The brutal heat wave was the talk of
the day as Oracle took to the stage at Laurel Lakes for the 2012 City of
Laurel Independence Day celebration.
While the vast majority of folks
waited until the sun had dipped a bit lower in the sky and the heat had
dropped from it's high of 105 degrees to a balmy 99, a core group of die
hard Oracle fans and a handful of sun worshipers, along with a few
folks from Texas, Arizona, and Kansas who didn't think the heat was much
to talk about. came out as we kicked off our fifth consecutive year at
Laurel promptly at 5:15.
Amazingly enough, crowd estimates at the conclusion of the concert were nearing 50,000 people...not exactly what you would call a small group to perform for!!! Hey...any time you get an opportunity to perform for this many people you jump at the chance!
Even more amazing was the fact that there was not one person treated for dehydration, heat exhaustion, or any other heat related maladies. Folks KNEW it was hot, and came prepared with cover, plenty of water, and the right attitude!
As always, the kids were the highlight of the day, hanging out at the edge of the stage throughout the day, singing along to the songs they knew, and watching mesmerized to the songs they didn't.
Here's a slideshow containing all the photos we processed from the day's events. We hope you enjoy!
To say it was a hot evening would be a gross understatement.
With temperatures consistently in the triple digit range, most of the afternoon, the folks at Whispers Restaurant in Glen Burnie had cranked the AC to the max early on, so that it was still pretty cool at the beginning of the evening.
But then you go and add a full house of people on the dance floor partying hard, the doors opening constantly as even more folks entered, well...the room never had a chance!
Some large fans helped keep the dancers cool, and of course plenty of iced libations didn't hurt any either!
We were celebrating the birthday of the heart and soul of Oracle, our own Veronica. Her passion for music and performance have taken Oracle from performing for 10 people in a half empty club to performing for packed houses at clubs like Whispers and for thousands at concerts like the upcoming performance at the Laurel Independence Day concert on July 7th.
It's ironic that the storms that so devastated the area Friday night made little impression on the area at Whispers. Spared the full brunt of the storm, most people there were totally unaware of the devastation being wreaked throughout the region...that is, until we all started to drive home, and found our paths blocked by downed trees and debris all over the roadway.
The Bay Bridge had been forced to close due to a major truck accident that closed it going both ways, and Steve had to drive through a small field to get home...trees were blocking access to his whole neighborhood. And while literally millions of people were without power, (and many STILL without power at this writing), the electricity at Whispers never even flickered.
Let's face it, Mother Nature LIKES Oracle Band, and didn't want to spoil Veronica's birthday party!!!
We hope you enjoy the photos from the evening, and we'll be returning to Whispers on the last Friday of each month for the rest of the year.
