Author: Susan Rice

Prepare for the Thrill of the Catskill Chill: Festival Preview

As the dog days of summer are coming to an end, there’s still time for one last big bash to complete the 2013 festival season. The 4^th annual Catskill Chill Festival is set to kick off next week, September 6^th-8^th, at the scenic Camp Minglewood in Hancock and we’ve got a preview for you!

This camp was made for a music festival, given its secluded location with beautiful views of the Catskill Mountains overlooking a crisp blue lake with plenty of tent space and cabin rentals. One of the many ways the Chill manages to keep a cool and relaxed vibe is keeping the capacity under 5,000, creating an intimate festival experience for fans as well as the musicians.

This year’s featured artist includes: The Meter Men featuring Zigaboo Modeliste, Leo Nocentelli and George Porter, Jr. with special guest Page McConnell; Lotus; Galactic; Conspirator; Lettuce; Papadosio; Tea Leaf Green; The Motet – Funk is Dead; Particle, Dopapod; Kung Fu; Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds and many more. The parking lot and campgrounds will open Friday at 9 am with music set to start at 3pm and lasting until the early morning of each day. Guests will be allowed to enter the parking lot and campgrounds whenever they are needed with shuttle services provided around the clock. There will be no car camping allowed, so be prepared to carry or wheel in all your gear.

One of the newest additions to the Chill after last year’s positive feedback includes a bigger Acoustic Junction stage featuring returning acts Consider the Source, Brock Butler, The Brummy Brothers , Dan Collins, and new comers Tom Hamilton & Friends, Primate Fiasco and MUN. There will also be a new campsite DJ stage playing host to such acts as Outlet, Horizon Wireless, and Speakerbot. Club Chill has an extended schedule this year giving fans longer sets and dance sessions with artists such as Solaris, Fikus, Shwizz, Aqueous, Spiritual Rez, and Lucid.

There will also be additional yoga sessions with expanded classes, some of which will be accompanied by live music from Cosmal and a Local Farmer’s market serving fresh and local produce in Vendor Village. Returning guests, known as The Chill Fam, can look forward to the free parking and camping, the 3 covered main stages and 2 outdoor stages, live art, and on stage-open mic sessions.

The Catskill Chill recently announced the festival closing act will be “Dopadosio” a collaboration featuring all members of Papadosio and Dopadod together, performing Sunday night at 2am. Guests have until Monday September 9th at 3pm to leave the campgrounds. Tickets are still available for $150 but will go up to $175 at the gate with VIP prices set at $235 which includes private viewing sections, commemorative gear, VIP Mimosa Brunches plus much more.

It’s hard to believe that with a jam packed weekend schedule featuring a variety of talented musical acts and a limitless activities list, the last thing concert goers will be able to do is chill. However, the festival is going strong with a dedicated Chill Fam that continues to spread peace and love, knowing that when there is a will to Chill, there’s a way.

August 30, 2013
It’s All Good in the Woods! A Review of Backwoods Pondfest 2013

The city of Peru hosted one of the best kept secrets of Upstate New York on August 2nd and 3rd 2013 at the Twin Ponds Campsite with the music festival Backwoods Pondfest. The intimate music festival was set at the tip of the North Country, only a few exits short of Canada, making for a scenic ride from any direction for dedicated music lovers. Offering weekend tickets as well as single day passes, Friday’s guests were treated with a double rainbow in the early evening after a brief rain shower. Visitors were allowed to select their own campsites with car side camping. Whether in the far off quiet area, woods or grassy field camping, any spot on the festival grounds offered plenty of cool afternoon shade with a full sky view of the bright stars at night. Bands were located either on the Main Stage next to the bright blue school bus, named Lucy (belonging to host band Lucid) or on the Tent Stage, next to the wooded camping, with a soft sandy dance floor.

Friday

With a name like Backwoods Pondfest, it wasn’t a surprise that the bearded quartet Blind Owl Band was one of the first bands to start the weekend on the Tent Stage. The Saranac Lake locals consist of Arthur Buezo on guitar, Eric Munley on mandolin, James Ford on banjo and Christian Cardiello on bass. Their aggressive string music mixed with rowdy harmonies greeted festival goers to their neck of the woods with open arms and dancing feet. Spiritual Rez made everyone forget that they were even in New York with their heavy reggae dance music. Toft Willingham spit out rebellious lyrics to the crowd while thrashing about his long blonde hair as Rob O’Block shredded on the guitar. Kory Stanbury on saxophone and Quinn Carson on trombone provided a strong horn section throughout the set as Mohamed Araki surprised fans everywhere with his keytar. Ian Miller kept the party going with a constant quick rhythm and Jesse Shaternick’s lighthearted bass notes. The band has great chemistry as they provide an energetic performance with never ending reggae funk magnitude. Be on the lookout this fall for their new album release, Apocalypse Whenever and upcoming shows at The Catskill Chill and Wormtown Festival.

For the past seven years, Backwoods Pondfest has been hosted by the Adirondack “Woods Rock” band known as Lucid. Their sound is unique as it varies from classic rock to blues to funky jazz to reggae and even doo-wop, a little something for everyone. With the festival set in their neck of the woods, Lucid has a dedicated fan base that overflowed from underneath the Tent Stage on Friday night. “Whiskey Dream”, with steady beats and cymbals from Kyle Murray was a crowd favorite as Andy Deller kept the keys at a playful tone. One of the highlights of the set was Kevin Sabourin repeatedly singing out the chorus line, “Friday is the best day of the week because I don’t have to work tomorrow” resulted in a massive tent-shaking sing along. Lowell Wurster blared off on his harmonica especially during “Backwoods”, a song meant for that weekend.

Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad sent out a psychedelic reggae groove that made it easy for fans to dance all night. The band, hailing from Rochester, consists of James Searl on bass, Chris O’Brian playing drums, Dylan Savage and Dan Keller on guitar and Tony Gallicchio on keys who bring a laid back vibe that relaxes and recharges listeners at the same time. The night was set ablaze from the fire spinners and jugglers from Cosmic Karma Fire located to the left of the Main Stage.

