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.
Saratoga Springs may be known for its natural springs or its historic racetrack, but it’s time to talk about the annual Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival that invaded the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) July 20, 2013. What a perfect day for an outdoor music festival.
With 15 bands, autograph stations, all the free Rockstar drinks you can handle and the other free stuff they give away, it’s definitely worth the price of admission to this one-time-a-year event.
This was my first time attending the Mayhem Festival and also my first time seeing some of these bands live, so I was kind of excited.
Kicking things off on the Musician’s Institute (MI) stage was Thrown Into Exile. They opened the show with great energy and front man, Evan, was really good on the mic, and set the tone for the rest of the show. After their set make sure to drop by the MI tent and meet the band. Some really cool dudes there.
Next up kicking things off on the Jagermeister stage was Huntress. Jill Janus is just awesome. Her facial expressions are just priceless. She’s a metal throwback for those of you who don’t like the current direction of this genre.
Back on the MI stage was Attika 7. Not part of the original Mayhem lineup replacing Behemoth, Attika 7 still kicked some @$$. Former front man of Biohazard, Evan Seinfeld, was pretty funny when he asked the crowed if they have ever seen them before. He said “bull$#!^, we have never been here,” when the crowd responded with cheers of yes. Believe me, it was funny.
Battlecross was up next on the Jager Stage. This was my second time seeing them perform, and they just keep getting better. Tons of energy and a great bunch of guys, so make sure you go and check them out at their merch tent after their set.
Motionless In White were performing next on the MI stage and had the younger crowd eating out of their hands. A fan dressed like MIW was holding a sign wanting to be brought on stage because it was his birthday, and Chris not only had him come up on stage for the second to last song, but he even gave him a mic and they sang the song together. After the song, Chris said “ask and you shall receive.” I thought that was some pretty cool $#!^!
Next up on the Jager stage was the Butcher Babies. Nothing like some hot @$$ rocking out! Tons of energy! Heidi and Carla had the crowd going nuts. This was my first time seeing BB, and I was not disappointed at all.
Born Of Osiris was next on the MI stage. I personally am not familiar with this band, but the crowd liked them and I thought they were good.
Job For A Cowboy is now up on the Jager stage. They brought a whole different attitude to this show. They did nothing but kick @$$. I thought Jonny Davy was going to jump of the stage and into the pit he was so hyped.
It’s time now for Emmure on the MI stage. Tons of energy and drive in their set. I don’t usually listen to them, but I enjoyed them live.
Closing things on the Jagermeister stage is Machine Head. Machine Head was really over with the crowd. I only like a few of their songs, but they put on a great live set.
Closing things on the Musician’s Institute stage was Children Of Bodem. They were over with the crowd as well. CoB is another band I don’t listen to that much, but I enjoyed their live set.
First up on the main stage is Amon Amarth. I just love their Viking ship stage prop that they had on stage. Amon was pretty damn good and should have had another 15 minutes added to their set time. Here’s a question I have, though: how the hell does Johan not spill one drop of liquid out of his Roordahuizum drinking horn?
Mastodon was next on the main stage. Now, I don’t know if the heat was finally getting to me or if I was having an energy drink crash but I wanted to fall asleep during their set. Don’t get me wrong, they are great musicians, I just didn’t feel their set at all. The black wig Brent Hinds was wearing was pretty funny though.
Five Finger Death Punch now takes the main stage, and they just bring it like no one else can. This was my third time seeing 5FDP, and the only thing I did not like was that their set was not long enough. Ivan and the boys are just so good live. The crowd was nuts for them. Ivan wasn’t as energetic as I’ve seen him before, but he still kicked @$$.
It’s now time for Rob Zombie to close the show out. This was my first time seeing Zombie live, and I must tell you that I cannot wait until I get to see him again. What a show Rob puts on. With all of the different props and costumes it’s a show within a show. John 5 has two of the most bad@$$ guitar’s I’ve ever seen. One was totally transparent with an anti-freeze looking liquid inside it and the other one was made up of a couple hundred white L.E.D lights. Rob even left the stage and ran a lap around the inside of amphitheater. This was a really good show all in all. F’in awesome job, Rockstar, I’ll see you next year.
