Tag: Trey Anastasio

Lockn’ was Rockin’ – Jam Festival of the Summer

This is the first review for from famed live music photographer Phrazz. Check out his full gallery on his Flickr page and enjoy a full recap of Lockn’ Festival.

Peter Shapiro and Dave Frey hit a home run with their inaugural Lockn’ Festival, which was held September 5-8 at the laconic Oak Ridge Estate, a sprawling 4,800 acre tract of fields and forests in Arrington, VA. Furthur, Jimmy Cliff, Widespread Panic, The String Cheese Incident, The Black Crowes and Gov’t Mule brought their best performances to the estimated crowd of 25,000. Although the musical fare was jam-rock heavy, there also plenty of bluegrass, folk, funk and jazz mixed in.

Furthur played four powerful sets over three star-studded nights, with sit-ins by Trey Anastasio and Susan Tedeschi. Anastasio joined Furthur during their re-enactment of the entire Workingman’s Dead album while Phil Less delivered thunderous bass in a ground-rumbling duel with Joe Russo’s drums, while John Kadlecik’s deftly-delivered Jerry-esque leads, and Bob Weir’s impeccable rhythm and vocals were woven into a psychedelic sonic tapestry. On Saturday night, John Fogarty of Creedence Clearwater Revival sat in with Widespread Panic on “Born on the Bayou”, “Bad Moon Rising”, “Suzy Q”, and other CCR classics, ending with a powerful “Fortunate Son”.

In a welcome departure from most festivals this summer, Lockn’ had no DJs, instead featuring the best rock, bluegrass and jambands making great music. The two main stages were set up next to each other at a slight angle, with little or no performance overlap, so fans could see every bit of music. In spite of an extremely long entry line, the festival was a huge success. Frey, who worked for the legendary Bill Graham, also booked bands at Shapiro’s club, The Wetlands Preserve (the progenitor to the Brooklyn Bowl). Frey and Shapiro decided to create a festival with “bands they’d like to see”, and little downtime associated with other large festivals. The only significant waits were the line to park and camp (6-10 hours), and the round-trip to the mysterious late-night “Triangle Stage” deep in the woods (40 min walk), whose schedule was only announced by word-of-mouth.

Keller Williams and Larry and Jenny Keel – Keller & The Keels – kicked off Lockn’ on Thursday with originals “Breathe”, “Take Me To The Tundra”, and “Freeker by the Speaker”, along with a rapid-fire delivery of jamgrass-laced covers, such as “Born To Be Wild”, “Another Brick in the Wall”, and an astounding “Pepper” (The Butthole Surfers), which had the crowd singing along raucously, “You never know just how you look through other people’s eyes”, as the afternoon sun blazed on the slowly-amassing crowd.

Warren Haynes fired up the crowd with his soulful blues-rock guitar riffs and vocals on originals “River’s Gonna Rise”, “Hattiesburg Hustle” and “Tear Me Down”, with tasty covers sprinkled in, such as Hendrix’s “Spanish Castle Magic” and Steely Dan’s “Pretzel Logic”. Warren Haynes Band had Alecia Chakour on vocals, and Nigel Hall on keys & vocals, along with Ron Johnson holding down the bass, and the legendary Ron Holloway on tenor sax. The String Cheese Incident followed Warren’s blues-rock with their super-funky flavor of discograss, a rousing set that included “Desert Dawn”, “Far From Home” and “Mauna Bowa” > “Colliding” and got the crowd jumping with ecstasy. Keller Williams added his funky acoustic strumming and clear vocals on the bluesy reggae tune, “Best Feeling”, as he “sat up in the branches and felt like a bird / it was the best feeling in the world”, with tasteful solos by Bill Nershi on acoustic guitar, and Michael Kang on electric mandolin, with a funky key jam-out at the end by Kyle Hollingsworth. They ended their flawless set on Friday night with their perennial party favorite, “Texas”.

The music quickly switched to the Ridge Stage, where Gov’t Mule fired right up. Warren Haynes, on lead guitar and vocals, was joined by Jorgen Carlsson on bass, Nigel Hall on keys & vocals, Alecia Chakour on vocals, and Danny Louis on organ, guitar, vocals & trumpet, with Matt Abts keeping the rhythm flowing. A night chill breezed through the crowd as Warren broke into a slow, heavy “Dear Prudence”, where Grace Potter joined them to major applause. Grace lent her soulful Joplin-esque vocals to a soothing “Gold Dust Woman”, and then performed a first timer, “Whisper in Your Soul”. In an apparent homage to Neil Young (who attended, but didn’t play), Gov’t Mule played CS&N’s “Find the Cost of Freedom”, then a scorching “Southern Man”, where Grace briefly hopped on the organ during a crushing Warren guitar solo, and then returned with her impassioned lead vocals.

Friday started out nice and breezy, with an acoustic duet by The Founding Farmers (Andy Falco and Chris Pandolfi of The Infamous Stringdusters, whose annual Festy Experience is hosted nearby), which included ‘Dusters tunes “Fork in the Road”, and covers of “Sitting on Top of the World” and “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”. Falco played a modified electric banjo guitar.

Pegi Young and The Survivors came on next with a mix of fun songs, including “Better Living Through Chemicals” (about geriatrics’ pharmacopias), “Walking on a Tightrope”, “Lonely Women Make Good Lovers”, “Obsession”, and “Number 9 Train”. We ran into Pegi in the crowd, where Emily from Tennessee asked Pegi if Neil was planning to sit in. Pegi smiled and said, “Everybody asks that…no, I’m sorry to say,” which quelled rumors among Lockn’ fans.

The Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Soul Rebels blasted horns New Orleans style for “Fire on the Bayou” (Meters), “Superbad” (James Brown), “Turn It Up”, “504”, Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)”, with encores of “Let Your Mind Be Free” and “When the Saints Go Marching In”, (with both bands playing together).

The crowd grew much larger and closer as one of the founding godfathers of reggae music, Jimmy Cliff, took the stage, opening with a mirthful “Bongo Man” followed by a soothing “Rivers of Babylon”. Telling stories about how he started into acting, Cliff treated his fans to a soul-searching “Many Rivers to Cross”, “Sitting in Limbo”, and a earth-shaking “The Harder They Come”, which really got the crowd dancing. One of the most powerful moments came during “Wild World” (Cat Stevens) where Cliff told a story of how Cat played a song he didn’t quite like over the phone, so Jimmy made it his own. Cliff’s version of Johnny Nash’s “I Can See Clearly Now” was a heartfelt moment with the crowd, who also sang along, as Cliff and the crowd connected with the deep roots of “You Can Get It If You Really Want”. The crowd roared as Cliff came back to encore with “Roots Woman”, and then “Come Into My Life” (first time ever played live!), “Johnny Too Bad” and a finale of “One More”.

