One of the high points of my life was performing "Uncle John's Band" at the Rainbow Gathering in Idaho. I met a young man and showed him the Chords and Lyrics that I had written down in my spiral notebook... After we played that song, he said: I don't want to learn any more songs, let's just play this one again...

We were sitting in the shade at the "Relaxation Station"... the very first place everyone walked past after leaving the parking lot... A lady was doing Tarot Card readings and we were passing around a bottle of TEA with some kind of stimulant in it... Someone told me it was ephedrine...  it did make me feel alert and optimistic... Since there was a constant flow of people walking by, it made perfect sense to Play the Same Song Again and Again and Again... Give the people what they want... 

There was a big meadow surrounded by forest and most people were camping under the trees. THEN... all of a sudden... the people out in the meadow were pointing up at the sky... dozens of people were talking excitedly and pointing at SOMETHING... So I stood up and walked out to the middle of the meadow and saw... a giant "Sun Dog" rainbow covering half of the sky. Ice Crystals at a Very High Elevation refracted the sunlight to make an astonishing display of colors... That's why everyone was cheering! This Gathering was near the Sawtooth Mountains... a truly miraculous place to camp...

On another day I played the Song "Aiko-Aiko" many times and walked all the way around 5,000 people waiting for dinner. They were sitting in a series of big circles... The Rainbow Gathering serves a big free meal every day in the afternoon. Everyone meets at Main Meadow and relaxes while the Servers dish up the food... Usually a Vegetable Rice meal... In theory, all a person needs to bring to the Gathering is a CUP... because many people put a lot of effort into buying and cooking and there are usually a dozen kitchens set up all over... The concept is that IF EVERYONE BRINGS FOOD AND SHARES, WE WILL ALL HAVE ENOUGH. I brought a couple of cans of Bugler roll your own tobacco and donated it to the "Nick at Night" tribe. They roll up cigarettes and distribute them freely to the group... You certainly wouldn't want to run out of smokes at the Gathering and suffer withdrawal symptoms... It's more fun to simply BLISS OUT and enjoy the bounty...  

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For the Complete Story... 
I went to the gathering with a goal in mind. I wanted to play my guitar and sing in public. Yes, mission accomplished. Living in Chico, California and working at the plastics factory when there was a layoff, my wife suggested that I borrow the car and drive over to the gathering. My friend Mike Jensen wanted to go and so we checked the oil, brake fluid, transmission fluid and water and set out on a classic American road trip. We made it as far as Reno the first day and slept by the side of the road. Read More:
http://gvan42.blogspot.com/2017/06/rainbow-gathering-idaho-2001.html

The Best Part of the song "Iko Iko" is that it's Possible to Play it using TWO Chords! For Example "A" and "E" and You Can Make Up Lyrics If You forget Where You Are and What You Are Doing! I remember Playing this at Main Circle, Rainbow Gathering in Idaho.

and then Later, a young man and I Played Uncle John's Band at the Relaxation Station... That's The Very First Place a Camper would encounter on the way into the Rainbow Gathering... "Welcome Home!" We Played it about 6 times... because the Young Man said "I Don't Want to Learn anymore new songs" and since there was a Constant flow of People walking by... No One Knew That we were Playing the same song... except for the Tarot Card Reading Lady and other Pranksters That were Hanging OUT... One Guy had a Piece of FOAM that Looked Like a Concrete Block... He would ask a person to help him Carry the Block Because it was very heavy... and then ACCIDENTALLY DROP THE PIECE OF FOAM on the Visitor's FOOT... and then everyone would laugh because it was NOT Dangerous... It Was a Prank! The Realization That They Were Not Going To Be Hurt... and The relief... Caused Laughter...

A Journey to the Rainbow Gathering in California 2004. Photographs and My Story... and Memories of The Gatherings in Idaho, Utah and Pennsylvania...

What IS the Rainbow Gathering? To me, it is Woodstock with amateur musicians and I’m in the band… READ MORE:

https://gvan42.blogspot.com/2019/10/my-journey-to-rainbow-gathering-in.html