As the leaves begin to change into those Autumnal hues, it starts to sink in that the Summer festival season has come to a close. Thankfully, there’s still Fall festival season! First in line is the accurately named Fall Down at Camp Farnam in Durham, Connecticut, October 4-6.
Fall Down festival is described as New England’s premiere, theme-oriented music experience. The Fall Down encapsulates all the beauty of the East Coast. The festival began as just a simple gathering that included a fire, camping and some jams among friends. A year later the Fall Down became a festival that encapsulates the spirit of October (yes, that means a lot of pumpkins.) This festival does not strive to be the biggest, just simply the best. With art installations and a stellar lineup, the festival is not to be missed. Two things are a must for attendees of Fall Down; a costume, and a carved Jack-O-Lantern. The Jack-O-Lanterns illuminate the camp grounds, and the costumes embody the spirit of October, and of course, Halloween. There is simply no better way to welcome the Fall than with great music, art, costumes and A LOT of jack-o lanterns.
So far this years lineup will include Dopapod, Marco Benevento, Alan Evans Trio, Superhuman Happiness, Turkuaz, Soule Monde, Voodelic, Vorzca, Shakedown, Straddledaddy, Skyfoot, Gatsby’s Green Light, Steam Boars, Brummy Brothers and Birdseed Bandits.
After a long anticipated wait, the daily lineup for City Bisco has been released, as well as a kick off date in Baltimore, MD. The long weekend will start at the Baltimore Soundstage on September 26th and end in the Disco Biscuits home town of Philadelphia, PA. Disco Biscuits fans from all over the country will convene at the Mann Center in Fairmount Park for two nights of astounding musical guests on September 27th and 28th.
After the great success of last year’s City Bisco, and the tremendous success of Upstate New York’s own Camp Bisco, it seems the buzz surrounding this festival is greater than ever. Over the past 18 years the Disco Biscuits have created a vast following that spans from coast to coast. The boys have played Mayan Holidaze on the Riviera Maya, hosted Bisco Inferno at Red Rocks, and brought world renowned artists to the quaint town of Mariaville that hosts Camp Bisco. City Bisco has become an urban installment of their beloved Camp Bisco which has grown with great intensity to accommodate 25,000 patrons annually. Since the early 90’s The Disco Biscuits have created their own genre of “Jamtronica,” as well as forged the path for the exponentially growing music scene that is home to many electronic acts from all parts of the world. City Bisco will bring together a diverse group of artists for an epic weekend of music in Philadelphia that should not be missed.
The lineup will include two nights of The Disco Biscuits, Method Man and Redman, Big Boi, Treasure Fingers, Kill Paris, Twiddle, Risky Disco, Horizon Wireless, Suspence, a Simon Posford Shpongle DJ set, Emancipator, Gigamesh, Killowatts, Less Foss, Pimps of Joytime, Space Jesus, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong and the Cosmic Dust Bunnies. This is sure to be a weekend to remember, so grab your City Bisco tickets now.
Driving through the winding back roads of Upstate New York, it was apparent that it would be a beautiful weekend for a festival. This would be Bella Terra’s fifth year, and fourth year at it’s current location on Gardner’s Farm in Stephentown, New York. The venue is home to people, plants and animals, and the name Bella Terra (beautiful earth) could not possibly embody a more perfect location for an upstate New York festival, and it definitely adds to the charm and allure of this late summer gathering.
The music was spot on all weekend. The moment your campsite was set up you were drawn to the Red Bull MXT stage residing on the edge of the woods. One of the best sets of the weekend was the back to back performance of Mentally Ill and Leila Harrison. The moment they took the stage, drum and bass reverberated throughout the campgrounds, drawing people out of their sites to dance in the cool August evening. Throughout the weekend the Red Bull truck stage pumped out a variety of different music spanning from early morning dub to late night dubstep. It was an excellent addition and created a balance between the campgrounds and the main concert area.
