Reminiscent of "If you build it, he will come." Chilifest 2014 continued a 23 year tradition in the small town of Snook, TX, on the weekend of April 4th & 5th. This year the Starlight Ballroom, AKA a 15 acre dirt field, played host to an outstanding lineup, including:
- The Damn Quails
- William Clark Greene
- Band of Heathens
- Whiskey Myers
- Roger Creager
- Turnpike Troubadours
- Randy Rogers
- Hank Williams Jr.
I arrived in College Station, TX, eager to join Tune Squad and the Space Jam Chilifest team. I looked forward to a weekend that would be filled with long port-a-pot lines, incessant dancing, endless country music, and reunited friendships, not to mention the company of a couple hundred law enforcement agents.
FRIDAY (DAY 1):
The bus pulls out of Fraternity Row, bypassing the police milestones that line FM 60. A rambunctious group, dressed in jorts and tank tops, chant with excitement gleaming in their eyes. After all, the last 365 days had been filled with anticipation of the excitement that the Chilifest holiday supplies. We pass the "Welcome to Snook!" sign, and are jumping at the gate, if not for Chilifest, at least to break the seal. Upon arrival, I enter the gates and make the obligatory rounds to say hello and admire the team builds, up and down Fraternity Row (each team has a set budget and space to build a themed area). This years themes include a pirate ship, Daytona 500, Crocodile Hunter, Texas pride, and Space Jam, among others. The pledges are still scurrying to make final touches on the builds that will be judged later in the day for awards and scrutinized by the scores of Greeks that stumble to and from the stage.
After giving my greetings, I grab a few essentials and head to the stage. The Docs kick things off, the College Station locals display a variety of country and rock while expressing their appreciation for Chilifest. But the main event for me was a few performers later, William Clark Green (WCG). I was introduced through his "Rose Queen" album and instantly gained a respect for the artist and was grateful for the opportunity to see the musician out of Lubbock, TX. I could be heard belting out the lyrics to "Hanging Around", "She Likes the Beatles", and many others. Following WCG, I made trips to and from the Space Jam tent and performances from the Band of Heathens and Whiskey Myers.
After some DGT to the tunes of DJ Matej, I spent a portion of the night mitigating the risks of fraternity brothers and random Chilifesters as the police were out in full force (trigger happy with tasers). As the cops fired warning shocks, I tried my darnedest to calm all parties and procure safe rides for those in need. Unfortunately, these rides were no where to be found later in the evening, as I searched for a non-existent bus back home. When 1:30 AM rolled around, I boarded a taxi service that dropped off at Northgate and was able to take the student Carpool service home to sleep on one of the many couches at the frouse. I set my alarm for 7:00 AM, in order to be ready for an 8:00 AM course at the university in the morning and quickly slipped into a deep slumber.
SATURDAY (DAY 2):
Due to academic commitments, I could not attend the entirety of Chilifest day two. Instead, I was sitting in a room enhancing my MS Excel skills and dreaming of the missed opportunities to sing along with Roger Creager and the Turnpike Troubadours. I held out as long as possible, but the country rhythm eventually won out, as I left the classroom and headed for Snook. After all, the legend, Hank Williams Jr., was about perform and I did not want to keep him waiting. I parked in the muddy grass field and briskly jogged towards the gate in an American flag polo and jorts. I immediately fought my way to the front of the crowd, being sure to express my gratitude and crack a few jokes to ease the tensions along the way. Fortunately, Randy Rogers was still performing and I was able to listen to some of my favorites, "In My Arms Instead" and "Buy Myself a Chance," while taking numerous Miller showers.
A brief intermission occurred and I was reunited with friends before watching the big man take the stage. The crowd was rowdy and speckled with fans young and old, ready to see the main event. Hank came out to "If the South would have Won," I honestly was not sure what to expect from the country legend. I originally thought the show would have been similar to Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard who I had seen a year earlier at Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, FL, mellow and passionate. Yet, Hank was energetic and aggressive as he actively moved across the stage, constantly exchanging instruments and articulating his lyrics with clarity. The show was phenomenal, sending excitement through the crowd with every song and sure to fit in all of the hits. I was ecstatic to have the opportunity to sing along with a country outlaw and round out Chilifest 2014 with a happy heart and a lost voice.
As the eventful weekend drew to a close, I rounded up a crew to drive back to College Station, avoiding the debauchery of the public bus lines. While waiting to exit the parking field, some fellow Ags asked to hop into the bed of the truck, we obliged and were happy to help. After dropping off the passengers, we finally made it home for the night, where we made some grub, showered, and hit the hay, satisfied from another successful Chilifest.
SUNDAY (DAY 3):
Although exhaustion had firmly set in, I had another full day of MS Excel modeling ahead of me as the alarm rang at 7:00AM. When I got to the business school, Fuego breakfast tacos and cold water welcomed me with open arms. I sat through the remainder of the course daydreaming of the experiences of the weekend and already counting the days until Christmas in April returned in 2015.
After finishing the course, I scooped up my fellow travelers and began the trek back to Houston for work on Monday. We could not help but swap increasingly outrageous stories that unfolded over the weekend. We made a quick stop at the Navasota Police Department to pick up a lost ID and credit card, as well as take an obligatory picture in the freshly bloomed bluebonnets.
After reaching 290, our stomachs were rumbling and we pulled over at Waller County Line Pit BBQ. The gas station restaurant serves a wide variety of BBQ, including beef, pork, turkey, chicken, quail, and links of boudin. I ordered the pork ribs and smoked turkey with a side of beans and potato salad (they had run out of green beans and cole slaw). The ribs were a bit better than average, providing a smoky goodness with generous amounts of meat. When it came to the turkey, it was much too salty for my liking and lacked tenderness. Overall, the 24 hour joint still brought happiness to both my tummy and my taste buds, although I may recommend the brisket or boudin on the next go around.
We finally arrived at home, exhausted and memorized by the joys of Chilifest. The Texas tradition will be missed, I can only count down the days until I re-enter that field in the middle of Snook, ready to take on another glorious weekend of country music, friends, and Texas pride.
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| Photo by Mark A. |
CMH #TXtourist
