Category: Reviews
Gentlemen of the Road: Day One
Rarely is it the intent of music festivals to engage and immerse entire communities with event festivities beyond the promotion of the host city as the location for the festival, the invitation of local vendors within festival grounds, possible volunteer opportunities for locals, and promises of a local economy boost. Now, you may be saying to yourself, “Wait a minute… all those listed points do in fact ‘engage’ communities when music festivals come to town.” Of course they do, to an extent. (Bear with me now) From city fests to out in the middle of nowhere in giant fields, music festivals I have seen foster community involvement only to the degree mentioned above. It wasn’t until my arrival in St. Augustine that I finally understood what it truly means for full entire communities to embrace and welcome a music festival to their home.
Welcome signs, Mumford & Sons and Gentlemen of the Road (GOTR) flags, and mustaches seemed to greet visitors everywhere. From the smallest shops in town to the the top of the St. Augustine Lighthouse, warm “gentlemen” welcomes were abundant and every local seemed to be embracing the GOTR spirit. St. Augustine was the final Stopover city for the traveling festival this summer; other cities included Lewes, East Sussex (UK), Simcoe, Ontario (CAN), Troy, Ohio (US), and Guthrie, OK (US). Mumford & Sons began hosting global GOTR Stopovers in 2012 and the essence of this project over the past two summers has remained the same: to produce “a music festival that celebrates local people, food and culture, where everyone pitches in and everybody gets something back.”
The official planning process for the St. Augustine Stopover with city officials began eight months prior. For a city that depends greatly on summer tourism, GOTR was a huge deal for locals and the the festival dates were set for Sept. 13-14, during a time when the local tourism economy is slow. Throughout the weekend the only concerns from locals seemed to be over traffic and price gouging. With downtown parking extremely limited all weekend a partnership between the city and GOTR provided a shuttle service from general parking areas outside of town. The only price gouging, and the highest gouging for an event I have personally ever seen, came in the form of $50 event parking spots throughout the town. The markup seemed to quickly drop to half price as the weekend went on, as there was lack of visitors in need of such parking spots; the city had done such an exceptional job in deterring anyone from driving downtown that most festival goers were using the shuttle, walking, or riding bicycles.
The main festival area was located at Francis Field, but there were also smaller stages planted around the downtown area supplying free music and encouraging visitors to explore St. Augustine beyond the confines of the festival grounds. The Festival kicked off at 6PM on Friday and had a lineup that included Willy Mason, Thao & the Get Down Stay Down, The Walkmen, and Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros.
Willy Mason and Thao & the Get Down Stay Down were both good sets to ease into a weekend of music. Mason’s set was acoustic, as well as nearly the first half of alternative folk rockers T&TGDSD’s set. Thao Nguyen and her band had a performance style was able to capture new listeners off guard and beg them to question themselves with “why haven’t I heard of them before?” There was a familiarity and comfort in Thao’s voice, almost as if watching a friend perform, and watching her switch between banjo, guitar, and mandolin maintained audience intrigue. Cheery, light, and happy is how T&TGDSD left that Friday evening crowd.
Throughout the weekend emcee “Big Mike,” unbeknownst to many in the crowd that “Big Mike” was in fact the talented guitarist Mike Harris of Nashville’s The Apache Relay, had the responsibility of introducing all bands and hyping up the crowd. Between sets Friday night he publicly announced the cancelation of highly anticipated headliner fun., but provided the hint that an artist with a connection to the phrase, “Have you ever seen the rain,” would be the replacement. “Holy Shit! John Fogerty!” remarked one festival attendee. Although Fogerty was the obvious choice, rumors of Old Crow Medicine Show and Kings of Leon were rampant throughout the crowd.
By the time New York’s The Walkmen took the stage, festival attendance and anticipation seemed to have grown immensely. In a crisp white button down, almost too refined for an indie rock band, frontman Hamilton Leithauser took to the stage and positioned himself with microphone in hand under the blue lights. As soon as his mouth opened and The Walkmen began to play, it could be heard that Leithauser and his bandmates are masters of their craft. Genuine raw emotion full of beauty, agony, and power seemed to emanate from Leithauser’s vocals. In backing the captivating frontman, The Walkmen exuded an overall sound of vintage rock with a hint of polished garage band. Through the entire set, soothing singing morphed into fiery powerful vocals and it seemed that at times Leithauser held back as to not overpower the performance, but there was a sense that given the opportunity he was extremely capable of taking his vocal performance to a soaring new level.
The last set of the evening was held by Friday’s headliner Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros. Stage preparation took place as frontman Alex Ebert, clad in a red coat over a dingy white and paint splotched t-shirt, unexpectedly took the stage and introduced a video the band had just recently shot during a stint in New York City and had just been finished being edited that morning. The videography of the video for “Life Is Hard” was eloquent and alluring and gave a look into the soul of the band. Alex remained on stage for the entire video, crouched in the corner, and his eyes shifted back and forth from the video to the crowd as he took in any and all receptiveness of his latest creation. Although he maintained a quiet presence in the shadows, and with my position right next to him from inside the pit, it was evident that internally Alex was basking in a personal and momentous moment.
