The One Where I Go to An Outdoor RockFest

By On May 31, 2009 · 9 Comments
Right now I am sitting in my brother-in-law Greg’s house relaxing.  Hubby & I came down to attend RockFest 2009 in Kansas City with Greg & his wife Lisa.  It’s been great to see them & I wish we could do it a lot more often.  Yesterday Hubby, Greg & I attended RockFest (Lisa was feeling quite ill with a migraine & was unable to come with us). We arrived in time to see the bands we cared to see…or rather listen to as we weren’t about to push through the mass of people to actually get near the main stage.  With two stages, bands alternating every 30 minutes the wave of humanity ebbed & flowed past us multiple times.  We guarded our blanket island as best we could against the onslaught of drunken, high & mostly naked people.  For the most part people weren’t too rude…although they were pretty oblivious to my white body laying under the beating sun & unblemished sky.  I did apply two layers of SPF 3000 sunscreen (ok SPF 60) so that I got some nice color without needing skin grafts afterwards.  We lounged on a hillside between the 2 stages, listening to the good, the bad & Ron Jeremy (yes this is the “celebrity” brought in to introduce the various bands)….I was just hoping I didn’t actually have to see him as I’m afraid of that would do to my eyes. We enjoyed some very good bands (Shinedown, Theory of a Deadman) and did our best to just people watch during some of the lesser bands.  People watching is an art when there are 50,000 milling around.  Of course being blinded by some of the attire or rather lack thereof was a feat in and of itself. Seriously people—this is NOT a nude beach! I have nothing against bare skin….I just think that there’s a time & place to show all your private bits off & a concert where I may have to see it is not that place.  I guess I don’t get out enough anymore but I’ve never really considered walking around with my butt crack partially exposed…not even when I was a much younger, smaller girl.  I guess that proves I’m getting old.  I’ve officially reached an age where I judged younger people based solely on their attire, public behaviour & tattoo placement. Of course in direct contrast to the large number of wanna be nudists there were nearly equal numbers of people who took the 90+ degree weather as a challenge to see how many layers of black clothing they could wear without actually melting like the Wicked Witch of the West.  I guess all I can say about that is embrace it & let your freak flag fly.  If the enormously pregnant lady can walk around mostly topless, smoking a cigarette then you should be able to wear all black with combat boots & neon green wool tights. I did have to make a decision on whether or not I should work on getting a contact high.  There was a nice breeze blowing & I’m sure if I tried I could have inhaled enough to become fairly happy.  Of course there was also the smell of beer, sunscreen & food cooking. I spent a lot of my time stretched out on my back watching the poplar seeds float past as the music infiltrated my brain.  It was glorious to feel the sun bake into my muscles relaxing them to a state of near jelly.  I didn’t sleep (very hard to actually reach a state of sleep when the bass is vibrating the ground underneath you) but did find a very restful state where much of the stress of the last months melted into the earth.  It was nice to feel that at peace & stress free.  Definitely something I need to feel more of in my life.  While I can’t escape from home very often I am sure that when I get back home I’ll need to find a nice spot in my yard, plop down on a blanket with my headphones and just stare through my sunglasses at the sky until I’m one with my surroundings and I can face the world. RockFest 2009 Liberty Memorial Park KC, MOHubby checking on me. RockFest 2009 Liberty Memorial Park KC, MOWhat I gazed at to cleanse my mind of the more disturbing people watching moments
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  • Samantha

    I am sorry to hear that you did not enjoy Rockfest 2009 this past weekend. This being my second Rockfest, I am a HUGE fan!!! Actually…I believe I am probably the “enormously pregnant lady” you previously mentioned. Not that I feel you are owed an explanation, by any means…but let me give you my side. Although I am pregnant, I do not consider myself to be “enormous”. I am 7 months along and weigh 164 pounds. As a woman, I would think you would show a little more respect towards the rest of your gender before throwing around “fat” terms. Secondly…this year was my second consecutive pregnant Rockfest. Last year, my husband and I spent the day walking around enjoying the music and scenery as do most…only I felt really out of place. Almost resenting the herds of “skinny” perfect looking girls running around topless (or close enough to topless). This year, I decided if I were going to be the sober, pregnant Rockfest participant, I would not be dressing in capri’s and a t-shirt as I did last year. I was going to have a little fun with it. I am in no way ashamed of my pregnant body. So on went the pasties!! Most people were very accepting of my “new look”, stopping me to pose for pictures…handing out beaded necklaces…or just congratulating me on being far more brave than they would have dreamed of being during their own pregnancies. The first time I noticed someone shooting a disapproving look in my direction…I took the respectful route and reapplied my original attire. End of story. Now, if it was the cigarette that offended you…again, no apologies. As someone who has been a social drinker since reaching the legal age, I do not feel that having a couple of cigarettes instead of drinking or toking it up with all the other rockin’ kids, was a bad way to go. Not only that, but my OBGYN is aware of my smoking habit and is not concerned as I have cut back substantially since the pregnancy began. So…the next time you chose to take to the internet to pass judgement on any group of people…especially Kansas City Rockfest Goers…think twice. We could just as easily judge your type. Sitting around in the middle of a 50,000 person rock festival in your little “blanket land”, expecting to get a little R&R?!? Maybe you should try a nice quiet park on a Sunday afternoon, Grandma!!! We’re here for the f*#@ing party!!!

