Prologue by Ross Bogan 

As a musician, I strive to never take for granted the preparation it takes to put on a music festival. As (just a bit) of an over-thinker, to me there is a lifetime leading up to that one big peak of a guitar solo that sends the crowd soaring. Countless phone calls, emails, flat tires, rehearsals, setting up, tearing down, swinging from scaffolding, band arguments, band makeups, life decisions, I could go deeper but you get the idea. Then there are the FANS, what keep this whole ship sailing. People working their butts off all week ready to let their hair down and get their face melted. They’ve bought the flights, driven countless miles, picked out their favorite shirts, got their shifts covered, the list goes on… just to get there too. But, among all of these little cogs and wheels in motion there is one thing that can easily slip through the cracks and stick a wrench in this big ol’ live music machine. And that little thing is Mother Nature.

 

No amount of optimism, denial, preparation, or “it’ll blow over” can change bad weather. It is 1000% out of our control. Just when you start to start to turn that brain off and get lost in the moment a little drop hits your shoulder and all of a sudden you’ve got another hot potato of logistics being tossed your way. But what does that always eventually force you to do? Let… Go… 

 

Weather is a reminder that we can prepare all we want for something but that there are forces bigger than us at play when it comes to this live music ritual. To me it’s a catalyst to that certain spontaneous authenticity we are all chasing. When we become vessels on and off the stage for the magic at hand. Suddenly we’re all in this together, against all odds, the show doesn’t have to go on, but damn if we won’t try. We’ll scoot in a little closer, get a little muddy, and take a little risk because even if it’s just a group of dudes in cargo shorts on stage, this is important to us. 

 

All of the songs on this live album are from shows that, in one way or another, were affected by rain. We just set out to pick our favorite performances and didn’t realize that until after the fact. So next time you see an ominous cloud coming or start to feel a little drizzle, maybe just prepare for a great show. We hope you enjoy Doom Flamingo: In The Rain.