String Cheese Incident kicked in Friday night on the Oak Stage with “Outside and Inside” > “Valley of the Jig”, whipping the crowd into a dancing frenzy. They covered an awesome “This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)” by Talking Heads and ended with a festive “Restless Wind”. Back on the Ridge Stage, Furthur played one of their tightest sets of the weekend, starting with “Shakedown Street”, “The Wheel”, “Cryptical Envelopment”, and a rousing “Estimated Prophet”. They took off into an ethereal “Cold Rain and Snow”, which was one of Bobby’s best vocal tunes, then a heartfelt “Cassidy”, and ended with a blazing “Jack Straw”.

After Furthur, Zac Brown joined SCI back on the Oak Stage for the Zac Brown Incident, on a variation of the SCI song, “Sometimes a River”. Followed with an extended jam in “Close Your Eyes”, and rocking covers of “Sweet Emotion” (Aerosmith) and “Freeborn Man” (Jimmy Martin). Toward the end of the set they performed Bill Withers’ “Use Me” and ended the set with new fan favorite “Colorado Bluebird Sky”. The crowd and Zac rose boisterously for the encore, “Could You Be Loved” (Marley).

Saturday opened with hilarity by Love Canon, who treated the audience to spirited covers of Dire Straits (“Money for Nothing”), Thomas Dolby (“She Blinded Me With Science”), Peter Gabriel (“Sledgehammer”), J. Geils (“Centerfold”), and Harold Faltermeyer’s “Axel F” theme song. They also did an incredible “Legs”, joking that ZZ Top started as a bluegrass band, but the “two bearded members got their beards stuck in their instruments”, and finished their set with a smoking “Crazy Train” (Ozzy Osbourne).

The London Souls continued on the Oak Stage (sans bassist) to power through classics like “Steady Are You Ready”, covers like “It Ain’t Easy” (Bowie), and a “Magic Bus” / “Get Back” medley. The Black Crowes took over Lockn’ on Saturday afternoon, with the most impressive set of the weekend. They opened with “Soul Singing” and “Halfway to Everywhere”, and went on to “High Head Blues” followed by an incredible “Medicated Goo” (Traffic) and “Jealous Again”, with Jackie Green flexing his guitar chops, at times lifting up off the stage as he churned out bluesy rock riffs with aplomb.

They also did a killer version of the Stones’ “Jumping Jack Flash”, and pulled out Crowes classics “She Talks to Angels” and “Sting Me”, with Chris Robinson belting out vocals with raw blues power, and whirling around like mad when the band was tearing it up. The Crowes closed their set with a raucous “Hard to Handle” (Otis Redding), followed by a resounding “Hush” (Billy Joe Royal, made famous by Deep Purple).

Trey Anastasio Band then took the Ridge Stage towards sunset, opening with a groovy version of “Cayman Review”, which describes a romantic adventure in Mexico. TAB then went into a horn-loaded “Ocelot”, “Valentine”, and a slow, bluesy “Dark and Down”. TAB’s newest member, saxophonist James Casey, switched to tambourine on a fun “Pigtail”, then switched back to sax to join Jennifer Hartswick and Natalie Cressman on trumpet, trombone, and vocals.

TAB then broke into a super funky “Gotta Jibboo”, followed by the cooling winds of “Frost”, a hopping Phish-rarity “Magilla” with blasting horns, and a jazzy “Sand”, with grooving bass by Tony Markellis. The crowd chanted along with Gorillaz’ “Clint Eastwood”, then a brilliant “First Tube”, with Trey shredding his guitar, into a funny “Simple Twist Up Dave”. TAB closed with “Architect”, “Push On ‘Til the Day”, followed by a scorching “Black Dog” encore.

Bob Weir and Phil Lesh of Furthur scaled Saturday night’s peak with Trey Anastasio, who joined them at the end of their re-enaction of Workingman’s Dead, on “Casey Jones”. Trey stayed on for crowd favorites “Bertha”, and then really opened up on guitar for the Grateful Dead classic, “Truckin’”, into a thunderous “The Other One”, with Phil playing melodic bass lines, and the band added to the rhythm with ska and funk nuances. Trey continued for the rest of Furthur’s set, adding his scorching guitar improv to Kadlecik’s magic, finishing up with a fast-paced “Viola Lee Blues”, an a resounding “Scarlet Begonias > Fire on the Mountain.”

The Hackensaw Boys greeted us at noon on Sunday with a rousting bluegrass set that in spite of the growing afternoon heat, had the crowd dancing and sweating. The Tedeschi Trucks Band had one of the most fan-loved sets of the weekend, with noted sit-ins from superstars Oteil Burbridge (bassist for the Allman Brothers), his brother Kofi (on flute and keys), Eric Krasno (Soulive, Lettuce, Dr. Klaw), Chris Robinson (of the Black Crowes, on harmonica), and a cameo appearance by Bob Weir on tambourine. Derek Trucks showed why he one of the greatest blues guitarists with his scorching slide work on the Elmore James classic, “The Sky Is Crying”. Susan sent her powerful blues vocals and guitar skyward, sprinkled with Derek’s slide work, peppered by whoops and calls from the crowd. As he came up, Kraz shared laughs with his friend Derek, and many other jam dignitaries started to coalesce. At the end, Tedeschi Trucks slide into Sly and the Family Stone’s “Sing a Simple Song” > “I Want to Take You Higher”, and Chris Robinson added his rock-honed vocals and tambourine to Susan’s lead vocals. A horn section fronted by Maurice “Mo Betta” Brown, who blasted us with a scorching trumpet solo into “I Want to Take You Higher”, with a cameo by Bob Weir on vocals and tambourine, and an amazing harmonica solo by Chris Robinson to close out their set.

On Sunday night, Widespread Panic played their most memorable set, opening with “Conrad the Caterpillar”, “Pleas”, “Mr. Soul” (Buffalo Springfield), “Wondering”, “Party at Your Mama’s House”, “Stop Breakin’ Down” (Robert Johnson), after which Derek Trucks joined the band on stage for “Chilly Water”, “Me and the Devil Blues” (Robert Johnson) and “North” (Jerry Joseph). Jimmy Herring was on point all weekend, along with Warren, Derek, Kraz, Trey and Jackie Greene – the pantheon of exceptional guitarists who propelled our shiny new Lockn’ music ship all weekend.

