Saturday Market #18: What You Get When You Stick Around

Sometimes Market moments come at the verrrry end of the day. For me, sensory overload has usually set in by 4:15 and that last 45 minutes can be so long. But in the late afternoon the light is delicious and dramatic, and the vibe is mellow. And Saturday Eleven Eyes was playing, definitely keeping me awake and alive and happy. So at 4:45 I was standing on the west side of the stage, and decided to take as many interesting photos as I could standing in that one spot, in that warm, long light. Here are the best of them, turning clockwise:











So then 10 minutes later, Eleven Eyes wrapped it up and the day seemed done, and then in from the East Lawn parades a group of musicians, two on brass cymbals,



two on long drums,



three on gamelan bells mounted on the most fantastic metal harnesses.



They proceed to play for 10 minutes or so, earthy, pulsing, celestial, ethereal all at the same time! Drums and brass bells in complex rhythms with fascinating visuals, like Samba Ja meets Indonesia at Burning Man. It was blissful fun for me! And their music was the perfect segue from Eleven Eyes somehow. It was fun to watch the crowd too, bemused, enthralled, astonished. Turns out they are members of Gamelan X, stirring up interest in their gig at Cozmic Pizza that night. I already had family commitments, or I would have gone, even on a Saturday night. I'll keep my eye out for them in the future, though.



So sometimes, there are special rewards for those who stick it out to the end of the day. Wonder what this week will bring?