Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2005 20:43:16 GMT -5
I've never been to any of the Vigils. I am certain you, who have gone, have some interesting stories to share with us less fortunate.  Do tell! |
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Post by Gabbee on Apr 3, 2005 4:16:56 GMT -5
Awww ok
I will write a lil rwview tomorrow ok? Hehehe its past 3am hee and Im fucking beat but tomorrow for sure!
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zozoe
Porcupine
there ain't no tellin' about blind melon
Posts: 383
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Post by zozoe on Apr 3, 2005 13:08:29 GMT -5
this is a good thread- i'd love to hear about past vigils since i've never been. gives us a taste of what we can expect. z :peace:e |
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Nata
Porcupine
It's alright to smile back at me!
Posts: 207
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Post by Nata on Apr 4, 2005 0:55:34 GMT -5
Ok Guys, here is my vigil (2003) experience, I know it’s long… I guess I just got a bit excited! LOL  Plus, this is my first time writing about my vigil experience. I just never did it before cause Lillie did such a great job writing about it back in 2003, I didn't think it was necessary...
Anyway, here it is... bear with me!
Like most people, I have always loved no rain... but it was only in 2000 that I was introduced to their other songs. I fell in love with their music very quickly and wanted to know everything about the band, so I started visiting Blind Melon message boards and joining small communities online. Small, yet special groups of people who felt exactly the same way I did. That's when I found out about Shannon’s annual vigil. It became my "mission" to go and pay my respects to this man who had brightened my life with his musical gift and way of life.
I was only 15 at the time, I had no money and no one to go with, plus my mom wasn't very happy with the idea of me going to a cemetery all the way in Indiana all by myself to meet up with strangers... so I knew it would take a while for my dream to come true. Every year, September 26 would come and I would be sitting in my room all by myself listening to melon. Then in 2002 I started chatting with some melons online (dead girl and a few others) and she introduced me to the melon patch on blindmelon.com . I had been to that site before but I didn’t know the guestbook was active and being used as a message board. I felt like the bee girl opening the gates to a new world and finding her little friends… LOL I started chatting and making plans with a lot of people like Gabbee, Kiwi, Emma, Nooh, etc… Then I heard about this melon from Serbia called Lillie who had been trying to go to the vigil for years but couldn’t get a visa, so she decided to spend a few months in Canada with some distant relatives while she tried to get her American visa.
We started talking and making plans and we decided to meet up. She finally came to Canada in the summer of 2003 and we clicked right away. We also got to meet a few other melons like Murph and Lisa who came all the way from West Virginia just to meet us. We spent a lot of time together and became great friends. I was just as enthusiastic about her making it to the vigil as her… It was very important that I had her by my side in Indiana. The vigil was getting closer and closer and we still didn’t know whether she would be able to make it or not… then finally, only 2 days before our vigil trip, she got her visa!! OMG! It was finally happening! 
We drove to Indiana with Murph and his band… we rented a van so we could all go together and take their instruments because they were playing at vigilstock. We left Canada on Thursday night and arrived in Indiana Friday morning. We could hardly believe we were there… in Shannon’s town! Wow! We went to the “budget inn” while Murph and his gang headed to Shannon’s. We met up with Lisa who was waiting for us at the hotel room, it was great to see her again. I desperately wanted to visit Shannon but they were both very tired so we decided to get some rest. We woke up at noon, got dressed and headed to the cemetery while listening to an old interview of Shannon on Lisa’s cd player. It was a very cloudy afternoon… we got to the cemetery and I started getting chills and began to cry. I saw a few melons sitting around his grave and wasn’t sure if I should approach them like that.. I was just crying so much, it was embarrassing. I recognized a few of them from pictures I had seen on the internet, and introduced myself to them. Soon it began to rain and everyone ran back to their cars. I looked at the grave and noticed there was no one around, so I told Lillie and Lisa I was getting out of the car because it was my only chance to have some alone time by the grave. It was a very special moment for me… I couldn’t believe I was finally standing by Shannon’s after all these years. I know this is going to sound a bit cliché but there was something different in the air. The atmosphere in that place is indescribable.