    • Nil17

      I have to laugh at this comment. I find it hilarious in the extreme. I mention an “enormously pregnant lady” and you get all bent about me using “fat” terms. I don’t care if you are enormously pregnant or just plain weigh 500 pounds. I’d bet any amount of money you want to come up with that somebody somewhere out there that day said “Hey look at the fat girl & how pasty white she is”…whatever, they can say what they want I’m not out flaming them on their own blog. And I didn’t say anything negative about the lack of clothes just that there was a lack of clothes & each to his own. Did I find the amount of skin people were showing to be excessive — yep I did. But hey it’s my opinion & my blog–you don’t like it then don’t come back. As for smoking anything while pregnant I find it to be a silly, ridiculous thing. But again…my opinion and I’m damn sure entitled to it. I didn’t ask for an explanation or an apology and yet you offered it. Hmmm that’s interesting. All I did was share with my loyal, awesome readers a small slice of what I saw & I’m sure they enjoyed it.

      Oh by the way lady you came here & passed judgement on me–in my own space which isn’t all that easy to find. I’ll pass judgement on anybody I want to here…it’s my right to express what I think same as you. So the next time you want to come around & act all feisty like you’re going to put me down….think twice. I was one of thousands sitting on my “blanket land” enjoying the beautiful weather, awesome music & people watching. You are damn right I expected to get some R&R!!! And I damn sure got it. Did I get all drunk, high & crazy–nope. Was that my goal?? Nope….I’ve done it & probably will again. So before you start calling people “Grandma” maybe you better know who you’re talking to. *snort* I have & can party with the best leaving all you wannabes licking up what I leave behind.

  • Ashley Dunwell

    I would first like to start of by saying congratulations on joining us \freaks\ at Rockfest 2009. Secondly… I saw that BEAUTIFUL pregnant lady and was very proud of her for supporting her love of music and fun at this event. I would like to say it is people like you who make events like this a downer for us rockers. I myself am a respected college student who makes near perfect grades and am also a respected member of community and other groups in which I associate. I LOVE rockfest. The one day out of the year I can wear my nearly naked body out in the sun all day long and be near those who have such a love for music and freedom as I. I feel sad for you knowing that you came to such an event expecting to sit under a tree and nap. I did happen to walk thru blanket land at one point in time and some \old lady\ ripped me for stepping on the corner of her blanket. Here is what I had to say; \Lady, if you wanna bitch and moan get up and leave!\ What do you think you are? Perfect? NO! You call us freaks? Well us rockers see you people sitting on blankets instead of being in the mosh pit and we call YOU freaks. Who are you to judge those you do not know anyway? Like I said. I would NEVER walk around in public in my bikini but this seemed to be just the time and place to do so. You say you love the music? If the member of those bands read your blog post they would gag and puke at the disgust of it. When you go into an atmosphere of 50,000 rock fans you are going to see a little diversity and close minded people such as yourself should refrain away from attending events such as this. I am young now but when I am your age or even older I will still be at rockfest with all the freaks (which I love) rock’n my bikini, nipple pasties, cigarette, beer, and my ROCKFIST. Did you not hear Shinedown play? Did you not hear the speech he made? You are the epitomy of a downer and should prolly stay home and knit next time you think about joining the Rockers of Kansas City. I wish more would find your blog and read it. I am proud to be a scantily dressed Rockfest attendee, even more proud of the \freaks\ in which I associate with and proud of everyone who holds their rockfist high!!!! If you can’t roll with the big dogs… stay on the porch little lady. PEACE!

