Friday Night Vibes

It's been a hot, sunny day in Bridgeport, and the music has been just as hot. Unfortunately we don't have broadcast licenses for Gregg Allman or the String Cheese Incident. Technical difficulties have prevented us from getting audio recordings from the Green Vibes stage, so we're calling it a night. Such is the reality of live radio. 

We'll be back with you in the morning with interviews prepared by our intrepid field crew, Janet & Zack. Good night, sleep tight, don't let the wookies bite. 

Friday Afternoon Vibes

Hot, sunny, and funky. Unfortunately, we won't be able to broadcast any of the main stage artists this afternoon or evening. (As always, it's subject to artist approval.) We will do our best to get some music from the Green Vibes stage on the air for you. There's been some great music over there. It's also a great location to listen to music—on the water, breezy, and not as crowded and dusty as the main concert field. 

Thanks for your understanding. We'll keep the groovy tunes rolling. 

- the Radio Vibes crew

Friday Morning Vibes

After raging the Late Night stage with Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, we settled in for a bit of sleep before coming into the office to do the radio thing again. It's going to be sunny and hot, but not muggy like yesterday.

We have some great music on tap for you again today from the Main Stage.

• 10:00 AM Radio Vibes Pre-Game Show
• 11:00 AM Twiddle
• 2:45 PM Pigeons Playing Ping Pong -  The 8 x 10 (7/31/2013)
• 4:45 PM TBA
• 6:45 PM TBA
• 9:00 PM TBA

(All broadcasts are subject to artist agreement. WPKN's regular programming schedule is on the stream at wpkn.org.)

Thursday night wrap-up

We are off to a good start, with an interesting mix of weather and music. We've had the hot and muggy, and we've had the drenching rain. With skies clearing out, it looks to be a pleasant night in Bridgeport by the Sea. We have one more set of music tonight from Dark Star Orchestra. Melvin Seals is tearing it up on the organ and the crowd is raging.

We'll be back with you Friday morning at 10 am.

Good night, rage tight, don't let the wookies bite.

During the Dark Star Orchestra set break ...

We'll have a live performance from Matt Reynolds in the WPKN studio. Matt is the tour manager for DSO, and recently released a CD of his music. We were thrilled to have him in the studio for this special performance, which includes Matt and a band made up of DSO crew members.

Thursday morning Vibes

We're back! It feels like we never left, except the trailer is newer and has nicer walls.

Here's the schedule (subject to change, as always)

10 am – The Morning Show with Dave, Bruce, and Gordon
1 pm – Vibes Quest - tag team radio with Terry Hopper and the remote crew

• 3 pm Hayley Jane & the Primates
• 4 pm Ryan Montbleau
• 5:15 pm Strangefolk
• 7:05 pm Max Creek
• 9 pm Dark Star Orchestra

Things are shaping up

The trailer is looking good. Dave Schwartz is concentrating on getting everything just exactly perfect.

In less than two days, we'll be rocking out to Gathering of the Vibes 20, and we can't wait for the broadcast to start on Thursday morning! Tune in to 89.5 FM WPKN in Bridgeport for another year of Radio Vibes. 

Updated Weather Forecast

This is all you need to know for Thursday. I'm calling it a 3 on the Gold Bond scale.

From our esteemed colleague Dr. StrangeHat:

High Level Summary

Only a few minor tweaks with this update.  Today, Wednesday and Thursday continue to look hazy, hot and humid.  The air quality will be terrible, so take it easy out there everyone on site already setting up.  I'm growing more confident in us getting a pretty heavy line of showers and t-storms rolling through on Thursday, but I'm not as confident in the timing.  It could be anywhere between 5pm and midnight.  I don't think these will be severe storms, just a good dumping if we catch the line just right.  Friday, Saturday and Sunday are still looking sunny, dry and hot, and the change of a shower or t-storm on Sunday has decreased a little.

Today

Hazy, hot and humid. Very slight chance of an isolated afternoon shower or t-storm. High around 90.

Tonight

Mostly Clear. Low in the lower 70's.

Wednesday

Hazy, hot and humid. Very slight chance of an isolated afternoon shower or t-storm.  High 90-95.

Wednesday Night

Partly cloudy and humid. Low 70-75.

