Hootie & The Blowfish #SummerCampWithTrucksTour2024

Sa 8/18/24 - Martin Klunder (9 gummies) - Jiffy Lube Live - Est At 13k - 56$ - 22℃  (72℉)

Music 8/10 - Show 7/10 - Overall Enjoyment 9/10 - Merch 10/10

It’s August, you know what that means! The end of summer camps all over! Its Sunday right now. The first day of school at least for Richmond Public Schools begins tomorrow on Monday August 19th. So it’s fitting that we had a nice Saturday show last night. Letting us “campers” enjoy one last hurayyyyy before classes begin!

            So the tour has been going on for some time now. I didn’t realize it began back in May. With like 3 or even 4 shows a week. The tour concludes at the end of September. A solid 40+ some show tour lasting all summer long. Gotta love that! <3 The tour stops in VB next month! So 75 locals be ready. It's going to also be another excellent Saturday night show! The lineup last night and I think has been the same throughout the tour. It included Edward McCain opening. He came on at 19:00 last night. I didn’t get there to see him for his opening set. Then "Collective Soul" at 19:50 and they played for about 55 minutes, just shy of an hour. Then Hootie and the Blowfish was closing. They played from about 21:10-22:55. So a worthy show to say the least.

            I didn’t even know Collective Soul was opening. A couple days before I got curious to see who the opener would be Saturday night in Bristow VA. So I was very excited when I found that information out. So, the plan was to make it there in time to see Collective Souls entire set and beyond which I did. Just about a minute before they were scheduled to start, I walked into the 100-level section. As I was walking to my seat I could see and hear them come out. So “Perfect timing (yah)”. - Nav .... Karbasi Sh*t

            There are probably a lot of songs you know and like but didn’t know was by Collective Soul! “December” is one of their most popular songs and receives lots of play on the radio. But the name of the band always slips my head. That was the 2nd to last song they played last night. I really enjoyed that. I can’t say I know much about any of the 3 acts performing last night. I know Darious Rucker is the singer in Hootie and the Blowfish. Collective Soul I will say was not very similar to the headliner. But sometimes that’s even cooler when both the groups are different.

            Sorry I didn’t see Edwin when we was out there first. But he came back out twice. Once during Soul and once more during Hootie’s sets to perform with each other band. I know Collective Soul brought him out for their song “Shine” when they paid respect to Aerosmith. <3 I loved it when their singer took a 5 minute story time break in the middle of their set to give us some background on himself and the band’s past. He said clarinet is the gateway to rock and roll! He also talked about how he was first chair in middle school for clarinet. So, 3rd graders! Keep those recorders playing!

            Hootie came out and crushed it. No surprise there. They had keys and percussion. So I’m a happy man, just at that. When ya got 6 fellas all on stage rocking out, it just makes it more fun! I love seeing more people on stage together. It makes it more exciting in my opinion. Darious had a cool shirt on. It looked like it was a black Barbie shirt?!?! Or it coulda been a Rick James shirt!!! I’m not sure what exactly but the band was looking fresh last night in each one's clothing respectively.

            People might slight it when you play 8 or 9 covers in a 22 song set. But these were songs from legendary acts like; Led Zepplin, Stone Temple Pilots, R.E.M, Buffalo Springfield, & others. So, they covered a diverse groupe of artists pretty well from what I experienced. Obviously, the huge hit was when they covered the Old Crow Medicine Show song “Wagon Wheel” Which Darious Rucker has made even more famous with his cover of that song in his solo act. But they played for 105 minutes or an 1:45. So all check off’s for me. Ratings were high! Now I wasn’t blown away from the musicianship and playing and the songs. But I certainly wasn’t disappointed. I just didn’t really know many of the original songs being performed by Hootie last night.

            The show wasn’t the most exciting or entertaining. That always comes 2nd to behind the music. But it wasn’t boring. I wasn’t as entertained as previous shows, however, that’s all I’m saying. But overall enjoyment was up there. The forecast for the evening said it might be possible (60%) chance of storms in our area during the show. But the storm passed our area without raining. So it ended up being a beautiful evening. Like 73 or 72 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s like 22 degrees Celsius for the metric system. Something in the mid to low 70’s with mild humidity throughout the entire evening of the show. From when the gates opened till midnight when the last cars were leaving the parking lot. The weather was favorable. Even Darious said himself. What a beautiful evening to play outside. For August here it coulda been hotter or colder. We were blessed last night. I just didn’t like how the big fans were on under neath the pavilion. That’s where I was for the show. Them being on seemed unnecessary, but I guess its good to have airflow throughout. Just ask Parks!!

