WWW.YOBEAT.COM

Issues :: Archives :: Photos :: Staff :: Links :: Mail

The Story of The Blue Lodge

As the unofficial media whore of the Blue Lodge, it’s only natural that Yo Beat would make the trip to the biggest Blue Lodge event since, well, the Blue Lodge existed. Okay, so I only lived in Plymouth for the first year of the Lodge, when it was actually a dry house and missed out on the theme parties, kegs and Kia destruction, but still, I wasn’t going to miss the latest Bendini Production.

On November 24, 2004, at the Andover Town Hall, the shit went down. Mike Parziale and Ben Fee spent the week or so prior to that fateful date holed up in a cabin in the backwoods of New Hampshire, laughing hysterically and editing down 120 hours of footage to a one hour epic of their two years at the Blue Lodge. Yes, even though Ben made this movie, it was only an hour. And a memory filled hour at that.

But the real highlight of this movie was the high school reunion-esque event that was the premiere. Everyone who was anyone in Plymouth was there, including the majority of the lodge residents, Plymouth townies and PSC Alum, Lodge parents and White Mountain snowboard camp campers, not to mention a few High Cascade homies who the crew picked up over the years.

Everyone mingled as Mike and Ben put the finishing touches on the film at around 8:05 (hey, this was a Bendini Production), during which time I took it upon myself to make a few astute observations about the crowd.

-Somehow, the Lodge attracted two friends who are nicknamed Larry. The girl Larry and the boy Larry, or Jason (who lived there) and Laura (who didn’t.)

-Out of the whole group, only two have reproduced, so far. Eric Larochelle (whose pregnant wife was not actually in attendance) and Andy Pax.

-Noticeably missing was Chad Snyder. And not one story was told about kayaking the entire night.

-Niether the Marks or the Kevins made it, although McGarry was there in photo form.

Okay, being astute hurts my head plus it’s not nearly as funny as I had envisioned it to be when I thought about doing it. I took a bunch of pictures and they’re worth a thousand words, right? So look at them and be bummed because you missed out.

At the parking lot afterparty, everyone enjoyed a little Harrison's. (l to r) Mike Parziale, Brian Barb, Ben Fee and Andy Benhardt	Baugley and Matty Johnson made the trip from the greater Massachusetts area. Well, I think Matty lives in Mass still, yeah, he totally does.
Chris Ryan came all the way from Colorado, Jamey Grieco from Oregon and Luke Mathison, well I think he still lives in New Hampshire but it was good to see him anyway.	White Mountain Snowboard Camp camper and Andover loke, Hondo isn't really a bag person, he just dressed that way to get all the cheap bastards to chip in for expenses incurred to make the movie and have such a wonderful party.
Boy "Larry" Jason Contarino and how could I ever have forgotten Dan Bickerstaffe, who's shirt is actually an optical illusion.	Plymouth homegrowns Ben Fee and Steve Crampton.
Pax and Mini Pax.	A couple hot broads, oh wait that's just Nugget and Sarah Morrison.
Paul Miller and that girl Larry.	Dan "Tan Balls" Potter. I remember that guy.
Old Man Mulcahy and THE Eric Larochelle.	Paul Miller, the Preston and Pete Lee, and I really should know who that is in the background, but I don't.
Belknap cronie James, back from a surf odyssey just for the premiere.	Barb and Louie spend some quality time with Old Man McGarry.
Wayne Stokes, Pete Jacobs and Will Roth. Yeah, they were all there.	Jamey Grieco and the man who made it all possible for us to be his friend, Pops Grieco.