As many Widespread fans called it quits, Furthur closed out Lockn’ with special treats for their dedicated fans, including “Terrapin Station”, “Box of Rain”, “Weather Report Suite”, “Dear Mr. Fantasy”, “Playing in the Band”, and “Standing on the Moon”, the latter three with Susan Tedeschi joining Furthur on guitar and vocals.

Of unfortunate omission here is rock, blues and folk guitar legend Jorma Kaukonen, who played with Barry Mitteroff on a non-scheduled set deep in the woods that I missed. Because of the long walk, I only experienced the mysterious Triangle Stage on late Saturday night in time to catch the Jeff Sipe Trio, who played refreshingly intense jazz fusion, accompanied by a campfire and laser show, with fire spinners nearby. I had just missed Phil Lesh and son Grahame’s Terrapin Family Band, and also didn’t get back there in time to check out other bands that played, such as Indecision and Pegi Young (when her husband Neil was spotted, but did not play). The Triangle Stage seemed like a bit of an afterthought, but the cozy vibe and low turnout were more socially entertaining, once the evening chill was taken off by a belt and a seat by the fire. People who were already parked that far out got a special treat, since this late-night stage was within earshot of their tents.

The camping at Lockn’ was largely out in the open fields, but there were some rare shade spots and forest camping. RVs were wisely located up the hill, away from the main tent city, which was fairly clean and easily traveled on foot, because of well-designated camp plots. VIP camping was in a very good spot, right next to the main entry gates (and with the other perks was a sell-out this year). The entry holding pens and traffic flow clearly was not planned well, and along with last-minute entry point changes, a disorganized front box office, poor communication, and signage led to a great confusion which added many unwanted hours to fans’ best efforts to arrive early and see the music on time.

In spite of the patience and endurance required to wait in line for most of a day, we were treated to impeccable performances that were supported by the best lighting, sound, and environment, and the overall vibe after Warren was that “we made it this far, let’s have fun!!!” The entry fiasco was a distant memory by mid afternoon on Friday, and we were treated to the most rockin’ and socially fun Jam Festival of the Summer.

September 27, 2013
Phish Saves the Best for the Last Night at SPAC

After two days of Phish at SPAC, the energy that had built up between band and crowd was brought to a froth, thanks to Friday night’s Second Set (“Energy>Light->Mango>46 Days->Steam>Drowned>Slave”) and Saturday’s improv heavy “Split Open and Melt”, plus the magic of “Tweezer>Sand>Carini”. The froth spilled over Sunday with a start to finish highlight of the tour, as the band broke out the rockers in Set 1 and the Jam vehicles in Set 2, capping off a three night run in a way to rival last year’s tour closer at SPAC.

Fans filled the lots on either side of Route 50, brought Shakedown Street to life once again and mingled with friends under looming gray skies. Whether fans came in from Lee’s Campground, drove in from area hotels or walked across the Route 50 bridge, the excitement was electric and rain be damned, made their way into the venue. There is no weather condition that Phish fans can’t deal with in their journey to see Phish – rain, fog, snow, sleet, high winds, Sharknado, mud or Oswego 99-esque humidity – coping with a light rain was old hat for even the newest fan. Once inside, fans made their way to the lawn, and the lucky ones to the balcony and pavilion. Whether you were on the lawn or inside, you were getting wet – on the lawn from a consistent but light shower, or for those inside, from the sweat, smoke and humidity that had built up over three days.

With one of the most energetic openers in their repertoire, Phish kicked off the night shortly after 8pm with”AC/DC Bag”, followed by “Back on the Train”, both of which had Trey noodling to steady the rocker, pumping up the crowd in the process and getting the show off on the right foot. A well placed “Divided Sky” was given the standard treatment and then some, showcasing one of the band’s early compositions. “Free” developed from the end of “Divided Sky”, with “It’s Ice” and “Mound” following close behind. “Maze” was Page-heavy in the best way possible, tearing up the keys and organ to build the song up and up. “Limb by Limb” paired with “Walls of the Cave” to close the set, the latter building fans up during “Listen to the silent trees” and Trey leading the way with all three on par with the Bad Lieutenant. The first set in the books, fans took refuge under the trees or stayed in the pavilion and balcony to rest up for what was sure to be a hot set.

Second set opened with a typically spirited version of “Down With Disease”, drifting into Type II jams that led to even deeper exploration as the song built to the 14 minute mark. From there, the song seemed to dip into dark territory, a la “Sand”, but having played it the night before, we were treated to a fantastic segue from ‘Down With Disease” into “Ghost”. The first “Ghost” of the summer had some playful Frampton-esque sounds from Trey in between stanzas, then fell into a clavinet jam from Page, combining with Trey’s riffing and led towards a playful discourse between the two. “Piper” was shredded by the band from the start: they simply rocked out without reserve, carrying the tune for seven minutes before a final two minutes allowed experimentation take over and found time to give “Piper” a soft sendoff, drifting into “Wading in the Velvet Sea”. This is truly a ‘love it or hate it song’, but many at this point appreciated the placement for a slight break to prepare for the second half of the set that was yet to come. Sometimes, you need a breather at Phish shows and this one was of those times.

If one song keeps getting better and better in the 3.0 era of Phish, it’s “Run Like an Antelope”. The dancing frenzy created from each version is due in part to Trey’s focus on the progression of the song; he has great focus on this tune, more so than any other, shunning his musical ADD for a bit to keep the song moving towards a finish line of undetermined origin. Building out of the lyrics that were substituted at the end of “Antelope”, (“Run like a Meatstick out of control“) the natural next song selection was “The Meatstick”, leading to the Meatstick dance from fans who were still catching their breath from “DWD>Ghost>Piper” and “Antelope”. To cap off the set, fans were rewarded with a 20-minute “You Enjoy Myself”, that while good, had Trey’s guitar talking over a conversation between Mike, Page and Jon. It wasn’t a bad thing, but it lacked the flow of the post ‘Wash Uffizi’ jam that is a staple of YEMs. The vocal jam that arose for the final three minutes was humorous and captivating.

For an encore, “First Tube” felt like the natural choice, keeping the energy cranked up to 11 and preparing to get SPAC ready to liftoff. “Loving Cup” was a fine replacement and accepted without complaint, an entire crowd of 20,000 singing in unison “Oh, What a Beautiful Buzz!” Walking out, the night air was warm and light as fans made their way back to tents, beds, homes, cars and RVs, all in need of rest after three incredible days of Phish, and with all the potential of Summer Tour laying ahead of them.

Set 1: AC/DC Bag > Back on the Train > Divided Sky, Free > It’s Ice > Mound, Maze, Limb By Limb, Walls of the Cave

Set 2: Down with Disease 1 > Ghost 2 > Piper 3 > Wading in the Velvet Sea > Run Like an Antelope 4 > Meatstick 5 > You Enjoy Myself

Encore: Loving Cup

1 Unfinished.
2 Guy Forget quote from Fish.
3 DEG tease from Trey.
4 Lyrics changed to reference Meatstick.
5 Japanese lyrics.

