Syracuse jamizens are in for a treat this New Years Eve as two of New York’s hottest up and coming acts converge upon the Westcott Theatre for a night of excessive face melting. Kicking things off is Rochester’s electro-versatile duo of The Manhattan Project. Drummer Shawn Drogan and keys master Charles Lindner have had a huge year playing in excess of 60 shows of their electronica inspired mastery. Unlike typical EDM acts, these two strive to mix things up with well ordered combinations of their unique and jammed out originals and done-their-way covers.
Bringing in the New Year in style will be Ithaca’s hottest act, Jimkata. The four-piece shares their own electronica inspired influences, but bring plenty of multiple genre side journeys in their itinerary that have electrified audiences from coast to coast. The band has been touring heavily this fall in support of their fan funded critically acclaimed newest release, Die Digital. Jimkata also just dropped their first live album, 10 More Songs which is available on iTunes.
Doors open promptly at 8PM for the $20, show which includes the obligatory complimentary champagne toast at midnight. Tickets can be purchased online here. Finish 2014 in style as this one promises to be an experience to remember. The Westcott Theater is located at 524 Westcott St, Syracuse, NY 13210.
On Friday, December 6th at the Oneonta Theater, the crowd was in for a treat with a spectacular showcase of exquisite young talent on display. Starting off the evening was Squid Parade, a hometown band who really seemed to have their act together. A tight band with sick bassist Pete Piscitelli, the band managed to pull off complicated rhythms with ease. Drummer, Emmett Rozelle, who could have easily been seen playing in an ‘80s hair band had enough raw energy to fuel the rest of the more serious band members. Their awesome cover of the night was “No Quarter”, which they played with extreme accuracy.
Following was FiKus, featuring another killer bassist, Travis Paparoski, this time on the six-string bass. Their keyboardist Jon Schmarak seems to be heavily influenced by Marco Benevento, with the band playing as their third song of the set “Michael Phelps”, one of their more popular tunes that successfully channels Benevento’s style and demonstrates just how talented this young keyboardist is. The percussionist Pete Kozak doubled as lead singer/rapper, and he had a great voice, but the lyrics were at times drowned out by the other instruments. The band members looked like they were truly enjoying themselves on stage, which came through in the incredible energy of their tunes. Much of their song list had a “video game rock” kind of feeling.
The headliner of the night was Jimkata, a relatively-close-to-hometown band, hailing from Ithaca. Jimkata always seems to draw a crowd of familiar faces to the Oneonta Theater. Complete with local area fire dancers who took their act indoors for this show, using cool light toys instead of flames (although sometimes distracting, taking attention away from the music itself), Jimkata put on a rockin’ show.
Start with a base of disco and ‘90s pop-rock, mix in some electronic sounds and techno beats, and you end up with Jimkata’s signature style of “electro-funk”. A sine wave of sound seemed to permeate throughout the set, giving a real feeling of drive and continuity. The band was definitely not shy about letting the audience know they got bass, which came through in the crowd’s enthusiasm and consistent bopping along to the tunes. The band’s drummer Packy Lunn has a great command of rhythm, managing to keep the rest of the band together during their more rhythmically tricky songs. The last song of the set, “American Cars”, had a particularly electronic feel to it, featuring double keyboards by Aaron Gorsch and Dave Rossi. Responding to the audience’s insistence on one more song, Jimkata came back out with a duo of two more spacey numbers, “Die Digital > Roll With the Punches”, to send everyone on their way home on an upbeat note, excited to come back to check out Jimkata the next time they come to town.
Upstate’s own Jimkata continues to buzzsaw through genres and expected timetables for success. They have been diligent in the studio over the years and have worked even harder touring, which is why their newest live release 10 More Songs fittingly celebrates the latter. A 14-song commemoration of the embodiment of both Jimkata and their Upstate NY roots, live tracks were plucked from shows in their resident Ithaca and also Rochester, Oriskany Falls and even Brooklyn. Yes, 14 songs.
