Bowlive IV Night 5 Recap w/ Marco Benevento, David Hidalgo & The Shady Horns : John Medeski, Bill Evans & The Shady Horns
Soulive’s Brooklyn Bowl residency, Bowlive IV, reached it’s fifth night last night. In past years, this would signify the middle of the run and the end of the residency’s first week. However, Soulive has chosen to pack more talent into eight days this year and continue to impress upon us just how talented they truly are. As if we didn’t know already.
The equally impressive power trio and Bowlive alumi, The London Souls, opened with a fury that paralleled Bowlive IV’s previous night openers. Eric Krasno made a point to remind the audience that this is one of his “favorite bands!” That was a powerful statement from a powerful guitarist who sees and appreciates the talent in his peers and a clear invitation to Soulive fans to pay attention. The London Souls are a classic rock band consisting of shredding guitarist Tash O’Neal, drummer Chris St. Hilaire and bassist Stu Mahan. Tash’s sound is reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix; the comparisons are just inevitable. However, as a group, they seamlessly flow from multiple styles while improvising styles all with undertones of pure Rock ‘n Roll! Their wickedly expansive sound, something every power trio hopes to accomplish, shone through vibrantly in their performance of originals “Old Country Road,” “Easier Said Than Done,” and the old-timey tune “Bobby James.” The audience rocked out to AC/DC’s “Long Way To The Top” and The Souls closed their set with a rousing cover of Frank Zappa’s “Apostrophe.” So much to say, so little time.
The London Souls Set List:
Lucille Cover
Under Control
All Tied Down
Old Country Road
Honey → Long Way To The Top (AC/DC)
Bobby James
Some Day
Easier Said Than Done
I Think I Like It
Apostrophe (Frank Zappa)
Many times, the relationship between Soulive and their guests is one that has been cultivated in New York City, in front of Soulive fans who get to witness local musical guest sit-ins during local shows. Last night’s first guest, avant-garde pianist and organist Marco Benevento, a long-time NYC resident now living in Woodstock, is a Bowlive alum that fit this category. Benevento adds an element of improvisational psychedelia and locks right into the groove of every tune he touches with a specific experimental jazzy sound that defines his music. Soulive, with the help of the Shady Horns, churned out “El Ron” and teased Bob Marley’s “WAR” before a crushing “Reverb.” Saxophonist James Casey, Baritone saxophonist Ryan Zoidis and trumpeter Eric Bloom went into a hot, circular jam session, just the three of them, before Benevento joined the stage for another Soulive original “Upright.” Benevento made his presence known with an extended face-melting solo of his own. He remained on stage for the rest of the set, seamlessly layering his sound amongst the trio’s for “Swamp E” and The Beatles cover, “Revolution.” As much as Benevento is known for his own amazing techniques and stand alone performances, he is also part of a wonderful Led Zeppelin tribute band, Bustle In Your Hedgerow, which New York jam band music fans fawn over. So, when Zeppelin’s “The Ocean” began, Benevento fans and beyond went ballistic and everyone’s musical taste buds were satisfied.
Set I:
El Ron
Reverb
Upright (w/ Marco)
Swamp E (w/ Marco)
Revolution (Beatles cover w/ Marco)
The Ocean (Led Zeppelin cover w/ Marco)
The second set came quick as the excitement of the next guest was something that could hardly be contained by the members of Soulive. Los Lobos guitarist David Hildalgo came out on stage and became the newest musician to join the Bowlive roster. Granted, he snuck into a few tunes the previous night but now was his time to shine. For those of you who don’t know, Hildalgo is a world renowned guitarist who has played on albums of Buckwheat Zydeco, Elvis Costello, Paul Simon, Gov’t Mule, and even G. Love and Special Sauce. The list of collaborations goes on as does Hildalgo’s ability to play multiple instruments and styles. However, tonight, his vocals and guitar skills would be the highlight of the second set. Soulive performed “Shaheed” alone before Hildalgo picked up his guitar and walked out to a screaming audience. He veered completely off the setlist and performed a fantastic version of Traffic’s “Who Knows What Tomorrow Will Bring.” The energy on stage was magnetic and the foursome pushed the boundaries of memorable Bowlive collaborations to the limit with Hendrix’s “3rd Stone From the Sun,” and Los Lobo’s tunes, “Dream in Blue” and “Chains of Love.” The Shady Horns threw out killer solos amongst the jams and a highlight of the evening was watching Hildalgo and Krasno trade licks off each other for Jerry Garcia’s “West LA Fade Away.” The tie between Garcia comes from Hildalgo writing “Evangeline,” which the Jerry Garcia Band covered regularly. Hildalgo and Jerry played together on numerous occasions and had a huge respect for one another’s playing. The musicianship on stage was outstanding and the set was pure fire. It’s impossible to replay into words sometimes and for those who were present, they know what I am talking about!
Finally, last evening’s encore could easily rank high in Bowlive History as one of the best. It wasn’t just an encore…It was a “Neil-Core”: Soulive ended the night with a Neil Young medley for the ages, touching on three distinctly different parts of Neil Young’s career. There could not have had a better supporting cast of guitarists to bring the screeching Neil Young chords to life with David Hidalgo (Los Lobos) and Tash Neil (The London Souls) on stage alongside Eric Kranso. The first song in the Neil medley was “Ohio,” a political song written by Neil Young about the 1970 Kent State shootings and the protest movement that it helped shape. “Ohio” was followed up by a spirited version of “Down by the River,” a tune Neil Young and Crazy Horse played on the album Everybody Knows This is Nowhere. Alan Evans, who was lending his drum kit to The London Souls’ Chris St. Hilaire, shared the vocals on that tune with Tash O’Neal. Seeing Alan in the middle of the stage with a microphone in his hand was new and fun. He seemed to be having a blast. Soulive went even deeper into the Neil Young catalog by playing “For What It’s Worth,” another powerful protest song written by Neil’s band mate in the Buffalo Springfield, Stephen Stills. These three songs forced those remaining at the Brooklyn Bowl into a dancing frenzy of happiness.
