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Go Zen
It goes without saying Fuji Rock presents some serious logistical challenges to those people that want to see all their favorite bands, but my first recommendation for folks is something like this: go zen.
Go zen
In Japanese, 午前 (gozen) means “before noon”. It’s easy to have fun until all hours of the morning at Fuji Rock, with All Night Fuji going, well, all night at the Orange Court on Friday after the last main stage acts have finished. Lots of blinking lights in the Red Marquee until the wee hours, too. And of course, the Palace of Wonder is the place to be if you’re not sure where you want to be late at night when you know you should be somewhere. All of these are highly recommended. But try to take some time to see the festival, and that’s best accomplished in the morning – or at least, before noon.
It’s the best time to tramp the festival – especially in some fine Sunday weather. Lots of room to move, no crazy rushes for big artists. It’s a good time to take your sweet time to encounter things you may not have noticed before.
Just when you thought it was safe...
Head to the Hammock District (or garden or whatever they call it) near the NGO area, buy your fave t-shirt, and just chill.
Go zen is also another way of approaching what acts to see: choose a direction and walk it, see who’s playing along the way. Hit every stage at least once. Find a new place to eat, or have a beer. Buy some soap. Make some new friends. Form a band. Be speechless (literally). Volunteer.
Choose a Japanese a band to see. Doesn’t matter what style they are. If the name on your Fuji schedule is in kanji and you have no frickin’ idea what it says or means and they are playing next, close to where you are – go check ‘em out. It may not be your cup of tea, or it might be right up your alley. Do it at least once – each day.
And as has been mentioned before: ride the Dragondola already!
It stops running before dark, so you gotta do this one early. This is one of things that you will regret if you don’t do it.
Day Dreaming playground
Day Dreaming Panda
Yes. This is how chill it is. Parks and flowers and guitar playing pandas out with their bitches.
Food & Drink
Believe me, when you’re tramping from the Green stage to the Orange Court, when every food vendor has a lineup as long the one for the women’s toilet, when you’re slightly hungover, when your stomach is growling at you as loud as the Red Marquee speaker system, when you’re so cranky that you make Mel Gibson seem downright pleasant, andwhen you’re shaking and just about to do the funky chicken – pulling a little nutrition and energy out of one these bad boys that you’ve stuffed in your day pack (you do have a day pack, right?) is a lifesaver. Trust me. A little sugar, a little protein, a little carb – whatever it takes. And really, I shouldn’t have to say this, but don’t forget to eat, m’kay?
Powersauce
Some sage bits of advice for getting your food on at the festival are right here.
Must see bands
For me? I’ll be going zen with a lot of it, but i will definitely be catching Mutemath (mostly cos of Clay’s post and I’ve been listening to them a lot lately) , The xx, and Them Crooked Vultures (and Broken Social Scene).
Saturday I will definitely be at Cro Magnons and at Rookie A Go-Go for Go Chic.
Sunday you can find me at Alberta Cross & Boom Boom Satellites.
Outside of that, I’ll be wherever I am.
