The following is a story/poem/saga I wrote about Jazzfest a few years ago called the Pilgrimage. Part true, part fantasy it was an Odyssey and was the year that New Orleans got hit with 18 inches of rain the day after Fest was done.

The tribes were gathering from all parts of the land for their ritual - an event they simply called "Fest". A true marathon test of endurance and dance worship which would carry them through the year until the next "Fest".
They traveled by air - they traveled by wheel - looking to touch the feeling of the message and let it fill their conscience - to see their brethren - all ages - all races- all peoples - "Fest" had something for everyone. Though this person is no big fan of crowds - when participating in "Fest", the crowd is gone and you are one with the people.
For the dancers - they came to reach and achieve "Fest" bliss (nirvana) - the feeling of pureness desired by all dancers - but only achieved after they had met and then pushed through "the wall" - the "wall" was a limit that the mind placed on the body saying it could not go any further - if the dancer has been successful in breaching the "wall" - he or she then became one with the message and the messenger - (see zydeco sweat). All became pure. All else was gone. The path to "bliss" is filled with the also desired dance "moments". A dance "moment" is when two dancers succeed in overcoming the law of physics that states that two objects cannot occupy the same space in time. When they succeed, it is a dance that can be done with eyes closed.
Nawlins was always the logical site for "Fest": as the music - the message - and other messengers were so totally intertwined in the local culture - that the message was all around you even when "Fest" performances were not occurring.
This tale will only touch one small part of "Fest" and some other chroniclers will have to pick up their pen and recreate the parts of the event that they saw.
As an opening event the night before "Fest" actually began - messengers Nathan and Geno had a party at the arena called Mid City - the dancers - primed with untapped energy - filled the hall - they were ready. As the message was delivered through the night-the energy poured forth from the messengers and the dancers made the entire hall shake...

And this was only the beginning
The sun was bright - the weather grand - as the grounds opened for the first day. The dancers and the crowds began to assemble. The event many of them had waited all year for - was about to begin.
The grass around the dance stages was lush and green and the dancers began to seek out the brethren they only got to see at this place. The first time "Fest" goers began to get caught up in the pure energy that occurred and they immediately knew they would try to come back the next year.
Messengers CJ, Prudhomme, and Montoucet provided the first great opportunity to dance and all went at it with great vigor. The day's activities were closed out by Messenger Daigrepont and everyone felt it had been a most satisfying beginning.
Part of what made "Fest" such a test of endurance, were the night events where you entered into the "Nawlins" time zone - a different time zone altogether where it got to be after 2:00 am - the band was still playing - the bartender still serving and you were still going strong. Afterwards, a trip to the Cafe Dumond might be in order for a coffee and a beignet -to sit and recap the day before hurrying home to fit in as much sleep as possible and try to get ready for the next day.

A brilliant day - Messenger Geno would start the dancers on their way. By this time the grass had been trampled brown and the dancers great exuberance - was yet unabated. Messengers Menard, Ardoin, Fontenot, and Sam followed as venerated old masters of the message. They gave a lesson to the people of where it all came from. Messenger Toups finished out the dancers day and tried to get them to use up the last of their energy. When he had finished there was then one of the good chances to check out the message as it was delivered by messengers one did not often get the chance to see. It might be blues or jazz or gospel or Nawlins flavored, but it always had the message.
That night, the first of two contests were held at the arena called Mid-City between Messengers Beau and Boozoo to see who could lay claim to the title of chief Messenger. It was really a silly thing and the people loved the spectacle but everyone knew that the message was the cumulation of all the messengers, all the time.
The dancers filled the hall and the line to get in went down the block as more people waited to get in. The dancing was non-stop and if an open spot appeared - it was immediately filled by more dancers. The energy level was such that the entire floor bounced up and down and a great zydeco sweat was achieved to end the first weekend.

But then the dance god's attention was pulled away by some other pressing matter. Today no one can recall why it seemed so important at the time. The rain continued The dust became mud - The wind no longer cool Now cold The dancers tried to persist - Their numbers shrinking The rain continued By the time the dance gods looked back down and realized what had happened, only a few of the dancers had been able to withstand the deluge. The rest had withdrawn from the field to conserve energy. For later that evening Messengers Roy, Nathan, and Beau would stir the people to sweat as they never had before. Having told the rain to leave, the dance gods had to invoke the rule of the dance floor. That when somebody makes a mistake, all that can be said is

