Category: Show Reviews
RAW Natural Born Artists: PIXELS at Terminal West: Art
Where can you find feminist, hiphop performance art, utensil jewelry, and photos of naked women standing near Atlanta landmarks? You’re best bet is a Raw Natural Born Artist showcase like the one held last Wednesday at Terminal West. Pixels featured music, art, photography, fashion, performance and make-up artists.
The visual pieces were hung on display on chain-linked fences that surrounded the main stage where three talented music acts would perform. Jewelry booths were set up in the adjoining room while performance art and a fashion show completed the evening.
Photographer Q. Oliver’s portion of fence was swarming with interested people all night. His stunning black and white photographs featured women of all shapes and ethnicities standing completely or partially nude in the middle of some of Atlanta’s busiest streets. I was told he captures the photos in the early morning hours to avoid too much attention from passer-byes and law enforcement. Check out Q.Oliver’s photos here.
Jewelry designer Mallory Wingo of WingostarrJewelery incorporates natural gemstones with everyday items like forks and spoons to create some very unique pieces. She strives to make customized pieces with the time consuming process of hammering letter stamps into the metal of her designs. Shop WingostarrJewelery here.
Danielle Deadwyler a.k.a Didi Xio’s performance art incorporated hiphop beats and social commentary on gender and race stereotypes. She first engaged the audience by having a man hold one end of a noose, wrapping herself up in the other end and pulling on it violently while she recited poetic verses. She then took the stage in a fierce mental rap while including the audience in a game of dice. Deadwyler’s performance was powerful and hard-hitting. Preview Didi Xio’s musical storytelling here.
These are just three of the many incredible artists on display at the Pixels showcase. Raw Natural Born Artists is an international organization connecting local artists to their community while providing them the creative freedom to perfect their craft. You can learn more about this organization and support local artists here.
Roky Erickson with Black Angels at Terminal West
My two roommates and I went to see Roky Erickson. We were anxious to see what kind of people would be at a show featuring Roky Erickson (obviously The Black Angels headlined). We walked in behind a middle-aged double date. One of the women was wearing gold metallic go-go boots. Of course, The Black Angels are a psychedelic-rock band, so I was expecting oddities like this one. It was a sold out show.
We walked in in the middle of Roky Erickson’s performance, and I cried a little on the inside. I wanted to see him walk on, but I can imagine it: probably simply and without acknowledging there was a crowd of Black Angel fans before him. Roky Erickson got his start in 1966 after co-founding The 13th Floor Elevators. Later in 1974, “Two Headed Dog (Red Temple Prayer)” debuted a more rock and roll side of Roky, as compared to his original psychedelic style. “Two Headed Dog” became a single, which he of course, featured at the show. I assumed he was the reason most of the older folks showed up. He wasn’t alone on stage, though. He was accompanied by three guitarists, a beautiful keyboardist and a drummer, all of which were young and healthy. Roky seemed out of place. He still has long hair, although more gray and he seemed to be looking at the guitarists at either side of him, looking for a nod of approval I was looking forward to seeing him by himself. I wanted to see him on a stool with a guitar singing, “I Love the Living You”. Roky is the epitome of raw, so much so that his acoustic songs become revelatory. He is the only artist that can bring tears to my eyes and yet sing so simply. Nonetheless, he was there, in the flesh, a legend. I was glad to know Roky existed outside of my head. He left as simply as I assume he came out.
Enough of my swooning over Roky Erickson. The crowd multiplied, along with random puffs of smoke overhead (“eh-hem”). There was still a varied age group. To be honest, I had never listened to Black Angels prior to this night. The stage was set with four stand-alone canvases and one large canvas backdrop. Projections splattered the stage with trippy colors and star images. The music played but no Black Angels. I could feel the excitement gathering, and the crowd grew louder, but still, no Black Angels. After two or three minutes of this titillation, they walked on. I was expecting a grand entrance, but I guess you don’t need that when you’re the Black Angels. The crowd went wild, as the cliché goes, and they began. The drummer, a shaggy haired girl that looked like she could stare anyone to death, played a heavy, slow beat. Then the vocalist broke in. This was literally a psychedelic experience – not just The Black Angels but the event as a whole. To my right was a young, sweet couple and to my left a guy that looked like Mick Jagger’s clone. I was still having post-Roky effects, and it was all too much. I wouldn’t have missed this show for the world. It was a once in a lifetime experience, and I shared it with two great people, and that is what makes a concert review-worthy.
