocks on Friday and there was a woman with chains that jingled right next to me ... was in the 2nd to last row, and while the band was turned up loud, the jingling was still very annoying.   It's funny now (and kind of then for a moment), as I tried to remember which board I recall someone posting about this very issue  .    She and her boyfriend moved in the middle of the 2nd set, so kind of let it go given that most of the show was over ... and the net gain / trade off was minimal for a confrontation.  However, I did cup my ears half the time ...

[Cindy Lou]

Let's remember folks...kids will be kids. Smokers will be smokers. The thing about Telluride, is you cannot accidently get into Box Canyon--it is not an easy or cheap festival to get to.  The people that are there share a common  love for this music. I did not see one person there smoker, tripper or bible thumper that didn't absolutely love the music.

Well you were lucky.  There were more people this year, mostly younger men, talking SO LOUD during some of the music, it was like they came there to see how LOUD they could TALK and maybe if they talked LOUD enough the musicians on stage might hear them.  If they were there to listen to the music then they failed miserably.  And they made sure that the folks around them couldn't listen to the music either.  I don't care how much money it cost to come; if all you want to do is TALK during the show then stay home.

[Mark of Bloomington]

You know, this was our ninth consecutive TBF.  I did not notice anymore cigarette smokers or loud talkers than previous years.  That being said, I do not try to put our tarp down way up front where the party happens.  I get in line a little before 4:00 am and lay my tarp in the same spot year after year, 32 tarp mornings.  All nine of us on the tarp felt this was the best Festival yet, ' course we say that every year.

[livluvgrow]

WoW so smokers, pot smokers, kids runnin around adults partyin, and people talkin at a festival is now a problem? Maybe you folks were at a different festival than me, or maybe you wish you were at a different festival altogether. Keep hopin for more rules and regulations and you just may get them. My guess is you would just find something else to complain about.

[BillyBeru]

WoW so smokers, pot smokers, kids runnin around adults partyin, and people talkin at a festival is now a problem? Maybe you folks were at a different festival than me, or maybe you wish you were at a different festival altogether. Keep hopin for more rules and regulations and you just may get them. My guess is you would just find something else to complain about.

Amen! 

[Mr. Geppetto]

WoW so smokers, pot smokers, kids runnin around adults partyin, and people talkin at a festival is now a problem? Maybe you folks were at a different festival than me, or maybe you wish you were at a different festival altogether. Keep hopin for more rules and regulations and you just may get them. My guess is you would just find something else to complain about.

Hear hear! That birthday party thing does sound like a nightmare tho...kids with kazoo's and freakin hammers?? Lol, think I would've just taken a walk.