Looks like the boys over there in the ‘Kata Kamp’ have quite the sense of humor, adding with it an enjoyable 80’s esque cover art with 8th Grade Media Arts type-graphics atop at sunset cover with two pelicans. All I really know about pelicans is they are especially hungry and the same could be said about Jimkata’s meteoric rise to success.
The live compilation for 10 More Songs was masterfully selected. At times during multiple re-listens, I found myself yearning for a bit more hi-fidelity in the mastering of the audio but that is often quickly subsided with slowly-building jams on nearly all the tracks. Not only do most 10 More Songs’ 14 tracks consist of Upstate tour dates, but fittingly, they truly embody the entire body of Jimkata’s song catalog, which fittingly, was often first tested on Upstate NY jam crowds. At least a tune from every Jimkata era or album is represented, including several from their latest release Die Digital, which appropriately is one of the best damn live tracks on the album.
In addition to long-time jam vehicles’ “Greyhound”, from their breakthrough LP Burnmy Money, two real surprises come from the tracks “One to Ten” and “Soap.” In the former, listeners are urged to be patient with the song’s live progression as the final two minutes really highlight what Jimkata is capable of as a band when it all gels at the end of real live exploration. Similarly, the album’s fourth song, “Soap”, also starts out of the gates rather slow but layers and layers into a dominant, clean hard jam, driven by Jimkata drummer Packy Lunn and bassist David Rossi.
While some may scoff at the idea of a live album this early in Jimkata’s resume, closer inspection will reveal that Jimkata’s body of work is not only experienced but mature, whereas those two adjectives are not always synonymous. 10 More Songs is a great live-album introduction from this band. Jimkata, as a band with a unique sound with great vocals continues to grow bigger and badder with every tour stop they cram in or festival they play. This new live release contains enough octane to continue furthering that mission for those not going to shows or festivals but chillin on their couches or driving their cars.
The Purple Pig Festival, a quietly publicized festival hidden away in the Finger Lakes, proved a force to be reckoned with over the last weekend in September. Under the full Harvest Moon, traffic lined the corn fields in Naples, NY, waiting for the opportunity to see what Odd Fellowes Farm had to offer for the second annual Festival. Set up with multiple stages, vending, food, and a fire pit, all within close proximity it gave the Purple Pig an intimate feeling right away. Benches provided perches for the main stage, and the barn stage was decorated aptly with flying pigs.
Western NY ruled the night with Randle and the Late Night Scandals, AudioInflux, Axis Armada, and The Prickers. A truly local band based out of Naples NY, The Prickers brought with them a robust following, their own line of lovingly made screen printed merchandise, and unique mix of sounds. The multi-talented musicians melded bluegrass, rock, and even punk into their set, setting the stage for a weekend full of variety and energy.
Late night favoritesJimkata took to the main stage while fire twirlers worked in time with the tempo of the Jamtronic quartet. While they were a new band to many in attendance, they quickly gained respect as the set wore on, ripping through their ever growing repertoire. Saturday brought rain, and lots of it. The main stage closed and tents set up over the already muddy grounds gave limited respite from the rain. Making the best out of a difficult situation, the schedule of the day went out the window, and bands and volunteers alike pitched in to keep the show going.
The Campbell Brothers, an unlikely crowd favorite, stole the show on Saturday and while it continued to rain, spirits were lifted, and bodies danced to the African-American gospel band. Out of Rush, NY they have offering their version of worship to concertgoers nationwide. Joining them on the keyboard was another Naples native, Aaron Lipp. Known for their high energy and unstoppable grooves, the band brought the crowd to a roaring frenzy as they closed out the set. The diversity of the music was fully realized as Saturday night rolled in, from Gospel to the classic Americana-indie rock bluegrass sounds of The Horse Flies, back to the Jamtronica funk beats of Roots Collider.
