Category: Music Festivals

The Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival 2014 Starts Friday June 20th

It All Starts Tomorrow! The 2014 Edition of the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival. We will have your continued coverage for all 9 days of the festival. Stay tuned for daily show reviews, photos and artist interviews.

Headliner Show Tickets – Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre Tickets are available for Janelle Monae, Michael McDonald, Fourplay and Buddy Guy. Tickets are sold out for both shows of Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Rangers featuring Edie Brickell and for Earth, Wind and Fire. – Buy tickets online at rochesterjazz.com, at the door if not sold out, or at the Ticket Shop, 100 East Ave and Gibbs St., 10AM – 11PM daily during the festival, 585-454-2062

Club Pass Shows: Exchange Club Pass tickets for Passes before getting in line to attend any show at the Festival Ticket Shop – Corner of East Ave & Gibbs St., the Kiosk at the Corner of Gibbs Street and Main St. (4PM – 10PM) or the Merchandise Tent on Gibbs Street (4PM – 11PM). Tickets cannot be exchanged for passes at venues. Admission to Club Pass shows is with the Club Pass or $20/ $25 Kilbourn Hall, cash only at the door, no advance sales for individual club pass shows. First-come, first-served for everyone!

Free Shows – No tickets are required, all shows rain or shine.

Check out Friday’s full lineup on the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival 2014 website!

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June 19, 2014
Buffalove is in the Air: The Festival Returns for its Second Year

2014 Buffalove pin

This time last year, an ambitious Buffalo native was putting the final touches on the vision he had of throwing his own music festival. Of course, only local bands would be on the bill as this was intended from the get-go to be a celebration of the Buffalo music scene and its surrounding regions. The gamble paid off and the community responded in a big way, coming out in droves to share in the enthusiasm for Western New York music. The person I’m speaking of is Cody Conway and his ambitious goal, that likely seemed far-fetched to a lot of people, came to fruition and Buffalove Music Festival was established as one of the premier festivals in the area, calling Willow Creek Winery in Silver Creek, NY its home.

This year marks the second year of the festival and the underdog status is no more. Throughout the region, music fans were waiting for the announcement of who they would be seeing on this year’s bill. Fast forward to the present and the start of the festival’s second year is upon us. Things kickoff Thursday (tomorrow) with the Intrepid Travelers starting things off at 6pm. The full lineup is pretty deep this year too, with over 20 bands on the bill. If you bought the full weekend pass, you can look forward to seeing acts like Jimkata, Aqueous, Funktional Flow, Mister F, smackdab, Lazlo Hollyfeld, Slip Madigan, Broccoli Samurai, and many more.

Beyond all of the music, there are new features and personal touches added this year for the enjoyment of all of the festival-goers. Things such as fireworks, a 9-hole frisbee golf course, an Open-Mic Stage, kids activities, and a quiet zone for family camping are some of the great additions that are available this year, building upon the foundation of last year’s successes.

Given the pride that the people and the band’s of Buffalo take in the Queen City being their hometown, last year’s festival alone saw some pretty unique moments as band’s pulled out their best material and all the stops for their sets. Last year’s bust out of the Pink Floyd cover “Shine on You Crazy Diamond” by Aqueous was noted as one of our Best Jams from 2013. It’s exciting to think what we’ll be treated to this year with so many returning acts looking to step up their game and really wow the crowd.

There won’t be a better place to spend this weekend than at Buffalove. Here’s the full lineup of band’s you will see, all linked, so that you can keep up on your favorites by checking out their respective websites:

Jimkata, Aqueous, Funktional Flow, Formula 5, Mister F, smackdab, Lazlo Hollyfeld, Whiskey Reverb, Slip Madigan, Broccoli Samurai, Kid Splendor & The Royal Fortune, The Buffalove Superjam, Blue Rootz, Universe Shark, Imperial Brown, Little Mountain Band, Wonder Crayon, Groove Force, Luanjie, JeffRepeater, Grace Stumberg Band, Aliver Hall, Tropidelic, Rod Horning Project, Intrepid Travelers, and Relics (WNY’s Tribute to Pink Floyd)

If you’ve been dragging your feet and still need a ticket, click here to order yours now. With over 20 bands, 3 stages, free camping and parking, and all of the other activities and things to do, the $50 price tag really doesn’t seem like much for all that you get. Additionally, if you’d like to see the festival poster or understand the schedule for the weekend, check out the pictures below which should give you an idea of what is on tap for Buffalove’s much-anticipated second year.

