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Features

Published: 2012/04/24

H.O.R.D.E. Stories: Kyle Hollingsworth (A Fan’s Perspective)

The H.O.R.D.E. Tour debuted in July 1992 with four shows featuring Blues Traveler, Phish, Widespread Panic, Spin Doctors, and Col. Bruce Hampton and Aquarium Rescue Unit. Then in August the H.O.R.D.E. resumed with four additional dates, with Bela Fleck & The Flecktones swappin in for Phish.

Future String Cheese Incident keyboard player Kyle Hollingsworth attended the performance at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD on August 9, 1992. His memory of the event appears below (to check out all of our special H.O.R.D.E. content, which we will post over the coming weeks, visit www.relix.com/HORDE).

*****

I read the most recent Relix article about that first H.O.R.D.E. show and I wanted to share my memories of this event.

During that time, I was studying music in Baltimore and was a fan of Bela Fleck & the Flecktones. I had heard “Flight of the Cosmic Hippo” on the local college station and said, “man, that is a cool sound, I would love to be in a band like that one day.” So when I heard they were coming to Merriweather Post Pavilion, I was psyched. And because I was a fan of Spin Doctors as well, I went out bought tickets the first day they went on sale.

My friend and I arrived on the day of the show holding two tickets in the AAA section. I had no idea where that was and I assumed we were going to be in some nosebleed section. We ended in the front row. Like very, very front row, I could literally lick the stage.

I saw so much music that day. ARU, Widespread Panic, Blues Traveler, and my favorites Bela and Spin Doctors. It was a wild environment. I had been to many Dead shows and was used to the hippie scene, but this was different. Everyone was younger, much more my age. It was like all the “Touch of Grey” kids from the Dead shows were finding a new scene of their own. And as I look back, I do feel that this was an emergence of a new generation of live music fans. We were finding music that spoke to us and we were bringing some of the elements of The Grateful Dead vibe to a new generation of “jam” bands.

It’s so weird that less than five years later I was touring across the country in an old ski bus playing music to a similar fan base, and ultimately meeting and playing with some of these same bands and musicians that I saw that day.

That was a great concert. It not only introduced me to a new set of artists, but also perhaps changed the course of my life.

Comments

There are 5 comments associated with this post

Marc April 25, 2012, 13:49:12

Glad you went to this life changing festy! Cuz my first cheese show damn sure changed my life :)

Tate van Cleve April 25, 2012, 14:51:30

Amen to the first post, string cheese adds so much richness, positivity & beauty to my life & Kyle on keys is a big part of that. Man I was only 13 when the horde tour happened & idk if they even came through the southwest but I would’ve loved to have been there. The only band that brings more joy & a bigger smile to my face than sci is phish. I hope neither one ever decides to hang it up again.

Noodles April 25, 2012, 21:56:37

Howdy. As a fellow Touch grad- thank you for sharing these memories. 1992 really was all Spin, Blues and yes, WSP- love their first CD just because there are pigeons on the roof ! then a buddy handed me a cassette from his high school dance- it was PHISH playing his boarding school. What a shin dig! Blew my mind, though Jerry in the boombox was certainly my standard roc-kin in the college sheets music. My wife and I took the ride with SCI, first show was in 98…. geez, we are not old! Thanks for the wonderful environment you helped created for us to enjoy. Cheers.

spaceurface April 26, 2012, 08:40:52

Saw HORDE at SPAC – what a beautiful day on the lawn – fine weather, great crowd, tasty tunes. I’d love to thank all those bands for influencing my life in a positive way. Keep on truckin’!

kyle April 26, 2012, 17:23:50

When I saw HORDE Phish and the ARU Blew everyone away. It was like watching All these bands then these 2 just showed them whats up. Love em all but those 2 blew it away. I mean the Spin Docrors havent done anything real in 15 years although neight has ARU so you never can tell. So happ this tour happened bc it was the best traveling fest ever to exist and if Perry Ferrel has something to say about it he can go F him self bc Lalapalooza is a corporate raped fest. Maybe if Horde would kept going the samw things would happened but guess what these bands didnt allow it and now 3 of them have had great careers with Phish, blues traveler and WSP deserving to be in the rock and roll hall of fame this tour showed us whats up. But if GNR got in thats not saying much with them only having 2 decent albums

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