On Tuesday, Doug, gRegor and I left Indy and headed over to Illinois to Cornerstone 2008, the 25^th year for the festival, my 3^rd year attending. Doug drove, gRegor and I slept. I did some reading and writing on the way over. I actually blogged the whole time, just in my actual journal. We stopped on the way there at Arby’s. There happened to be a Jimmy Johns across the street to which I ran over to get myself a sub. SUBS SO FAST YOU’LL FREAK. =)  After lunch we continued onward. There was a sign that said, “So Thern Peaches”.  At first I read it and I was like “thern, whats that?”. Then I realized it was “Southern” and I found it so funny, I quoted it the rest of the week.  We also stopped at Walmart to pick up a few more things that we needed. Then it was a straight shot to Cornerstone.

Upon arrival we scouted out a spot to camp at. There is a pond next to the lake and a small field that had some good shade. We decided on it. It was really quite beautiful.  We set tents up [Thanks Jeremiah!] which was easier than I remembered. Then gRegor and I ventured out to find the Piradical kids. Talked to Stephen and Kyle a bit. Then gRegor, Kyle and I went over to the merch tents, where I ran into Scotty. gRegor and I scouted out the Cornerstone t-shirt tent. I bought a shirt. It’s pretty cool and reminded me of LOST. I also saw the Bloomington kids briefly while I was in the merch tent. Then gRegor and I headed back to camp. Had a bite to eat and then I went to find the Bloomington kids campsite, they were mostly gone so I left and went to watch Run Kid Run and Spoken. gRegor and Doug were there. We sat around through some other less awesome bands. Spoken was awesome, as usual. Last year they started out with a Michael Jackson song [Beat It, if I remember correctly.] This year, they started out with Destiny Child’s Bootylicious. One of the guitarist even sang part of it during their first song, it was awesome. gRegor and I headed back to camp, Doug came shortly after, then I passed out.

On Wednesday, I headed over to the Btown kids site and talked with them for a bit. It was nice to catch up with Levi and Alyse. I love them. I also met Jake, who was friends with some of the CL kids. He happens to go to IUPUI, so thats was neat. We went and saw Of The Son, the band that usually comes with us, who we are all friends with. They were great. It was good to see them again. Ryan and Nathan are probably 2 of the funniest people I know.  After OTS played I needed foods, so I went back to the site and ate.  I think I did some more walking around or something. gRegor and I had dinner later, some vegetarian food, it was decent. We also had Thai Coffee. It was amazing. I could live off of it. Then we headed down to main stage. I sat with him for a bit during Disciple. I went closer for Family Force 5, where I found the Bloomington kids and Of The son. We all sang and danced during FF5. It was fun. Skillet’s show was amazing. I was very impressed. They had a great light show and an amazing violinist who was fun to watch.  Flyleaf, was so so. Nothing special, basically the same show as last year…Skillet should have headlined.  I left so I could make it up to Cool Hand Luke. I ran the entire way---in flip flops. It started raining a bit too. I made it in time. Cool Hand, was great. They played my 2 favorite songs. The lead singer is very sincere. I really admire them. After CHL I went to find Ryan and Josh [from Of The Son]. They were watching The Myriad play. After that we went to their camp site. I offered Josh a place to sleep so he wouldn’t have to head home with the rest of the guys. So after talking and joking around with Ryan a bit we headed back to my site and crashed.

Thursday I went to see Deas Veil with Doug. Stayed for most of it, they were pretty good. Then I had a seminar to go to. I stopped by the volunteer tent and talked to gRegor for a bit and twittered [www.twitter.com/ishkid]. Then I headed over to the seminar. I guess I was just too tired or I just didn’t connect with the seminar so I left.   Had dinner with gRegor and Josh.  gRegor and I got something to drink [more Thai Coffee!] Then I headed to Main Stage to see Hawk Nelson [I use to love them a lot]. They were pretty good. I sprinted back up to the other stages to see Photoside Café with gRegor. They were outstanding. I ended up losing my camera there. We left and grabbed chairs from the campsite and then we headed down to Main Stage to see Anberlin. I realized I didn’t have my camera so sprinted all the way back to the other stages then to the campsite and had no luck finding it. I sprinted back down to Main Stage in time to see Anberlin start. They were good like usual. I think Stephen [lead singer] has a hard time annunciating when he sings, because it was not the first time that I thought the vocals could’ve been better.

On Friday [4^th of July], I got up and stuffed my belly full of food and headed over to the Red Cross to give blood with the btown kids. My vitals were great, it was the first time that my iron was actually good and not low. It only took 6 minutes to bleed out a pint. Alyse had finished giving blood so we sat with Josh until Levi and Charlie were done. Munched on Cheetos. Then we all sat and talked some more, took some photos.  The shirt we got for donating is great: Blood Donors Rock, An American Hero. Haha. Later, Charlie, Levi and I went to Main Stage for Flatfoot 56. That was a crazy show. It was the 25^th anniversary celebration night, so there were a lot of bands playing. There were a lot of people down there before Flatfoot went on. They decided to do a wall of death, which is basically, two lines facing enough and they run and crash into each other. It sounds not as cool as it actually was. Then there was a huge circle pit, the biggest one I’ve ever seen. Flatfoot did a great rendition of Amazing Grace. I watched the many bands that played. Eventually gRegor and Doug joined me.  I went back and forth between sitting with them and the Btown group. That night we were all taking communion. So they started handing it out and candles as well.  Let me mention there were like 20,000 people at Cornerstone and that night, everything else was closed except for Main Stage. It was an awesome site to see once all the candles started being lit. Charlie Peacock, whom, gRegor informed me, once he started playing DC Talk’s “In the Light”---wrote that song, was fantastic, I really enjoyed him.  David Crowder played last. Levi and I went into the crowd a bit, I sang and danced. He put me on his shoulders, it was great. Then gRegor, Levi and I got a good spot by the lake and watched the fireworks go off, they were grrreat.  I went up with Levi to their site and hung out with them for a bit.  Had some inside out marshmallows.  I headed back to camp and crashed.

