The rain fell while a cool wind chilled the air, but this didn’t stop the masses from coming out to Putnam Den to support live music. The line was out the door while fans got wet, but the excitement of seeing Max Creek surely made the rain only a slight inconvenience. Inside the fans dried off and the mingling between all the Creek Freaks began. There was talk of the StrangeCreek Campout, hope of what songs they would play, how many times they have seen them and when they started seeing ‘The Creek’. It was a real family atmosphere, one that has transcended time, and will continue for years to come.
Opening the evening were local favorites High Peaks Band, who on Thursday were playing as The High Peaks Trio. These guys have been playing Saratoga bars for a while and opening for many larger bands, so it is only a matter of time before these guys will be taking the main stage and having bigger name acts open for them. They mix it up every time they play and always have fun while doing so. Closing the set with the Phishy number “Within Reason,” got the Creek Freaks ready for a night of timeless entertainment.
The Creek barrage wouldn’t start quite yet, however, as Black Mountain Symphony from Albany, brought their unique sound to The Putnam Den. People who were pacing around waiting for the headliners were drawn to the stage as this bombardment of sound thrown at them. Led by the fast-paced violin playing of Annie Campo, the other sounds complemented not only the violin, but the other instruments, making the sound as one. It was truly amazing and left a positive feeling on stage as Creek was getting ready to take the stage.
For a band who has been around for over 40 years, one may think that a group may not be able to put on a show as they have in the past. Max Creek does not fall into that category. Having always been a band that mixed original with covers, they continued this pattern on Thursday night. Opening with the scratchy, distinguished vocals of Scott Murawski, singing the Creek standard “In Harmony”, a mayhem of movement started throughout the packed house and smiles for all. This was the Creek from old and the hundreds in attendance knew this. Bassist John Rider took lead vocals on “Gypsy Blue,” another original out of the Creek catalog, leaving long times fans of the band in great spirits! Marc Mercier, longtime keyboardist, on the Dylan classic “Tangled up in Blue” was a great treat for fans who were not familiar with many of the originals and helped them feel the groove and sing along.
The band continuously switched vocals during songs, mixing it up, showing there was no single leader of the group; this has helped their longevity and their continued growth. Murawski’s solos though were the pinpoint of most songs and were what the crowd was waiting for, as his slow build up to a tremendous peak simply blew minds as fans jumped up when he hit the note. As Mercier and Rider left the stage, Murawski stayed on and played cowbell with drummer Bill Carbone and percussionist Jamemurrell Stanley. Not long after did Murawski leave the stage and let the percussion section do their thing. These two really rocked it playing beats from all different genres of percussion. This was a special treat as these two are the newest members of the group, but now one would know the way they so smoothly added their vibe to Max Creek. With playing like this in front of a packed house and being happy to do so, Max Creek will be around for as long as they choose to be.
This summer, Max Creek will return to the area with Camp Creek at Indian Lookout Country Club, most recently the site of Camp Bisco. After a few year hiatus, Camp Creek comes home and will surely make waves throughout the music scene. Although no bands but the headliner has been announced yet, it is sure to be a great time. A limited number of pre-sale tickets are on sale for $80 dollars for the festival taking place from August 21-23. For more info click here.
In honor of the tenth anniversary of Mountain Jam, which takes place in the glorious Catskill Mountains right here in our Upstate backyard, the weather decided to fully cooperate for the entire weekend (with the exception of literally one minute of rain late Thursday night)! Set within the beautiful backdrop of Hunter Ski Mountain, which forms a natural amphitheater with its sheer geography, the spectacular and constant sounds of pure musical genius were constantly being bounced off the mountains right back at you. It was even possible to take in the music and views from above via the Sky Ride (a.k.a., the ski lifts)! With the two main stages set up right next to each other, it was possible to see a continuous flow of music without having to leave your spot, but when the need arose to stretch your legs or take a break inside the Ski Lodge (where there was access to indoor bathrooms throughout the days and evenings), it was definitely worth visiting Healey Brothers Hall located inside the lodge, where several workshops were offered throughout the weekend. In addition, one could check out the variety of other activities going on on the mountain, including taking a yoga and gong sound healing class in the Learning Center; playing a game of Frisbee Golf; participating in a drum circle; cleansing your karma at the Karma Wash; or taking a nap in the Hammock Grove.
With the festival gates opening at 2pm on Thursday, there seemed to be some initial confusion amongst the security guards about exactly what was going on, which resulted in a few of the early arrivals to miss a bit of the first band, but thankfully, once the music started, it motivated everyone (including the security guards) to keep things moving. Diesel America from New York City held the esteemed position of being the opening band for Mountain Jam X, quite an interesting choice, as they played some of the hardest rock ever heard at a Mountain Jam, but they certainly helped kick things into gear. Next up was K-Jamm, a catchy “hipster rock” band, sounding a bit like Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros with some Rusted Root mixed in, and heavy on the Hammond, giving the band a real classic sound. Following K-Jamm were The Dirty Gems, a Brooklyn-based band who has won or been finalists in numerous Battle of the Band competitions. Having incredibly high energy, powerful lead female vocalist Raycee, during the first song, took a break to high-five the rest of the band members, and encouraged everyone in the audience to do the same! Performing a great cover of Alanis Morissette’s “You Oughta Know” and then ending on a jazzy note, The Dirty Gems’ parting advice was, “Be safe but not too safe!” After such a wise tip, Copious Jones, from Atlanta, Georgia, was next to perform on the West Stage. They had the exceptional ability to combine various genres of music within each of their tunes. During any given tune, you could be hearing straight up rock, jazz, folk, reggae, and even salsa. The lead vocalist, “Sniffles” Callahan, sounded an awful lot like Gogol Bordello, which was an added bonus! At one point, they had everyone dancing so hard, even one of the cameramen on stage was getting down! The final band to play on the West Stage on Mountain Jam, Day 1, was Citizens Radio Band from New Jersey, who was a whole lot of fun, and the first bluegrass band of the festival! In fact, they got the crowd psyched with a rousing rendition of “Bluegrass Breakdown”, a real traditional number, and later on sang a beautiful version of “Silver Threads and Golden Needles”, which had a New Riders of the Purple Sage sound to it. At certain points during their set, a saxophone made an appearance, which added a distinctive tone to an otherwise predominantly bluegrass and country set.
For the bands playing later in the evening, the music was switched over to the larger East Stage, so at this point in the festival, there was a mass migration from one stage to the other. To inaugurate the East Stage at this year’s Mountain Jam was the legendary Dark Star Orchestra, a band famous for replicating entire Grateful Dead shows tune-for-tune, and as close to note-for-note as they can learn. Due to their two-hour time slot, they didn’t have time for an entire Dead show, so they played one of their original sets, which was equally as well thought out and executed as a Dead set would have been. Included in their set were several of the Dead’s more upbeat tunes, including “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodleloo”, “Midnight Moonlight”, ”Samson and Delilah”, and “Eyes of the World”. At several points during the set, it sounded like they were going to go into “China Cat Sunflower”, and I could have sworn they were going to start “Women Are Smarter” when they actually went into “Iko Iko”, but that just kept everyone on their toes, like the Grateful Dead used to do. The band closed out the set with a sentimental rendition of “The Weight”, dedicated to Levon Helm, who coincidentally celebrated his 70th birthday at Mountain Jam just a few years ago. Dark Star Orchestra successfully channeled Jerry Garcia to all of us on this first day of Mountain Jam, and you could tell the band was feeling the love from the audience, as Rob Eaton, rhythm guitarist and vocalist, called the crowd a “Laurel and Hardy bunch”!
And now, for the headliner of the night, Umphrey’s McGee! They came out on stage in the dark and started playing their first number “Le Blitz” before the lights came up, getting the audience pumped with a nice blend of acoustic piano and electric guitar. About halfway through their set, during “Space Funk Booty”, some guy came running down the hill at full speed, and mumbled something to me on his way back up about getting so into the music, he may have even blacked out at one point! The band took the opportunity to garner some Umph Love for their new album Similar Skin, which came out just after Mountain Jam weekend, by playing the title track. To close out their first set, one of the hosts of the festival, the one and only Warren Haynes, joined Umphrey’s on their last tune, “Thin Air”, the first of many guest appearances made by Warren throughout the festival. Umphrey’s McGee’s second set consisted of several really dance-y songs, including super fast and flawless two-finger tapping on the guitar during “Cemetery Walk II” by Jake Cinninger, who was so hot, bassist Ryan Stasik had to fan him down; a vocal jam surrounding the phrase “Smoke it if you’ve got it” with the lights turned out on stage; and ending with a funky Police cover, “Driven to Tears”. Umphrey’s parting advice for the crowd was to “Drink more water!”
