Chetwood Mac and Mega Vagabond

Last night Landroval enjoyed another great tribute concert, as an oddly familiar-looking band calling itself Chetwood Mac appeared on the Methel-stage in Bywater, with another oddly familiar group opening for them under the name of Mega Vagabond. Though I must confess that my familiarity with the originals extended only far enough to Google the names of the bands being thus tributed, and not so far as to have heard any of the music before, the Middle-earth versions of both bands sounded great! Despite some trouble with overzealous fans throwing down colored circles and fireworks and such that may’ve been meant just to add to the fun but were problematic for some attendees as well as for the process of recording the show, it still was a very enjoyable concert.

So without further ado, and with minimal comment – pictures!

Rain and Song at Summer’s Gates

It’s not quite time yet for LOTRO’s Summer Festival (at least I don’t think it is. When does that start again? I have alts who need dancing lessons….), but Landroval players celebrated the beginning of Summer with a festival of their own last night at the Elven festival of Tarin Austa, or the Gates of Summer. Mar Vanwa Tyalieva hosted this event, quite unique among those I’ve attended in LOTRO. Like MVT’s spring event, Nost-na-Lothion, Tarin Austa was planned according to notes from the Book of Lost Tales on Elven customs. I love what Fionnuala and MVT have been doing with their interpretations of these Elven festivals! They’ve produced some highly creative and enjoyable player-run events, and Tarin Austa was no exception. Much more than just another concert of in-game music (although I’m sure you can tell from my blog that I think such concerts are wonderful), this was a celebration of summer’s return and the rising sun that made for a wonderful immersive experience in Tolkien’s world. It began as the revelers gathered at midnight at the Buckland Gate….

Nost-na-Lothion, The Birth of Flowers

Mar Vanwa Tyalieva puts on a great concert every Saturday night in Bree, but tonight was something special. The premise of MVT’s Nost-na-Lothion celebration was taken from a brief comment of Tolkien’s about the observance of this festival in Gondolin, and from that the fine MVT folk came up with a celebration of Spring that was a joy to attend!

When Lennidhren first arrived at the Cottage of Lost Play, MVT’s kinhouse, there did seem to be a majority of Elves in attendance, but as the evening went on, all races of the free peoples came to be well represented (though I think the tall folk still had a majority…there were but a handful of Dwarves and Hobbits).

We first had music and dancing out on the lawn…

I think Lennidhren stepped on Olyver’s foot or something. Not sure why he is cowering in the next scene, actually.

MVT Concert at the Pony, May 8

First, a reminder – everyone’s invited to visit Linett on Nimrodel for the Spring Blogger Gathering, May 15!

And now, some scenes from yesterday’s edition of the weekly Mar Vanwa Tyalieva concert at the Prancing Pony! (Note – you can click on all the pictures for full size; and you can also just see the full album here!)

Chicken Dance ‘n’ This Week’s LOTRO Social Circuit

First, a reminder – everyone’s invited to visit Linett on Nimrodel for the Spring Blogger Gathering, May 15!

And now for this week’s reports on the Landroval social circuit. (Seriously, my blog is turning into the society reporter’s page, isn’t it? Not that I have a problem with that, and hopefully you all don’t mind either. Certainly seems I’m posting a lot more regularly – and not just the event reports – since I started attending all these events…anyway, back to the report now!) Lennidhren attended her usual weekly events: Mar Vanwa Tyalieva’s concert on Saturday, and Ales & Tales on Monday.

Working backwards, I shall begin with last night’s Ales and Tales, held at the highly amusing venue of Sandson’s Chicken Farm in Michel Delving.

Social Altoholic, Wishing LOTRO a Happy Birthday!

If there were a name for how I play LOTRO lately, it would be Social Altoholism.

I don’t actually need an excuse to roll a new alt, of course…after all, I have all nine slots filled on my home server of Nimrodel, and they don’t fit under the “Social” term because there’s seldom anything social happening on that server. (Linett once attended a very spiffy party at the Bree festival grounds, though. Fireworks and hide-and-seek. Heard about it in a Regional chat announcement and decided on the spur of the moment to go see what was going on, and it was a ton of fun! Nimrodelians, we should do that oftener.)

Lately, however, my altoholism has spread onto more than half of the other servers, and the root cause is from reading about all the great social events people on those servers have planned. Lennidhren first took up her staff and book on Landroval for the original Great Blogger Gathering, then there were concerts and finally Ales & Tales. But when, at the second Blogger Gathering, we discussed reprising that event on different servers…well, I went ahead then and started up alts on the home servers of everyone who expressed willingness to host one in the future. So I think the only servers I don’t have a character on now are…Vilya, Arkenstone, Elendilmir, and Gladden. If anyone on those servers is thinking of taking a turn hosting a Blogger Gathering, do let me know, and I will move an alt into your neighborhood post haste, oh yes I will.

Anyway, my Brandywine alt (Linnell*) came in handy when I saw an announcement on the forums about Brandywine’s traditional celebration of the anniversary of LOTRO’s launch, the Popul Festivus. Swallowing my impulse to nitpick the dodgy Latin there, I decided Linnell would love to take part in this huge server-wide party, and spent some time yesterday leveling her so she could get to the Brandywine bridge safely and be ready to run around in the races.

Floating Vegetables Follow Vanita, While….

[rest of title that wouldn't fit in the editor:...While Lennidhren longs to dance.]

Unfortunately however, this floating bunch of blueberries was not quite the right height for Vanita to add it to her novelty hat collection. It would’ve fit Alduine or another of the tallfolk though!