What a great weekend in the Finger Lakes at the Purple Pig Music Festival. Saturday’s marathon of music concluded with a smoking Giant Panda set that just about blew the roof off the barn. A slow Sunday morning start was to be expected after the late night rager. Yet once the music started, the energy kicked back into gear, providing an exclamation point on an already incredible weekend, one that brought with it major challenges, from the small size, the cool weather, and the rain and subsequent mud. But this little festival thrived and overcame the worst possible festival troubles, and were determined as the saying goes, to be “Happier than Pigs in Shit.”
The Great Blue Heron, more widely known for their annual festival over the Fourth of July weekend, played host to the third annual Night Lights Music Festival September 13th and 14th. The sprawling acreage nestled in the Amish countryside of Western New York, was transformed into an interactive playground, tucking light displays along the wooded pathways, adding depth and interest to the already full weekend of music.
Over two dozen bands, many hailing from or with roots in Central and Western New York, drew a large local fan base and with that a community atmosphere missing at many larger festivals. The festival grounds and camping areas were full of surprises; drum circles, pop up campfires, jam sessions, and plenty of folks looking for adventures. Nationally touring bands The Heavy Pets, Jimkata and Marco Benevento provided a punch of energy to the already excited crowds, and more regional acts, Aqueous, Space Junk, Lazlo Hollyfeld, The Manhattan Project and Schleigho gave performances not easily forgotten.
The two stages kept music running at a steady pace, a credit to the hard-working volunteers, lighting folks, and sound techs, allowing for little lapse between acts. Set far enough apart, the walk to and from each stage gave the audience the opportunity to wander through the lighting displays. The participation of the observer whether it be playing a drum, or simply watching the bonfire as it flickered and grew, was essential to the overall experience. Night Lights Fall Music Festival with its multifaceted entertainment, peaceful and well-organized camping and clean and friendly atmosphere should be on everyone’s fall festival schedule.
The Catskill Chill celebrated its 4th annual music festival weekend on September 6th-8th at the scenic review of Camp Minglewood of Hancock, NY, located in the heart of the Catskills. The festival brought together another year of great music with a talented lineup and loving community known as the Chill Fam. What was once a summer sleep away camp gave festival goers the ultimate end to the summer party with the rustic and wooden stages, laid back staff and fun seeking friends that brought back memories of childhood and past Chill weekends. Guests had the option of renting cabins, complete with bunk beds, bathrooms and showers as well as plenty of tent camping for those seeking a view of the clear star filled skies at night while vendors were set up near the stages offering a variety of foods, clothes and odd ends at all hours of the weekend, complete with an Ice Cream Silent Disco Truck.
American Babies, kicked off the festival weekend on the Main Stage with a gentle rock vibe with slight southern twang. Keyboardist Adam Flicker kept a very close ear to his organ almost as if he was resting his head on every note. “Blue Skies” brought an enchanting melody of endless sunshine while their rendition of The Grateful Dead’s “New Speedway Boogie” helped the crowd stretch out their singing chops and dancing muscles. Spiritual Rez is a reggae ska band that can dance harder than you and they aren’t afraid to show it. Toft Willingham is a total talented nutcase as he sings and rocks on guitar all over the stage, encouraging the crowd to join in on a massive primal scream. Drummer Ian Miller, having recently broken his right arm, still managed to beat the hell out of the drums left handed and Mohamed Araki took a break from his keyboards to excite the crowd with a stage shaking keytar solo. Making their third appearance at The Chill, the four piece electronic rock band, Particle sent the crowd rocketing with their “Launchpad” opener into Eddy Grant’s “Electric Avenue.” It was an unusual, somewhat early (5pm) set for the group but that didn’t stop the Chill Fam from packing out the Main Stage area for their spacy dance jams. The band congratulated the crowd on making the right choice to attend this year’s Catskill Chill as it is one of their favorite festivals to perform at and went on to cover Paul Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al.”
