next year

[Hedge]

Well - if we are just throwing out thoughts . . . then we could change the name to the American Triumph Bash and move it around the US each year; maybe one year on the East Coast, the next year in Central USA and the third year on the West Coast with the 4th year back to the East Coast again and so on and so forth. With a full year of planning the next spot. Just thinking out-loud.

PS - I will pre-vote the West Coast location to be where Mello is from since he drove all the way to the East coast this year to attend the 1st annual Triumph Bash!

[hidesert]

Actually, I was thinking that in honor of the inauguration, we should move it around the country every year and still call it the Bennington Triumph Bash. "Where's the Bennington Triumph Bash this year?" "Red River, New Mexico, of course!"

[bruce19]

(I'll turn 63 on the road, June 17th. But don't tell anyone!)

And, I will be 62 on June 19th. Have fun on the road. Now tomorrow I will be leaving for a week on the BRP.

[hidesert]

Well, I did 300 miles yesterday, including a stop in Red River. I think it would be a perfect site for a second annual Bennington Triumph Bash. A slightly modified version of this ride would be fun during the next BTB; the trip report is http://www.triumphrat.net/ride-trip-rep ... rn-nm.html, and the direct link to the photobuket site with more pictures is http://s80.photobucket.com/albums/j196/ ... June%2008/

[bennybmn]

Not everyone has the time off to make a long ride... Personally if someone wants to do a bash in NM, or CA, or WA (so Mr Mellow doesn't have to ride as far) then go for it!! The spirit of this one was a group of people wanting to ride together and making it happen. Make ANOTHER one happen!! Go for it! Let there be MULTIPLE bashes! But there's still gonna be one up here

[Hedge]

Well, I did 300 miles yesterday, including a stop in Red River. I think it would be a perfect site for a second annual Bennington Triumph Bash. A slightly modified version of this ride would be fun during the next BTB; the trip report is http://www.triumphrat.net/ride-trip-rep ... rn-nm.html, and the direct link to the photobuket site with more pictures is http://s80.photobucket.com/albums/j196/ ... June%2008/

I hate to be the one to burst the bubble - but they took a vote last night at the Madison Brewery and decided that the new location would not be in New Mexico. More likely it will be in Alabama or if we can keep scaring potential buyers away from Robins Cafe for another year we could have it back in Bennington again next year! However, if you do successfully rally your own grassroots get-together in New Mexico I will personally provide the music for your Saturday Night Festivities. They are a renownedly World Famous Ska-Punk band that has already agreed to travel to New Mexico to play for you. For more information you can contact Jack, he has officially taken on the role as their Road Manager!

[mark]

Not everyone has the time off to make a long ride... Personally if someone wants to do a bash in NM, or CA, or WA (so Mr Mellow doesn't have to ride as far) then go for it!! The spirit of this one was a group of people wanting to ride together and making it happen. Make ANOTHER one happen!! Go for it! Let there be MULTIPLE bashes! But there's still gonna be one up here

As it happens, there are already a number of other "unofficial" RAT events happening around the country this summer. I think ours had the advantage of being the best publicized because, as far as I know, it's the only one with a significant Internet bulletin-board presence behind it (which we owe, of course, to RATnet and Whisperinsmith's original "Here's a thought" post).

Let's do what we can to support the other grassroots Triumph events happening around the country.

And let's figure out where to have the BTB next year. A number of people told me they want it to happen in Bennington again, and there are some real advantages to doing that (not the least of which is familiarity with local infrastructure, everything from places to suggest for lodging to businesses to approach for sponsorship).

But we can have that conversation later.

--mark

[bennybmn]

That's awesome Mark. I saw your post on the RAT pack leaders board too. I think it's fantastic people are doing it! They should take a lesson from you on forums I'd be happy to do whatever I can by way of advice and info for other groups, and, especially if Robin DOES get to move south before next year, I'd be happy to take a more active role in the Bennington Bash V2.0! I think Bennington is a great place close to some great roads. I would suggest Manchester, but there aren't as many cheapish hotels up there unfortunately... Maybe Middlebury?

[hankspeed3]

well I am biased on this of course, coming from Maine, but Bennington is the best place. And we should do it for years to come. We can tweak a lot of things and it will get better, the friday night thing, for me was a little weak, I mean I loved the location at Robins Forte, but I would have given my $40 bucks to get some veggie platters and some deli platters, well in advance,and they would have fed a number of people quickly. I got 2 coors light for $40, Keep the beer and kegs, keep the forte thing, straighten out the food thing and the evet was great Mark. As I have said since its inception last winter, thanks Marc, great job.

Marc, just so you know many people are being modest and don't want to be rude. So they are not saying anything, but well over 2 thirds of the group left on Sat. night, after the raffle. I'm not a mosh pit guy either but many people used the punk band as an excuse to leave. Too loud and not really the genre for most who attended. Well over half after they played about 3 songs.

for the future, Vermont, or New Hampshire, are fine for me.

