Bamboozle: 10 things you should know before you go

by Elizabeth Seward on

Bamboozle is a music festival that takes place in New Jersey every year right around this time of the year. Founded by John D’Esposito, Bamboozle began in 2003. While keeping up the annual festival in New Jersey, Bamboozle has also acted as the Bamboozle Roadshow and a festival in other cities, like Chicago, Illinois and Anaheim, California. The festival attracts close to 100,000 people each year–and most of those people are traveling to the festival from somewhere outside of East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The lineup for Bamboozle 2011, which kicks off tomorrow, certainly includes some head-turning
acts. Motley Crue, Lil Wayne, and Bruno Mars are some of the names you’ll see in big bold type on the show’s ads, but some perhaps-lesser-known acts will prove to be worth your turnpike road trip if you catch their sets. I’m not gonna tell you who to see, but I’ll tell you this… if I were going to Bamboozle, I’d be sure to check out Circa Survive, An Horse, Das Racist, Eisley, Starting Last, and Thrice.

If you’re traveling to Bamboozle, you probably already have your tickets since the festival is happening tomorrow. But you might not have done your homework yet on everything you can and can’t do at Bamboozle. Before you pack your bags and depart for a New Jersey music adventure, make sure you know the rules and have packed accordingly. Because nothing quite kills a music festival buzz like having your brand new cooler confiscated.

So here we are, in no particular order, none at all, some things you should know before you go.
1. The New Meadowlands Stadium is a smoke-free stadium. Roll this one around in your mouth for a minute… you won’t be smoking inside the festival. So if you have a nicotine lust that’s hard to kick, it would be to your advantage to think of a workable solution before you’re sweating anxious bullets, begging a security guard for mercy.

2. Don’t wear clothing that displays indecent messages. How exactly ‘indecent’ is defined here is beyond my conjecturing, but I’m sure your best judgment will do the trick.

3. You may only bring in a bag that’s no larger than 12 inches on each side. Giant-purse-wearing-ladies and backpack-carrying-dudes: beware. Not only will your bags be searched, but you won’t be bringing them into the festival at all if they’re too big. And if you can’t bring in your bag, then you can’t bring in your raincoat and your hoodie and if you can’t bring those two things in, what are you going to do when it’s cold and raining? Wish you’d brought a smaller bag, that’s what you’ll do.

4. You cannot bring in: bottles, cans, hard-sided coolers, thermoses, or ice chests. Translation: Basically, you’re going to have to buy your beverages inside the festival. Even if you manage to bring in the right kind of cooler, you know, the kind with soft sides, you’ll still have to fill it with drinks purchased inside. And even though they didn’t explicitly say ‘no flasks’, you can’t bring in alcohol, either.

5. No lawn chairs. If you want to comfortably set up shop in front of the stage all day long on your nice little lawn chair, well, it ain’t gonna happen.

6. Don’t bring in stickers or promotional materials. Chances are strong that your band is already struggling enough. The last thing you guys need is to watch a bag-check employee trash the newly printed cds you had made just for Bamboozle promotion. Save yourself some time, money, energy, and tears by leaving the promotional material at home to begin with.

7. Leave the umbrella behind. Bamboozle might be a rain or shine festival, but if it rains, it’s on you to keep yourself dry. You can’t bring your umbrella inside, which means, I’m guessing, you either get to purchase an umbrella inside if it rains or you’ll be expected to mud-fight with other attendees circa Woodstock ’94.

8. Leave the baby behind, too. Ok. I take that back. You can bring babies to Bamboozle, but you can’t bring strollers. So keep this stroller-ban in mind before you decide on whether or not you’ll be bringing your young one along.

9. No: beach balls, banners, flags of any kind, frisbees, or laser pointers. You’ll have to figure out how to have fun without these toys.

10. All bags AND VEHICLES are subject to inspection upon entry. Anyone who refuses can be turned away. And depending on what you’re hiding in your trunk, you might be better off turning away.

Image Credit: Dana Cama

Second-to-last Space Shuttle launch is big tourism draw

by Sean McLachlan on


Tomorrow’s launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavour has turned into a major tourist event, the Associated Press reports. NASA estimates half a million people will show up for their second-to-last chance to see a shuttle launch. Other estimates vary from 250,000 to a whopping 700,000. That could rival the crowds that came to see the first Moon mission.

Hotels are sold out and homeowners near John F. Kennedy Space Center are reaping the benefits by renting out spare rooms. Local businesses are also seeing a boom. The AP estimates the launch could pump $15 million into the local economy.

Let’s hope so, because when the last shuttle goes into space this summer, there won’t be any more launches for quite some time. NASA hasn’t finished developing anything to replace the aging shuttle fleet and transport to the International Space Station will be the job of the Russians for the time being.

The Endeavour launch is scheduled for 3:47 EDT tomorrow. It will be mission number 134 for the fleet. The final mission will take place June 28 or later and the honor will go to the Space Shuttle Atlantis.

