GAFilk Day 3 report and post-mortem
Jan. 14th, 2008 04:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thatcrazycajunAnother GAFilk bites the dust...and so does bedlamhouse's tenure as founding chair, as of yesterday afternoon, when he ceremonially handed off the next year's hotel contract—and all the preparatory tsuris to come—to his incoming successor, autographedcat. Thanks again, Bill (and you too, ladyat!) for making my return to the deep South way more enjoyable than I had believed it could be four years ago when my Songbird singing_phoenix first dragged me down here. (Literally for decades, I swore I would never return to the region of my birth until the day I had to be carted back feet first in a box; there's irony for you.)
The EcumeniFilk went off quite pleasantly; I performed one or two songs while others visited and/or said goodbyes as they hustled to catch planes or begin long drives home. Poorfilkerdave had his flight back to Noo Yawk moved up several hours by inclement weather up north, forcing him to miss the Dead Dog Filk; but hey, at least he was here...and so were lots of other dear friends I don't hardly ever get to see in person, a surprising number of whom can be found on my friends list. (Dave's early departure also meant the live Internet audio stream of con programming had to go away early too, alas; he deserves at least a couple of megakudos for providing it.)
Between the Ecu and the start of closing ceremonies, I jingled the Songbird again via Skype to give her a chance to speak with anyone who had not been around for my earlier call. Thanks to all who helped me give her a little bit of a feeling of being here with us. I should also thank all those who contributed to the jar for humanitarian aid to Kenyans over Saturday and yesterday; although the total was only about $25, the Birdie assures me that that seemingly small amount can go an amazingly long way in Kenyan shillings, and it will be donated directly to one of the groups listed in her LJ entry here. (If you missed your chance to kick in, you can donate at their websites now too.)
Closing ceremonies were quickly dispensed with, as convention announcements were made around the room (got your membership for Contata V yet?) and thanks were duly doled out to the members, the staff and the guests. (Betcher bottom dollar Your Humble Correspondent didn't let the Suttons leave the stage without a standing ovation from the assembled throng for creating GAFilk and leading it for a solid decade, though.) Someone apparently forgot to bring the hats for the departing guests, however, so they had to be content with patches and a certificate redeemable for genuine GAFilk-emblemed millinery. (I liked Maya Bohnhoff's idea of wearing the patches as a stylish set of earrings!) The now-Chair Emeritus, per GAFilk tradition, then officially ordered all staff to stand, toss their badges off and declared the con closed.
Following some more socializing and farewells to leaving friends, I joinedjanmagic, mrgoodwraith, starmalachite, her spouse stevemb and assorted others for a sortie to the Barbecue Kitchen down the street, on whose cuisine filkertom had reported favorably in his LJ on Saturday. The place serves up good old-fashioned Southern-style soul food in heaping quantities and for very reasonable prices, and I join Tom in recommending it to future GAFilkers...or anyone who happens to be out by the airport and looking for some tasty 'cue. The relaxed, come-as-you-are atmosphere is also a positive; if yer lookin' for fancy-schmancy four-star décor and uniformed wait staff, try somewhere else.
When everybody's dinner had settled and I had seen my erstwhile houseguest off for his flight back to Steeltown, we set to the final task of any GAFilk (well, aside from teardown and move-out, that is): namely, putting it to bed with a hearty Dead Dog Filk. All the guests save Tom were in attendance, and we got to hear more of the Bohnhoffs' excellent parodies and the Bards' clowning, plus a lovely piece bykhaosworks setting haunting lyrics to the late Ron Grainer's famous Doctor Who theme, among much else. (This caused me to drag out an original number I wrote a full quarter-century ago for Who, "The Time Lord's Song (The Cosmic Wanderer)," which I haven't sung in a decade or more at least, and had SM accuse me of holding out on her.) I pushed it as late as I dared, having to report bright and early (well, early anyhow) at 8 AM for work this morning, but at around half past midnight I begged the circle's indulgence for my own GAFilk/NEFilk closing ritual, a performance of my original composition "The Singer's Secret" to honor the guests and performers of note present and thank them for being a part of a truly delightful weekend. I collected a nice round of applause and high-tailed it outta there. I got home late enough to make me decide the final wrap-up could wait until after work today.
Hope you all enjoyed reading about it if you weren't there, and being with me if you were...and I apologize to all those whose recordings I surely ruined with my incessant bronchitic coughing and throat-clearing. (I really did try to keep it under control with cough drops and liquids, honest I did, but occasionally my poor flooded lungs just could not hold out. I am feeling somewhat better now, though...and maybe I won't have to bug the doctor again for more treatment. Stay tuned...) Humongous, Kong-sized thanks to all who contributed to the auction for Interfilk and helped raise over three thousand dollars (!!) to help bring more cool guests from far away to this and other filk cons. (Thanks for the memory jog,hms42.) And thanks most especially to the three people who offered love and support, material and otherwise, to me privately during the con, by way of helping me through this somewhat difficult patch; you know who you are, and I love and am grateful to you all beyond the limits of reason.