June 18, 2014
Governors Ball 2014: I Want To Be A Part Of It, New York, New York
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 21^st 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.
June 17, 2014
Destination: Mysteryland USA 2014

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.

June 13, 2014
Crawfish Fest Brings a Slice of Jazz Fest to New Jersey

Over 25 years, Michael Arnone has perfected the vibe and the flavor of New Orleans music and food with his own smaller but authentic version of Jazz Fest. This year he brought NOLA heavyweights The Funky Meters, Dumpstaphunk, Kermit Ruffins, JJ Grey, Bonerama, and a host of Cajun and zydeco performers to approximately 10,000 avid music fans at the picturesque Sussex County Fairgrounds in Augusta New Jersey.

The festival started out slow and easy on Friday night, only for fans who purchased three-day camping passes. Early birds experienced intimate music experiences by the highly acclaimed trumpeter, Kermit Ruffins and The Barbeque Swingers, and were treated to classics by Louis Armstrong such as “Saint James Infirmary” and “What a Wonderful World” to Lee Dorsey’s “Holy Cow” and Billy Preston’s “Will It Go Round In Circles”, as well as a never-ending version of the widely-covered classic, “Iko Iko”, where even Kermit’s band wondered if he’d ever finish, and Kermit joked “I could go on and play this song all night long” (and the audience started to believe him after over a dozen “endings”). His mirthful set was capped by the soulful voice of guest singer Nayo Jones on “Route 66”, as the audience was transfixed by her singing and stage presence.

Kermit’s Barbeque Swingers include the highly skilled Yoshitaka Tsuji, who had several inspiring piano solos, and his energetic drummer, Derrick Freeman, who was tutored by Ellis Marsalis and also studied classical piano as well as drums.

Earlier Friday afternoon, another New Orleans native, singer and guitarist Mia Borders treated fans to a mix of originals and covers, such as “Forget My Name”, “Walk On By”, “Mississippi Rising”, James Brown’s “What a Man”, and the Bill Withers classic, “Use Me”.

Because the festival wasn’t in full production mode, the main stage was closed on Friday night, but the indoor stages hosted these major artists as well as Curley Taylor and Zydeco Trouble in the Dance Hall.

On Saturday, concert-goers descended upon the fairgrounds by the thousands, as the Main Stage opened up to absolutely perfect weather. Behind a marked line, festival fans were allowed to pitch sun shades and pop-up tents, and chairs and umbrellas dotted the huge, grassy concert field, as friends and family gathered and began their sampling of the large array of crawfish dishes, jambalaya, frozen smoothies, and adult beverages. The food was on par with Jazz Fest, and many New Orleans T-shirts were seen amongst the diverse crowd of several generations. I spoke with people who had to been to 15 or 20 of the 25 total Crawfish Festivals, and they vowed to return every year.

Bonerama fired up the Jager indoor pavilion stage on Saturday with their trombone-laced sonic assault, pounding out rock favorites in jazz style by the Rolling Stones such as “Can’t You Hear Me Knockin’?” and the Allmans classic, “Whipping Post”.

Taking the main stage by storm were the relatively recent superband, Raw Oyster Cult, who was founded by Radiators guitarist Dave malone, and includes members of the Radiators, Papa Grows Funk, and Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes. Playing mostly Radiators songs with a smattering of new originals, Raw Oyster Cult were one of the festival’s fan favorites, and the audience started to dance under the strong early afternoon sun, as frozen drinks flowed and the festival kicked into full gear.