Thursday

Hazy, hot and humid. Increasing cloudiness, which will keep temps down lower than they were the previous two days.  Change of a line of showers or t-storms rolling through increases towards the vening.  High 87-92.

Thursday Night

Continued humid and hot.  A line of heavy showers and/or t-storms will likely roll through during the evening or overnight associated with a "cold" front.  It's not going to be very cold behind this front, just a little drier. Low in the lower-to-mid 70's.

Friday

Starting off overcast, but then becoming mostly sunny, with decreasing humidity. High in the mid-to-upper 80's.

Friday Night

Mostly clear.  Low in the upper 60's.

Saturday

Sunny, with a high in the mid-to-upper 80's.

Saturday Night

Mostly clear, but the humidity will start making a comeback overnight  Low around 70.

Sunday

Humidity increasing but overall mostly sunny, with a high in the mid-to-upper 80's.  Chance of a shower or thunderstorm. 

It begins …

The first load of gear is in the trailer. 

This is actually the bulk of what we're bringing. Over the next couple of days, this 8 x 10 trailer office will be converted to a radio studio. 

The Punch List—6 Days Out

The almighty weekend is almost here, and you gotta gotta gotta do your shopping! No perishables yet, unless you plan to pre-cook and freeze some things. You should have a shopping list by today. Refer back to Eddie Z's meal plan strategy series from a few weeks back to get some ideas.

Is your vehicle due for an oil change? Git 'r done!

You should be picking out clothes. Remember, if you don't bring rain gear, it will rain. 

More Weather: The Dr. Strangehat Forecast

Our other cracked meteorologist, Dr. Strangehat, has analyzed the models and come up with his first forecast. It's different from Occifer Boland's most recent forecast. We report; you decide. We'll keep you updated on what the Dr. and the Occifer say.

Thursday
Hazy, hot and humid.  High 90-95, maybe even hotter.

Thursday Night
Continued humid and hot, with an isolated t-storm possible.  Low in the mid 70's.

Friday
A line of showers and/or t-storms might roll through during the day associated with a cold front.  Starting off sunny and becoming mostly cloudy and continued humid.  High in the mid-to-upper 80's.

Friday Night
The cold front may stall along the coast Friday night into Saturday, leading to a continued chance of shower and/or t-storms.  Low in mid 60's.

Saturday
If the front stalls along the coast, then we're in for a bit of a raw day, with on and off showers and continued humidity.  If the cold front stalls a little further off the coast, then we'll be in for a mostly overcast day with a high in the upper 70's to low 80's, with gradual clearing as the evening progresses.  If it kicks off the coast, then sun will build in and we're in for a glorious day, with a high in the low 80's.

Saturday Night
Potentially starting to clear out, depending on the location of the front.  Low in the lower-to-mid 60's.

Sunday
This might be the pick of the weekend.  It's looking sunny with a high in the mid 80's, though clouds could build back in towards evening.

The takeaway: If you don't pack rain gear, it will rain. It's science.

Occifer Boland Weather Report Suite

With just under a week to go; things are looking pretty darn good. Looking like some high pressure may push down from Canada and try to suppress most of any precip chances to the south. This is as per the latest guidance of the GFS weather model (a computer generated forecasting system that most meteorologists rely on within a few days.) Currently, it shows Thursday to be the warmest day ... Upper 80's with humidity pushing out by nighttime. That could bring along a spot shower. Then Friday and Saturday seem delicious. Low to mid 80's. Again a stray shower may be possible at some point on Friday. I don't see any prolonged rain events. Nighttime temps in mid 60's to around 70. Yes, it will change a bit between now and Thursday. But I am liking the trend i am seeing with some other forecast data. That being said, have your duct tape ready. 

Remember to keep those car radios tuned to Radio Vibes on WPKN 89.5 all weekend for up-to-the-minute weather information. 

The Punch List—7 days out

So, you have non-perishables, the water bottles are in the freezer, and you requested refills of your meds. You probably even have a shopping list. So what are you missing? PROPANE!

And yes, you have to connect a tank to your stove and check for leaks, and make sure it works. Don't be that wook who has to cook on his neighbor's stove all weekend. 

