Studio8 - 8 years next July - Anniversary Party?

[Doreen Peri]

I like this site better than any site on the internet. Just sayin'. Thanks for being here. All of you! I'm honored to have met so many creative, talented people who grace us with their presence and talents here on the site!

I like everybody here. I love ya all, matter of fact.
Oh gosh, I'm getting mushy. Forgive me.
In July, we will have been online for 7 years! Wheeeeee!

We need to start planning an 8-year in-person anniversary party.

Want to? July 2012 will be 8 years for Studio8. Seems like a perfect time to celebr8!

Please post your ideas here. Where should we have it? What should we do? Poetry readings, live music, dancing, painting, and art show?

[neologistic]

I don't think you guys would want to do this as any official anniversary thing, but something I'd like to do with some East Coast USA S8 members is see if anyone wants to go around building up a big ball of S8 members on the East Coast at various MegaBus.com bus stop locations, partying/arting together in each new city for however long and then proceeding to the next location, giant art party road trip that just moves around the East Coast on a bus where tickets are sometimes $2.00 USD roundtrip.

Down for an annual thing, too, depending on where. I can get to most places on the East Coast above Tennessee pretty easily, other places with some effort. I'd like ot stay in the loop on this one.

[neologistic]

I can help bring equipment to record and performances/art/comraderie that partakers owuld be interested in sharing with the site

Also, an idea that could make it easier is those that won't be able to attend due to being too far away might could benefit from the anniversary taking place in multiple locations.. an east coast party, a west coast party, a uk party, etc..

then we could all share our experiences and maybe even make an s8umentary of it all

[Doreen Peri]

James,

I really LOVE the idea of the anniversary party happening in various locations... all at the same time... that is soooo cool!

A nationwide, worldwide, LIVE Jam... I can envision this....with videos being made, photos being taken, people stopping back on the site to report about what's going on in their area... Wherever it's easiest for people who live in a logistically reasonable general vicinity to gather.

I just really like this idea~! Very cool!
.
.

(Bus trips together sounds cool, too.)

..............

To all... Keep the ideas coming. At one time, we thought of meeting in the middle of the country .... Jack suggested Gumshoe(?) Texas?

[keithalanhamilton]

Doreen,

If you gain interest in what you are purposing....... would love to try to coordinate the following event idea with Studio8.....

http://www.facebook.com/notes/keith-ala ... 7706794341

I say ~ while in this year 2011 I’m in the beginning stages of planning, a summer poetry/song jam within a field of Lisbon, New Hampshire for the year ~ 2012. I’m calling out to all poets, musicians and artists, who would care to participate, to contact me. I would like it to be at a really cool place I stayed at a few years ago, next to Robert Frost’s summer home, it’s called Bishop Farm and has a really great area to hold an event of this kind. Check it out http://www.facebook.com/BishopFarmBnB

I haven't came up with a name for the jam as of yet, however, the following poem sets the mood. Feedback please

I say ~ the hell
with that doomsday
scenario ~ 2012
I say ~ crapola
screw the end
of the Mayan calendar
I say ~ bull-pucky
~ as if
anyhow
someone could interpret
Nostradamus correctly
come on people ~
ain’t we gotta nuff
problems to face
upon planet earth
each and everyday
without adding
unwarranted fear
to the mix
laced blindly
with speculative hype
for which will suffer
according to the laws
of probability
as the fizzle of y2k
I say ~ rather than
being drawn
into such drivel
let us seek ways
and thusly build plans
together ~
to assure
that our children’s
children
will have a future
instead of getting
sidetracked
within the illusion
bordering upon
a hysteria
the prelude to chaos
not at all beneficial
to us ~ humanity
I say ~ let us then
work to survive
and not be so willing
to easily get lost
misled ~ within
the murky mist
familiar to ~
mere conjecture
sullied with
the fate of
gloom and doom
so glibly predicted
as a baseless reality
~
for the year ~ 2012
where will we be
and what shall we do ~
I say ~ let’s jam
poetry
and song
~ let us all gather
in a way ~
near and far
to say ~ together
we're going to live on

~Keith Alan Hamilton~

[Doreen Peri]

Keith... thanks for posting this idea!

It looks like a wonderful place for this event!

I was thinking maybe we could have volunteer organizers at various locations for those who can get to that particular location. This could be one of the locations and you could be the organizer for this location.

It was also suggested that we have Studio8 posters (I can design them), highlighting the various locations and info for each location.

This might be more feasible so more people can participate to have the event at various locations with a unified look for the posters to promote that its a Studio8 8-Year Anniversary event.

What do you think?

[neologistic]

I love it!!

If I can't make it up or down or sideways to another one, I'd love to host a Studio Eight Anniversary co-party in Knoxville, TN or Atlanta, GA

[sooZen]

How about Austin, Texas? Lots of stuff there pertaining to all of the arts! It is an eight hour (good number, huh?) drive for us but we can leave Nate with his brother there (or bring him to the party.) Lots of park spaces, music venues, galleries, coffee shops and it is smack dab in the middle of not only Texas but the US of A.

[neologistic]

So far we got

Washington, D.C. (Doreen)
Lisbon, NH (Keith)
Austin, TX (SooZen)

I will probably try to go to wherever Doreen will be attending, so I can't actually spearhead the organizing of a Knoxville, TN or Atlanta, GA co-party, but I would be able to assist getting it together if anyone thinks it's also a good location.

If I'm reading everyone correctly, that's 3 pretty good locations so far?

Sorry just trying to help organize

[Doreen Peri]

I love this idea of having the party at several locations with a different organizer at each location!