Blues legend Walter “Wolfman” Washington was also playing on the Jagermeister Pavilion stage to a solid crowd who were enjoying his flawless guitar playing and soulful singing.

While Saturday was jam-packed with revisits by performers such as Ray Abshire, Curley Taylor, award-winning singer/songwriter Marcia Ball, and earlier performances by Mia Borders and Terrance Simien, the majority of the fans were eagerly anticipating New Orleans’ major musical legends, The Funky Meters. Many fans camped on the field after Raw Oyster Cult to get ideal viewing spots for George, Art, Brian and Russell. George and Art were joking around as they tuned up and set the mood for the rest of the lovely afternoon, as fans basked in the warm sunlight and the amazing jams and songs that ensued. At one point, Brian Stolz tore into Hendrix’s “Voodoo Chile”, which was in the midst of a six or seven-song medley, which lasted nearly 45 minutes and included the Meters original, “Cissy Strut”, and Crosby, Stills and Nash’s “Love the One You’re With”, along with “Day Tripper” teases and epic soloing by Brian, George and Art, who were clearly having too much fun up on stage, connecting with their eager, smiling fans. “Soulija”, “Ain’t No Use”, “Liza Jane” and other classics were woven in along with extended jams and soloing by the most illustrious power funk quartet.

In the midst of this musical magnificence, George Porter Jr. took a pause to give a one-year anniversary shout out to two dear friends (both of mine and his), Josh and Karen, who were wed by George at the Brooklyn Bowl a year ago. Cheers went up from the crowd (for those who both knew Josh and Karen, and even those who didn’t). Later I met up with Josh and Karen to make sure they heard the shout-out, and they were quite elated.

The Funky Meters ended up with a rousing “Fiyo on the Bayou” and finished with Cream’s “Sunshine of Your Love”, but for the three-day campers and those of us in Josh & Karen’s anniversary party, the fun was far from over. Having a solid two-hour break to get some tasty New Orleans cuisine and some much-needed leg rest, we were re-energized for what would be the most stunning set of the weekend by the relatively new superband, The Nth Power, comprised of drummer extraordinaire Nikki Glaspie (Dumpstaphunk, Beyonce), eminently talented keyboard/vocalist Nigel Hall, shredder and vocalist Nick Cassarino, solid reggae/funk bassist Nate Edgar, and the world-trained percussionist, Weedie Braimah. Even the “long-time” fans who have known the Nth Power for the roughly two years they’ve been playing were blown away by the incredible musicanship of Saturday night’s special show. Fans old and new alike were stunned speechless by the band’s fluid power and raw magnitude of jam excellence. The Nth Power played all originals, including “Only Love”, “Walk on Water” (dedicated to a dear friend, Derek Carter, who recently passed away from cancer), and “Holy Rain”, among others. Fans gravitated towards the band, and at the end, Nikki jumped down from her kit after a short speech about how “only love” matters in this world, and stopped down in front to hug fans and friends saying simply “I Love You”, which brought many to tears. After this touching moment, Russell Batiste (Funky Meters) got up to play percussion with Weedie to close out their set with “All the Way”.

Sunday started off right with a hot tub session, and our remaining crew left early to make it back to the Fairgrounds for The Lee Boys, who treated us to sacred steel excellence, spearheaded by pedal steel pro Roosevelt Collier. The Lee Boys played some of their gospel-derived originals, such as “Celebrate”, “I’m On My Way”, and “So Much to Live For”, with excellent musicianship by Roosevelt, and his relatives, Alvin Lee on guitar, Alvin Cordy Jr. on 7-string bass, and Earl Walker on drums.

