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Thread: Nearfest 20th Anniversary

  1. #1
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    Nearfest 20th Anniversary

    Unless my math is wrong yesterday and today are the 20th anniversary of the first Nearfest.

    Thanks to Rob, Chad, Kev, Jim and Ray for lots of great music and memories.

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    Member since March 2004 mozo-pg's Avatar
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    Member moecurlythanu's Avatar
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    Member rickawakeman's Avatar
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    I'll always remember getting that phone call from Rob that I was getting tix (I was a bit late in ordering, so was on a wait list!)...then arriving, walking in to the opening notes of Alaska performing "Tarkus"...unreserved seats you kept for the weekend...the first Sunday Surprise set by Nathan Mahl...so many memories, so thanks again!

  6. #6
    Member since March 2004 mozo-pg's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rickawakeman View Post
    I'll always remember getting that phone call from Rob that I was getting tix (I was a bit late in ordering, so was on a wait list!)...then arriving, walking in to the opening notes of Alaska performing "Tarkus"...unreserved seats you kept for the weekend...the first Sunday Surprise set by Nathan Mahl...so many memories, so thanks again!
    The best run festival I've ever attended. My first was at Trenton with Magma, Anglagard, Camel, Flower Kings, etc. It was an amazing line up and a great weekend of fun!

  7. #7
    #2 was my 1st. Fun times.
    Sleeping at home is killing the hotel business!

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    Member nosebone's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mozo-pg View Post
    The best run festival I've ever attended. My first was at Trenton with Magma, Anglagard, Camel, Flower Kings, etc. It was an amazing line up and a great weekend of fun!
    That was my first NF also, and I was hooked!

    I recall buying 26 CDs from the huge me4rch room downstairs
    no tunes, no dynamics, no nosebone

  9. #9
    Member chalkpie's Avatar
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    Nearfest can drink beer legally next year.
    If it isn't Krautrock, it's krap.

    "And it's only the giving
    That makes you what you are" - Ian Anderson

  10. #10
    I remember bringing my wife to Nearfest in 2004 and seeing The Musical Box on Friday nite. We had excellent center seats just a few rows back. She was born and raised in Thailand and had never seen a prog band before. She was quite impressed! She thought they were Genesis. She is a big Genesis fan now.

  11. #11
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    The good old days! It’s about as hot here now as it was that first weekend.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  12. #12
    NEARfest Officer Emeritus Nearfest2's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Fracktured View Post
    The good old days! It’s about as hot here now as it was that first weekend.
    Except that the homebrewed stout that Mike Potter gave me didn't explode in the trunk of my car this time.
    Chad

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    I just attended the one in 2001, great lineup, and great experience!!!

    Were there other persons coming from abroad to any nearfest?. I know of several who went from Mexico as me!

  14. #14
    I always miss Nearfest this time of year. I didn't make the first two, but only missed two after that. A great experience every time and it was as much about seeing all the prog heads I only knew on line as it was about the music. Of course, the music was great as well! Nearfest caught lightening in a bottle that no other prog fest has been able to, or probably could again. Their mix of styles and sub-genre's, old and new, was pretty much perfect as far as I'm concerned. I have not seen it's like before or since.

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by nodak View Post
    I remember bringing my wife to Nearfest in 2004 and seeing The Musical Box on Friday nite. We had excellent center seats just a few rows back. She was born and raised in Thailand and had never seen a prog band before. She was quite impressed! She thought they were Genesis. She is a big Genesis fan now.
    Yeah that was a great show. Unfortunately for me, I had unknowingly come down with bronchitis the Thursday before (just thought I had a cough, nothing serious), which continued to worsen as the weekend came around. I had to leave and miss Sunday completely as the constant coughing was wearing me down too much to get through the shows (and I barely slept Friday night because of the cough). Only negative Nearfest memory I have, and I actually remember the music from Friday night and Saturday quite fondly now. Just wish I hadn't had to miss Sunday

  16. #16
    NEARfest Officer Emeritus Nearfest2's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rulo View Post
    I just attended the one in 2001, great lineup, and great experience!!!

    Were there other persons coming from abroad to any nearfest?. I know of several who went from Mexico as me!
    Absolutely. We had 10-15 countries represented in any given year. We had a Venezuelan contingent that came most years.
    Chad

  17. #17
    And don't forget the countries represented by coffees in the Green Room and on the ticket line! Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, Ethiopia, Yemen, India, Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia!
    Quote Originally Posted by Nearfest2 View Post
    Absolutely. We had 10-15 countries represented in any given year. We had a Venezuelan contingent that came most years.

  18. #18
    I have a lot of great NEARfest memories. I went to everyone from 2000 through 2009. I only missed the last two because I was unemployed. I too miss NEARfest at this time of year. THat was the one thing I looked forward to every year, as I knew the organizers would invariably get somebody I really wanted to see (and keeping with that, even the ones I missed had bands I wanted to see..hell, the one that had to be cancelled had bands I wanted to see!).

    Thanks guys. I know it wasn't easy, but I appreciate a great deal everything you did for us to give us such a sweet weekend each year!

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    As I posted on Facebook. I attended every single one and still have the T-shirts to prove it.

  20. #20
    Member Garyhead's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SteveSly View Post
    As I posted on Facebook. I attended every single one and still have the T-shirts to prove it.
    Ahhh....But can you still FIT into every T-shirt?
    The Ice Cream Lady Wet her drawers........To see you in the Passion Playyyy eeee - I. Anderson

    "It's kind of like deciding not to date a beautiful blonde anymore because she farted." - Top Cat

    I was expecting to be kinda meh, but it made my nips stiffen - Jerjo

    (Zamran) "that fucking thing man . . . it sits there on my wall like a broken clock " - Helix

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  21. #21
    They had to special order me a fat boy size Atom Heart NF beer shirt. I don't drink alcohol, but I still happily wear my shirt!!
    Sleeping at home is killing the hotel business!

  22. #22
    Member Garyhead's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by wilcox660 View Post
    They had to special order me a fat boy size Atom Heart NF beer shirt. I don't drink alcohol, but I still happily wear my shirt!!
    Come to think of it......Me Too! I lost a bunch-o-weight since then so now its a dress......
    The Ice Cream Lady Wet her drawers........To see you in the Passion Playyyy eeee - I. Anderson

    "It's kind of like deciding not to date a beautiful blonde anymore because she farted." - Top Cat

    I was expecting to be kinda meh, but it made my nips stiffen - Jerjo

    (Zamran) "that fucking thing man . . . it sits there on my wall like a broken clock " - Helix

    Social Media is the "Toilet" of the Internet - Lady Gaga

  23. #23
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    Some of the best times of my life, as it relates to music. Just an amazingly run festival with incredible performers through the years, both in headliners and lesser knowns.
    I'd still be making the annual trek. thanks to Rob, Chad, Kevin and everybody who made those awesome weekends possible!
    My first was 2001...in-credible !

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    Quote Originally Posted by SteveSly View Post
    As I posted on Facebook. I attended every single one and still have the T-shirts to prove it.
    Actually, I can. I still wear the same size t-shirt today (Large) that I did back when NEARfest started.

  25. #25
    Quote Originally Posted by infandous View Post
    Nearfest caught lightening in a bottle that no other prog fest has been able to, or probably could again.
    I'm guessing you've never been to ProgDay.

    My lasting memory from the first NEARFest was that someone stole the Late Night With David Letterman sweatshirt that I was using to mark my seat when I went out to browse the vendor area. On the plus side, Nathan Mahl were excellent.
    --
    The internet was better before Berners-Lee let the riff-raff in.

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