Justin Townes Earle at The Melting Point
There’s just something about Americana music that’s endearing. Maybe it’s the people who play it. Maybe it’s the music itself. Or quite possibly it’s a combination of the two that reminds us of the humble, determined spirit that comprises the culture of both America past and America present. This was certainly the case when Justin Townes Earle partnered with Whatever it Takes and took to The Melting Point stage to raise money for impoverished children and families in the Athens, Georgia area.
Whatever it Takes is an Athens-based organization whose goal is to ensure “that all children in Athens are healthy, safe, engaged in the community and on course to graduate from a post-secondary education.” As openers Eliot Bronson and Jonathan Byrd and the Pickup Cowboys graced the stage with their guitars it was no surprise that honest, passionate artists such as these were performing for such an admirable cause. Eliot Bronson’s smooth solo vocals had the crowd clapping for more as he gave way to the twangy tunes of Jonathan Byrd and the Pickup Cowboys. As Byrd and his band crooned their way through violin-led love ballads and harmony-laden lullabies, the floor filled with dancing fans who gave the band the first curtain call for an opener that I have ever seen.
By the time Jonathan Byrd and the Pickup Cowboys finished playing their well-deserved encore, the crowd was pining for the soulful sounds of Justin Townes Earle. Earle, a singer/songwriter who combines the best of blues with folk and Americana made his way to the stage amidst a rapturous applause. Justin stood alone with nothing more than an acoustic guitar when he greeted the amped Athens crowd. “Let’s see what I can forget the lyrics to tonight,” laughed Justin before opening with “They Killed John Henry,” a song that he informed us was written for his grandfather. Next up was “Memphis in the Rain,” a blues-heavy hit from Earle’s new album Nothing’s Gonna Change the Way You Feel About Me Now. Earle’s bluesy influences were apparent as he played a cover of Bo Carter’s “Your Biscuits are Big Enough for Me,” as well as Lightnin’ Hopkins’ “My Starter Won’t Start This Morning,” a song that was once performed by Townes Van Zandt, for whom Justin Townes Earle gets his middle name.
As Earle fingerpicked his way through his set, he displayed the same sort of honesty that makes Americana music endearing. He shared intimate stories from his past involving turbulent relationships that he’s been able to transform into songs. Each song was a story, and Earle graciously shared not only the songs with us, but also the stories behind the songs.
“If I drink or do narcotics I break out in handcuffs,” Earle said through a grin as he plucked his way through fan favorites like “One More Night in Brooklyn” and “Mama’s Eyes.” At one point, Earle even stopped playing mid-song to inform the audience that he had forgotten a line. “It doesn’t mess me up when I forget lyrics, because I’m human,” Earle confessed. “I don’t put myself on a pedestal, because I’m only human. That’s what happened to Pete Rose. We put him on a pedestal and he disappointed us. But if ya ask me I think they need to let ole Charlie Hustle in the Hall of Fame for being human,” said Earle. Honest moments like these not only made the evening more intimate, but they made it obvious why Earle is such a talented songwriter.
Earle only briefly left the stage before being beckoned back by the audience’s roaring applause. After plucking and slapping away at his strings, Earle concluded the night with “Christchurch Woman,” a hopeful love song that displays Earle’s ability to tap into heavy heartache and create songs that have both lyrical weight as well as graceful guitar melodies.
Justin Townes Earle exemplifies the endearing honesty of Americana music. His music is reminiscent of a simpler time while remaining hopeful for the future. His honest and vulnerable songs made it feel as though he were confiding in us his deepest hopes and fears. And as he shared his stories, he made us feel as though we were a part of those stories.
Kevin Devine at Union Transfer
I’m a baseball fan. In fact, the guy writing this uses the stage name September Call-Up. And in keeping with that theme I’d like to think of myself as a pinch hitter, or better yet, a middle reliever (I am a lefty after all) – in the sense that the editor of this very website missed the Kevin Devine show in Georgia due to the flu. I then gave her my own version of the “put me in, coach!” speech, since I was all set to attend the Philadelphia offering. She kindly obliged, and now I’m here to review a show from the guy whose first band was named after the ’86 Mets. Full Circle. Play ball!
Leading off was Harrison Hudson, who along with Mike Strandberg, was pulling double duty as a member of the Goddamn Band. The set was full of catchy pop-rock that floated somewhere between a friendlier version of The Strokes and a late 90’s Beach Boys revival (thanks to friends Jesse and Sara for those comparisons – I couldn’t think of anything more apt). The set was short, catchy and kept the crowd engaged, in all a good opener.