Soon after the video’s conclusion, Alex emerged once again this time with the rest of the band. Screams hailed from the crowd for vocalist Jade Castrinos as she made her way to her microphone. She was dressed in a white floor length vintage gown reminiscent of the Summer of Love in the Haight. With a smile and a soft appreciative wave she acknowledged the shouts of adoration. “Man On Fire” was the first song of a set that only the love child of the Mamas and the Papas and Jefferson Airplane would perform.
Alex and Jade have a charismatic stage presence and unmatched harmonious chemistry that can only be fully understood by attending one of their shows. The duo sang and danced their way through a set that was partially chosen by members of the audience from the front few rows. Against a psychedelic backdrop, Jade transitioned between singing and playfully dancing with Alex, where as Alex’s dancing and flailing was interrupted by jumping off the stage and diving into the sea of worshipers. The audiences was enthralled.
Probably the most recognizable Edward Sharpe songs, “Home,” was the second to last song performed. Within the song, Alex provided commentary on how we would not see us for a while and that they wouldn’t be there to hang out with us tomorrow. This bitter-sweet song choice was appropriate as their GOTR journey and Day One of the St. Augustine Stopover came to end.
REVIEW: Lockn – Day Four
The last day of a four day festival is always that day when you know you are completely exhausted and perhaps just totally burned out, but any fatigue is suppressed by the notion that there are great music and vibes to bask in for just one last day. Although “Sunday Funday” was about to commence at Lockn’, there was nothing fun about what was going on in the car camping fields. Despite the fourth beautiful morning and waking up to blue skies and the sun just touching above the mountain backdrop, a repugnant stench from the deplorable provided porta-johns, which had never been cleaned once over the entire weekend, wafted through the camping field. After twenty-four hours of pleas to staff and to Lockn’ via social media which started on the previous day, alleviation from this overlooked logistic for campers came around 5:00PM Sunday. My gratitude still goes out to the men who had to clean those those plastic stalls of something that can only be described as a defecation hell.
With images and stenches that I hope to never see or smell again behind me, Sunday did in fact prove to be one hell of a finale to what was truly an amazing and momentous weekend. The music started off with yet again another local Charlottesville bluegrass band, this time being the Hackensaw Boys. The set was a perfect start to the day and set the crowd up for the second act of the day, Col. Bruce Hampton & Friends w/ Oteil.
From the fabrications that Neil Young would in fact make an appearance at Lockn to the speculation surrounding why/how Trey Anastasio had been added to the lineup, Lockn’ was somewhat of a rumor mill and Col. Bruce’s set just added to the disillusioned hopes. Although a very plausible assumption considering Jeff Snipe, Oteil Burbridge, Jimmy Herring, and of course Col. Bruce Hampton were all present at Lockn that Sunday, it had been anticipated that a possible Aquarium Rescue Unit reunion would take place. As much as crowd members hoped for the reunion it did not occur, but that doesn’t mean Col. Bruce Hampton & Friends’ set was a flop, quite the opposite actually. In addition to Snipe and Burbridge joining the set later on, Eric Krasno, Soulive and Lettuce guitarist, also found himself on stage that afternoon.
Fresh off an album release, the Tedeschi Trucks Band band took to the stage next and delivered a set chock full of collaborations. Off of their new album they delivered “Made Up Mind,” “Do I Look Worried,” and “Part of Me.” Remarking that this was one of her favorite songs written by band guitarist Mike Mattison, Tedeschi sang a beautiful soulful “Midnight In Harlem.” Krasno accompanied TTB on a version of John Prine’s “Angels from Montgomery” that included a “Sugaree” tease. Just when you thought the set couldn’t get any better, Chris Robinson, Bob Weir, Jackie Greene, Burbridge, and Krasno all sat in on celebratory “Sing A Simple Song > I Want To Take You Higher.”
Robinson greeted the audience to the beautiful Sunday afternoon with “Seeing Things” followed by “My Morning Song > Stare It Cold > My Morning Song.” In addition to Black Crowes’ classics such as “Garden Gate,” Nonfiction,” and “Shine Along,” notable covers included Joe Cocker’s “Space Captain” and The Velvet Underground’s “Oh! Sweet Nuthin’” with Robinson’s brother Rich Robinson on lead vocals. The Tedeschi Trucks Band returned to the stage to collaborate on Ray Charles’ “Let’s Go Get Stoned” and they remained on stage for the last song of the set, Bobby “Blue” Bland’s “Turn On Your Light,” which included an appearance from Bob Weir.
The sets full of guest performances and collaborations continued with Widespread Panic’s second set of Lockn. This sunset set kicked off with “Conrad The Caterpiller” and “Please” into an ode to Neil Young with a fiery “Mr. Soul” that highlighted what Herring does best with his guitar. The always favorite instrumental “Disco” got the crowd dancing up a dusty storm and a re-boost in energy came with Robert Johnson’s “Stop Breakin’ Down” and a cover from one of their favorite bands, as John Bell put it, “Can’t Get High.” Keyboardist John “JoJo” Herman had the opportunity to show off his expertise with J.J. Cale’s “Ride Me High,” another staple and perfected Panic cover. Derek Trucks sat in on “Chilly Water,” Robert Johnson’s “Me and the Devil Blues,” and Jerry Joseph’s “North,” to close out the set. Between Herring and Trucks, this was an on-point collaboration that had festival attendees reminiscing hours and even days after this set had ended.