This year there were two main stages, much like most other quickly-growing festivals. It certainly makes it easier for the crew and it also eliminates the wait time in between sets. All of the headliners that played the festival absolutely blew the crowd away. The highlights of the weekend were definitely The Manhattan Project, Ghost Face Killah, and Robokop. The crowd did not seem to mind Ghostface Killah’s hour delay when he took stage and delivered an insanely high energy set. Ghostface Killah spoke in regards to the festival’s overall vibe saying, “It’s insane to be on stage and see the people singing your songs, knowing you, loving you, and you really can’t ask for anything else. I used to read about some of these places in text books and now I’m performing in front of them. It’s really a blessing.” That energy and that vibe permeated throughout the festival as each artist that took stage was met with so much love and admiration from the crowd. The overwhelming amount of appreciation and respect for music and art is very evident at Bella Terra. Robokop was especially an interesting act to bring to the Bella Terra stage; Clay Parnell of Brother’s Past and Allen Aucoin of The Disco Biscuits come together in an explosive collaboration creating something in the electronic music world that has not been seen before. Emancipator was another amazing and different act that stood out among the other talent. The smooth, ambient samples layered with live violin and down tempo beats made the crowd move in rhythmic waves within the hot tent packed with people.
Datsik took the stage drawing a huge crowd, in part because there were no other artists playing during his time slot, but also due to his huge following in the Upstate region. Although it was a great performance, another act was definitely needed because variety is the key to success at a festival. On the other hand, it is apparent why they chose to exclude any other acts during Datsik with the huge turnout for main stage during his performance. His set introduced hard womping beats that pulsated through the crowd and made the main stage area come alive. Turkuaz delivered a mind-blowing funk-filled set at the late night tent that had everyone moving in throngs from their sites to witness this erratic display of sonic-explosions. The stage was packed with a wide array of instruments Turkuaz brings to their signature sounds. The most interesting site within the tent was a festival goer who had casually fallen asleep atop a table ten feet from the stage using a volley ball as his head support. Interesting things can always be seen in late night tents at a festival, but this was surely a first. How one could take a cat nap during such a loud, energetic and funktastic set is a feat unto itself.
Cinder Block Hustle, true to fashion, had a large area near main stage filled with art installations. Scattered about were giant wooden cutouts of legendary figures that needless to say would tempt you to take some embarrassing pictures with that you would most likely find on your cellphone weeks later. Fantastic and vibrant displays of art were at every turn, adding even more beauty to the layout of the land. The installations also offered some shade and a place to rest during the hot afternoons. The festival also stayed true to nature with it’s eight foot Bella Terra Festival art installation created by some of the best graffiti artists in the game. Each year the amount of intricate detail only grows in this mind blowing centerpiece of the festival. Another spectacular aspect of the festival is the degree of effort put into making sure all of the children and families throughout the weekend are occupied. At one point a full troupe of larger than life puppets came strolling through the campsites riding on the tiny shoulders of the festival inhabiting children. It was certainly quite the sight to see.
Throughout the festival you could catch live painting and live graffiti from some of the best artists in the game. Bella Terra does a phenomenal job fusing the two worlds of music and art and bringing them together to be appreciated and respected in a community that promotes a wide array of talents. It was not strange at all to wake up in the morning and pass a group of jugglers, or unicyclists or even puppeteer- and that is the beautiful essence of Bella Terra. Taking a casual and slow stroll through the festival was a giant tortoise who visited camp sites and brought vast amounts of entertainment to the weekend. Only at Bella Terra would it be common place to see a tortoise wander through the camp grounds. If that was not enough diversity for you, there was also a field of grazing cattle all but a stones throw from the camp’s showers. These are the kinds of things you can only see at a festival in Upstate New York. Overall, Bella Terra was another great success and it is evident that with the growth and popularity this festival has already achieved this festival has become a staple for the East Coast Festival and music scene.
For the first 10 years of moe.down, Snow Ridge Ski Resort in Turin was the home and Labor Day was the weekend – an end of summer tradition everyone in the Northeast that called themselves a moe.ron looked forward to experiencing. Then there was the ill-advised shift to Mohawk at Gelston Castle for moe.downs 11 and 12, but fortunately fans convinced the band to move back to Turin, with a shift to mid-August for moe.downs 13 and 14. Now, things have come full circle in the past 5 years and moe.down 15 will return to Snow Ridge Ski Resort for moe.down 15 on Labor Day weekend.
