2011 Show - Widespread Panic PhotoBlog
"Photographer Garrett Hacking is on his way to Taos, New Mexico with acclaimed writer Bonnie Biafore."
This is the first line from the collaborative blog of their trip to last year's SolarFest headlined by Widespread Panic. The show's promoters have asked Garret and Bonnie if we could reproduce the blog onsite for our fan's to see. Their efforts have also sparked an idea. We would like to offer fans a chance to immortalize their trip to this year's show by documenting it and submitting it to us. We will then select one to appear on the site. This lucky fan(s) will receive two tickets to the 2013 show... Meanwhile, enjoy the following entertaining eye-candy brought to you from Garret and Bonnie:
- Photographer Garrett Hacking is on his way to Taos, New Mexico with acclaimed writer Bonnie Biafore. Stay tuned for the adventures of the consummate concert photographer and his feisty writer sidekick who hereinafter shall be taking the editorial reigns of this erratically propelled blog.
- Panic makes the front page again! 3 more days ’til the show. Widespread Panic is celebrating its 25th anniversary tour with a stop in Taos for the annual Solar Fest, this year taking place on the summer solstice proper.
- Day One. Camera gear? Check. Luggage packed for all contingencies? Check. Schultz the photogenic Schnauzer? Check. Does it all fit in the car? Well, er, um…check! The road trip is on. Fortunately, the high of the upcoming destination and some Bob Seger lyrics inspired Garrett Hacking to take a break from wedding photography in Denver and “Get Out of Denver”. Go baby go!
- Meanwhile, your relatively fearless narrator continued to bond with the ever-adorable and indefatigable recipient of ear scritches, Schulz.
- Colorado Springs. Right. Pueblo. Yeah, OK. Walsenberg. Now we’re getting somewhere. Passing time trying to snag photos of a truck. Don’t ask. Our apologies to the beleaguered truck driver.
- That’s about the time we passed into New Mexico and Garrett pressed into another set of meticulously-themed driving music. Fire on the Mountain care of Widespread Panic with high hopes of hearing it live at the Taos Solar Fest (ya know, under the shadow of the sacred Taos Mountain). Then, Michael Franti “Yell Fire”, which we enthusiastically belted out the windows into the New Mexican sagebrush. OK, to be clear, Garrett always unabashedly belts out the current play list complete with percussion. I am but a shy and budding student of such spirited singing.
- A few miles on down the road, we met up with an unfortunate but perky previous traveler. He was undaunted by his demise, reveled in the afterlife with his trusty guitar, and egged Garrett into a wake-worthy jig.
- Schulz on the other hand ruminated over the skeleton’s apparent loss of his private parts. You never know, Schulz, maybe the hereafter makes every weiner’s dream come true.
- Next up. Classic vistas. Highways disappearing to the vanishing point of Southwestern perspective.
- Mesas, mountains, and what turned out to be muted colors from the smoke of the Pacheco fire. The smoke billowed to commercial airline levels. Scary any time but especially this dry summer’s fire season.
- Finally, the sign of our arrival appeared, Widespread Panic in Taos. We hadn’t even checked in yet! Oh, wait, the band playing on the summer solstice at the Taos Solar Fest a few days hence.
- Sure, there’s chaos, commotion, confusion, and pandemonium. But despite what most people think, there’s just a butt load of hard work for the self-employed. Here, Garrett Hacking puts in his time photographing one of the many rooms (Fetish Bear here) at the delightful Dreamcatcher Bed and Breakfast.
- Next stop, feet up in the courtyard at the Dreamcatcher Bed and Breakfast. Before you start grousing “Yeah, buttload of work, my a**”, note that the camera is still out and there are two laptop computers powered on out of view.
- Here is your capricious but dependable narrator, Bonnie Biafore, on day 3 “doing the Hemingway”, which translates to working while sitting in a bar drinking. The reflection in my sunglasses tells all. Notebook on the table in front of me with notes for these posts and camera still attached to Garrett’s hand. The previous post was edited and published from the Gorge Bar. Do not try this at home. we are trained professionals.
- Why is Garret smiling? Besides not shooting a photo and being on a break from photography in Denver, he has a tasty gold margarita from the Gorge Bar and knows that in a few short moments he gets to critique my photography technique — or lack thereof. Having a photogenic subject helps a lot.
- Er…the research continues.
- Notebook still on the table. Pen still in hand. I work all the time. Sometimes it is a long grueling slog. Other times, it’s hilarious. You decide.
- On the way out of the Alley Cantina, a table of pool-player characters caught Garrett’s eye. he asked if he could take their picture and the rest is history.
- Ron Chavez, the Route 66 Storyteller, is one cool dude. He had copies of his books, Time of Triumph and Winds of Wildfire with him. Need more time to dig a little deeper into this fine wordsmith’s work.
- Bob remembered very clearly that he joined the Intergalactic Trading Circle three months before Widespread Panic came on the scene 25 years ago. The hat has worn pretty well don’t you think? Still not sure if he’s trading galaxies or trading with other galaxies. He is actually the first local we met going to the concert. His first Panic show and he is excited.
- You don’t have to feed the parking meters in Taos during the lunch hour. That’s just the kind of place Taos is.
- Sunset as seen out the window of the car on the road out of town. A peaceful end of another day of chaos.
- Behind the scenes, consummate concert photographer, Garrett Hacking, said hi to Sunny Ortiz, who he first met 15 years ago in St. Paul, Minnesota.
- Summer solstice being what it is, the sun was still shining when Widespread Panic took the stage. The crowd materialized out of thin air and pressed to the stage.
- And Garrett went to work capturing the action.
- The sun set, the concert light show came on, the music enveloped the crowd and the air got thicker. Truth be told, your reporter, Bonnie Biafore, did have to inhale. It was a 3 hour concert so breathing was required. I couldn’t help but admire the Dr. Suess-like hat on a fellow concert-goer. Turns out, Wild Card’s hat was once worn by Robert Plant .
- Widespread Panic and guest guitarist Eric McFadden launched into an awe and dance-inspiring cover of Mississippi bluesman Bukka White’s Fixin’ To Die. The music reached a crescendo and then went higher.
- A rare rendition of Dream Song opened the encore, followed by Pilgrims. The third encore tune was a raucous Ain’t Life Grand, running past the 11 PM curfew. But the fun and music isn’t over. Three nights at Red Rocks are coming up this weekend. Then it won’t be long and Garrett will switch gears back to some award winning wedding photography in Denver. Variety is the spice of his life!