Jimkata lit up the Tent Stage with their electrifying rock that is similar to a Mario Bros. soundtrack for adults, complete with beeps, boops and mind melting instrumental jams. It’s no wonder this up and coming Upstate New York band from Ithaca has been building up fans on their busy summer tour with big performances at Summer Camp and Gathering of the Vibes. The end of the night performance at the Main Stage was from the experimental techno funk group, Dopapod. Keyboardist Eli Winderman, drummer Neal ‘Fro’ Evans, guitarist Rob Compa and Chuck Jones on bass swirled together a set that was full of funky melodies with robotic harmonies and pure reckless rock.

Saturday

Few things taste better than fresh music in the morning. The Chronicles from Albany opened up the Main Stage with set full of hot hip hop and sweet jazz served best for a Saturday morning after an all night rager. The Metroland, Albany’s alternative newsweekly, acknowledged them as “Best of Jazz” in 2012 and 2013, paying tribute to their unique blend of all things jazz, funk and gospel. Tyrone Hartzog displays a cascade of notes as he glides over the keys. One of the best things about The Chronicles is their unpredictable jams, especially with the horn section of Bryan Brundige on trombone and Jeff Nania on saxophone. Daniel Lawson sneaks in the heavy bass notes and with Justin Henricks strumming along gives the way to a rockin funk wave. Andrae Surgick keeps a steady and chill rhythm that sends plenty of cymbals sparks flying.

Rack Em Let’s Go! definitely catches your attention with their band name alone but their music will stay with you way after their show. Exploding out of Boston, the rock and roll quartet gave a high energy performance, combining old school rock with a twist of modern soul and funk. Switching up the scene on the Main Stage was Fikus, delivering an electronic rock show with complete with funky harmonies and fast paced extraterrestrial melodies. Catch Fikus this coming weekend at Bella Terra Music Festival in Stephentown, NY. The Capital District’s top jam band Formula 5 steamed up the Tent Stage with their original dance heavy tunes plus a hot rendition of Phish’s “Sand” with guest appearance by Justin Henricks of The Chronicles on guitar.

A music festival isn’t complete without a Grateful Dead cover band these days and Backwoods Pondfest booked the best one in Upstate New York, The Garcia Project. The Saratoga Springs locals provided fans with an easy listening afternoon full of their favorite Dead songs, especially a treasured version of “Tangled up in Blue” with haunting vocals from Mik Bondy and Kat Walkerson. Capital Zen played a hard hitting set under the tent with uncontrollable beats from Rye Wylie, reckless guitar from Terry Scoville and wild bass bombs from Tony Leombruno.

Fans were left speechless from the first few soulful notes belted out from Jennifer Hartswick and especially during an extraordinary cover of the Talking Heads’ “This Must be the Place (Naïve Melody)” and Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine”. The Jennifer Hartswick Band overflows with musical energy that carries its own direction.

Electronic hip hop trio Sophistafunk tore the Tent Stage to pieces with bass heavy notes from Adam Brown, groovy beats from Emanuel Washington and robust vocals from Jack Brown. Afterwards, one of the founding fathers of funk, Bernie Worrell, gave a thunderous performance on the Main Stage with his heart stopping piano solos. The Bernie Worrell Orchestra lays out the funk, one layer at time, each grooving into the next twilight zone. Later, the Vermont based quartet Twiddle carried out the party vibe onto the Tent Stage and through the crowd. Their improvisational jams can start with a heavy rock feel then blasting into a reggae melody all with a fiery passion. Keeping with tradition, Lucid ended the festival weekend with their annual second set to close the Main Stage. It was a true free for all as festival goers, staff members and musicians danced together to the unrelenting and lively music of Lucid.

Throughout the weekend, musicians and fans alike had nothing but positive feedback about the festival given the wide range of musical talent and beautiful scenery. Amid a very chill environment where festival goers formed a close knit bond, dedicated music lovers reveled in their adventure up north to Backwoods Pondfest.

August 14, 2013
Good Music is Worth Gathering For – Gathering of the Vibes 2013, Part 2, Saturday and Sunday

Saturday was another beautiful blue sky summer day at Gathering of the Vibes 2013, jam packed with a diverse lineup of legendary artists. The Funky Meters started their set on the Main stage with sound troubles during the first few songs but this didn’t deter them from laying down a funky set. Bassist George Porter, Jr. wore a bright smile as he dropped the heavy beats while dancing with the crowd and his bandmates. Another legend, famous at Vibes as The Master of Ceremonies is Wavy Gravy, who was on the scene, sporting a lot of tie dye, red clown nose and chicken hand bang.

Mr. Gravy told stories from back in the glory days of Woodstock and gave advice to concert goers such as “balancing on a unicycle equals a balance life.” Rock guitarist Steve Kimock was joined by Bernie Worrell and friends such as Bill Evans and George Porter Jr., making for a super killer set early in the day. The musicians covered The Beatles “Come Together” and an epic closer of Talking Heads “Take me to the River.” Kimock mentioned in an interview later in the day that it was his son’s idea for the collaboration with Worrell and it was easy to perform with friends when they are all here at Vibes, stating, “It’s all about circumstance and convenience.”

Funky Meters

The Roots, best known for playing as Jimmy Fallon’s Band on Late Night, proved to be a bunch of jazzy, energetic, jungle, hip-hop animals, covering a wide array of genres that kept the crowd on their dancing feet through the set. The Roots hip-hop-ifyed classic hits such as “Jungle Boogie”, Guns and Roses’ “Sweet Child of Mine” and Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song.” The tunes went from spacey beeps and boops containing robust rap lyrics, only to go back into a full swinging cover of Curtis Mayfield’s “Move on Up”. Keyboardist Kamal Gray went off on almost every song with hard hitting solos as the band members danced all over the stage. This was The Roots first performance at Vibes and hopefully not the last.

The Roots

Back by popular demand this year was the sensational Grace Potter and The Nocturnals. Grace took the stage, wearing a gorgeous white toga-like dress, showing off her womanly figure that was made for the spotlight. “Medicine” opened the set, proving that Potter and The Nocturnals can cure anything that ails you. Grace serenades fans with a wide range of vocals that are sincere and slightly heartbreaking. Throughout the set, Potter reminisced about her first Vibes experience, a very rainy weekend when she was 15 years old, which made for incredible memories and has made her who she is today, saying “This is what inspires us.” Paying tribute to JJ Cale, who had passed away earlier that day, GPN performed “Can’t Look at the Stars” off their newest album, The Lion The Beast The Beat, a passionate song that brought everyone close to tears. Potter never missed a beat as she switched instruments from her electric and acoustic guitars to tambourine and electric piano making her the ultimate threat in today’s music industry. To the delight of the audience, Warren Haynes made a guest appearance and the set concluded with another tribute to the late JJ Cale with an authentic performance of Eric Clapton’s “Cocaine.”