A message from moe.: “We are excited to announce moe.down is moving back to Labor Day Weekend! A lot of thought has gone into this decision. It wasn’t easy: so many people liked the new weekend, but a number of people also missed the advantages of the holiday weekend. We hope all of you can still join us. Watch for updates, 15 will be moe.mentous! August 29,30&31 2014 Snow Ridge Ski Resort Turin, NY”
Fans were asked to vote on the preferred date for moe.down, and while Mid-August was the fan favorite, Labor Day was the decision fans went with. Looks like Phish at Dick’s may have some competition for fans of both bands. Or maybe not.
Peter Conners takes on a noble task in his recently published work, JAMerica: The History of the Jam Band and Festival Scene. He attempts to bring to light a clear definition of the term ‘jam band’ and everything it entails. By noting all the similarities and influences of the artists and bands that fall into this seemingly broad genre, Conners makes every effort to give the reader a better idea of how this term has made its way into popular culture and why it’s still there. He offers insight into the seminal moments and venues that have helped spur this counterculture movement into what it is today. And he does this in, perhaps, the most fitting way possible: by having the people who were directly involved in the origins of the scene as well as those who are still prominently involved in it tell their own story.
The book is molded in the same fashion as another popular read that attempts to define and explain a different musical genre, Legs McNeil’s Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk. Conners spent two years interviewing people who were prominently involved in the early days of the jam band scene and they share their memories and offer insight from everything to early gigs, to developing fan bases, to the rise of show tapers. Whether it’s John Popper rehashing old details from an early gig at Columbia University or Mickey Hart theorizing on the power of music, JAMerica gives the reader first hand tales with little to no filter on them that shine a light on both the jam band scene and the music industry as a whole.
It tells the story of just how influential the now defunct New York City club Wetlands Preserve was for acts like The Spin Doctors and Blues Traveler. It highlights the truly unique and ground breaking origins of the H.O.R.D.E. Festival and how successful modern festivals like Bonnaroo can trace its roots back to this roving experiment of “hippy” bands. It offers an explanation as to how a band like Phish went from playing small club shows to arenas in a matter of years and serves as an excellent teaching tool for any current band looking to do the same. It shows the vast and seemingly universal influence that The Grateful Dead had on bands ranging from Dark Star Orchestra to Jane’s Addiction and everything in between. Along the way, JAMerica tries to take these stories and first hand personal encounters and use them to offer explanations on musical improvisation and paint a picture of the scene that relies on this so heavily. It even attempts to lock down the origins of the word “jam band”. Spoiler alert: esteemed Relix editor Dean Budnick is prominently involved.
Like any good “jam” concert, the book does tend to be a little all over the map at points and shifts from one musical era to another in the blink of an eye. It would also be a little more helpful if the sources were better identified when first used or if there was an earlier written notice that a list of contributing sources and a short bio for each is found in the back of the book. Unless the reader is prominently involved in the music industry, there are bound to be some sources used in this that are not recognizable by name alone.
By having these sources open up and tell their own stories, Peter Conners does an admirable job in giving this popular musical genre both a more tangible definition and the credit it so richly deserves in influencing a generation of bands and artists. Interestingly, it even shows how some acts were initially opposed to being associated with the ‘jam band’ label but have now fully embraced it. By all accounts, JAMerica is the most complete work out there that attempts to tell the story of the jam band scene and how it has reached its current state of popularity. However, it’s important to note that this is still a story being re-written and modified every day.
What is it that mother nature has against music this year? Between the floods at All Good and Summer Camp, multiple Statewide Festivals, and even Phish having major issues with rain, you’d think that old lady has a severe case of PMS. (In this case, being Prevent Music Syndrome). That being said, even six inches of mud and dozens of stuck cars could not extinguish the musical fire and heated good times that encapsulated the 31st annual Gathering at Chaffee‘s.
