WILD CARD! | The Hippie Challenge

This wasn’t originally part of the NYC Game… but I realized... I got thrown a wild card. This challenge could be the most game-like thing I’ve ever had to do in my life!

I woke up Saturday morning with an urgent voicemail:

“Michelle. I need a hippie bus. You know, a big 60s painted Volkswagen hippie bus. I need it on Thursday* for the Taking Woodstock premiere. If anyone in New York can find one, it’s you.” (Insert exaggerated dial tone here.)

The voicemail came from Melody Weir, a New York marketing guru and Studio 54-type icon, who has become a great friend as well as a very key, behind-the-scenes, connecting player in the NYC Game. She couldn’t imagine showing up with her friends – one of whom is Erin Fetherston, a co-host of the screening and party, as well as Peter Max, the iconic 60s artist, and a few others – in anything but a fabulous Woodstock hippie bus. I couldn’t let her down!

*I found out the next day the premiere was actually on Wednesday (TODAY), not Thursday, confusing everyone, especially me, and giving me one less day to work my magic bus magic.

After reaching out to my own social network, calling a handful of museums, planting a few hopeful seeds with my hippie friends, and rollerblading up the West Side Highway after a tip-off about a hippie van parked outside the Museum of Natural History (no-go)… pressure was on.

I decided to make use of my greatest resource: A community with 22,000+ spirited Beatles fans! I run the Facebook Page for my family’s 35-year-old Beatles festival and mail order business, The Fest For Beatles Fans. We sing and celebrate in status updates, pictures and wall posts. The page is a hippie blast in itself!

I asked, and after just a few minutes, the cream rose to the top: RALPH WALTON.

All the fans fell madly in love with Ralph and his van, and after just one look, so did Melody. It was perfect, and in exchange for accommodations and the promise to meet Michael Lang, founder of Woodstock, we coordinated a 512 mile transport from Greenville, North Carolina to NYC for Ralph (flying), his friend and Roger (driving), and our gorgeous, psychedelic Hippie 1974 Volkswagen Vanagan!

It’s been a whirlwind of coordination (adding seating! negotiating!), and last night, at 1 in the morning, Roger arrived from his road trip with my sweet, delicious hippie glory.

It glimmered in the West Chelsea street lights – it is truly as stunning in person as it was in photos.

I hopped in with my new friend Roger, jumped through hoops for a half hour to locate a suitable open parking garage, went through a whole debacle checking him into the Chelsea Hotel.... and Melody was beaming from the other end of the phone.

I DID IT! Well, half of it...

Now... CHALLENGE PART 2:

The Taking Woodstock screening and party is tonight, and I am still responsible for coordinating a successful grandiose entrance at the red carpet event at the Landmark Sunshine Cinema, and an equally majestic arrival to the after party.

Can it be done? There are still a lot of coordination details that need to come together for tonight… (checking Ralph into the Chelsea Hotel when he gets in from his flight, everyone’s 60s costumes, getting the van and everyone going in it to the Chelsea Hotel for a smooth pickup, where to keep the van during the screening, are the cops going to give us a hard time about the fire lane, is everyone going to get into the party and meet everyone as promised??) and I’m charged with making it happen. Smoothly. Keeping everyone happy. Making an enormous hippie fuss. Without getting anyone arrested.

I don’t know how tonight will go… but I had to invite you to share in my nerves and excitement in this impromptu round of the game that is my so-called-life! Follow me on Twitter for the hippie play-by-play.

PEACE+LOVE+HOLYCRAP!

Michelle Joni

More on Ralph and his gorgeous vehicle:

Ralph fell in love with this 1974 VW Vanagan on eBay, and just had to have it. It was restored by an ad agency in Dallas for a commercial.

When he bought the Van 2 years ago, he flew his friend Roger to Dallas, and on its journey back it was pulled over by cops… just for photos. Roger was mooned, flashed, photographed, and given a few joints along the way. This van has had some fun!

Ralph is too young to have been at Woodstock, but has seen most of the groups that performed. He loves rock, jazz and has a degree in music.

Ralph owns a couple of restaurants, and little piece of hippie brings him a whole lot of happy. He says: “The restaurant business is tough and you have to do things to keep yourself level. To remember life is short and you have to enjoy every moment you can. The Van reminds me to do that: Have Fun!!!!!”

This game has been won! Click here to see the results.