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals

Before taking the stage with Gov’t Mule, Warren Haynes took some time to chat with the press in the media tent about Gathering of the Vibes, best described to him as a “family reunion”, where people take music very seriously and it’s a great opportunity to see everyone in one spot. Fans asked about the various groups and their setlists, which he responded, “In The Allman Brothers, and The Dead and Gov’t Mule, we don’t really worry about arrangements too much. A lot of times we are doing it on the fly and sometimes where the verse begins is where you want it to begin…it’s about trying to achieve balance between your band and your friend’s band.” When asked on his thoughts about the passing of JJ Cale, he said “It’s a huge loss. He’s an amazing writer and artist and for people that don’t know, he wrote so many amazing songs that you’ll probably hear a bunch of them over the course of tonight….and I’m really sad to see him go.” Unfortunately, the duo never had the chance to perform together despite Haynes being a big fan of Cale’s. Still shaking off the previous musicians, I asked him what it was like to perform with Grace Potter and The Nocturnals. “Grace and I always have fun playing together. She’s wonderful and we’ve played together dozens of times at this point. She’s one of the guest featured vocalists on the new Gov’t Mule bonus disc that’s coming out this September and we always look forward to playing together.” Feeling recharged after the interviews, Warren took the stage with Matt Abts on Drums, Danny Louis playing Keyboards and Bassist Jorgen Carlsson, to form the last minute addition to the GOTVs ineup, Gov’t Mule. It’s understandable why this band is in high demand for shows, given their hard rock performance with a dash of blues. Not to anyone’s surprise but there were fantastic sit ins from George Porter, Jr., Bill Evans & John Scofield, individually as well as the powerhouse group encore of “After Midnight”, dedicated to JJ Cale.

Gov’t Mule

It was an “all too familiar” feeling, waiting in the crowd for the second night of Phil Lesh & Friends final set of the Gathering of the Vibes weekend. Given the wide fields at the Main Stage, half the crowd has their own setup with families lingering towards the back with blankets and chairs, leaving plenty of dance room up front for the diehard fans. Whether hustling up close to the stage or being content with the two large TV screens, concert goers were able to get an actual view of the chemistry that Phil shares with John Scofield, John Medeski, Joe Russo and John Kadlecik. Besides drifting in and out of their jams, the musicians are constantly watching each other perform for the “signals” and feeling for the vibes that they each are giving off. Bill Evans joined in on the fun during the entire second set with his saxophone and clarinet, particularly for “He’s Gone.” When asked how he felt the show went, Evans laughed, “Oh, I had no idea what was going on.” He was hearing all this music for the first time, so he had to take in the information quickly and just play, making for a fresh and innovative set, the way the Phil likes it.

With the end of the festival just around the corner, Saturday night makes for the perfect excuse to let loose and rage hard. The Green Vibes Stage kept the party going with separate DJ sets of Rob Garza from Thievery Corporation, James Murphy from LCD Soundsystem and jambanders Papadosio. Each act provided the dark dance jams that festival goers crave after midnight and still have you wanting more when you see the sun come up.

Download these shows from Saturday via etree:

The Funky Meters

The Roots

Gov’t Mule

Twiddle

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals

Steve Kimock and Bernie Worrell

Phil Lesh and Friends

It seems that it’s over even before it started as Sunday arrived with no delay. Concert goers can be seen everywhere beginning to pack up their campsites and plan their remaining day at Gathering of the Vibes. Staying true to the old motto, “Never miss a Sunday show,” Vibes had saved for last. Blues Traveler made their debut at this year’s Vibes, showcasing their style of uncontrollable New Jersey rock. John Popper wasted no time blasting fans with his wide range of harmonica solos while Ben Wilson smoked the keys with fingers ablaze. Bassist Tad Kinchla and Brendan Hill kept a steady, light hearted rhythm of blues going with Chan Kinchla strumming solid 90’s guitar chords. Bill Evans joined Blues Traveler for a unique jazzy cover of Sublime’s “What I Got”. Blues Traveler pulled off a serious game changer when they performed a spin on the classic Charlie Daniels song “The Devil Went Down to Georgia”, by having Popper ferociously play the harmonica in place of the fiddle. The band was joined by guitarist Mihali Savoulidis from Twiddle for a ripping version of “Carolina Blues”.

Max Creek

After the show, John Popper and a few other members of Blues Traveler met with the press backstage for a brief interview. John Popper discussed how with so much traveling, each show feels like a reunion when you have friends in every city, making every night of the week a party night. He spoke of his inspirations that originated from Paul Butler, Blues Brothers and Jimi Hendrix. “On the harp there is such low expectations. On the harp you cover what you like.” When asked about Bill Evans and Mihali Savoulidis sitting in, he said, “Yea, that was fun. It was awesome. There was no warning. I just wish we had more time because both of them wanted to stretch. You just feel it…let’s just take it to a second gear but we’re just trying to cram all our songs in.” Blues Traveler is well known for establishing the H.O.R.D.E. (Horizons Of Rock Developing Everywhere) touring music festivals from the early 90s. When asked about festivals, Popper stated, “I think they made it a lot smarter making them destination festivals. When you have a giant whale carved out of a redwood tree, everyone wants to come and see it. It’s beautiful. But when you gotta load it on flatbed truck and haul it everywhere, you’ve just quadruped your price for everything…when you have a place where you know it’s going to be, you can just park the whale and it’ll be there next year. You can have big things…but it was a lot of things like that. You had to bring your attractions with you.” Naturally money plays into a big factor of putting on festivals but Blues Traveler is looking for locations for next year. “It’s a game of patience.” He brought up how major jambands like Phish and Dave Matthews Band don’t have to play major festivals since they can afford not to.” Why bother when you can throw your own? Why not just go to Disneyland? Why not just hire Disneyland to come on the road with Phish? That would be fun.” Popper compares Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo to Vibes, saying he really “digs the scene” at Seaside Park and how crucial it is for festivals to have basic amenities, not just to be located in the middle of nowhere.