    • Nil17

      Wow all this open-mindedness coming from you people I can hardly stand it. You claim to be so open minded & yet you come to MY house and say all kinds of nasty stuff to me. You don’t know me…and how dare you assume that because I came & laid in the sun on a blanket that somehow I’m the downer. It’s people with attitude like you that are downers. I enjoyed myself…and several people walked across the edges & middle of our blanket. I didn’t care then & I care less now. Yes I laid in the sun…if I would have been able to be at the front by the stage I would have been. I think it’s laughable that you lecture me on accepting diversity when you are so quick to condemn me for sitting on a blanket. So what if I sat rather than joined the mosh pit. Did it ever occur to you that I had my reasons? I’m sure it didn’t but hey that’s ok. I’m not going to explain myself to you. In case you missed it I said “Let your freak flag fly”…that was the point where it should have been obvious to a “respected college student with near perfect grades” that I didn’t care what ya’ll did.

      Ah well–you want to come at me all hard that’s fine. I think it’s quite a tempest in a teapot ya’ll are making. Oh & please dispense with the “pleasantries” in the future if you are only going to be nasty…it shows how fake you are when you welcome someone & then talk like you did to me.

  • Gorillamonk

    To the commenter. Why did you feel the need to comment? There was really no reason. She was just pointing out what she saw and how she felt. This kind of makes it clear that you may have been uncomfortable, and I’m uncomfortable.

    I still value a mild respect for clothed women at a concert, and I don’t bat an eye at the ones that are naked.

    What does take away from whatever personality you had was you smoking while being pregnant. Doesn’t matter where you are, your the protective carrier for that child. And you were poisoning it. I have a three year old, and I can’t stand other people smoking around him. I and my friends smoke outside and away from him. Trying to not let it get to him as much as possible.

    You make me sick! How could you really be pregnant and smoke? And it’s your second pregnancy in two years. You really need to learn about a contraceptive. Wait, I don’t think your the type of person to learn much else. you’ve shortened that child’s life and deteriorated it’s health.

    I don’t care what YOU do to YOUR body, but you should not have been smoking while carrying a child.

  • http://darcsfalcon.wordpress.com Vanessa

    Goodness – you say to “embrace it & let your freak flag fly” and they get all bent out of shape??

    Some people are just a tad sensitive, aren’t they? ;)

    Glad to see you’re doing okay hon – I’ve not been on Twitter much lately, my comp died and I’m sharing my husband’s.

  • Tony

    Apparently some Kansas City rockers are child-carrying, cigarette smoking assholes.
    Another generation in the belly of a declining Western civilization.

    FYI- here in Philly, we’ll kick your Midwest ass if you step on our blanket. That’s real estate, baby. Get the fuck off our property and go play Kodachrome with your druggie fans-for-a-day on the concourse. The music is the party, not your outfit, or lack of one.

  • http://gypsyhooker.blogspot.com Shannon

    Uhhhh WOW! People never cease to amaze me. When ever I hear people like this speak it makes me think China’s one child per couple law isn’t such a bad idea.

    To the half naked pregnant lady:

    To purposely search out what people may or may not have said about a half naked pregnant lady at a festival means only one thing, you’re an attention whore. Because why would anyone walk around half naked with pasties, whether pregnant or not?? Then to attack someone, when nothing negative was said, just makes you look like an ass.

    To Miss College Education:

    It’s epitome not epitomy. If you’re going to talk about being college educated at least learn how to use spell check.

    I must be old as well because I too judge young people by their attire, public behavior & location of tattoos. So if you expect people not to comment on what they have seen in a public place, maybe you should act with a bit more decorum whilst in said public place.

    So just get off your freaking high horse & get over it already.

  • http://innfromthenight.com Terence Smelser

    Amazing, some child carrying bovine came all the way HERE to defend her right to smoke ANYTHING while “with child”? I call that “Child Endangerment, there is prison time related to that.

    Its people like her and that second idiot that are EXACTLY the reason I stopped going to concerts, COMPLETE stop. Stopped buying CDs and other mediums a few years later.

    Now, unless I’m working, (where focus is a MAX) writing or designing webs, I don’t listen to music at all.

    It reminds me that I share a planet with idiots.

    Stay with it Becci, these aren’t even people, they are the “collective” and as such, don’t matter at all.

    NOW something NEGATIVE has been said…

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