My First Culture Shock

Every year, SUNY Purchase (my former college) holds a mid- April Festival known as Culture Shock (or Vulture Cocks for insiders.) The outdoor festival has a carnival atmosphere carnival rides and food vendors, is made up of indie musical artists from a variety of genres. Culture Shock began in the 1990's as a Purchase Band showcase, but has evolved into a cult love affair for those with music taste on the boarders.

I went to the school for four years and never attended the shock, don’t really know why but it never appealed to me. So today, two years after graduating I decided to attend my first Culture shock and I’m glad I did. I always loved the uniqueness of Purchase (a place that to an outsider might look like a safe haven for freaks) and it was good to go back home to the place where it wasn’t uncommon to see a robot or a guy in a dress walking around with LARPERS, in front of art displays I still can’t understand.

In honor of the retuning to College for a music festival, it seemed only fitting that I add some blue streaks to my hair and way too much eye shadow to my face.

Now I know that it has been two years since I was a student but I still carry around my student ID in my wallet, which is something I have been mocked for, but today it actually paid off. Students rode the rides for free, without an ID it cost $10 which I would not pay for three rides. Not only did I use my ID but my friend Lauren managed to say that she lost hers and both of us got the free wrist band.

Ferris wheel

Me on the Slide

Lauren on the slide

Melvin the jump house

We were going to enjoy Melvin but it appeared he had eaten the man who went on before us and I never want my obituary to read “eaten to death by a giant green frog snake thing”

Lion of Ido (a band recommended by Ryan Star) was playing and were actually the driving force behind my decision to go today. I have been trying to see their shows in the city since downloading their EP but for one reason or another have never seen them live before.

Having finally seen them I recommend that you do the same. In the mean time, if you’d like to download their free EP go to http://LionofIdo.com.

There was one of those only at Purchase moments when the band had to stop mid-show because Campus police was about to tow their car away.

So that’s how I spend my afternoon, not bad for a day I planned to go to Costco. How’s everyone else’s Saturday going?