I’m not surprised this is getting so much attention. I grew up with the Space Shuttle and I’ve always wanted to go to a launch. Sadly, I don’t think I’ll make it. I’ll be cheering, though, especially for mission commander Mark Kelly, husband of Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot by a crazed gunman in January. She’s recovered enough to be present when Kelly heads for the stars.

I’ve never met Kelly, but I have met Gabrielle Giffords. She’s the younger sister of a college friend and I met her twenty years ago when she was a bright young Fulbright scholar. While I only chatted with her a few times I always had the impression she’d go far. My friend and I drifted apart, as college friends often do, but over the years I always paid attention to Gabrielle’s career. I wasn’t surprised in the least when she became a Congresswoman. And I won’t be surprised if I see her back in Congress one day.

Have a speedy recovery, Gabrielle, and enjoy the launch for me.

[Image courtesy NASA]

Nat Geo explores Yosemite’s climbing culture

by Kraig Becker on

Yesterday we posted a story on five ways to explore national parks without using a vehicle, and one of the items that made the list was a suggestion to go climbing in Yosemite National Park. As noted, Yosemite is one of the greatest climbing destinations in the world, with towering granite walls that attract the best climbers from across the globe, something that National Geographic discovered recently when they visited the place.

Writer Mark Jenkins went on assignment in Yosemite Valley for a cover story in the May issue of Nat Geo. While there, he discovered some amazing athletes pushing their skills to the limit on Half Dome and El Capitan, two of the most well known and iconic big walls in the rock climbing universe.

Chief amongst these athletes (NG calls them “superclimbers”) is Alex Honnold, a 23-year old who has made Yosemite his personal playground over the past few years. Back in 2008, he stunned the climbing community by free soloing the 2140-foot tall Half Dome. For the uninitiated, when someone free solos they are climbing with just their chalk bag and shoes, and no ropes of any kind. For an encore in 2010, Honnold tackled both Half Dome and the 3000-foot El Cap, back-to-back, in just 8 hours.Honnold isn’t the only great climber that frequents Yosemite however, and Jenkins found a number of them on his visit. He reports that one morning while walking through the park’s notorious Camp 4, a popular site for climbers, he heard over a dozen languages being spoken, which is a testament to how popular the region is with the rock climbing crowd.

Jenkins, who first climbed in the valley back in the 70’s, discovered that things have changed dramatically since he climbed there. He found that amongst today’s climbers, it is all about speed, and they’ll eschew certain gear, such as backpacks, helmets, and other items, just so they can move more quickly up the rock face. This is quite a departure from the old days, when climbing legend Royal Robbins first climbed Half Dome. Back in 1957, it took him, and his partner, five days to complete the route. Today, Honnold can do it solo in just a little over 2 hours.

The full National Geographic article is available online by clicking here. It offers some great insights into the climbing world, which can be a bit mystifying for those who don’t “get” it. The story is actually a good read for climbers and non-climbers alike, holding up well to Nat Geo’s usual high standards. The article is also accompanied by a gallery of great photos that were shot for the story by by Jimmy Chin, one of the best adventure photographers working today. They capture the spirit of climbing in Yosemite very well and can be found here.

[Photo credit: Mike Murphy via WikiMedia]

Video/Photo of the day: Cloud over Austin, Texas

by Elizabeth Seward on

An attention-grabbing cloud rolled over the city of Austin last night. I spotted the cloud from the kitchen window and proceeded to immediately notify my photographer friend, Ben Britz, in the next room over. The cloud was spinning relatively quickly. It was colored pink, white, and even aqua in some parts. Shortly after the cloud was dimmed with the darkness of sunset, shots of rosy lightning within the cloud began illuminating the night sky.

I found this time-lapse video on YouTube and couldn’t help but post it. This is, I promise, exactly how it looked. Austin was under a tornado watch the last couple of days, but the rain has yet to come.The following two photos were shot by Ben, who loves a good cloud photo op.

Other YouTube users caught the same cloud on film. Check out the giant cloud from some different angles with these videos below.

Breaking: Carnival gets keys to 100th new ship

by Chris Owen on
Carnival Cruise Line is breaking some records today. In addition to taking delivery on new Carnival Magic that debut’s May 1, that delivery makes it a total of 100 ships built by parent company Carnival Corporation. In celebration, guests currently sailing on all ships under the Carnival umbrella will join in a champagne toast to celebrate.

In the photo illustration above is pictured new Carnival Magic along with the company’s first ship, Carnival Mardi Gras which began service in 1972. At 130,000 gross tons, the Carnival Magic is almost five times the size of the Mardi Gras’ 27,250 tons. The Mardi Gras was 650-foot long and had a passenger capacity of 906. Carnival Magic stretches 1,004 feet in length and has a capacity of 3,690 guests. That’s a big ship.

That’s a big champagne toast too, 27,000 people, believed to be the largest ever.

Photo courtesy Carnival Cruise Lines