Category: Music Festivals

Utica Music and Arts Festival 2015 – A Destination Fest

The Utica Music and Arts Festival has quickly become a must-do summer ending activity in Central New York. The 8th Annual version of UMAF, was held at various venues throughout Utica the weekend of September 11-13. The biggest problem involved with attending this festival is being able to fit in all the great music available throughout the weekend.

Going in without a plan is probably the best way to attack this weekend. Doing it this way, one can experience such pleasant surprises as the young brother and sister combo of Jocelyn and Chris Arndt, who played a Saturday mid-afternoon set at Nail Creek Pub, in the process winning over those in attendance.

Jocelyn Arndt

Joceyln is slight in stature, yet huge in vocal talent. She has a soulful, bluesy voice backed up with power; think Bonnie Raitt channeled through Grace Potter with a visit from PJ Harvey. Jocelyn’s animated vocal delivery commands attention. Her brother Chris, who is also her co-writer, delivers a solid and crisp sounding blues-rock style guitar that is the perfect accompaniment to Jocelyn’s voice.

The band’s tour itinerary is scant during the school year, as both are students at Harvard, but they will be hitting stages across New York in the coming weeks. Check here for dates.

Spending the weekend bouncing between Lukin’s and Nail Creek Pub seemed to be what many people were doing but to do so is to miss out on many of the other acts. Tiny’s hosted several jazz influenced bands, including Notified and the Carmen Caramanica Jazz Trio, while D.A. Bentley’s entertained the EDM crowd with sets from DJ D.A., Vongel and Phungeye among others. Harlee’s Pub & Grille was geared towards the metal. Local favorites Nineball and Street Rock Mafia provided Friday crowds with high energy entertainment at Harlee’s. Nineball is also festival producer, Joe Sweet’s main project.

Lukin’s hosted Conehead Buddha on Friday night. The Albany-area band has been on the jamband circuit for twenty years and showed no signs of wear this weekend. While the band has taken a hiatus here or there within that time, on this night it provided a sharp mix of reggae, ska and jam that has endeared Conehead Buddha to the northeast scene all these years. Also saxophonist Shannon Lynch provided much of the theatrics throughout the set, anchoring the big horn sound Conehead Buddha is known for.

Conehead Buddha

Female artists took ownership of this year’s Utica Music and Arts Festival. In addition to Lynch and Arndt’s performances; on Saturday, the festival faithful were treated to the eclectic mix of jangle pop of Sirsy. Lead singer and stand-up drummer, Melanie Khramer and her partner, guitarist Rich Libutti, had the Nail Creek crowd, the biggest one of the weekend to this point, dancing and singing along. Khramer has the uncanny ability to engage the crowd with humor and powerful vocals with lyrics that may take you to a darker place. The fact that the music is typically so upbeat and Khramer so quick-witted with her banter, may disguise some of the darkness in the lyrics but it also gives the listener pause. Krahmer’s Ella-like voice and stage presence added a terrific touch to the band’s final song of the night, a cover of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs.”

Melanie Khramer of SIRSY belting it out.

Sirsy will be in Utica again on Dec. 8, performing an all-ages show at The Tramontane (known familiarly as The Tram). The show begins at 8:00 p.m. and will be a celebration of the band’s new EP to be released the week prior.

Exploding onto the Nail Creek stage after Sirsy’s set was Brooklyn’s Shinobi Ninja. With an elaborate and energetic stage show led by lead singer, Baby G, clad in an Iron Maiden t-shirt. It was clear from the start that this wouldn’t be your typical rock show. The band’s uniqueness has been described as being “like the Beastie Boys, Slayer and Lauryn Hill all mixed together.” After witnessing the band’s performance, that is an appropriate description. The following video gives a good impression of a Shinobi Ninja experience. Mix in some metal, reggae, rap, a little punk and a whole lot of jumping and you get this.

The uninitiated looked on in puzzling disbelief once the Ninjas took the stage, however in the short time they performed for the UMAF crowd, most of the leery were won over. The true venue to witness Shinobi Ninja is a live one. If this band doesn’t make some noise on the national scene in short order it will be a surprise.

UMAF faves Hank and Cupcakes followed Shinobi Ninja to a welcoming reception. Also based in Brooklyn, this duo is all about the performance. The husband and wife duo originally began performing together while serving in the Israeli Army at the age of 19. Colorfully dressed and highly animated, lead singer Sagit “Cupcakes” Shir isn’t afraid to get into the face of the audience while performing. In addition to pulling off vocal duties, Shir also drums and plays piano while bassist Ariel “Hank” Scherbacovsky keeps the beat and uses samples while safely tucked away stage right.

Hank and Cupcakes deliver a performance that begs to be seen and the elbow to elbow crowd in front of the Nail Creek’s outdoor staage proved that on a rainy Saturday night in Utica.

Hank and Cupcakes rockin’ the Nail Creek

The other Saturday night headliners performed nearly simultaneously up the street at Lukin’s. Floodwood, a bluegrass based band comprised of moe. bandmates Al Schnier and Vinnie Amico, as well as Jason Barady, Nick Piccininni and Zachary Fleitz, put together a two set show that, unbeknownst to all in attendance, would turn out to be one of the band’s final performances with this lineup. Schnier and Fleitz announced their departure from Floodwood in a release just a few weeks ago.

