Routes Music is a documentary film acting as a roving music census, taking in the true musical passions (and disgusts) of the American people. We’re traveling all across the country, stopping along the way to interview local bands, take footage of live performances and chat with anyone and everyone. Learn more about the documentary here; check out all previous entries here.
“Where eeez yer pipe?”
A 6’4 security guard towered over me, glaring.
“Where eeez yer pipe?” he repeated in a thick Islands accent.
“What?” I replied, not sure he really just asked me what I think he just asked me.
“Where eeez yer pipe?” he asked again.
“My what?” I said again, still shocked.
“Yer pipe. Yer pipe.”
Now he was aggravated. I'm enjoying feigning ignorance.
“I don’t know what you’re saying, man.”
The guard switches tact.
“Drugs?”
I smile.
“No, drugs.”
“OK, go ahead.”
So began my first extended-day music festival and only the second time I’ve seen the seminal jam band, Phish. Luckily, the rest of the three-day festival at the Empire Polo Grounds in Indio, California went smoother than my entry.
This article appears in Nov 4-10, 2009.