bri0530-marc

5:30 PM

Pre-Show Impressions

or . . . wow, is it crazy around here!

Let the drumming begin !

words by Marc Hershon
photo by Carla King

It's the ninth annual version of the virtual Be-In, which makes this the second annual edition for yours truly. Last year I was stuck on The Bridge for the entire night, along with my co-host, Maxine. This year I've been given an "interview room", which should afford some peace and quiet for talking with this year's collection of luminaries, visionaries and wackos. (Last year I had to discern most of what the interviewees had to say by lip-reading.)

The SOMAR Gallery is a huge cavernous room which has rapidly filled up with personnel and equipment. A main performance stage, the seminar stage, a massive scaffolding and tons of speakers clutter the space. The noise level is already building and the public hasn't even been let in yet.

Looks like we're in for a lot more visuals this year -- there's a pile of video cameras and the bodies to operate them. So rather than being restricted to coverage on The Bridge, I'll be on the move from place to place when there's no one to interview in my Den of Gab.

I'm hoping to be able to get e-mail from the outside world, but so far the technoGods have not been able to supply me with a phone line. As the excitement level continues to mount here at SOMAR, I'm beginning to realize I don't really know anything about the people I'm supposed to interview, so I better get studying.

If I can't upload anything else before we kickoff tonight, I look forward to seeing you online. Or rather, I look forward to you seeing me seeing everything going on and telling you about it. Stand by...