Next up was Now, Now who hail from Minneapolis but looked and sounded like they’d be more at home in Brooklyn or Philadelphia’s Fishtown neighborhood. Their sound was very lush, reverby electro indie-rock. Something that from start to finish sounded more like one long consistent film soundtrack than a collection of individual songs. Devine, himself, noted during his set that they were “cinematic”. Spot on.
In baseball, you put your best hitter in the 3-hole, so appropriately next came Devine with the Goddamn Band. Right from the start this was a more raucous version of the band. There was noticeably more energy. In fact, Devine could hardly stand still. He spent most of the set jumping around like a mad man, which felt an appropriate treatment for the new offerings on Bubblegum.
The set opened with long time crowd favorite “Cotton Crush” then settled in for some of the newer catalogue. “Private First Class”, the Chelsea Manning commentary with its meaningful lyrics and catchy melody is one of my new favorites along with title track “Bubblegum”. Going through the set, Devine played songs from five albums, mostly drawing from Bubblegum and 2009’s Brother’s Blood. The initial set ended with the rocking “Brother’s Blood”. Afterward, instead of walking off, Devine politely asked that we pretend that he did and went right into the encore. The lack of pretense and taking yourself too seriously was immediately shown by the fact that the encore started with a 10 minute long medley of 90’s-2000’s pop/rock hits which seems to have become commonplace at the Goddamn Band Shows and is a crowd pleaser for sure.
The encore concluded rockingly with Bubblegum’s masterpiece “RedBird”, after which the band left Devine on stage with a lone electric guitar where he performed “Safe”, which was beautiful and poignant in the large, quiet room. This was followed by usual closer and favorite “Ballgame”, which seemed to have a noticeably more positive outlook than in past performances of the song. Perhaps a result of Devine’s recent nuptials and a bit of the artist coming through in his work. It’s nice as a songwriter when those things that drive you to put pen to paper sometimes, albeit all too rarely, end up working out in the best possible way. I’m happy for him. It was a nostalgic, touching, welcome end to a wonderful performance. It put a smile on your face, and you feel like you left the game with a win.
Neutral Milk Hotel at Tabernacle in Atlanta
The crowd at the Tabernacle last Saturday night seemed particularly anxious and with good reason. When the elusive Jeff Mangum announced six months ago that Neutral Milk Hotel would be putting on a reunion show, diehard fans everywhere rejoiced. For some, they had been waiting almost 15 years to hear the band live.
As the show began Mangum, almost unrecognizable with a long full beard, walked calmly to stage left and thanked everyone for being there. Mangum, known for his appreciation for privacy asked politely to keep cell phones and cameras off for the entirety of the show, a request that miraculously almost everyone was happy to oblige.
Mangum started to sing “Oh Comely” weaving in and out of verses first powerful then melancholy while playing acoustic guitar. Right before the songs climax, Scott Spillman joined on stage and began to blow the trumpet fiercely. For the last 45 seconds of the song the rest of the ensemble joined them on stage including well-known members Julian Koster, and Jeremy Barnes.
During the “King of Carrot Flowers parts 1, 2, & 3”, Koster introduced the accordion masterfully before switching to the banjo while Spillman blew the horns. Barnes picked up the tempo on drums, and the song evolved into a rowdy chorus that the crowd agreed is worth a little enthusiasm.
Giving the crowd a small opportunity to catch their breath, Mangum belted out the lyrics to the slow-paced and twisted “A Baby For Pree” before launching into “Gardenhead/Leave Me Alone”, all singles from high energy album, On Avery Island.
During the beginning of “Holland 1945”, the band experienced some feedback issues with microphones but sorted it by the end. The extremely fast paced ode to Anne Frank gave the singer little time to take a breath, and Mangum had some minor difficulty keeping up with the melody.
Perhaps one of the most well known songs off In The Aeroplane Over The Sea is the song of the same name. One of the band’s most uplifting songs, “Aeroplane” is an amalgamation of horns and the eerie musical saw, which Koster and Spillman brought to life.
As the rest of the band retreated off stage, Mangum, adorned in faithful mountain wool sweater and cap, picked up an acoustic guitar and began to sing “Two Headed Boy”. The crowd went crazy and began to sing along as he belted the majority of the song at the top of his lungs, never missing a beat. The band returned and followed with the “The Fool”, complimenting the previous track with trumpets and accordion.
The band closed out the show with “Ruby Bulbs” and “Snow Song Part One”, lesser-known songs that Mangum asked crowd members who knew the words to sing along to.