The breakout star, for me, was the relatively lesser-known guitar blues prodigy, Jonathon Boogie Long. Having seen Stevie Ray Vaughn up close and in person, I am fairly selective when it comes to blues shredders. I was greatly impressed with Jonathon’s Alvin Lee level speed, but also his ability to keep the melody flowing and still connect with his band, even when he was pushing the limits with a soaring guitar solo. Just as I thought I’d seen all his tricks, he walked off stage (while still playing) and went into the crowd without missing a note (which of course reminded me of Buddy Guy). Once he realized everyone was following him, he tossed the guitar up over his head, and kept playing, while fans tracked him on their cell phones, getting some of the epic rock stunt on video. As if that were not enough, he then climbed up into the bleachers and treated the fans sitting down to some up close guitar fireworks, smiling all the while as fans erupted in cheers and laughter. As he moved back down into the crowd, people started following him parade style all the way back to the stage, and he kept soloing the entire time, and finished the song to resounding applause.

Ray Abshire’s Cajun Band and the Crawdaddies returned to the Dance Hall Stage during these performances, after which The Royal Southern Brotherhood took the Main Stage in the afternoon breeze. Headed by Cyril Neville and joined by Yonrico Scott on drums, Mike Zito and Devon Allman on guitar, and Charlie Wooten on bass, they were also highly-appraised by music fans who were treated to some of the best southern style rock anywhere. They played “Moonlight Over The Mississippi”, “Ritual”, and other originals, with an amazing encore of The Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter”, with some of the best rock guitar dueling of the weekend.

Earphunk played some orginal progressive funk on the Jager Stage, and then JJ Grey and Mofro closed down the main stage with crowd favorite sing-a-longs, “Brighter Days” and “99 Shades of Crazy”. Dumpstaphunk closed out the Jager stage with “Everybody Want Some” and other classics, backed by the superstar band of Ivan Neville, Tony Hall, Nikki Glaspie, Ian Neville and Nick Daniels, while Curley Taylor closed out the Dance Hall stage at the end of the festival.

Stellar performances by many of New Orleans’ finest performers, break-out sets by newcomers to the scene, amazing food and drinks, with well-manicured grounds and top-notch production makes Michael Arnone’s Crawfish Festival a must-see event for outdoor music lovers of all ages.

June 11, 2014
Sterling Stage Gets Ready for 2014 Ameribeat Festival of Arts

This year’s Ameribeat Festival of Arts will be the 77^th Sterling Stage music festival since its start on Memorial Day Weekend in 1995. The fest will take place at the Sterling Stage Kampitheater in Sterling, New York from June 26-29, 2014. Sterling Stage has been supplying good vibes and music to the Upstate area for almost 20 years. What makes Sterling Stage so special is its intimate atmosphere and beautiful location on an old Christmas Tree farm. With two stages and only around 1500 people in attendance, the small fest draws an eclectic crowd that always seems to be a recipe for a heady party in the woods.

Nestled in the quiet back woods of Upstate New York, Sterling Stage has been home to many local artists and others from the Northeast. Sterling Stage hosts four festivals each summer, each featuring a variety of music styles. Upstate bands such as Sophistafunk, Ryan Montbleau, The Blind Owl Band, Aqueous, Subsoil, AudioInflux, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, The Primate Fiasco, Big Leg Emma, The Blind Spots, House on a Spring, and Thunder Body have all performed at Sterling Stage. Other notable acts include Cabinet, Anders Osborne, Jatoba, and John K Band. Not only can you find a combination of bands that will satisfy anyone’s musical needs, but it also has many other attractions for festivalgoers.

This year’s Ameribeat Festival of Arts features bands from Upstate New York and across the country. The headlining band for the weekend is Nahko and Medicine for the People. Nahko is an acoustic Roots/Hip-Hop group from Portland Oregon. The group formed in 2008 and has been gaining immense popularity, touring and playing festivals throughout the U.S. and Canada. Spiritual Rez is a Boston based Reggae Rock band known for their soothing feel-good dub. Northampton Massachusetts’ The Primate Fiasco will be performing their all-original jazzy brass jam to keep things fresh as well. Local bands featured at Ameribeat are Subsoil from Rochester, Our Friend’s Band from Oswego, Jesse Collins Quartet from Syracuse, and Turkuaz from Brooklyn. A special treat for those local music fans will be a special performance by this year’s Ameribeat Orchestra. Members of Tim Herron Corporation, Sophistafunk, Our Friend’s Band, and Upstate favorite Lucid will be combining to create this all-star ensemble. The weekend won’t disappoint with its wide range of music, from Hip-hop Fusion to Jazz to Reggae, everyone will be able to find something they like.