July 12, 2013
Night 2 of Phish at SPAC – The Jams Keep Comin’

My 25th Phish Show. I’m no longer a noob per my lil’ brother Dr. Pauly. This was the first SPAC Phish run since 2009 that Pauly didn’t come east for. He’ll be picking up tour in Chicago and sometime between the end of Summer Tour and the anticipated fall run he will hit show 300. Needless to say, Pauly knows Phish.

Let’s get some stats out-of-the-way. Night two and show three of Summer Tour offered three repeats in ” Chalk Dust Torture” , “Backwards Down the Number Line” and “Possum”. We heard the first ever SPAC “Tweezer”, one debut in “Architect”. There were a total of 10 songs in the first set and 10 in the second set including the double encore.

I started the day by attending the poster show at the Saratoga Hilton. I met Dave Calarco, aka Mr. Miner, and poster artist John Warner. John is not a Phish-centric artist, doing work for the heavyweights of the jamband scene. I was most drawn to his work as he displayed his art form for many of the artists I love including Govt Mule, Furthur, Phish, Mountain Jam, Warren Haynes and many others. I bought a copy of Mr Miner’s Phish Thoughts and my second Ryan Kerrigan poster.

I gave Friday night’s show a solid B. I was hoping that three shows in, the cobwebs were off and we were in for a sizzling Saturday night. This was the first year I was out on the lawn with the masses. My prior six SPAC Phish shows were from inside the shed. I found a place on the inside of the far right ramp to the balcony at the top of the slope that had a pretty good line of sight and good sound.

Phish took the stage at 8:24 PM. “Crowd Control” kicked things off. Traditionally this song appeared in the second set, but since 3.0 it has moved into the spot of show opener. It’s a light airy tune, a la “Golden Age”. This was a first time live performance for me and I found myself singing it the last few days so it’s a keeper! “Chalk Dust Torture” gets everyone rocking no matter where it appears in the rotation with its defying cry of “Can’t I live while I’m young?!” “The Wedge” had a low tempo, almost reggae beat to it. Dr. Pauly texted me that this song always reminds him of Colorado. The first cover of the night was next with Mike Gordon on lead vocals for “Funky Bitch”. Cactus, looking hipster chic in his scarf, also bared a striking resemblance to chef Anthony Bourdain. “Heavy Things” and “Bug” continued what was appearing to be a fairly mellow first set. “Bug” is one of those songs I enjoy because it invokes philosophical questions like “Is there a God? , and “What is the meaning of life?” “Bouncin’ Round the Room” was the first Phish song I could name because of its frequent radio play, yet I have friends that bail for the bathroom during “Bouncin” but I enjoy it and up on the lawn, I thought that this would be a great song to Prancercise too.

“Tube” brought the funk back into the set. For generation, 3.0 “Tube” performances, it was a longish 6+ minutes. My favorite Tube is the 12/7/97 Dayton Ohio version with its awesome Tube Jam. Listen closely to the SPAC 7/6/13 version and from 5:28 to 5:51, you might hear teases of Booker T’s “Green Onions”. Trey pulled the rip chord on the “Tube” jam and launched into the rocker “Julius”. I heard a young Phish head tell his buddy that the name of the song was “Take Another Step” after the refrain. I chuckled because that was what I originally thought the name of the song was, because why would Tom Marshall and Trey title a song “Julius” when the word doesn’t even appear in the lyrics?

“Julius” could have easily ended the set but what happened next will be talked about for quite a while in Phish circles and deserves a replay. “Split Open and Melt” can be butchered. I heard a great version in Utica in 2010. In this version, Trey and Fishman really locked in and the jam became full of ambient and discordant sounds tempered by the ethereal keyboards of Page McConnell. I went down the rabbit hole to memories of some of Jerry Garcia’s best jamming. At one point I forgot what song was playing and what show I was at. About 15 minutes in, Fishman appeared to be playing bells or a glockenspiel with a very light touch. SOAM definitely is the Set 1 highlight, ending at 9:43 PM.

After a short intermission, “Backwards down the Number Line” opened Set II at 10:13 PM (the second repeat from the Bangor tour opener). Yeah, the Phish play it a lot but I will always like it as it reminds me of my 40+ year friendship with my best friend Kim. Dr. Pauly had texted me that his buddy Fink (who I looked for but didn’t cross paths with) had told him that “Tweezer” had never been played at SPAC and to expect one. Well, we got it as appeared as the second song of the second set and the “Tweezer”, “Sand” and “Carini” trio will be talked about and replayed all summer long. A glowstick war broke out on the lawn during “Tweezer”. This “Sand’ was smooth and sultry the way I like them and the “Carini” that followed I found dark and dirty and rocking. Some folks thought it wasn’t as evil as other Carini’s, but to each their own.

The boys gave us a break with the debut of “Architect” from Trey’s solo album Traveler. I haven’t had a chance to listen to this song again, but like many songs added from the band’s side projects this one will be a tweaked and mature the more it is played. A young phan and I talked about this being about the Matrix (my favorite movie) and free will and cause and effect as the Architect is a character in the second and third of the Matrix series and one of the lyrics in Trey’s song is “You may even see the cause in the machine.” A fairly standard but rocking “Wilson”, a sloppy but fun cover of “Boogie on Reggae Woman” (I think the lyrics were butchered, but all is good) and “Possum” (the third and final repeat of tour to date) closed out set II. Like many others and no matter how many times its played I still love “Possum”, although I can’t say the same for “Kill Devil Falls”, which they got out of the way as the opener on night one.

“Show of Life” was a throw away encore so I started heading to the car. With that veteran move, I lost my noob status. I listened to “Tweezer Reprise” as I headed out of the State Park and back home. Sometimes its good to be a local. I was home in twenty minutes and downloading the show. After Friday’s B performance I gave Saturday night an A-. The only reason it wasn’t a little higher was because of the canoodling on song selection during set I. I was happy but missing my Phishing buddies and was looking forward to Night 3 because as Fink and Dr. Pauly say, ” Never Miss A Sunday Show”.