During the encore the bands played three songs from In the Aeroplane Over The Sea including “Ghost”, “Untitled” and “Two Headed Boy Part 2” which caused the crowd to become very emotional. At this time Koster exited the stage for the last time, leaving Magnum to finish the show by himself and the crowd to send him off with a heavy applause.
As Mangum finished up his encore, and his seventh bottle of water, he looked out to each tier of the Tabernacle’s balconies and thanked his fans for their unyielding support over the years. Neutral Milk Hotel pulled their reunion off almost flawlessly, giving die-hard fans an experience that was absolutely worth the wait.
Sleigh Bells at Georgia Theatre
What do you get when you mix heavy metal, hip-hop, punk, pop, and electronica? The incredible juxtaposition that composes Sleigh Bells, of course. Since releasing their debut album, Treats, in 2010, Sleigh Bells has continually captivated concertgoers with their crunchy guitar leads and sugary vocals. But those of us who were fortunate enough to be at The Georgia Theater on November 5 know that it’s the band’s contagious energy and passion that keep listeners begging for more.
As the lights began to dim, a drum-line-style beat blasted an apparent call to arms that was fit for the flag-like backdrop, striped red and white. Each member of the band slowly answered this call as they took their place on stage. There was no mistaking lead guitarist Derek Miller as he stormed onstage. Wearing a camouflage shirt with pants to match, Miller strapped on the tiger-print guitar that adorns the cover of the group’s most recent album, Bitter Rivals. With one quick stroke of his strings, Miller sent a piercing chord through the theater. The crowd’s anticipation was at a peak as we roared in unison with Miller’s guitar. Just as the crunchy chord began to fade, lead singer Alexis Krauss took her place center stage. Wearing a leopard-print fighter’s robe, she hopped around beneath the strobe lights, throwing punches at the air like the heavyweight champ. All at once, Miller thrashed at his guitar, and the show opened with “Minnie,” a drum-driven track from Bitter Rivals that could stand alone as a testament to the band’s uncanny ability to combine heavy guitar riffs with dreamy hooks.
Miller and Krauss’s chemistry was immediately evident as they danced and head banged their way through “Tiger Kit” and “Comeback Kid,” a fan-favorite that had the floor shaking as the audience jumped with the band. When the distorted guitar and melodious synthesizers faded, Krauss asked us all to sing and dance with her for their next song, the unmistakable “Crown on the Ground.” The crowd erupted as the punchy melody blasted through the theater before seamlessly fading into the title track of their new album, “Bitter Rivals.” The experimental pop group’s intensity combined with catchy tracks like this one made it impossible not to move with each song. When Krauss danced, so did the audience; jumping and bobbing around with the singer’s velvety vocals.
The energy never waned as the band mixed seven songs from their new album with older hits like “Riot Rhythm.” Miller’s hardcore background was evident as his screeching solos mingled gracefully with Krauss’s intoxicating melodies. Before announcing their last song, Krauss displayed the sincerity that defines Sleigh Bells when she expressed her love for Athens, The Georgia Theater, and the crowd that couldn’t help but dance with her.
As “Infinity Guitars” (a song that embodies its title) came to a close, there was no doubt that an encore was imminent. The entire audience showered the empty stage with praise until Derek Miller, Alexis Krauss and the rest of Sleigh Bells returned. The encore opened with “Young Legends,” a song that highlights the band’s ability to create a catchy, melody-driven track without sacrificing the meaningful lyrics and noise-heavy style that catapulted the band into the public eye back in 2009. Sleigh Bells concluded the night with “A/B Machines,” but not before pulling fifteen members of the audience onto the stage with them. While Krauss belted out the song’s lone lines, “Got my A machines on the table, got my B machines in the drawer,” she embraced the dancing audience members onstage, turning the night into exactly what it was: one giant dance party.
Music Midtown 2013
With a lineup featuring the likes of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Arctic Monkeys, and Red Hot Chili Peppers, Music Midtown 2013 felt like Christmas come early. After all, music lovers of all types found themselves driving to Atlanta September 20 and 21, hardly minding the heavy metropolitan traffic at all.
The festival featured acts from grungy punk to radio pop and back again, so instead of your typical review, Vinyl has compiled a Music Midtown Awards list. If you were there, be grateful. If not, live vicariously through us. Read on.