Jimkata had the crowd grooving in a beautiful unison with angelic yet robotic synthesizers and hard hitting guitar riffs. Drummer Packy Lunn slams relentlessly on the cymbals throughout “Die Digital” as Evan Friedell’s vocals cascade around the dance floor. Capital Zen, the progressive funk rock band from Upstate New York had music going in every direction. Their lyrics are fast spitting poetry that hits you at warp speed as their electronic tunes mix with hardcore rock and eventually into a cover of Primus’ “My Name is Mud.” Lotus brought the sound of lasers to life as they blasted the Main Stage to pieces with “Uffi” into “Golden Ghost”. Big electronic build ups throughout the set with heavy beats and intense guitar shredding provided a never-ending dance groove for the Chill Fam. The set got kicked up a notch as Particle keyboardist, Steve Molitz, joined the band for “Greet the Mind” for the ultimate get down. “Alright, we are pretty lite up” jokedAlan Evans after their set opener, “They Call Me Velvet.” Given only an hour and a few minutes to play on Stage B, the Alan Evans trio didn’t waste a minute of pure funk explosion. Keyboardist Beau Sasser could barely sit down as he shook the keys and Guitarist Danny Mayer’s riffs were so sharp, they could cut right through you.
Primate Fiasco, newcomers to the Chill this year, scored one set Friday and Saturday night on the Acoustic Junction stage. The modern day ragtime band was a refreshing and fun surprise to folks who found themselves dancing in no time. J Witbeck’s deep sousaphone notes kept the music hot while Dave Russo picked on the banjo with fire. The true highlight of Friday night came from the 10 piece party machine, Lettuce, who threw down the funk on the Main Stage and never picked it up. Their high energy horn section blasted the groove so even folks all away across the lake could get down. It was an old school, disco dance party with plenty of soul to spare. The crowd screamed with excitement as the band played the infamous “Apache’ by Jerry Lordan. Alecia Shakour had smooth sensual vocals as she sat in for “Do Your Thing.” Kung Fu ended the night on the Main Stage with a dirty funky groove full of serious attitude. The hard core electronic beats and ripping saxophone from Robert Somerville are things not to be messed with. John Durkin and Nigel Hall joined in for the far out funk of “Steppin in It.”
check out Bryan Lasky’s photos below and keep reading for more of Catskill Chill from Saturday and Sunday
A brief early Saturday morning storm passed through, making way for blue skies with sunshine and a jam packed day of music scheduled. Twiddle had a surprisingly large crowd at the Main Stage for their noon set plus multiple musician sit ins. 13 year-old guitar hero Bobby Paltauf sat in for “Mamunes the Fawn” and Todd Stoops from Kung Fu sat in for “Brown Chicken, Brown Cow” > “Funky Town.” Twiddle’s music mixes with all the best flavors of music such as funk, jazz, and rock causing a delicious start to Saturday. The Z3, a three piece funk band dedicated to music of Frank Zappa consists of Zappa lovers Beau Sasser, Tim Palmieri and Bill Carbone. The trio appealed to more than just Frank Zappa fans on the B Stage with their funky twist tributes of his original experimental rock songs. After last year’s late night cabin set, Solaris, Ithaca’s electronic trio rocked the comfortably crowded Club Chill. The all instrumental group fed off the wild energy in the room and threw it right back with a higher dosage of funk jazz fusion. Jared Raphel couldn’t be stopped as he gyrated back and forth, crushing his keys with atomic awesomeness.
One of the more diverse bands of the weekend was Shwizz. One moment they are raging 80s German techno then suddenly it’s a light and soft lullaby jam. The band had so much love for the Chill Fam that it rained on the crowd and mixed with the cloud of glitter that was continuously being shot out of a cannon. One of the highlights of the set was the “Theme from Jurassic Park” closer, possibly the best cover of the weekend; Shwizz slowed down the piece and gently brought it up to a mountainous climactic peak. Quite the tear jerker. Aqueous delivered tight jams with improvisational grooves that kept the audience in nonstop motion. The big highlight and surprise of the set was their cover of “The Kids Aren’t Alright” by The Offspring, which brought out the teenage rebel in everyone, leading to a moshing sing along.
