Including some members of the 80s punk band Cancer Bunny, the Lustertones were one of the headline acts at this year's Farm Out. When asked how they came up with the name, the lead singer replied that he'd been standing in front of his grandmother's old sink, the brand name of which was Lustertone. "Wow," he thought, "that would make a good name for a band." It's that easy!
In case you don't know, Farm Out is a yearly party held on a north-of-the-cities farm belonging to friends of the Chicken Step Lady. The shindig includes live bands, abundant beer, a hog roast and at least one bonfire for all-night — make that all-weekend — revelry under the stars. Scores of people from across the region make the trek to party down, camp out and generally welcome summer. If you're lucky, you might even make the acquaintance of the hosts' chickens or Farm Out mascot Cleopatra the goat.
Yours truly attended Farm Out this past weekend for the second year in a row. Last year I slept in my car. It's a great car, but a lousy hotel. This year, I bought myself a $20 tent at Target. It's a good thing I'm no taller than I am; stretched out, I bump the walls at either end. I managed to sleep in reasonable comfort, but my abode's designation as a 2-person tent is wishful thinking unless both people are Pygmies, and not quite fully grown ones at that. Still, for one person, for $20, it's a fine, fine tent. Summer is officially here!