Floodwood

The band packed the house at Lukin’s, playing right up to the 2:00 a.m. hour, performing Floodwood originals mixed with some moe. covers, Dead covers and other bluegrass. A Floodwood show is always a good time. Varick Street Legend, Rainbow Young even made an appearance opening the set with a rousing version of the “Star Spangled Banner” that included maximum audience participation. Rainbow’s presence was seen at Lukin’s throughout the weekend, cementing the festival as a true Utica tradition.

Rainbow Young, Varick Street Legend, performing the National Anthem prior to Floodwood’s set.

If you’re in a music glut and looking for something new to listen to, the Utica Music and Arts Festival is the perfect venue to get you out of that funk. Festival organizer Joe Sweet and his booking crew go out of their way to include a huge variety of music to the festival each year. The 2015 edition was no different. And at a cost of $10 for a weekend bracelet, the music lover in you simply cannot go wrong attending this destination festival.

[FinalTilesGallery id=’491′]

[FinalTilesGallery id=’490′]

[FinalTilesGallery id=’492′]

November 4, 2015
Hulaween 2015: All Aboard the Ghoul Train

NYSMusic is excited to announce our coverage of the third annual Hulaween, a three-day music and camping festival held at Spirit of Suwanee Music Park in Live Oak, Florida. Presented by Silver Wrapper and Purple Hat Productions, Hulaween 2015 is headlined by Colorado’s very own String Cheese Incident, who will be playing seven sets over the weekend.

The festival hosts more than 50 artists over three days, including Pretty Lights, Primus, Odesza, and STS9. For those looking to start their weekend early Hulaween is throwing a pre-party on Thursday, Oct. 29 — including New York’s esteemed Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, the eclectic electronic improv duo Eoto, as well as funk stalwarts Dumpstaphunk. Other notable New York acts include surging funk legends Lettuce, who’s looming album release is highly anticipated, the tight dance grooves of Dopapod, Brooklyn’s own Break Science in collaboration with Manic Focus to create “Manic Science” and the soulful funky licks of Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds.

As north easterners hunker down and prep for winters onslaught, Spirit of the Suwanee is bustling with activity in October, beckoning to the north to flee south and join the Southerners for one last hurrah in the sunshine. Often touted as a magical, even mystical place, Suwanee boasts a devoted fan base that borders on extended family from its ability to bring people together and cultivate an atmosphere of unfettered fun in a temporary communal setting.

Festival goers should be excited for an extended version of “Spirit Lake,” an experimental collage of multimedia metalwork, paintings, sculpture, light projections and live performances that transforms the primal forest into a vivid psychedelic dreamscape. Held on Halloween weekend means costumes. Hulaween’s costume theme is “Ghoul Train” a blend of the late ’70s hit show “Soul Train” and “Monsters” or “The Addams Family”. Be sure to get in the spirit and dress to impress.

There aren’t many places that cultivate a communal feel quite like Suwanee. To celebrate that, Hulaween is once again hosting an Ultimate Campsite Contest. Giving fans and their #HULACREW a chance to build their own theme based campsite, a celebrity committee of judges will scope the campsites Friday evening and choose their favorite site. The entire campsite will receive Werewolf VIP upgrades on the spot (up to 8 people per campsite). The upgrade includes discounted beer and liquor drinks, VIP indoor bathrooms, VIP viewing areas at the main stage, VIP swag bag, complimentary massages and complimentary golf cart shuttle service throughout the park at designated VIP stops.

For a sneak peek at the full schedule go here and don’t forget to pace yourself and make it to the Silent Disco, which will run from 2am to 5am on Friday and Saturday, featuring a variety of electronic artists including Vlad the Inhaler, Prophet Massive (aka Jason Hann of SCI), MZG and Unlimited Aspect among others.

For Hulaween goers traveling from out-of-state, keep in mind a brand spanking new program will offer Scoobie Shuttle Buses to and from Jacksonville International Airport. One way tickets are $35 and include all taxes and fees, on-sale through Elevate at suwanneehulaween.com.

Tickets & Ultimate Incident VIP Packages are on-sale now. To join the wait list for cabins, golf cart rentals and RV hook-ups, please contact SOSMP at +1 (386) 364-1683.

October 20, 2015
Every Bubble Has to Burst – The Limits of a Booming Festival Culture

Over the past decade, music festivals have become the summer thing to do, and not just for live music junkies, but for anyone looking to spend a weekend immersed in what often feels like a whole other temporary world, where rules are different, the party never ends and there is always something new to experience. This isn’t a bad thing. But sometimes there can be too much of a good thing, and every bubble does have to burst, and maybe the festival bubble has begun to push its limits.

In recent years, even the already massive festivals have grown in big ways; we’ve seen Coachella selling out one weekend, to expanding to two weekends and selling out just as easily. Sasquatch, Lollapalooza and Governor’s Ball, all sell out often before full lineups are even announced. People are excited to get in on the experience, and while that isn’t a bad thing, if a festival is selling out before a lineup is announced, perhaps that says something about the reasons many people attend. Maybe now it is often more about the experience, than the bands playing a certain event. A decade ago the headliners at the major U.S. festivals were drastically varied and it seemed they not dare book the same headliners as their counterparts across the country. People from the east coast would travel west to Coachella to see a lineup they couldn’t see anywhere else. Bonnaroo’s lineup would be so unique that it was hard to pass up for people all around the nation.