Most Energetic: Phoenix
What’s French, always wearing a blue button-down, and hanging from the sound tent? That would be Thomas Mars, Phoenix’s insanely animated frontman. We could barely listen to Phoenix’s tunes – new and old – because our eyes were so busy popping out of our heads. The group was arranged in a perfect line, in their usual fashion, until Mars began crowd surfing and, eventually, dancing toward the sound tent past a gaggle of shocked viewers. He soon crawled up one of the tent’s poles, singing from above like the omniscient, musical being he is, before running back onstage to close the show.
Most Likely to Cover You in Mud: Black Lips
Yeah, yeah, everyone hates the rain. But on Saturday, the muddy puddles beneath our feet only made the Black Lips’ set grittier and a ton more fun. We pushed and slid around the pit to the beat of old favorites like “O Katrina!”, but also frequently stopped to pay close attention to new songs we’d never heard before. As we walked away from the stage, knee-deep in mud, we knew the show had been a badass, punk-rock success.
The Time Traveler Award: Arctic Monkeys
The Monkeys’ set took us straight back to the 50s, complete with a crooning voice and silver tuxedo jacket. If you haven’t seen our review of Turner and crew’s new album, AM, here’s a summary: it’s fantastic. The group played the sexiest songs off the new release, making sure to also throw in favorites from Humbug and Favourite Worst Nightmare. But the 50s vibes substantially accented the show – the foursome could have been mistaken for Dion and the Belmonts, especially when Turner whipped out a comb and slicked back his dark, polished hair.
Most Likely to Turn You On: Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Let’s just get right to it: whether you’re a boy or girl, Karen O is sexy. I mean, who could resist a rock goddess with a grunge-tastic voice wearing a studded, sequined getup? We almost cried listening to “Maps”, and nearly screamed ourselves hoarse to “Date With the Night”. Even the trio’s newest songs, which many are a bit skeptical of, sounded cooler than ever. But we were most excited by O’s stage presence. Backed by guitarist Nick Zinner and drummer Brian Chase, O could be seen unzipping her pants, dropping the microphone in, and pulling it through and back up to her lips.
The Throwback Award: Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Chili Peppers have been around for 30 years, but watching them onstage, you’d never be able to tell. Through two hours of classics from “Give It Away” to “Scar Tissue” and even “Dani California”, the group danced and made witty comments like they were a bunch of 20-year-olds again. And don’t even get us started on the crowd – the audience was so far back that it seemed like the entire world was at Piedmont Park that day. But who wouldn’t have wanted to be?
Gentlemen of the Road: Day Two
The sweltering heat that arrived with the second day of Mumford & Sons’ Gentlemen of the Road (GOTR) St. Augustine Stopover was the type of weather that made an air-conditioned hotel room seem like paradise. Knowing that the ocean was less than a mile away, it was hard to resist the beckoning surf and white sand while I made the sluggish trek to downtown St. Augustine and Francis Field. If it wasn’t for my love of music and The Hyppo, a local gourmet popsicle shop, and their stand within the festival I’m not sure I would have survived the day.
My arrival came right as Canadian indie rock band Half Moon Run was finishing up their set and just in time for American singer-songwriter Justin Townes Earle. Earle is best known for his artistry with folky lyrics with blues and country melodies, his father, alternative country artist, Steve Earle, and, perhaps after his Saturday performance, his semi-snarky and “calling it like he sees it” disposition. Astonishment and a “Who the hell does this guy think he is?” swept the crowd when he addressed the fact that he does not take song requests during any of his shows since he stopped playing for tips. He also added, “ You would know this if you came to any of my shows.” His cynical tone didn’t sit well with the audience after that commentary and many replied, “I won’t be coming to any of your shows with that attitude!” If I was on stage, I’m not sure I would have said that to a 10,000+ audience, but then again I don’t think I can really blame Earle.
The sun was beginning to set behind the single main stage and crowds were still piling into the festival as The Vaccines took the stage. The English indie rock band seemed to bring a new life and energy to the festival as frontman Justin Hayward-Young poured his entire being into his red guitar and vocals. Putting it lightly, he rocked the shit out of that stage. His thrashing stage presence was reminiscent of gritty punk show you would only find in a seedy, black walled and graffitied club. Although The Vaccine’s sound was not as edgy, their set was more of a post-punk revival fuzed with pop rock.