Day 2 of Mountain provided a longer 15-hour day of harmonious bliss, perhaps the busiest band being Brooklyn-based Afrobeat aficionados Antibalas, who made three separate appearances throughout the day, starting with an early set to get everyone on their feet from the get go, moving on to the Healey Hall stage for a mid-afternoon Afrobeat workshop, and ending the day with the last set of the day, starting at 1:00AM once again on the inside stage. A force to be reckoned with, with 11 band members on the stage, you could truly feel the steady beats and brass pulsing through you during their musical sets, and, although it meant missing some of the music going on outside, it was definitely worth participating in the Afrobeat workshop, during which Antibalas drummer Miles Arntzen taught the lucky group of participants two basic African claves (or rhythms), the Dorian scale, and “learning how to unlearn”. Other bands that played throughout the day were NYC-based The Dough Rollers, who sounded a bit Tom Waits-y (and who also didn’t seem too thrilled or prepared to be there); Robert Randolph and The Family Band, who were sounding as soulful and funky as ever, and ending with a last pedal steel riff over which he sang “Let’s Go Rangers!” (as there was a game going on that evening, which was being shown at the bar inside the lodge); The Weeks, who were reminiscent of The Strokes; Trampled By Turtles from Minnesota, who played the fastest bluegrass I’ve ever seen; Reignwolf, playing some hard southern rock, with drummer Texas Jo playing with similar antics as Animal of Muppets fame; The Avett Brothers from North Carolina, whose true love of playing music really shined through in their heartfelt tunes, and who brought with them a dedicated fan base of all ages (in fact, the two little girls sitting with their parents in front of me seemed to know practically all they lyrics to their songs!); and Moon Taxi from Nashville, who provided the audience with some bouncier trippier music, and a truly fun and upbeat musical experience.
Bob Weir and Ratdog were the main act of Day 2 of Mountain Jam, and they very nonchalantly started off with “The Music Never Stopped”, which proved to be an apt title for the rest of the set, with “Easy Answers”, “West L.A. Fadeaway”, “Don’t Let Go”, “Me and My Uncle”, and “Deal” rounding out the first set. “Uncle” Warren joined Ratdog for the first of several songs of this spacier second set. During “Lady With a Fan”, on which Bobby’s lovely lilting voice truly shined through, drummer Jay Lane started a vocal jam going back and forth with the crowd, alluding to the fact that this would be a good opportunity for a “cell phone video”! Being a bass player myself, it was a true pleasure to get to experience such an upright bass virtuoso as Rob Wasserman, who really came through during the second set on “Terrapin” with some fancy bowing. After ending the set with “Sugar Magnolia”, Warren came back to join the band for their encore of Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode”, featuring some crazy fast piano playing taking place by Jeff Chimenti.
To close out the evening, while Antibalas was providing the organic Afrobeats inside, for those willing to brave the chilly air, it was well worth checking out Beats Antique, who were throwing down their sounds and samples on the East Stage. Feeling bad that they were playing opposite one of their favorite bands, Beats Antique started out with some Antibalas samples, and went on to fuse genres as varied as flamenco and Gypsy jazz, and even included some of Les Claypool’s distinguished bass beats. Performing with DJs David Satori and Tommy Cappel was Zoe Jakes, a belly dancer who provided an unusual yet pleasing visual element, which, in combination with the incredible lighting design, worked well to create the whole psychedelic scene that was taking place.
Feeling a bit low on energy on Day 3 of Mountain Jam, the incredibly talented and young (he’s only 20 years old, if you can believe it!) Connor Kennedy, from the nearby artistic and musical community of Woodstock, got my butt kicked into gear with his inspirational songwriting and guitar playing. (Later on in the day, Connor Kennedy, Eric Earley of Blitzen Trapper, and Valerie June offered a songwriting workshop inside on the Healey Hall stage.) Day 3 also included performances by Blitzen Trapper from Oregon, who provided the audience with some good old-fashioned southern rock, heavy on the slide guitar; Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds, fronted by Arleigh Kincheloe, whose unbelievably commanding voice is on the same level of impressiveness as Janis Joplin, backed by a funk-soul band of seven powerhouse musicians including a horn section; Jeff Tweedy, taking it down a notch with his mellow singing and guitar playing, performing a mix of some new materials he was trying out and some “sloppy versions of songs [he’s] played before”, and joined by his gifted son Spencer on the drums for a few tunes; guitar hero Jonathan Wilson (who’s not too shabby on the piano either), who continued the mellowness for a bit longer; Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley, who had “the counsel” made up of some of his friends and fellow band members fill up time with their own music until he himself showed up a half hour into the set, which he of course made up for by singing some of his father’s big hits including “War”, “Exodus”, and “Get Up Stand Up”; and Valerie June from Tennessee, a singer who has one of the most enchanting and otherworldly voices, who when you listened to her, you truly felt like you had been transported to the 1930s and were listening to the record player.
On this third day of Mountain Jam, there were in a sense two headliners, namely Tedeschi Trucks Band (TTB)and Gov’t Mule! TTB played us into the sunset with their amazing chemistry between husband and wife superstars Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi, as well as the nine other spectacular musicians who joined them on stage, including a horn section. Opening with a sweet flute solo on “Idle Wind” certainly didn’t hurt matters. Soulive and Lettuce founder Eric Krasno joined TTB onstage for “Misunderstood” and the Traffic cover “Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring”. Tedeschi proved to be a superstar with both her guitars and vocals, which are like honey for the soul, and Trucks could play forever and that wouldn’t be long enough.
Settling in for two superb sets of Gov’t Mule, the band that has come to be known as the house band of Mountain Jam, those who had attended Mountain Jam in the past knew they were in for a real treat with the mix of originals and covers that Mule typically plays at this festival. Their first set demonstrated the band’s musical prowess, with each and every instrument and voice sounding crisp and clean, while the second set saw more fun covers (including “Tell Me Something Good” by Rufus and Chaka Khan, “Creep” by Radiohead, and “Sugaree” by Jerry Garcia). Several musicians made guest appearances during the band’s sets, namely Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi, Jackie Greene, and Eric Krasno. Government Mule was clearly paying attention to what was going on throughout the rest of the festival, as they teased “Rocky Mountain Way” by Joe Walsh, which had been covered earlier in the day by Blitzen Trapper, and they also kept in line with the underlying theme of bands throughout the weekend covering Led Zeppelin tunes, with a rocking rendition of “Since I’ve Been Loving You”. To finish off their set, Mule encored with a Doors mini set, consisting of “People Are Strange”, “Five to One”, and “Break on Through”!
As if the crowd hadn’t gotten their fill of music and dancing for the day, the music just kept going, with Jackie Greene playing on the indoor stage, and Pretty Lights playing outside on the main stage. Although it was a tough decision, having seen Jackie Greene on several other occasions, including previous Mountain Jams (and when he made a guest appearance with Ratdog earlier in the evening), I opted for checking out Pretty Lights. Led by Derek Vincent Smith, this extremely talented “sample collage artist” was able to bend sound and light in every direction, leading the audience to get sucked into the pretty lights that were going on in front of them. It was impossible not to dance to his brilliant selection of tunes that were sampled, starting with “Fight for Your Right” by the Beastie Boys, later moving on to “Midnight Rider” by the Allman Brothers (a very fitting choice given the occasion), and seamlessly throwing together a mash-up of several Led Zeppelin songs. But perhaps even more impressive than simply the tracks that he mixed so perfectly, were the lights that seemed to be so in sync with the music, and so spectacularly complicated, that you couldn’t help but wonder how the artists put it all together. Lighting designer Greg Ellis and Production Manager/Audio Engineer Phil Salvaggio, both natives of Upstate NY, played equal parts in making the precisely choreographed Pretty Lights experience what it was. At one, point, Ellis somehow managed to create colored wedges of light outlined by thin white laser lights; imagine how much work must go in to that! Pretty Lights was truly a mind-blowing experience.