Turkuaz – one of the many bands you’ll see at Ameribeat Festival of Arts

At Sterling Stage, one can find many local vendors selling clothing, jewelry, instruments and more. There are also several food stands that have out of this world breakfasts and a booth that will deep-fry anything you bring them. One of Sterling’s must see attractions is the Artist Village. Located between the Main Stage and the Sinatra Lounge, the Artist Village displays a number of local artists and even has a black light art gallery for those who find them selves wandering the grounds late at night. Other things to do while at Sterling Stage include daily yoga classes with Brother Jon or one of the seemingly endless drum circles that can be found scattered throughout the woods.

For only $70 for the advanced weekend pass, Sterling Stage’s Ameribeat Festival of Arts is a hidden gem in Upstate New York that wont break the bank, but will offer an unforgettable experience. Tickets are available online at www.sterlingstage.com or from select local vendors.

June 10, 2014
Get Ready for Disc and Dance at this year’s Disc Jam Music Festival, June 13-15 2014

Get ready for a weekend full of great music, disc golf and a fresh location at the 4th annual Disc Jam Music Festival on June 13-14, 2014 at Camp Coldbrook in Barre, Massachusetts. A little over two hours from Albany, NY and only a 1 ½ hour from Boston, Disc Jam is easily accessible in the middle of the New England area for those looking for a weekend getaway. You don’t need to play disc golf to attend the festival but everyone will have access to the beautiful 18 hole course with two tournaments taking place over the weekend. The family friendly festival will feature over 50 musical performances with 3 stages plus a late night silent disco as well as acoustic stage. Headliners include two sets each of Dopapod and Consider the source, plus performances by Kung Fu, Twiddle, a Particle and Friends Super Jam, plus many more. Disc Jam has released their daily schedule, sobe sure to plan ahead so you don’t miss a second of the jam packed weekend!

Changing locations within a month of any festival is a very risky move but the new location of Camp ColdBrook allows festival goers access to more late night music at an indoor music hall until 3am, plus access to a full bar, arcade, swimming pool and the traditional golf course. “We know that it is kind of late in the game, but in the end, we feel that the move is the right decision and hope that all of our attendees will feel the same way once they have seen this beautiful new site,” said festival promoter Tony Scavone. “While we have enjoyed our time in Brimfield, MA, we feel that Camp Coldbrook is better suited for what we are trying to accomplish with Disc Jam and that this new site will provide for the enjoyable experience possible for our attendees, which in the end is our main focus.”

The intrigue 18 hole disc golf course is open to all festival goers wearing their Disc Jam wristband, with two tournaments taking place over the weekend. Saturday’s Tournament is a two round, singles tourney in three divisions: Pro, AM and Women, while Sunday’s tournament will be a one round doubles-partners event with prizes given out to those in all categories. Besides disc golf, the festival offers multiple activities such as yoga, wellness meetings, hula hoop workshops plus live painting and installation artists.

Tickets are still available online with the 3-day music and camping pass set at $100 with VIP at $200. Those looking for a 1-day music pass for Saturday or Sunday, plus the disc golf tournament is $70. Day passes are available for each day at the gate only and allow you to see all the main and side stage acts but no silent disco or late night bands. It’s an easy walk from the parking lot to the campgrounds that are set up in a clean and dry flat area of land. Private woods camping is available in the VIP package plus there will be the quiet Family Camping area. Children under 12 years old are free but must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

Disc Jam is setting up to be the highlight of this year’s festival season with something for everyone of all ages, so be sure to grab tickets well they still last and check out ‘s top five must see acts of Disc Jam: Aqueous, Shwizz, Sophistafunk, Fikus, and Cosmic Dust Bunnies.