Setlist

Set 1: Crowd Control > Chalk Dust Torture, The Wedge, Funky Bitch, Heavy Things, Bug, Bouncing Around the Room, Tube > Julius, Split Open and Melt

Set 2: Backwards Down the Number Line > Tweezer > Sand > Carini 1 -> Architect 2, Wilson > Boogie On Reggae Woman > Possum

Encore: Show of Life > Tweezer Reprise

1 Meatstick tease from Mike.
2 Phish debut.

July 11, 2013
Phinally! Phish Weekend at SPAC Begins on a High Note

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Setlist

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

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

Encore: Character Zero

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

July 10, 2013
More Than Just a Music Festival – A Passing of Tradition: An Inside Look at DelFest 2013

“When you want genuine music,” writes Mark Twain, “music that will come right home to you like a bad quarter, suffuse your system like strychnine whisky, go right through you like Brandreth’s pills, ramify your whole constitution like the measles, and break out on your hide like the pin-feather pimples on a picked goose – when you want all this…invoke the glory-beaming banjo!” Or, better yet, make your way to the mountain side of Maryland and invoke the glory-beaming gem of a music festival known as DelFest 2013. Not only will you find music that’s truly genuine, but a place that after only a few days’ time you’ll come to call home.

Twain’s writing came from a period in American history when a new culture was born out of carved gourds, animal hide and strings – when the concept of “old-time roots music” emerged in the 1800s, country twang, ancient rhythms and front porch blues weren’t the only things that broke ground with it – values were something that could be heard and a strong sense of community resonated from the plucking of five strings. From the minstrel shows of the 19^th century to the rise of Appalachian folk in the 1900s to the jam/grass/blues blend we hear today, roots music is alive because of the shared tradition that is the stored energy within it. No man better exemplifies this ideology than bluegrass legend, Del McCoury, for with DelFest he has created a space for all to come together under a single canopy that transcends both place and time.

Taking place over Memorial Day weekend, the festival had the opportunity to set the tone for the rest of the summer and its unique blend of music education, unbeatable live performance, picturesque surroundings, and overall value for family and community make the DelFest experience a tough one to beat. Nestled among the Allegany Mountains just outside of Cumberland, Maryland, the festival’s home is the Allegheny County Fairgrounds – perhaps one of the most ideal places to host a festival of this kind. From the flowing waters of the Potomac River, to the steel iron crossing of the railroad tracks, from well-maintained facilities (yes, folks – actual bathrooms) to the intimate venues that hosted the weekend late nights, from sustainably-minded food vendors to one of the best family camping areas one could dream, the infrastructure was in place to keep festival-goers happy, dancing, smiling and continually exchanging the weekends’ coined but surprisingly not over-used phrase, “Del Yeah”.

There are several things that set DelFest apart from other music festivals scheduled to happen throughout the summer, but one truly unique component to the DelFest experience lies with that of its pre-festival musical education opportunity, the DelFest Academy. From Jason Carter teaching fiddle, to Ronnie McCoury guiding students along the mastery of eight-coupled strings, students who attended the academy had the privilege of studying music with the very musicians set to take the stage throughout the course of the weekend. Other instructors included Don Rigsby (mandolin), Rob McCoury (banjo), Alan Bartram (bass), and Ronnie Bowman and Kenny Smith (guitar). In many ways, the DelFest Academy captures what we see on stage with members of The Del McCoury Band – the passing on of bluegrass tradition and technique, the sustainability of a type of music that calls us home.

On Thursday, students of the academy traded in their pre-fest wrist bands for the colored cloth that granted them access to one of the best-kept secrets of the festival season. With sets from the Rambling Rooks, the Jerry Douglas Band and Leftover Salmon, opening day of the festival set the pace for what would become the “Weekend of the sit- ins,” with members of The Del McCoury Band stealing the collaborative crown. Leftover Salmon’s set featured Jason Carter on fiddle throughout its entirety and Rob and Del McCoury inaugurated the stage as they collaborated with Salmon on “Midnight Blues” the featured McCoury/Salmon track on 1999’s acclaimed album, The Nashville Sessions.

By Friday, the record-breaking attendance of this year’s event continued to climb and the camping moved out from the central grounds and made its way to the other side of the railroad tracks. “I always love it when the train rolls by at Delfest,” remarked Jeff Austin during Yonder Mountain String Band’s Sunday night set, and there is no question as to why. While pitching a tent only feet away from the steel roll of the tracks may not seem ideal, one couldn’t think of a more appropriate addition to a bluegrass festival – the train rolling by was a constant fiddle and brought a certain inexplicable magic to the weekend.

“This band can change a group of strangers into a full-out hoe down at the drop of a hat,” remarked DelFest’s very own MC, entertainer and multi-instrumentalist Joe Craven (Mamajowali) when introducing Trampled by Turtles, whose Friday afternoon slot kicked the party into full-swing. The band displayed their impressive capacity in musical juxtaposition by opening their set with the soft ballad, “Widower’s Heart” and immediately shifting energy into a high-powered rendition of “Sorry” – both of which appear on the band’s latest album, Stars and Satellites. Bassist Tim Saxhaug took an impressive vocal lead on a tune that was seemingly inspired by summer – and while the song’s title remains unknown, it came as a nice radiance of warmth during a set when there was a strong chill in the air, comparable to, as lead vocalist Dave Simonett put it, “Minnesota weather.” Chilly, windy, over-cast or not, heads were bopping, and feet were moving – it was apparent that the boys of TBT felt right at home and the powerhouse acoustic five piece was all anyone needed to feel the heat.

When a festival has so many talented, highly acclaimed national acts on the weekend bill, it is only natural that the one leading frustration an attendee might have is the age-old dilemma of overlapping sets. While Trampled by Turtles was raging heavily on the main stage, whimsical sounds were emulating from the Potomac Stage as Elephant Revival enchanted the crowd with their heartfelt, infectious tunes birthed out of nature as the band’s premier muse. “I absolutely love this band, everything about them is beautiful,” was a statement that echoed from a captivated crowd and one truly could not think of a better description for this Colorado five piece. In celebration of the full moon that was to appear later that evening, the band made time to include a most glorious rendition of “Ring Around the Moon” featuring Bonnie Pane on the musical saw, but it was their performance of “Time” that received the strongest response, for it featured an incredible washboard solo – scrubbing clothes or wringing out rhythms, the washboard is an embodiment of strong, virtuous women – exhibited both by Pane and later on in the weekend by Breezy Peyton of The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band.

Del McCoury and Trey Anastasio took their respective bands to the stage as Friday’s full moon headliners; bringing the two together made for a truly unforgettable experience. Compared to the other acts on the bill, the presence of the Trey Anastasio Band is what made Delfest’s line-up truly unique. When hearing Trey, one wouldn’t necessarily think “old time,” or “bluegrass,” but the inspiration within the genre is something that is clearly heard. “I’m getting teary-eyed just thinking about it,” remarked Trey as he described the impact that Del McCoury’s album Blue Side of Town had on his music while traveling with Phish back in 1999.