Held just west of Erie Pennsylvania, this for-charity festival is held on the grounds of the Chaffee family. The family has a huge land, filled with wooded and clear areas giving everyone their ideal shot at a nice place to pop a tent. The weather started out nice enough on Friday, with a stellar crowd that left many old timers murmuring that it was the biggest year ever. Given the promotional team of Ryan Bartosek and Tracy Evans from Erie’s premier music venue the crooked iand the perfect mid-sized festival lineup, this reporter was not surprised at the turnout. Friday featured headliners Aqueous and Funktapuss, who both fail to disappoint pretty much every time they take the stage. Many local and out of state bands preceded them, including Michigan’s Dragon Wagon, whose self-described “Bluegrass Folk Rock with a shot of Irish whiskey” music started a virtual hootenanny throughout their well-attended mid afternoon set.
And then the rains came. Saturday started off foreboding with weather forecasts indicating their might be as much as 24 hours of straight downpours. This did not dissuade the weekend citizens though, as many walked by shouting things like “It wouldn’t be Chaffee’s without rain!” Luckily the forecasters were off a bit and the rain cleared up in the afternoon just as the sound of Phish’s “The Lizards” as covered by Eric Brewer and Friends permeated the air. Ohio’s Stagecoach Robbery then performed a simply shredtastic set with a sound somewhere in between high octane Umphrey’s and filthy blues. This band will be missed as this was unfortunately one of their last performances.
Upstate’sConehead Buddhaand Florida’s Copefilled out the the Saturday headlining spots. Conehead, now in their 20th year, had the mud flying as people stomped and hollered through a set filled with a myriad of influences and spot on improvisational moments. Continuing the trend, Cope, yet another hard to define genre mystifying band, played a frenzied set filled with high points, including a bluegrass version of everybody’s hard rock favorite Tool’s “Sober” which its doubtful many humans would imagine could ever work. It worked spectacularly. Don’t miss the fun next year, as the gathering will be back. Bring your boots and hoots!
Equifunk: The All-Inclusive Music Festival, by all accounts, was the greatest weekend of the year. From the music to the Saturday Pool Party to an epic late night campfire set by Marco Benevento to the incredible weather, everything worked out perfectly all weekend long. Set in the beautiful Pocono Mountains at a functional summer camp, Equifunk gave a weekend to festival attendees that drew smiles for all three days of music from every face that could be seen.
Sunset
This festival originally was just a bachelor party for about 50 friends with a couple of bands, but has swelled to three days of music, with multiple stages, and about 1500 attendees. One aspect of the weekend was how small everything felt. Multiple people over the weekend said they felt like they crashed a private party. Artists could be seen walking around the grounds, dancing with the crowds to the music, and chatting up music lovers. Everything seemed very accessible to all attendees and gave the festival a leg-up on all other festivals in the Northeast Region.
Basketball Tournament Winners
The music kicked off Friday with The Woody Brown Project at The Tee Pee Stage and their disco-laced funk. Having two percussionists and two horns solidified this sound and had those who arrived early enough to catch the first act of the festival dancing under the trees. A great cover of “Billie Jean” finished their set just as The Weeks were getting started on The Equifunk Pool Stage. The Weeks play southern rock with a bit of soul mixed in for good measure. The band has a lot of energy on stage and the small crowd that saw them appreciated it and got up and danced. Next was the first major highlight of the festival, 13 year old Bobby Paltauf and his band. Bobby has such amazing control over the guitar. Covering Jimi Hendrix, Warren Haynes and The Grateful Dead, he and the band showed off how much talent they have. Bobby directs the band with ease as to where he wants the music to go. This kid is not to be missed if he comes around to your area. He finished his set with “Tweezer Reprise,” much to the crowd’s delight.
Marco Benevento
King Lincoln brought their brand of rock to the stage and it was perfect music to have the daytime wind down prior to the first night of the festival starting up. Festival goers got their first free meal of the weekend as the beer started flowing while the sun went down. The all-inclusive model is really a great thing and makes Equifunk very unique. To start off The E-Rena, The Main Squeeze came on and brought the funk to the festival. These guys have a great chemistry after only being a five piece for about a year and they owned every second they had on the stage. The crowd was electric throughout their set. Their cover of “No Quarter” had lead singer Corey Frye and guitarist Max Newman showing off their skills, much to the crowd’s excitement. Artist in Residence for the weekend, Sister Sparrow came out to join the band on Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground” and blew the roof off of the E-Rena.
