Live Blog: A day at Shambhala

Posted on 07. Aug, 2010 by Sonja Podstawskyj in Arts, Live Blog, Salmo |  

Sonja Podstawskyj and Natalka Allan post hourly updates from Shambhala. Refresh your screen to read the action as it happens. Photo source: Flickr (runran) Creative Commons

11:45 am: One last stop before we hit the highway to Salmo, picking up fougasse from the french bakery.

11:55 am: En route to Salmo.

11:57 am: Stopping at the Farmer’s Supply to get peaches.

12:05 pm: Actually enroute to Shambhala ;) It’s a beautiful blue sunny day, big grey cloud to the south not withstanding.

12:15 pm: “I forgot about my hair, I look haggardly”. Natalka: “It’s not fair, you’ll always be younger than me”.

12:33 pm: Gas stop in Salmo and first sighting of Shambhalites. Natalka thinks they look like very young gangsters, “I wouldn’t want to get in a fight with that girl”.

1:18 pm: Made it past 2 security check-points and we’re at the “Will Call” shack to pick up our media passes. Found out computers are down at the gate. Hopefully we’ll find access inside.

1:30 pm: Driving through the crowd. People are looking a bit rough, like they’ve been partying for days. Costumes are prolific and at the same time, barely there ;)

Note: all even staff have been super nice to us.

2:02 pm: Made it to the media center and met with Marv, the PR/Marketing czar. He gives us the skinny on the media scene and invites us to the tour at 6pm. He gets us excited about the production value of the stages afterdark, specifically the 3D video mapping at the Fractal Forest.

2:30 pm: Heading to the beach to see local talent Adam Shaikh. Along the way a guy says “I hope you are not planning on going swimming”. We laugh, but don’t know what he’s talking about. We take a picture of a tent sticking out of the water. Natalka says “wow the water looks really green over there”. We walk up river to the beach to investigate.

2:32 pm: Standing on the edge of the Salmo River. It is glowing, flourscent green. A guy comes over the speakers and says that apparently someone has dyed the water and it is non-toxic. I watch people hesitantly step into the water and cross to the other side. In general, people look uneasy and unamused. Flotation devices and lawn chairs are abandoned in the water.

2:40 pm: Adam Shaikh has taken the stage and he tries to raise the crowd’s awareness to water issues not just locally but globally. He pleads that we educate ourselves about water laws and what is going on. He encourages us to look into the BC government’s water legislation. The first song in his set is a prayer to water, for water and for us.

The crowd starts to dance.

I see a woman with her hands in prayer, she is crying. I walk over and talk with her. She is a staff member. She tells me how sad this made her. She was saddened by some people’s reaction to the green water, how excited they were. “This is an environmental catastrophe. There are people who live down stream from this and this is their water source.”

I’m amazed that people are just trusting what they’re being told, since I am doubtful that anything this vivid green can be a hundred percent safe. So many people appear to be continuing on as if nothing is happening The hoopers are hooping and the spinners are spinning. It’s strange here.

I talk with another woman. She says that fish and frogs were seen jumping out of the water.

2:50 pm: A security guard just asked us to leave the area, they are closing down the beach. They have a big job to do, there a few hundred of people and not they not moving quickly. Adam is asking people to move closer to the stage and away from the water so that he doesn’t have to stop playing.

2:54 pm: I approach the security guard who has the megaphone and is asking people to keep clear of the water.
Me: Is it toxic?
Security: We don’t think so but we have to treat t like it is.
Me: Have you arrested the persons responsible?
Security: The individuals have not been caught as of yet.

3:08pm: Beach Stage (The Livingroom) opens again. Some people turn back and some keep moving onto the next party.

Sandra, First Aid attendant on flourocene prank: The guy who went into the river to bring the two bag/boxes of fluorosine out, was rushed to first aid. There attendants treated him with hazard suits on, taking precautions in case the substance was toxic. He appeared to be very calm, though changing colour from orange to green and back again as he was washed and dried. Fluorosine is orange when in powder form, and bright green when dissolved in water. It completely permeated his skin and clothing, and was leaking through the white towel they were using to clean him with and right through to the chair he was sitting in – it was everywhere. I would call this man a hero for the river – he didn’t know at all what he was dealing with, but he did what he could to help at the risk of his own heath.

4:50pm: Finally get around to using the portapotty. Very grateful that the seat is clean and no real lineup to speak of.

5:35pm: The rain begins.

6:00pm: Meet at Media Center for tour – find out that Ricardo is hosting our tour – yeah!

Among other things Ricardo tells us that the green dye in the river was the same stuff they use to dye some river in Chicago every year. This consoles us to some degree…but why do they do that?

Editors Note: It’s been done for every St. Patrick’s Day since 1962.