When Del graced the stage, together he and Trey’s band performed “I’m Blue, I’m Lonesome” and “Beauty of My Dreams”. Later, Jason Carter and Ronnie McCoury joined in for the set’s encore, featuring “Heavy Things” and Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog” but the collaborations were not the only notable moments during the set. An unexpected cover of Gorillaz’ “Clint Eastwood” resulted in a crowd-pleasing uproar and the full moon breaking free from behind the clouds mid-set created a profound sense of unity for all. Friday night at DelFest. What magic!

The Travelin’ McCoury’s and Leftover Salmon hosted the late night Friday Pickin’ Party at the DelFest Music Hall – while the headlining performances of the night certainly raised the bar high, there’s something to be said about the boys of the Travelin’ McCoury’s when they loosen up a couple of buttons and trade in the blue jacket for a weathered flannel and a taste of the late night crowd.

While this year’s DelFest showcased some of the finest acts in bluegrass/newgrass/old-time/roots, call it what you will, it also lent an opportunity for up and coming bands to take their stab at a heightened sense of fame. Saturday morning brought the final round of the bluegrass band competition at the Potomac Stage. This year’s winners, The Unseen Strangers, will have the privilege of performing at DelFest 2014, yet one band that didn’t quite make the bill, Cricket Tell the Weather, are certainly noteworthy and one not to miss.

Perhaps one of the most impressive performances of the weekend came from the soulful sounds of 22-year old Texas singer-songwriter Sarah Jarosz. “I’ve found my wings and I’m ready to fly,” were the heartfelt words that emulated from her lips during “Left Home” and there couldn’t be more truth behind the lyrics. Coupled with her soulful voice, bouncing between the six-string banjo, octave mandolin, mandolin and guitar, this multi-instrumentalist withholds a sense of talent that makes her truly unforgettable. Her rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Ring Them Bells” can bring tears to a grown man’s eyes and she can cover songs in a way that truly make them her own. Following her set in the DelFest Music Hall was a small, “chill little performance,” as she put it, where audience members were able to ask questions and open up conversation with her in an intimate setting. Paul Simon’s “Kathy’s Song” was a memorable moment from the music hall performance, one of many more to come. Watch out for Sarah Jarsoz. While young, sweet and seemingly innocent, she truly is a force to be reckoned with.

Performances by Greensky Bluegrass, Keller Williams with More Than a Little, Red Baratt, as well as the 6^th Annual McCoury Family Jam took place throughout the rest of the day and trying to fit it all in, at times, seemed nearly impossible. “If you want to sit around your tent, camp in your backyard,” was a memorable quote from Reverend Peyton during Sunday night’s late-night set, and this couldn’t hold itself to be more true while experiencing DelFest. The festival is so rich with good, wholesome music, that camp was a place often abandoned until wee-hours of the morning, or after a disappointing rejection trying to catch one of the three sold-out late night shows.

Friday night was magic and Saturday night was on fire. While the barnburner was scheduled for the Sunday late-night, the sparks emerged prematurely and the result was something worthy of the history books. The Del McCoury Band’s Saturday night set featured, not only the original members of the band, but the Masters of Bluegrass themselves – JD Crowe on banjo, Bobby Hicks on fiddle, Bobby Osborn on mandolin and Jerry McCoury on bass. Together they showcased their mastery with tunes like “Love those Hills of Old Virginia” and “Wheel Hoss” a perfect precursor to their Sunday afternoon set.

Then came Old Crow Medicine Show with an unstoppable energy unlike any other. The band moved across the stage in a way that holds them true to their name, for they aren’t just a band, they truly are a show and one not to miss at that. They come together, split apart and move across the stage in a way that claims it as theirs to own. From fan favorite “Take Em Away” to “Methamphetamine” their set showcased a range of tunes, yet they all had one thing in common – they left the crowd dancing and thirsty for more. “If you’re going to play in Cumberland, Maryland, you have to have two fiddles in the band,” was a statement by front man Ketch Secor that opened the flood gates for a McCoury sit in and Del, Jason and Robbie joined in to add flavor to “CC Rider,” “Darlin’ Corey” and “Tear it Down”.

Entering the music hall for Saturday’s late night, the “less refined” Hackensaw Boys took the stage. The juxtaposition to the Old Crow set couldn’t have been more appropriately placed and the Virginia Hoe Down was now underway. Chance McCouy (OCMS) sat in on fiddle and banjo, the venue was packed and the night gave way to hootin’, hollerin’, stompin’ and rompin’. The Infamous Stringdusters kept the party going well into the early morning, opening with a high energy “Fork in the Road” making room for a crowd pleasing Grateful Dead cover “He’s Gone” and leaving room for guests Ronnie McCoury and Greensky Bluegrass’ Anders Beck to share the stage. It wasn’t until after the music hall cleared out however, that things got truly interesting. Post late-night jams in the coined “Moonshine Tent” with members of Greensky Bluegrass, Trampled by Turtles and Old Crow Medicine show lasted until the sun came up, and even then the party wasn’t over. The sun was up, but fires were still burning and bows were still gliding rapidly across weathered strings.

As if Saturday wasn’t satisfying enough, Yonder’s Ben Kaufmann described Sunday as “The best Sunday of my life,” and he wasn’t the only one who shared that sentiment. There was a slight chill in the air all weekend but Sunday’s weather proved to be nothing short of pristine. The day began with a gospel session that no Sunday morning at Delfest would be complete without. Following was a set by Larry Keel and the Natural Bridge, bringing Jeff Austin on stage for his debut 2013 DelFest appearance on a cover of “Ramble on Rose”. While the main stage offered up a variety of talent that day: Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, The Infamous Stringdusters, The Carolina Chocolate Drops, there was a draw to the smaller of the two stages and memorable performances from Aoife Donavon of Crooked Still, The Hackensaw Boys and Spirit Family Reunion made the Potomac Stage the Sunday hot spot. Check out Yonder Mountain String Band’s set from Delfest on Archive.org

Perhaps most noteworthy, however, was the big sound that came out of the New York-based six-piece, Spirit Family Reunion. There was a purity that poured from their sound and they are not just a band to “stomp, clap, shake and holler with,” but rather a band to come together around. There is something to be said in their name, for their performances cultivate family – they bring people together over a common theme woven throughout the originality of their sound. Fred Moyse of The Hackensaw Boys sat in on the band’s closing tune, “I’ll Find a Way” and what resulted was something of true beauty. Complete strangers came together, linked together, singing and swaying, repeating the chorus “Don’t worry about me, I’ll find a way,” and that was how Sunday at DelFest felt – care and worry free.

