MusikFest 2021 -- or, You Can't Go Back

This has been quite a summer. Much of the world accepted 2020 would be the summer of cancelled activities, that once enough people were vaccinated we could return to Living La Vida 2019. Well, it hasn't turned out that way. Instead in June we were told fully vaccinated people no longer needed to wear a mask, and we'd use the honor system that the others will continue to wear a mask. It should have surprised no one that those not honorable enough to get vaccinated for the good of the entire world would be honorable enough to wear a mask without complaining. (In my experience, those not vaccinated for health reasons continue to wear a mask.)

One event we have enjoyed in past years is Musikfest -- a mostly outdoor music festival in Bethlehem, PA. When we learned they were happening live again this year (instead of virtually), we quickly looked at the schedule to see when the Red Elvises would be performing and were disappointed to see they would be on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights at 9 pm -- not an ideal timeslot for people who work. We figured they were so popular that this would help keep their fans down.

As the event drew closer, Don and I decided to go. It is a 75-minute drive. If need be, we'd go into work late the next day.

Half-way to Bethlehem, PA the skies opened up, making it my turn to drive in a pop-up thunderstorm, and creating my first convertible "emergency" (need to put the top up). It seems we are getting a lot of these this year in New Jersey, more than usual. This revelation coincides with the Climate Change Report that came out this week.

The rain stopped long before we parked. Seemed everyone I saw had their eyes on their weather app as more storms were in the forecast. Would they hold off until after we got to our car following a 9 pm concert? Short answer, no. It started to rain a few minutes after the show started. Longer answer, it was only a drizzle, which felt good after a really hot day.

We had dinner in Bethlehem at Fegley's on Main Street, then wandered up and down Main Street, and the rest of the Musikfest area. Finally it was time for the much anticipated show!

The show started off strong with "Lovepipe," followed by "KGB," a song on their latest album that sounded a lot like something on one of their earlier albums. 

Bopping to music we've enjoyed since the late 1990s when we first heard them perform as Limpopo (famous for the "Give me a break" commercial). We were fans of the band before we started blogging, therefore there are no links to past posts, only memories.

Memories of seeing them at Musikfest, and, as Cousin Laura reminded us, once in Columbus. We were really excited to be able to hear them again. I remember meeting up with the Style Family when Ashley and Sophie were toddling more than dancing. That may have been the last time we heard them live.

The group we saw in 2021 wasn't really them. In 2009 Igor and Oleg had a split. The band we heard was Igor and the Red Elvises. I've heard Oleg sometimes joins them at venues, so maybe the split was amical? When a group with 12 CDs starts playing Beatle cover music three songs into their set because "it is easier than writing our own music," and continues to play other people's music, this non-musician came to the conclusion Igor does not own the Red Elvis music.

As it continued to rain, and we had a mile walk to our car, we left much earlier than planned.

We left feeling sometimes you can't go back.