The rain stopped and more and more melons arrived, including Shannon’s mom!  She brought a canopy in her van and asked us to help her set it up around Shannon’s grave. She recognized Lillie and I and gave us a hug. Soon it began to rain again and about 20 of us stayed under the canopy. It was so cool cause we were all united around Shannon… someone even said “No Rain, eh? He must be kidding with us!” LOL We went back to the hotel because we were supposed to meet a couple whom we’d be sharing our room with.. Steve and Laurel, really great people. Soon we got a phone call from Gabbee (yes gabbeeeee!  and we all talked to her… she was chatting with other melons online and we all yelled a big “hello” on the phone so she could play it to them over the microphone LOL.
Later we went back to the grave at night and stayed there until 4 am or so. It was very cold at night, so we “borrowed” some blankets from the hotel and took them to the cemetery. Later on Jena Kraus arrived and we couldn’t believe it was really her. It was her first time visiting Shannon too. She only stayed with us for about half an hour, took a few pictures of us, told us a few stories and left. She promised she’d be back the next day. It was very cold and very late… Lillie and I wanted to stay there over night, but Lisa and the others wanted to go back to the hotel to sleep and we’d have no ride, so we went back with them.
We woke up the next day, got ready real quick and headed to the vigil. This was Saturday, the main vigil day. The sky was nice and blue with a few fluffy clouds. It was such a beautiful day, nice and warm too. More and more people started showing up, some of them sat around Shannon’s, some sat in little circles while singing and playing melon tunes. It was such a beautiful sight… exactly how I had imagined. Soon I began to recognize some faces and finally met some of the people I had been talking to online for over a year. Later we got a phone call from Kiwi, I was so excited to talk to her! Then Vernie showed up.. aww such a sweet lady! She told us stories about Shannon, took pictures with us… it was amazing. Soon Jena showed up too, we were all very excited to see her again. I remember talking to this lady who happened to be one of Shannon’s relatives, she was so nice… she asked me a lot of questions about me and where I had come from. I told her about Canada, about Brazil, about my love for melon… then she called Nell Hoon and told her about me. I was kind of embarrassed and didn’t quite know how to act around her (LOL), so she stood behind me, held my face in her hands, and said “You’re a beautiful child! I love your little happy sticker!” Haha I guess she was referring to this little smiley face I had glued on my forehead. Then she told me to get up and give her a hug… well, of course I did what she asked! Haha!
By night time, the whether was very cold… I remember sitting with my friend Sebbe under a blanket, we were both shaking, so Nell offered him one of Shannon’s jackets to wear. We were both in awe! LOL Nell was always trying to make everyone feel comfortable, she is so sweet and caring, just like Shannon had described her.
We covered Shannon’s grave with pictures, candles, flowers, gifts, you name it… this guy even made a statue of Elvis and brought it to the vigil. It was so funny LOL Then we all sat around Shannon’s while Jena played a few songs… then she asked if someone knew how to play Mouthful of Cavities. That’s when Murph and Ben volunteered to play. She sang mouthful of cavities on her own… man, I cried my eyes out. It was so cool yet so sad to hear her singing and Shannon’s voice wasn’t there. Then she sang a few songs like skinned, no bidness, etc… and we all got a bit happier LOL Once again, we spent the whole night around Shannon singing, sharing stories, Nell showed us some of his pictures while growing up, showed us some of his stuff.. It was very personal and intimate. Lillie and I stayed there ‘til 4am again. It was just too cold for us to bear, so we went to the hotel.
We felt bad the next morning for not staying there the whole night. So we went to the cemetery as soon as we could. There were only a few people there and the canopy was gone. About 10 of us sat around Shannon in silence, just thinking and feeling the energy from each other. We spent the whole afternoon there… then we all ran back to our hotels to get ready for vigilstock! Lillie and I got a ride to our hotel but Lisa wasn’t there, so we were locked out of our room LOL We stayed out there for about half an hour taking pictures of ourselves and just reflecting on how cool this whole experience was.