Following the Spirit Family Reunion set, a crowd gathered in the music hall for a performance by Keller Williams and the Travelin’ McCourys. Packed from one end to the other, the group played an impressive set, playing off of several covers, including yet another Dead tune, “Candyman” and a personal favorite, My Morning Jacket’s “I’m Amazed”. Among others, Donna Summer’s “Hot Stuff” “Hobo Song” and “Something Else” off of the group’s latest collaborative album, Pick, also made their way into this unforgettable set.

“We’re going to give you our all, we promise you that,” noted Jeff Austin during the opening of Yonder Mountain String Band’s headlining Sunday evening set, and he wasn’t lying. Yonder was perhaps the most appropriate pick for a Sunday night act, for they are Delfest veterans with enough gusto to breathe life back into a crowd that had been going strong on a bluegrass buzz since Thursday afternoon. Yonder’s set was everything you’d hope for out of the band: a mind-exploding version of “Sidewalk Stars” with enough distortion to balance out an otherwise unplugged weekend, “Holdin’”, “Sometimes I’ve Won” the happy, catchy little tune “Don’t Worry, Happy Birthday” and so many more. Claiming Del McCoury as one of the best champions of music any genre can have, Jeff Austin invited Del to the stage and he joined the band for “Prisoner’s Song” and “Hit Parade of Love”. Ronnie McCoury and Jason Carter quickly followed suit, closing out the set and the main stage with a hyped up “Traffic Jam” into an encore of the traditional bluegrass “Red Rocking Chair”. But the weekend wasn’t over.

Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band and Greensky Bluegrass were scheduled to burn the barn down in the music hall, but this wasn’t a show for just anyone; only the strong can survive when it comes to a Sunday late night and the performance was, according to Anders Beck, “a celebration of those still standing.” RPBDB and Greensky served as a great pair for closing out the festival, as both bands have a certain roughness about them, a bit tattered and slightly torn, the perfect metaphor for the crowd gathered in the venue come Sunday night.

Greensky Bluegrass is a unique group of talented musicians that take bluegrass music to a different level – there is an originality in their sound that is not seen in other acts in the circuit and it is only a matter of time before they begin to soar in their own green sky. Opening their late night set with “Jaywalking,” a track from their latest album, Handguns – the boys of Greensky Bluegrass certainly brought down the heat and the flame spread throughout as their performance advanced. What makes Greensky different is something that exists beyond words: they hit at the depths of the soul and extract the beauty that is pain within us all. Each band member has his own contribution to the Greensky sound, but Paul Hoffman and his mandolin stand at the forefront while Dave Bruzza extracts the darkness with his deep, almost haunting vocals and incredible capacity to express feeling with the hollowed sound of his acoustic guitar. They closed their set and in turn, the weekend, with a cover of Bob Marley’s “Could You be Loved,” rounding out the circle and centering in on the roots of the music celebrated at DelFest.

Sometime around 4 a.m., the music hall cleared out and the late night wanderers found their way back beneath a darkened sky. Approaching the tracks, the whistle of a train approaching off in the distance became more evident and shortly thereafter the bars at the crossing lowered. It was a cloudy evening with the moon completely out of sight, leaving the lights on the passing train to twinkle like the stars absent from the sky. Soon after, the bars rose and the train was out of sight but its whistle could still be heard. The 6^th annual DelFest may have been over, but the tradition it has created lives on – not just until next year, but always. And there is one person to truly thank for that – the legendary master of bluegrass himself, Mr. Del McCoury.

You can also read about our preview coverage by ‘s Kristen Mack-Perry – Family-friendly DelFest is Full of Tradition

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Than You to our Contributing Photographers – Mark Loveless and Susan Skidmore

June 4, 2013
Family-friendly DelFest is Full of Tradition

With the official start to summer vacation only a month away, DelFest veterans and newcomers alike are eagerly awaiting the Memorial Day Weekend and the 6th Annual DelFest in Cumberland, MD taking place May 23-26 2013. This festival has rightfully been tagged the family-friendly festival of the season by those who have attended in previous years because, DelFest doesn’t just offer family camping areas, they offer a complete family vacation experience where children are encouraged to join their music lovin parents for a weekend of arts & crafts, jambands and bluegrass.

From its inception DelFest has set out to be a festival of traditions, music tradition gathered with family traditions of camping and sing-alongs around the campfire, with Bluegrass being the traditional music of America, a festival that offers both is a magical wonderland in my book. Del McCoury has been an American bluegrass legend since his days with Bill Monroe but, he has also been embraced by the jamband scene, where he has shared the stage with Phish, Keller Williams, Yonder Mountain String Band and many more staples in the jam music scene. Bringing the two music scenes together at one festival has promised to produce one of the most popular festivals of the Summer of 2013.

Before the music even starts at DelFest, festival goers who are also musicians are encouraged to attend the DelFest Music Academy, where the teachers are The Travelin’ McCourys and The Rambling Rooks. It takes place between May 20-23rd, the three days preceding the music festival. The cost of the academy includes a 4-day festival pass and camping. For more information on the DelFest Academy please visit www.delfest.com.

Once it is time for the music to start no one there is gonna sit down till the car ride home on Monday and based on my past experience with the awesome humans who attend this festival, ain’t no one doin anything but dancin from dusk till dawn. This year’s lineup includes the festival’s namesake and headliner legendary Del McCoury, Trey Anastasio Band, Old Crow Medicine Show, Yonder Mountain String Band, Trampled By Turtles, Leftover Salmon, an All Star set dubbed the Masters of Bluegrass pairing Del with other luminaries Bobby Osborne, J.D. Crowe, Bobby Hicks, and Jerry McCoury. Also performing, The Travelin’ McCourys, Keller Williams with More Than A Little, Carolina Chocolate Drops Jerry Douglas Band, The Infamous Stringdusters, Greensky Bluegrass, Red Baraat, The Campbell Brothers, Sarah Jarosz Pikelny, Sutton, McCoury, Bulla & Bales, Davisson Brothers Band, Larry Keel and Natural Bridge, Elephant Revival, Danny Barnes, Aoife O’Donovan, Missy Raines and The New Hip, Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, The Rambling Rooks, Hackensaw Boys, Joe Craven, Mamajowali, Spirit Family Reunion and Blue Mafia. The daily schedule can be found on the festival website Here.

Late Nights at DelFest are also tradition in their own right. With an intimate indoor area at the DelFest Music Hall, these crazy nights are fueled by 2 bands whom also have main stage appearances during the weekend. Late Night performances begin after music has ended on the Grandstand Stage. Doors open at Midnight and specific set times are TBA. Admission is $20/show. Get your tickets in advance here or at the Late Night Box Office which is located at the merchandise tent between 11a.m-10p.m Fri-Sun or at the DelFest Music Hall between 11:30p.m-2:00a.m Fri-Sun.

