Say Girl Say

wednesday was the 2012 summer solstice, a.k.a. the longest day of the year and therefore the BEST night to have a houston-counter-culture party. if you didn’t get to be there yourself i know these pictures don’t even begin to do it justice BUT i hope they give you a little taste of what you missed. to put it into words, think: everything you like about houston inner 610 loop + down together potlucks + every good concert you’ve ever been to + performance art + free food + fire + dancing + bikes + every person you’d ever want to see at a party and then some. and thats not even the least of it.

wednesday was the 2012 summer solstice, a.k.a. the longest day of the year and therefore the BEST night to have a houston-counter-culture party. if you didn’t get to be there yourself i know these pictures don’t even begin to do it justice BUT i hope they give you a little taste of what you missed. to put it into words, think: everything you like about houston inner 610 loop + down together potlucks + every good concert you’ve ever been to + performance art + free food + fire + dancing + bikes + every person you’d ever want to see at a party and then some. and thats not even the least of it.

after the MedMob i headed over to the Rosalie HAUS CoOp for dinner. i think i spent more time talking about the dang keep-sharing-free-petition than i did eating, but whatever, that petition has sorta become my life as of recently. i think everyone at the LIGH PARTY knew me as the girl with the clipboard by the end of the night (but it paid off, i ended up getting 70+ signatures). if you’re a registered harris county voter and still, i don’t know how, but have yet to sing THE petition. do so HERE.

while waiting on a housemate we headed outside and got some great “candid” photos taken (thanks matthias) before we rode over to the railyardHTX. notice how matt seems to be the center subject in ALL of them, so him.

the party started at 5:10, but with all good parties, it didn’t really get going until after sunset.

food and drinks were stationed inside (potluck style) as well as ongoing music and performance art. there was eventually a bonfire (real good idea on a hot june night right?) as well as people EVERYWHERE.

LOVE horse played a few songs and got the audience dancing (and sweating!). oh and, let me just say ONLY kristen could get hoisted onto some guys shoulders, paraded around the room, and STILL finish up the song – the whole time lookin’ good while doing it. you rock girl!

after LOVE horse finished their set, everyone headed outside for jonatan and sway’s Sun Offering Ritual. the performance piece consisted of: spoken word, communial chanting, sparklers, and lots of pretty ladies dressed in white.

after lighting sparklers and chanting things such as “like the sun i bring light and i bring joy” and “we are a way for the universe to know itself” the audience was asked to sacrifice items to “mother earth” (thanks sway). most people dropped in hand written notes, hair, or little trinkets (although as show above one guy dropped in a $20 while the guy next to me burned his debit card)

at one point someone added a 8×12 portrait to the flame which proceeded to melt, ooze, and eventually EXPLODE right in front of my camera and me. sways skirt caught on fire and the audience screamed. luckily someone, jonatan i think, stomped it out and the performance went on.

Y.E.T. performed a sultry belly dance routine to the macbook sounds of jonathan jindra inside the warehouse while homemade videos were projected onto adjacent walls behind her.

up next was Say Girl Say. two girls with strong voices, a few random instruments, and lots of purple and teal colored powder.

their performance was impressive, intriguing, fulfilling and yet completely raw. margee and i were speechless by the end of it, like literally staring at each other from across the room with our eyes and mouths wide open. we made jokes about how every single person who just witnessed that show, regardless of their sexual orientation, had just developed a crush on these girls. i have most defiantly found my 2 new role models.

the performances ended with jessie noel’s solstice inspired piece.
i’m sure the party went on for a few hours after we left, which was already a wee hour in the morning. all in all it was a PERFECT summer solstice celebration and i so glad everyone involved, which was pretty much EVERYONE seeing that this counter-culture is into the collective atmosphere, could make this happen. i’m so proud to call houston home and be part of this active and loving community. like the sun we all bring light and joy. I LOVE HOUSTON.

.dena.
- Pancho and Lefty

Seldom will you hear me say “That video with so much wang was AMAZING!”, but today you will, cause it was. Say Girl Say, right out of my own backyard (Houston) has just put out their first video. I was impressed with these two ladies when a friend first handed me their EP. I fell in love pretty instantly. It can’t just be me that thinks that ukuleles are damn hot and girls with harmonizing voices on ukuleles… well that just melts my panties right off. Of course with any starting band, material is limited to what they carry with them to the shows they play and what they have begun putting up online. As a matter of fact, here is one of my favorite songs of theirs, Coca Cola Kisses. If you get the chance to catch these ladies at a show, do. Oh, and ask them to put more of their music online. They are far too great to keep it to themselves. - In My Ears