Set II:
Shaheed
Who Knows What Tomorrow Will Bring (Traffic cover)
Dream of Love (Los Lobos Cover) >
3rd Stone From the Sun (Jimi Hendrix cover)
Chains of Love (Los Lobos cover)
Revolution (The Beatles cover)
West LA Fade Away (Grateful Dead cover)
Stone Free (Jimi Hendrix cover)
-Encore-
Ohio (CSNY)
Down By the River (Neil Young and Crazy Horse)
For What it’s Worth (Buffalo Springfield)
Sure, it was Wednesday night and the audience was weary from dancing their legs off the previous nights, but true music fans love hearing famous covers performed by their favorite bands. Soulive has been consistently banging out tight versions of their own originals but it’s the rousing covers of popular classic rock songs that brought the jam band crowd of the Brooklyn Bowl to their Nirvana last night. These collaborations also feed the members of Soulive. Marco Benevento and David Hildalgo expanded the consciousness of Soulive last night and the audience was just in awe.
Tonight’s guests will include organ wizard (and possibly a regular wizard as well) John Medeski and saxophonist Bill Evans along w/The Shady Horns. Because Brooklyn Bowl is hosting a fundraiser for The Brooklyn Nets this afternoon, so there isn’t an opener tonight. Doors will open at 8p with Soulive on close to 9p. On to the next one……
Steve Kimock Residency: Night I @ Sullivan Hall (03.23.11)
Steve Kimock (Photo by TinyRager)
Guitarist extraordinaire, Steve Kimock (Zero, Crazy Engine), kicked off a three night residency at Sullivan Hall last night in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. The crowd was thin as not many New Yorkers braved the lightening hail and sleet storm that came through unexpectedly. Those who did were delivered an intimate, magical musical treat.
Joining Steve Kimock on Sullivan Hall’s stage last night was the acclaimed New Orleans pianist Henry Butler, bassist Andy Hess (Govt Mule, Black Crowes, John Scofield) and Steve’s son, John Morgan Kimock (Crazy Engine), on drums. There were a few surprise guests as well. After only one song into the first set, the foursome welcomed Donna Jean Godchaux (The Grateful Dead) and guitarist Marc Muller, from Dead On: Recreating The Grateful Dead Note For Note, graced the stage for the remainder of the set.
Kimock Residency (Photo by K. Dugan)
JMK (Photo by K. Dugan)
Now just for perspective on my love for Steve Kimock, I just need to throw a little info out there. When I am I am asked to think of a musician that closely resembles or embodies Jerry Garcia or his spirit, my mind almost always shoots to Steve Kimock. There really is no other name that ever seems to push Kimock’s out of my mind as a front runner. He is a musician I look to as a teacher. He is a musician who is constantly willing to connect with his fans, willing to nourish new talent when he discovers it and constantly pushing the envelope of where he can take you with his guitar.
Click HERE for video of their rehearsal of “Crazy Fingers”
Butler and Kimock (Photo by K. Dugan)
There was a stimulating sense of connection within the venue last night. The lack of audience members did not create an empty feel as the music filled the space magnificently. The first set was a straight up Grateful Dead infused vibe! “Nana’s Chalk Pipe” started it off with Henry Butler’s New Orleans infused key play over the trippy Kimock guitar. It was amazing, such a unique combination of sounds hitting such a small stage. “Watch The River Flow,” an improved song with Donna Jean joining the stage for lyrics, followed. “Crazy Fingers” brought the headiness up, up, up. The group would break into free for all jams that flowed for minutes at a time, “Scarlett Begonias” showcasing each artist’s talents. Kimock, seated on a stool, would close his eyes and melt into the jam from time to time. It was moments like these where you could feel the air of Garcia around you. Marc Muller couldn’t have been more on point and it took a while for her vocals to warm up but once they did, Donna Jean’s voice and pure connection to Jerry helped stimulate the energy surrounding us. They ended the set with a killer “Franklin’s Tower,” where Henry Butler made it clear to us that he felt the music, felt the spirit of Jerry within him. I have never heard Henry Butler sound quite like he did last night.
The second set was supremely funkier. Andy Hess’s bass lines found their way to the forefront of the songs and Chris Burger (Alphabet Soup) joined the stage for a free style rap session that lasted over 15 minutes with deep exquisite solos brought out by each musician. Ironically rapping of “rain” on such a gloomy night, he reminded us of the “yin and the yangs” of life which brought a completely different vibe from the first set. Afterward, we welcomed the weather that was in store for us when we exited the venue. The remainder of the set delivered us a stage full of talented musicians jamming away at their leisure with a melodic under tone that helped lead them through to the end of the set.