SAFETY FIRST: It's not just propane. If you're bringing a grill, you also must bring a fire extinguisher valid for 2015 and with the needle in the green. Cooking with fire is serious business. 

The Punch List—8 days out

Remember that water you bought? It's time to freeze a bunch of it. Freeze enough so you have enough for a double layer on the bottom of each cooler. That's what you're going to put in the bottom of your cooler. That layer of ice is what's going to keep your stuff cold all weekend. All the rest of your beverages should now be in the refrigerator so you can pack them cold. Speaking of beverages, did you get some sports drinks like Gatorade? That will save your ass on a hot summer day, and will quickly revive any one around your camp site who's getting wobbly from the heat. Stock up!

That's all the packing for today. Now what about your prescription medications? Do you need a refill? Tomorrow we'll talk about OTC remedies and other preparations. Until then, happy trails!

The Punch List—9 days away

We're nine days away, and preparations are underway for many Vibe Tribers. There may be many more who are not prepared, and if you fall into this category, keep reading.

By today, you should have:

• Verified that you have tickets and know where they are
• Taken out your camping gear checked to see what (if anything) needs repair. This gives you through the weekend to repair or purchase items. For example, if you have a leaking air mattress or need to seal your tent seams, this is the time to take note and get supplies. 
  
• Checked your vehicle to make sure it is safe and legal. This includes wipers, lights, tire pressure, and fluids. You should also have an emergency kit and your license, registration & insurance current. Breaking down and/or getting pulled over on your way to a festival is not recommended. 
• Made a shopping list and started your non-perishable shopping (water, soda, beer, batteries, paper products, and utensils). Pro tip: chill those liquids in the refrigerator now; warm beverages will melt your ice that much faster. 
• Made 20 gallons of rum punch. (OK, this probably only applies to Camp Velcro, but if it's your tradition too, get to work.)

We'll check back on your progress tomorrow, and have another list for you. In the meantime ... GET PACKING—IT'S VIBES TIME!!!

Vibes Weather

Just then the wind came squalling through the door
But who can the weather command?
- Grateful Dead

Predicting the weather is never easy, but we try. One Vibes tradition is Occifer Boland's forecasts, which start about a week before the festival. It's too far out to forecast with any reliability, but the Occifer says "So far, so good on the long range of GFS and Euro weather models."

Gathering of the Vibes has seen its share of dramatic weather over the years. Here are some highlights.

July 1, 2001
Red Hook, NY
The storms from Red Hook are legendary, but we can't locate records for that specific location.
Precip: 1.19 inch (recorded in Albany)

August 20, 2006
Mariaville, NY
This is the year of Random with "ThunderBob Weir." Again, we can't locate records for that specific location.
Precip: 1.17 inch (recorded in Albany)

August 10, 2007
Bridgeport
It was chilly and raining sideways on the first Friday morning back in Bridgeport.
Low: 55.9°
Precip: 0.41 inch

July 23rd, 2009
Bridgeport
Tropical storm conditions prevailed on Thursday night. The main PA speakers cut out several times during DSO's set. Moe.'s set  on the 24th was cut short due to lightning, as was CSN's set on the 26th. The Machine's late night set on the 24th was cancelled.
Precip: 1.47 inch

July 22nd, 2011
Bridgeport
Schweddy Vibes
As unpleasant as this heat wave was, Gathering of the Vibes had truckloads of ice and everybody stayed hydrated and as cool as possible.
High: 102.9° (official record—some accounts have readings near 105°)

Vibes does everything they can to keep you safe. Weather emergency announcements are made from the stage, over Radio Vibes on WPKN 89.5, and on the official GOTV mobile apps.

There is no bad weather, only bad clothing.
- Wavy Gravy

No matter what you do, take care of your shoes.
- Phish

Here's a happy festival season song from Keller Williams

More things to bring to Vibes

Clorox/Lysol Disinfecting Wipes
Cookware Cooler – 5-day coolers ROCK!
Common Sense And Respect
Contact/Eye-Wear Necessities
Hammer (Rubber) For Stakes
Hat For Shade
Mud Boots
Peace
Pillow
Portable FM Radio (tuned to Radio Vibes on WPKN 89.5 FM)

You can see the full list on the Vibes message board. When in doubt, consult the official Vibes FAQ.