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  Now the silly stuff! I made great time there. No traffic on the road or anything associated with the show. I did, however, get stopped on my way there for the first time this season. As well as first time in a longggg time at the train crossing, right by the Sheetz. If you take that first right off PWP going east on the Hanson Farm Road it will take you to the train track crossing. However, if you take the second right onto Balls Ford Road which is a little longer route. There is a bridge that goes over the tracks! Alas the shortest route ended up being a little longer by 3 or 4 minutes. I was like the 5th or 6th car in line at the back up. By the time train had passed there was about 10 or 11 cars behind me!! I stopped counting how long the train was after like the 100th or so connected railcar. It was a very long train that was also moving very fast!! Choo Choo!

            So once on Wellinton Road I didn’t see many cars or cops out. As I was arriving just behind the trees I could see cars in Lot F. So I knew to take that first left, instead of going up and around which everyone else coming from our direction did! The parking people and efficiency here sometimes are so awful. Takes a local to know!!! So I saved on that, as well as not waiting in line to get into Lot F. I got one of my favorite spots! I parked along with others on Rollings Ford Road. There is a little opening that lets you on to the grass, some people also just bump up over the curb anyway. But that saved another couple minutes. Now it's far away to main gate from here. But you just have to make the long walk down Arto Street to the entrance anyway! But you get the first (& I mean first) chance to anyway to exit. You’re right next to Wellington Road its great!

            I so get out and start walking just before 7:30pm. Now it had been about 3 weeks since I last got high or was at Jiffy Lube. That last Sunday in July during the Limp Bizkit show was the last time I had eaten gummies or been at Jiffy Lube. More on the shows that I missed later! But the tolerance of the body is mostly biased off frequency of use. It was actually the least about of cannabis I had consumed in over 2 months for a show! If were talking Milligrams wise. I had 90 mg last night. For every show that I have eaten at since June 9th when I started eating whole bags (100 mgs) for John.  I have gone big! 100 mg or greater. So it was a slighter night in relativity towards my weed intake for a show last night.

 It had also been 20 days! Almost 3 full weeks I had gone without going to a show, or eating gummies or another thing I won’t mention now on here. 😉 But because it had been the longest time for me abstaining since February, I knew I didn’t need to eat as much to get supper baked. My tolerance was so low. I got so stoned man! It was great! You enjoy it more when you take a break. It’s like a treat! It hits different when used less! Man, it hit, I was fried you guys.

            Now I took 5 (10 mg) stativa gummies. Those are the ones that are considered more uppity vibes. Indica ones are the ones that are considered lower vibes. Then if a container doesn’t indicate which?!?! Its then a hybrid, think in the middle best of both worlds! Sometimes it will say hybrid on it, but I had 3 different kinds. Usually, I like to eat the same kind or at least the same brand. But in Richmond me and Travis did a little swap. I had two 5mg gummies from him. (hybrid) Then three (10 mg) snickerdoodle cookies (also hybrid), so that’s 40 total. Then the 50mg from the five sativa gummies. So it was a great mixture.

            I walk up the gate I see British Danny. It was opening weekend of English Premier Soccer! So I congratulate him on Liverpool’s opening match win! I give Danile a hug. Keeping it slight. She said it hadn’t been to busy but that “people weren’t listening”. It didn’t say on their pages to expect huge crowds like it already says for the Pitbull & Imagine Dragons shows this week. So smooth entrance. I see Judy she checks my clear bag. Gives me the go & I’m through the Lawnies Gate into the venue!

            I see Jacob at the tent to the left! Other Danny is in the cart right there as well. I ask to take a seat. We chat. Blah blah. I thank him again for the two upgrades he saved and blessed us the last time I was there! Jacob stays back and Danny takes me on a solo ride up to house left side. I feel kinda silly when it’s just me on the cart riding with him. But saves a 5 minute walk around the sides. I’ll take that all day! Thanks Danny. You just have to ask! People were yelling Sammy Hagar at me as we were driving by. Funny enough Sammy was just here last month! Excellent show! Maybe that guy yelling was talking about that. Danny drops me off. They still had some cooling stations up along the concours. Although it really wasn’t to hot out. I hydrate at the water fountain. I take a pee wash my hands and head over to the 100 sections.

