I’m gonna see if we can try again with a few changes to improve picture quality and 3D effect ‘n stuff.

Here are Amazon links to very inexpensive 3D glasses, as well as some of the equipment used to film the clip.

The contest’s top three winners received all-access photo passes to Summer Jamboree 2011 in Senigalia, Italy. This annual event is, ”the most famous and important international festival of music and american culture from the 40’s and 50’s in Europe.” It features “live shows [and] dj sets specially dedicated to swing, rock’n’roll, jive, doo-wop, rhythm ‘n’ blues, hillbilly and western swing, with dance lessons in the subject with the best teachers from all over the world.” See this link for more info.

Europeans celebrating American music and culture? Kinda refreshing to hear. Remember The Stray Cats in the 80′s? They were huge in Europe before they broke out in the US. We visited Germany and Spain just last September, but I had no clue anything like that was still going on. For the last decade or two, it seems most of what we’ve heard about Europeans’ perception of us is negative. Many Americans pretend to be Canadian when visiting Europe, and that’s not just because of the terrorism thing. On a side note, does anybody really think terrorists aren’t smart enough to figure that shit out?

So anyway, rockers from non-English speaking countries have always fascinated me. The Scorpions, Loudness, Shonen Knife, Gogol Bordello…their styles are all kinda stereotypical, but in a good way. The interpretation is different, but the spirit of rock lives in them. Those bands were successful enough to be noticed in the US, but how does the rest of Europe rock? And who wouldn’t be interested to see crowds of Europeans swingin’ to the oldies on the Italian seaside?

Wait a sec…but what’s the deal with this HILLBILLY stuff? For real? I gotta see me some Europeans rockin’ it hillbilly style! It is, to paraphrase the TV show about those lovable Beverly bumpkins, PHOTO GOLD!!! Shocking, confusing…eyeball-grabbing images. That’s prime wonderdude material we’re talking about!

Imagine Vincenzo and Alessandra busting out this action?

WHAAT?? Too good to be true? The social scientist in me had to know.

A little google action produced a 2002 Summer Jamboree band list featuring photos of two hillbilly music bands. Check it out for yourself. The Barnshakers from Finland? Their look is fairly back-woodsy, no? Ace’s Trio, a “new Italian hillbilly combo?” They’re lookin’ kinda spiffy. Hmmm.

My quest for knowledge ended at the Wikipedia entry for “Hillbilly.” In the music chapter it says, “Hillbilly music was at one time considered an acceptable label for what is now known as country music.”

Hmpf! Is this common knowledge? I have no shame in exposing my ignorance, however, for I took action and replaced it with knowledge. Seriously though, country music is one of those things I just never got into. Will Rogers said it best: “Everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects.”

It appears Europeans still use old terminology to refer to traditional country music. Is that offensive? It’s clear they don’t intend to offend; they’re doing nothing but celebrating one slice of America, right? I’m not offended…but I’m a multicultural yankee (dad’s from Wisconsin, mom’s from Germany).

Should Europeans be expected to change their wording because it’s now considered offensive here? Nope – that would be arrogant. They are in their own countries, and they only mean well. On the other hand, if I were a hillbilly-music-loving European on a trip to the USA, I’d sure want advance warning about that particular cultural difference. Imagine the German guy who strides into the Texas honky-tonk and loudly proclaims, “Hay kowboys! I haf come all ze vhay here frum JER-many becuss ZIS iz zeh home of hillbilly muzik!!”

That hypothetical situation cracks me up, but in general, is the word “hillbilly” still considered offensive in America? I suppose it depends on how you say it. Overall though, it seems people have started to “take back” the term, like what happened with “redneck.” When you embrace them, slurs and stereotypes lose their negative power, right?

Hillbilly-Music.com doesn’t seem a problem with the word, and Wikipedia goes on to explain, “the term hillbilly music is still used on occasion to refer to old-time music or bluegrass. Which way do Europeans play it? If you recall the 2002 Summer Jamboree band list, The Barnstormers sure had that “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” look, while Ace’s Trio sported cowboy hats and bolo ties. Hmmm…maybe both ways?

Plus, I’d like to know what it feeld like to experience an American culture festival on another continent. What would that feel like? Perhaps similar to a German going to Oktoberfest in Cincinnati, or an Irishman attending the St. Patrick’s Day celebration in Boston: AWESOME!! (except without all that beer and stuff

Even more now, I’m thinking Summer Jamboree = photo gold!!

We learned the mount is very noisy, but GoPro provides a small silicone stopper to reduce the clacking. I went ahead and replaced the original audio with a techno music fave of mine from back in the day: “Flat Beat,” by Mr. Oizo (1999).

Here are Amazon links to very inexpensive 3D glasses, as well as some of the equipment used to film the clip.

After the video starts, click the bottom right corner link to the left of the YouTube logo to change it to full-screen playback, and change 360p to 720p for best quality.

Need cheap 3D glasses? Click the Amazon link below to buy 3 pairs for less than $3, including shipping.
I also included links to some of the equipment used to film this clip.

Intense images have been hogging most of my attention lately. I’ll begin sprinkling ‘em around the site here shortly.