you know how we do

Marlon Spike's Seventh Annual Sugar Plum Fest was held....exactly a week ago. Damn this week went by quickly!

Fuck You Johnny Appleseeds

The Sugar Plum Fest is an annual gathering (my first) of good music, good people, and good cheer. It’s a Marlon Spike & Friends tradition and performances are interspersed with socializing. Or just another way for the posse to hang out and drink, but in a nicer setting. It’s only like 15 of us, and MS played (without drums….why was Sark not there…?) and recorded at this private festive event.

So they played and Oliver had three drinks in hand, mine was empty. I discovered a new drink with the available ingredients—lemonade. But instead of water, use vodka, add that sugar lemon powder, and some sprite (SOME! Not a lot in usual Miranda fashion). Oh yeah. Best drink of the night. Chris claims the best drink (aside from the Johnny Appleseeds…) was the Private Stock Captain on the rocks. From behind the piano, he exclaims that it tastes like candy. I beg to differ and I think that ended up on the recording, I hope not. Took a break and drank. So we’re around the table and Oliver finds the marmalade. This was seriously the best minute of the party—it looked like it was from a scene from a movie. I think Chris captured it on his camera, so hopefully he’ll circulate it. So yeah, shot of marmalade, then since that was gross I think he grabbed some meat, then that was even grosser so he needed a drink and the closest thing was the Jager, and well, that was just plain nasty and he found an apple and finished it off with a bite. For some reason I thought there were more ingredients involved, but I dunno, I was pretty lit. Elise and Oliver also challenge each other in pants rolling - Tanya got a picture of the momentous occasion.

Nick Shopa sang a few tunes, and played the acoustic, which rocked - he has an awesome voice.

The unOmnisoul crew comes. Jamie and Derek were going to play with MS, but Derek was pretty damn sick, so Jamie comes and busts a move behind the keys. Greatness. He is so damn talented. Then Marlon Spike comes on again and I leave to go into the kitchen and talk to Lex. Break time and we all hang out in the kitchen. Dan wandered back into the performance room and the sounds of Brand New permeated through the air. Dan is singing my favorite Brand New song so I jump into the room. McDermott ends up next to me adn I find myself oddly fascinated with what I think was a cat toy. I have no idea, I have problems. But yeah, Jamie and Dan performing Brand New was great.

So Johnny Appleseeds. It is a Marlon Spike original game that encompasses beverages and an apple. The apple is cored with a bottom so that it is a shot glass. The game is that everyone is around the table, you put whatever you want in the apple for the next person to take it. The shot can be challenged and you would have to drink the shot if it is challenged, so the shots aren't totally heinous—but still pretty daring. Luckily I am in between Lex and Elise so we try to be gentle to each other. There were even sausage chasers. Tanya said she has the best picture of me and my expression of my awful fruit filling. I don’t even want to write what I had to drink because I think I may get sick. But I will add that is never fun and games when Jager, and already chewed orange chaser, and horseradish gets busted out. I think the car ride was awful to all of us. Fuck You Johnny Appleseed.

But all in all it was a festive evening full of good times. I think Chris said it was a "perfect party". Hopefully the recording came out well...