The last show of the weekend was performed by none other than crowd favorite Furthur. Opening the set was the Grateful Dead’s “Terrapin Station,” followed by “Samson And Delilah” with Susan Tedeschi on guitar and vocals. Herring sat in on classics “Brown-Eyed Women” and “Box of Rain.” Tedeschi returned again for a cover of Traffic’s “Dear Mr. Fantasy,” “Playing in the Band,” and “Standing on the Moon.” Furthur came full circle and closed out their set with “Terrapin Flyer > Terrapin Reprise;” in a sense, finishing what they had started. A melancholy spirit blanketed the crowd as the realization that all was coming to a close as Furthur returned to the stage one last time. Phil Lesh stood on stage, as he has done at the end of shows since his liver transplant in 1998, and delivered his organ donor rap. The encore was a beautiful “Brokedown Palace” that peacefully lullabied the crowd and proved to be an appropriate finish to a weekend that provided not only sweet songs, but rocked our souls.
Austra: Feel It, Live
I didn’t tear up during Austra’s heart-wrenching “Home,” with Katie Stelmanis’ opera-trained vocals and strong repetitive keyboard transitioning into upbeat —but still terribly lonely— electro-pop. I wasn’t alone in my car this time; I was at a dive-bar and venue in East Atlanta called The Earl, staring at Stelmanis’ knee-length culottes and platform shoes, the neon blinking umbrella-lights, and the instruments amid the ever-glowing MacBooks…and I was dancing— I hate dancing.
My rhythm-less moves were irrelevant — Stelmanis herself dances like a football player stretching, shifting her weight between feet as she squats behind the keyboard. “So, I dance with nothing/ So, I dance for free,” Stelmanis sang, opening the set with “What We Done?,” a reminder that if music moves me, it’s my move to make. Perhaps it was this that let me lose myself; perhaps it had something to do with the comfort brought by her casual presence in the crowd during the opening band, DIANA.
If I hadn’t already noticed, DIANA’s frontwoman, Carmen Elle, still would have given away the band’s whereabouts. “Out of all the bands we’re touring with, Austra is our favorite,” Elle told the audience, pointing out the members and coiling back, admitting her ‘dad joke,’ as the two Toronto-based bands are the only ones on the tour. Elle’s conversational nature flowed throughout their set like their heavy bass, personifying the band’s dreamy chillwave not only with her ethereal airy vocals but also comments to the crowd. Slowly grooving in an oversized tee shirt and a baseball cap, while occasionally sipping from a mug rather than the usual bottled water or can of beer, Elle seemed a model for the tranquilized sleepy 80’s sound of DIANA. With only one eight-track album, Perpetual Surrender, the setlist was hardly a surprise, though the show allowed amplification and improvisation as everything got a few notches louder, faster, and more melodramatic. When DIANA closed with New House, which was cheesily dedicated to Atlanta, the audience seemed sadder to say goodbye than impatient to get on with the headlining act — a rarity as refreshing as the word “y’all” seemed to be for Elle.
This sentiment drastically reversed with the arrival of the fashionably late. Anxiety grew with cramping of the front row, and the many minutes spent waiting seemed longer as the members of Austra could be clearly seen past the corridor marked “EMPLOYEES ONLY.” Single-file, they stepped onstage — the female drummer, the swankily dressed bassist, the male keyboardist in shorty shorts and lipstick, and the beautiful face and voice of the band, Katie Stelmanis. Applause settled, and with the quiet open for “What We Done?,” Stelamanis’ vocals were naked and fresh against the humid air filling the venue — serenading an explosion halfway through the song, as what begins as shy becomes upbeat and sexy. Paving the way for the set, more songs from their sophomore album Olympia were played, though fans didn’t groan at the idea of hearing mostly newer songs — they welcomed it, especially with gems like “Painful Like,” “Forgive Me,” and their darkest pop track, “Home.” Of course, fans were also relieved to hear some tracks from their debut album, Feel It Break, namely “Beat and The Pulse,” which everybody seemed to preserve the most energy for. “The Choke” and “Darken Her Horse” also had fans enamored with the band’s understanding that all great dance tracks have to build tension before letting it break free. When slow drumbeats met the chiming high-pitch keyboard for “Lose It,” the crowd did just that, alongside Stelmanis’ wordless soprano and her duet with DIANA’s Elle in the last verse.
Numbed by Austra’s live performance of opera uniquely blended with synthesized goth-pop, it was easy to forget that the lit umbrellas lining the stage were the only visuals accompanying the show. It was easy to forget that the back-up vocalists, twins from the band Tasseomancy, were absent from the venue — leaving the drummer, Maya Postepski, to chime in. I almost forgot that a personal favorite, “The Future,” was nicked from the setlist. Though none of these missing pieces left the show feeling incomplete — Austra’s music, Stelmanis standing at the edge of the stage belting lyrics with a vocal range I can only imagine would feel truly painful after over an hour of singing, was enough. They didn’t mask their set with visual performance, because they didn’t need to.