Waking up on Day 4 of Mountain Jam is always a bittersweet experience: you know you have one more day full of all the music you can dream of, but you also have in the back of your mind that this inconceivably fun time you’ve had over the past four days is going to come to an end. But in the meantime, Anders Osborne from New Orleans brought us some of his soulful singing and guitar playing and his inspiring lyrics, and even brought out special guest Marco Benevento, who was accompanied on stage by two little girls who I can only assume to be his daughters. The Treetop Flyers from London brought the audience some beautiful three-part harmonies and good time rock-and-roll, leading up to the Chris Robinson Brotherhood, who sounded nice and gospel-y (Chris Robinson is another one of those singers whose voice makes my heart), but the keyboards seemed to be overly synthesized. A very pleasant surprise for the middle of Day 4 was The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger (GOASTT), headed by none other than Sean Lennon and Charlotte Kemp Muhl. Listening to their music had a way of putting you into a dream state, being so psychedelic in nature, featuring some really radical percussions that looked like they consisted of two pots taped together, a maraca, and a tambourine just sitting on top of a folding table! Lennon definitely inherited his parents’ talent genes, as he demonstrated through his creative songwriting, vocals, and guitar skills. GOASTT had a definite Sergeant Pepper’s look about them as far as their outfits were concerned, and even the sound had an underlying Beatles feel to it.
Still in a dream-like state of mind, after being wished a “Happy 4:20, because it’s always 4:20 on the Mountain!” by an announcer, Patrick Carlin, George Carlin’s brother, came out to introduce probably one of the most positive bands out there, Michael Franti and Spearhead! Successfully combining dance beats, electronic effects, and infectious and encouraging lyrics, this band is certainly a force to be reckoned with, leaving not one single face in the crowd without a smile. Franti has such amazing chemistry with the crowd; no matter whether you are seeing him in an intimate club or at an immense festival such as this one, he still interacts with the audience, and today gave shout-outs to the person smoking a joint in the green shirt, and the guy dancing around with a fly swatter, among others. For me, throughout the whole set, I was pleasantly distracted by the fact that I knew he was going to be coming out into the crowd and standing on a block set out for him literally right next to where I was standing! And sure enough, during “11:59”, Franti made his way over to the block, and put out his hand for a gentleman in his 50s to join him, referring to him as his “brother from another mother”, and inviting him to sing along during his brief cover of the Lumineers “Ho Hey”! I had never actually seen a positive aura surrounding anyone before, but I can now say that I’ve seen one around Michael Franti. (And the gentleman who he had on the block with him was basking in the glory of that experience, glowing for the rest of the evening.)
Although the anticipation was building for the Allman Brothers Band, who were up next on the East Stage, there was still one more band on the West Stage, and that was Lucius from Brooklyn. Getting shafted out of 15 minutes of their time slot due to Michael Franti running over during his set, Lucius graciously started right in with their super fun style of indie pop rock, and sucked the audience right in with their catchy rhythms and tight harmonies. The whole act was a very symmetrical experience, with one side of the stage practically being a mirror image of the other, down to the outfits worn by and hairstyles of all five of the band members!
And now, last but most certainly not least, the much anticipated and highly esteemed Allman Brothers Band (ABB), who wrote the song after which the Mountain Jam festival was named, came out on stage for what would be one of their last performances ever, as the group has decided to hold their final show at the fitting Beacon Theater this October after touring for 45 years. To commemorate this auspicious occasion, ABB treated us fans to a performance of their entire first two albums, Idlewild South and The Allman Brothers Band. Even though the band was sticking to a strict set list, that certainly didn’t prevent the jamming from happening. A particularly special moment during the first set came during the “Drums” they segued into from “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed”, during which you could practically hear a melody coming through, even though solely percussions were being played; ABB has always had the unique ability to accomplish this task, perhaps because they have three percussionists up there who have been doing this together for decades. Today was an extra special day for Derek Trucks, as he celebrated his 35th birthday playing with ABB at Mountain Jam! This fact just reinforced his outstanding musical capabilities, as the crowd was reminded of the fact that Trucks hadn’t even been born yet when ABB recorded either of the albums performed tonight! But he has certainly mastered all their music and then some, adding his own unique twists. It was most definitely an honor to get to see The Allman Brothers Band perform for what might be my last time seeing them.
With all the tremendously diverse musical acts that performed at this year’s Mountain Jam, including several world-renowned artists, it is no surprise that the festival was feeling the growing pains of becoming an expanding festival, with a more corporate backing this time around, as made evident by Awareness Village being replaced by a Budweiser beer tent and Blu electronic cigarettes booth. But despite that, the overall positive energy that always seems to linger over Hunter Mountain during the Mountain Jam festival each year was still there. Between the awesome musical collaborations that took place throughout the weekend, with Bob Weir joining the Avett Brothers (and even doing some yodeling with them!), Jonathan Wilson joining Bob Weir and Ratdog, Derek Trucks and Jackie Greene joining Government Mule, and, of course, Warren Haynes making appearances with several bands throughout the four days; the lucky audience member who got to propose marriage to his girlfriend on stage during Michael Franti and Spearhead’s “Say Hey (I Love You)”; Jeff Tweedy telling the audience that he wouldn’t mind if someone got him a baked potato, since the baked potato vendor was in his line of sight throughout his entire set (and then when someone actually got him one, he sheepishly complained about it having sour cream on it, as he is lactose intolerant!); and someone in the audience handing me a balloon during Moon Taxi’s set, and actually being able to feel the vibrations of the music come through the balloon halfway up the mountain! That just goes to show you how truly powerful the music and vibe at the Mountain Jam festival can be. Whether you have not been to one yet, or you are a veteran, Mountain Jam is not to be missed for those who appreciate virtually any type of music, as with the wide array of bands the festival features, your genre of choice is sure to be covered by at least a couple of the bands there, and you will be introduced to many more that you will be asking yourself why you had never seen before.
Goo Goo Dolls were joined by Daughtry and Plain White T’s at SPAC this weekend. The Plain White T’s came out to a very unassuming stage, a few blue and pink lights, no flashy LEDs or props. The were there to make music and delight the ears with their essentially acoustic set. The Chicago-based band got to Saratoga early and Tom Higgenson (vocalist) decided to walk around the wonderful SPAC grounds. He took some video and photos of the springs and geyser. He asked the crowd if the geyser was real, and while it isn’t, the crowd led him to believe it is – so that’s the story he’s going to tell. SPAC’s legacy continues to live on and another musicians top place to play. On stage, it was just the five guys playing, singing beautiful tunes to the incoming crowd. Gates opened only 45 minutes before the set, so most people were stuck outside. It is sad that people decide for whatever reason to miss the openers, or for venues to open gates up too late. Whether it is SPAC or a local venue, your favorite band started as an opener for someone. How cool would it be to be the one that discovered them that far back and you build that loyalty from the start. Those fan relationships are truly special and unique. The Plain White T’s did appreciate those that got inside early to hear them. They dedicated their hit “Delilah” to the audience and changed the last verse to “Hey Saratoga, here’s to you.” After that a nice singalong of the chorus, followed by their other hit “Rhythm of Love.”
Daughtry took the stage and the screams of the 30-something girls filled the air. A battle of Chris’s powerful vocals and the squeals of fan girls reveling in his American Idol glory. The sound was dead on and the energy wasn’t lacking at all. Even a bad joke, Chris pointing out that he was wearing a plain white t and said he supporting the band that just opened the show. Not too many laughs, so he followed up with a much funnier quip “Well, that went over like a fart in church.” Outside on the lawn, the $10 upgrades that LiveNation occasionally offers helped fill the lower seats of the amphitheater and the lawn, as usual, was packed, even for a Sunday night. Daughtry played his favorite tune “Wild Hearts”, off the new album and the band’s fourth, Baptized, which had a distinctive modern-country flare. There is a fine line and compromise playing the bands favorites intermixed with fans’ favorites from the past eight years. When the blasting drums of “Battleships”, the latest single, blew out from the stage, the imagery of a Battleships wasn’t hard to comprehend. The added touch of the mandolin countering the heavy drum was well composed. The set had few more songs, including “Home” dedicated to those who’ve served and who are serving. Daughtry knowing his audience, Volvo driving soccer moms, the set was comprised of mostly ballads and very little rock. Overall it was a fine performance, but you can’t help to hope that Chris Daughtry finds his inner rock star once again and blows the roof of things.