Galactic gave The Chill a taste of New Orleans soul shakin funk music as well as a modern twist with speedy lyrics especially during “Move Fast.” The five piece band brought the Mardi Gras jazz and groove with their horn section and a resilient rhythm from Carter Burgess and Aaron Hagele. Fikus, best described as an electro funk rock, fused together a combo of hip hop attitude with piano solos and classic rock guitar riffs that turned Club Chill upside down. Brothers Past crushed it for over an on the B Stage for an hour set, with the highlight being a smooth and exhilarating “Squeeze” going just over 17 minutes. The dangerously fun headliner, Conspirator, was proud to return to Catskill Chll this year as they dominated the Main Stage. The band has a devoted fan base, due in part to Marc Brownstein and Aron Magner of The Disco Biscuits and for the powerful electronic rock dupstep that fans can’t get enough of. Drew Suto of Dutch Masterson Designs provided an intricate light and visual show that highlighted the unstoppable dark dance party. RAQ ended the evening with the quartet bringing an old school rock groove to the Chill Fam. The set consisted of on point jams with strong harmonies that flowed from “Cheap Sunglasses>Pushin’ Up Daisies> Bootch McGoo.”
Check out Bryan Lasky’s photos below for day two of the Catskill Chill and keep reading for a review of Sunday
On Sunday, Cabinet brought a beautiful start to Sunday with their all-string bluegrass sound. Their soft harmonies and bow playing was as fresh as the Catskill Mountain air. There were breaks in the clouds with gorgeous rays of sunshine that reflected off the lake while Cabinet’s music echoed off the breeze. It was more of a bluegrass meditation as concert goers eased into the third and final day of the Chill. More bluegrass followed as the four piece band, The Brummy Brothers, strummed on the Acoustic Junction stage. The Brummy’s introduced the song, “Cell Phone Blues”, by saying how one of the best things about the Catskill Chill is the zero cell phone service, a rare treat for today’s generation to enjoy The Chill with no technological distractions. The Brummy’s lyrics revolve around partying, the simple things in life and modern troubles, all with a jamgrass vibe that folks can both relate and “shake their brum” to. Later that day, the crowd was dancing, stomping, and singing along with the eight piece funk and soul band, Sister Sparrow and The Dirty Birds as their music flew off the Main Stage. The main songbird herself, Arleigh Kincheloe, blew minds with her stunning vocals and stage presence. The Dirty Birds know how to get down and dirty with a booming horn section, shrieking harmonica plus groovy drum and guitar solos.
The McLovin’s, with less than an hour set, took the stage wearing furry animal costumes and played their second consecutive year at the Catskill Chill. The band did a solid version of Pink Floyd’s “Run like Hell” before bringing up the Horn Section from Grant’s Tomb, New York’s top jazz jamband for a few songs, adding an extra party element. Legendary musician George Porter Jr. joined the animals on stage for a surprise cover of “Rappers Delight” by The Sugarhill Gang resulting in a massive dance breakout. Traveling all the way from Boulder, Colorado and one of the most anticipated sets for Sunday was The Motet playing a Funk is Dead set, a tribute to The Grateful Dead. The Motet performed the classic Grateful Dead songs such as “Scarlet Begonias”, “Fire on the Mountain”, “New Speedway Boogie” and “Shakedown Street” but with a funky fresh and exotic groove that was contagious. It was almost like hearing the Dead for the first time.