If Stelmanis’ vocal chords hurt, she didn’t let fans know. Instead, she stood by the merch table with her bassist and members of DIANA, humoring fans wanting pictures instead of tee shirts. Rather than sneaking out early, she stayed late, saying, “I’ve got nowhere to be” as they thanked her for her time.
I left the venue feeling giddy, those lonely lyrics to “Home” still ringing in my head.
of Montreal: Lousy with Sylvianbriar
If you have ever listened to of Montreal, you are aware of the psychedelic journey their tunes can take you on. A fitting album cover photo, perhaps, for Lousy with Sylvianbriar, since you may find yourself ready to hop on that bike and ride off into lands of trippy new colors and skies.
With the more upbeat songs, such as the single “Fugitive Air”, your hips may start developing minds of their own in response to the pleasurable beats. Tapping your feet or swaying to the beat, you’ll find that Kevin Barnes’ vocals create something different in each song. Barnes’ voice becomes intoxicatingly sweet, complimented by the female vocals alongside his in “Obsidian Currents”. Little surprises like those are found throughout the album.
Further into the album, “She Ain’t Speaking Now” offers more drum action, which pairs well with Barnes’ vocals. The low roar of the electric guitar also finds its way into the mix of funky sounds here. The rise and fall of sweet melodies next to more upbeat tunes make this album a nice listen.
The same funk you’d expect from of Montreal is present in LwS, but this album presents more euphoric moods than the previous albums. If you dig what you hear, the band will be going on tour right around the corner! Kicking off in their hometown, of Montreal will be playing in Athens, GA October 18th at the 40 Watt Club so don’t miss out.
of Montreal’s Upcoming Tour
Oct 18 – Athens, GA @ 40 Watt Club
Oct 22 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
Oct 23 – Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall
Oct 24 – Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall
Oct 25 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
Oct 26 – Cambridge, MA @ Middle East
Oct 27 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Oct 28 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Oct 29 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland
Oct 30 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
Oct 31 – Madison, WI @ Majestic Theater
Nov 01 – Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Center
Nov 02 – Omaha, NE @ Waiting Room
Nov 03 – Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater
Nov 04 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
Nov 05 – Boise, ID @ Korah Shrine
Nov 06 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
Nov 07 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos
Nov 08 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
Nov 09 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
Nov 10 – Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex
Nov 11 – Los Angeles, CA @ Largo at the Coronet
Nov 12 – Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress
Nov 14 – Dallas, TX @ Trees
Nov 15 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk
Nov 16 – New Orleans, LA @ Howlin’ Wolf
Nov 17 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
REVIEW: Lockn Festival – Day Three
It was another beautiful day at Lockn’ and day three opened with a fusion of ‘80s and bluegrass. Yes you read that correctly. The Charlottesville band Love Canon, comprised of Jesse Harper (Guitarist/singer), Adam Larrabee (Banjo), Andy Thacker (Mandolin), and Darrell Muller (Bass/Backing Vocals), got this music going with covers like Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer,” ZZ Top’s “Legs,” and Olivia Newton-John’s “Physical.” Comical, yet genius. The afternoon turned funky and Black Keys-esq with The London Souls followed by The Punch Brothers taking us straight back to traditional bluegrass roots.
By the time the Black Crows took the stage the sun was starting it’s slow decent into the earth. Their impassioned set was filled with soul and good old rock and roll. Many classics and favorites were played including “Jealous Again” and a “She Talks to Angels” that got the entire audience singing a long. Admist beautiful segues and seamless transitions, The Crows slipped covers of the Rolling Stones’ “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” and their own version of Otis Reddings’ “Hard to Handle” into Billy Joe Royal’s “Hush.” The Black Crows would take the stage the following day for their second set of the weekend.
Days after Neil Young’s cancellation, it seemed that Lockn’ made the right replacement choice with the Trey Anastasio Band. Although it has been speculated that Anastasio was never a replacement choice, that Lockn’ had previously planned to add him to the lineup anyway, either way his set was a highlight for festival attendees alike. You didn’t have to be a Phish fan to enjoy TAB that evening. The set opened with a lively “Cayman Review” and included some Phish staples “Ocelot” and “Sand.” This set was also an opportunity for Anastasio to play some of his solo songs like “Valentine.” The absolute high point of TAB’s set was the cover of Gorillaz’ “Clint Eastwood,” that got the entire audience singing and dancing. In addition to the songs, the horns, the band, and Anastasio himself, it cannot go unmentioned how songstress and trumpet player Jennifer Hartswick captivated the entire Lockn’ crowd with her incredible vocals, both on “Clint Eastwood” and Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog.” This was TAB’s only set of the weekend and the performance that was put on that evening left the Lockn’ audience wanting more.