Blues Traveler

The VibeTribe got a taste from Down Under as the John Butler Trio shook up the stage on Sunday with Guitarist John Butler, Drummer Nicky Bomba and Bassist Byron Luiters. The soft vocals and strumming from Butler gave way to a tribal beat from Bomba mixed with versatile notes from Luiters. JBT created a new sound of music with their Australian flair, somewhat like a Consider the Source vibes meets the Outback. They worked on their spacey build ups, holding them longer than anticipated with great intensity. As Butler thanked the colorful bunch, he said, “We’ll always come back if you’ll have us.” Hopefully the staff at the GOTV was listening. Last but not least, southern rock and roll legends The Black Crowes featuring Chris Robinson on lead vocals and harmonica, guitarist Rich Robinson, Steve Gorman on drums, Bassist Sven Pipien, Adam MacDougall on keyboards and newest member Jackie Greene on guitar, were greeted with a warm welcome after their recently ended two year hiatus. The Black Crowes have tremendous stage presence with multiple “off the wall” guitar solos, Chris Robinson’s vocals and groovy dance moves plus Gorman’s hard hitting rhythm. The band treated fans to songs from their newest album, Wiser for the Time, as well as remarkable such as The Rolling Stones “Jumping Jack Flash” and Joe Cocker’s “Feelin’ Alright.” Be sure to catch The Black Crowes in action on as the tour the country this fall.

The Black Crowes

Gathering of the Vibes continues to share a collective spirit and positive energy by honoring the music of the Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia and with new visitors and returning VibeTribe members of all ages each year. With over 20,000 attendees this summer, Vibes proves that good music and loved ones are always worth gathering for.

Download these shows from Sunday via Etree:

Max Creek

Blues Traveler

John Butler Trio

August 8, 2013
Good Music is Worth Gathering For – Gathering of the Vibes 2013, Thursday and Friday

This is Part 1 of ‘s coverage of Gathering of the Vibes 2013. Check back tomorrow for a recap of Saturday and Sunday.

Gathering of the Vibes celebrated its 18^th year with its annual four day festival at Seaside Park in Bridgeport, Connecticut filled with a variety of music, food and art on July 25^th-28^th. Acting as one of the biggest playgrounds in the country, Vibes offers something for people of all ages with family camping, the School of Rock Teen Scene, a colorful Ferris Wheel and of course, music from every era and genre. Seaside Park was the ideal setting for the festival with its 375 acre lush greenery and endless blue shores.

Original Strangefolk

With so much planning or lack thereof that goes into preparing for festivals, the music can almost get forgotten. There is so much to do before you can actually breathe, sit back and enjoy yourself that the music takes you by surprise. One moment you’re buying tickets, the next you’re packing up the car and then suddenly find yourself in front of the Main Stage, feeding off the crowd’s anticipation for the start of the show. The weekend began with the original lineup of Strangefolk, one of the first bands to play at the first GOTV’s in 1996, making this set not worth missing with Jon Trafton, Reid Genauer, Erik Glockler and Luke Smith. Their upbeat melodies built up a great hope and reassurance that this weekend was going to be amazing as the set contained gems like “Reuben’s Place” with “Helpless” (Neil Young) vocals and guitarist Jon Trafton teasing Phish’s “Bathtub Gin” during “Paperback Book.” Strangefolk was then joined onstage by Grateful Dead Hour host David Gans for the ultimate DeadHead party starter, “Shakedown Street”.

Dark Star Orchestra headlined the Main Stage with the Grateful Dead performance from Andover, Maryland in September 1976. The evening took off with a rockin’ “Bertha” opener, a solid “Let it Grow” and darling “Sugaree” for the first set and an intense closing sequence of “Scarlet Begonias>St. Stephen>Not Fade Away>Drums>St. Stephen.” The show featured Jim Allard on bass and Jeff Mattson capturing Jerry Garcia flawlessly. With a light drizzle throughout the night, it wasn’t enough to damper the crowd’s positive spirits and added for an extra entertaining factor for the light show.

Kung Fu

Thursday night ended with Kung Fu and The Dojo Allstars lighting up the night on the Green Vibes Stage. The Connecticut based band of Tim Palmieri (guitar), Robert Somerville (tenor sax) and Todd Stoops, (keyboards) were joined by talented musicians Chris DeAngelis (bass guitar) and Adrian Tramontano (drums/percussion), Nigel Hall (vocals/keys), Nick Biello (sax), Rob Volo (trombone), Cy Madan (keys), Ryan Cavanaugh (Banjo) and 13-year-old prodigy Bobby Paltauf (guitar). Needless to say, it was a funk face-melting over load.

Download these shows from Thursday via Etree and Archive.org:
Consider the Source
Strangefolk
Dark Star Orchestra
Kung Fu and The Dojo Allstars

Friday morning brought even more people to the festival grounds. The perfect wake- up call was hearing the electronic rock music from Upstate New York’s Jimkata echoing off the Green Vibes Stage. Their light-hearted synthesizers loops mixed with indie guitar strumming was more than enough to get the crowd moving and ready for the rest of the day. Assembly of Dust eased into the Friday afternoon with an early 70s rock combined with a mellow country sound. Jason Crosby on the keys, held his notes strong especially during “Telling Sue”. Singer-songwriter Reid Genauer sang out with a true Americana charm and was joined by his four-year son for “Second Song.”

The Revivalists

One of the best things about Vibes is being introduced to new musicians that you don’t hear on the radio yet still have an incredible stage presence. Hailing from New Orleans, The Revivalists nearly tore down the Green Vibes Stage with their intense sound and energy. The musicians were literally climbing all over the stage and each other, charging the audience with a heavy dose of rock and roll mixed with southern soul. Dave Shaw screamed the lyrics with raw attitude, only to have the crowd screaming right back. Ed Williams shreds the pedal steel guitar apart and comes close to pushing it over onto the front row fans a few times. The Revivalists have made stops at more festivals this year than any other band (per Relix Magazine‘s festival guide) but what sets Vibes apart from the rest for the boys is the smell of the salt water on stage and having the longest set of almost 2 hours.

Wavy Gravy

Blue skies and sunshine greeted festival goers as the day continued, making for a terrific view, especially from a top the Wheel of Lights Ferris Wheel. The top cart was the best place to take in not only the beautiful venue of Seaside Park but for the Railroad Earth set on the Main Stage. The bluegrass jam band from New Jersey filled the air with a laid back summer time vibe with their blissful strumming and continuous flow. The crowd clapped along with the Carey Harmon steady rhythms and danced all over the field from Tim Carbone’s fiddle playing.

