Observation:

Last night, a dream two years in the making was finally realized. Over $1850 was raised for Grant Middle School and their music program. Six bands came together, appearing and performing as the antithesis of their respective acts. Ric “Skippy” Major ran his infamous Curve Inn stage with precision and with grace. The Curve Inn was packed on a beautiful Thursday night. All of these are just a few of the highlights from the first installment of The Upside Down presented by Fun DMC. As one of the organizers I was pleasantly surprised at how efficiently it all ran. As an observer, I was drawn and even inspired by how much the musicians of The Upside Down threw themselves into this event. Every act completely bought into their alter egos and delivered above and beyond clear into the stratosphere.

Beyond performances, I had the opportunity to observe a moment last night that will stick with me for a while. As the music had faded and the Curve Inn only echoed the last refrains of “Sweet Caroline” I took a moment to pause as musicians were loading out their gear, packing guitars, drums, and keyboards into everything from large trailers to hatchbacks. There were about 5 mini-circles of musicians from 90’s Daughter, Fun DMC, Tennessee Borderline, The Get Down, The Fireside Relics, and Smashtag, many of whom had never met until that night, chatting away, exchanging contact information and even proposing future joint ventures. I smiled to myself as I leaned against our trailer to take it all in. Summer nights really are the best. Especially when there is so much laughter in the air.

The next installment of The Upside Down will return to The Curve Inn soon.