6:30pm: Media has gathered from Adbusters, CBC, Van Music, and outdoor magazine. Also a girl from Hungary, and we’re off to the beach.

6:40pm: Back at the beach, happy to see the water looks clear. The Living Room stage (commonly known as “The Beach” is managed by Nelsonites DJ Hoola and Lioness, together know as the Pride. The say that next year they are gonna aim for an all-local lineup at their stage).

This stage changes the most every year because it is so organic. The river level rises and falls every year and changes the topography of the land, which in turn, changes the layout of the stage.

We are looking forward to coming back at night to see if they light up the ghostly looking dragon kites in the big trees.

Passed the hookah lounge where you can pay to smoke flavoured tobacco, or have a mint tea. It was packed in there, and there was also a dj booth inside, where “sometimes you’re in there, and a major dj is spinning an amazing groove. That’s part of the Shambhala magic.” – Ricardo

In the Art Sanctuary, which is run by Meghan Hilderbrandt – whom Natalka has had an art-crush ever since she saw her work at the All Season’s during Art Walk. More on that later.

Some artists that caught my eye are Simon Haiduk and George Atherton.

Hard to leave the Art Sanctum. We’ll be back.

The Harm Reduction Center is right next to the Art Sanctum. This is run by ANKORS and they provide pill testing (to tell you what the content is) and also safe sex accruements like condoms, the morning after pill, and counselling.

6:58pm: In the Village, the Funk Hunters are playing and the place is jumping. I don’t want to leave but the media tour keeps on…

7:08pm: The Inna Sanctum looking at the Synchronicity Shrine, where people leave extra things that they have or you can pick up something that you might be missing. Sweet concept.

Just outside the Inna Sanctum is a renegade stage (aka the Chill stage) with some incredible live music. We have a recording of it and will hopefully link it here for you to hear. Under the tent next to the stage a group is partaking in a crystal healing ceremony. More Shambhala magic…

7:27pm: Just got a hug from the Hugging Grandma. She sets up a pimpin camp every year, she has a big RV and she gives a wonderfully warm hug. I was worried that her hug would make me pee, but it was just right. After the hug I signed her book and took a pin. I feel like I just shed 20 years.

7:40pm: Backstage at the Pagoda. We just climbed to the top of the stage and Ricardo tells us that tonight (at some unknown time) the CD Mapping projectors are going to make the Pagoda appear to crumble to the ground. I wonder if a camera or video can capture that?

7:50pm: We are at the water station where you can get free and clean drinking water. The water is stored in sea container, it passes through a double filter and then a UV system. The system is portable, and provides clean water for 12,000 people.

The Ministry of Health tests the water every day.

The whole area (250 acres) has fire hose hookups and a full fire crew is on staff.

I find out that the lost and found centre is in the blue building. I want to check this out tonight to see what treasures have gone astray. After the festival is done a huge load of found items are transported to a warehouse in Nelson.

8:00pm: We leave the tour to catch the last bit of light to do a Skype video chat with Rik.

8:30pm: Lining up for a curry bowl.

8:42pm: Dinner time. Oh my god – this curry is soooo good!

8:44pm: Naked man in sombrero walks by the food tent as the crowd cheers. The energy is definitely picking up as the weather cools down.

It’s clear that this is a place for self expression and for people who are not shy for attention. But if you really want to stand out at Shambhala, bring your laptop and get to work. That’s it, now it’s time to dance…and maybe some coffee.

1:53am: Last post of the night and summary of our evening on the dance floor.
After dinner we hit the Village just in time for Excision who was hyped up since he is local talent (Kelowna, BC) gone international after last years Shambala set. The dance floor was packed shoulder to shoulder and it would have been a struggle to push our way through the crowd so we stayed on the outskirts where we had at least a little room to move our feet. His music was some heavy dubstup with serious bass.
Wanting more variety we headed to the Village to catch the beginning of an amazing set by ASkillz – full of recognizable funky anthems spanning the last 3 decades. We positioned ourselves strategically…

(1:59 Giant banana just walked by)

We positioned ourselves strategically behind a garbage and recycling can so that we wouldn’t be
ooh – more bananas – looks like there’s a whole bunch :)
so that we wouldn’t be crushed or walked past constantly and we could watch the d.j from where we were and still have room to dance. Someone gave us a really nice piece of liquorice and another person gave us some pop rocks. It accentuated the retro theme and gave credence to the term candy ravers. It was such a good spot it was a long while before we decided to leave to catch the last of Excisions set.
At around 1:15 we found ourselves at the beach stage to some sweet soulful singing by Hot Pink Purple. We were sad that we only caught the end of her(?) set. She was followed by the Bounce Brigade, and t was hard to leave, but my eyes are bugging out from the dust and my ears are tired.

2:07am: Time to go home to my baby and my baby.