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I was 19.  I remember that the music schedule was disorganized, but it wasn't a bummer or anything.  I mean Brown Sugar, Mixed Blood, Pete Langston and the Portland Zoo - all great bands and fun to watch even if one had to wait.  I also remember being nervous for a while about people being overly overtly sexual, and then just letting it go because it really didn't matter.  I don't recall anybody being hurt or raped.  There were a few bad trips going on, but people killed any bad vibes with simple love and concern. 

I slept in a tent about 100' away from a large cluster of teepees.  It was quite a ways from the stage.  One evening, I was walking towards the stage when an ambulance pulled up beside me.  They asked where I was going and I told them "to the music".  They told me to jump in, so I did.  They turned on the lights and siren and took me right to the stage. 

I also recall feeling a bit guilty about wanting people to be there rather than downtown protesting the war.  I was right in the middle of the PSU disaster, and wouldn't have had it any other way.

In retrospect, I'd have to say we were lucky to the nth to have such a great governor and such great weather for Vortex.

posted 3 years, 4 months ago
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