Tumble Down is always one of my favorite weekends of the year. Since its very first year something special has gone down - the famous Page McConnell sit in during When It Rains It Pours, Phil Lesh jumping on stage to play a couple of tunes with the boys, Bernie Sanders speaking to thousands of Twiddle fans about how we can all work together to make a change. This year was also EXTRA SPECIAL considering that two of my other favorite bands were the bread on the Tumble Down Sandwich! Instead of two days and nights of music we would have FOUR!
My Tumble Down weekend began early Wednesday with a six hour drive from my dad’s house in Queens all the way up to our house in Vermont. We luckily got to take it easy once we arrived, especially since we had to prepare for all of the music that was ahead of us! I woke up on Thursday to the lovely surprise of our friends Cory and Jeannette visiting and bringing us delicious pastries from August First, a bakery and café in Burlington, and two other friends Alex and Cheyenne that had arrived to stay with us for the night! Ryan took them all on a tour of the property and to the waterfalls while I got ready for the afternoon. Then we headed into Burlington to Orlando’s Bar and Lounge for the release of their Limited Edition Stowe Cider, which is delicious by the way! Plus, the can features Danny Steinman’s artwork so I made sure to save it as a souvenir when I was done! Before I knew it, it was time to head over to the Waterfront for the start of the Maritime Festival with Lake Street Dive. When I say I’m obsessed with them it might be a slight understatement! I actually fangirled on the lead singer Rachael Price back at The Levitate Music and Arts Festival two years ago! They not only played every song that I love but they also brought out The Wood Brothers on a few songs which was definitely a treat!
Friday morning came super quickly after a long night in Burlington, but we got to the Waterfront early-ish, just in time to catch Twiddle’s acoustic set. It was a pretty emotional day for me and Ryan... we had just found out that one of our closest friends from Burlington had passed away (Rest in Peace Nick Warns, your frends miss you man), so when Twiddle played When It Rains It Pours Ryan and I both lost it. But sometimes it’s good to let it all out and I’m so glad that Ryan got to pay tribute to him with that song ❤️! So many people that loved Nick were there to witness it and you could feel it in the air.
Since there are no real breaks during Tumble Down besides the Twiddle set break I’m basically running around during the music. Saying hello to friends, hanging out with family (this year my dad and Ryan’s dad and uncle came), and trying to eat consumes every minute not listening to the music. This year we had Dave Weiner manning the grill and I must say the food was incredible! It definitely helps to have delicious food to convert to energy when you are dancing all day and night! When we weren't eating backstage, Ryan and I walked around to a couple of the venders and feasted! Special shoutout to our favorites Ali Baba's, Kountry Kart Deli and Pingala Broccoli (can't wait to try the other vendors next year: A-Maize-ing Kettle Korn, Sisters of Anarchy Ice Cream, Skinny Pancake (which we love and frequent when we are in Burlington or at the Airport!), Mach's Pizza and Venetian Beverages). For the rest of the day we enjoyed our great friend Jaden Carlson’s set, Stephen Marley, and, of course, the next two sets of Twiddle! Follow that up with an Everyone’s Dead after party at Higher Ground and this girl was ready for bed!
Saturday was filled with even MORE music - a special VIP Twiddle set at Orlando’s Bar and Lounge kicked off the day! I basically ran to the Waterfront straight afterwards to see one of my favorite bands, our wedding band, The Kitchen Dwellers! If you haven’t seen them, please remove yourself from the rock you are living under and GO! They are absolutely amazing and also the sweetest guys you’ll ever meet! Next on the agenda was my favorite rainbow colored clan, Turkuaz! After their set we took a moment to sing happy birthday to our friend Maggie, who is a huge fan of Sammi and Shira so it was a very special moment! The final two sets of Twiddle followed, which is always bittersweet. It’s amazing how much work goes into Tumble Down each year and how quickly it passes by! Time really does fly when you’re having fun!
Another after party at Higher Ground, a sleep and a wake up meant it was time for JRAD! Or ALMOST JRAD! Meaning I almost didn’t go, and it was almost Joe Russo’s Almost Dead because Joe Russo wasn’t actually there (him and his wife had just welcomed their second child into the world! Congrats!). The show was phenomenal though and I’m glad I powered through the weekend and ended on such a high note!
MY TOP FIVE MOMENTS:
1. Good Kisser during Lake Street Dive
2. New Lyrics and Origin Stories in Jamflowman, Ricky Snickle and Frankenfoote (I asked Ryan about how all of that came about and he tells me that Mihali just wanted to do something special for the fans and add a little more information about all of these famous characters! See the full set lists with added lyrics and origin stories at the end of this post!)
3. Visions of Mohr with the Kitchen Dwellers
4. Be There! You could find me sobbing on the rail because that is my favorite song ever and has gotten me through so many of the most difficult times I’ve had to face.
