Posted on Sep 12 2015 06:46 PM
Jet_Sterling wrote:
The weather forecast was clear - as it had been all week.... I noticed that the once-bright sky had grown darker. The forecast on my cell phone now showed a 15% chance of showers, nothing to worry much about...so to the venue I returned.
Then...the leviathan rose. Conjuring visions of the "Sonic Cataclysm" album cover, the once-clear radar picture was now yellow, orange and red. The skies opened and we raced to get the sound equipment, speakers and lighting inside. Vivid flashbacks of Surf Ohio FesTiki came flooding back as we raced frantically to save the electronics...while Champaign- and Urbana-ites battened down the hatches in their homes and clung to their children.
An excellent report of the events from eight days ago. (Sorry I'm only now getting to leaving some of my own comments, but the past week was a pretty overwhelming one!) That really was some unbelievable weather! Wow! Driving down from Michigan a few hours earlier, as I got south of Fort Wayne and started entering the storm, it really felt like I was entering Mordor - dark and pretty damn scary! The wind was like a hurricane, and most cars pulled over to the side of the road, but I looked at the weather map and saw that I just needed to get 20 miles south to get out of the way of the storm, which I did. But those 20 miles were... let's say exciting. 
I took solace in the fact that there were no storms showing up around Champaign, but by the time we all arrived to Champaign, that changed. The forecast was WAY OFF! Couldn't have been more off! Watching the horrific storm from the venue, it was pretty astounding. I swear I thought I saw some funnel clouds with evil eyes on them!
The number of times that the Madeira shows have been accompanied by cataclysmic weather is just mindblowing. It really defies the odds, and with each new occasion it becomes harder and harder to just dismiss it as yet another coincidence. I really don't know what the hell is up with that. I think if we had had cooperative weather in the past 11 years, we'd probably have gone top 40 by now!!! It has severely impacted the number of people coming to the shows on far too many on occasion....
The bands moved inside to a dry, but less grandiose stage (accessed by climbing a rather infamous flight of stairs).
Ah, yes, the stairs.... I don't think I've ever run out of steam carrying gear up the stairs before, but it happened twice at this show. I got about 2/3 of the way up, carrying a 2x15 cab - and had to stop, just couldn't make another move. However, there was nowhere really to put the cab, either! Thank goodness my bandmates were around and rushed to my aid, cause I wasn't really eager to find out how well those Gomez cabs are built and if they could have survived a 50-step drop!
Still, we had a really great time playing, and in fact premiering some of those songs! I think both Here Be Dragons and Into the Deep (possibly also Dawn in Cadiz) got their live world premieres at that show! So, it was a bit special. And it definitely helped to play through the whole album there also before the Indy CD release show the next night. Some of those songs are pretty tricky to pull off live! We also really appreciate the great Champaign audience, which we can always count on for a raucous reception - and it didn't disappoint this time! Champaign it really one of our favorite places to play, and I suspect much of that is due to the fantastic work of the Surfabilly Freakout crew. You guys rule! Thank you!
We have had some fantastic shows over the years in the outdoor beer garden...and I think Ivan, Brian and others would agree, it has been worth the risk.
Absolutely, Jet!
We had rolled the dice with the weather and won 4 times straight. Unfortunately, we couldn't pull off the outside show for number 5. Luckily, we had a back-up stage and some brave souls who were not deterred by the weather that got to hear two fantastic bands. Thanks to all who made it out!
Yes, indeed, thank you very much! And especially big thanks to Brian for driving all the way from Iowa (!!) and Jet and the Surfabilly Freakout crew for all the work to set up Korn Tiki and all the decorations in that heat - that must have been a crapload of work! So sorry that it didn't pan out, but here's hoping that at least Korn Tiki escaped mostly unscathed. You guys always treat us so great, and we're very grateful. It's wonderful to see you all each and every time (and please extend my apologies to Keith for knocking the beer out of his hand when I kicked the beach ball from the stage!).
We all stuck around until close to Midnight, and got to catch a bit of GO! Tsunami, who sounded big and powerful and fun! I wish we could have stayed longer, but as it was, Dane and I arrived to his house north of Indy just after 3 am and didn't get to bed until 3:30 am, pretty damn exhausted. (Losing an hour driving back from Champaign is the biggest bummer about playing there!)
A huge highlight of the whole evening for me: FINALLY getting to try the Trooper beer, which was absolutely GREAT! THANK YOU, Brian!!! English Brown Ale is my favorite kind of beer, and this one was probably one of the best I had ever tried. Yet again Maiden just GETS me. I'm now on the hunt to find some near me. It looks like there might be some in Ann Arbor, possibly even Jackson.... (The day was also helped by being able to listen to Maiden's "The Book of Souls" once all the way through on the way down to Indy, and then one more time with Dane from Indy to Champaign and back!)
Looking forward to the next time in Champaign, Jet! The odds will be in our favor after all this! (Famous final words...) 
—
Ivan
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Last edited: Sep 12, 2015 18:50:11
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