Chris Burger (Photo by K. Dugan)
Set I
Nana’s Chalk Pipe
Watchin’ the River Flow*
Crazy Fingers
Scarlet Begonias^
Eyes of the World
Franklins Tower
*Donna Jean Godchaux remains onstage for set 1
^Marc Muller from Dead On remains on stage for set I
Set II
Thing One
All Together Now *
Something You Got
It’s Up to You
*with vocals by CB (Chris Burger of Band of Brotherz/Alphabet Soup)
Next Wednesday, March 30, 2011, Steve Kimock will be back on stage welcoming Drummer Adam Deitch, Marco Benevento and Marc Friedman (The Slip).
Remember the name, cause you will be screaming it all weekend long!!!
Welcome to Camp Barefoot 4
Welcome to Camp Barefoot 4
Camp Barefoot 4 was held on the gorgeous grounds of Camp Hidden Meadows in the West Virginia mountains this past weekend, providing a wonderful backdrop for almost 2000 music loving hippies to dance, eat and smile to good music. Barefoot also made sure to feature many Virginia-based musicians, bringing a hometown feel to the weekend which I couldn’t ignore and fully appreciated.
Introducing Camp/Team Hardcore
I love that I hang out with Epic Professionals. I am not talking about professionals in the 9-5 sense of the word. I am not talking about professional musicians or production members. I am talking about professional festival goers. Where most of the people in our scene are obsessed with touring with Phish or Furthur or following any certain band, my running crew is addicted to raging music festivals all over the nation and then, during our down time, seeing individual shows in our respective hometowns.
West Virginia Mountains....pretty
Camp Barefoot 4 (CB4) was a new festival added to my radar this year. I had been looking forward to it all year but was also a tad bit unorganized. (Thank god for the professionals again.) This year, our campsite was dubbed Camp Hardcore, so I will refer to my crew as that from now on throughout the rest of the article.
I left New York City after work Wednesday night to catch my ride to a section of West Virginia that I hadn’t been in since I found out Jerry Garcia died while I was climbing Seneca Rocks. Meeting up with members of Camp Hardcore in Winchester, Virginia, we all caravaned to the festival grounds, arriving at Camp Hidden Meadows around 12:30pm on Thursday. Checking into VIP was cake. This was a first as most times there is always some kind of hold up for one reason or another at the entry gates. We reached VIP camping after only 15 minutes. Lovely!
I arrived with nothing more then a backpack on my back. Living in New York City without a car provided a challenge figuring out logistics of raging a West Virginia Mountain by way of public transportation. I had not yet replaced any of my traveling camping gear that was stolen last year nor do I really have room for all that gear in my Manhattan apartment. Reaching out to members of Camp Hardcore, my professional posse made sure to bring extra everything to set me up with a nice little home in the woods for the weekend.
The beginning stages of Camp Hardcore (There's my little red tent....)
Let the Barefooting Begin
No BS Brass band practicing...we think...
The music was not slated to start until 5pm on the Main Stage but there was rumor of the No BS Brass Band playing towards the Main entrance on The Courtyard Stage. This stage was quite literally made up of two Eazy-Up tent placed over a large plank of wood. I loved the simplicity of the production…a stage is a stage is a stage…folks don’t really need a lot of flare….sometimes that is the charm. Sadly, the horns never reached the stage. Instead, a three piece string band slowly began setting up as we discussed what to do next. The Barefoot Movement continued to play as Bo and I checked out the Camel Trailer located 100 yards from the makeshift stage….
The Camel Trailer on way to Main Entrance
The Camel Trailer
What the hell were we thinking? The Camel Trailer was actually quite bizarre and more then a little disturbing. We were told that there were options of free cigarettes once you went through the trailer. Liars. We entered the trailer, but not before being asked to extinguish Bo’s cigarette. Oh, the irony. Upon entering the trailer, you are greeted by a tiny cute female in a jean skirt and a button up plaid shirt. They would have been better reaching us through patchwork instead of hilly billy plaid. We are hippies, not rednecks. HAHA!!
Camel Snus
Our “guide” proceeded to talk to us about CAMEL SNUS, a smoke-free, spit free packet of tobacco that you stick in your lip. Immediately, Bo and I started pointing out the lack of music (“WHY do you not have music?”) and the stale cool air that was being spewed over us like in a hospital (“Oh man, this staleness is just creepy!”). There were TV screens with trippy blue waves surrounding us (“Whoa, we need to come back in here in a few hours!”).
Camel Snus - ewww
We were not the best people to be guiding as we really were not interested in what they were giving us and by the end, even more offended by their presentation. We were shuffled along and forced to give our information to a computer, then semi-forced to pick out a container of Snus. Bo kept telling them he didn’t want one and they couldn’t get that through their heads. I just wanted it for the cute tin it was wrapped in. Eventually, Bo had one in his hand. Finally, the last leg of the “tour” consisted of a “guide” opening up our SNUS tins and attempting to get us hooked on it right then and there by forcing it up up our lip before we went into a room with a presentation on a screen. Bo and I both argued that we didn’t want that crap up our lip and so they left us alone and we proceeded to watch the subliminal message being thrown at us in the video. It was a 4-D experience as our seats moved, air was blown in our face and we were thrown out of airplanes, skiing down slopes, biking down mountains and so much more. It took a minute for Bo to even turn his head and look at it as he thought he was being brained washed. He was right. As we left, we were blown away by what had just occurred. How insane, how forceful and addicting was that? Bo and I made a point to tell all our friends not to bother going in that trailer. It was crazy how they attempted to lock you into the product before you even leave the trailer. WOW!!! Personally, I think all these stupid trailers should be banned.
The Main Gate with the Courtyard Stage in white.