bedlamhouse's tenure as founding chair, as of yesterday afternoon, when he ceremonially handed off the next year's hotel contract—and all the preparatory tsuris to come—to his incoming successor, autographedcat. Thanks again, Bill (and you too, ladyat!) for making my return to the deep South way more enjoyable than I had believed it could be four years ago when my Songbird singing_phoenix first dragged me down here. (Literally for decades, I swore I would never return to the region of my birth until the day I had to be carted back feet first in a box; there's irony for you.)The EcumeniFilk went off quite pleasantly; I performed one or two songs while others visited and/or said goodbyes as they hustled to catch planes or begin long drives home. Poor
filkerdave had his flight back to Noo Yawk moved up several hours by inclement weather up north, forcing him to miss the Dead Dog Filk; but hey, at least he was here...and so were lots of other dear friends I don't hardly ever get to see in person, a surprising number of whom can be found on my friends list. (Dave's early departure also meant the live Internet audio stream of con programming had to go away early too, alas; he deserves at least a couple of megakudos for providing it.)Between the Ecu and the start of closing ceremonies, I jingled the Songbird again via Skype to give her a chance to speak with anyone who had not been around for my earlier call. Thanks to all who helped me give her a little bit of a feeling of being here with us. I should also thank all those who contributed to the jar for humanitarian aid to Kenyans over Saturday and yesterday; although the total was only about $25, the Birdie assures me that that seemingly small amount can go an amazingly long way in Kenyan shillings, and it will be donated directly to one of the groups listed in her LJ entry here. (If you missed your chance to kick in, you can donate at their websites now too.)
Closing ceremonies were quickly dispensed with, as convention announcements were made around the room (got your membership for Contata V yet?) and thanks were duly doled out to the members, the staff and the guests. (Betcher bottom dollar Your Humble Correspondent didn't let the Suttons leave the stage without a standing ovation from the assembled throng for creating GAFilk and leading it for a solid decade, though.) Someone apparently forgot to bring the hats for the departing guests, however, so they had to be content with patches and a certificate redeemable for genuine GAFilk-emblemed millinery. (I liked Maya Bohnhoff's idea of wearing the patches as a stylish set of earrings!) The now-Chair Emeritus, per GAFilk tradition, then officially ordered all staff to stand, toss their badges off and declared the con closed.
Following some more socializing and farewells to leaving friends, I joined
janmagic, mrgoodwraith, starmalachite, her spouse stevemb and assorted others for a sortie to the Barbecue Kitchen down the street, on whose cuisine filkertom had reported favorably in his LJ on Saturday. The place serves up good old-fashioned Southern-style soul food in heaping quantities and for very reasonable prices, and I join Tom in recommending it to future GAFilkers...or anyone who happens to be out by the airport and looking for some tasty 'cue. The relaxed, come-as-you-are atmosphere is also a positive; if yer lookin' for fancy-schmancy four-star décor and uniformed wait staff, try somewhere else.When everybody's dinner had settled and I had seen my erstwhile houseguest off for his flight back to Steeltown, we set to the final task of any GAFilk (well, aside from teardown and move-out, that is): namely, putting it to bed with a hearty Dead Dog Filk. All the guests save Tom were in attendance, and we got to hear more of the Bohnhoffs' excellent parodies and the Bards' clowning, plus a lovely piece by
khaosworks setting haunting lyrics to the late Ron Grainer's famous Doctor Who theme, among much else. (This caused me to drag out an original number I wrote a full quarter-century ago for Who, "The Time Lord's Song (The Cosmic Wanderer)," which I haven't sung in a decade or more at least, and had SM accuse me of holding out on her.) I pushed it as late as I dared, having to report bright and early (well, early anyhow) at 8 AM for work this morning, but at around half past midnight I begged the circle's indulgence for my own GAFilk/NEFilk closing ritual, a performance of my original composition "The Singer's Secret" to honor the guests and performers of note present and thank them for being a part of a truly delightful weekend. I collected a nice round of applause and high-tailed it outta there. I got home late enough to make me decide the final wrap-up could wait until after work today.Hope you all enjoyed reading about it if you weren't there, and being with me if you were...and I apologize to all those whose recordings I surely ruined with my incessant bronchitic coughing and throat-clearing. (I really did try to keep it under control with cough drops and liquids, honest I did, but occasionally my poor flooded lungs just could not hold out. I am feeling somewhat better now, though...and maybe I won't have to bug the doctor again for more treatment. Stay tuned...) Humongous, Kong-sized thanks to all who contributed to the auction for Interfilk and helped raise over three thousand dollars (!!) to help bring more cool guests from far away to this and other filk cons. (Thanks for the memory jog,
hms42.) And thanks most especially to the three people who offered love and support, material and otherwise, to me privately during the con, by way of helping me through this somewhat difficult patch; you know who you are, and I love and am grateful to you all beyond the limits of reason. 
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no subject
Date: 2008-01-15 02:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-15 03:39 am (UTC)Part of recording live in an open room. Sometimes you get good stuff with a minor problem in it. Others, you get a real gem. I am just happy to get the songs I have never heard before. (Photos I was taking was for idenification purposes if I ever do anything with my recordings, which most likely will be filk archive donations.) Its going to be a case of 6 months from now, who was that singing this? These people were present, they might know the voice. (Or in a few cases, who played the 2nd instrument.)
As for interfilk numbers, I recall $3090 NOT including the check from Dave Alway's brother.
I just know the concert recordings that were donated with all performer's permissions (and signatures too, except for Seanan's which I burned with her permission) did very well.
Too bad, I didn't have a recording of your and Roberta Rogow's concert from Dragoncon to donate too. :(
Harold