Now there are dozens of options and large scale events popping up in every corner of the country, making travel easier for fans, while lineups are sometimes starting to look eerily similar. It’s more common to see one, if not several of the same headliners on many festivals. Promoters can meet fan desires to see certain acts, but the lineups are beginning to look more and more similar. The number of festival-ready big name bands is not a never ending list, and those bands, like fans, only have a finite amount of weekends per summer. It’s not a bad thing, for now, but a change will have to come and already slowly is. Trends change, genres rise and fall out of popularity, and in recent years we’ve seen major festivals that used to be alternative rock leaning will have more and more major electronic acts at the top of their bills. It’s what the youth buying the tickets want, so it’s what they get. While it makes sense to promoters and the bottom line, aside from these electronic acts that have been on the rise in recent years, there has not been as many headliner level acts in specifically the rock/alternative world, climbing the ranks to headliner status. This is not the festival world’s fault, but more a reflection on how the music industry overall has changed. Acts like Jack White, The Black Keys, Florence and the Machine and The Killers are all top notch headlining acts, but we have reached a point when you see their names at the top of lineup after lineup and you find yourself staring to say “Oh, cool, makes sense” instead of “Wow, I HAVE to be there”. You don’t HAVE to be there, at the one across the country, because there’s a good chance you’ll see all the same acts at the top of a lineup in your region.

Promoters see the festival trend skyrocketing and there are dozens of new festivals created each year that want to catch the wave. Markets are now beginning to become saturated and toes are being stepped on. Governor’s Ball, held every June since 2011 on Randall’s Island in New York City, is an independent company that in the last month is dealing with a serious threat. AEG Live, creators of Coachella, Firefly and Hangout, have their sights set on Meadows Corona Park in Queens as the site of a new festival, Panorama. Panorama would take place only weeks after Governor’s Ball, and while it’s been reported they don’t yet have all permits in place, booking has started. It was recently announced that the organizers of Governor’s Ball have created a petition, asking Mayor de Blasio to reject AEG Live’s permits, saying it would potentially be pushing them, a smaller local business, out of the picture. They ask that the event be held at a different time, so both festivals can succeed.

However, even if Governor’s Ball gets its way and AEG is forced to apply for permits for a different weekend, it might be that having two large scale events, presumably targeting the same audience, would still have a similar effect. There is after all, a limit on the disposable income the typical festival goer has to spend per year. With it being common that a major weekend festival has a ticket price of over $200, and factoring in any time off from work, travel, accommodations, supplies, food and drink for the weekend that one unavoidably has to spend, realistically the amount of festivals one fan can attend is very likely a smaller number than the ones they would desire to. Eventually it must start to happen that there is simply too much of a festival fan’s favorite thing. Too many “must see” events to choose from in one region will eventually become a bad thing, when fans have to pick and choose between a variety of great options but cutting some out in the process. At some point the amount of major festivals will grow to a point where more people are needed to purchase tickets to let them all successfully continue on as they are than exist in any given market. Increased sponsorship money will be needed to cover costs for all of them. There are only so many companies willing to shell out thousands for festival sponsorship, and competition will rise to claim them.

The largest festivals nationwide is one aspect of the growing festival bubble, but on a smaller scale, the scene of indie rock and jam band oriented festivals is also exploding. In the Northeast alone there are a handful of festivals to choose from each weekend in the warmer months. These are often far more affordable than the larger festivals, but again, there are only so many weekends in the summer. It’s always been hard enough to get a festival off the ground and then able to turn a profit, but now the competition is coming from a growing number of places. There are also smaller, one day events popping up at every turn. A more inexpensive option with lighted commitment can be an attractive option for many possible attendees, but for now, promoters want to get in on the game and ride the wave of festival hype as long as possible. Ask anyone who has been involved in organizing a large scale event, and it is never easy, no matter how many years you do it. Permits, competitive booking, staffing, weather, and now the threat of competition from five guys in your neighborhood trying to do the same thing as you, thanks to perceived success of the overall festival culture.

The greater number of festivals being created with still the same amount of festival ready bands, and weekends available, makes for tough competition. The same bands are desired from festivals not just nationwide but worldwide, every weekend, and when demand goes up, so does price. Bands can ask for more money and festivals have to pay if they want an impressive lineup, and with that, ticket prices increase. The issue becomes how large an act can a festival book before it becomes cost-prohibitive and fans find somewhere else to spend their money; at some point a festival goer will tire of so many lineups looking so similar. Or perhaps festival culture and the experience can become more important than the music itself. Maybe for a growing number of young people, the drugs, the people and the party are the appeal more so than discovering a new favorite band or hearing your favorite songs. Blogs writing about festival fashion looks for the year make many cringe, but they also attract a new audience, looking to jump into a hip trendy new world of partying, where there’s also good music playing in the background.

Is this boom in festival popularity just a fad, and will attending a festival still be the “it” thing to do for young people a decade from now? There were few major festivals throughout the 60’s and 70’s, and then the rise of touring festivals like Lollapalooza and H.O.R.D.E. in the 90’s, but it was not until the last decade or so when we begin to see an incredible boom of weekend long festivals. Young people wanting to get involved in an environment that consists of a weekend long party where new people, new music, and a wide array of ways to enjoy yourself at every turn seems logical. It almost seems strange that it took so long for a festival resurgence, when young people would always have been interested in a large festival scene if one was presented to them.

