Penny Lane:

A Collective Representation of Charlottesville

Nicholes Attar


 The concerts that I have been to have always been expressions of love and unity and

I knew as soon as this paper was assigned, that a concert was the type of experience that I

wanted to record in my ethnography. On October 14th, 2017 the Freefall Music and Arts

Festival would be my opportunity to do that. From 5-9pm at the IX Art Park in

Charlottesville, UVA’s own radio station, WTJU, hosted Alligator and Das Homage, two local

Charlottesville cover bands of The Grateful Dead, and The Beatles. I love the art park, and

while I’m not a fan of either band, I am a fan of the concert experience, so I was looking

forward to the event.

The title of my ethnography is a song by The Beatles. Penny Lane is a simple

ethnography about a bus terminus in Liverpool, England that Paul McCartney and John

Lennon frequented. They describe the quirky people and atmosphere of the town, and I

think that it’s an appropriate name given that I will be writing an ethnography of my own,

while listening to a cover of the band that made Penny Lane famous.

5:00

I arrive at the art park at exactly 5 pm, a little nervous that I’m late for the start of

the show, but ready to begin my ethnography. I’m pleasantly surprised that the band is still

setting up and that the venue is mostly empty, which gives me time to observe and

document my surroundings. I immediately notice the sunshine. It’s warm and bright,

reflective of the atmosphere around me, which is the second thing I notice. There is a

positive energy that is permeating throughout the space that’s radiating from the people.

The food trucks, which are all lined up in the parking lot, fill the space with the smells of

their savory locally sourced and organic comestibles. The population, comprised of mostly

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children and their parents, give a youthful exuberance to the space as the children run from

one interactive display to the next. They bang on a giant xylophone and wind chimed

shaped pipes, play with chalk to solve mazes painted on the ground or to imitate the murals

on the walls, and climb on the ridiculous Dr. Suess-esque bicycles. The parents sit leisurely

talking and laughing amongst themselves, enjoying their momentary vacation from

parental responsibilities.

Visually, the art park is a large concrete slab with two large concrete walls to the

north and the west. On the northern side, on opposite sides of the centered stage, are an

antique shop and a set of large glass windows. To the east, is a line of local vendors and

food trucks and to the south is a strip mall and garden. The actual art in the art park is

difficult to describe for two reasons. First, it spans every style and medium of art, from

cubist murals, to postmodern sculptures, to classical framed paintings. Second, the art is

everywhere, painted on the ground, on every wall, on the roofs, and spilling into the

parking lot. Any attempt at a written description of the entire art collection would

undoubtedly leave something out and fail to encapsulate all that makes it unique. I will try

to convey the feeling impressed upon a visitor, but to truly understand the grandeur and

intricacies of the park, it must be seen in person.

I love the art park because it’s different, with wild colors and obscure art.

Everything is interesting from the vendors’ homemade hard cider, Barboursville wine, tie-

dye clothes, and local food, to the set up of the art park, which was created through the

collective efforts of the locals. Everything Charlottesville has to offer is woven together into

a cultural tapestry. Everything is different and screams homemade.

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 I’ve decided to go exploring and the first thing that catches my eye is the antique

shop located behind and to the left of the stage. It draws me in with its unique and

bedraggled appearance. The storefront has the appearance of a large residential garage

with different objects strewn everywhere. As I enter, I’m struck by the assortment of

miscellanies, which were clearly assembled over decades from many individuals. It, much

like the art park, is entirely one of a kind because of the contributions from the people of

Charlottesville. A German stein, a box of Atari cartridges, funky clothes that I couldn’t even

begin to place; all of it adds to the charm.

As I leave, I notice the painted patterns and the randomly placed strips of AstroTurf

scattered across the concrete. Everything here is meant to be touched, to be played with,

and to be experienced. Nothing is done accidentally and it almost feels as if there’s nothing

you could bring here that would be out of place except for a matching set. Even though

nothing make sense, and most things would be considered out of place or unfashionable

anywhere else, the space is far from an eyesore. The entire park itself has become one giant

work of art.

Everywhere I look there’s something new, the lighthouse weathervane on the wall,

the metallic statue of a man watching over the entrance, the overgrown plant life taking

over one corner of the space. The children seem very comfortable here as they excitedly

play with all the fun new things. Maybe this is what it’s like for kids all the time. We adults

have become so accustomed to how the world works that we take things for granted and

get desensitized to reality. Here everything is as new to us as it is to the children. Maybe

that’s where the sense of wonder comes from. Intricacy and novelty.

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5:23

More people are beginning to show up but it’s far from crowded. The opening act is

still setting up so I’m going to go exploring again. This time, I inspect what is on the other

side of the big tinted windows behind the stage. I walk around the corner of the park, and

up a hill towards the entrance where I find the entrance to a restaurant. Inside, it’s obvious

that the owners are trying to build on the unique atmosphere of the nearby art park;

however, the restaurant instead stands in stark contrast of it. The first thing I notice is the

commercialization of the organic style that was just outside. They had combined the

aspects of locally sourced foods and craft brews, indie music, and contemporary

architecture with a sports bar atmosphere. The free, communal, good vibes energy that had

been was replaced with an exploitative mimicking of the freeform culture I had just been a

part of. This isn’t the place for my ethnography.

Back at the Art Park, more people have arrived and the demographic has changed.

The average age has increased as more adults have decided to come out. Everyone is

dressed very organically and, for the most part, seem to be wearing what they feel

comfortable in. Observing them is like looking at the background characters in a TV show;

no one stands out. I could describe each individual in an attempt to convey how these

people are dressed but my descriptions wouldn’t differ from however it is that you picture

a generic crowd. Everyone seems to have coordinated here to dress as inconspicuously as

possible.