The Vaccine’s solo set would not be the only time they had on the GOTR stage that evening. They would later share the stage with Mumford & Sons, but they also filled in as backing for fun.’s replacement, Mr. John Fogerty, former Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman. We can all appreciate fun.’s catchy tunes and bubbly performances, but there is no comparison to such an American legend and I must say this replacement choice was an upgrade. In addition to The Vaccines, Fogerty shared the stage with his son Tyler Fogerty and Mumford’s Winston Marshall. We were immediately served up the CCR classic “Susie Q,” followed by Fogerty’s “Old Man Down the Road.” Next up was a “Fortunate Son” that Fogerty and The Vaccines played with such ease you would have never known the efforts it took for all artists to get to this point. To fill the slot, Fogerty took an overnight flight from L.A. and spent the hours leading up to set rehearsing.
Without any surprise, Mumford & Sons came out for the remainder of this memorable set. Mumford and Fogerty collaborated on fan favorites “Down on the Corner” and a fitting swampy “Born on the Bayou.” As the lightening in the navy blue sky began to flash overhead, “Bad Moon Rising” rang out over Francis Field; Mother Nature could not have planned her light show more perfectly. A 25,000 person sing-a-long to “Proud Mary” concluded the set and as Fogerty left the stage festival goers cheered and pounded the air with their fists begging and screaming for more. At this point any, and I say this as if there even was any to begin with, disappointment with fun.’s cancellation was a very distant memory and Fogerty proved to be an absolute incredible choice because, as Marcus Mumford stated, “ John Fogerty was fucking awesome!”
Something between a captivating theatrical performance with a climaxing finish and a photographer’s nightmare unfolded as Mumford & Sons took the stage and performed “Lovers’ Eyes” to a packed out dusty field of thousands. Musicians and audience were immersed in total darkness as Marcus Mumford’s vocals struck the heartstrings of those in earshot. As the song intensified, particularly when Mumford roared the end of the chorus, the signature stringed lights that hung from stage to soundboard and stage lights would momentarily illuminate the faces of Marcus, Ben Lovett, Winston Marshall, Ted Dwane, and the 25,000+ in attendance. Although frustration could be sensed within the photo pit, under normal circumstances photographers usually only get the first three songs of performances to get their shots so the loss of one song was what I call a pain in the ass, I was nothing but impressed with the showmanship and grasp Mumford held on crowd; it was hard to not be hypnotized.
Thunderous stomping and dancing came with a blazing delivery of “Little Lion Man” and a raw emotional “Whispers in the Dark” filled with torment of uncertain loss followed. From a “I Will Wait” full of fervor to the comforting spiritual of “Timeshel,” Mumford produced a divine awakening within all who were in attendance. Mumford’s performance can only be defined as a revival of the soul.
The set finished out with more fan favorites, but they seemed to save the best for last. Gathered around one microphone and stating that it “Needs to be fucking quiet,” Mumford started the encore with a sweet and delicate acoustic cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m on Fire,” followed by an a cappella round, almost too quiet for those in the very back of the field to hear, of “Sister.” After a serious start to the encore, The Vaccines and members of the band Bear’s Den joined Mumford on stage for an uplifting and sing-a-long promoting Beatle’s “Come Together.” For those seeing Mumford for the first time on their 2013 tour, this encore excited and entertained, but for anyone who was able to catch one of their shows, either in Atlanta, Georgia, or Simpsonville, South Carolina, earlier that same week, the encore was beginning to sound familiar and repetitive. The final songs of the evening were, of course, “Babel” and “The Cave.” Up until the encore I was absolutely enthralled in the music, but soon became disappointed in the standard and predictable set it had become.
This is what music that appeals to the masses has become; a regurgitation of songs that sound nearly identical to that being played on our radios, Pandoras, and studio recorded albums. Even down to the order of songs in the encore, practically everything about this show was the same as their performance in Atlanta only four days prior. Maybe this is just my jaded perception from going to countless shows over the years and becoming spoiled from performances that have hardly ever repeated songs in a similar fashion, let alone the same encores in exact song order as previous shows. Don’t get me wrong, Mumford & Sons is and always will be in my top artists I listen to. It is my recognition of them as outstanding artists and masters of their craft that allows me to know they are more than capable of producing cookie cutter sets.
Exhaustion and a need to escape the inebriated crowds started to set in as Mumford left the stage for one last time. As the mass exodus began, Australia’s Yacht Club DJ’s provided a 30 minute set of energetic mashups that seemed to give the extra oomph needed to walk the mile back to the hotel. With the curtain closed on the 2013 GOTR Stopovers, The St. Augustine Stopover proved to be one grand finale. From the beautiful host city to the extraordinary music and once in a lifetime collaborations, this momentous weekend will provide a lifetime of memories for all those who were in attendance.
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.