Tedeschi Trucks Band

Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi returned to Vibes this year with their 11-piece blues rock group, Tedeschi Trucks Band. Featuring Kofi Burbridge (keys, flute), Eric Krasno (from Lettuce, on bass), Tyler Greenwell (drums), J.J. Johnson (drums), Mike Mattison (harmony vocals), Mark Rivers (harmony vocals), Maurice Brown (trumpet), Kebbi Williams (sax) and Saunders Sermons (trombone), all of these artists make up a musical force to be reckoned with. Tedeschi’s strong female vocals can be heard across the festival alongside with blaring guitar riffs from Trucks. The surprise of the first set came from Bill Evans joining TTB with his saxophone, jazzing up the funky blues song “Love is Something Else.” The set continued with a gentle “Angel from Montgomery” only to flow beautifully into a bluegrassy version of the Grateful Dead’s “Sugaree.” Trucks and Tedeschi have both made strides with their separate solo careers but when performing all together, their family creates nonstop harmonies that help us appreciate the musical bonds we share, especially at Gathering of the Vibes.

Phil Lesh & Friends

To celebrate the 18^th year of Gathering of the Vibes, Grateful Dead former bassist, Phil Lesh was booked for both Friday and Saturday night, joined this year with his Friends: guitarist John Scofield, keyboardist John Medeski, Joe Russo on drums and John Kadlecik on guitar/vocals. The evening got underway with a graceful and groovy “Scarlet Begonias” straight into a rockin’ “Just Like Tom Thumb Blues”. The night was filled with spacey, chaotic improvisational jams that swirled through the evening air. Each musician had their own sound going, making it difficult to focus on any singular part of it. Fans were left in awe as most of the songs were well over 10 minutes, each receiving a well-deserved jam with seemingly directionless patterns. Phil took a few minutes to thank the fans and festival for continuing to keep the Grateful Dead spirit alive and with tears in his eyes, he said, “It’s like coming home.” The highlight of the evening was pretty much the entire second set with “The Golden Road to Unlimited Devotion” opener into an almost 20-minute “Viola Lee Blues” and “Unbroken Chain.” The moon rose over the tie-dye covered field, which seemed to glow brighter when the band went into “Standing on the Moon” sending chills down my spine from the saltwater breeze and Medeski’s righteous lingering chords. The set ended with the gentle lullaby of “Ripple” causing the audience to sing and sway off into the night.

The late night party got started with Connecticut‘s own Deep Banana Blackout on the Green Vibes stage, delivering hot New Orleans inspired funk. DBB is no stranger to GOTVs as they have been invited back for the past few years now, serving up soulful contagious dance music complete with a full horn section. DBB shocked listeners, particularly Phish Phans, as they teased Phish’s “Wilson” chant, which was played that same night by Phish at The Gorge in WA, proving that good news and music travel fast.

Silent Disco

The Silent Disco was on the complete opposite side of the festival from the Main and Green Stage. It’s a long walk but definitely worth the trip. You walk up to the tent, where you are given a huge pair of headphones and given simple instructions for proper usage. As you look around, there are a few hundred people on the beach, all wearing the headphones, dancing their asses off and being surprisingly very quiet. There are two DJs that have two completely different sounds going that fans can choose to tune into. Friday night featured Conneticon and Sloedwn from 1am to 4:30am as well as Matt Haze, who sampled various European genres and beats while Saturday played host to Suspence and Cosmal. The clear crowd-pleaser was the artist MoPo, short for Motion Potion, also known as Robbie Kowal from California. He mixed 90’s jock jam with Phish with Talking Heads with Jay Z plus so much more. As the sun began to rise, creating dream like colors across the sky, MoPo remixed various Beatles covers such as, “Here Comes The Sun” and “Dear Prudence.” Silent Disco fans know how to party and with music from MoPo, it was easy to dance until dawn.

Download these shows from Friday via Etree:
Assembly of Dust
The Revivalists
Railroad Earth
John Scofield Uberjam
Tedeschi Trucks Band
Phil Lesh and Friends

August 7, 2013
Get Ready to Feel the Vibes: Preview of Gathering of the Vibes Festival July 25th-28th

Gathering of the Vibes will celebrate its 18^th year, returning July 25^th– 28^thto Bridgeport, Connecticut at Seaside Park. The four day music and art festival still has Weekend Camping Passes available for $225 as well as Single Day Tickets and Single Day VIP with discounts for Connecticut residents, Bridgeport city employees and active members of the military. “Although many Vibes veterans are local, we’re seeing our fan base expand beyond the tri-state area more and more each year. People are traveling from DC, LA, Philadelphia and even other countries,” commented Gathering of the Vibes founder, Ken Hays.

The 2013 lineup includes Phil Lesh and friends for 2 nights with John Scofield and John Medeski, Gov’t Mule, Tedeschi Trucks Band, The Black Crowes, The Funky Meters, Galactic, The Roots, Blues Traveler, John Scofield Uberjam, Grace Potter plus many more. The weekend begins on Thursday with Consider the Source, Original Strangefolk and Upstate New York’s Wild Adriatic starting the party, creating the perfect excuse for concert-goers to arrive early and set up fast. The music will be going nonstop even into the wee hours with late night performances from members of LCD Soundsystem, Thievery Corporation, Papadosio, and Kung Fu. There will also be a Silent Disco with costume themed nights; with Friday being “Jungle Love on the Beach” and Saturday “Pirate Pajama Party.” Due to popular demand, the late night stage will be open to single day holders on Friday and an additional $20 for Saturday.

Besides having over 40 bands, Gathering of the Vibes offers an array of food and craft vendors, with a Kids Corner and Teen Scene with arts & crafts, plus an 85 foot Ferris wheel. Among the music and art for everyone, Vibes is the ideal festival for families and a timeless tradition. There will also be a “Non-profit Village” which showcases local and national non-profit organizations from all over the country, demonstrating that Gathering of the Vibes is a festival that cares.

For the past 18 years, Ken Hays has put on the Vibes festival to bring people together to celebrate the spirit of good music and good times. Being a dedicated Grateful Dead fan, Hays and fans everywhere were seeking a void after Jerry Garcia died in 1995. Hays organized a small memorial for Jerry and friends to gather for a weekend retreat which overtime has evolved into a 20,000 person party on the beach, hosting legendary musical acts from all over the country. With Gathering of the Vibes quickly approaching, I was lucky to get some free time with the festival founder, Ken Hays.