The Meter Men got the crowd jiving with a steady beat from the “Hand Clapping Song” opener which helped the musicians stretch out their groove muscles. The set was an easy flowing funk session with the Meter Men constantly feeding off each other’s vibes. Page McConnell took a moment to share with the crowd how he was reeling at the fact that he was playing with his musical heroes resulting in a roaring cheer. One of the highlights of the set was when George Porter Jr. invited Bobby Paltauf, the aforementioned 13 year old guitarist, to join them on stage and introduced him as one of the up and coming musicians to watch out for. Paltauf held his own among the music legends as he had Porter Jr. and McConnell laughing as he went note for note with Nocetelli. The crowd couldn’t get enough as they cheered on the musical magic that was happening before their eyes. After The Meter Man capped off their set with “Just Kissed My Baby”, Turkuaz blew up the B Stage with their high energy funk explosion of a performance. Geneva Williams and Sammi Garett bumped in perfect unison with their tambourines, taking turns with their own killer vocal solos. The horn section didn’t miss a chance to blow fans away as the set got wilder by each second. David Brandwein was front and center with his hard hitting vocals and nasty guitar shredding. Turkuaz doesn’t stop from the second they step foot on the stage to the second they get off, be prepared to dance your shoes off.
For the most dedicated of the music festival fans, there was the climactic late Sunday night trio of Dopapod, Papadosio and a collaboration of the two to form, Dopadosio. As the evening temperatures dropped into the low 40s, the crowd was more than eager for the music to start as the bands took time setting up the gear on stage. New York City experimentalists Dopapod treated fans to an uplifting fusion of rock meets techno meets improvisational jam, something akin to an outer space back yard party. The four piece band isn’t afraid to push their music or fans out of their comfort zone with their genre mixing testing. Papadosio have a more relaxed sound as they started with a spacey “Hippie Babysitter” only to take an electronic turn and add haunting vocals for “Method of Control.” The quintet combined psychedelic rock with a techno jazz composition that kept people hot on the dance floor. The final act of the Catskill Chill weekend came when members of Dopadosio closed down the Main Stage with a three song tribute to RadioHead with “Airbag”, “Paranoid Android” and “Optimistic.” From the first tent set up to the last car leaving the lot, smiles could be seen all weekend. There was a constant feeling of appreciation as friends gathered to celebrate each other, the talented musicians and hardworking staff that helped make the weekend all that it could be and even better. With more than enough music and positive energy, The Catskill Chill lived up to their motto, “All Love, All the Time.”
The final set of pictures from the Catskill Chill from Bryan Lasky.
The 2013 Night Lights Festival returns September 13th and 14th to Sherman, NY. The festival, in its third year, is held at the Great Blue Heron festival grounds. A component of a larger effort, Night Lights at the Heron, the two day music festival plays off of the light installation set up thoughout the woods creating a unique mash up, touted to be “mind blowing” by many.
The Festival continues to add bench strength in their third year, bringing in both regional and nationally touring acts, including Marco Benevento, The Heavy Pets and Jimkata. Lazlo Hollyfeld, and Smackdab were both part of the original Night Lights lineup are joined by veterans Schleigho, Aqueous, Aircraft, DJ Cutler and John E. Old School , and new this year, Family Funktion and the Sitar Jams, Funktional Flow, Universe Shark, Haewa, On Beta and Space Junk.
The festival aims to please offering a choice of woods or car camping, as well as RV and family camping options. Single day passes are also available for both Friday and Saturday. Pick up tickets in advance here
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.
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 18th year with its annual four day festival at Seaside Park in Bridgeport, Connecticut filled with a variety of music, food and art on July 25th-28th. 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.
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 18th 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.
After seeing the StrangeCreek music festival lineup, I knew that this was a weekend that I couldn’t miss. Many of my favorite bands were making appearances and the word of mouth that surrounded this festival was outstanding. The weather forecast was cold and rainy all weekend, however that did not stop the loyal attendees from flooding the town of Greenfield, Massachusetts. Heeding the advice of seasoned StrangeCreekers, we arrived on Thursday night and for a small fee ($30) we were able to get into the venue a day early and pick out a choice camping spot. While not entirely necessary, I would highly recommend this option as camping space became scarce quickly. Upon entering the festival, the staff was extremely helpful and we were quickly greeted with a hearty “Welcome home,” and hugs, a great first impression.