2013 DelFest Late Night Schedule

Friday – Leftover Salmon and The Travelin’ McCourys

Saturday – The Infamous Stringdusters and the Hackensaw Boys

Sunday – Greensky Bluegrass and Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band

In addition to all this amazing music tradition, DelFest is family-friendly, other festivals include kids in some fashion these days and family camping sections have always been created but what DelFest does differently is they completely include children in every aspect of the festival. Yes there is a family camping section and it is actually quiet at night and brewing with energy in the early morning but that’s how us festie parents like it. Kids make-up a large portion of the students who attend the DelFest Music Academy, there are organized arts & crafts projects like tie-dying, an art bus from the local community is parked in the family camping area all weekend too!

I attended the festival for my first time last year and there were kids and families everywhere enjoying a swim in the Potomac River to relaxing in hammocks side-by-side. Even the late night shows have taken into consideration that children are there and sleeping and because late nights are held inside the little ones can sleep while the party people are hootin’ and hollerin. It’s also common to see many campfire jams into the wee hours of the night which lends to the feeling of tradition and family that fills the air at DelFest.

I’ve seen a lot of music and I’ve taken the kids and not taken the kids and this year I will be attending the festival with my 7 yr. old daughter with me because I missed her so much last year with all the other kids around. Well that and because she’s also a bluegrass and jamband fan like her Mama.

DelFest is just a month away and already tickets for 4-day passes have sold out at every price, the RV and VIP passes have been sold out for some time now. If you still need you ticket you can purchase them online Here or at the venue if they last that long. will be there and we hope to see fellow Upstaters there too.

Happy Festival Season!

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Thank You! to our contributing Freelance Photographers – Mark Loveless and Jeff Myers

April 29, 2013
DelFest Announces Late Night Schedule & Tickets!

DelFest announced their late night schedule recently, and if you know DelFest then you know these tickets are HOT items with limited quantities available. Do not get left outside the show during these moments in bluegrass history! These shows are a separate purchase and can ONLY be bought in addition to multi-day wristbands.

The pickin’ continues until the wee hours of the morning at DelFest and we’re excited to announce this year’s schedule. All artists performing in late night shows will also perform on the daytime stages. These are separately ticketed events, on-sale now.

These late performances will take place in the DelFest Music Hall and begin after music has ended on the Grandstand Stage. Doors open at Midnight and specific set times are TBA. Admission is $20/show. Get your tickets in advance here or at the Late Night Box Office which is located at the merchandise tent between 11a.m-10p.m Fri-Sun or at the DelFest Music Hall between 11:30p.m-2:00a.m Fri-Sun.

2013 DelFest Late Night Schedule

Friday – Leftover Salmon and The Travelin’ McCourys

Saturday – The Infamous Stringdusters and the Hackensaw Boys

Sunday – Greensky Bluegrass and Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band

April 8, 2013
Musical Review: Hands on a Hardbody

I had never before seen a Broadway musical prior to my trip to New York City’s Brooks Atkinson Theatre to see the new musical “Hands on a Hardbody.” The main draw was simple – Trey Anastasio wrote the music for the musical, which is based on a 1997 documentary about a contest in Texas to see who could keep their hands on a pickup truck the longest. Since this is Trey’s music, I knew what to expect, mainly because the transfer of talent from amphitheater (with Phish and TAB), to music halls (with Philharmonics across the country) showed his versatility and ability to branch out into other realms of the musical arts. With the combination of Trey, Amanda Green and a stellar cast, the experience was a top notch hit and I couldn’t recommend it any stronger to Phish fans to see.

Staged at the nearly 90 year old Brooks Atkinson Theatre in Manhattan, the intimate setting (~1000 seats) brought the stage close up to the audience, guaranteeing a good seat no matter where you were. From the start, the premise of the musical came out clear, particularly the rules, the 15 minutes breaks after 6 hours and the manually rotated truck all set the stage nicely, peppered with a strong Texas vibe best described by John Steinbeck in Travels with Charley. Trey’s influences in the songs are apparent, with the upbeat tempos, quick yet sharp transitions and, rubbing off on Amanda Green, some funny/Phishy lyrics. There is of course, “My Problem Right There,” one of the two songs Phish has performed live. This tune, sung by Jacob Ming-Trent (Ronald McCowan) has a serious soul injection while he raves about his problems of brains, women and sleep. A sexy “Burn That Bridge” is performed by Kathleen Elizabeth Monteleone (Heather Stovall) and Jim Newman (Mike Ferris), giving a twist to the story and burning up the stage in the process.

The Phish songs were played well, which, in my case, were an incentive to seeing the show – I knew a couple songs going in to this otherwise new musical; in a way it felt like my early days of going into Phish show and being excited to know a couple songs. Still, there were 17 songs in the musical that haven’t (yet?) been performed by Phish, including some reprises, but no ‘Tweeprises.’ “Joy of the Lord” gave out a gospel stomp courtesy of Keala Settle (Norma Valverde) that engaged the whole cast and elicited some of the largest applause of the night. The sweet and airy “I’m Gone,” a duet between Allison Case (Kelli Mangrum) and Jay Armstrong Johnson (Greg Wilhote) that captures Trey’s guitar tone (think a mix of “Sleep Again” and “Horn”), was a highlight for the emotional out pour of the song – the first point where I saw the true motivation for taking part in this contest – as well as the terrific pairing of Case and Johnson. Act One ended strong, with many hopeful contestants still in play.

The vibe of “Hands on a Hardbody” changed in Act Two: exhaustion sets in on the characters, the sleepless nights and the searing Texas sun during the day. This was compounded with spats of racial profiling, deception and even accusations, culminating with “It’s a Fix.” This was an emotion-packed Act 2, most notably “God Answered My Prayers,” one of the most heartfelt tunes of the show thanks to Hunter Foster’s role as Benny Perkins; through him the audience could most strongly make an emotional investment in a contestant, so drawn into his case for winning the truck. The finale, a rousing and uplifting “Keep Your Hands on It” sang the moral of the story with the full cast: If you want something, keep your hands on it. I walked out on a buzz from the entire performance, less because it was my first musical but more because of the strong musical numbers and incredible acting and choreography. I would highly recommend this for Phish fans to check out, perhaps on a day off on Summer Tour this July?

“Hands on a Hardbody” is written by Doug Wright with lyrics by Amanda Green and music by Trey Anastasio, directed by Neil Pepe and musical staging by Sergio Trujillo.

March 28, 2013