Upstate’s own Goo Goo Dolls absolutely rocked the stage with tunes spread over their past 20 years of success. A perennial favorite at SPAC, this was one of their strongest performances in years. Hits like “Iris”, “Slide”, and “Name” intermixed with some new songs and others sung by Robby Takac (bass). Robby’s tunes tend to be a little edgier and reminiscent of early days of pop-punk. The Goo Goo Dolls are now from California, but these Buffalo-bred rockers joked about New York still smoking pot at concerts. Commenting that in California people eat it, bake it, put it in pills, and shove it wherever they can, they don’t really smoke it nowadays because it’s so strong that you’d be high for five days. During “Come to Me”, a song John Rzeznik wrote for his wife was a good opportunity for a man in the front row to propose to his future bride (she said “yes”). This led to a humorous exchange with another woman up front, Kara, who was looking for love herself, Rzeznik described her as a voodoo hippie, the conversation continued sporadically throughout the rest of the evening. The proposal was followed by “Black Balloon” with the typical black balloons being tossed into the air. They were batted frantically toward the stage, where Rzeznik hit, or tried to at least, them away. When he missed one, it actually interrupted his singing so he could laugh at himself. The band played a new song “Caught I the Storm” that is worth giving a listen to if you remember the glory days of the band. It really is one of the best songs I’ve heard from the band in years and deserves a listen. “Name” will be turning 20 next year and is further proof of the legacy the band had established for itself. From there the set finished itself out ending with fan favorite “Iris” and then a two song encore of “Sympathy” and “Let Love In.”
Setlist: Lazy Eye, Dizzy, Slide, Big Machine, Rebel Beat, When the World Breaks Your Heart, Already There, Bringing on the Light, Come to Me, Black Balloon, Stay With You, Here Is Gone, Caught in the Storm, Feel the Silence, Name, January Friend, Another Second Time Around, Better Days, Slow It Down, Broadway, Iris
Over 40,000 music lovers from all over the country converged on Randall’s Island in NYC on each of the three days of Governors Ball over June 6-8, 2014. A perfect weekend of sun and clear skies catered to 68 bands across four stages of non-stop music running from shortly after noon until 11pm . This year marked the fourth for Governors Ball but only the second year as a three day festival and the first as a three day rain-free festival following last year’s washout.
The midday kickoff on Friday saw a slow arrival of festival goers at first but many seemed to have convinced their bosses at work to let them out early as the crowd picked up toward the middle of the afternoon. Excitement pulsed through the flow of people making the twenty minute parade from the 4/5/6 subway station with the sight of the main stage peeking up through the trees adjacent to Icahn Stadium. The mood of the weekend had been set.
Just about everything at the festival was about New York City. An impressive display of artwork by NY artists or with NYC themes was on hand throughout the grounds giving many photo ops (and yes, #govballnyc was a trending topic on Twitter and Instagram throughout the weekend with all of those photos). Foodies had a real treat with numerous local food and beverage vendors on hand showing off their grub. For the most part it was pretty easy to find a short food line at the right time, but a few popular joints maintained lines stretching across the lawn.
A rather noticeable facet about the weekend was the staff – festival attendants, security, medical and everyone else involved in making Governors Ball run smoothly. The staff were knowledgeable and beyond friendly. Security and attendants got into the fun of things giving out random high-fives as people came and went and guards sometimes got into the mood of the music by encouraging fans to clap along with whatever act was on the stage behind them (not to mention a great job done of keeping everyone safe).
Now the critical element – the music. As we just mentioned Governors Ball was all about NYC. This carried on often in the weekend’s lineup with a number of bands based out of the five boroughs ranging from just recently signed bands like Drowners and SKATERS to the well established headliners like Interpol and Vampire Weekend, just to name a few on each end of the spectrum. Of note for the festival was the variety, with something for almost everyone. While there were no heavy metal or jam band acts there was an array of rock, indie pop, punk, EDM and hip hop. An excellent and unique opportunity was created by Governors Ball for people to tune their ears to something new or something they may have assumed they would dislike until seeing live. Metalheads were able to wet their whistle briefly with a lot of Metallica and hair metal played over the PA during set changes at the Gotham Tent.
Here’s a breakdown of some of the musical highlights for each day as seen by :
Friday – Day 1
The festival kicked off with some hometown acts: Brooklyn-based Haerts opening the main stage followed by NYC natives Drowners taking to the Big Apple Stage on the opposite end of the grounds. Drowners drew a younger crowd (granted, it was only 1 p.m. while many festival goers may have been leaving work). Frontman Matt Hitt resonated vibes of a 60’s pop performance in a 21st century light, creating along with the band an indie pop sound that was done just right. Jason Isbell (Drive-By Truckers alumnus) gave the first country sounds of the weekend on the main stage in a singer-songwriter fashion backed by a full band. Lo-fi indie rocker Kurt Vile of Kurt Vile and the Violators could be seen often hunched over his guitar attentively focused on the notes as he played to an intently listening crowd at the Big Apple Stage.
The standout act of Friday afternoon was Janelle Monáe, and perhaps a standout for the whole weekend. Her band was clad all in white playing against a black and white candy swirl backdrop and the waves of energy bouncing between the stage and crowd was almost instant with people grooving along with the very animated and enthusiastic Monáe. Aesthetically a retro throwback and musically a rebirth of new wave soul and R&B (along the lines of Prince), her songs seemed to connect to all ages within earshot of the main stage. Be sure to check out Janelle’s footwork on stage next time you see her perform.
A surprise performance by the High and Mighty Brass Band from NOLA/NYC caught the attention of people making their way to the main stage for Phoenix. With Nadav Nirenberg on trombone (also of Streetlight Manifesto) they turned the main food vendor area into a Bourbon Street festival on Randall’s for fifteen minutes or so. Other notable acts on the first day included Julian Casablancas+The Voids (who are releasing a debut album this year), Neko Case, and from across the pond Bastille and Phoenix. Phoenix, by the way, is no stranger to big festivals and they proved that to Governors Ball. Playing to one of the largest crowds of the day so far, the band looked thrilled and even ecstatic to be on stage and off, when singer Thomas Mars got close and personal to the audience, crowd surfing with mic in hand near the end of the set.
Closing out the first day was a highly anticipated set by Outkast, who are storming the festival circuit with their first shows in 10 years. Their set brought a majority of the crowd over to the main stage as they played a perfect set mixing hits and deep cuts that had the crowd eating out of their hands the whole time. Opposite them was Damon Albarn, who played songs from his new solo album, Gorillaz, Blur, and The Good, The Bad, & The Queen. Although the crowd in front of his stage may have been much smaller, Damon played as if he were on the main stage, giving every moment of his set all the energy he could and added extra flavor to the set bringing on guest backing performers.
Saturday – Day 2
The first act of Saturday that caught a lot of attention was Diarrhea Planet. Based on their name alone you may not want to take them seriously but you surely would after seeing their set. Every person walked away from their set with a smile and grin on their face. Delivering a sometimes heavier punk sound somewhat akin to The Gaslight Anthem, there was no shortage of energy from the crowd surfing to the circle pits to the guitar players climbing the stage scaffolding and even one of them crowd surfing himself with guitar in hand. Not to mention that they teased the crowd with a reprise of Outkast’s “Hey Ya!” to close out their set. Immediately following those guys at the opposite Honda Stage was RJD2. Those seeing his DJ set for the first time noticed right away that he made his live mixes using real vinyl records, a real attention grabber for first-timers. Brooklyn’s own Lucius supported their 2013 debut album Wildewoman with a charming indie pop performance on the main stage at the peak of the afternoon followed by Broken Bells who were also supporting their 2013 release After the Disco.
Despite the blazing sun, Los Angeles neo-soul/funk band Fitz and the Tantrums put on a very energetic set to an almost main stage sized gathering, establishing themselves as one of the afternoon anchors of the festival. The audience interaction, their cover of The Eurythmics “Sweet Dreams,” and James King’s bari sax licks (with a tease of Jason Derulo’s “Talk Dirty” on “Moneygrabber”) ripping through the air like laser beams were just a few of the things setting this act apart from the others. Some other strong performances before the headliners came from The Naked and Famous, The Glitch Mob, Spoon (who debuted some new songs including “Rainy Taxi”) and Brooklyn-based Sleigh Bells, who rocked the Gotham Tent with a loud noise rock set. Julian Casablancas returned for a second night in a row, this time joining his main band and NYC natives The Strokes playing to an eager crowd chanting “we want The Strokes!” before the set kicked off a few minutes on the late side. Fans really got into their set, even lifting a few crowdsurfers into the air. Closing out the Honda Stage opposite Jack White was a set by Skrillex, supporting his recent March 2014 release of Recess.
