The following below is an excerpt from Kyle's blog and his experience at ZOMBIE WALK 2009. Check it out and wallow in envy if you weren't there...but make sure you wear boots. Wallowing is messy...
"Last week I had mentioned I would be participating in the 2009 ZOMIBIE WALK after Kirby Krackle was invited to play due to the closing song on our debut album entitled, "Zombie Apocalypse"; a social commentary on what it would be like after the undead fallout and delivered via ukulele.
Makes sense right?
With Jim busy with out of town guests, Mandi accompanied me as my infected assistant down to Fremont and for what turned out to be one of the more surreal experiences of my yet to be played out life....
In the weeks prior to the event I was told that the organizers (Fremont Outdoor Cinema) had expected about 2500 for the event and that they were hoping to to break the Guinness record for biggest Zombie Walk, AND largest "Thriller Dance" which came about as a tribute to the now late Michael Jackson. When M and I showed up the line was a couple hundred people long and an hour later after sound check we walked by the line again to see it was now at least over a thousand.
Having some time to kill before we wanted to see the first leg of the walk (about 5 total), we set up at a local outdoor seating restaurant and chuckled at the "Zombie Plate" now listed on the daily menu. It was getting to be obvious everyone was getting in on the fun and a great mood was in the air. As it got closer to walk time (7:30-ish) you could see zombies arriving en masse and seemed to be from all walks of life. There were families of zombies, dwarf zombies (yes that's the PC term so lay off), zombies in wheel chairs, almost nude zombies and the below pictured "Ronald McDonald" zombie. Disturbing and a destroyer of my childhood...thank you, sir.
As with any socially conscious movement, there were the zombie organizers. Standing on raised up tables and preaching to a sea of what was seemingly now thousands of undead infected, the chants of "What do We Want?!" were followed with the perfect rouse of "BRAINS!!!". My favorite chant of the night? The unifying battle cry of, "Zombies Are People Too!"...
Once the 1st leg of the walk started, there is really nothing I can tell you that you can't determined from the video below. I almost wish I didn't know about the walk so I could be one of the hundreds of Fremont citizens that stood wide-eyed with bewildered smiles maybe partially wondering if running would be the better action of choice instead of the omnipresent look of folks taking cell-phone pics. The most priceless thing I saw was hundreds of zombies walking by the "Nectar" club which has a huge iron fence and all lunge towards it with arms sticking through grasping at the patrons inside. From the other perspective it would seem almost too real. So cool!
After the walk the massive horde (reported to be now 4500+) shuffled their way back to HQ to try to break the THRILLER dance record. I'm not sure if it's been reported if they did yet, but I don't know how they couldn't with the sea of inhumanity in the picture below. You be the judge, and I hope it turns out they did.
After doing the dance 3 times (too much) it was my turn to play. I was originally told I had 4 songs to play but as they were way behind schedule I was told the set had been cut back to two. I chose "Naked Wii" and the before mentioned "Zombie Apocalype", which was why we were invited in the first place. I had fun, but barely had a chance to get the crowd primed as I was competing with the massive crowd noise and gathering of folks getting ready to watch SHAUN OF THE DEAD after my performance. I was pretty burnt by that point and didn't stay for the movie, but it was a great time, appreciated the professionalism of the organizers and I think everyone had an awesome night playing rotting make-believe.
Also, make sure you notice the love from Super-fan Irene. You can't buy that kinda loyalty (I've tried) and she made my night just with that. :)"
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