In an email to the media last month, O+ festival PR coordinator Michael Frank wrote: Many years ahead.” Along with that letter was the offer of the press his comp his wristbands that allowed him to attend the event for the entire weekend. That’s what motivated this correspondent to fully immerse himself in the festival for the first time. And the overall verdict is: What fun. why didn’t i do this before?
From the beginning, I didn’t think that O+ was an ubiquitous great idea. O+ has already been replicated in other cities far from Kingston, New York. The question arises as to why such an initiative is needed in the richest country in the world, while all other Western democracies have single-payer health care systems, while artists and working Creating a new model for people to access health services has been a great feat. If you’re in the “gig economy” and have inadequate health insurance (or no health insurance at all), your medical, diagnostic, and preventive therapy skills can be sacrificed.
What held me back was the impression that the festival was only for the musical tastes of millennials and Gen Z listeners, fostered by the youthful energy of O+’s early days. Nerds like me look at the list of upcoming bands and think: I don’t have a goth costume. No going dancing with her 20-something in a nightclub. It doesn’t fit. ”
Well, surprise! My happy point is that there is something for everyone here of any musical vintage, in fact the highlight of this year’s offering is Pauline Oliveros in honor of his 90th birthday. It was a tribute given in the Old Dutch Church. Many of the weekend’s performers and audience were moldy old folks like me. Also, those who only incorporate classical he-rock into their musical diet may not have found much of Audio-His comfort food at O+, but the menu was downright eclectic.
Even my folk roots were soaked in sonic waves coming from the duo of Andrew Forbes and Max Carmichael, dubbed “psychedelic bagpipes and bouzouki.” Nils Westergaard’s giant mural left from his O+ festival in 2014 matlooming over the cityscape as the musicians changed the familiar “Valiant Scotsman” from straight march to jig tempo to something unrecognizable, but still pleasing to the ear.
Art exhibitions all over town began opening by noon on Friday, and the festival’s musical performances began with a parade from the Kingston Library in the late afternoon. Leading the march is Punk His cabaret queen Amanda His Palmer, ukulele in hand, red as a fire engine His 1960 Austin Healey His Sprite From the seat of his convertible I was waving my other hand. High-energy marching Her band, Brass Skills, followed right behind her, and now she’s one beloved local brass and percussion ensemble, Rosendale Her Improvement Association Her brass band behind her Attended. Unsurprisingly, executives from the Center for Creative Education’s Percussion Orchestra of Kingston (POOK) came right in the middle. The marching party, many in mismatched costumes, represented the Queer Conspiracy, Radio Kingston, and the Ulster County Italian-American Foundation. There was a stiltwalker and a juggler and a guy in a gorilla suit. Joy was in the air.
The courtyard behind the O+ Offices at 52 Main Street, the end of the parade, has been designated as the Somewhere Stage for the weekend, with Braskill and a crew of costumed dancers performing for Palmer’s pop-up show and the band afterwards. warmed the crowd. Noting that much of her usual repertoire is too anguished for a celebratory occasion, Amanda Palmer sings a Radiohead number that audiences younger than you will undoubtedly recognize, followed by her I sang the original “In My Mind”, a staple of the show. She then shouted to her O+ brave volunteers, stating, “This is not a corporate event. This is her volunteer event!”
Stuck on a stage somewhere long enough to hear what. His SUNY New Paltz alumni band playing funk and his R&B, and lots of great sets by his Mac & Cheeze Balkan Power Trio. Food and craft vendors, face painting booths, and O+ goods trailers line the perimeter, and in the center of the space, Rhinebeck-based performance artist Ben He Pinder created an installation. dance lighthouse, topped with a disco ball. Positioned inside, he programmed a light show “to match the atmosphere of the music.”
It also captures the overall feel of O+. Many different art forms are generated simultaneously, sharing the same space, reinforcing and interlacing with each other to create a mind-boggling variety of styles. These spaces are spread across town, from Stockade to Rondo Out (much of Sunday’s programming is in conjunction with the Italian-American Festival on the Strand). Even if you spend an entire weekend consuming his O+ offerings, you can barely experience a quarter of it for him. There was so much going on, with attendees catching this or that act for a bit and then meandering into something else, that the crowd wasn’t overwhelmed (maximum like Joey’s). I must admit that I did not try to participate in the draw for) Eppard, James Ferris, Mercury Lev).
The festival’s most visible manifestations are, of course, the musical acts and murals, as well as the art exhibition, which usually lasts for a month. Visited his Pinkwater gallery on North Front Street. Here the O+ features were installed. OcchiolinoConsists of miniature dioramas by various PUGG/The DRAW artists and paper flower sculptures by Sophie Kravitz.Oil on canvas by Melanie Delgado bingo on the boardwalk — Image used on the wrapper for the BO+ardwalk Bars chocolates sold to raise funds for O+ — displayed in the center of the room and auctioned on October 10th. His NEWT in the window store next door featured inspiring paintings, poetry and photography by students in Kingston High School’s Advanced Writers & Painters class. All of which was inspired by his O+ theme this year, “SO+mewhere.”
Less obvious for casual strollers is the serious medical aspect of the O+. Indeed, the bike component is a big deal, with a variety of rides organized, from tours of the latest murals to his 55-mile loop through the County of Ulster, allowing attendees easy access to a variety of wellness workshops. You can participate. Many of these tend toward the New Age end of the preventative spectrum, such as yoga classes, gong baths, and meditation. , part of the Guatemalan Indigenous Cacao Ceremony at the Old Dutch Churchyard, promoting
All good things, but if you think you might have cancer and don’t have health insurance, those workshops won’t offer the fix you’re looking for. The exchange of arts and health services — “the heartbeat of O+” — is the most obscure element of the festival. In theory, my press wristband had the right to explore the artists’ clinic, accessed through the side door of the Old Dutch Church. Perhaps I should have gone inside and interviewed the volunteer doctors, nurses, psychotherapists and body workers who are providing their services there for free, or the artists and festival volunteers who were invited to participate. But it would have felt disturbing to enter its inner sanctuary and pry into people’s intimate physical and mental health problems.
I think that’s where the festival’s PR problem lies. We usually listen to music, look at murals, and ride bicycles. We underestimate the life-saving connections O+ makes. Perhaps next year there will be more of that story told. In the meantime, start planning your Fall 2023 weekends to experience the intersection of art and wellness represented by this landmark cultural institution. It’s fun for everyone.