Perhaps once the bubble begins to reach its true limit, a festival won’t be able to get away with booking similar lineups and having a similar overall feel as its counterparts. Maybe as competition rises it will force organizers to think outside the box and ensure that the experience a fan can have at their event is unlike any other of its competitors. We see so many festivals pop up then fade away in a couple years, and some that don’t even make it out of their inaugural year with their hopes being dashed for a comeback.

Maybe the bubble isn’t ready to burst just yet, with major festivals still selling out in minutes nationwide and some smaller ones getting off the ground each year, but waves of popularity this big don’t always last forever. It will come down to the limits that money and time put on organizers, but equally importantly, the fans. Nobody can accurately predict the future but every bubble has to burst and when it does, inevitably not all will survive. Maybe new, innovative types of events will arise. Promoters just entering this exciting world likely see opportunity, but the point of too much of a good thing may be just around the corner. For now, these are is exciting times for fans to experience live music. Organizers want audiences at their events, and they’ll do all they can to keep fans coming back, a balance of keeping supporters happy and keeping themselves not just exciting, but surviving for one more year.

October 19, 2015
Rock Allegiance Festival Sells Out PPL Park

On Saturday, October 10, metal-heads from all over the Northeast made PPL Park in Chester, Pa., its final destination. PPL Park was host of this year’s Rock Allegiance festival which was sponsored by Monster Energy. Since the festival only lasted one day, it needed to have a lineup that would draw fans from all across the Northeast. The festival promoters couldn’t have done a better job at putting the lineup together because weeks before the event, PPL Park was sold out. With a lineup consisting of numerous bands that could have headlined, Rock Allegiance was set to be a success from the start.

Saturday’s forecast was perfect for the event, consisting of warm weather and sunshine. The beautiful day definitely helped fans get to the stadium early to get things started right after 11 a.m. With three stages going all day, there was something for everyone. The bands that opened the morning and early afternoon were no amateurs. Bands such as Unlocking The Truth who are still in their teens, took the Rock Allegiance Tent Stage and immediately demanded the circle pits to be started. That type of crowd control and confidence will definitely keep those youngsters going for a long time. Other bands such as Devour The Day and Red Sun Rising, kept the early afternoon rocking on the two stages set up inside the stadium.

                                               From Ashes To New

The 3rd band of the day to take the Tent Stage was From Ashes To New. This band has been on the road with Five Finger Death Punch, Papa Roach and In This Moment, all who were also at the festival. From Ashes To New drew a huge crowd for their set time and they were phenomenal. It’s no surprise now why they were on the road with those other bands. The energy and style this rap-rock band was very refreshing because many new bands today go toward the scream vocals and heavy riffs.

Shifting to the main stages afterward, The Glorious Sons took the stage for a quick set of hard-rocking blues rock. They were definitely the band that stuck out the most, but not in a bad way. Although many fans weren’t there to see them specifically, The Glorious Sons got love from the respectful crowd. After they were done, all the attention shifted to Stage East for Nothing More. At this point, if someone hasn’t heard of Nothing More or hasn’t at least heard “Jenny” or “Mr. MTV”, they’re living under a rock. There hasn’t been a band moving up the ladder this fast in quite a long time. Lead singer Jonny Hawkins and the rest of the band put on one of the best live performances today. They’ve been on the road for quite some time now and are taking cities by storm. The crowd at PPL Park definitely could have gone for a longer set because 30 minutes was certainly not enough. The next band that played inside on Stage West was Atreyu, who just released Long Live on September, 18. This was their first album in six years and these guys got a huge welcome. This band may have been overlooked on the lineup due to all of the other big names, but Atreyu proved they still have what it takes to be on the main stage. Lead singer Alex Varkatzas spent most of the set down in the crowd getting up close and personal with people in the front row.

                                                     Nothing More

In the meantime while Nothing More and Atreyu were rocking the main stages inside, the Charm City Devils and Superheaven were playing over in the Tent Stage. After their short sets were done, Pop Evil took over back inside the stadium. Touring on behalf of their recent album Up, Pop Evil played a mix of material from their newest album and Onyx. Pop Evil is a band that works off of the crowds energy and they shined on Saturday. The band looked like they were having fun on stage and they sounded great. As soon as Pop Evil ended, the crowd ran over to the Tent Stage to catch a set from the Butcher Babies. The Butcher Babies are a heavy metal band fronted by Heidi Shepherd and Carla Harvey, two of the most metal chicks in the music industry today. These two ladies take control of the stage and put on an unforgettable performance. The girls jump all over the stage and get down on the crowd to sing with the audience. Anyone who decided to skip out on seeing their set missed an awesome show, but luckily the Butcher Babies are always on the road. Their newest release Take It Like A Man will surely keep them on the road for some time. Speaking of girls in metal, right after the Butcher Babies were done, In This Moment took over PPL Park. With a full stage production with costume changes, choreography and more, Maria Brink and the rest of the band proved why they are one of the top metal bands in the scene today. Although the band has a handful of albums now, their two most recent releases Blood and Black Widow have given them radio play and mainstream success. The crowd sang every word with Maria throughout the entire set. In This Moment seem to get better and better every time around and their performance at Rock Allegiance is proof.