As soon as TAB was done ramping up the crowd, Widespread Panic took the stage a few minutes later for their first of two highly anticipated sets of the weekend. For two hours not only did we get a full serving of classic Panic, but for the last thirty minutes of the set legendary American rocker and former Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman John Fogerty took the stage with those Georgia boys. There was a “Henry Parsons Died” opener with “Pigeons” following. “Pilgrims” into “Ribs And Whiskey” got the whole crowd stomping up a dusty storm and elevated the excitement for what was yet to be delivered. After an appropriate “Ain’t Life Grand,” Fogerty joined Panic on stage and immediately delivered those time-honored CCR classics the crowd was just waiting to sing-a-long to. Those classics included “Born on the Bayou,” “Bad Moon Rising,” “Suzy Q,” “Keep on Chooglin,” and of course “Fortunate Son.” After thanking “The Panics” for having him on stage Fogerty plugged and played his new song “Mystic Highway.”
The entire Widespread Panic set with John Fogerty: Henry Parsons Died, Pigeons, Travelin’ Light, Pilgrims >Ribs And Whiskey, Holden Oversoul, Dyin’ Man, Taildragger, Bust It Big > Surprise Valley > Drum Solo > Surprise Valley > Blue Indian, Ain’ Life Grand, Born On The Bayou (with John Fogerty), Bad Moon Rising (with John Fogerty), Mystic Highway (with John Fogerty), Suzy Q (with John Fogerty), Old Man Down The Road (with John Fogerty), Keep on Chooglin (with John Fogerty), Fortunate Son (with John Fogerty)
Taking the Lockn’ stage for the third time that weekend, Furthur played a complete set featuring the Grateful Dead album Workingman’s Dead. It seemed that the crowd that Saturday night was the largest it had been all weekend and there was an overall sense that the culmination of Lockn’ was about to be heard and seen. You couldn’t help but sing a long to “Uncle John’s Band” and “Dire Wolf.” Anastasio joined on stage for the last song of the album “Casey Jones,” and remained on stage for the remainder of the set. “Bertha,” “Scarlet Begonias,” and “Fire on the Mountain,” among other Grateful Dead staples, closed out the memorable festival day; a day that could never and will never be duplicated.
REVIEW: Lockn Festival – Day Two
Friday was a brand new day in the world of Lockn’ with all the hiccups of yesterday behind us.The sun was shining, the sky was blue, and the beautiful oak tree in the middle of Oak Ridge Estate greeted us as we made our trek to the festival area. This second day of music started off with the local Charlottesville duo Founding Fathers, comprised of Andy Falco and Chris Pandolfi of the Infamous String Dusters. Following this bluegrass set, Pegi Young and The Survivors brought some country rock to that hot Virginia afternoon. With the cancellation of headliner Neil Young only a couple of weeks prior to the festival it was inevitable that Peggy’s performance at Lockn’ would fuel rumors of Neil Young actually showing up at the festival. Although she is married to the music legend, his wife of 31 years, her performance that afternoon was not overshadowed by the fanciful hopes of a special appearance that filled some festival goers that weekend.
Booty shaking, boogie funk. Need I say more? With temperatures rising in that wide open field, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and the Soul Rebels Brass Band turned up the heat a little more with the third set of day two at Lockn’. Both bands brought the party from New Orleans to Arrington, VA with covers like Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky and the Eurythmics “Sweet Dreams.”
Where others may not be fond of story telling by musicians between songs, I do appreciate anecdotes that convey personal and deeper meaning to the musical performance. In his set following those funky bands from NOLA, Jimmy Cliff not only brought his talent but his intimate stories to the stage. Highlights of the set included “Vietnam” where he substituted Vietnam for Afghanistan, the Cat Stevens cover “ Wild World,” and Johnny Nash’s cover “I Can See Clearly Now.”
Immediately following Jimmy Cliff, The String Cheese Incident began their first of two performances that evening as the sun set over Lockn’. “Outside and Inside” was the first song of the set with Billy Nershi on lead vocals and Kyle Hollingsworth rhythmically pounding the keys. In provoking the celtic spirit, they segued into the instrumental “Valley of the Jig” which set the tone nicely for their the rest of their bluegrass and electronic infused performance. “Joyful Sound” incorporated these electronic undertones as experimental improvisations broke from the cease of Keith Moseley’s vocals. Following this frenzied dance party and impassioned jams, Kyle served us a lighthearted and funky “Let’s Go Outside,” followed by a playful “This Must be the PLace (Naive Melody). SCI’s entire first set of the evening: Outside and Inside > Valley of the Jig, It Is What It Is, Yo Se, Joyful Sound > Let’s Go Outside, This Must be the Place (Naive Melody) > Restless Wind
Furthur took the stage for their first set of the week noodling around for a moment before dropping into a powerful and funky shakedown street. The crowd erupted as Phil Lesh’s opening notes rang out. An excellent choice of opener to set the tone for the weekend. Next up was The Wheel, a personal favorite of mine written by Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter followed by Cryptical Envelopment into a very dark Estimated Prophet. Music had been going for almost an hour nonstop by the time the band finished Cold, Rain and Snow. More great renditions of classics followed with Cassidy, Candyman and finishing the set with Jack Straw.
