Thursday, January 26, 2012
Lucid Performs at Freestyle World Cup
by Rumple Sleastack
Once again, Lucid is reminded just how cool it is living in the north country - literally and figuratively. This past weekend, our boys got to perform outside at the USANA Freestyle World Cup held at the Lake Placid Olympic Jumping Complex at Whiteface Mountain. It was three nights of world-class skiing, live rock-n-roll, fireworks, and brutally low temperatures.
Did you miss it? NBC will be airing the event this Saturday and Sunday, January 28 and 29, at 2pm and 3pm EST, and again the following Sunday, February 5, at 3:30pm.
Of course, this event was all about the athletes, and they did not disappoint. From the moguls on Thursday, to the insane aerials Friday and Saturday night, these skiers put in amazing performances. The Chinese very nearly swept the aerial awards with the men, Jia Zongyang and Liu Zhongqing, taking gold and silver, and the women, Xu Mengtao, Cheng Shuang, and Kong Fanyu, taking all of the women's medals. However, for you patriots, the highlight of the competition was when local hero Hannah Kearney, of Norwich, VT, took the gold in women's moguls Thursday. This is her 11th straight win which gives her the record breaking winning streak, surpassing Switzerland’s Conny Kissling. For more information on the athletes' performances and final scores see the links below.
It was up to Lucid to provide the musical entertainment Saturday night - the final night of the event - and they did not disappoint either. Despite numbed hands, and below-zero temperatures, they jammed through 2-hours of original hits without dropping a beat. After all, it was their responsibility to keep the crowd moving between eliminations. How else was everybody going to stay warm?
It was a great night, topped off by a fine fireworks presentation. The Lake Placid and Whiteface staff really put on a good show, and Lucid was proud to be a part of it. Now Lucid is hoping you may just catch some of their music on national television as the show goes out to and comes back from commercial. Don't forget to check out these events this weekend and next on NBC, and while you're enjoying the amazing sportsmanship keep an ear out for our boys.
Links:
U.S. Ski Team | First Tracks Online Ski Magazine | Eurosport.com | The Ski Channel
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Lucid Resolutions
by Rumple Sleastack
Well, the boys of Lucid rocked straight through 2011, right into the holidays, and into the new year: 2012. Now - as tradition suggests - it is time to stumble out of whatever particular brand of coma was chosen, and make a list of what to do better this year. Hardly slaves to tradition, and stumbling out of some pretty major comas, Lucid nevertheless has produced this list. I, your humble servant, bring you:
Lucid's Resolutions for 2012
- Rock more
- Suck less
- Take more road trips
- Also, more road in general
- Also, more trip in general
- Party party party party party all the time (a carryover from 2011, 2010, and well, every year prior to that)
- Say know[sic] to drugs
- Get married, settle down, have children...(wait for it)...NOT!!!!
- Diet and exercise
- Quit smoking (a-ha ha ha ha ha, ha ha [cough cough sputter])
Hey, can we talk about the elephant in the room? Enough of this new year's resolutions crap; it's meaningless anyway. Everyone knows what I'm talking about: it's 2012, man! The Mayan Calendar runs out December 21st. Are you ready? Well, along with their resolutions, Lucid also has a bucket/preparedness list of sorts. Without furthur adieu:
Lucid's End-of-the-World Bucket/Preparedness List
(things-to-do before the Mayan Calendar runs out)
- Release a new, entirely self-produced studio CD featuring all of the new hits everyone is clamoring for
- Release a new, self-produced (with the help of many friends) Lucid picture book
- Release a new DVD chronicle (OK, can somebody help us with this?) of select video and pictures of Lucid over the years
- Make this year's Backwoods Pondfest worthy of being the last Backwoods Pondfest - well, the last of "fests" in general
- Use the proceeds from all of these activities to:
- Buy some property
- Create a compound
- Stock weapons and food
- Develop a training program
- Await the onslaught of the zombie hordes secure in the knowledge that we have done everything in our power to repel them
Happy New Year everybody! Rock 2012!!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Lucy Retired After 4 1/2 Years of Service
by Rumple Sleastack, photo by Laura Carbone
It was with heavy hearts that the boys of Lucid made the grave decision to retire their bus "Lucy" this past Wednesday after four and a half years of faithful service.
"These last few stretches of road have been really rough on her," said keyboardist Andrew Deller, "and they definitely took their toll." The 1989 Bluebird suffers from multiple failures, some of which are irreparable. It has been deemed unsafe for the road.
The Kesey-an painted, Sanskrit-inscribed bus was always an instant hit with fans. Nearly its entire interior is covered with signatures, cartoons, and profanity from hundreds of people passing through. Its now well-known exterior was the creation of artist and Lucid collaborator Gabe Leavitt. Better than a simple billboard, and so much brighter than mere spotlights, the bus advertised the arrival of the band at every show like no herald could ever aspire to, and invited anyone even slightly curious to come be a part of the festivities.
"Man, we did a lot of partying in there," recalled Ryan "Rippy" Trumbull, drummer of the band. Rippy was the central force behind bringing the bus into the band, and with the help of his grandfather and friend Randy Lee, was continually refashioning the interior to better suit the band's road needs. This refashioning reached its height in a set of shelves and bunkbeds custom made for gear and band members, turning what was once a very utilitarian school bus into the perfect touring vehicle.
"The Dark Star Orchestra guys came over at Bear's Picnic saying they thought our bus was cooler than theirs," brags saxaphone player, back-up singer, and often-time Lucid sound man Jamie Armstrong.
That sentiment is echoed by all who knew her. Lucy became so much more than just a bus. She was a safe haven on the road, a travelling green room for the band, the hottest after-hours party destination, the single best advertising campaign a band could ask for, and a steadfast vessel through stormy and uncharted seas. Lucy dutifuly carried it's rock and roll cargo through snow covered highways, up to mountain tops, down to water's edge, and always back home warm, safe, and sound.
Lucid is already making plans for handling this latest hurdle in their careers. A new bus has been located. Friend and photographer of the band Andrew Wyatt (aka Dirty Santa) has photo-documented as much of the bus as possible. A "wake" for Lucy is being planned at her final resting place at Lyman's Auto where she received all her care over the years. Family at 20 Main (heaven on Earth for a band) has already arranged for a benefit show April 8th, and fans are eager to help Lucid handle this crushing financial blow.
News of Lucy's passing spread quickly. Just one day after Lucid announced their decision on Facebook (see the comment by singer/harp/percussionist Lowell Wurster), hundreds of condolences and rememberances flooded in. Clearly this retired school bus turned rock tour bus touched many lives. Lucy will be missed.