Woke up Saturday and felt funny. I think it was from giving blood and being a bit dehydrated. I ate and drank some water and felt better. Found the Bloomington kids and hung out with the. We watched a game of Buck Buck [http://tinyurl.com/39dfax] and went to this tea house, which was a huge tent. They gave out free tea. It was yummy. Then we headed back to camp and hung out for a bit. Jake, one of the guys that we were hanging out with [who actually goes to IUPUI] played Buck Buck and he had this terrible bruise on his arm. It looked miserable. Oddly it just went away a couple hours later. I went back to camp later and Doug told me Cool Hand Luke was playing again so I went over there with him. gRegor was at the show as well. They were great…again. I bought a shirt, with Buffalo on it, I love Cool Hand and also it reminded of Shawn and his buffalo. gRegor and I got some Thai coffee and headed back to camp. I ate some foods then headed over to check for my camera at lost & found. Someone turned it in! Though, all the photos were deleted. I headed over to the Btown campsite and we went over to Main Stage for the final night. I didn’t like the bands really, so Charlie and I left and found a campsite that was playing The Office on the big screen. It was AWESOME. James joined us as well, then Levi and Jake. It was great to just sit and watch that after a long week of going going going Then we headed back to their site and goofed around. Finally went back to my campsite to sleep around 3. We all got up and started packing up the site. We left and headed home.

And now random things….

One night when gRegor and I were walking back to the campsite I looked up and saw the stars. It was amazing. There were so many, they were so clear. It was as if I had forgotten there were so many.   Also, during David Crowder’s set there was one point where I felt like we were just floating in space or something. The lights were so bright and the sky was completely dark, it just casted a weird illusion to me.  The weather was pretty fantastic. The sun was hot but the breeze was cool. It only rained for about 2 hours one night, it wasn’t hard rain either.  

gRegor saved me from a tick. It was crawling up my arm and I freaked out! I bought a new ankle bracelet. I bought one last year and it lasted all the way up until a few days until Cstone when I accidently grabbed it and it broke. Its around my arm now. I bought 3 this year, just in case. They are made my Filipino people. The money is returned to them for much more than they usually sell them for.  I tried a Tofu dog. I don’t like hot dogs [though I did eat one, also]. But Tofu dogs are so good. I was so happy to like them, because it always kinda sucks not liking hot dogs when someone cooks them in the summer. Now Ill just start buying those and bringing them. Not to mention, they have to be healthy than the crap in hot dogs . gRegor and I had an ice spitting contest…it was awesome. I totally won. He really needs to work on his skills He talked in his sleep on the 2^nd night, too. I couldn’t really understand much other than “Fuck….ramble ramble…”

I only showered once. I know, I know, gross. It wasn’t that bad though. I hate the way the water smells [of sulfur/eggs] so I just didn’t enjoy it much/wasn’t worth is. I got a pretty decent tan on my face, legs, arms and scalp. My feet also have great tan lines from my sandals.

Cornerstone is almost like entering another world. You go from complete order [or close to it] to complete chaos. Everyone there is so different, from hairstyles [mullets, mohawks, dye] , to types of music [metal, punk, indie] , to clothes [punk, hippie, metal], to ways of thinking. You experience every smell from sweat, to port-a-potties, to the smell of a campfire that can take you so many places you’ve already been. Cornerstone is an escape, a place to be you, just you, no one else. I didn’t have to wake up and shower, blow dry and straighten my hair. I just threw clothes on, dirty or clean. I ate whatever, walked, ran, sweat, smiled. I stopped worrying. I’m not saying I was perfectly happy the entire time, but for the most part I lived. It didn’t matter what I was doing, what I looked like, because everyone was just happy to be alive. To be there. To dance, jump, shove or sway to the music. To experience something, anything. To just live.

I left home and headed to Cornerstone wanting to escape reality. And I guess in a lot of ways I did. I pushed a lot of things to the back of my mind as much as I could. Although they were in the back of my mind, I still tried to mull things over and figure out the best course of action for my life.  I hung out with people that I hadn’t seen in a year, who knew nothing about anything I have been going through. It was just like I was living someone else’s life. It was nice. There were moments when I felt so much more connected with God than I’ve felt in a long time. I could see him in the trees, in the passion that some bands showed, in the grass, in the ants that crawled and creeped me out, in the many many children that graced my path.  I want to get back to the point I use to be at. I want to clean up myself. I felt better there and I want to feel better here.  I always find so much beauty when I’m at Cornerstone and I feel like I lose it shortly after returning.

I know I’m leaving something out. I’m sure it’ll come to me after I post it.

Here are the bands I saw:

 Tuesday:
Ivory Line
Run Kid Run
Jonezetta
Spoken

Wednesday:
Of The Son
Disciple
Family Force 5
Skillet
Flyleaf
Cool Hand Luke
The Myriad

Thursday:
Deas Veil
Leeland
Hawk Nelson
Anberlin

Friday:
Flatfoot 56
The Lee Boys
Mike Faris
The Glorious Unseen
The 77s
Michael Gungor Band
Josh Garrels
The Lost Dogs
Glenn Kaiser Band
Over the Rhine
Robbie Seay Band
Charlie Peacock
David Crowder Band

Saturday:
Cool Hand Luke
Demon Hunter
As I Lay Dying

A Korah Prayer of Heman