The String Cheese Incident’s last “incident” of the weekend included a collaboration with American country songwriter/singer/guitarist Zac Brown and his fellow band members of the Zac Brown Band. When the “Zac Brown Incident” was first announced a wave of dismissal amongst Cheese fans swept the the Internet forums about this performance. Even in the moments leading up to the start of the set uncertainty emanated from many loyal Cheese fans that surrounded me. In attempts to not make assumptions before experiencing this “incident” I went in with the mind set of expect nothing and be surprised. And sure enough I was pleasantly surprised. Of course I have seen better Cheese sets, but Brown’s talent as an artist cannot be dismissed.
The common perception of Brown as a sold-out pop country artist was shattered, for me anyway, as the set began with “Sometimes a River,” as Keith and Brown switched between lead vocals. Throughout a interlocking set of Cheese and Zac Brown Band songs, Brown’s stage presence conveyed a sense of desire to prove his worth as an artist to the ever loyal Cheese and jam-band fans. Brown took the reins on many lead vocals and his proficiency with his guitar was highlighted throughout the evening. Brown played guitar and shared lead vocals with Kyle on “Close Your Eyes.” Although sharing the spotlight, nothing could outshine Kyle’s finesse on the keys that added to the fiery jam within the song. A soulful “When I go Away” reminiscent of deep south gospel hymn was an unforgettable and beautiful tribute to the late Levon Helm. Bluegrass merged with rock on a cover of Aerosmith’s “Sweet Emotion,” which was followed by a feet-stomping and hand clapping “Born Free” accompanied with a lively fiddle. The cheesiness of the set was amplified with Zac Brown Band’s song “Jump Right In.” As Cheese fans we expect some level of “cheesiness” with some SCI songs, but this song may have taken that to a whole different level and it was my least favorite song of the set. A funky “Use Me” followed and included a surprise ending taken from Outkast’s “So Fresh, So Clean.” Brown took lead vocals one last time on the SCI classic and fan favorite, “Colorado Bluebird Sky,” but the culmination of the song came when Billy took back lead vocals and everyone on stage finished the set with an energy filled jam. The set encored with an island vibed “Could You Be Loved.”
Furthur’s second set started kicked up as “The Zac Brown Incident” were still saying their goodbyes from the neighboring stage. The set began with a nice jam led by Phil before dropping into “Dark Star.” This song has really enveloped the spacey and abstract sounds that The Grateful Dead were well known for. An unfinished “Dark Star” transitioned into a nice up beat version of “Eyes of the World” that featured some great work from John Kadlecik on guitar and vocals before leading into “St Stephen” and “Unbroken Chain.” This whole segment featured some some of my favorite jamming of the weekend before spacing back into “Dark Star.” Zac Brown returned to the stage once more and played his song “Free” which segued into what can only be described as a magical rendition of Van Morrison’s “Into the Mystic.” Brown remained on stage for the classic “Tennessee Jed” and later returned for an encore of “Touch of Grey.”, Furthur finished their second set with the classic “Help on the Way>Slipknot!>Franklin’s Tower” trio; an excellent group of songs that often found themselves joined together.
With Contributions By: John C. Anderson
REVIEW: Lockn Festival – Day One
With the car in park and the engine turned off we got out of the car, grabbed some chairs, cracked open some beers and found some respite from the beating sun in the shade of a neighboring parked RV. Our collective group of friends was among many who had arrived at Oak Ridge Estate on that Virginia morning for the inaugural Lockn’ Festival. In these early hours, a sea of cars lined up in what was once a vast open field with the overall anticipation that entry into the festival and direction to campsites would take minimal time, perhaps only an hour or so. Assumptions proved wrong as that morning turned into afternoon and not a single car in the surrounding lines moved any closer to entry into the festival. As the hours passed, sunburns, frustrations, and aggravations grew as many were coming to terms with the fact that we were going to miss music we had come to see.
There is no denying that at the start of Lockn’ certain logistics had been over looked. It has been argued that as a first year festival it should have been presumed that there were going to be kinks in the production, but it was apparent after final arrival to our campsite and once inside the festival grounds that some efforts had been concentrated in nonessential areas. This Day One festival review and my other Lockn daily reviews that will follow will concentrate on the positive highlights and the incredible days and nights of music, but the unacceptable insufficiencies of planning in some aspects will not go unmentioned.
Over the four day festival there was no music overlap so that no attendee would miss performances they wished to see. Two main adjacent stages provided the “interlocking” sets and with these side by side stages, performances were able to start immediately one after the other. This set up which is rarely seen at many other big name festivals today allowed for artists to feed off of each other when starting their own sets. Thursday’s schedule started with Keller & The Keels followed by Warren Haynes Band, The String Cheese Incident, Gov’t Mule with Grace Potter, and closing out the day was a second set by The String Cheese Incident.
