Sailing with friends
We just had a fantastic whirlwind of a week! In a month or two I can write a little more about the details, but just suffice it to say that it was just amazing! We learned a lot, met new people, tried new things, visited cool places in Rincón and had a lot of fun. Stay tuned…
Hanging out at the Horned Dorset
We’ve been pretty busy mostly with band stuff lately so there hasn’t been much to update on the property front though Britton has still worked steadily through it all and the chanfles (siding boards) are almost all fully installed. We are moving on to the next stage soon.
Playing out at Pool Bar
It’s cool being swept up in the excitement of the tourist season and that includes our band. We had a gig recently at Pool Bar in Puntas which was fun even though the bass amp caught on fire! Fire, fire in the bass amp! So there was a last minute scramble for something else which sort of threw us off a little. Overall though we did really well and are constantly improving and adding more songs to the repertoire. We have gone through so many different possible band names, but I think we are pretty solid now as the Rincón Continentals!
The after party! We didn’t get home until after 4am!! That’s the problem with being both the “stars” and the roadies haha
Besides the fun and excitement that we make (more to come soon as we foray into television….!) life in Rincón is still just mellow and slow. It’s drying out quite a bit and so we’ve had to water a few of our plants by hand. Humidity is much lower and I get a bit cold in the middle of the night (with the doors and windows open in February). I just love how the rural and modern mix in this little town. You are just as likely to see live music as live moooo-sic!
Friendly bull and barb wire fence
And I recentely saw cotton growing wild. I have never seen it growing before. It’s pretty cool stuff. Amazing that the majority of our clothing comes from this fluffy plant. I just had to pick a little of it. Now Britton calls me cotton-pickin’ Cassie. Perhaps my new band nickname. Hasta la próxima -C
Wild cotton growing
Our band played out our first show as the final performance for the 3rd annual Legends Surf Classic at Harbor Restaurant right near the public beach in Rincón (balneario). Not 20 feet behind us the moon was glowing on the lightly lapping waves. It was a great show with a nice turn-out. We have practiced long and hard for it and while we are still improving, I would say we rocked it!
Thanks Daisy for this photo. For this show the band included (L-R): Caitlin (vocals), Mark (guitar), Isabella (vocals and tambourine), Me (vocals and tambourine), Rick (keyboard), Chris (guitar and vocals), Britton (bass), Kevin (trumpet), Will (guitar) also not visible Rob (drums) and Dave (saxophone),
As for the band itself, it’s sort of hard to describe our sound, but I suppose the closest description for genre would be psychedelic funky reggae rock with a surf twist. Yah, quite the mouthful! Or someone described it as a mid-60s Greenwich Village vibe. I’m not sure. It’s very unique I think because we all bring very different musical backgrounds. We just play what we like. Over half of our songs are originals and our covers are quite a bit changed.
Caitlin, Chris and I sing
It’s a big group. We started with only about 5 core people this summer but can accordion up to 10-15 depending on availability and season since so many people are here only part of the year. We try to keep to the roots of a jam band with long songs and slow builds. It’s been a fun process and a lot of work practicing to get to this point of playing out.
Under the tent (thanks Robin for most of these photos)
We’re still learning a lot about being a band. It’s like having 5 or 10 boyfriends/girlfriends. Each with unique needs and desires. And communication is key. It has helped me appreciate bands that can stay together for a long time. It’s truly almost like a marriage with a bunch of people. Not to mention that once money is introduced into the equation it changes things a bit.
Rhythm section
Good crowd!
Thanks to Squid for this video (we had some mic technical difficulties but at least it was a jam song)
We still have a few kinks to work out and we are constantly adjusting and improving, but I can say with certainty that this night was one of the best moments in my life. No matter what happens I can now add “band member/singer” to my resume of things I have been/done in my lifetime. And to be able to do it with Britton and these amazing people just adds to the sweetness. Pretty awesome.
Yah! Get up, get down! We even had an unexpected guitar hero! (photo source: FB)
Our friend Sean is visiting and staying in the unfinished cabin. We decided to show him around some of the Rincón beaches. It’s always such a reminder how beautiful this place is when you have the perspective of a visitor.
Britton and Sean at Sandy Beach
Spanish Wall
Our favorite little grassy spot
Rincón Faro
Lighthouse Park
Looking down at Domes Beach
Sean enjoying a little secluded spot of beach
While I climbed a coconut palm tree
Later on we had lunch at Jack’s Shack and took a quick dip at the Marina. It’s always nice to be reminded why we fell in love with Rincón in the first place when we were tourists ourselves.