5. GETTING TO MEET SO MANY OF YOU!
Hope to see you all at the next Tumble Down!
xx. Alexandra
Tumble Down Festival, Burlington, VT: 7.26.19
Acoustic Set Glycerine Medley Earth Mama Five Wildfire Fat Country Baby Hattibagen Mcrat Hattie‘a Jam > When It Rains It Pours +
Set Two Colonel Norco Tumble Down Speech * (See Below) Orlando’s Amydst the Myst Doinkinbonk Grandpa Fox -> ! Apples-> % Mamunes the Fawn-> Every Soul
Set Three Jamflowman Origin-> ^ # (Extended Verse Below) Subconscious Prelude-> Nicodemus Portulay -> Colonel Norko Protector of the gate rant broadcast * Nicodemus-> Milk Lost in the Cold @
Encore River Drift * Rant over Venue PA # Jamflowman Origin Story. First Time Done % With Todd Stoops ^ Jamflowman new Verse added. First Time Done ! Unfinished @ With Dave Grippo + With Steve Girardi
> Colonel Norco Speech (Jamflowman Origin Story) The Jamflowman was born James Florence Mandel in London, England in 1952. By 1962, he was an active member in the budding Rock N Roll scene in London, playing nightly with guitar legends like Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page prior to their stardom. In 1965, he released his first LP Entitled “Feeling Lazy”. The first single “Sweeter than Sugar” debuted at number 3 on the UK pop charts earning him wide respect as a guitar player and lyricist. By the end of 1966, “Feeling Lazy” went gold while the world anxiously awaited his next release. In the spring of 1968, he released his next album entitled “Back to Basics” which debuted at #1 on the pop charts catapulting “The Jamflowman” into fame. He embarked on his first world tour in the winter of 1969, selling out almost every show and ending the 6 month world tour at the famed Woodstock Festival in Bethel, New York.
> Newly Added Jamflowman Verse The Jamflowman he aged with grace Playing shows till he was 98 Walked out on stage to play one last song One last little riff before his life was gone Yea the jamflowman never gave a damn Dropped dead on stage with a mighty grin Though he may be gone he is still the king Rocking and a rolling making angels sing
Tumble Down Festival Burlington, VT: 7.27.19
Set One Ricky Snickle Origin story-> ^ (See below) Ricky Snickle + (w. Extended New Verse Below) Syncopated Healing * Machine Visions of Mohr # Latin Tang Beethoven and Greene
Set Two Polluted Beauty ? Gatsby-> Pond-> Zazu's Flight—> Pond-> Grandpa Fox @ Be There
Encore Frankenfoote Origin story ^^ (See below) *Frankenfoote % (w. Extended New Verse Below)
^ Played over Venue PA + New Fourth verse at end First Time Done * With Jaden Carlson # With Kitchen Dwellers ! New Verse First Time Done ? With Zach Nugent and Todd Stoops @ Finshed from previous Night ^^ Played over Venue PA % New Fourth verse at end First Time Done
> Ricky Snickle Origin Story
Born Ricky Bernard Snickle in Seattle, Washington in 1964 to parents Marty and Irene. His parents divorced in 1974 and he moved to Phoenix, Arizona with his mother. By his sophomore year of high school, Ricky had amassed quite a fortune selling his mother’s quaaludes to his peers. He was quickly noticed by the local mafia as being an earner and started climbing the ranks of the mob. In 1983, at the age of 23, Ricky was arrested for the first time for selling an undercover police officer LSD. He was sentenced to 10 years in Attica, released in 1985 for good behavior. It was those few short years he spent in Attica prison where he learned all the skills he would use for the rest of his life.
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> Newly Added Ricky Snickle Verse
He got drawn back in with an offer that could change almost everything One last quick job to fund the life he had always been dreaming of He got in and out without a sound or a trace that they could figure out He disappeared that day with a smile on a permanent holiday
> Frankenfoote Origin Story
Ancient texts dating back to before carbon dating speaks of a mythical beast that survived the extinction of the dinosaurs. Mutations occurred that may still be evolving. A creature hopping on two legs with lethal claws appears in cave paintings in Africa, the pyramids of Egypt, the Lost City of Petra, Machu Picchu, and the old ruins of Rome & Greece. An immortal being that has survived war, famine, plague.
The Qin Dynasty was fearful of a creature who hopped on two feet with razor sharp claws, motivating the leaders to construct a giant wall to keep them protected from unwanted magic. When construction was completed, that same creature, making the emperor appear foolish, flew over the wall proving to the people of the realm the wall built intending to protect them was useless and the green creatures magic was boundless.
The Mayan priests speak of the Noble Antiguo as if it were a god flying them treasures from across the globe stored away on his pouch. Offerings were made up to the green god as thanks. It was discovered he could eat anything they presented. But only one food would make his hair grow long - the sacred Mayan chili pepper. Every fall, Noble Anitiguo would return to the land for the annual feast on the temple stairs and feast on chili peppers. It was rumored he spent the other seasons flying high in the Himalayan mountains but no one really knows.
Antiguo has been called many things over the centuries, but in our time he is simply called, Frankenfoote.
> Newly Added Frankenfoote Verse
Frankenfoote he made it home Kissed his wife and daughters on the nose Scream out loud how have you been As tears streamed down his green Franky cheek Oh how his daughters they had grown He barely recognized his home But damn it felt good to be free Cause home is after all your family
