Renaissance Festival Podcast

Sunday August 23rd, 2020 - 3:17 pm

It is with profound grief that Marooned announces the passing of our shipmate Andrew Meyers from complications arising from Covid-19.

Andrew was there at the beginning, a part of the original “Captain’s Songtime” circle – the birthplace of Marooned. In life, he embraced his passions wholeheartedly, whether teaching himself to make fangs for LARPers, leaping headlong into faire performances, or in his renewed faith in God. We were fortunate to have been something that he loved with his all. We were privileged to have him join our voyage.

In the early days of Marooned Andrew portrayed ship’s surgeon Wilberforce Quickcut. He joined us at the Santa Barbara Renaissance Festival, the Hounds of Nobility Faire, as well as Marooned’s appearance afloat for the A&E Network’s Horatio Hornblower event at the San Diego Maritime Museum. In fact, he was a part of one of Marooned’s more memorable moments – the seizure of the Horatio Hornblower banner.

It had been a long day, having started early that morning with a drive from Las Vegas to San Diego. We had performed for the better part of the day, prior to our sailing out on the Bill of Rights- singing during the naval battle. As we returned to port, it began to rain. The folks from the A&E Network vanished in the blink of an eye…leaving behind a MASSIVE banner hanging upon the San Diego Maritime Museum.

Bob: So, the folks from A&E have left, they aren’t coming back. What is going to happen to that banner?
Manager: I don’t know, it belongs to A&E…
Bob: …who have left…
Manager: …
Bob: …and aren’t coming back…
Manager: Are you asking for permission to take it? It isn’t mine to give.
Bob: Right. So, are you going to *stop* us from taking it?
Manager: No…….?

With just a gesture towards the top of the museum, knives were drawn, zip-ties were cut, and the banner vanished as Andrew and others seized our prize. The manager stood there, slack-jawed, as we walked away.

Andrew was a part of a lot of other wonderful memories too. He was with us, back in the days of leaving for a show at midnight or later, hoping to have a few hours to sleep in the car before check-in. Back in the nights when tents were a relative luxury, and when we were still scraping out our beginnings. A time when our first attempt at recording a CD hadn’t happened yet, and the Captain’s Songtime Songbooks were still in their first edition.

It was only computer troubles that prevented Andrew from joining us on our sophomore effort “Better Than Live”. The plan had been to have him join us on the Dutchman, as well as a couple of other numbers, but it was not to be. We will now always carry the regret of not having gotten his voice on one of our later albums, that things just never seemed to “line up”. He was willing, we certainly wanted him, it just didn’t work out.

Now, it never will.

Fair Maiden’s Ghost was Andrew’s favorite song, and it was played for him before his passing. We hope that it provided for him some small comfort in his last moments. It is so hard to wrap our heads around his suddenly being gone.

Marooned has been performing for 24 years, with this year being the first that we haven’t done a single show since our impromptu first appearance.

It is far too soon for us to be saying goodbye to any of our number.

Andrew Meyers was a friend, a father, and a true member of our family; he was our willing accomplice from day one. Andy is the first loss that Marooned has suffered, the first of us to go… and it leaves a void that will never be filled. We love you Andy, and we miss you already. We will see you someday down the road.

Shipmate you stand relieved.
We have the watch.

Andrew Meyers
Oct 3, 1975 - Aug 23, 2020 ... See MoreSee Less