Please, my fellow ragers...
VIP PERK #1: Only members with VIP passes were able to camp with their cars so the process to get general campers inside the venue was a fun one to watch. Basically, a “shuttle” would come to the pick-up location and scattered hippies cold be seen running from all sides just chucking their gear onto the trailer in the back before the next hippie could. No lines, not much organization but I never heard anyone complain, just laugh. More of that charm…. It was so nice to be back home, away from New York City, seeing these smiling faces and knowing that we were going to be having a safe and wonderful time with my mountain pals this weekend. Nothing better…
Cartwright Brandon – Drums
Drew De Porter – Guitar and Vocals
Taylor Hellhake – Bass
Theremin Charlie Nimitz – Guitar
Around 5pm, the music began. I walked back to camp, taking in the lovely festival grounds along the way….all while listening to Cinder Cat, an experimental/rock/electronica band out of North Carolina. They drew me to the stage. Their sound was trippy and spacey. Made me wish that they were playing later on in the evening when I would be prepared for them. However, I could wager that the members of this group would probably want to be raging to the later bands along side me instead of playing for me. There is potential for this group to be a raging late night band if they continue practicing and get tighter. Just a fun group that looked like they were enjoying themselves. There is nothing wrong with that.
Setlist: Intro>, Broke >,Sample >, Twlight >, Swamp, Temple (Part I and II), Saucer face >, A1, MJ
Encore: Antithesis
(Waiting on recording from band – definite)
Camp Hidden Meadow...lovely
Camp Hidden Meadow...lovely
VIP PERK #2: The beauty about the size of this festival and the location of the VIP section, we could hear every single note from the two main stages without ever leaving our camping chairs or in my case, the hammock. One thing I have to say I noticed, the bands that performed earlier on in the day had one underlying similarity that had me losing focus most mornings. Most would just change directions before truly hitting their jams on a given song. Just when things would start getting interesting, just when our ear would perks up, many times, the band would flip into a new style in the middle of the song or just not complete the rise into the rage that they were building up to. Styles in the song would change, directions just changed and it would deflate us completely.
Murphy’s Kids tunes were catchy and I found myself stopping in the middle of pitching a tent to ask who I was listening too. However, there was just too much going on to truly give their set listening justice. I hadn’t seen some of Camp Hardcore for over 8 years. There was quite the reunion this weekend for sure. I did make a mental note to check out Murphy’s Kids again if they had another set…alas, they did not.
Community Art Project
The Community Art Project
Eventually, it was a free for all...
Art and expression through mediums other then music is nurtured at every musical festival. Most times, there are giant sculptures created as a base for community art project that allows every member of the festival to be play a part in its final creation. This festival was no different. It was actually cute how the scale of the art project mirrored the scale of the festival. Mountain Jam, a 15,000+ person festie, had giant towering sculptures and mazes to paint. Camp Barefoot, what seemed to be no more than 1700 person festival, had various sized mustaches made out of wood, the tallest, coming level to my chest.
Why the mustaches you ask? Instant Mustache was a proud sponsor of Camp Barefoot. They provided oodles of entertainment for silly hippies late night by passing out mustaches on a stick that we could hold up under our nose. It provided hours of entertainment. Thank you Instant Mustache!
Directions for FUN: Print and cut out the ‘staches below and use some tape to stick them to your favorite face and take some pictures ‘cause I and the whole world wanna see, “How you sport your ’stache!”
Doug Fisher – Vocals,guitar
Holt Nicholas – Guitar,vocals
Stephen Tuzeneu – Saxophone, keys, and percussion
Casey Sanders – Bass
Miles Kimbrough – Drums
I stopped to listen to Caught In The Rift for a bit, having notice them covering Eric Clapton’s After Midnight. Reminded me of College…Frat Rock type music. Lots of guitar jams in the middle of catchy little tunes that were backed with lyrics. Similar to Vertical Horizon or something of that nature….I remember really liking the singer’s scratchy voice. But, I couldn’t stay there for too long and I hope to catch them again soon to really get a feel for their vibe.
(Waiting for recording and setlist from band~hopefully)
The Sound Board
Hippy Invention #1:
Handmade schedules made for easier planning....
We spent the rest of the early evening putting together our schedules for the weekend, cooking dinner for the group and just catching up. The fun hippy toys made their way out under our massive Tertris-like Tent City. One friend had welded two 5-gallon propane tanks together and cut teeth making a gorgeous sounding drum. This provided a gorgeous musical outlet for my friend Paul who gave it the best play since it’s creation. I am always amazed at sounds, no matter where they come from. There is beauty in each and every one.
David Ashby – Bass and Vocals
Matt Walton – Guitar and Vocals
Geoff Bakel – Drums, Cymbals, Percussion, and Vocals
Ben White – Keyboards, Vocals
There was a third stage, the SKU Stage proudly sponsored by Instant Mustache, located about half a mile away from VIP camping and up a large hill. We finally took the hike up there to see what was going down. Sadly, the entire time I was thinking that The Former Champions was this fusion Jazz group I had in my ITunes. I was wrong but not upset by this fact as Former Champions were hitting the stage hard when we arrived. (Got to love The Instant Mustache banner behind them.)
Former Champions got the party started right. The guitar was jammy, the spacey keys provided that synthy sound that got everyone dipping into their toes and getting their bodies moving. The drums raged it. It was a great group to start the night off. But, soon it was time to hit the main stages for the real rage of the night.