The Equifunk All-Stars
JJ Grey and Mofro were out to keep the energy level high. JJ is a great front man and engaged the crowd during the entire set that felt like a rock, funk, and soul revue. “99 Shades of Crazy” as well as “Slow Hot Sweaty” were standouts of the set. The New Mastersounds were the headliners for night one and for this set they had James Casey, another Artist in Residence for the weekend, joined them for a good part of the set. These Englishmen know their funk and from the moment they hit the stage they showed the crowd a good time. Their non-stop hour and a half set oozed with energy that the crowd gave back to them just as hard. Each member of the band is so skilled at their respective instrument, it lets them take each song in any direction they want. When James came out, the addition of the saxophone increased the funk levels exponentially. The set was excellent and afterwards many people went to their cabins or tents, while some faithful stayed up for Boombox and their looping beats with beautiful guitar licks mixed in over them.
The Equifunk All-Stars
Day two of Equifunk started with breakfast and a 3-on-3 basketball tournament. The food was good and the games were competitive. The Main Squeeze had three of their five members involved in the tournament as well, which was fun to watch. I’ll Be John Brown started the music and their country rock was a perfect way to start the all-day pool party that went down, especially their cover of “Ophelia”. People could be seen rocking out in the pool throughout the day, as well as going down a water slide, while all the bands threw down great music. Superhuman Happiness and their funky disco rock took turns towards spacey jams at times, and it was very noticeable that some of their influences include LCD Soundsytem, The Talking Head and TV on the Radio, and Stuart Bogie confirmed this after their set saying that all three of those were among his favorite bands. Their songs are very complex with two keyboards and two guitars going all at once, and all of it being heavily distorted from song to song, yet the grooves are easy to dance to. These guys are very talented and are a group not to miss. The Monophonics made use of a great horn section to showcase their version of funk and soul. Their set was heavy on the covers but it was the back to back of “Gimme Shelter” and “Bang, Bang” that really made an impression on everyone. With a sound deeply rooted in the ’70s, these guys did a great job of honoring the classic Motown and Stax funk sound in their set.
The Pool Party
Keller Williams & More Than A Little took over The Pool Stage and saw the biggest crowd gathered yet. A set mixed of covers and originals from their forthcoming album made for a very enjoyable set. Keller controlled the audience with ease, not only during the songs, but also during his in between song banter that was very funny. “Samson and Delilah” as well as “Once in a Lifetime” were two great highlights from his set. Keller is never one to be missed and this goes double if he has this band with him. The Heavy Pets had James Casey out to assist them on a fantastic “Help Me Help You”; having James up there pushed the band to a new level and they kept the energy of the sit-in for the rest of their set. They are no strangers to us here at and their set was, as expected, another great one. Marco Benevento closed The Pool Stage down and did it in grand fashion. Wearing American flag jeans and his trademark tiger mask for “Limbs of a Pine,” Marco brought the sun down and got us ready for the nighttime. His high energy set was a definite highlight of the weekend and everyone started to move to the main stage with nothing but smiles after he was done.
The M&M’s
Nigel Hall Band was tasked with opening the evening. James Casey was there to help out as well as Eric Krasno on bass for the whole set. Nigel is a great front man and the smooth funky soul that the band produced was a wonderful start to the evening. Anders Osborne with John Medeski thenwowed the crowd from the moment they all hit the stage. Anders is an amazing guitarist with tons of energy, obvious in every ripping solo that he took. Medeski was laying down beautiful key work throughout the set. The highlight was a very long and absolutely rocking “Going Down the Road Feeling Bad” early in the set that had the E-Rena yelling in approval. Near the end of the set there was also a “Wilson” tease that got the crowd going as well.