Susan Rice: This whole festival started from your love of Jerry Garcia and The Grateful Dead. What concert got you hooked and made you a lifelong fan? Do you have a favorite song/album?

Ken Hays: Yea probably my first one which was November 10th 1985 at the Byrne Arena in New Jersey.

SR: What was it about that show that got you hooked?

KH: A combination of listening, having a love of the album “American Beauty” and seeing the band perform live and it wasn’t just the music. It was a sense of community. If someone bumped into another, they would smile and look each other in the eyes; there was a kindness that surrounded the Grateful Dead.

SR: Do you ever travel to other musical festivals/concerts to get more ideas for yours?

KH: I love music festivals. What I really want to do is to travel to Europe and further to expand some of the more unique and high profile festivals.

SR: I’ve seen pictures and they look crazy.

KH: Oh yea, there are some on mountain tops. Beautiful festivals and venues throughout the world, that host hundreds of thousands of people, through the course of a weekend. They always seem to fall during the summertime where I am going a little bit crazy bringing the final approaches to Vibes.

SR: What is new this year to Gathering of the Vibes that long time veterans have to look forward to?

KH: I feel that we have a great lineup that is filled with great diversity and incredible musicianship. Many of the bands are not on the radio and you might not have heard of them but these are musicians and bands that are extraordinary in their live performance.

SR: You’ve mentioned that you and your team will sit down to plan out the artist line up as well asking fans of who they want to see. Do you ever have big name bands/artists reach out to you first to join? If so, who?

KH: Ya know, yea, Janes Addiction and Elvis Costello, who both performed in 2011. They were thrilled to be a part of the Vibes and something a little different. They were a huge hit with the Vibe Tribe.

SR: This year, you are once again offering print at home tickets. As great as a convenience it is to fans, do you find this makes your job easier or harder at the gate?

KH: It’s easier for attendees and for us at the gate. You have the ability of purchasing your ticket and scanning it on your iPhone. I think it’s the future of ticketing. Make it less expensive and more convenient for the ticket buyer. But additionally for us, operationally and logistically, scanning everybody and getting them settled in for a great weekend.

SR: I’ve never traveled out to Connecticut or to Seaside Park for that matter. What makes it the ideal place to have Gathering of the Vibes?

KH: Seaside Park is 370 acres of Long Island Sound, a mile and a half of beach and it’s a beautifully manicured park that was donated to the city by Mayor PT Barnum in 1975, with the condition that the park be open to the public and that it be reserved for recreational and artistic events.

SR: Have you always had a great relationship with the town of Bridgeport especially with hosting a huge nonstop party?

KH: The city has been awesome to work with, from the top down. They see the value of hosting Gathering of the Vibes at Seaside and we love the venue. Going 50 miles outside of NYC to find 370 beautiful waterfront acres is most unusual and unique. Year after year, vibes attendees come back with their kids. Last year we had just about 2,000 kids with their parents. I think that’s what differentiates Gathering of the Vibes from most festivals because there is a festival every weekend during the summertime throughout the country. As festivals continue to thrive, we’ve got a kids corner and teen scene, tons of fun interactive scenes for kids of all ages.

SR: Do you think that Gathering of the Vibes will still be going strong in another 18 years?

KH: In another 18 years? Haha I hope I’m doing good in another 18 years.

SR: What advice do you have for me as a first time vibes goer?

KH: I think that it’s important to wander about. That’s one of the beautiful things about Seaside is that the venue is laid out in such that, in a 5 minute walk you have access to all the activities, all the stages, all the craft and food vending and the artisan village. So walk around, experience all that there is and bring positive vibes and spread those vibes with others.

Vibe Tribers can stay in touch with Gathering of the Vibes on Facebook, Twitter through the Vibes message boards.

July 15, 2013
Phinally! Phish Weekend at SPAC Begins on a High Note

Nothing goes better together than Fourth of July weekend and a three night run at Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) with legendary band Phish.

The four piece jam band returned once again to the historic city of Saratoga Springs who welcomed the band as well as the thousands of dedicated fans from all over the country. Guitarist Trey Anastasio, Bassist Mike Gordon, Keyboardist Page McConnell and Drummer Jon Fishman started their summer tour on July 3rd at Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion in Bangor, Maine, with Saratoga Springs two days later. One of the best features of SPAC is the beautiful State Park with cool shaded springs for fans to escape the humidity before the show and even catch soundcheck echoing off the valleys.

The venue itself has a beautiful indoor seating area with incredible sound and fantastic views from any seat. The lawn has gotten a bad reputation for being overcrowded with poor sound and visuals, but the fans make the best of it by partying and dancing that much harder. Knowing that my Phish filled weekend had finally arrived, I was just thankful to be there.

The parking lots were filled with hundreds of cars, covered in trendy bumper stickers plus more VW vans than you’ll ever see in one place. Thousands of people could be seen walking the aisles searching for the latest merchandise or reuniting with dear friends from past shows. The weather was a disgusting humid Friday evening, with the air so thick you couldn’t tell if it was the heat or all the smoke. With some relief of a brief but heavy rainstorm, fans headed through the gates with plenty of electricity and excitement left over from the storm.

Phish started the weekend with “Kill Devil Falls”, leading to the crowd instantly rejoicing and singing the lyrics that pretty much sum up Phish tour: “Who knew a day would turn into a week, but I learned my lesson, and I can still remember the last one, but this time will be different, until I do it again”, with a great high build up at the end. It gives one chills to hear the familiar breath from the thousands of fans as the groove of “The Moma Dance” starts. At a phish show, you can actually hear the crowd hold their breath in anticipation before each and every song. The slightest bass drop from Mike Gordon during “Moma” resulted in massive cheers as longtime fans are glued in to every single note. “Sample in a Jar” and Ween’s “Roses are Free” brought easy going melodies, giving fans a chance to take a deep breath, wait in the obnoxious beer lines and find friends. Page took a moment after a solid “Birds of a Feather” to thank the fans for joining them at one of their favorite venues being SPAC and recognized a close friend, Ian McLean, from Ian’s Farm shows in 1987 in Hebron, NY. One of the big surprises of the night was the debut of the band’s newest song, “Yarmouth Road”. The song was light-hearted with Mike leading on vocals and Trey Anastasio holding short riffs.