The hellish “gridlockn” caused many to miss the first set of the festival. Virginia’s own Keller Williams performed with husband and wife duo Larry and Jenny Keel, and opened with a bluegrass set and Keller on his acoustic guitar. As lines of cars still crept along the festival borders slowly making their way to campsites, the soulful Warren Haynes Band took the stage for their rock and bluesy festival set complete with horns and of course Haynes on his guitar. Accompanying him on stage was keyboardist Nigel Hall, saxophonist Ron Holloway, and vocalist Alecia Chakour. The soulful set comprised of songs off of Warren’s solo release “Man in Motion” and a number of covers including Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come” and Jimi Hendrix’s “Spanish Castle Magic” and Steely Dan’s “Pretzel Logic”
String Cheese kicked off their set in high gear with “Desert Dawn” as many fans were still filing into the venue. A nice high energy song to get the party started. “Black and White” featured a nice jam that segued into “So Far from Home;” A new tune of Billy Nershi that has almost a country feel to it. Up next was “Mouna Bowa”, an instrumental song that really lets every member of the band shine. They found themselves in a nice exploratory jam out of “Mouna Bowa” that led to probably the biggest dance party of the set with “Colliding.” This song has really blossomed into a nice electronic jam since its debut appearance almost two years ago. “Song In my Head” followed, another new song from Nershi to be featured on their upcoming album. Keller Williams was then brought out to sing his own “Best Feeling” which was arguably one of their best versions of this song in years. A short and to the point Texas rounded out this set nicely.
Immediately following the first of two String Cheese sets, Warren took the stage again with Gov’t Mule. As expected we heard a set filled with southern rock and blues and a delivery of songs the emulated complete passion from Haynes that seemed to captivate every listener that night. From the reggae influenced “Step Lightly” to the rocking “Broke Down on the Brazos” to the soulful “Banks of the Deep End,” Gov’t Mule was quickly becoming a highlight of Lockn’. The real magic of this set manifested when the always beautiful songstress Grace Potter joined Mule and delivered memorable covers of The Beatles’ “Dear Prudence,” Fleetwood Mac’s “Gold Dust Woman,” Crosby, Stills, & Nash’s “Find the Cost of Freedom,” and Neil Young’s “Southern Man.” With her flowing bohemian garb and powerful mesmerizing vocals, Grace Potter was an essential element in one of the most culminating musical performances of the entire weekend.
“Rosie” opened up Cheese’s second set with a bang; a newer track from Kyle Hollingsworth. The bluegrass staple “Black Clouds” followed and featured the Michael Jackson hit “Shake your Body Down to the Ground” sandwiched in the middle which was definitely a nice treat. A short drum segment built up to “Can’t Wait Another Day”, another Kyle song written for his daughter. “Bollymunster” and “Sirens” followed with an excellent version of John Coltrane’s “Impressions” that found its way in a dubbed out rendition of Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir.” An excellent version of “Just One Story” brought this set to a close sealing the deal on an excellent first night of music.
With contributions by: John C. Anderson
Visc: The Original Rebels
Original Rebels is the fifth and most current product of Dylan Fellows’ solo project, Visc. This particular album is composed of songs themed for his childhood fears: werewolves, villains, and “Chupey”. At such an innocent age, the absurdity of our imaginations dominates our perception of reality, and even Goosebumps seems plausible. In retrospect, we see that we were just silly children, which is what Fellows’ conveys in “Original Rebels” by performing his songs in an upbeat tempo with an effervescent approach.
Fellows’ smooth, almost androgynous voice tells a story seamlessly through rhyme. This album is quality “drive-and-sing” material, as Fellows’ highs to lows implant themselves in your head, particularly “Love in Lagoon-ah” and “Electrostatic”. The stark guitar sound carries over from his previous album “Anza Borrego” (which has more of a “western cowboy” feel), however, the echo effect and subtle horror movie sound clips add to the spooky theme of “Original Rebels”. The echo effect is most prevalent in “Howl” and “Chupey Says”, combined with 90’s video game sounds from the keyboard to make it fun and catchy.
“Howl” can be considered the best representation of the techniques and sounds of the album overall. It opens with the resonant keyboard and gradually softens with the connection of the guitar and finally comes together with Fellow’s voice, creating layers of melodic texture. With background howls and thematic lyrics, “Howl” encompasses the message of “Original Rebels”. With a “sudden urge to howl at the moon”, Fellows’ executes the image of a carefree disposition and succeeds in capturing listeners to do the same.
REVIEW: Blue Jasmine – Intoxicated by the Anti-Heroine
Watching an elegantly primped, expensively dressed Cate Blanchett in Woody Allen’s newest film, Blue Jasmine feels less like a night of Cristal and tiny hors d’oeuvres and more like a bender of room temperature vodka and plastic orange Xanax bottles. Before you’re completely intoxicated, it’s a bitter mouthful to swallow.