(I had to divide this post in 2 because a post can't be longer than 10,000 characters LMAO  to be continued...)
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Nata
Porcupine
It's alright to smile back at me!
Posts: 207
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Post by Nata on Apr 4, 2005 0:56:32 GMT -5
(continued)
We got to the vigilstock and were welcomed by a few melons. We had something to eat and drink and then listened to Star runner and Velveteen play their own songs… Later Speakermind got on stage, and everyone gathered in front… it was a big crowd. Lillie and I stood right in front, center haha We were so excited to see them play again! They kicked some serious ass, every tune was better than the last… then they called Jena to go on stage and she sang Mouthful of cavities for us, then she just sang every other song LOL She just took over the whole show… then she sang a couple songs of her own… Later they invited Nell, Anna (Shannon’s sis) and his two nieces Grace and Hope to sing change with Jena. OH MY FREAKING GOD, it was pure madness… we all got very emotional, some of us held hands, I personally cried like a baby… I couldn’t believe we were all singing Change together. When we got to the part “take a look around you then a look way up to the sky”, we all pointed to the sky like we were talking to him… even Nell. I’ll never forget that night. Grace and Hope also sang No Rain, it was so so so cute! Then to end the night with class, Hope who was only 6 at the time decides to stage dive!! HAHAHAHA!! OH MY LORD! It was the coolest night ever! 
The show was over and we decided to go back to the hotels… we partied a bit in our room, then we went to the knights inn to party with the other melons. I didn’t party much cause I just wasn’t in the mood.. so we went back to the grave, it was late at night and there was no one there but us. It was cold, but such a beautiful night, we even saw a few shooting stars.
Most people left the next day (Monday). Lillie and I were supposed to go back to Canada with Murph and the guys but we decided to stay back in Indiana even though we had no place to stay! That was one of the craziest things I have ever done. We all went to the grave and said our goodbyes to our friends. Lillie went to Nell’s house, and I stayed with Lisa so I could spend a bit more time with her before she went back to WV. Later she took me to Nell’s house and we spent some time with her and Jena. We showed her a few pictures we had developed the same day, etc… then we went to a store and Nell bought Lillie a Kazoo. It was so cute. Then we said goodbye to them and Lisa went back home.
We asked these 2 melons we had met if we could stay with them for the night and they said it was ok. LOL We felt like total bums in Indiana. They flew back to England the next morning and we had to return the hotel keys. Now we REALLY had no place to go, so we took a cab with the little money we had and went to Shannon’s. We were the only people there since everyone had gone back home. Later we met up with Blake (a melon who lives in Dayton) and we spent the day with him and Shannon Later Nackle and Frankie (some of Shannon’s old friends) showed up and we hanged with them too.
Everyone left, so it was just the 2 of us and Shannon. It was getting late, and luckly Dead Girl (Karen) showed up and offered us a ride since she lived near Dayton. We said our goodbyes to Shannon. We each had our alone time with him. It was so sad. But deep down inside I knew I’d be back.
We went to Lafayette and drove around… then we went to that music store that has a painting of Shannon and took pictures there. I even bought that Soup record that has the menu foldout. Then we went to Shell’s house and spent the night there. Actually we spent 2 nights there because we got very sick from the rain we had caught a few days earlier. LOL We were sick AND homeless. Then finally on Thursday morning we headed to the train station to go back to Canada. We had no money so we bought our tickets with my credit card. Somehow we missed the train, so Karen drove us all the way to Michigan so we could hopefully catch the train! LMAO!! :lol: We said goodbye to them and started crying… our trip was coming to an end. Then as we looked back, we noticed a big rainbow in the sky!! This is no joke, there was a rainbow… we knew it wasn’t just a coincidence, it gave us hope that we’d be going back there again.