Finally, there was Jack White. There is a lot to be said about his set which happened to be three days before his second solo album Lazaretto was released. White, a connoisseur for guitar riffs and refined attention to the smaller details of his performance, commanded and conquered the main stage to take as his own territory. Set to the backdrop of a red waxing Gibbous moon, White’s set included a range of material from his time with The White Stripes and as a solo act. While we didn’t see any surprise appearances on stage, White did perform “The Rose with the Broken Neck,” a track written in collaboration with Danger Mouse (bassist of Broken Bells who did a set earlier in the day). Though billed as Jack White, each band member was just about as prominent in the performance as White himself. Chanting the riff of “Seven Nation Army” during the encore break, the crowd got what they asked for. White’s performance on “Seven Nation Army” was nothing short of spectacular. It seemed as though fans didn’t get enough of it when “Seven Nation Army” turned into the chant of choice as the queue of people leaving the grounds over the RFK Bridge was building up after the festival closed.
Sunday – Day 3
Not quite ready for the sunburn rehab clinic, people made a point to catch as much of the final day as possible, arriving in numbers shortly after the gates opened. The Gotham Tent was pleasantly warmed up with a short set by southern roots rock singer/songwriter Ben Cameron, originally from Connecticut but bringing his songs from his current musical home of Nashville. Another reward of arriving early was a set from Cayucas immediately following Ben Cameron with their indie surf rock themes from California. Early afternoon sets from two NYC bands BLEACHERS and SKATERS coincided, leading to a fairly even distribution of people between each set. SKATERS brought back the sounds of post punk and old school garage rock, even paying tribute to one of their influences by covering the Ramones later in their set. Those at BLEACHERS’ set were treated to a cover of Tom Petty’s “Don’t Come Around Here No More.”
When it came time to relax in the afternoon heat, Chicago-based Wild Belle dished out some slower rock grooves with pleasant reggae beats easy to either dance along to or enjoy sitting on the lawn. On the hip hop/EDM side of the record both rapper Tyler, the Creator and English duo AlunaGeorge packed their respective stages with dance heavy crowds. Tyler, the Creator filled his set with silly rapping received by a rather raucous audience.
Prior to the headliners, the dinner hour was entertained by The Head and the Heart and British rockers The Kills. The Head and the Heart are familiar with festivals, remarking “It’s nice to be at a festival on the east coast for once,” and thanked the audience for their attendance at a music festival for music lovers. While something can be said about the chemistry on stage for most of the performers at Governors Ball, there was no short display of it by The Head and the Heart. Another festival master, Foster the People played to a growing audience, perhaps getting themselves in place for Vampire Weekend. There wasn’t too much in the way of special live elements to the show, such as an EDM interlude in “Pumped Up Kicks” but they did add a few extended intros/outros and brought a friend, Spencer Ludwig from Capital Cities, to play trumpet on two songs including “Houdini.” Frontman Mark Foster played to the NY crowd with anecdotes about the naming of nearby Icahn Stadium in the downtime banter between songs.
By now you have probably noticed the focus on NYC based acts, and this was topped off with a weekend headlining set by Columbia University bred Vampire Weekend. With anticipation building for VW’s set, fans were craning their necks to scope out the baroque style setting of the stage and once the set began attempted to push themselves a little closer to the stage. Their upbeat, fast paced singles “Cousins” and “Holiday,” among others, were met with raised arms jumping around throughout the crowd. Their set was closed with an old favorite, “Walcott,” performed a little faster than the studio version. Vampire Weekend was confident and energetic on stage, though they seemed just as comfortable at Governors Ball as at a smaller NYC venue like Terminal 5. Either way, they were a perfect choice to headline and close the festival main stage. On the way out from Vampire Weekend’s set, people caught the sounds of the final few minutes of Swedish EDM duo Axwell Λ Ingrosso’s set, complete with fireworks.
With four stages and 68 bands, it would be very difficult to see every act long enough to appreciate their sets. However, here is our pick of ten of the best performances from Governors Ball 2014, in no particular order:
Jack White
Phoenix
Daman Albarn
Janelle Monáe
Vampire Weekend
Diarrhea Planet
Fitz and the Tantrums
Drowners
The Strokes
Interpol
Governors Ball did a decent job of planning the stages such that there wouldn’t be much coin tossing on who to see. For example, there were some clear favorites like Outkast over Daman Albarn on the first night. However, more even splits in attendance between the stages could be seen at times, most likely due to tough decisions. Jack White and Skrillex played sets at the same and debates could be heard between friends on which set to attend.
Governors Ball has evolved into a powerhouse amongst the big festivals, spotlighting both major and up-and-coming local NYC talent mixed with acts from around the country. The biggest take away from this year’s Governors Ball is that it was truly designed as a festival experience for the music lovers and connoisseurs. It’s not all about going for the sake of the scene; it’s about experiencing the music. Governors Ball, you’ve shown us how it’s done.
Catch ’s backstage interviews with Drowners, Ben Cameron, and SKATERS coming soon to .com.
It’s not every day that a member of one of the most influential music groups in history visits Upstate New York. The Capital District got a dose of Beatlemania on Tuesday the 10th when Beatles drummer, Ringo Starr and his Allstar Band came to town. The historic Palace Theater was flooded with fans in various Beatles and Ringo apparel of all ages, eager to experience the 73 year old living legend.
The stage was a-glitter and as the lights dimmed, the crowd screamed just like they would have back in the ’60s when Ringo Starr came running onto the stage. The night opened up with two easy going songs “Don’t Come Easy” and “Wings” with Ringo singing front and center, donning his classic sunglasses and waving peace signs to the audience.
After the first few songs, Ringo took his spot on the elevated ruby drum set and his Allstar Band took the reins. Organist Gregg Rolie, one of the founding members for Santana, paid tribute to those classic soul charging songs like “Evil Ways”, “Oye Como Va” and “Black Magic Woman”, with his familiar, dark and striking Hammond key chords. Todd Rundgren, original guitarist for Utopia and singer songwriter couldn’t be slowed down as he ran about the stage with blazing riffs and a became a true maniac on the drum pads for “Bang The Drum All Day”. Bassist Richard Page, had deep vocals just as thunderous as his bass notes for Mr. Mister’s “Broken Wings” and a new song “You are Mine” which was a country twang change up with beautiful harmonies. Guitarist Steve Lukather, is best known for his work with Toto and treated the audience to “Africa” and “Roseanna” with a strong saxophone solo from Warren Ham. Gregg Bissonette rocked out next to Ringo on drums, providing a more intense rhythm for the show.
Throughout the night, Ringo would step in with a few personal songs of his, adding quiet jokes that got big laughs. The band performed the first song Ringo ever wrote “Don’t Pass Me By”, a charming, upbeat song that back in the day, gave Ringo the confidence to shine as he said, “Wow, this is good. I thought watch out Mr. McCartney… I was young when I thought that.” The crowd chanted Ringo’s name and almost lost it when they struck up “Yellow Submarine” for an overwhelming sing-along as Ringo credited Albany for being the best singers. “Boys”, a personal favorite of Ringo’s, had lyrics belted out with a crisp and youthful sound. The night ended with “With a Little Help from My Friends”, as fans danced and hugged one another, it was clear that Ringo had succeeded in spreading peace and love throughout the theater. Despite their age, Ringo Starr and the Allstar Band showed no signs of slowing down with their impressive jams and stage presence. The two-hour show was a blast from the past, proving that the “Summer of Love” never ended, not as long as there is music, peace and love to fill the air.
As the Celtic Women Emerald Tour crossed the nation, bringing to their fans a production chock-full of Celtic music and dance, those in attendance at The Landmark Theatre on June 8, 2014 in Syracuse, NY were honored to be chosen as the audience to close their eighty-eight show run.
Celtic Women, a production created in 2004 by Sharon Browne and David Downes, a former musical director of the Irish stage show Riverdance, features a cast of the most talented vocalists, musicians, and dancers who bring to audiences a celebration of Celtic culture through angelic voices, sounds of traditional celtic instruments, and dances from their beloved home of Ireland. With a mix of both traditional tunes such as “Danny Boy” and modern numbers such as “Sail Away” and “You Lift Me Up”, these ladies mesmerize you with their harmonic voices, while being accompanied by the some the most talented musicians on tour. Recently described by a fan as the “violin vixen”, Mairead Nesbitt commands the stage from the moment she steps foot on it. As you watch her perform, it’s as if she entrances you with her amazing fiddle playing; she leads you around the stage as though she is the Pied Piper of the fiddle, never to be able to take your eyes off her. Her energy and ease of playing while constantly moving astounds me each and every time I see the show. The Emerald Tour featured four highly acclaimed vocalists: Susan McFadden, Mairead Carlin, Lynn Hilary, and Lisa Lambe (who I must add was dearly missed at the Syracuse show by all her fans). Each of these women have mile-long resume’s under their belts for stage, screen, and recording. Each a star in their own right, however together, their voices, for a loss of a words, are angelic. The harmony, the rich mellow tones, the ease in which they sing, can only be what angels sound like.
