The Great Googa Mooga

An excuse to get out during a weekend in the city. Take people away from the concrete and crassness, and out onto a field for a little festival. Yes, there's a lot of people who like this idea. A Lot. It was the first year for this Brooklyn based festival in Prospect Park, and if you signed up, you could get free tickets to wander the grounds. If you paid something like $200 you could get VIP tickets but by my account it wasn't worth it. I went Sunday though, when it was apparently a bit calmer. Saturday was supposedly a real shit-show of lines and electronic malfunctions concerning the fake currency they were trying to create for the event. Serves them right. If you're gonna deal in cash, then deal in cash. Period. This isn't Wally World.

The clientele was eclectic. As was the attire. Remember the days, when we were younger and there were certain brands that everyone owned and wore. Nowadays, I don't see that as much. We're not all little clones of each other anymore, not in this city at least. Sure, you're gonna spot your shirt on someone else's back from time to time, it happens. But overall the individual can uniquely define themselves with clothes if they so choose. And sunday, many of them made that choice. 

Ink is one of the biggest trends today. Everyones all tatted up. And we're not talking a shamrock on your shoulder, or a butterfly on your back. Sleeves worth of ink, backs covered in them, hands, necks, and chests, consumed by them. Some of the art is unbelievable. Some of it is not. But its everywhere, on men and women of all ages. Clearly it's another unique form of asserting individuality.

Honestly though, the food was the best part. The music was sub-par in sound quality, and the bands weren't that spectacular themselves. I would have liked to have seen "The Roots" on Saturday, as they're always on point, but Sundays slots were filled by the likes of wannabe-Chic disco band, "Escort", and soul-remake "Fitz and the Tantrums." Escort would have been a better wedding band, and though Fitz and the Tantrums have some hits, and a fun song to listen to here and there, they certainly weren't going to take the show to the next level for me. And we caught some of "Lez Zeppelin", but the ladies were drown out in a muddled mess of sound. I could barely make out the guitar solos. Even Hall and Oates fell flat, and after a couple beers they always start sounding better to me. 

But the food rocked. I wish I could have eaten more. There were stands set up for so many great places I've had food from, and even more that I haven't. Dinosaur BBQ, Hill Country BBQ, Blue Ribbon, Arancini Bros., Crif Dogs, DBGB, Dirty Bird, Porchetta, and a slew of other resturaunts sent forth their finest recipe's. Most just served a single option, like a Pulled Pork Sandwich, or Riceballs. But everything tasted great. There was a hearty variety of different Beers on tap, and wines uncorked as well. I have to say, I was seriously impressed with the scope of it.

It was good to see it this year. A nice day outside wandering around with your friends. I mean, that's just fine by me. And undoubtedly, tickets will be sold next year, not distributed. Given the huge turn out. That'd be my guess.