Photo by Bill Bick
Camp Kee-Wanee, a location normally used as a summer camp for underprivileged children, was fully equipped with the traditional camp amenities; cabins, a nature trail and even a huge bonfire. With rain constantly teeming down, the paths turned muddy quickly, however unlike many other festivals, the paths were deftly attended. Bucket loaders with plenty of sand were brought in to prevent any major mishaps and fill in the ruts. The “facilities” were also remarkably clean for a festival weekend.
As Friday rolled, around the rain continued but we were ready to see some music. With three stages running simultaneously, there was music at every turn, including the campground paths which were host to pop up jams throughout the weekend.
photo by Bill Bick
Our first stop was the Vernville Stage to check out the “Family Jam” which seemed to be a yearly tradition welcoming any and all interested musicians to the stage to jam, again echoing the family feel. Listen to a recording from Archive.org
Moving down the trail hoping to get our bearings and a feel for the layout of the venue, we walked by a host of campsites each appearing to have a well thought out themes and signage. We quickly ran into the main stage where the McLovins were closing their set with The Doors, “Break On Through,” the first of many nods that weekend to the late Ray Manzarek, a founding member of the Doors who had passed the week prior. Listen to the McLovins set on Archive.org
Having put on the festival for 11 years, the Wormtown folks have it down to a science. The primary stage was equipped with two sections of stage, so there was never a gap in music. In several hours it was easy to see a handful of bands on the main stage, including Relative Souls and Upstate NY’s own Eastbound Jesus and Conehead Buddha, among other highlights.
As in years prior, there was a wedding held at the creek with the entire camp invited to witness. Two campers, Brittnie Giblin and Adam Hallam were married at sunset with friends and strangers showing their love for the happy couple.
Our campground neighbors suggested that we check out Seed, a funky and psychedelic quartet based out of Connecticut. Having played many smaller festivals in the Northeast, they cultivated a following and it was a great recommendation. Check out their set on Archive.org!
Zach Deputy, the night’s headliner, played two sets, bookending Jimkata, a personal favorite. Zach thanked the crowd for braving the rain and broke into a funky song dedicated and about Wormtown. His high energy kept the crowd moving despite the rain.
Jimkata was starting up as we made the quick walk to the main stage. It was a busy weekend for the band as they were on the lineup for Summer Camp Music Festival, out in Illinois on Sunday. With the drop of the bass into “Sweet Glory,” they hooked the crowd with their grooves. Seemingly unfazed by the rain, they provided a high energy set to those willing to brave the weather.
The campfire was raging and there were several options for late night music in the cabins; reggae sounds of The Alchemystics, some Grateful Dead with Shake Down, The William Thompson Funk Experiment and Moses and the Electric Company all were poised and ready to keep the party going.
After braving a wet night, we awoke on Saturday ready to do some exploring. The Vernville Stage provided our entertainment early in the afternoon, featuring Daddie Long Legs out of Rhode Island, and The Garcia Project, a fabulous Dead tribute band.
Photo by Ashley Notch
The sounds of funk brought us out to the main stage once again for The Bernie Worrell Orchestra. Bernie, a founding member of Parliament Funkadelic, drew a huge crowd with his experimental grooves. Busting into a long and funkified “Take me to the River” jam that closed his set, he provided a perfect lead-in for Massachusetts native Ryan Montbleau and his band. Listen to Bernie Worrell Orchestra’s set on Archive.org
Ryan, a regular at StrangeCreek, brought his soulful singing and catchy lyrics to the rainy afternoon. He was lacking his signature hat, but was full of smiles and good humor as the band played for the bundled and raincoated masses.