                                               Bring Me The Horizon

One of the craziest crowds of the day had to be for Bring Me The Horizon. Even with a throat infection, singer Oliver Sykes made sure the crowd was left bloody with broken bones just as he demanded. The infection didn’t seem to affect Oliver one bit. The band was spot on and had the crowd in their control before they even took the stage. The fans waiting in front of the East Stage were definitely waiting for BMTH all afternoon. Touring in support of their latest release That’s The Spirit, Bring Me The Horizon has been packing venues left and right the last few weeks in the States. All of the momentum they’ve gained at the smaller shows seemed to explode at Rock Allegiance on Saturday. While Bring Me The Horizon played, new “supergroup” Saint Asonia played over in the tent. Fans of Three Days Grace and Staind were surely over in the tent watching Adam Gontier and Mike Mushok. Their self-titled album has been all over the radio since the announcement of the group and debut at Rock on the Range earlier this year. The original voice of Three Days Grace and axe man of Staind seem to blend perfectly together and have created something nobody expected. Their setlist was mixed with singles off their album and covers of Three Days Grace and Staind.

Even with all of the bands mentioned so far, Rock Allegiance was not even half over. After Saint Asonia, Jacoby Shaddix and the rest of Papa Roach took over PPL Park. There’s never a Papa Roach show were Jacoby leaves the crowd disappointed. The crowd for Papa Roach was definitely the most so far out of the day. The highlight of the set was when singer Maria Brink of In This Moment came on stage to join Jacoby in singing “Gravity”. Fans who caught the tour with FFDP, Papa Roach, In This Moment and From Ashes To Knew were definitely expecting this duet because they have been doing it nightly. Watching Jacoby and Maria sing the song together was one of the top moments of the day. During Papa Roach’s set, Hollywood Undead competed for audience in the Tent Stage. It was a hard decision to make for fans to pick one or the other. Papa Roach easily had the majority of the crowd, but the tent was still packed for the rap-rock band. The guys came out in their signature masks and carried on their performance like they weren’t competing with anyone.

                                   Papa Roach

As the sun went down and the night grew cold, Five Finger Death Punch took the East Stage and got the crowd on their feet and moving. Even with a shorter then normal set, Ivan and the rest of FFDP put on a great performance with a mix of material from their catalog. Unfortunately, the band only played 2 new songs off their latest album, Got Your Six which were “Got Your Six” and “Jekyll and Hyde”. With such success on the charts, many fans were hoping for more of the new material then some of the older. FFDP has always been a band that supported the country’s armed forces and they showed their appreciation Saturday night. Ivan took one fan’s sign that read he had been deployed and had the entire band sign it. As usual, Ivan invited some youngsters on stage to rock out to their song “Burn MF.” During the song, Ivan high-fived the kids and gave them energy drinks, guitar picks and arm bands. What Five Finger Death Punch does for their fans and the troops is a prime example of how every band should be.

One of the best crowds of the day, hands down, belonged to Boston rockers Godsmack. Sully Erna is one of the best in the business when it comes to putting on a rock show. Sully makes sure the crowd is into the performance and if they’re not, he’s going to change that. The band recorded the song “Something Different” which is going to be used for a new documentary. During the song the crowd reaction was amazing to watch from the stands. Every person was jumping up and down singing along with Sully. Another highlight of the set was the usual “Batalla de los Tambores” with Sully and Shannon. For those unfamiliar with that song, it’s the dual drum instrumental where Sully and Shannon both play on their own drum kits and Robbie and Tony rock the bass and guitar. They play their own song while mixing in riffs from Metallica, Led Zeppelin, Rush, AC/DC and more. The night was closed out with a cover of Alice Cooper’s “School’s Out” and then their classic hit, “I Stand Alone”. Godsmack could have easily closed out the entire night, but there were still two more bands to go.

While Godsmack was rocking the stage on the right, the stage on the left was empty with the iconic Korn album backdrop from 1994. With the 20th anniversary shows being common recently, many fans were expecting Korn to play the entire debut album. The set started off in that direction with “Blind”, “Ball Tongue”, “Need To”, “Clown” and “Faget”. But once the band dove into the riff for “Here To Stay”, the crowd knew they weren’t getting the full album. Which for many seemed okay because at a festival there’s typically a mix of fans who want to hear more of the hits. Korn seemed to put on the best setlist of the night. The material they picked kept the crowd moving and it didn’t let up. The highlight was when “Shoots and Ladders” went into the ending for “Somebody Someone” and the crowd went absolutely nuts. Surprisingly Korn ended the night with “Freak On A Leash” and then announced that was their last song instead of announcing it ahead of time. Ending the set like that left fans begging for more as Jonathan Davis brought his wife on stage sharing with the crowd that it was their anniversary.

                                             Korn

Once Korn ended, the entire Stage East crowd shifted to the right to be in front of the stage for Rob Zombie. Even though it was apparent some of the crowd had filed out after Korn, Zombie still had a huge crowd. Unfortunately due to smaller main stages, Zombie didn’t have the stage production some people expected. Even without his signature stage production, Rob Zombie and his band put on a hell of a show. The band came out with different costumes and instruments all night long. Guitarist John 5 was a crowd favorite because of his costumes and unique guitars.The night opened up with a White Zombie cover of “More Human Than Human”, which set the pace for the night. During the song “Sick Bubble-Gum” the band had huge balloons for the crowd to amuse themselves with while they chose sides with either Piggy D. or John 5 by chanting “Rock” or “Mother Fucker”. Rob Zombie always has and will continue to be one of the best entertainers in the music industry. Fortunately for fans in Chester, they got to see one of Rob Zombie’s last shows for a while. The band has been on the road for quite some time now and are ready to take a break from the road. Fans ended the night in Zombie style with fan-favorite “Dragula”.