Aqueous is one of Upstate’s own, representing Buffalo, NY with their high energetic funkified rock jams.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h_wZlUAJ9g]

Shwizz is a progressive rock and jazz band from Nyack, NY that has been a part of major festivals on the North East music scene such as The Catskill Chill, Gathering of the Vibes and now, Disc Jam!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t64c4YretvY]

Sophistafunk, the trio from Syracuse combine old school hip hop with new age funk, making for a unique electronic and live band experience.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLBTa560NRU]

Fikus uses electronic beats, edgy rock fused funk and crisp vocals to create tight jams. Be on the look out for their new album, Living Life Through Multi Colored Scenery, coming July 1st.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaysX77oCxU]

Cosmic Dust Bunnies intergalactic wavetronica, all improvisational jams have earned them a slot as Gathering of the Vibe’s Road to Vibes Contest winner and more importantly, this year’s Disc Jam.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjbGJb22oYs]

June 9, 2014
Yonder Mountain String Band’s Harvest Music Festival Announces Lineup

Bluegrass heavyweights Yonder Mountain String Band have announced the lineup for their annual Harvest Music Festival being held at Ozark, AZ October 16-18 2014. This camping and music festival is bringing the top names in the industry to the picturesque Mulberry Mountain for a celebration of epic proportions.

Joining the festival lineup this year will be – Yonder Mountain String Band with special guest Jerry Douglas, Trampled By Turtles, Railroad Earth, The Jayhawks, Lettuce, The Devil Makes Three, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Jerry Douglas Band, Tea Leaf Green, Everyone Orchestra, Split Lip Rayfield, Elephant Revival, Cornmeal, and so many more!

All tickets include camping, a family camping area with a “lights out” at 11pm policy is also available. Children 11 and under are free with a paying adult, VIP tickets and camping are available. Tickets can be purchased online HERE.

June 9, 2014
Not Your Average Summer Camp

This year’s Summer Camp Music Festival has once again proved itself as a one of the best music festivals in the United States, and Not Your Average Summer Camp. Over Memorial Day weekend, an estimated 15,000 people made the pilgrimage to the small town of Chillicothe, Illinois, for what can only be described as the experience of a life. Since 2001, Summer Camp has been one of the fastest growing festivals in the Midwest and this year was possibly the best one to date. Its seven stages and over 100 artists gave festival goers a non-stop feed of music with more options that one could wrap their head around. In the rare chance that those in attendance were not busy enjoying the music, there were countless other attractions to assure that they got the full experience.

Photographer’s Credit: © Jason Kaczorowski Photography
Website: http://www.jasonkaczorowski.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jason-Kaczorowski-Photography/162737378305

There are numerous music festivals across the country with impressive lineups and exciting activates, but what sets Summer Camp apart is its blissful vibe. As soon as you enter the grounds of Three Sister’s Park, you are overtaken by a warm comforting sensation that starts deep in the stomach and radiates throughout your whole body. Being at Summer Camp felt like returning home after a long absence, which is something I have rarely said in my festival going career. I was in the parking lot for less than five minutes and a group of people approached me with hugs and greetings of smiles and gifts. It was as if everyone around was an old friend, all of them more excited to see you than the last.

Photographer’s Credit: © Phierce Photography by Keith Griner Website: http://www.phiercephotography.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PhiercePhotography

Activities for Scampers were endless, ranging from a festival wide Treasure Hunt, to musical workshops with some of the top artists in the country. The Soulshine tent was home to most of the weekend’s many events. For those interested in lectures or other educational activities, there were classes and workshops focusing on Permaculture, Cob Building, Composting, Hula-Hooping, Sustainability, and Solar Energy. In the entertainment department, there were performances by members of LCD Soundsystem, Here Comes the Sun Stereo, Floodwood, and The Everyone Orchestra. There was also an art gallery with live art performances, daily raffles for charity, and a Non GMO March. Possibly the most exciting of all were the three carnival rides, supplying campers with non-stop thrills!

