KDVS offers many events throughout the year, but none as unique and social as Operation: Restore Maximum Freedom. Now completing its fourth year running, the day-long outdoor music festival collects and presents lesser known indie groups and interesting features that Davis and its surrounding areas proudly offer.
To sum things up, many students had to choose one of the semi-difficult options that this weekend offered – a) stay at home and study/bum around/whatever people do on weekends, b) venture out to San Francisco for its 6th annual LovEvolution, or c) mosey over to Plainfield Station in Woodland for Operation: Restore Maximum Freedom VIII.
Some people are not comfortable around a multitude of reproductive organs flopping this way and that, nor do they enjoy sitting at home and knitting sweaters for their cats. So the natural decision would have been to attend ORMF VIII this past weekend – arguably one of the better options.
Essentially, the afternoon-to-nighttime music festival was an awesome time to meet up with friends, make a few new ones, drink cheap beer, listen to local bands whose genres ranged from garage to noise rock and soak up the pleasant autumn weather.
The line-up included New Thrill Parade, Mom, Yellow Fever, the Mantles, Nothing People, the Four Eyes, GGreen, the American Splits, Migraine, Foul Mouths, Face the Rail, Post Mortem Vomit and Rapes of Grath, with one or two bands dropping out last minute. (Of course my party wished to ask which bands dropped, but many of the event organizers were either busy operating circa-1990s video cameras, helping bands put together their set or fiddling with their sound equipment.)
Like most music festivals, the event started somewhat late, but by 5 p.m. most people had set up their blanket niches on the damp lawn, began drinking PBR by the pitchers and initiated the schmoozing mode with neighbors.
From an outsiders’ point of view, this may not have seemed like much of a unique event as opposed to other Davis events; however there is always more to it than what meets the eye. The opportunity to meet a random mix of people and immerse yourself in their interests and hobbies firsthand hardly ever comes around (easily).
The case for ORMF was just the opposite in the sense that everyone there was merrily gathered together for similar reasons – to listen to good local music and spend time with people who share similar interests. From listening to the Four Eyes sing about hat nerds and tell silly jokes between songs, to watching somebody walk around and pass out cassette tape demos, there was pretty much something for everyone to be involved in on Saturday.
Despite the plethora of tight pants, spandex leggings, American Apparel hoodies, Nazi haircuts, super itchy grass, lack of pitchers at one point in the night and the eventual PBR drought, mostly everybody managed to have a good time – especially yours truly.
SIMONE WAHNG can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.