Just as fans thought the night was over with a closing fireworks display alongside the Delaware River, Steel Panther was ready for the after-party under the tent. Three albums in, Steel Panther continue to have success with their parody style 80s hair metal. Not only did fans stick around for the after party, but many band members came out to watch Steel Panther. Watching side stage were members of Korn, Five Finger Death Punch, Nothing More, From Ashes To New and even more. Unfortunately, none of those guys got on stage to do any covers, which was surprising due to all of the guest musicians they usually get on stage. Regardless of whether they had guests on stage, Steel Panther put on a show that was perfect to end the day. The band had the entire tent rockin’ and laughing for the entire hour.

                                                      Rob Zombie

Not only did Rock Allegiance have an awesome day of music, it had some great choices for food and drink. Labeled as having “Gourmet Man Food” and craft beers on top of that, PPL Park had it all on Saturday. Throughout the stadium, there were your basic food vendors as there would be at any event there. On top of that were all the food trucks that the festival brought in. The best part about all of the options was that none of the lines got ridiculously long like they do at other festivals. The prices for everything were fair which helped keep concert goers wallet’s happy. Most of all, having options besides your typical hot dogs, hamburgers, etc was a relief. The same goes for the basic festival overpriced beer, Rock Allegiance made sure there were plenty of options. The festival was filled with plastic canning jars which were being used for a variance of alcoholic beverages. Considering the price of tickets and the experience festival attendees got in return, Rock Allegiance was an absolute steal. It was no surprise at all that this event sold out ahead of time and hopefully it will return again next year.

[FinalTilesGallery id=’473′]

October 14, 2015
Backwoods Pondfest 2015: Small Festival with Big Heart

One of the best kept secrets in the festival circuit took place on August 7 and 8, 2015 in the Adirondack region known as Backwoods Pondfest put on by Full Circle Music Productions. The intimate festival is located at Twin Ponds Campsite in Peru, NY (almost Canada) with less than 2,000 attendees, most of whom have been coming to Pondfest for years and rejoice in the North Country reunion. The open car camping provides festival goers with spacious sites in the grassy fields, pond side or quiet wooded area.Newest and biggest upgrade to the festival was the large circus, cone shaped tent over the Woods Stage that offered quality sound and intrigue late night visuals. The event features over 20 musical talents from all genres and calibers of local favorites and national acts, with back to back performances on two stages. Guests who took advantage of the Early Bird Thursday night tickets got prime real estate and a live stream of Albany’s Formula 5 show in Lake George.

Pondfesters arrived all throughout the day on Friday, unloading and setting up under crystal blue skies and sunshine. The Lynguistic Civilians voted Vermont’s best hip hop groupand making their debut at Pondfest, engaged the crowd with old school favorites and original, expressive lyrics. Pigeons Playing Ping Pong was another group new to the festival and was received with open arms. Their lighthearted, psychedelic funk was at an all-time high with a splash of reggae stirred in was the perfect start for the party on Friday night. “F U” got an extended jam with extra voltage from Max Garrett on trumpet from Capital Zen. The all string, quartet of Blind Owl Band call the Adirondack region and are no strangers to Backwoods Pondfest with a dedicated fan base at the Woods Stage. It was a hot set of bluegrass with an extra steamy, ferocious cover of The Allman Brother’s “Whipping Post”.

[FinalTilesGallery id=’469′]

Lucid took a break from festival hosting duties to perform their traditional first set of the weekend on the main stage. “Simmer On Down” had beautifully stretched peaks of tropical melodies that splashed down into a psychedelic middle eastern ride. The crowd got charged up as Lucid brought up George Wurster on harmonica for the “Backwoods” theme song. The night only got hotter after the sun went down with the fire spinners whipping and juggling the flames in sync with the North Country music and to the awe of the audience. At the woods stage,Gang of Thieves, Vermont’s funk rock and roll band slayed their first Pondfest with a mighty Led Zeppelin medley that sent chills all over the backwoods. Headliner of the night, Particle, brought their dirty Philly street funk to Pondfest for a set full of high organ groove courtesy of Steve Molitz and heart racing rhythm of Allen Aucoin. Guitarist Ben Combe and bassist Clay Parnell unfolded layers of riffs that drove the vibrant rock. Friday night wasn’t over yet as Albany’s Mister F closed out the woods stage with a late night set of chilling livetronica. Fans who stayed up for the action got a special Steve Molitz sit in that raised the bar for the rest of the weekend.

Saturday began as another beautiful day at Pondfest with perfect weather settings and an incredible lineup to look forward to. Those seeking a space of meditation and peace found it with Samantha Jo at her morning yoga class. Dozens participated in the deep breathing and stretched that were so desperately needed after a night of dancing. Meadow and Kevin Sabourin of Lucid serenaded the yogis with soft, acoustic lullabies. One of the best things about this festival being so small is that you can hear the music from the stages at your campsite. You’re always in the music. The Balkun Brothers, Steve and Nick Balkun invited everyone into the sandbox of the Wood Stage for train track, funk rock. Festival host and performer, Lowell sat in with his mean harmonica soul as the Balkun music awed the crowd. Twiddle fans were gifted with a Mihali Savoulidis acoustic Story Telling set on the Main Stage for a mellow ease into the afternoon. The raw and intimate set featured beat box looping of Twiddle classics about love and friendships, with behind the scene tales of how they came to be.The Heavy Pets kicked it up a notch with improvisational tight jams of rock and roll. Their deep focused peaks provide high cliff hangers when the chorus catches up with you.