[Hedge]

well I am biased on this of course, coming from Maine, but Bennington is the best place. And we should do it for years to come. We can tweak a lot of things and it will get better, the friday night thing, for me was a little weak, I mean I loved the location at Robins Forte, but I would have given my $40 bucks to get some veggie platters and some deli platters, well in advance,and they would have fed a number of people quickly. I got 2 coors light for $40, Keep the beer and kegs, keep the forte thing, straighten out the food thing and the evet was great Mark. As I have said since its inception last winter, thanks Marc, great job.

Marc, just so you know many people are being modest and don't want to be rude. So they are not saying anything, but well over 2 thirds of the group left on Sat. night, after the raffle. I'm not a mosh pit guy either but many people used the punk band as an excuse to leave. Too loud and not really the genre for most who attended. Well over half after they played about 3 songs.

for the future, Vermont, or New Hampshire, are fine for me.

Hank - First of all our plan worked well - we kept you away from the pizza and there was enough to go around for all the rest. So you see there always has to be one sacrificial lamb and this year it was your turn!

Second of all I have pictures of you Moshing at the front of that stage. Furthermore, rumor has it that you also helped the band load out and hung with them afterward. Jack told me that you asked him to be his assistant on the 1st World-Wide "YOU SUCK" Tour that he is going to manage. Just think, you can now retire early!

[MattRat]

Feeling really crappy about having missed this one, I'll be there next year if it's anywhere in New England...
Can't take the time for a cross-country trip next year, but anywhere within a day's ride and I'm there.

[mark]

the friday night thing, for me was a little weak, I mean I loved the location at Robins Forte, but I would have given my $40 bucks to get some veggie platters and some deli platters, well in advance,and they would have fed a number of people quickly

Problem is that it's kind of hard to make adequate food arrangements when you have no idea how many people are going to show up. We figured pizza would be the most flexible, since we could get a bunch up front and then order more as needed. In retrospect we probably could have started with a larger initial order. We did end the night with one slice of pizza left over though...

Marc, just so you know many people are being modest and don't want to be rude. So they are not saying anything, but well over 2 thirds of the group left on Sat. night, after the raffle. I'm not a mosh pit guy either but many people used the punk band as an excuse to leave. Too loud and not really the genre for most who attended. Well over half after they played about 3 songs.

I was surprised more people didn't leave, to be honest.

From the beginning we always figured that you can't please everyone, especially when it comes to music. The idea was to have a couple of Vermont bands play, and since we did not have a budget, we couldn't exactly afford to hire Phish or Grace Potter and the Nocturnals or someone. What's more, we operated under the assumption that the Saturday night party would not go very late because everyone had to ride home on Sunday. We felt that a blues band earlier in the evening would appeal to a wider range of attendees, but we also figured there would be some people who prefer rock and roll to blues. So we brought in an energetic rock band for them under the assumption that the people who aren't into that kind of music wouldn't need to stick around for it. (In the original plan, the main point of the Saturday evening festivities was the dinner, so I was less than pleased that the restaurant decided to seat us randomly all over the place instead of just putting us all upstairs.)

As far as the loudness issue, it's impossible to play rock and roll quietly in such a small space. The only thing going through the PA system was the vocals -- so the volume of the show is entirely dependent on the acoustic volume of the drums, and drums are fucking loud. We should have thought to hand out earplugs to people.

Obviously not everything went perfectly, nor will it ever be possible to make everyone 100% happy. But I was extremely pleased at how well things did go.

--mark

[amrehm]

I personally enjoyed both bands. I wanted to stay for the rest of the show & did't want to leave. I was already drunk however & had to get up early to get home. No complaints here. Great first effort & great results. Music could have started earlier, but then you would have run out the regular people in for dinner, & that wouldh't have been fair to them.

Great Job,

Alan

[b_mason]

I liked both bands also. The ska band was played like ska is to be played - loud. I just wish the vocals were a little louder. Over all the whole ling was great. I only left to keep my promise to Jimmy. I told him I would toss back a few beers with him. I did that until 3:00 am. I was pleasantly surprised when I rode home that I wasn't hurting more. Maybe it was the rip up 91. Kept the pirate patch in my tank bags clear window. Where there was a nice long stretch of road and no turn arounds I wound the Sprint up to 110. I broke 100 twice on the road and once on my road to the house.

[Hedge]

Personally, I loved the Blues band and I'm glad I wasn't packing because i probably would have shot some warning rounds off at the 2nd band! The pizza was fantastic, the company couldn't have been better, the Madison Brewery dinner was perfect, the seating wasn't much of an issue to me because i just got up and circulated. Overall, I was tickled pink with last weekend and look forward to staying in touch with all of you. I so hope we do this again. Hell, if you want, lets do an end of the summer bash in late August!