My first experience with this
wonderful convention was in 2004. If I recall, I found out about it
because of a fan group for the TV show The Tribe, pointing out to me that
actors from the show had been there the year before and would be again that year.
As a supporter of the show and its cast I naturally signed up for the
convention. I didn’t realize I would be signing up for an life experience
instead.
With the exception of the two years I was rather big and pregnant, I have been at DragonCon ever since. As a friend of mine once said, “It’s the one place that I have seen where, for four days, everyone can truly be themselves and not be judged for it.” If anything, complete strangers can thank them and compliment them for it. My husband added to this quote by saying this:
“It’s the only place I have ever
been where you can see Voldemort hug Optimus Prime…and it’s normal.”
There you have it, bro.
The thing that makes DragonCon stand
out for me from any other convention is the utter lack of down time. You
always have something to do and so much variety to choose from that it’s almost
nauseating. Writing, reading, music, acting, dancing, cosplay, special
effects classes, science, paranormal, art, comics, movies…and this isn’t even
touching on the panels that you sit in on. These are the activities
themselves, and only a handful. That is what keeps me coming back; the
sheer volume of choices.
The best part of all those
choices? I have been to conventions that have their set start times and
stop times, then you have to go back to your hotel and that is that.
DragonCon is a multi-day, twenty-four-seven party that never stops and never
sleeps. Half of the choices that I listed take place well after most
conventions have shut their doors for the night. How’s that for the
energy drink of conventions?
For me and mine, one of our favorite
places to haunt has became the Filk Track. We stumbled upon it last year,
curious about the Firefly Drinking Songs. We’re dedicated Browncoats so
it was naturally a draw. Five minutes into one Instafilk panel and we
were hooked. You pick a fandom, then you pick a popular song, and you
Filk it to that fandom in the panel’s allotted time. Simple as
that. It’s more addictive than you can possibly imagine. We’ll be
spending most of our time at the Filk track this year to be sure. Would
you not want to stay in a room with people that took “Let It Go” from Frozen,
mixed Star Trek: The Next Generation, and filked the song “Make It So?”
Come on, you know you want to.
To know me means that you know I’m
the perfect real life mixture of Buffy, Piper from Charmed, with a little Sam
Winchester from Supernatural thrown in for good measure. This means I
spend my days knee deep in the dirty work. I’m a martial artist by trade,
am a Type A personality, and I don’t have a feministic tendency in me. So
when I discovered the Armory Track, it was like Christmas two months
early. There are panels on silencers and suppressors, ballistics and
explosives, and a full armory full of everything from inert explosive devices,
detonators, and cannons, to medieval and martial arts weapons. So…many…
feels. Just remember to look, but don’t touch. Unless you have VIP
access, you aren’t that special. These aren’t toys; they’re the real
thing. And they make me feel like a kid in a candy store.
As you might have guessed from the
previous paragraph, I’m a workout nut. When I workout I need my
tunes. I have to have music blaring when I’m sweating it out. As a
result I never come home from DragonCon without a new CD in my pocket.
The music at the Con is not just an experience; it is its own music
festival. I frequent The Cruxshadows and the Bromdignagian Bards.
The first time I heard The Cruxshadows in concert I went to their booth
immediately and walked away with over fifty bucks in music. I was hooked
from the get-go. Then came the wonderful world of Voltaire. I can
thank my husband for exposing me to him. You have never lived until you
have experienced his live show. Hearing his music is hilarious in and of
itself, but the show is even better. Try getting the Sexy Data Tango out
of your head afterwards. I dare ya. Experiencing at least one live
concert of your choosing at DragonCon should be a requirement. Or at
least something to guilt your friend over if they miss out.
One of the highlights of the Con is
one very special place that rests in the Peachtree Centre. It is the
light of my Atlanta extravaganza, the epicenter of my culinary world, the tippy
tip top of my foody food chain:
Yami-Yami.
Sushi is my favorite food,
people. If I had the budget for it I would eat it every day and not feel
guilty. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner…you name it and I’ll down it with a
side of Wasabi and ginger, baby. I’m very picky on my sushi; it has to be
just right. If it isn’t great, I won’t waste my time. Since that
lovely place dropped into the Peachtree Centre and into the world of
DragonConners everywhere, I have found no one that measures up. I turn my
nose up at all other restaurants and mutter, “Humph! Don’t think
so! You’re not Yami-Yami!” They set the bar for me and broke the
control so it could never be lowered again. I make sure to have the money
in my budget to eat there at least once on my trip. It’s an experience, a
way of life, a sensation, and ohhhhh I love every minute of it.
My husband exposed me to Mafia/Wolf
games. I had no idea how awesome they could be to play….until I sat at
DragonCon with my teen and played “Are You A Death Eater?” That’s a big
draw that I look forward to revisiting again and again. The Mafia/Wolf
games can be organized by track or sometimes just found “underground,”
ran independently by fans. Find one and run with it. Everyone
is assigned a role and must hide it from the group. The “bad guys” spend
the “night phases” killing off the innocents, while everyone attempts to find
each other’s identities and expose them in the “day phases” in an effort to
eliminate them. Some have special abilities that save them or help to reveal
other’s true natures, if only to themselves. But the last one standing
wins. I was a Death Eater last year, and it came down to me and Lord
Voldemort….who sold me out and won the day. Darn it.
Now I give you two glorious words,
my friend. Drum Circle. I shouldn’t have to say anything
more. The energy of that place is amazing. A huge circle of dancing
lead by bongos, wind instruments, etc. Everyone trades out when tired,
taking turns playing to keep the music going well into the AM hours. You
feel so alive walking in there that you can’t help but walk up to a drummer and
offer to take the drums when they want to take a break. Your inner Rickie
Ricardo just screams to come out!
If you read Part One of my Tabletop
review then you know my family is all about the gaming. So the gaming
hall below the Hilton is where we head in the evenings to unwind. Magic
Cards, We Didn’t Playtest This, Munchkin…you name it and we’ll bring it.
Sometimes we’ll hop in on the tournaments if we feel froggy. It’s the place
to be when you want to hang with the gaming crowd and get your competition
on. Besides, being gamers is what got my husband and I together in the
first place so it is definitely our place of Zen. Our wedding cake
toppers were Cecil and Rosa from Final Fantasy 2, so need I say more?
These are the things that keep me
coming back to DragonCon each year. We pack our bags and coolers, burn
our music for the road trip, and hit the Interstate for several days of crazy
goodness. The regular requirement, however? Our road music must
include Bad Company’s “Oh Atlanta,” and must be the first song we play as we
hit the Interstate.
It should be law, people.
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