[FinalTilesGallery id=’470′]

One of the most anticipated sets of the weekend was the Ex Presidents featuring Eric Gould of Particle, Todd Stoops of RAQ and Kung Fu, Neal “Fro” Evans of Dopapod, and Andrew Block of Big Sam’s Funky Nation. There was plenty of hype to go around with it being their first performance and let’s hope it’s not their last. The chemistry these veteran musicians have is impeccable with a fluid groove that kept the set fun and airy. Jeff Lloyd of Heavy Pets joined the talented crew for an awesome cover of Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side.” Stoops made the announcement of Evans becoming the newest member of RAQ with a side of jokes of everyone joining each other’s bands.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i__QLSM3_y4

The night took a turn towards a urban street party as Sophistifunk packed out the Woods Stage with old school hip hop that had the ground shaking. The big event of the night was Backwoods Pondfest veterans, Spiritiual Rez blowing up the Main Stage at midnight. You could see the steam rising over the band as they feverously rocked out with a climactic unannounced fireworks show that flawlessly matched up with “Let’s Go Out With A Bang.” Normal Instruments brought the key ingredient of late night festival life with high energetic livetronica with fast rhythm and blaring chords.

The festival ended as quickly as it began. The pack up is never as much fun as setting it up but we carry the memories with us until next year’s festival. Backwoods Pondfest continues to be a close knit festival of friends and family working together to host talented musicians that bring incredible music and smiles. It’s one of the best weekends you could have of the summer in Upstate NY so be sure to meet us in the backwoods for next year’s Backwoods Pondfest.

October 10, 2015
We Ate the Peach 2015

The fourth annual Peach Festival will forever be a prolific memory for those who attended the 2015 installment of the festival. Some might even say they’ve been “changed” and have no idea how to explain their experience to friends post festival. All they can say is, “I can’t wait till next year. I can’t wait to go back to The Peach.” The festival began as a celebration of The Allman Brother’s Band and The Grateful Dead. Festival attendees were pleased to see that two former drummers of the Allman Brothers Band would be included on the line up. Those two being Butch Trucks and Jaimoe. If that’s not exciting enough former ABB member Warren Haynes was also a brilliant addition to the weekend’s lineup. There were also three surviving members of The Grateful Dead on the bill. Those being Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann and Bruce Hornsby. Last year was the final year the complete Allman Brothers Band headlined Peach Festival. However, one of this year’s headliners was of course the great Gregg Allman. Others included Willie Nelson and Family and a closing by Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Carlos Santana.

Montage Mountain has been the home of the Peach for the past four years. It boasts a summit of 1,960 feet. The tree line is made up evergreen trees and pines. Remember, this festival is held on a mountain. Packing light and wearing proper foot attire will make for a delightful camping experience. The general admission campgrounds are predominantly on the ski slopes so getting back to camp literally means “hiking” I was constantly telling myself, “Think of how strong your calves will be after the festival!” There are two tractor loops for those who don’t wish to muscle it up the slopes. There are three kinds of camping. General admission camping, family camping, and CID’s “Glamping.” Glamping provides much larger tents with much more amenities and style than a bare bones campsite and are also assembled for guests in advance.

The park in the summer time is permanent home to a water park! It features an array of slides, a wave pool, and a lazy river. There are lockers to store your belongings, and also indoor and outdoor showers. The lodge included a food court, indoor restrooms and CID’s VIP lounge. The VIP lounge had to have been the most cushy place in the park. There were plenty of comfortable couches, a bar, and even a free photo booth!

The festival began Thursday evening on the Peach Stage also known as The Pavilion . To kick off the festival was Grateful Dead tribute band Dark Star Orchestra . Their set showcased tunes from a Grateful Dead show at the capitol theater in Passaic New Jersey in April 1977. The set included staples like “Sugaree,” “Scarlet Begonias,” “Mississippi Half-Step” and Terrapin Station.” I have to say, it was an overwhelmingly beautiful yet haunting experience. Thousands of Dead fans sang along as if they were a giant choir and these were their hymns. The voices reverberated against the pavilion’s high interior and echoed into the distant hills. The lights dazzled the crowd everyone swayed in joyous harmony. After the show ended one thing was apparent. Everyone wants Dark Star Orchestra to be the traditional festival opener.

Later in the evening we were wow’d by our first Deep Banana BlackOut show on the Mushroom stage. I can’t remember the last time I’ve heard more inventive trombone solos. The level of energy and improvisation this band spits out is a force to be reckoned with. Lead vocalist Jen Durkin’s voice is so powerful you need to prepare yourself to be ripped in half! Between the improvisation and funky rhythms, you’re sure to feel like you’ve been transported to New Orleans.

The next day Scranton’s own Cabinet opened the Peach stage. Followed by the Hard Working Americans, Trombone Shorty and Joe Russo’s Almost Dead. Many rushed the Mushroom stage eager to catch Blues Traveler. Perhaps the most memorable experience was watching the people in the wave pool. Which is a few feet away from the Mushroom stage. They cheered and sang along to BT’s hits like “Hook.” John Popper’s harmonica solos are melodic feats that would make any instrumentalist blush. They were also pleased to have a guest appearance by none other than Warren Haynes himself. Which lead to a nice rendition of the “The Mountains Win Again.”