The thrilling beginning of the infamous riffs and oddball notes of “Bathtub Gin” brought back great memories of past shows, especially those at SPAC with the crowd always erupting to the classic line, “We’re all in this together and WE LOVE TO TAKE A BATH!” Once the catchy and bizarre vocals are over, the band carried the jam for over 10 minutes in glorious leaps and bounds. The set tooks a turn as we glided into the bluegrass vibe of “Nellie Kane” and the rocking ballad “Army of One” with Page serenading the audience amid light, airy finger playing. Suddenly we go straight into the ticking time bomb of “My Friend, My Friend”, with its comforting start but breaking down into a frightful free for all. The energy is kept at a high peak by playing right into the cover of “Cities” by Talking Heads, a predictable song for the weekend yet slightly unexpected for the first night. The set concluded with a 12 minute “David Bowie”, with fans in the fully packed lawn, throwing glowsticks up in the air, trying to keep in rhythm with the melody. It makes for great entertainment as long as you aren’t getting hit in the head and a special reminder to NOT throw glow sticks at the band.

The second set started with another surprise as the boys debuted “Energy” by The Apples in Stereo, with delicate harmonies and an upbeat temp, nonstop cymbals and steady cowbell from Fishman. Hearing an unrecognizable song temporarily threw off almost everyone’s groove, leaving the great sense of mystery that Phish fans have a love hate relationship with. Thankfully we were all reassured to hear the start of “Light”, a song that has the reputation for being a serious jam session with tonight at SPAC being no different, lasting just over 15 minutes. “The Mango Song” was kept playful as always with childish lyrics and Trey teasing the crowd with “Light” riffs. You could see the band members having a great time throughout the night as each wore their wide and familiar smiles. The song that stood out this night was “46 days”, which had the most intense surge of energy as the crowd screamed the lyrics and Trey shredded his guitar nearly to pieces. The funky jam gave the band more than enough space to jam right into “Steam”, a still newer song with a steady beat, spooky lyrics and deeps notes from Mike. The party mood got picked up right away as we stepped into a cover of The Who’s “Drowned” with Page reaching for those high notes and Trey teasing “Divided Sky” just like the “Hood” encore at Bangor. The show ended with the classic “Character Zero”, a high energy song with heavy loops of the strong organ and frenzied guitar grooves.

As security wasted no time pushing concert goers towards the nearest exit, many were still in shock that the first night had come and went. Despite being soaked from the rain and sweat, phans still had the biggest smiles on their faces and were eager to experience the rest of a Phish filled weekend.

Setlist

Set 1: Kill Devil Falls, The Moma Dance> Sample in a Jar, Roses are Free, Birds of a Feather, Yarmouth Road (1), Bathtub Gin, Nellie Kane, Army of One> My Friend, My Friend(2)> Cities> David Bowie

Set 2: Energy (3)> Light> The Mango Song (4)> 46 Days> Steam> Drowned (5) > Slave to the Traffic Light

Encore: Character Zero

1 Debut
2. No “Myfe” ending
3. Phish Debut
4. Light teases from Trey
5. Divided Sky tease from Trey.
6. Jean Pierre tease from Trey.
After Birds of a Feather, Page pointed out Ian in the crowd from “Ian’s Farm” fame and waxed nostalgic about playing there while also noting that SPAC was one of the band’s favorite venues. Yarmouth Road made its debut at this show.

July 10, 2013
‘Toga Thursdays – The Heavy Pets at Putnam Den

It has been almost 200 days since my last Phish show, which thankfully will be cured soon with their summer tour starting this week. However, to fill this void throughout the year, I go see The Heavy Pets as often as I can so on June 27, I got a double dose of jam music when both bands performed at the Putnam Den in Saratoga Springs.

One of the best feelings, and the start to a great night, is walking into the venue just as the first band takes the stage, in this case, it was the sound of Formula 5. Their first song had teases from Jimi Hendrix’s “All Along the Watchtower” quickly grabbing the audience’s attention. They hit the crowd with a new single that had no name but didn’t need one, and ended up being called “No Name”, featuring a strong guitar presence thanks to Joe Davis, with lots of cymbals ringing from Greg Marek, creating a very spacey melody.

One of the best parts about watching Formula 5 perform is bassist Bill Shattuck. His feet barely touch the ground as he dances and tiptoes ever so carefully around the thick bass notes he leaves everywhere. The boys were on point that night with no slow build ups and blasting from one song to the next. Mike McDonald plays just about every note on his keyboard with great speed and simplicity. A great surprise was when Jeff Lloyd from the Heavy Pets joined the band for the song “Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town” by The Talking Heads, terrific energy and guitar shredding. Formula 5 will be hosting a Phish SPAC After Party on July 5^th at The MINE nightclub on Broadway. The guys will also be making stops at this year’s Backwoods Pondfest and The Big UP music festivals.

The Heavy Pets hail from Florida but are no strangers to playing to a dedicated fan base in Upstate New York, particularly due to their early roots in Syracuse, where Jeff Lloyd calls himself an alumnus. Their sound is like a space station on a tropical vacation – you get the electronic mixes with a heavy dose of reggae that always catches you by surprise. “Spin Round”, a pop/electronic tune featured charming vocals and upbeat piano chords from Jim Wuest. “Chevrolet” was a harder rock song with reggae vibes radiating with sharp string playing from a combined Jeff Lloyd, Mike Garulli and Tony D’Amato.

Halfway through their set, the band announced the winner of the raffle contest with the prize being Phish SPAC pit tickets that were given to each attendee at the door. I don’t think I’ve ever seen people with so many raffle tickets before. Focusing back on The Heavy Pets, Jamie Newitt got the crowd amped up with a quick tempo start of “STYM” and laid down the rhythm strong all night. Putnam Den was filled with the echo of their simple yet powerful lyrics, “We are one. So thank you music.” The set ended with “Jackie Bones”, a steady beat with raising harmonies that made you wish the show wasn’t over yet.

The Heavy Pets will be performing at this year’s Equifunk and The Night Lights Fall music festivals.