(Waiting for recording and setlist from band~hopefully)
Originally, Steve Kimock Crazy Engine and Ekoostik Hookah were slated to play Camp Barefoot 4. However, due to contractual issues both bands were pulled from the line-up. I feel as though the removal of these two bands sealed the deal for people on the fence on whether or not to attend. I imagine the turnout would have been much larger with the inclusion of Kimock and EH in the lineup. I have no complaints now but I was seriously bitching earlier in the summer.
The lineup change provided an opening for RAQ to play two nights instead of one. This was wonderful as RAQ was only making one South East music festival this summer.
Tim and Chris...<3
Right! So, I hadn’t seen RAQ since attending All Good Music Festival many moons ago. Or perhaps it was the Haymaker Music Festival. Either way, I CERTAINLY have been missing out on some major musical growth within this band. I absolutely couldn’t believe it. I never remembered them being so damn good. And I mean they were damn good!
This was the set that started a theme of rage throughout the weekend for sure. The energy of the mountain was radiating through every hippy standing around me. Their faces were lit up and everyone was in party mode. At one point, Tim Palmieri, of The Breakfast & Kung Fu, joined the stage. This would be the beginning of Chris Michetti and Tim Palmieri‘s love affair that would continue on throughout the weekend, providing some AMAZING guitar rages and battles. I mean, WOW!!
RAQ with Tim Palmieri
Todd Stoops on keys is what drew me to the stage at Gathering of the Vibes and what kept me in front of the stages most nights at Camp Barefoot 4. Just a man of so many talents and styles. Only negative, his voice. I am not a huge fan of that voice and would prefer he stick to playing the keys and leave the singing to another. Alas, this is not the case most times and luckily the singing doesn’t last for very long. (FYI – TODD – Make yourself a personal myspace page…we need it.)
(Waiting for recording and setlist from band~definite)
My camera doesn't do the beauty of the main stages ANY justice....so pretty
Did somebody say they were hungry? CAUSE WE GOT FED!!! Yes, I know the cheesy cliches are just that, cheesy…but man, they had me screaming out things I never would have said other wise. The Breakfast picked up right where RAQ‘s rocking performance left off. HOT DAMN!!
Tim Palmieri is a BEAST on that guitar. Just shredding his way through all the sets that night. By the end of the weekend I was screaming his name as MVP and I was not alone in this decision. They started their set off with a trippy 18 minute Metropolis and ended it with Tood Stoops joining in on Buquebus. Both Todd and Jordan each raging a keyboard and sounding on point. The singing during the set, again, turned me off. I don’t understand why people sing when they don’t sound good doing it. Their instrument play, however, was AWESOME SAUCE!!
By the second song, Tim Palmieri was just in a full throttle open rage. The rock vibe of the music was bumped up with Chris DeAngelis on bass. Adrian Tramontano seemed to be having a fun time with his beats which provided the guitarists a wonderful platform to rage against, and rage they did…..check out their set.
Setlist: Metropolis, Dougboy>, Psygn, Wake Up in a Coma>, Pygmy, Twylyte>, Jam>, May Fly Disarray, Buquebus
David Pransky – Electric Bass
Drew Heller – Electric Guitar, Soku
Justin Perkins – Kamel Ngoni, Kora, and Electric Guitar
Luke Quaranta – Percussion
Teal Brown – Drums
Toubab Krewe
There was just a fire on that stage at Barefoot that never went out once RAQ started it. At 1am Toubab Krewe hit the stage with a vengeance. With as much electronica as we would be hearing this weekend, I was looking for that sound that would stand out against the rest and Toubab Krewe was just that sound.
This was BY FAR THE BEST Toubab Krewe set I’d seen all year and I can’t find it recorded anywhere. I am so upset by this as I write this section out. Having seen them four times so far, starting with Jam Cruise, forward to me hanging out on their tour bus for Valentines Day and ending with a full rage with them in NYC, it goes without saying I am a HUGE fan. It’s just a phenomenal group with such an interesting sound.
Toubab Krewe
Toubab Krewe
The standout elements of within the group are their West African Influences. Justin Perkins commands the front stage with his various ethnic instruments, leading the jams. He is such an interesting character. You can almost NEVER get his eyes looking at a camera, he will always look away. Luke Quaranta might be one of the best percussion players I have ever seen live. His speed and facial expressions are off the charts. He literally looks possessed while playing then stands up and thanks us like nothing happened. Their sound is driven by the beats through a African vein and Drew Heller brings it back to America with his rock guitar.
(Waiting for recording and setlist from band~hopefully)
And it just kept getting better. Big Gigantic capped off the night with a raging dance party. Just two guys on stage who brought multiple layers of music to our ears. With dirty beats backed by live drums and a saxophone, I almost started to like this group better then Break Science…I said almost. But I am telling you, the addition of that saxophone…it just upped the level for me. Being a funk junky, that shouldn’t shock anyone of yall.
I was anxious to check this group out as they had earned a spot on Jam Cruise this year and I always love my late night dance parties on the boat in between Jam Room rages. Man, this group is going to fit on the boat PERFECTLY!! The horn is always a big plus, bringing the funk right up in your face. Big Gigantic dropped it full rage until 5am….I think they actually kicked it a little later because we just couldn’t stop dancing.
Chris Michetti of RAQ added a whole other dimension, coming out to join the group a few songs into the set. I mean seriously….see for yourself.