Photographer’s Credit: © Abby Fox Photography
Website: http://www.abbyfoxphotography.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abbyfoxphoto

Though General Admission tickets only covered Friday to Sunday, Thursday was still an eventful night for those early comers. Starting off Summer Camp Music Festival 2014 was Soul Census, followed by a mix of folk and electronic music. The main events for the evening were Twiddle, Future Rock, The Ragbirds, Sun Stereo, and Upstate New York’s own, Floodwood. Floodwood is a folk/bluegrass band featuring Al Schnier and Vinnie Amico from moe.. For a fairly quiet first night, there was still plenty of fun to be had at Summer Camp.

The floodgates opened Friday morning as ecstatic festival-goers came from far and wide. By noon, Three Sisters Park was brimming with smiling faces and the music had only just begun; you could feel the excited anticipation in the air. moe.’s first set was nothing short of stunning. For over an hour and a half the quintet rocked their heavy jams to thousands of Scampers. With solos ranging from metal to psychedelic, this was perfect headliner to kick off the fest. More rocking jams were supplied by Umphrey’s McGee as they played the first two of their six sets. Umph Love was in abundance as the band exhibited their immense repertoire, including tracks off their soon to be released album, Similar Skin. Primus also reigned in a massive crowd for their one and only performance of the weekend. Les Claypool’s stellar bass playing was the foundation for the headliners unique funky yet dark sound. Besides moe., featured bands from the Upstate area were Jimkata and The Manhattan Project. Both bands are specialists in the electronic jam sector and represented NY well with their hot digital jams.

Photographer’s Credit: © Jason Kaczorowski Photography
Website: http://www.jasonkaczorowski.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jason-Kaczorowski-Photography/162737378305

Saturday was again a perfect festival day, with sunny skies and warm weather. Like the previous day, moe. and Umphrey’s showed they were unstoppable, playing another two sets each! Other must-see performances for the day were Lotus, Devil Makes Three, Mike Dillon Band, and The Werks. Each band seemed to be as good if not better than the last, spreading love and good vibes throughout Summer Camp. With warm hearts and bright eyes all around, it was not hard to tell that everyone in attendance was having the time of their life. There to show the true talent of New York State were Floodwood, Break Science, and the very popular Big Leg Emma. Big Leg Emma played a diverse set of some of their original grassy jam mixed with covers including The Beatles’ Hey Jude.

When you thought it couldn’t get any better, the heat got turned way up on Sunday… literally. The temperature was near 90 degrees at Summer Camp as music lovers convened for one last day of immaculate tunes. Sunday was the biggest day of the weekend by far, bringing in over 1,000 more Scampers. The day was packed with big names of all genres. Groups such as Yonder Mountain String Band, The Wood Brothers, Bassnectar, Gramatik, and Lettuce were all on the line up for the last day. Zac Brown Band and Trey Anastasio Band also blessed Summer Camp with two sets each. And of course, to close things off, Umphrey’s McGee and moe. each played a set, joining together for a short epic jam session. The shining lights from New York State for the day were Turkuaz and Auto Body from Brooklyn. Dopapod and Aqueous illustrated Upstate’s talent, each playing an hour of psychedelic jam-rock.

Photographer’s Credit: © Abby Fox Photography
Website: http://www.abbyfoxphotography.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abbyfoxphoto

An immense amount of work goes into putting on such a startlingly impressive gathering like Summer Camp Music Festival. Behind the scenes of all the fun, music, and art, was a volunteer staff of over 500 people who did everything from maintain a safe environment to sorting every single piece of trash generated by the immense crowd. Summer Camp’s Green Team was in charge of waste management at the festival, creating Earth friendly waste receptacles divided into trash, recyclables, and compost. All vendors also were required to use recyclable and compostable utensils and plates. Summer Camp is more than just a festival, it has become a movement for change and to bring awareness to important issues that affect us all. There was also a great amount of Non-Profit activity as well, mostly focused on sustainability and environmentalism.