This production is A+ when it comes to the lighting, the sound, the musical scores, the background musicians, the choreography, and the dancers. Too numerous to mention here, but each cast member deserves a standing ovation in their own right as they perform solely and together as a unit. They seamlessly fit together and it is apparent how much they respect and love working together. Always a crowd favorite is our friend, Anthony Byrne’s bagpipe solo of Amazing Grace, a number that never loses its emotion when played. It brings a tear, recalls a loved one, and always brings a standing ovation.
Another stand out moment during this show was the dance number with the three percussionists on the Cajon drums. As they accompany the “dance off” between Craig Ashurst and Nicholas Yenson, the choreography of this piece highlights the superior talents of both percussionists and dancers and makes it one of my favorite moments in the production. Again, I would be remiss not mention the amazing talent of these two dancers as they defied gravity throughout their numbers the entire show. Hands down though, it was the elaborate number “Mo Ghile Mear” in which the group really highlights and rises this production to award-winning status. As the ladies shine through with their angelic voices, the percussionists vie for your approval through a “drum off”, while the background musicians and vocalists accompany them, highlighting their notes and movements. Throughout this number, the entire cast is on stage holding your attention and demanding your respect as you sit agape at witnessing such superior talent.
As the production takes a few months off, they will once again hit the road as they tour Brazil and Europe this fall. With a few North American dates scheduled currently, keep note of new dates being added to towns near you as this is a must-see, spectacular production. We thank you Celtic Women for the chance to be your final show as you definitely brought down the house.
Every summer, fans from all over Western New York come to Darien Lake for Dave Matthews Band; at this point, it’s become the start to a lot of people’s summer concert season. The weather always seems to be the same as well, wet and rain-filled, and it was no different this year. The only thing that changed was the traditional set that DMB usually incorporates into the evening. This year, the band chose to go with a two-set approach and they hit a home run with the concept. The first set incorporated many of their hits into an acoustic driven platform. Opening the night with “Dancing Nancies”, Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds wasted no time getting everyone up and moving and it marked the first time since 1997 that the song was opened by both Matthews and Reynolds.
Carter Beauford quickly joined in on the set behind his drum kit for “Recently”. Steffan Lessard (bass), Jeff Coffin (sax), Boyd Tinsley (fiddle), and Rashawn Ross (trumpet) soon followed and “Two Step” broke out boosting an already high level of energy. “Minarets” seemed to also get a lot of attention on this tour, and given it’s rarity in past years, it was a nice to hear it put into the rotation once again. The first set slowed down a bit during “Stolen Away On 55th and 3rd”, but soon picked right up with “Tripping Billies”, “Satellite”, and “What Would You Say”, closing out the first set.
The second set would be in the more traditional flow with a full band electric set and given the first set, which was toned down, made it even more powerful. The second set started with an improvisational intro behind a sheer style curtain, leading up to the highly energized “So Right”, putting an already amped up crowd into a full on frenzy. “#41” was slotted perfectly in the second spot, and with the crowd in a high point, it drove the show to its peak.
Tinsley and Matthews jammed together and soon were joined by the electric force behind Reynolds guitar. “The Lovely Ladies” (Cindy Mizelle, Tawatha Agee, and Sharon Bryant) joined the band on stage during several of the songs with their beautiful background vocals on songs “Save Me”, “Long Black Veil” , “You and Me” and “Stay”, which closed out the second set. It was good to see the ladies joining the band once again on tour since it had been so long since they had last done so.
“The Song Jane Likes” kicked off the encore, which, for an encore, was the first time since 2012 it was played. “Grey Street” closed out the evening, feeding the high energy right until the last note was played. DMB always plays well to the crowd at Darien Lake, however I think this year may have been their best in recent years.
Set 1 (acoustic): Dancing Nancies, Recently, Two Step, Minarets, Stolen Away on 55th and 3rd, Tripping Billies, Satelitte, What Would You Say
Set 2 (electric): So Right, #41, When The World Ends, Save Me, Long Black Veil, So Much To Say>Anyone Seen The Bridge>Too Much, Crush, If Only, Belly Belly Nice, Jimi Thing, You and Me, Stay
When Tower of Power took the stage, the amphitheater was still empty. The tailgating crowd outside didn’t quite understand what they were missing. While Tower of Power isn’t a household name like Steve Miller or Journey, their talents are definitely on par. The smart music fans were already in their seat when the show started and were blessed by waves of talent and soul a mile deep, drowning in goodness. Hits like “Soul Vaccination” and “What is Hip?” got even the band’s newest fans on their feet to feel the soul power overtaking Saratoga Saturday night. Equipped with a new lead singer, Ray Greene, and the traditional line-up of saxes, trumpets, trombones, along with a solid backline of drums, guitar and bass, Tower of Power brings the energy and great music every night.
After a short break, the Steve Miller Band came out to a setting sun and a growing audience. Steve Miller sang all the classics, “Take the Money and Run”, “Abracadabra”, “The Joker” and more. Fans of all ages sang along with the master of his craft. Four generations were equally represented as it was GE’s Kids Night and youngsters under 12 got in free with an adult ticket. Even after nearly 50 years on stage, Miller brought lots of energy and even had a run-in with a bunch of released balloons. He tried (and failed) to pop a couple, but did manage to kick a few out of the way. It was all in good fun and the smile on his face and the crowd was a good indicator of the success of the evening. Originally a blues man, evident by his tremendous skills on the harmonica and soulful voice, Miller delighted the crowd. With songs dating back nearly 50 years (“Space Cowboy”, 1968) and majority of success in the ’70s, Miller continues to make great music. It was a rare summer in the ’80s or ’90s when the Steve Miller Band didn’t grace the SPAC stage. By the turn out, many loyal fans were glad to see him back.
Journey’s lead singer since 2008, Arnel Pineda, with a haircut and a shave since the last time at SPAC, came out with so much energy it was intoxicating. Last time Journey played SPAC, Pineda looked more like an Elvis impersonator than the lead singer of the legendary band. If served as a distraction to many, but this time around, it was all about rock ‘n roll and delighting the fans. Thousands packed the full amphitheater and even more fans were located out on the famous SPAC lawn. The sound was spot on and while standing by the soundboard will typically give you chills at most venues, at SPAC it is truly magical. SPAC is the prize of Upstate New York concert goers and it is no wonder why so many musicians list it as one of their favorites to play.
Jon Cain (piano) talked about writing the song “Faithfully” on a bus ride to Saratoga Springs in the early 80s. He worked on the song into the night and finished it on a napkin in the morning over a cup of coffee. He played it for the first time every on one of the pianos backstage at SPAC. When “Don’t Stop Believin’” started, no one was still sitting at this point. Confetti cannons exploded and the place erupted into song. Everyone was singing in unison swaying left to right; people were even singing with new friends they had just met that night. To the left, right and all around. It was a truly electrifying moment. There was a very short break and then the “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’” encore and barely anyone headed for the doors until it was over.
Setlist: The Journey (Revelation), Be Good to Yourself, Separate Ways (Worlds Apart), Any Way You Want It, Only the Young, The Star-Spangled Banner (John Stafford Smith cover), Stone in Love, “Mother, Father”, She’s a Mystery, Lights, Piano Solo, Open Arms, Ritual, La Do Da / Anytime, Guitar Solo (Jonathan Cain on back up keyboards), Wheel in the Sky, Faithfully, Don’t Stop Believin’
Last week, on the eve of my birthday, I decided to stay up late on a weekday, knowing that I’d have to wake up by 6am the next day to go to work. Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band was in town though for their first show ever in Buffalo and I wasn’t going to miss it. Even with the exhaustive circumstances, what transpired that night invigorated me in a way not every concert does. Waking up the following morning, I felt alive, beaming with excitement, and still humming the notes from the night prior. I can only speak for myself, but throughout life, I am constantly chasing that kind of high from music, but was certainly not expecting it to this degree when I walked in to Nietzsche’s the night before.
As I approached the building, I still wasn’t sure what to expect. There is no adjacent parking lot, so you can’t tell if the venue is packed or empty for any show. Crossing the threshold, it was as though the doors had just opened even though I was unfortunately late to arrive. My disappointment in Buffalo for not showing up on a night like tonight – where a band was making their first appearance here – started the night off on the wrong note. Regardless of the crowd situation, on this particular Thursday, Nietzsche’s was the place to be as Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band was ready to share their gritty funk with whoever showed up.