Pork Tornado
Soulivewith The Shady Horns and Maceo Parker were the headliners for night two and the set was as outstanding as one would expect. Everyone on stage was a virtuoso at their instrument and the music coming from the stage was jaw dropping. Once Maceo hit the stage a few songs into the set, the crowd ate up every second. Sister Sparrow and Nigel Hall came out to help with Ray Charles’s “Night Time is the Right Time” that had the crowd in a frenzy. Maceo was perfect throughout the set both on saxophone and on vocals. Marco Benevento then had a campfire set, in what hopefully will be a yearly tradition. Playing in the round and having audience participation throughout, Marco ran through originals and covers in what many people thought was the moment of the festival. From “Bennie and the Jets” to “The Real Morning Party” to “9 to 5,” Marco had the crowd in his hand the whole time. The New Mastersounds second set of the weekend started around 3 AM and they had many guests throughout the set, including Maceo. They rolled through rock, funk, and soul, just as they had the previous night and again showed their brilliant work on their instruments. The music coming from the stage was beautiful and no one watching could help but dance. As their set ended around 5 AM many people packed it in, but Marco started up an unannounced second campfire set and played until 9 AM. (Author note: I did not see this as I was calling it a day, but I was told from everyone who saw it that it was amazing and guest filled and the highlight of the festival.)
The New Mastersounds with Maceo Parker
This year the festival decided to add Sunday music to the festival and it made for an incredible day. The FrankStalloners started the day with tons of energy and covers that set the tone for the day. Frank has a Joe Cocker vibe to him and rocked the stage hard. “Turn on Your Lovelight” and “Crosstown Traffic” were played great by him and the band. Following his set Papa Mali came out and had Bobby Paltauf as well as Joe Tatton from The New Mastersounds on guitar and keys respectively. Lots of blues came from the stage throughout the set and it was wonderful watching Papa and Bobby trade guitar licks. Mike Dillon Band was next and brought a wild energy that had not been seen the rest of the weekend. Mike’s instrument was so different than most percussionists’ instruments: a mix of a xylophone and a drum kit. Carly Meyers, who plays the whistle, trombone, and vocals in the band, was a ball of energy not only on stage, but in the crowd as well. The whole band had an energy to them that set them apart from every other band at the festival. After the set I asked Dillon where the music comes from, as it is different from anything I had ever seen, saying “It comes from the head and the heart, what can I say”, with a smile. Carly also said “We usually play until we get kicked off the stage, which is three hours sometimes.” This is a band not to miss.
The M&M’s
The London Souls brought their music to the stage and showcased their brand of funk via rock throughout their set. Their cover of “Apostrophe” by Frank Zappa was a clear highlight letting each member of the three piece band some air to show their talents. The Equifunk All-Stars made up of Eddie Roberts and Pete Shand of The New Mastersounds, Nigel Hall, and Stanton Moore were up next. Mike Dillon, James Casey, Carly Meyers, Tash Neal of The London Souls, and Joe Tatton helped out as well throughout the set. The talent on stage was amazing. It was an hour of straight improv that saw every person on stage trying to one-up the energy of another member of the band. Each musician could be seen having a great time with smiles all around on stage, but the smiles were also in the crowd as members of the audience were constantly stunned with joy over the music coming to them from all of this talent. To close out the Pool Stage for the weekend, The Main Squeeze were back up for their second set of the festival. Talking with Corey prior to the set, I asked how it felt to not only open up the main stage at the festival, but also close the pool stage and he said, “It’s been nice growing together with the festival and it was important for them (the festival) to have us do both.” This was third year that The Main Squeeze has played the festival and it seems they will be there every year as both they and the festival have been gaining momentum in the past few years. Their second set was just as beautiful as their first set of the weekend. Corey worked the crowd perfectly again, while Bob “Smiley” Silverstein donned a keytar and tore the stage down near the end of the set. Their version of “Papa was a Rolling Stone” was filled with so much funk; the audience couldn’t help but scream their approval.