For a seasoned festival-goer or a first timer, Summer Camp with leave you speechless with a smile on your face the whole way home. Three Sisters Park is the perfect venue for the fest and with the outstanding artist lineup, art, and weather, no one could possibly ask for anything more. Any chance there is to attend Summer Camp Music Festival is the chance of the lifetime and you are guaranteed not to leave disappointed. There is no festival with a comparable vibe.

You can download recordings from Summer Camp below.

The Motet, moe., Devil Makes Three, Slightly Stoopid, Fareed Haque & Mathgames, Bassnectar, Primus, Trey Anastasio Band, Future Rock

June 9, 2014
Taste of Country Music Festival 2014 at Hunter Mountain – June 12th-15th

Coming out of the gate in 2013 as a new country music festival, the Taste of Country finished with a huge win for all involved. With a field of winning performers in the first year, those in attendance at Hunter Mountain were in for a treat.

Set in the picturesque Catskill Mountains of New York State, only a few hours north of the NYC, and an hour off of the NY State Thruway, Hunter Mountain is centrally located and the perfect setting for a country music festival. Just envision lush green foliage and cool mountain breezes along with your favorite artists, food, friends and family. What could be better?

Country music is said to have originated in the southern Appalachian Mountains of North America as immigrants brought over favorite instruments such as the Irish fiddle, the German-derived dulcimer, the Italian mandolin, the Spanish guitar, and the West African banjo. This collection of culturally based music and instrumentation has evolved over the years into what is today’s country music.

Hank Williams Jr. – Taste of Country Music Festival 2014

Country music is so diverse and appeals to so many listeners that we now see it crossing over to main stream radio, with hits topping both charts. It just seems fitting to have this event in the foothills of the mountains, be it not its original Appalachian mountainside, it’s still truly the perfect setting for the only country music festival held in the Northeast.

With a “Who’s Who List” of country musicians gracing the two stages this year, you would be hard pressed to choose which stage to be at at any given time. However, don’t fret, because this festival has been organized by Townsquare Productions, LLC, a collaboration between Townsquare Media Group and Chet-5 Festivals. “Townsquare Media Group is a diversified media, entertainment and digital marketing services company that owns and operates radio, digital and live event properties, and Chet-5 Festivals has produced the Mountain Jam music festival since its inception in 2005”.

They have organized these two stages so that the musical acts are performing at staggered times and attendees can meander between the two and not miss a minute of either show. Having attended several festivals in the past, this option has me extremely excited as I can see everyone on my “must see” list, and not have to choose between which stage to spend my time.

Taste of Country Music Festival 2014 Line Up

Options for camping are numerous as well, however becoming limited in certain areas. Passes can be purchased for the whole weekend event, with or without camping, and they recently released single day passes in the event you can’t make it for the whole three-day festival. Wait…did I say three-day festival? I meant four-day festival as they have just announced their “Campground Kickoff Party” to begin on Thursday, June 12th as a thank you gift to ticket holders. And if you don’t feel like camping, visit the Taste of Country Music Festival website for a list of alternate lodging accommodations within the area. Shuttles will run from local designated areas throughout the entire weekend and tickets are still available for the shuttle services.

Like all great events with music, fun, and friends, there must be food. Those attendees planning to eat at the event will have a smorgasbord of choices to choose from, with numerous vendors satiating appetites with foods as unique as grilled mac & cheese sandwiches to the perfect Chinese noodles and vegetables. Yes I said grilled mac and cheese sandwiches.

For this who can’t sit still, there will be vendors and activities on site to saunter through and see all there is to see. For the perfect view of the whole event, don’t forget to ride the chair lift to the top for the best vantage of all the goings-on below.

Spectacular music is the focus of the entire weekend, with spectacular views, spectacular food, and spectacular friends and family. Now that is what country living is all about.

June 8, 2014