Pretty Lights
Until Tomorrow Barefoot…
I never made it to the SKU stage for Silo Effect. For those of you hoping that I had, here is a video for your viewing pleasure as to not disappoint.
And I can’t say goodnight, because I never went to bed. All but one of my friends had passed out so Paul and I roamed the small festival grounds hanging out with people we found who were also awake. I met so many wonderful people that night, talked about so many great musicians with some great southern hippies, my vein of people. And I mean REAL HIPPIES…not these New York hippy-wanna-be’s. Man, I missed this so much. The whole charm of being in the mountains. The whole Southern vibe was reeling in me hardcore. My eyes grew heavy until a friend came by and took care of that situation for me. Pretty soon I heard the word “KICKBAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLL” being shouted through the camp grounds. I hadn’t been to a Southern area festival since All G0od 2006 and my yearning to move back home got very strong during these down times. But my yearning for dawn kickball was even stronger. The sun would be coming up shortly and my boy Gator had just given me my second wind!!!
I had heard good things about this New Orleans based rock/funk/jam band. I was also excited to have the opportunity to check out one of the bands competing for a spot on Jam Cruise through the Vote to the Boat Competition taking place on Facebook. Finally, I had been slated to review the show for Jam Base but there seems to be some new motivations behind the Show Review section and so, here we are!
Before the show started, I was hanging out with some cats in the band before I even realized. “Hey Karen!” shouted fellow New Yorker Spencer Raymond from across the street. Spencer would be filling in on drums for Bryan Besse who was other wise engaged back in New Orleans. He and I chatted for a while before I was introduced to Thomas McDonald, the bass-playing Native. We raged together outside for a bit. It came to my attention that this was the first time the drummer and the bass player had met, let alone played together. We laughed about that and I immediately thought, “This is going to be interesting. I hope it sounds tight.” At some point I had ran into Billy Iuso himself, hugged it out and he thanked me for coming. And then it was time for the boys to get to making some music.
Billy Iuso and the Restless Natives @ Sullivan Hall (Photo by Allison Murphy)
Billy Iuso @ Sullivan Hall
Hitting the stage around 10:15 pm, Billy Iuso and his Restless Natives dove right. Blending rock and funk with tons of energy and smiles. Within minutes, the rock/funk hybrid of sound came out and the first song had Billy ripping his guitar across the stand of his microphone for effect, jumping, bouncing…energy. New Orleans funky-rock. I am really starting to dig the rock-n-roll I am finding in New Orleans. I am only just now discovering it. Having just seen The Radiators for the first time a few weeks ago at Gathering of the Vibes, I have been researching more rock based bands out of NOLA.
The Natives brought some fun layers to their music by way of Thomas McDonald skating over his bass solo during The Meter’s Love Slip Up On Ya. Sporting a “WHO DAT” shirt, Tom thumped away on his bass proud and loud throughout the night. As he counted off into Two Deep In Shallows,the energy just got higher with all the members coming together to form a cohesive little stage rage for the rest of their short set.
Mike Burkart @ Sullivan Hall
Mike Burkart stood out on the key for Oh, I See. Funky! Funky! A strummy rocky number that also showcases Billy‘s skills. They covered The Talking Heads‘ Once in a Lifetime. It took me a minute to recognize the song. But then it took me even longer to warm up to their styling of it. Perhaps is was how they slowed it down, perhaps the fact that it was missing a little something to give it that kick jump into rage town. Oh well…
Trippin Over Dragonshad Billy inviting Jaik Mille to join the stage. A trippy space jam infused with rock and just good feelings. A great dancing song with funky keys and lyrics. Billy’s singing voice was on point and smooth. We got a fun keys solo from Mike Burkart towards the end of the song. But not before a jamming guitar solo from Billy. I truly love his energy. Not every guitar player can be the greatest player but every guitar player can be fun to watch if they feel their own music. Billy is a great guitar player but he would get lost in his instrument and I loved seeing that in him. I certainly am not the only one as they are currently third in line for Vote to the Boat.
Billy Iuso and the Restless Natives @ Sullivan Hall
I moved to the raised floor section, giving me more of a bird’s eye view of the stage. I cheered with the rest of the crowd and began dancing as I heard the opening of Don’t Let Go. Billy was paying homage to the death of Jerry Garcia and that alone garnered a star in my book. I enjoyed the cover as I danced next to a happy adorable white-haired man who leans over to me and says: THAT’S MY SON,” with a beaming proud face. He pointed out “This is my favorite song.” Billy’s father and I danced side by side for the remainder of the song. Such a proud father!
Billy Iuso and the Restless Natives @ Sullivan Hall (Photo by Allison Murphy)
Later I would find out that Spencer and Billy were members of Brides of Jesus, a band created back in 1992 that has listed Ian Neville, Russle Batiste and other funky musicians as members. Before this night, Spencer and Billy hadn’t played together in 15 years. You know, you never would have know it. For not having rehearsed before the gig, it went beyond well. All in all it was a great night of funky NOLA rock. Some good jams pulled out front and the spaces were filled with danceable notes from beginning to end.
I can’t tell you who I am going to vote for, but I can tell you with all certainty, that if Billy Iuso gets voted on the boat, he will deliver some good fun music. And that is what it’s all about. I looked forward to my second round of seeing them at Bear Creek Arts and Music Festival in the fall.
Set list!: Love Slip Up On Ya, Oh I See, Two Deep In Shallows, Trippin Over Dragons, Once In a Lifetime, Don’t Let Go, Big Chief
I must immediately say THANK YOU GATHERING OF THE VIBES!!! WHAT A GREAT, WONDERFUL, CLEAN, HAPPY MUSIC FESTIVAL!!!! I don’t even know where to begin this weekend. So much happened!
