Some time has passed and the words are just starting to come to those who collectively took part in what can only described as a lucid nirvana; a tangible bliss experienced by all senses.<\/p>\n
Entering its fourth year, Night Lights Music Festival<\/a> had a buzz, but it wasn’t until after that anyone realized how special this year was. Back in early spring, the announcement of such acts\u00a0as Turkuaz, The Mike Dillon Band, Consider the Source, and the all-mighty Snarky Puppy generated an unheard of type of hype\u00a0in Buffalo: one that looked past our short summer months. The music appreciators of\u00a0the community carried the excitement right onto the grounds\u00a0as the first day began.<\/p>\n The high musical expectations bonded the group that gathered as tents were\u00a0pitched and friends were quickly made. Everyone on the grounds were extremely friendly, bringing Buffalo’s moniker of the “The City of Good Neighbors” out to the woods of\u00a0The Heron<\/a> in Sherman, NY. The fest could not have been\u00a0laid out any better. Camping was close, two totally different stage experiences and plenty of room to stretch out and enjoy the fall weather and scenery in New York state. The foliage alone at this time of year provided a view during the day that matched the light spectacle at night. The ground’s fruitful accommodations didn’t stop there either. Bands were happily able to park, unload, and reload their gear right next to the stage and the food was as delicious as it was affordable. There were two places that\u00a0you could grab a bite to eat and it was hard to pass the offers up. For $15 you could get a cheeseburger, a generous slice of pizza, a grilled cheese sandwich, a bottle of water, a bowl of amazing chili, and still have a little money to tip the staff for their hospitality. The people of Night Lights ate like royalty for the two days spent in the woods.<\/p>\n Everything from top to bottom met or exceeded expectations, leaving only the bands to hold up their end of the bargain, and standing right there waiting was the full lineup, eager to accept\u00a0the challenge.<\/p>\n Day one started off with Cleveland’s Broccoli Samurai<\/a>, bringing\u00a0their flavor of jamtronica to an area that\u00a0is familiar with the band and showed up in support. As the four-piece danced through melodies, the crowd gathered and began letting go. Drummer Chris Walker’s drum and bass style of playing paired well with the band’s more atmospheric sound. If this was any indication of how the festival would go, it was already traveling in the right direction. As the day wore on, more people began to arrive after getting out of work and rushing to join in the fun. Being later in the season, daylight was quickly fading and the first glimpse of this year’s lights were being eagerly awaited. Between nine and midnight, a great back-to-back combination of Jimkata<\/a> and Lazlo Hollyfeld<\/a> took hold of the collective spirit for the first time. It shouldn’t have caught anyone off guard as both bands have local ties with Jimkata spawning from Ithaca and Lazlo calling Buffalo home. In the case of Lazlo, this is even more special as Night Lights was started by\u00a0these guys, and through their vision, it’s grown\u00a0quickly in four short years to the\u00a0best festival in Western New York. Lazlo’s set was packed with energy, and if you’ve caught this act, you’d know that this wasn’t anything different from when they rip up the stage at Nietzsche’s. With the band featuring Matt Felski on vibraphone, their sound is unique and incredibly exploratory at times. \u00a0The music appreciators showed their love for the band for not only their music, but what they have built this festival into.<\/p>\n The highlight of the night though came during Dopapod<\/a>‘s already jam-heavy set. As the band proceeded to wow the audience, Buffalo’s own Mike Gantzer came out for a sit-in with the band. The Western New York love was in the air as known-Rochesterian Rob Compa played opposite on ax from Gantzer. The two traded licks before syncing up for a momentum-building tear across fretboards, propelling the Friday night party onward to the Saturday morning. It’s not even fair to say that Mike holds his own up there anymore as he’s now joined the club and making Aqueous fans across Buffalo prouder with each moment under\u00a0the lights. As the party wound down, campers were sharing their own version of what they heard, completely unaware that Saturday would only raise the bar.<\/p>\n Saturday started with rather ominous weather, but that could not surpass the energy for the second day of music. Afternoon sets by Rochester’s Ocupanther<\/a> and Buffalo’s Funktional Flow<\/a> showed off what the area is capable of in terms of young talent. Both bands have been cutting their teeth in the local scene and beginning to stretch out into other markets. Even with different styles, both bands had a solid draw and brought their best to the stage.<\/p>\n The brass sounds of the 12\/8\u00a0Path Band<\/a> carried the party both physically and emotionally into the woods as the lights began to take effect and illuminate the path to the Caf\u00e9 Stage, which was buried in the woods. The Mike Dillon Band<\/a> was up next and it would be their dynamic set that started the domino effect. For the next seven straight hours, the festival would peak, hitting a stretch and a high rarely seen in these parts. The music would transcend the woods that surrounded the grounds, igniting a powerful music experience. Mike Dillon himself stepped up onto the Caf\u00e9 Stage with his wild hair and larger-than-life personality. As he took his helm behind the xylophone, <\/strong>Mike announced that his bassist\u00a0was probably soaring overhead as his flight was delayed. If it was any indicator of the amount of talent though that was present at this fest, the show went on with John Ferrara from Consider the Source sitting in and providing a new perspective on the low-end for Mike to dabble with. It wouldn\u2019t be the only sit in of the day either with Mike Dillon returning the favor later in the night.<\/p>\n As the show began, there were few knowing what to expect. Mike Dillon\u2019s prowess was quickly realized though as there are few that have, both, the energy and imagination that Mr. Dillon embodies. His melodic choice in the instrument helps take the crowd musically to another world, while the rhythmic aspect of it allows him to channel the passion that is coursing through his veins. The band channeled the Consider the Source-style experimental heaviness with John putting out a vibe that the drummer hopped on and accentuated. As you\u2019d expect with a last-minute substitution, there were some things just called on the fly, but what you wouldn\u2019t expect was how well the band pulled it off. The execution must have energized Mike to step out into the unknown as he called out to his two stagemates saying, \u201cHere\u2019s one you two have never played before. It\u2019s in the key of C.\u201d<\/p>\n There was hardly a stutter in their phrasing.<\/p>\n Mike’s actual bassist eventually\u00a0arrived and finished out the set, thanking John for his help in the process. Mike\u2019s work with the sticks was fascinating to watch from both an artist and crowd perspective. He sent people spinning with enthusiasm while the stars made their entrance and the night set in. As the rawness of the set came to a close, the residual sound permeated the deciduous surroundings, filling in with sound what the lights could not.<\/p>\n