Changing their opening song on the fly, the band kicked things off with a new song in “Wake Yo’self”. This song will be featured on their upcoming album, so the only way to catch this one at the moment is live. The bass line throughout the song had a relentless determination to it that gave the crowd a reason to move right from its opening notes. As it propelled forward through thick and heavy waters, trombonist Derrick Lee Johnson and keyboardist Mary Frances, aka Mama Funk, highlighted his spaces with peaks of cutting tone. There might not have been the greatest turnout for their first show, but the band was determined to have a good time and make sure everyone else did too. Talking with the band after the show, I brought up how bassist Al Al Ingram’s tone is similar to the bass tone on Cake’s “The Distance”, but in a heavier and funky way. The band collectively laughed in agreement and shared how they actually had talked about covering that song on numerous occasions. The show was off to a great start and with a lot of people in attendance unfamiliar with the bands songs, this was the perfect choice as it immediately grabbed everyone’s attention.
Mama Funk Leading the Booty Band
The band continued to light up the crowd with one heavy-hitting song after another. I’ve always felt that a smaller crowd can affect how a band plays in a negative way, but not these guys. On several occasions throughout the show, various members stepped off the stage and came right out into the crowd to dance. Mama Funk, Derrick Lee Johnson, and Al Al Ingram all took turns playing their instruments amongst the dancers in attendance and it really helped elevate the crowd’s overall response. Mama Funk specifically blew me away as her sweet and unassuming look was only a disguise. Throughout the night, she displayed her prowess on the keyboards as she supported the band through her various tones, ripped through solos, and constantly exuded a fun and free spirit that came out through her playful approach. It was all about a good time with her and the band as a whole and there was no shortage of those moments on this particular Thursday night.
The Booty Band played a variety of music from their catalog, but two covers stood out as I had never heard a band cover a hip hop song before in person. The band chose two Dr. Dre songs in “Let Me Ride” and “Nuttin’ Butt a G-Strang” – the latter being an obvious play on the famous “Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang”. Both of these songs were instantly recognized by the crowd and hit me about as hard as the originals did when I first heard them. The songs had such a beautiful, funky flow to them, similar to the original, but felt right being instrumentalized. Adding layers of live and spacey keyboard runs made two already fine choices that much better. The funky rides down memory lane were complete with rap battles between Johnson and Ingram and choruses colored by Mama Funk. By sharing the vocal responsibilities on these two and others over the course of the night, the self-proclaimed “Mountain Gangstas from North Carolina” were able to flex to the style they were playing and showcase the voice that made the most sense.
John Paul Miller on guitar with Al Al Ingram and Derrick Johnson in the background
The Booty Band’s spirit was just contagious. As they wrapped up their set, the crowd was simply not ready to let them go. After some clamouring, the band returned with grins all over their faces, ready to keep the night going a little longer for the outpouring of appreciation. One person from the crowd yelled, “hey, we all have to work tomorrow, just play one more song.” It was clear that those in attendance didn’t care that it was already past 1am at this point and I couldn’t have agreed more; we all just wanted a little more before they packed up and left. The band obliged with two songs to close the night that featured some heavy grooves and some deep funky ruts. Drummer Lee Allen was blatantly abusive towards his drum kit during the finale, making sure that his talented band mates wouldn’t completely overshadow his own impressive skills; everyone in the crowd already knew this though as Allen drove the rhythm the entire night. This band is loaded with talent from the front of the stage to the back, and if you haven’t taken the time to listen to them or catch them live, you need to drop what you’re doing now and make some time.
On a final note, I have to take a second to outline the band’s genuine appreciation for their fans and that they get to wake up and play music everyday. I talked to both Derrick Lee Johnson and Mary Frances after the show, separately, and I thought it was interesting how they echoed similar sentiments when I asked them for their thoughts on the turnout. Mary Frances said, “”It doesn’t matter if there’s 20 people or a packed house, everyone deserves a good show”. While Derrick Lee Johnson said, “I get to do my passion every single night. Whether it’s 10 people or 10,000 people, I get to pick up my trombone every night and play.” Hearing this from two different members in an off-the-cuff conversation was a breath of fresh air. There’s so many acts nowadays that play for the money and fame and those are the same bands you hear have broken up because money and fame don’t happen overnight. After hearing this, I thanked both of them for having that love and passion for their craft and that definitely translated as they genuinely had fun on stage and you could tell that they enjoyed the night just as much as everyone that was in attendance. The money and fame will come to them in time, so long as they keep doing what they’re doing, people are bound to catch on. I know that next time they come around, everyone in Buffalo will be bringing a friend as they easily won over those who came to dance on a late Thursday night/early Friday morning. As for work the next day, I got by and I am indebted to these guys for kicking off my birthday in the best way possible – with an incredible, booty shaking display of live music!
Setlist: Wake Yo’self, @$$, Quick E, Funk Life, Let Me Ride*, Cancion de Fuego, Mama Feel Good, Sunday Afternoon, Sanchez, Shadows -n- Sunshine, Nuttin’ Butt a G-Strang (Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang)*, 24/7, Naw Brah, Flea Bite, Trunk, Livin’ the Dream
When Mysteryland USA was announced I was immediately interested in covering the event. I was excited that a multi-day music and camping festival was going to be held at the site of the original Woodstock festival and the fact that the music at Mysteryland would bear little resemblance to the original festival. ID&T, the company hosting Mysteryland, started as a hardcore record label in the late 1980s as dance music exploded in Amsterdam. By 1993, they had organized the first Mysteryland festival in Holland. In 2002, the festival switched to a day and night format. One of the goals of the festival is to promote friendship and inspiration, and this is accomplished by working with record labels and other artists to curate multiple stages, art installations and food and drink vending.
Mysteryland allows its guests to become part of a truly interactive environment, not knowing what exactly is going to happen next. You can meet people from the same place that you’re from, or from the other side of the globe. You can hear new music from acts you might not have heard of, or you can check out a favorite performer in a unique new setting.
On Friday May 23, 7,500 Holy Ground campers began celebrating Mysteryland USA 2014 at the Camping Circus stage, located within the Holy Ground camping area outside of the main festival venue. The music provided a nice backdrop as people arrived and began setting up their campsites. By the end of the day the camping area was packed out. Navigating through camp to the showers, portos, stage and vendors was tricky during the days as occasional rain contributed to the most traveled pathways between tents becoming extra soggy. During the nights it got even harder as the harsh light from the light towers placed around the campsite forced you to shield your eyes so that you could focus on what was immediately around you; having a small flashlight here was clutch. Although the daytime temperature rose above 70 degrees F, it cooled to near 40 degrees F at night.
Dancing under the tent of the Camping Circus stage Friday night provided a small preview of what was to come for the weekend when the festival officially kicked off on Saturday. The featured performance Friday was the official pre-party, Nicky Romero Presents: Protocol NY Reboot. Even in the cooler nighttime air, the dance floor under the tent got hot and sweaty as you moved towards the center of the crowd, and standing at the edge of the tent you could observe a noticeable difference between the ambient temperature and the heat generated by the party inside, moreso when the breeze picked up. The BangOn! NYC Boombox Van was parked not far from the Circus tent and played music into the night after campers had returned from the main stages, adding an extra dimension of sound and activity to the atmosphere in Holy Ground. I enjoyed John Dahlback and Don Diablo before Nicky Romero took the stage for a great high energy set, which turned out to be a good example of how his set would go on the Main Stage the next night.
On Saturday, I finally got to see the main festival venue. On the way in I took a small detour to visit the monument commemorating the 1969 festival. It is located past the main gate and looks towards the site of the stage and the field that the fans watched the show from. This field was decorated with many rows of flags and was named the Ceremony Field at Mysteryland. At the front of the field were several teepees, a fire pit, a small stage and a dancing circle. The official opening ceremony was held here, and featured members of the Red Hawk Council, which represents first nations and indigenous people of the Americas. The ceremony began with traditional native drumming and chanting.
A speaker from the Red Hawk council welcomed us to Mysteryland and explained how the native focus on the earth, honor, integrity, respect and love was reflected in the crowd and experience of Mysteryland. We were asked to think about what we want in life, and what we need from it. The happiness and peace that comes from the music and the dancing that we were going to participate in, and the friendships that we came with and the new ones that we were going to make, shows us that this is how Mother Earth wants us to be. After the speech, the Red Hawk dancers were introduced and they began to lead the crowd in traditional ceremonial dances. They showed us two different dances before a small rainstorm began and scattered the crowd. And this is how Mysteryland really began for me.
