Missed Opportunity

Aside from my first year here in Chapel Hill, in which I was pretty unhappy with things and missed Missouri with a passion, I've had very few urges to go visit Columbia (MO) since most of my friends there had moved on to bigger and better places. This past weekend, even though I had a pretty good time here, was one of those few times that I really did wish I was back in Columbia.

Around this time every year, there are traditionally one to two free music festivals held at the University of Missouri, or Mizzou, as us Midwestern rednecks like to call it. One is called "Springfest" and is sponsored by KCOU, Mizzou's reputable college radio station, and the other is called the "Missouri Derby," sponsored by the university via the College Music Committee. This year they combined Springfest and the Derby by having a Springfest stage and a Derby stage with each stage alternating with little to no breaks in music from 4:30 on. And they had free food! The two big names on the Derby stage were Common and Jurassic 5. The Springfest stage featured Mahjongg and MISSION OF BURMA!

Not only did I want to catch this show at the place where I spent some of the greatest years of my life, it would've been a grand reunion of sorts. I already knew there were a few friends from all over the country flying/driving to Columbia for the weekend, but I just found out that there were even more people from my days at KCOU in Columbia this weekend. Goddammit, I don't know when something like this will happen again. I wish I could turn back time and party with those folks again.