July 5, 2013
George Porter, Jr. & The Runnin’ Pardners and The McLovins ‘Funkify’ Red Square

Red Square in Albany got a lesson in funk when George Porter, Jr and the Runnin’ Pardners performed on Saturday, June 21st with special guests The McLovins. The Connecticut kids of The McLovins are known for their improvisational tunes and four part harmonies. George Porter, Jr. is recognized as the bassist for The Meters, a funky New Orleans band that has recently nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The McLovins opened the night with light hearted songs that were easy for the crowd to groove to. The boys have great chemistry together; there is very little verbal communication on stage because they don’t really need it. There is a constant beautiful flow through the set, great build ups and come downs, one song straight into the next making for one serious jam session. The crowd was delighted to hear teases from The Doors and The Beatles, and with the tempo getting kicked up, everyone could lose a little control. It was interesting to watch Atticus Kelly switch from guitar to keyboard throughout the night, sometimes during the same song. Jake Huffman had a soothing voice for vocals despite rocking hard on the drums. Towards the end of the set, they played the Tom Marshall-penned “Cohesive”, resulting in a climax of guitar riffs glory. Be on the lookout for The McLovins new album Beautiful Lights, set to drop this August.

George Porter, Jr. took the stage with his four piece band the Runnin’ Pardners, comprised of Brint Anderson on guitar, Michael Lemmler on keyboards and Terrence Houston on drums. George Porter, Jr. opened the night by saying how he was going play some of his favorite Meters songs, much to the excitement of the crowd. The band wasted no time laying out the funk with an extreme melody which came at the crowd with full force. Porter, Jr. is a wizard on the bass, playing with quick fingers and delivering a wide array of smooth sounds. In between songs during the first set, Porter, Jr. was quite the story teller, talking about different shows from “back in the day” and the adventures his music brought him to, plus giving credit to The McLovins for “playing real music”. Michael Lemmler erupted out and over the key boards during “Same Old Thing” trying to keep up with Porter, Jr.’s slick bass playing.

There’s always some perks to see a big name act in a small venue in your hometown. Red Square gave the audience an opportunity to get close and personal with the jazzy blues of George Porter, Jr. and company. The musicians were causal and comfortable in the space, which made for a relaxed environment where they were constantly joking with the crowd. Another perk was being able to get a good look at George Porter, Jr. lose control of himself but never his instrument. One of the funniest things throughout the night was every time that Porter, Jr. started to dip into another bass solo, everyone around me could be heard saying, “Oh sh*t.” Terrence Houston stole the show during the second set when he lifted his shirt over his head, resulting in a blinded epic drum solo session lasting for a solid five minutes. This music brings out the best in people, with the first few rows of dancers totally lost to the band and mesmerized by Porter, Jr.’s fingers. I was personally stoked to hear their rendition of “Iko Iko” by Dr. John, leading to a big group sing-along.

The McLovins and George Porter Jr hung around after the show for pictures with fans and autographs. It was great to experience so much talented music with such a small crowd in a small venue. Both acts will appear this year at The Gathering of the Vibes and The Catskill Chill.

July 3, 2013
Hearing Aide: Solaris Burns Bright With ‘NeoN’

Solaris, the three-piece instrumental band from Ithaca has released their newest album, NeoN. The album kicks off with “Triphammer”, a fast tempo beat with eerie echos and a serious build up that continues to rise throughout the entire song.

This is that first song you hear that sends the message that the night has commenced I am a big fan of the “THEM” remix which is heavier on the bass at first, then a slower rhythm, making for an easy flowing electronic jam. “Neon” is just as it sounds, bright and bursting with energy, with an unpredictable melody. “Nostromo” (jazz version) was a pleasant surprise and I was pleased to hear Solaris experimenting with a different style, yet still making it their own. It was refreshing to hear a softer side of the band, each instrument being showcased delicately. “Harkonnen” gives off a Halloween vibe: think spooky mad scientist laboratory meets robots and aliens. “E.S.C. (Remix)” has more high pitched beeps and boops, with a groove that just as soon drops you as it picks you up again.

NeoN is an ideal album to listen to while you’re driving to your next show or when you’re gearing up on lot. The album has an wide assortment of crisp arrangements, highlighting the multiple sounds of Upstate New York’s Solaris and making them the must see band of the summer.

NeoN was recorded digitally in the studio, was produced, mastered and edited by drummer, Dan Lyons with additional overdubs from keyboardist Jared Raphel. Bassist Vinny Naro created the design and album artwork. Fans can stream the album for free, a $3 download or $5 physical copy which gives you the artwork as well. NeoN features new electronica songs and experimental sounds as well as remixes to past favorites. Their summer tour will include festivals such as The Big Up, The Catskill Chill and MyGlo II.

Key Tracks: Neon, Triphammer , Nostromo (Jazz Version)

July 1, 2013
Get Ready to Get Funky This Friday with George Porter Jr. at Red Square

Legendary bassist, George Porter Jr will be getting down and funky this Friday June 21^st at Red Square in Albany with his band, the Runnin’ Pardners, presented by Guthrie Bell Productions . The New Orleans band is admired for their fusion of funk, rock and R&B with the members consisting of Porter on bass, Brint Anderson on guitar, Michael Lemmler playing keyboards, Khris Royal on saxophone and Terrence Houston on drums. George Porter Jr. is best known for being a founding member of The Meters with Art Neville, Leo Nocentelli and Joseph Zigaboo Modeliste.

The Meters formed in 1965 only to break up in 1977 but reunited in 1989 and recently have been nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Meters music has been celebrated as one of the hardest grooving bands in the business, delivering a high energy performance with heart and funky soul. Their music has been covered by such bands as The Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Grateful Dead, plus sampled by hip hop artists like The Beastie Boys and Run-D.M.C. When the Meters are not touring together, George Porter Jr. and Art Neville tour with their side project band known as the Funky Meters. George Porter Jr.’s music career has spanned over four decades and has worked with renowned artists such as Paul McCartney, Jimmy Buffett, David Byrne, Patti LaBelle, Warren Haynes, John Scofield, and Steve Kimock.

The McLovins, Connecticut’s top Jam Band, made famous from a YouTube cover of Phish’s “Youn Enjoy Myself”, are set to open the show. Their improvisational rock has led them all over the Northeast, making every concert goer a lifelong fan. Both the McLovins and George Porter Jr. are set to play this year’s Gathering of the Vibes as well as the Catskill Chill, making Red Square an ideal spot for a more intimate performance.

Doors open at 8 with tickets available online for an early purchase of only $17 but will be $20 day of the show.

June 17, 2013