The band has started to play. Although I don’t recognize the song, and am not a fan

of The Beatles, the live music undoubtedly adds to the atmosphere. When music is played

through a speaker, you either like the sounds of the instruments, and the lyrics to the song,

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or you don’t. When music is played live, you can feel the energy and regardless of how you

feel about the beat or the lyrics, there’s an inscrutable energy that’s impossible to dislike.

5:44

The children, oblivious to the music, save one little girl who’s hula hooping to the

beat, continue to play while the adults continue to socialize, everyone clearly enjoying the

atmosphere. I however, find myself growing bored again. Perhaps you aren’t meant to be

still in the art park, perhaps you get desensitized by being in one place for too long. Maybe

you need to be continually exploring and inquisitive about what the art park has to offer.

I’m going exploring again.

As I walk away from the stage, I’m again struck by the thought of how

representative of Charlottesville this place is. All of the art here was created by local artists,

all the food was grown and prepared by the people of Charlottesville, and even the music,

while being covers of famous songs, has a distinctly unique twist added in. And, I think

most importantly, everyone, young or old, black or white, rich or poor can contribute to or

experience everything that this place has to offer.

The garden to the south of the park has a walking trail through it. The garden is a

“wild garden” in that it’s made up of untrimmed local fauna. The purpose is to allow people

to experience the natural aspects of Charlottesville while not disturbing the wildlife. At this

art park, even the plants and animals are welcome.

I can hear the birds chirping while the music plays, which only adds to the

atmosphere. Being outside offers a special type of freedom. The fresh air blowing through

the venue allows the music to be carried by the wind and for the sounds to become

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intertwined with the natural ambience of the location. The entire event is an interaction

between the individual and everything the city of Charlottesville has to offer.

6:12

I’ve returned from the garden to the art park. Significantly more people have arrived

but it’s still far from crowded. Alligator, The Grateful Dead cover band, doesn’t start until 7

and I would assume that most people are out to dinner. The people who are here, while

enjoying the music, are clearly more interested in the experience, the food and drinks, the

atmosphere, the art, and each other.

6:33

I’m getting hungry so I buy a sustainably farmed codfish po’boy and a side of locally

grown organic sweet potato French fries. As I eat, I listen to and recognize a few of the

songs in the background and I realize that this is the first real interaction I’ve had with

what’s going on here. The entire day has been spent observing others and I have yet to stop

and actually enjoy the experience. The people around me are registering to vote at a

community outreach booth, buying fancy local alcohols and food, interacting with the art,

dancing to the music, and socializing.

I became distracted from the reason I came here – to write the ethnography – and I

started to pay attention to other things. I begin to forget my environment and I think that

makes for a better experience of the event. I wonder how different this would have been

had I brought friends with me. This is about the experience of the event and interacting

with other people, I believe, allows you to more fully experience your environment. I’m the

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only person here who’s focused on the surroundings, while everyone else is just a part of

them, enjoying them. Maybe the reason other ethnographers became disenchanted with

play is because they left it behind when they tried to study it. I’m going to try to forget

about this paper for a while and focus on enjoying the experience. The Grateful Dead cover

is up next.

7:14

The air has cooled off and the sun has begun to fade. The sound of the music mixes

well with the laughter of the children who are still running around and playing with all the

park has to offer. Even though the concertgoers are mostly middle aged or older, there’s a

very youthful vibe here. You can feel the timelessness of the moment and the electricity in

the air, generated from the interconnectedness of everyone sharing one common goal: to

have a good time.

7:47

Now a larger crowd arrives and the atmosphere has become distinctly more mature

as the children slip home with their parents in the dark. The demographic loses its youth

but maintains its youthfulness as the adults match the ageless energy of the music. I

expected a concert full of people old enough to be my parents or my parent’s parents to be

tame and uneventful but, it turns out, that there is very little difference in concert etiquette

between generations. The alcohol is starting to work its effect and people are starting to

express themselves more though more jovial conversations and insouciant dancing. We’re

between sets right now.

7:55

The second act has started and the adults are all very excited. They’re drinking and

swaying, throwing their hands in the air. They’re alive, maybe remembering their youth.

Perhaps when I’m older I’ll be at a Kanye West or Linkin Park cover band in the park, and,

hopefully, I’ll be as happy as these people are tonight. They look ridiculous, bobbing and

bouncing along to Casey Jones, but certainly no more ridiculous than my generation and

the dances that we perform. Music, and our experience of it, really is ageless.

The air is cool and crisp, a perfect temperature. The music is good and the energy is

consistent and palpable. The smell of cigarettes and beer fills the air. There’s certainly a

more mature vibe than what I experienced earlier. The raw bulbs, hung on strings that

zigzag across the park, combine with the stage lights to create a paracosm where society

fades away and nothing exists but this moment. Everyone seems lost in themselves and in

the music and it becomes increasingly difficult to document the intangibles that make up

this uniquely human experience.

How do I convey the paradoxical intimacy of this large gathering and the energy of

these adults who, under these dim string lights swaying to the vibrations of the speakers in

the cool air, are reliving their youth through the music? Everyone is here to have a good

time and it crosses societal rules and regulations. Here everyone is happy because

everyone is a simultaneously contributing to and experiencing this Charlottesville event.

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8:59

The set ends but the energy lingers. People are still enjoying the atmosphere but I’m

exhausted and decide to return to UVA. I’ve experienced the event from the long build up of

children playing and parents casually interacting to the background music, through the

crescendo of the crowd coming alive as the band really begins to play, to the climax of what

might as well have been the entire city dancing to the music as one. I had come here with

the expectations of seeing a generic event of food and music but I leave with a newfound

appreciation for not only Charlottesville and the culture that it offers, but for music and the

power it has to cross demographic lines and to bring together a community.

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