My lil VibeTribe
It was a weekend of firsts for sure! I would be camping for the first time this year and we were taking the train with all our gear from Manhattan. HAHA!! I was stoked to see how we would make that happen. I was co-chaperoning a 15 year old rager this weekend so now I was responsible for another life other then my own for the first time. This was my first time with a VIP ticket and being able to utilize VIP amenities at a festival. First time seeing numerous bands like Primus and The Rhythm Devils…and so much more.
This was, however, my SECOND Gathering of the Vibes. My first one was a little bit of a train wreck. This go-round, it was heaven on earth and down as one of my top five festival experiences.
The people who we spend these magical weekends with are called our Tribe and effect our experiences considerably. I got off work around 5pm Thursday afternoon and immediately met up with my mini-Vibe Tribe at the 125th street Metro Station to catch the train to Seaside Park, Bridgeport, Ct..
The Lead Heads w/ Issac on the right!
Let me tell you a little something about our teenage charge for the weekend. Issac Slone. One of the most smart, well-mannered, self-aware, gorgeous young human beings you will ever meet. From a musical standpoint, he is the bass player for The Lead Heads, the Nation’s only teen-age Grateful Dead cover band. And they are no joke. Issac also writes his own blog and I will be sure to post his GOTV entries once they are posted……
I would be chaperoning our little rager with my favorite person on earth, Jay. The dear man had carted all the gear to the station by himself. God Bless him. I smiled as I saw Issac’s mother had come to see him off . I immediately felt an immense warmth and sense of maternal instinct kick in. I was not one to babysit when I was a kid, never one to seek children out. I was always the person who said they would adopt or just not have children.
Wook stop!
Recently, in the past year that has all changed. This was going to create an entirely different festival going experience for me. I was looking forward to finding that balance between raging and responsibility. I knew I would take the best care of her precious treasure. I would kill for that kid. And at the end of the day, Issac is possibly more mature and grown up at 15 then some of my friends in their 40’s. He’s simply a pure ray of wholesome sunshine.
Shuttle to Vibes
With two tents, bedding, bags and chairs, we did remarkable lugging the gear around. It’s also nice Jay is 6’2 and strong. Upon arriving in Bridgeport, we joined some wooks who were waiting for the shuttle bus and as we boarded it, we all got giddy. Everyone was fully charged. Issac’s excitement only fueled my own. I spent the 10 minute shuttle ride thinking back on my first music festival and how excited I was.
The Festival Grounds @ Seaside Park, Bridgeport, Ct. (Similar Set up this year)
Welcome To VIBES!
The festival was held on the University of Bridgeport‘s campus grounds. It was lovely but terribly run down with dilapidated buildings and trash that the earth had eaten over time of neglect. From the drop off point, we took a fun little ride on a golf cart through the camp grounds and past the stage to the VIP check-in. You can hear New Rider’s of the Purple Sage playing in the background as we pass the stage in the video below.
Pretty Lamanant!
VIP. Another first for me and absolutely worth every penny. One barely needs to spend a penny outside the ticket price. I will go into the amenities as they arise along our path but in the mean time The Vibes 2010 VIP Pass Includes:
•VIP Entrance
• VIP Camping Area conveniently located near the concert field
• Admittance to the park on Thursday, July 29th at no extra charge
• Hospitality Tent with plenty of room to spread out, relax and chill
• Your choice of water, soda, juices and snacks throughout the weekend
• Catered lunch on Friday and Saturday, with brunch served on Sunday
• VIP bathroom facilities and showers
• Commemorative 15th Annual Gathering of the Vibes Laminate
• Gathering of the Vibes 2010 Event Poster
• Gathering of the Vibes 2010 Event T-Shirt
VIP Check-in
Settin' up camp...
First thing we did was establish our camp. I am a Virginian tomboy who spent her summer youth in the mountains camping, spelunking, climbing, and hiking among other things. Then I moved to The Blue Ridge Mountains for college for 6 years. I may be a spoiled city girl now but I know how to get dirty, boi!! So, here I was with two New Yorkers from the Upper West/East who live in door man buildings and have relied on a superintendent when things needed fixing. Needless to say, it was amusing to say the least. Inside my head, I was dying hysterical. It was at this point we made friends with all our neighbors as many got involved when our “Hit-a-button-and-it’s-magically-a-tent” tent didn’t work. Whole damn thing was smack-you-in-the-head fantastic. I will just hope that Issac writes about his experience putting up the tents in his blog and you can read it there! It was hilarious and fun and in the end we all helped to get the two tents up in time for Dark Star Orchestra (DSO) to begin.
Rob Barraco- keyboards, vocals
Rob Eaton – rhythm guitar, vocals
Dino English – drums, percussion
Rob Koritz – drums, percussion
Lisa Mackey – vocals
Jeff Mattson – lead guitar, vocals
Kevin Rosen – bass, vocals
Oh man, Oh man!! Right off the bat the music started with a fury. I have skipped over seeing DSO at every festival this year and I got smacked dead in the face by them tonight. They were on fire.
Celebrating Jerry Garcia’s Birthday week, I actually didn’t want to see anything but Dark Star at that moment. This week was all about Jerry and his music, his legacy. The thing I love about Dark Star, aside from my personal favorite Fake Jerry: Jeff Mattson, is how they present their shows. Picking a Grateful Dead show from their many decades of touring, DSO recreates the show song for song. They bring their own vibe, interpretation and sound to the sets and it’s truly the greatest cover band of all time IMO.
