Outro
There isn't a whole lot else to say about this short trip, since it was so down and dirty, but I do have a couple closing thoughts. One of them is that I was surprised by how nonchalant the majority (and I don't mean offense to anyone at Grinnell college when I say this) everyone was to the bands playing. Granted, I'm a big fan of Fridge, but it seemed like the only time that there was a good-sized crowd at the show was when the keg rolled in. By the time the last band was playing (which is traditionally the 'headliner'), there were literally only 30-40 people in the entire room, and approximately one-fourth of that was comprised of people I knew who had driven a good distance to see the bands. My point isn't to make fun of the students for not knowing the bands who were playing, but the above just sort of added to the entire surreal nature of the show. Instead of standing in the back of a room somewhere, I got to literally sit on the stage as one of my favorite bands played only a meter or so away from me. I don't have any complaints, but I only hope that the bands didn't feel like they were playing to an uncaring audience.

All in all, it was a fun trip that went by pretty quickly.

Top 4 quotes of the trip

4. "Gimme some more of those Hickory Smoked chips."
3. "The romance is gone."
2. "I can't believe he let you play his melodica/harmonica."
1. "Des Moines sucks."

What was in the stereo on the drive.

• Blanket Music - Move
  
• Super Furry Animals - Guerilla
  
• Fela Kuti - Black Man's Cry
  
• Neil Finn - One Nil
  
• The Notwist - Shrink
  
• Liam Howlett/The Prodigy Presents - Dirtchamber Volume 1
  
• Coldplay - Parachutes
  
• Augustus Pablo - The Melodica King
  
• Mice Parade - Mokoondi
  
• GusGus - Polyesterday
  
• Captain Beefheart - Safe As Milk
  
• Blackalicious - Blazing Arrow
  

Other photos and commentary on the trip.
Aaron G.
Jason M.