The crowd swelled as Max Creek took the stage. As co-founders of the weekend festival, the seasoned jam band seemed to be the glue of the festival bringing many performers up to the stage to jam with them, including Ryan Montbleau and Lyle Brewer, all the while providing an atmosphere of encouragement and improvisation to the night. Max Creek gave the still wet and cold crowd plenty of originals as well as a few obscure covers: Donovan’s “Season of the Witch” and The Champs “Tequila”. The Fire Wormz dancers added to the scene as they contorted and twirled their flaming props. As Max Creek thanked the crowd and started into The Bands classic “I Shall Be Released” we headed over to the Wormtown cabin for some late night grooves. Enjoy Max Creek’s stellar set on Archive.org
Turkauz, a hard touring band out of Brooklyn had campers lined up outside of the cabin,in anticipation of their raucous and funky show, leading to the small room being packed. Those that were wet and cold quickly turned to hot and sweaty as the dance party raged into the night.
Sunday morning and the promise of warmer weather brought both old and young out to enjoy the sunshine. We began to breakdown camp and upon another recommendation of a long time campe,r caught Our Own World. They got the RiverWormStage jumping, providing smoking and soulful covers of classic songs including “Whipping Post”, “Mr. Charlie”, and “Ophelia that filled the campsites.” Here’s Our Own World’s set on Archive.org
Walking back to the campsite, Lucid, another Upstate NY band was gracing the Vernville stage. With their new album Home is Where I Wanna Grow to be released later this month, and their own festival Backwoods Pondfest on deck for August, they were firing on all cylinders. With their fusion of bluegrass, rock and funk, this popular band had the audience captivated. We made a final pack of the car and were ready to see some music before hitting the road. We easily caught Ryan Montbleau’s second set of the weekend, followed by Upstate NY’s own Donna the Buffalo and closed out the weekend with a killer performance from Dumstaphunk, who had just flown in from Summer Camp Music Festival, crossing paths with Jimkata on the way. Here’s there set on Archive.org
photo by Aimee Plasse
StrangeCreek was a dynamic adventure; each day was filled with so much music and there was never a dull moment musically or otherwise. Even walking through the campgrounds provided endless hours of entertainment. Despite the unwelcoming weather, the scene was welcoming in every way. The weekend was truly remarkable and I recommend this festival to anyone looking to spend their Memorial Day holiday with like-minded folks, all ready to have a fantastic time.
Following was FiKus, featuring another killer bassist, Travis Paparoski, this time on the six-string bass. Their keyboardist Jon Schmarak seems to be heavily influenced by Marco Benevento, with the band playing as their third song of the set “Michael Phelps”, one of their more popular tunes that successfully channels Benevento’s style and demonstrates just how talented this young keyboardist is. The percussionist Pete Kozak doubled as lead singer/rapper, and he had a great voice, but the lyrics were at times drowned out by the other instruments. The band members looked like they were truly enjoying themselves on stage, which came through in the incredible energy of their tunes. Much of their song list had a “video game rock” kind of feeling.
Looks like the boys over there in the ‘Kata Kamp’ have quite the sense of humor, adding with it an enjoyable 80’s esque cover art with 8th Grade Media Arts type-graphics atop at sunset cover with two pelicans. All I really know about pelicans is they are especially hungry and the same could be said about Jimkata’s meteoric rise to success.
Over two dozen bands, many hailing from or with roots in Central and Western New York, drew a large local fan base and with that a community atmosphere missing at many larger festivals. The festival grounds and camping areas were full of surprises; drum circles, pop up campfires, jam sessions, and plenty of folks looking for adventures. Nationally touring bands The Heavy Pets, Jimkata and Marco Benevento provided a punch of energy to the already excited crowds, and more regional acts, Aqueous, Space Junk, Lazlo Hollyfeld, The Manhattan Project and Schleigho gave performances not easily forgotten.
The Festival continues to add bench strength in their third year, bringing in both regional and nationally touring acts, including 