The Revivalists and their high energy show opened the E-Rena stage. David Shaw can easily command a crowd like few front man know how to anymore. The moment he stepped on the stage he was a magnet for attention. Ed Williams’ pedal steel playing is great and you can see that everyone on stage is enjoying their time up there as they all interact with one another regularly to bring the energy up even higher than it already is. Pork Tornado headlined the evening and brought their country-rock to the stage in glorious fashion. Jon Fishman is the big draw here, but everyone else in the band holds their own. Joe Moore’s saxophone playing and vocals were wonderful as was his interaction with the crowd, especially during the Divinyls cover “I Touch Myself”. The band was all over the place musically going from Frank Zappa to Frank Sinatra, but it all sounded perfect. This was only their second performance in the last ten years yet it seemed as if they had been together constantly over that time. The set drew one of the loudest ovations from the crowd throughout the whole festival, but it was the final set of the weekend that may have had the best music of the weekend. The M&M’s, a super group made specifically for the festival consisted of Maceo Parker, Papa Mali, Rob Mercurio, Stanton Moore, Marco Benevento and John Medeski; this group had enough talent on stage for an army. As an added bonus, Mike Dillon came out a few songs into the set and stayed for the remainder. The set had loads of covers including, “The Harder They Come,” “Walk On,” but it was “Eminence Front” that brought the funk to the stage. Throughout the song every member of the band had a chance to show why they were on stage at that moment. The band could have just jammed on this one song for an hour and everyone in attendance would have been happy, but there was more music to be heard from this great group of musicians. They closed their set, and the festival, with Led Zeppelin’s “How Many More Times” and then it was all over.
As everyone began to leave it felt very much like summer camp with new friends saying goodbye to one another and people making promises to stay in touch and to see one another again next year. Equifunk was managed great all weekend and the sky is the limit for this festival. This year was the biggest yet and it’s only going to get bigger. Another great aspect of the festival is that they raffled off a poster signed by every artist for The Mockingbird Foundation. Hopefully something like this can be an annual thing and a bonus for festival goers to get involved in a great cause and have the chance to win a cool prize. Being so close to the Upstate Region, this is a festival not to miss for music lovers. Do yourself a favor and go to the Poconos next year to take in the mountains, the people, and the funk at Equifunk.
It’s around 10:30pm at the debut edition of the Buffalove festival and 3/4’s of Aqueous have taken the stage. Skins wizard Nick Sonricker is standing backstage enjoying a beer. Noticing the odd look on this reporters face, he offers “No worries man, they won’t need me for a while.” The rest of the band starts playing the familiar intro to Pink Floyd’s “Shine On (You Crazy Diamond)”. The crowd delivers a deafening roar and Nick finally makes his way to the drum set. What followed was one of the most spot on, goose bump inducing covers one could imagine. Simply perfect. (Check it out here)
This was just one of dozens of unforgettable experiences that this festival delivered over two days in late June at the Willow Creek Winery in Silver Springs, NY. From Aqueous’s top notch Friday night headlining set, to the sick Buffalove jam featuring musicians from multiple bands, to the one two punch of Funktional Flow’s “Wappy Spayberry” (Umphrey’s McGee) into Phish’s “Sand”, there was nary a dull moment to be found. Partners Richard Zanghi and Cody Conway’s Buffalojams festival could not have had a more spectacular introduction. The staff and grounds of the winery were perfect, the sounds of board wizard Ryan Nogle were spot on, and the weather … given the apocalyptic nature of most every festival this year, the beautiful conditions could not have been dreamed of beforehand. But fear not, if you’re feeling some regret having missed this stunner, Buffalove 2 will be back next year!
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.
After the great success of last year’s City Bisco, and the tremendous success of Upstate New York’s own Camp Bisco, it seems the buzz surrounding this festival is greater than ever. Over the past 18 years the Disco Biscuits have created a vast following that spans from coast to coast. The boys have played Mayan Holidaze on the Riviera Maya, hosted Bisco Inferno at Red Rocks, and brought world renowned artists to the quaint town of Mariaville that hosts Camp Bisco. City Bisco has become an urban installment of their beloved Camp Bisco which has grown with great intensity to accommodate 25,000 patrons annually. Since the early 90’s The Disco Biscuits have created their own genre of “Jamtronica,” as well as forged the path for the exponentially growing music scene that is home to many electronic acts from all parts of the world. City Bisco will bring together a diverse group of artists for an epic weekend of music in Philadelphia that should not be missed.
A message from moe.: “We are excited to announce moe.down is moving back to Labor Day Weekend! A lot of thought has gone into this decision. It wasn’t easy: so many people liked the new weekend, but a number of people also missed the advantages of the holiday weekend. We hope all of you can still join us. Watch for updates, 15 will be moe.mentous! August 29,30&31 2014 Snow Ridge Ski Resort Turin, NY”
