Two weekends of the Georgia Renaissance Festival under our belt, and it’s journal time yet again. A lot of traveling twixt the then of our March journals and the now of April’s. I’ve got too many pictures to choose from this time - I try to limit them to twelve per. This mostly for the sake of keeping Webmaster Andy’s bill-by-the-hour rate down to a minimum [Sadly, I only get paid in Tortuga gear, promises, and used beer - AB], but also because the journal gets a little too scattered otherwise. Trying to talk about any more than that magic number, and I become tangent man. Like I’m not already, right? Don’t answer that.
We closed out the Arizona Renaissance Festival with a bang this year. We have definitely enjoyed our time spent there. Of course, as with most festival closings come the party-party-parties. There were the Talent Show (didn’t go) and the Funky Formal, the Participant Party (went, but didn’t take any pictures) and the Second Annual Rennie R.E.S.C.U. Casino Night Fund-Raiser Rally. Also in the mix was the Benevolent Order of Scurrilous Monks (a.k.a. B.O.O.S.M.) Weenie Roast - definitely a Rennie favorite, especially following the Funky Formal like it does.
Funky Formal Fun! |
Dancing Denizens of Funky Town |
Minion Joey Rowe puts the finishing touches on Tortuga-Mart |
Those were all well and good, but I’ll have to admit that the best time I had was at our own Tortuga Twins Fan Club Meet-n-Greet. As with last year’s, this one was held at Gameworks at the Arizona Mills Shopping Center, located in Tempe, Arizona. We had quite a few Tortugaholics show up at this gathering, and a good time was had by all. The boyz and I worked the room while Arizona Chapter Head Cindy Gray busied herself, making sure everyone was enjoying themselves. They were!
Nicole Forsgren and I enjoy a Moment at the AZ Meet-n-Greet |
Jef at the AZ Meet-n-Greet with Renee York & friend |
Way Cool with True Tortugaholic Sascha Moore |
If this keeps up, we might have to plan a few more of these throughout the year. Though, don’t hold your breath - as you know, we are quiet men who enjoy our privacy...not! Too much fun, too much fun. And the Tortuga love was flowin’ throughout the evening from both Tortuga and Holic alike.
While at the B.O.O.S.M. Weenie Roast, I allowed the fine women of Satori Masks to cast my face in plaster. For years they’ve asked to immortalize my high cheekbones, and this year I finally said yes. So now, if you ever wander by their shop and you feel like an old friend is staring you down... I’m not sayin’ that it’s me... I’m just sayin’.
It puts the lotion on its skin... |
Look Ma, no face! |
Pain in the name of Art |
The next topic to grace this journal would be the Bay Area Renaissance Festival, now located in Tampa, Florida. It is our home show, and this year would mark our 19th season officially performing as the Tortuga Twins.
B.A.R.F. shennanigans with Wise Guys Roberta and Howee |
Okay, the real skinny on that is this.... We began doing the Tortugas back in 1987 at the Sarasota Medieval Faire. We then reverted to our "normal" characters for the B.A.R.F. show. We were asked by so many of our peers (both entertainer and director alike) to bring our new characters to the then Largo, Florida show, that we acquiesced and did finally put in an appearance, but not until the very last weekend. By the spring of 1988, we were all-Tortuga, all the time - with an official contract and everything - and we’ve been rockin’ the renaissance festival world ever since.
If you’ve been doing the math, you’ll know it was 19 years ago that we began all this craziness, and that makes this our 20th season - though not at B.A.R.F... not until next year. Count it out for yourself - you’ll see.
In case you couldn’t tell, that was a tangent. I wanted to write about this year’s experience with B.A.R.F., and I got lost in a history lesson. Oh well; it happens. Let’s see if I can pull it back now....
For the first time since 1984, I faced not doing my home festival. True, we would only be able to do one weekend anyway - the Arizona festival had moved forward one week and the Tampa show had moved back. But it was still my home show, and I felt a great lacking when the Bay Area management told us they weren’t interested in hiring us for only one weekend. We all were feeling a bit odd...then we got used to the idea. The whole weekend off... Wow!
Jef and I would be in Florida anyway, so we would be attending the festival at least once. And this time we would be on the beer-drinking, catcalling sidelines. Okay, so I still don’t drink, but you get the picture. We were in for some fun.
At the very same time, Ronn would be in the Atlanta area with his newly fianced fiancé. They would be doing nothing less than enjoying each other’s company and doing that voodoo that they do so well.
Then Jef got the call.
A week and a half before gig-time, the Bay Area Renaissance Festival called and politely asked if we would like to do their festival.
What? No. We’ve just gotten used to the idea. Hell, we’ve made plans. How much? Okay, maybe.
After talking it over, checking on flights for Ronn, and weighing out the pros, cons, and logistics of the situation, we decided. We’d be delighted to continue our longstanding run at the festival we affectionately call "Barf."
Nothing says B.A.R.F. like a Johnny Pheonix Minion |
Kickin' it in Tampa with the beautiful Veronica List |
And we had a glorious time!
I’ve never been so moved by our reception at a festival. We would walk around, and both patron and rennie alike would wave, cheer, and reach out to shake our hands and slap us on the back. It was sweet, it was fun...it was weird. But I loved it!
So now I sit in Fairburn, Georgia, playing catch-up with all the backlogged Tortuga biz I have to do and all the other pet projects I’ve foolishly piled on my plate for this year. Tortuga stuff comes first, but I do have I life, people. I just hope I can find the time to live it. I’m fairly certain that I’ll have no problem doing just that. And, rest assured that I’ll be supplying you with pix aplenty of my misadventures while I’m out and about on this wacky rollercoaster ride I call life.
Ciao for now, my Tortugaholics!