SooZ, if you and Cecil want to organize something for Austin, TX, that would be fabulous! 'Trucking maybe could make it there... who else?

Keith, organizing for New Hampshire..... wonderful!

Me, for the DC metro area. Wireman is here, too and Mingo's not too far away, he said.

James organizing for Knoxville or Atlanta (though would be cool to see you here! Whatever works best)

What do you all think of this? Simultaneous locations to make it easier for people to choose their particular location. Maybe it could be a 3-day thing, over the weekend.

Then each organizer can put together some activities:
1) Poetry readings
2) Town/city tours
3) Visiting arts exhibits
4) Dinner & party night
5) Live music event

Just some ideas.

We have some members in Canada also.... right? We have members all over the world. That's why it would be tough to choose just ONE location.

OR... should we choose just one location? LOL

I go back and forth... it would just be so cool to do something special all at the same time in person with as many people as possible to celebrate 8 years for Studio 8.

By the way, the site opened on July 10th, 2004, 3:30 pm Eastern Time.... just as a reference for the exact 8-year mark.

[neologistic]

I really like the idea of multiple locations. It would be really easy to streamline things and would highlight how the site brings together arts and artists globally.

If I can't make the DC Metro area, I can organize a Knoxville or Atlanta event. I know we have members in Chattanooga as well as Nashville and surrounding areas and I know enough contacts in Knoxville that it'd be easy for me to put together.

It'd be nice to get together a sturdy list of things to do/things to have so each location organizer could organize easier, such as equipment so we can record and put the events on S8, posters, etc

I'm really pumped

[sooZen]

2012? Hummmm, organize? That is a long ways off but for now, I will say yes, I would be willing, am willing if the creek don't rise and the roof blow off. July is a hot month in Texas, just so you know. Does anyone here have a melting point? hah.

I have no idea of the venues available except for the ones my son has introduced us to. We are a couple of old farts that stay home mostly. As for poetry jams and stuff like that, I have no clue, never done that, not once. I know where the museum is, the University campus, the parks, Whole Foods and Wheatsville Food Co-op and The Book People book store is. That's about it.

I hear about the music, heck fire, Janis and Stevie Ray are from Austin, the music capital of Texas (and maybe the world) so I must "assume" (you know what they say about that word) there are tons of places jamming is happening. Soo doesn't know tho... Never ventured out there to listen although I think one night Noah (my oldest at 38) and Cecil went out, got stinking drunk and hit all the "hot spots" while I stayed home and skipped the after affects. (Someone had to drive back to Phar Lepht the next day while Cec slept it off in the back seat and Nate and I sang our way homeward. TMI? )

Truth is, I will do my level best and take any accolades for doing so and none of the disappointments any may experience. Notating that my "partying hearty" days are long past (thank goodness!) and ten o'clock is past my bedtime.

My son that lives there is not much help. He is a hermit and hates crowds altho as DJ Muppetfucker, he did achieve some fame in the Rave scene when that was happening, but now, he hangs out at home with his wife Jenni there in Austin. He don't know shit about what is happening in the art scene (but if you need help with your computer or a video game, he's your man.)

So, the upshot is that I would be willing to help out if you still want me to. I am more into the reality of NOW than the dreams of tomorrow. (I just hope I am still on this side of the dirt by 2012 ) I am a great organizer when it comes to beads and buttons. If someone can help me by telling me what needs doing, I can do it or give it my level best.

tulip buds
a promise of tomorrow
blooms!

[Doreen Peri]

SooZ... this is all just the beginning stages. Trying to find places where people are open to hosting and organizing so that more people can come. As we work through it, we can offer ideas for event planning. I went to one gathering for a website I've gone to for many years and we just had a poetry reading on the back porch of the guy's house 2 nights in a row and played some music and talked. It was very cool! Alicia was younger and she was our MC introducing people who were going to read, standing under the porch light like it was a stage light.... and there were only like 10-12 of us there. We had a blast!

Anyway, just a thought.... is Dallas near Austin? I think it is, right? Lightning Rod is in Dallas. He has LOTS of experience organizing events. Maybe you and Cecil could talk to him about how to put something together in your area.

Sighh..... the whole thing is a bit convoluted to me because I want to MEET EVERYBODY! ... That's my only personal roadblock with having it at different locations.

Anyway, so we have a year to plan and this is just the beginning... we'll see how it goes. Thanks for recommending Austin!

I think part of the process for organizers would be to recommend nearby hotels, find open mic venues where the poets can gather and read, or hold a reading at your house or some place close by. Tour the town together, have lunch together, stuff like that.

We'll keep talking. This is a great beginning to figuring something out! We've talked before about getting together and having a S8 party .... I think at 5 years.... and it never materialized. Hopefully this time it will. 8 is the magic number!

Thanks again!

[neologistic]

I'd like to work on making a list of things that can be done, maybe we can brainstorm and figure out a nice list of things to make things really easy. Here's some ideas from me:

-Contact a few local hotels and ask about special rates for groups (how many rooms would be needed to get the discount, etc)
-Contact local tourism board for ideas on things to do
-Contact venues and see who would be willing to host different blocks of time for the event (e.g., 4p-8pm at so and so bar for happy hour poetry readings, 9pm to 11pm at so and so coffee house for some kind of open mic deal, etc)

Sorry, never done this before, just some initial thoughts. Maybe as this progresses it'd be wise to make a separate thread for each semi-confirmed location where people could post feedback to the event they'd be attending, such as "oh, can we squeeze in seeing the Sunsphere as a group for hte Knoxville deal?"

[Doreen Peri]

It doesn't look like there's much interest in this. Maybe we'll just have an online party.