            Since they gave me that e ticket upgrade a month ago. I have been using that same link and ticket for the last shows I have been to there. Its so easy. They check the section on the ticket and that’s it. Right along! I even have a hard paper ticket from this season for the 101 section as well. So I’m set man! #Options

            I say hi to JP, the manager in the black outfit with the long hair and beard. I go over to the edge of the 101 section. Find a spot along the back row and sit down and enjoy Collective Soul. Now at this point, I'm really not high yet. It’s been about 30 minutes. But I make sure to get my snapchat and Instagram stories posted and good before I get too high. Cause I know it's coming! I know that I’m not going to be able to work my phone by time Hootie comes on at 9! Hehe

            The crowd was alleged 13k from what I heard. Maybe 14K. It was a strong crowd. But not supper packed. There were some people around me in the section, but I had room to kick my feet up and relax. There was this huge dude. Like 6’6 300 lbs who was very muscular. Here was in the row in front of me, way to the left. He got up to leave the section. He was so big and I was so fuc*ed up on the treats. That when he was trying to get by the people in the row in front of me I stood up and leaned back as if to make more room for him to get by. Then I realized holy shi* hes not even in my row and I got up. That’s how big and how stoned I was haha.

After Collective Soul’s set. I really think I just sat there, closed my eyes and took a 20-minute nap before Hootie came on. Cause I was rethinking. I didn’t get up or leave to go to the bathroom or anything between the beginning of Collective Soul and the end of Hootie & the Blowfish’s sets. I just stayed where I was at. Being merry eating and drinking my provision. I’m surprised I didn’t need to pee again!!

Now house lights come on at 23:00 just after the band walks off the stage. They start clearing people out of the pavilion first, then the lawn. I find some Nachos in VIP still with guac! Some nice patron assisted me with getting the food! My arms where a little too short to reach them from behind the rail!

So while eating I make it over to the merch tent next to the VIP section entrance. Now this has to be the coolest merch item I have ever seen! It was a ridiculous price at 50$ though. Nonetheless it was so cool! A big like model Hess truck style. 18-wheeler Hootie and the Blowfish truck! The trucks outside design had the theme of the tour poster! Now I thought the name of the tour was “SummerCamp” but I guess it was “SummerCampWithTrucks” That’s what the poster says, and well I guess I saw the trucks! So it all makes sense! Haha. But insane price.

  So I walk around a little along the concourse. People are coming and going still slowly. Its about 11:30 which is usually when everyone has to exit the venue. Staff and all. I’m sitting at the bottom of the steps of the lawn house right side. There is a food truck closing up! JP who is the head of security sees me with his flashlight. He’s like dude you’re the last patron here it’s time to go. So I say okay. Like a gene on a magic carpet. Danny in the golfcart happens to pull right up. He takes me away to the front gate and all is good.

I walk back slowly to where my car is. The traffic getting out of the lots is of course horrible. I sit down where the bobcat workhouse is. They have everyone from Lot A going down Arto Street all the way towards lot F for the exit. With a merge. It was awful. There are two JLL staff there trying to direct traffic out. They just suck at their job honestly. They can see that it's not efficient. I suggest them to send one of the lanes left. Lot C had the side gate open. So I guess they woulda had to merge anyway you sent it. But seems foolish to me. They staff said that “Your not their manger” when I offered the advice. Alas they didn’t take it. So I cross the street eventually and make it to my car. Cops along Wellington are telling the cars to keep their speed and continuing moving as they exit. So strange it was really crowded. Then it slows down with no cars coming. Then 30 seconds later a whole bunch of more cars. Idk wait sold out Imagine Dragons Thursday. That’s going to be nuts. I have my one mortar tube loaded up to shoot off. But I’m to close to the cops and everyone is just about gone anyway. I leave the lot at midnight and get back to my parents house in about 30ish minutes. Delicious evening! Great to be back! Thanks :)