Actually, it was a minor attempt by earth to reclaim the dance. Dance always having been of the earth. When the earth was forced to give up the dance to the people, it was always something that was resented and periodically earth tried to take it back.
In some parts of the field, the earth oozed up through the dancers toes, trying to hold them down. But the dancers pushed back the attempt with their feet. Messengers, "The Farmers" were called out to help regain control of the ground and the dancers - taking their lead - proceeded on the right path.
The air was filled with the odor of wet earth as the feet of many began to wring the dampness out of the ground. Messengers Buckwheat, Riley, Caesar, and Richard followed and drove the dancers on. The dance gods were pleased and felt it had been a most satisfying day. The earth would have to be satisfied with the energy imparted to it by the dancers as thanks for the dance.
The next day very hot. A day when the locals didn't have to attend to their weekday functions. The crowd swelled to a size never before seen at "Fest" - though many of them were standers and not dancers - their energy and participation were still important to drive the messengers on, the dancers though had a harder time staking out their place to dance.
Some of the locals who considered themselves hosts for "Fest", conducted a ceremony each day at one of the dance stages in which they gave a watermelon to the sky so that it may come back to earth.
Their chant, which would begin slowly with just a few people, would be led by the tutu man - as the pitch - pace and intensity would increase, a small crowd would gather to lend their energy to the sacrifice. The chant went something like

The reasons for the ceremony had long been forgotten and it was thought of as a curiosity by many of the on lookers - but that did not dampen the enthusiasm with which that watermelon was sacrificed.
Messengers Chubby, Fontenot, Dopsie, Tasso, and Cormier worked through the day to provide the beat that the dancers needed. Though it was very hot - the dance gods decided that they should not interfere having learned their lesson on a previous day. The dancers - having been through this before would just have to take care of themselves and they generally knew how to do that. The wall - having already been met by some of the dancers - loomed large on the final day.
The last day began promising enough, sunny with many clouds. Rain was going to threaten the proceedings as it had been upset about being blamed by some of the dancers for messing up one of the previous days. Messengers Mamon and Mouton would set the stage early for a show later by Messenger Nathan which promised to be a mighty stomp. In between there would be a good opportunity to check out the other energies that would gather for "Fest" - each of them a saga of their own. The "Fest" was one big motion - and inside of that motion would be thousands of other motions. Motion inside of motion- and it all moved together.
Intercepted is when you are traveling from Point A to Point B at "Fest" and you get stopped in your tracks by something totally unexpected - that captivates you and can change the way you view the entire event - a demonstration - a craft - a person or energy not being looked for - but suddenly right in front of you. You take it in and walk on to the next surprise.
"Fest" had the ability to change you - how you interact with people - how you listen to music - how you danced. Looking at the tribes - their totems in the air - each one with a name. It was the only way to find the ones they had traveled with among the crowd. With the ability to generate this much good feeling in one place. It let you know there was hope for all.
One of the greatest feelings is when you are in one of the tents and the messengers are delivering the goods - the people - are giving back the energy - pushing each other - to a pitch found no where else - unrivaled. When the moment of release is achieved the roar of the people is enough to raise bumps on your skin and make you shiver.
For the messengers, "Fest" was also a grand occasion. It gave them a chance to renew acquaintance with each other - having usually been on the road - delivering the message to different parts of the land. Here they got the chance to see other messengers at work.
Messenger Nathan took the stage and incited the dancers and the crowd. It would be one of the last chances for the dancers to achieve "Fest" bliss. Oh, I know, part two of the contest between Messengers Beau and Boozoo was that night but Nathan provided the dancers with the last real chance to feel the ground and touch the sky as they danced. For many of the dancers it was to be the last chance dance. Dancers busily changed partners as they sought to touch one more time the energies that came from different parts of the land and to say their farewells until next year.
The dance gods had persuaded the rain to stay away and it ended up being one of the most gratifying of days. The dance gods - and all of the dancers - smiled. After Nathan a few of the dancers wandered over to Messenger Jude who was hosting a small party under the tent they called "Lagniappe". Having already spent most of their energy, the dancers for the most part relaxed through the closing event.
That night the second competition between Messengers Boozoo and Beau was held at the arena called Mid City. There the dancers gathered the last of their energy to put it on the floor. The energy level was great enough to cause a bouncing of the entire hall. When the contest was over, it was declared a draw which suited everyone just fine. The ten day "Fest" had drawn to a close. The tribes would return to their parts of the land carrying with them a reaffirmed message that they would impart to those that could not attend.

The chronicles will show that some of the travelers had decided to stay in Nawlins an extra day to relax around the town. Everyone knew that you needed at least a day of decompression before going back to work or you may suffer from the bends.
The decision to stay turned out to be an unfortunate one. For that night, the rain came back angry and tried to drown the town. Eighteen inches worth, the roads out - blocked, the airport - closed. The townspeople valiantly manned the pumps and the tales of survival that night are an epic in their own right. Luckily this writer left that morning.

© 1998 Right On Rhythm rtonrythm@boo.net