WOGstock
On the Road with WOG and John Prine

Home
Up
Gallery
WOGstock
What Was
Tee-shirts
Plans
the Song
Stories

 

WOGSTOCK HAPPENED.....
-Jerry Briggs(WOG)--Aug 17, 1997

  Beginning late Thursday night, August 14, it was clear that the event planned by the Internet group known as the John Prine Chat Room, was actually going to happen.

  Nutt and Briny, driving all the way from South Georgia and Alabama, were the first to arrive, dragging in late in the evening. Watching old Prine videos and talking, we stayed up until 3:30 Friday morning, leaving a while to sleep before waking to meet Jimmy's plane from California at 6:00AM.

  The day progressed and as evening neared, more and more persons came rolling in. Redbeard from Vandalia, Ohio. Ricky with him, from the Washington, DC area. Space Monkey and his crew of five, with guitars and grins and lots of original music, and lots of original East Tennessee music.

  PMS*red and her two kids and hubby finally rolled in from Davenport, Iowa, and soon Kathy47 and her hubby Tom arrived after driving down from Northern Wisconsin. Bear, renting a car at the airport, arrived last, coming in from San Francisco to join surprise guests Rick and Jane from Illinois, as well as JaniceKC from Kansas City, Missouri.

  Out of Tennessee was Pougles, driving up early on Friday and surprising everyone. My son Jeff and daughter Holly also visited the house, and Rainbow from southern Indiana dropped by. About 45 people were in attendance, and most purchased Wogstock shirts commemorating the occasion.

  Of possible surprise to some was the instant friendship found among this group connected only by a love of John's music: it was as if all of us had known each other forever. We ranged in age from 11 to mid-fifties, and when Brian Frain arrived on Saturday with his 19 friends, the group was complete and ready for showtime.

  An opening concert that I thoroughly enjoyed from Los Lobos preceded the main event, John Prine. Members of our group were constantly approached by strangers, either wishing to purchase one of our beautiful shirts or quizzing us on our chat site. Everyone was friendly, and it became obvious soon that the chatters present are usually being "monitored" (lurked) by many, many more persons than we'd ever suspect. Folks seemed to already know who we were.

  John's show was excellent, and was rated high by each of the chatters attending. Many said it was the best ever seen by them. Of some disappointment was the unavoidable cancellation of backstage meetings with John, due to a threatening rain and lightning storm.

Sitting around my house a few hours after the show, the tiredness prevailing among the attendees was obvious. A couple days with a couple hours' sleep each day was catching up, and there was little in the way of a party as each person gradually fell asleep. The floors were covered with bodies, some slept in soaked tents, and it was late the next morning before most were able to open their eyes.

Parting was gradual, as each party packed, then hugged all remaining guests. It was mostly bittersweet, as the time had been wonderful, but the chances of future meetings of these new pals remained unknown. New acquaintances now seemed like old friends. The chat page will now take on even more intimate communication, as the mystery of who-is-who and what-does-so-and-so look like became a realization. Most of us will remember this gathering for a long time, and I believe that for most it will be a happy memory.

  Of special note is a tape sent, via Space Monkey, from Rick Vanover. Rick, a songwriter for many years, decided to write a song for Wogstock, and did just that, singing in an uncanny, almost eerie imitation of John's style. Rick may be proud that his work was heard and appreciated by so many during this August gathering

1


Join the Official John Prine/Oh Boy Records Mailing List!
John Prine dot Net Welcome to the John Prine Shrine - The online John Prine Fan Club - jpshrine.orgOh Boy Records - Company of John Prine

©1996-2016 John Prine Shrine