Unfortunately, Lillie had to go back to Serbia and my life took a big turn upside down… My Grandma got sick, so I moved to Brazil to be with her. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to make it to last year’s vigil, which means I didn’t get to meet Gabbee, Kiwi, Emma, Fer and see my other melons again. But the gypsy in me made me come back to Canada, so I know I will be making it to this year’s vigil for sure! Not only am I going to the vigil, but I’m going to San Francisco with Gabbee too! Muahaha!
Anyway, sorry my post was so long but you guys asked for it! LMAO!!
Ok, I’ll get my ass outta here before it gets kicked!
Much love,
Nata |
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Vince
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Post by Vince on Apr 4, 2005 11:04:00 GMT -5
thanks for sharing with us Nata!  |
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FeRnAnDa
Porcupine
...I MISS MY ANGUS...
Posts: 341
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Post by FeRnAnDa on Apr 4, 2005 11:15:07 GMT -5
I'll post mine too..
But I need time...
When "I think is time"...lol ....I'll post it!
Nahh...
I'm posting my First Vigil Experience soon...
Fer...The :angel:
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Post by Gabbee on Apr 4, 2005 13:01:52 GMT -5
OMG Nata! You made me cry!  Damn you Natamelon, damn you!  Nah that was review was beautiful, I love you kid so much! Nel was right when she said you were a beautiful child... beautiful on the inside out! I too promised Shannon I would come back, and I will, no matter what, keep my promise. I cant believe we're only 5 months away!OMFG! I'll write a review too soon... I know I said I was going to do it yesterday, but damn things got a bit crazy.. lol I will do it ASAP, Im on my way out to work now  Love you all! |
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Nata
Porcupine
It's alright to smile back at me!
Posts: 207
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Post by Nata on Apr 4, 2005 13:32:30 GMT -5
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Nata
Porcupine
It's alright to smile back at me!
Posts: 207
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Post by Nata on Apr 4, 2005 13:36:01 GMT -5
OMG Nata! You made me cry! Damn you Natamelon, damn you! Nah that was review was beautiful, I love you kid so much! Nel was right when she said you were a beautiful child... beautiful on the inside out! I too promised Shannon I would come back, and I will, no matter what, keep my promise. I cant believe we're only 5 months away!OMFG! I'll write a review too soon... I know I said I was going to do it yesterday, but damn things got a bit crazy.. lol I will do it ASAP, Im on my way out to work now Love you all!
Love you lots,
 Nata  |
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zozoe
Porcupine
there ain't no tellin' about blind melon
Posts: 383
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Post by zozoe on Apr 4, 2005 19:18:40 GMT -5
nata! i havent even been to a vigil yet and you just about made me cry when you talked about first arrived at his grave. being there, after so many years. insane! im going to feel the same way. i'm probably going to cry like an uncontrollable baby, as well. i have a fear of crying in front of people, but i dont know if i'll be able to hold it back... maybe i should visit his grave in the summer by myself.
i would have died hearing jena play mouthful of cavaties. and hearing everyone sing change. and i love how you bummed around...makes you a true melon.
thanks for telling your story. it wasn't too long.
z:peace:e
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Vince
Porcupine
Posts: 778
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Post by Vince on Apr 5, 2005 9:22:01 GMT -5
I was chatting with Lillie from Serbia yesterday evening and she told me the whole story about her trip in Canada and USA and how she finally crossed the boarder... I even think she's writing a book about her experience! |
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FeRnAnDa
Porcupine
...I MISS MY ANGUS...
Posts: 341
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Post by FeRnAnDa on Apr 5, 2005 9:59:09 GMT -5
Charles,
When I met Lillie in NYC and she told me as well with details...I was like...awww...her angel was sure with her! :angel:
Fer :bee:
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Plus, this is my first time writing about my vigil experience. I just never did it before cause Lillie did such a great job writing about it back in 2003, I didn't think it was necessary... 
and we all talked to her… she was chatting with other melons online and we all yelled a big “hello” on the phone so she could play it to them over the microphone LOL. 
Damn you Natamelon, damn you! 