Jasmine (Blanchett) is introduced to the film flying first class into the first circle of hell in the aftermath of her ex-husband, Hal (Alec Baldwin)’s financial fraud. Her schedule and wallet are both empty, tucked neatly in a gold Birkin bag, and held with a shaky manicured grip — rock bottom could not be less convenient for the former Park Avenue socialite. Broke and single with little hope of a job prospect, Jasmine is forced below her lowest standards and into the cramped San Francisco home of her adopted sister, Ginger (Sally Hawkins). Before the government confiscated Jasmine’s money, Ginger was visiting her — staying in a nearby hotel, sight-seeing with Jasmine’s driver, embarrassingly shrieking over a gifted handbag like a kid whose just won a big fluffy teddy bear. But Jasmine never imagined she’d be in Ginger’s bargain-bought shoes — living with the single mother of two in a city only inspired by Europe. Her company is quietly unwelcomed, however, as Ginger’s possessive boyfriend and herself have yet to forget that Hal’s fraud left Ginger bagging groceries while Jasmine may or may not have looked the other way. Hour after hour, it’s time for Jasmine to pop yet another pill in hopes of escaping rather than spiraling further into the Matrix of a low-class, average lifestyle. Minute after minute, we wish we could too, as Jasmine dives deeper into the aching pit in our stomachs.
Given Woody Allen’s extensive filmography of pretentiously quirky rich women whose flaws are outweighed by their charm (i.e., the infamous Annie Hall), Jasmine —at the very outer shell of surface level— seems like an expected character for him. She’s a stunningly beautiful, well-cultured and well-traveled New Yorker who’s as talkative as Woody himself. Though much like Jasmine’s mask of high-end couture outfits, this is not her reality. After five minutes this is obvious — if anything, Jasmine may be a mockery of the typical Woody woman. She has her quirks, but they are despicable. She had wealth, but it was lost. With the perfectly satirical rich-bitch “Well, in Paris…” voice, Jasmine rambles on with pretentious superiority— but we know she’s a college dropout reliant on handsome men holding handsome money.
It’s easy to root for main characters, even when what they want is disagreeable otherwise. You want the 42-year-old Isaac Davis (Woody Allen) to peruse his 17-year-old love interest in Manhattan, and you want Jack (Jesse Eisenberg) to cheat on his long-time girlfriend with her best friend in To Rome With Love. In Blue Jasmine, you don’t want Jasmine to keep her job as a secretary, or charm a rich man eager to marry. In Blue Jasmine, the only time to empathize with Jasmine is when contemplating her mental state or unseen previous life decisions. Jasmine embodies awfulness simply by behavior, at which Blanchett masters with enough exquisite detail and skill to actually make us hate an attractive woman.
Jasmine’s actions, while shameful, are not entirely grotesque. Engulfed in the capitalistic cliché of the American dream, Jasmine merely wanted the life that Hollywood glorifies. Though Jasmine is not just a woman with wayward ideals whose lost everything — we would probably empathize with that character. Instead, it’s Jasmine’s attitude and essence that cause us to hope for an even worse downfall. It’s her voice; the way she carries herself; the way she shouts that all life as less worthy simply with a glance. We don’t hate Jasmine because she is a “bad character” — we hate Jasmine because Blanchett is a great actress.
The experience of Blue Jasmine is one of high stress, disgust, and simultaneous awe — leaving you feeling violated and insecure after the screen transitions to black and the lights turn on as if everything were fine. You will feel conflicted by your desires, but mindful of them in ways Woody Allen’s other films don’t allow. Blue Jasmine is the most self-aware, satirical film Woody Allen has made to date — a big uncomfortably deadpan joke about the American dream with Blanchett as the punch line. You may choke down most scenes, but what you’re left with is a dizzying aftertaste under the influence of both Woody Allen’s blackest comedy and most haunting drama.
Arctic Monkeys: AM
Old-school Arctic Monkeys diehards, please don’t hate us for saying this: AM has got to be the group’s best album yet. With the perfect blend of rock n’ roll and pure, unadulterated sex appeal, Alex Turner and crew have churned out a masterpiece from start to finish.
Let’s start with the singles. Yes, those slow, blues-y numbers that make you want to crawl into bed with someone you love – or anyone, really. Though “Do I Wanna Know?”, “R U Mine?”, and “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?” – the inquisitive tracks on the record – do sound quite similar, we’re entirely okay with it. After all, who could resist the gluttony of three racy tracks chock-full of Turner’s crooning English vocals, sexy, measured instrumentals, and lyrics that make you wonder if the Monkeys are philosophers on the side?
But, in very versatile Arctic Monkeys fashion, AM offers another dimension, and a very beautiful one at that. Take “No. 1 Party Anthem” – one listen and there’s that “lump in your throat” mentioned in the track. A clean, retro piano backs up a narrative likely written about Turner: “Leather jacket, collar popped like Cantona/Never knowing when to stop/Sunglasses indoors, par for the course.” The final track on the album, “I Wanna Be Yours” offers the same seductive air, but in a much more romantic sense. The quartet carries on their love of metaphors, somehow instilling pure splendor into the likes of a vacuum cleaner, coffee pot, parking meter, and portable heater.
There are, of course, some tracks that don’t quite fit either of these molds. The magic here is in the fact that they still flow seamlessly in and out of the record. We couldn’t possibly review AM without mentioning “Arabella”. The track mentions Arabella’s “70s head”, a notable coincidence – or perhaps not – because of the song’s classic rock, 70s vibe. With this one, the boys show their instrumental complexity and skill.
But don’t stop there – this is one album you’ve gotta listen to all the way through. Hidden gems abound. You’ll thank us later.