I can tell you that it's not that I'm ashamed that I was a badge carrying sea monkey on JCCC3 but mainly because I'm over explaining certain things about my life. There are inevitable questions that are asked and I think I'm done answering them. Does that mean I'm going to hide who I am? Certainly not. I will continue to wear my TARDIS socks, wax poetically re:West Wing, and obsess over Zoe Keating's tights. I'll also continue to decorate my office in subtle geek fashion - TARDIS wall clock and Gallifreyan art included.
If you'd like the full list or review of JCCC3, however, keep reading.
JCCC3 was held this year on Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas. The ship was frackin' ginormous and so very cool.
Our ports of call were Coco Key in the Bahamas, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten. The best part, however, was the schedule of performers for the week. We had concerts scheduled for Jonathan Coulton, Paul and Storm, The Doubleclicks, John Roderick, Zoe Keating, Joseph Scrimshaw, Mike Phirman, John Hodgman, Wil Wheaton, and the Riff Tracks. With all this entertainment, I'm lucky I got the amount of sleep I did - which was very little.
The highlights of the trip for me had to be St. Maarten and Zoe Keating's concert. St. Maarten was beautiful and my friends and I got to witness the awesomeness that is Maho Beach. For those of you that don't know about this beach, it's the place where the planes fly ridiculously low in order to be able to land on the two foot runway that is Princess Juliana Airport. As you can see from the picture below, we got to witness some great landings. Also, the beach itself was pretty damn amazing.
Now, let's talk Zoe Keating's amazeballs concert. Zoe is a new addition to the JCCC3 performance crew and I have to be honest, I was a bit skeptical about a cello only act. From the first note, however, I knew I was watching and listening to something I've never experienced or heard before. Zoe uses her computer and a foot pad to create a layered cello effect, which basically makes it sound like there are 5 other cellos on stage, when in reality there is only Zoe. It is amazing to watch her play as she is so focused on the music and the precise movements of her bow. Then somehow, she manages to not only play, but control the recording with her right foot - as if she didn't have enough going on. I've never sprinted up the stairs at the end of a show in order to buy an artists CDs before - but I did so after this concert. My ultimate goal was to thank her for such an amazing experience, in person, then beg her to autograph my CDs. I unfortunately couldn't bring myself to interrupt her, especially when she was spending time with her husband and her adorable little son. Maybe I'll just have to travel to the West Coast and catch another of her shows. You should check out her website here: Zoe Keating
Let it not be thought that because I failed to mention performances by the other artists on the cruise that their sets and shows were somehow not up to JCCC standards. They very much were and I thoroughly enjoyed every single one of them, save for the Ayn Rand bit that Hodgman did. It is amazing how many talented artists there are out there and yet, because they're not signed by some major recording label, go virtually unnoticed. I implore you therefore, seek out the music and the comedy I've listed above. I can assure you, you will not be disappointed.
JCCC3 was also a time to catch up with friends we had made on JCCC2. We had a fabulous first day sitting on deck enjoying some cold fruity beverages and catching up. Spending time with friends was a great way to enjoy this cruise. Sommer's great picture below, shows how awesome it was!
Hmmm...what else to include? Not quite sure. So, with that, I will leave it here and pick up another topic another day.