Dark Star Orchestra @ GOTV 2010
We made it to the field while Candyman was playing. Issac was hungry so we grubbed down some fries and pancakes. Dinner of festival champions. And the fries were miracled, haha. After the food, we made our way over to the Karma Wash to establish our base-camp for the rest of the weekend. The Karma Wash crew were our close friends and this was always our spot to meet between sets with whoever wanted to find us. Having Issac this weekend made this an even more crucial location then normal.
Full Moon 4 DSO!
A really special thing happened during this set, during this time of setting up at the Karma Wash. First, a little back story….
During Mountain Jam, a lost soul had made his way to the Karma Wash and had been touched in a positive way through the entire vibe of the set up. He thought I was the one who “washed him” and finding me through facebook, we became friends. Over time I noticed that his status’s were dark, deeply sad and made me straight up nervous for his safety. Not really knowing him or what he was going through, I reached out to him anyway.
Dark Star Orchestra @ GOTV 2010
We began communication and over time I learned that he was suicidal, hurt, lonely, broken…all for the same reasons I had been in 2009. I knew all too well how he felt and I just hoped he would see light. Through our communications, I shared things with him I wouldn’t share with anyone and he thanked me for helping him see hope when even those closest to him were not able to reach him. We casually spoke about meeting up at Gathering of the Vibes but I didn’t know if I would really see him. And, so now, here we were.
Walking right up to the Karma Wash, I sw a few familiar faces and hugged it out and right off the bat, this person turns around and there was his face. Smiling SO bright. I wanted to cry but I kept it together. I was so happy to see him standing there…SMILING!!! There were no words, we just walked directly into each other’s arms and hugged for a long time. It was awkward and wonderful at the same time. How does one react in these moments? This entire fantasy world was surrounding me and here was this super intense, real moment…at least for me. There are no words for these kinds of moments. Later, he would tell me that “Your hug released my soul.” What a way to start off a weekend fueled by the power of music and kindness. You can’t make this stuff up…nor can you do it justice in words…not when emotion is such a huge player in the equation.
Dark Star Orchestra @ GOTV 2010
DSO really got the festival started off right. The dance party was bouncing and I knew it would seamlessly roll right into Big Sam’s arms, ready to RAGE late night…
Set One: Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo > Franklin’s Tower > New Minglewood Blues, Candyman,Me And My Uncle > Mexicali Blues, Althea, Man Smart (Woman Smarter, Ramble On Rose, Let It Grow > Deal
Set Two: Shakedown Street > Samson And Delilah, Never Trust A Woman, Estimated Prophet > He’s Gone > Drums > Space > Throwing Stones > Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad > The Wheel > The Other One > Wharf Rat > Good Lovin’
Big Sam…The King of the Party! This performance was our underlying reason to coming to Vibes Thursday night instead of Friday. I had told Jay about BSFN a while ago and prepared him for total late night domination by way of some contemporary, funky-ass, bass-filled, horn rage. Having seen Big Sam earlier in the year, I expected the same assortment of choices in set list and was eagerly awaiting to break my legs dancing.
Big Sam's Funky Nation @ GOTV 2010
Milk Williams @ GOTV 2010
Formerly the trombonist for the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Big Sam Williams, put on an indisputably raging dance party and I dare anyone to tell me they didn’t move during this performance. This New Orleans-based group is modern funk at it’s best combining today’s popular pop songs with an MC attitude and some nasty NOLA swagger. If you need more reason to go see them, in 2009, BSFN was awarded Best Funk Group at the Big Easy Music Awards. Look! An award…ohhh…ahhhh. Just go see them.
Danny Abel is one HELL of a guitar player, bringing a sense of rock to the group, shredding his guitar in between Big Sam and Baham‘s horn heavy funk plays. And Eric Vogel on bass is sharp and bumpy, standing out on his own throughout many of the songs during his solos. A few songs in particular had me transfixed on him completely. At times, the horns would leave the stage and allow the other three to jam out. Drummer Boy Milk Williams raging a vibrant drum solo, flanked by the guitars.
Big Sam's Funky Nation @ GOTV 2010
During the encore, Big Sam reiterated the importance of “family” and then he open the flood gates:
“Normally, we just want the ladies up here. But tonight…it’s family, right? We are family! So, let’s have the guys up here too. Bring it up here.”
Bum rushin' the stage...
I was probably the first girl on stage as I was directly up front on the railing for the show anyway. But by the time I even turned around it was full of dudes. Now, where some women are still crazy scrambling fanatics to get to the stage, knocking people over, they are still dainty right? Most times? Try telling a group of male ragers they should join the stage? When I turned around, after being helped on stage by security…it was as if a heard of spider monkeys were coming at me. By the time they cut off the surge, it was almost all men.
We raged the stage for the entire song. After the song I got off the stage and most people stayed on. I was now alone in the pit and danced around in circles until the end of the performance in front of the stage in my own little world.
We concluded the evening/early morning by hitting up the Casbah, a dope set up our friends had in Family camping. I immediately collapsed down on the mats in the middle of a group of my friends. The cuddle puddle had commenced and I was utterly raged. You wanna know how hard tonight raged??? I passed out before almost all my friends. That NEVER EVER happens.
Musical Musings of a Tiny Rager 