There was so much to do and see here that it was truly overwhelming. Once the music starts, one quickly realizes that they can stay at one stage for most of the day and experience the type of music they enjoy most. The tent stages – Big Top, The Sound of Q-Dance, and Spiegeltent were all full of people dancing and enjoying the sounds of pop, electro, hardstyle and experimental house. Like the Camping Circus stage, the Big Top and Q-Dance stages were under large tents. The Spiegeltent was a traditional Dutch portable venue constructed mostly from wood, and being inside it actually felt like being inside an actual building, which was unique here at Mysteryland.
The Vinyl Only stage was tucked into a stand of trees, and had an open air DJ booth at one end of a synthetic dance floor surrounded by stage rigging decorated with vinyl records. There was a small pavilion behind it that had many disco balls hanging from its ceiling. I really enjoyed this stage for its steady blend of house music.
Big Gigantic closed the Boat stage on Saturday. This was an open air stage in front of a small slope. The whole facade of the stage was fabricated to look like a sailing ship. The DJ booth appeared to be in the cabin in the center of the ship, and there were several pairs of large butterfly styled sails rising above it. Dance platforms were located on both sides of the DJ booth for those with backstage access. Big Gigantic was one of the most unique acts here because they use live instruments – drums and a saxophone – to provide rhythmic and melodic textures over a base of electronic sounds with styles ranging from jazz to hip-hop to dubstep.
Kaskade closed the Main Stage on Sunday. This stage was styled as a house of cards in an Alice in Wonderland theme. The DJ booth here was in a ML cutout in the center of the stage, with five towers of cards rising around it. The central tower was the tallest and featured a clock face at its top. All of the hour markers around the face of the clock read ‘NOW’. The finale at the end of Kaskade’s set was fantastic. After more than ninety minutes of driving electro with elements of pop, trance, moombahton and more, all of the lights within the card towers were flashing and pairs of laser lights were tracing multiple layers of colored wedges through the smoke above the crowd. And then the fireworks started. Small rockets were launched from within the crowd on the field in front of the stage, slicing through the layers of smoke and lasers and exploding in the sky above the festival. More fireworks were launched off in the distance to the left of the stage. The launching, whistling, expanding and exploding were all choreographed to the music and a farewell monologue to the guests of Mysteryland, reminding us that yesterday is history, today is a gift, and tomorrow is a mystery.
Mysteryland USA 2014 was presented as well as or better than most debut festivals. The rainy weather leading up to the festival contributed to some delays and under-performance of some of the technical and logistic aspects of the event, but on the whole the vibe was fun and positive and the music and art created an environment shared by more than 20,000 people for two days that really took you away from the day-to-day world. ID&T is already planning another Mysteryland festival for Memorial Day weekend in 2015 and is hoping to make it an annual event. I look forward to spending a few short days at Mysteryland in the future and finding it better than when I left it.
After the first few songs, Ringo took his spot on the elevated ruby drum set and his Allstar Band took the reins. Organist 
Throughout the night, Ringo would step in with a few personal songs of his, adding quiet jokes that got big laughs. The band performed the first song Ringo ever wrote “Don’t Pass Me By”, a charming, upbeat song that back in the day, gave Ringo the confidence to shine as he said, “Wow, this is good. I thought watch out Mr. McCartney… I was young when I thought that.” The crowd chanted Ringo’s name and almost lost it when they struck up “Yellow Submarine” for an overwhelming sing-along as Ringo credited Albany for being the best singers. “Boys”, a personal favorite of Ringo’s, had lyrics belted out with a crisp and youthful sound. The night ended with “With a Little Help from My Friends”, as fans danced and hugged one another, it was clear that Ringo had succeeded in spreading peace and love throughout the theater. Despite their age, Ringo Starr and the Allstar Band showed no signs of slowing down with their impressive jams and stage presence. The two-hour show was a blast from the past, proving that the “Summer of Love” never ended, not as long as there is music, peace and love to fill the air.
Mysteryland allows its guests to become part of a truly interactive environment, not knowing what exactly is going to happen next. You can meet people from the same place that you’re from, or from the other side of the globe. You can hear new music from acts you might not have heard of, or you can check out a favorite performer in a unique new setting.
Dancing under the tent of the Camping Circus stage Friday night provided a small preview of what was to come for the weekend when the festival officially kicked off on Saturday. The featured performance Friday was the official pre-party, Nicky Romero Presents: Protocol NY Reboot. Even in the cooler nighttime air, the dance floor under the tent got hot and sweaty as you moved towards the center of the crowd, and standing at the edge of the tent you could observe a noticeable difference between the ambient temperature and the heat generated by the party inside, moreso when the breeze picked up. The BangOn! NYC Boombox Van was parked not far from the Circus tent and played music into the night after campers had returned from the main stages, adding an extra dimension of sound and activity to the atmosphere in Holy Ground. I enjoyed John Dahlback and Don Diablo before Nicky Romero took the stage for a great high energy set, which turned out to be a good example of how his set would go on the Main Stage the next night.
On Saturday, I finally got to see the main festival venue. On the way in I took a small detour to visit the monument commemorating the 1969 festival. It is located past the main gate and looks towards the site of the stage and the field that the fans watched the show from. This field was decorated with many rows of flags and was named the Ceremony Field at Mysteryland. At the front of the field were several teepees, a fire pit, a small stage and a dancing circle. The official opening ceremony was held here, and featured members of the Red Hawk Council, which represents first nations and indigenous people of the Americas. The ceremony began with traditional native drumming and chanting.
There was so much to do and see here that it was truly overwhelming. Once the music starts, one quickly realizes that they can stay at one stage for most of the day and experience the type of music they enjoy most. The tent stages – Big Top, The Sound of Q-Dance, and Spiegeltent were all full of people dancing and enjoying the sounds of pop, electro, hardstyle and experimental house. Like the Camping Circus stage, the Big Top and Q-Dance stages were under large tents. The Spiegeltent was a traditional Dutch portable venue constructed mostly from wood, and being inside it actually felt like being inside an actual building, which was unique here at Mysteryland.
The Vinyl Only stage was tucked into a stand of trees, and had an open air DJ booth at one end of a synthetic dance floor surrounded by stage rigging decorated with vinyl records. There was a small pavilion behind it that had many disco balls hanging from its ceiling. I really enjoyed this stage for its steady blend of house music.
Big Gigantic closed the Boat stage on Saturday. This was an open air stage in front of a small slope. The whole facade of the stage was fabricated to look like a sailing ship. The DJ booth appeared to be in the cabin in the center of the ship, and there were several pairs of large butterfly styled sails rising above it. Dance platforms were located on both sides of the DJ booth for those with backstage access. Big Gigantic was one of the most unique acts here because they use live instruments – drums and a saxophone – to provide rhythmic and melodic textures over a base of electronic sounds with styles ranging from jazz to hip-hop to dubstep.
Kaskade closed the Main Stage on Sunday. This stage was styled as a house of cards in an Alice in Wonderland theme. The DJ booth here was in a ML cutout in the center of the stage, with five towers of cards rising around it. The central tower was the tallest and featured a clock face at its top. All of the hour markers around the face of the clock read ‘NOW’. The finale at the end of Kaskade’s set was fantastic. After more than ninety minutes of driving electro with elements of pop, trance, moombahton and more, all of the lights within the card towers were flashing and pairs of laser lights were tracing multiple layers of colored wedges through the smoke above the crowd. And then the fireworks started. Small rockets were launched from within the crowd on the field in front of the stage, slicing through the layers of smoke and lasers and exploding in the sky above the festival. More fireworks were launched off in the distance to the left of the stage. The launching, whistling, expanding and exploding were all choreographed to the music and a farewell monologue to the guests of Mysteryland, reminding us that yesterday is history, today is a gift, and tomorrow is a mystery.
Mysteryland USA 2014 was presented as well as or better than most debut festivals. The rainy weather leading up to the festival contributed to some delays and under-performance of some of the technical and logistic aspects of the event, but on the whole the vibe was fun and positive and the music and art created an environment shared by more than 20,000 people for two days that really took you away from the day-to-day world. ID&T is already planning another Mysteryland festival for Memorial Day weekend in 2015 and is hoping to make it an annual event. I look forward to spending a few short days at Mysteryland in the future and finding it better than when I left it.