Last week some friends of my put on a big folk music camp, Golden Toad Music Camp. Several days in the beautiful hills and woods outside of the town of Occidental in northern California (not far from famous Bodega Bay, where they filmed Hitchcock’s The Birds). Lots of my best friends from two decades of California Ren Faires were there as teachers, organizers, and kitchen staff. I worked an easy gig 4 hours a day at the middle eastern themed teahouse in the main lodge.
It was my first such camp, and I loved it. Warms days and cool nights, excellent meals in the huge main lodge, and drinking keg after keg of Sierra Nevada Ale with my buddies and lots of very hot hippy girls.
Teaching some workshops, and doing a Saturday night concert under the stars among the trees, was the popular Swedish folk group Vasen. They were three very funny dudes (think of them as slightly less talky, Swedish versions of the guys from Flight of the Conchords). How my friends got them to do this (I think they are touring the West Coast anyway right now) I’ll never know, but I’m glad they did.
They did a concert on the front lawn in front of the main lodge (area shown in photo above), right there among the tall, dark trees and beneath a bright and swiftly rising full moon. It blew me away. The setting was just incredible – majestic yet still very intimate, with around 150 people in attendance on the lawn and crowding on the balconies of the lodge. It was like being in some faraway place.
Although not on my mind at all times, it was hard not to think of gaming in this setting at certain moments. It’s not like when I was in my 20’s and seeing pathways to dungeons in every hiking area or natural setting I visited. Sure, there was some of that. But among the trees and under the moon in that beautiful setting, hearing that great music, was just so damn inspiring.
Vasen is going to be my main game music of choice. Not for dungeons and caverns of course, but for town, tavern, and green this is what I will DJ for my D&D. Very much the vibe of the Irish tunes you know from stuff, but with an added layer of ancient sophistication. That Nickleharpa that Olov plays is amazing, and lends a sort of special old time Euro flavor to the tunes. Sometimes there are some contemporary sounds, but almost all of it will set the perfect mood for your scenarios when players are above ground in the game.
You might find some CD’s on Ebay, but here are links to their Myspace and personal website where you can sample and buy music. “Vasen Street” is my bottom line favorite by the boys, but they have so much music out there there is plenty to enjoy. Check them out and let me know what you think.
Getting out into the woods for a week was an amazing feeling for me. Never taking more than a long weekend for vacation in the last few years, it did my heart some good. I feel like the Grinch, you know, when his heart got all big and shit? The presence of these three Swedish, dorky Vasen guys really helped me with that. When tall Olov came looking for beer one night, I fell all over myself like I was in the presence of some huge celebrity. I felt so generous of spirit that I actually started referring to my buddies out there as “hippies” instead of “dirty hippies.”
cut n' paste some of these Youtube clips.
The first is my favorite tune “Vasen Street”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWorsJwzycw&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yq-d2CXZH_s&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-3rWIQS4yw&feature=related
I've been a fan of Vasen for many years, especially their more traditional material. It's cool you got to see them live - I never have. I love Scandinavian fiddle music in general, and the nyckleharpa sound is amazing of course! The crustier and more traditional stuff is especially great for weirdly beautiful atmospherics.
ReplyDeleteIf you haven't already, you should check out another Swedish group called Triakel. Their first CD in particular is totally great.
Sounds like a great time! Thanks for the links!
ReplyDeleteAwesome! And timely! The day after the mini-con, my wife and I are bailing for leisurely excursion up the coast. I plan on surfing my way up the coast and on into Portland. I can't wait to get to Nor. Cal!
ReplyDeleteIt is indeed good to get away. Thanks for the Vasen heads up. Curious, what do you spin when your characters head down below?
ReplyDeleteCyclo: It's awesome that you've heard of them. I never listened to Swedish folk until no, but I'll check out the other band you mentioned.
ReplyDeleteChris: Sounds pretty gnarly. Watch out for those great whites up there!
Quatz: For my Night Below lately I've played a lot of Jean Micheal Jarre - Oxygene and Equinox. I also like to play music from some video games of the past that I think fit pretty good, including Vagrant Story, Legend of Dragoon, Shadow Hearts, And Chrono Cross.
That sounds like a great way to hear them.
ReplyDeleteI've only heard a few tracks of theirs on a compilation (called "Nordic roots" or something like that, I think the label was Northside). I was fairly surprised how similar scandinavian music is to celtic music, not really being a world music guy. That particular compilation has some really spooky Sami performers too, one in particular plays a mouthbow but not at all the way Buffy Sainte-Marie does :)
The Sami tracks would make a nice wilderness soundtrack.
I'll try to remember to bring some Swedish fiddle music along to the minicon, including Triakel. I think you'll dig it!
ReplyDelete