Warren Haynes and Railroad Earth set the tone for Friday night with their soulful yet raw set in the pavilion. It was interesting to see RRE’s lead vocalist Todd Sheaffer step aside for a while and let Warren Haynes take the wheel. The ensemble played selections from their new album Ashes and Dust which was released in July of this year. Tim Carbone’s violin solo’s descended upon the crowd like a feather gently floating to the ground. A perpetual stream of melodic call and response between Carbone and Goessling carried on through the set and added a fine degree of polyphonic texture.

The pinnacle of Friday evening was the iconic Gregg Allman. He opened his set with “Statesboro Blues.” Many were easily impressed on his transition from organ to guitar. The legendary vocals, solos and overall spirit of the Allman Brothers was definitely experienced. The warmness of Allman’s organ is a sound that will never be forgotten. The crowd became downright emotional when Allman played his signature tune, “Melissa.” I looked around to see fans weeping and smiling simultaneously. The set ended with “Midnight Rider,” “Love Like Kerosene,” “Whipping Post.” With no surprise the show encored with “One Way Out.”

The temperature definitely rose on Saturday. Most festival attendees made themselves ready for a dip in the wave pool or a drift down the lazy river. Or for those feeling extra adventurous the ultra fast water slides. Watching Dumpstaphunk while jumping waves in the wave pool was so much fun! The Mushroom stage also featured Rusted Root which performed their hit “Send Me on My Way.” With GD50 in the not so distant past it was a real treat to see Bruce Hornsby and The Noise Makers once again paying tribute. His set was laid back and serene. Back at The Peach stage Old Crow Medicine show kicked the vibe up a notch with their own “Alabama High Test.”

Finally, it was time for the one and only Willie Nelson and family. Nelson’s signature vocals were spot on and everyone was thrilled to see Trigger (his beloved guitar) once again by his side. His sister Bobbie Nelson has been playing piano in his band since the 1970’s. She of course played my favorite piano interlude “Down Yonder.” Towards the end of the set Nelson included selections of “I’ll Fly Away, You were always on my mind” and of course, “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die.” He even paid tribute to the great Hank Williams Sr. with songs like “Hey Good Lookin” and “I saw the Light.”

Billy and the Kids killed it shortly after and were later joined by The Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir. The entire second set featured Weir on lead guitar and vocals, which included takes on “Cassidy,” “Stella Blue” and “Sugar Magnolia.” Weir’s guitar raged through the crowd and the lights penetrated the thousands of loyal fans.

Saturday night was closed out on the Grove Stage by Scranton’s local band Cabinet. We’re sure to see and hear more from this band in the future. The musicianship and camaraderie are the aspects that make this band so solid. With every instrumental break you can feel the virtuosity leaking from their hands to the strings. I learned quickly not to underestimate the Grove Stage. Although smaller than both the Mushroom and Peach Stage and also further away it is never the less the place for a great show.

On Sunday a congregation formed at the Peach Stage for Keller Williams and Grateful Gospel. The band features members of More Than a Little and Further’s guitarist John Kadlecik. The set started off with “Feel Like a Stranger.” The vocal harmonies were absolutely stellar. The positive vibes could surely be felt throughout the entire audience. Other selections were “My Sister and Brothers,” “St Stephen” and “Ripple.” Towards the end Keller excitedly proclaimed, “Hey look everyone! Its Bob Weir!” Weir sat in for “Eyes of the World” and closed with “Samson and Delilah.”

Over at the Grove stage Indianapolis’ Turbo Suit delivered a powerful and funky set with remixes of up beat tunes new and old. One memorable selection was a mashup of Uptown Funk which led to an ensemble of happy dancers.

Santana made for a memorable grand finally. Latin rhythms flooded the amphitheater and not one foot remained still. Santana proudly introduced his son Salvador who is a much accomplished vocalist and a master of the keyboards. The crowd was pleased to shake it to hits like “Evil Ways,” “Black Magic Woman” and “Smooth.” One thing’s for certain, Carlos Santana bleeds positive mantras. The long instrumental jams were definitely used as a platform to inspire and uplift the community with his kind words.

One of the kindest actions I saw all weekend was the attendees voluntarily cleaning up the grounds. Once a few began picking up the garbage a chain reaction ensued. It was really heartwarming to see essential strangers coming together for the betterment of the festival and respect of the mountain. The festival overall had a great sense of community. People genuinely showed love for each other. It was a kind of harmonious bond that is a rare occurrence in humanity. Peach Fest was a sure fire success and we can’t wait for next year.

October 7, 2015
A Farewell to Summer and Minglewood

As another remarkable summer festival season draws to a close, the 2015 edition of Catskill Chill also marked the end of another magical era. Dubbed “A Farewell to Minglewood,” festival organizers announced the sixth annual Chill would be the last one at its present and only location to date. Camp Minglewood, an incredibly remote and scenic summer camp in Hancock, NY, has been the festival’s home since inception, but perhaps due to a seemingly yearly growth in popularity the festival announced it will seek new quarters next year. This gave everyone in attendance, collectively known as the “Chillfam” one last time to make memories and enjoy a fantastic lineup of music in a truly special place.

With a steady stream of people still filing in on Friday afternoon securing camp sites and cabin spots, a full three days of music began on the festival’s various stages. Things got funky right away as Funky Dawgz and Natalie Cressman each had their brass powered bands open up action at Club Chill. Definitely more clubhouse than night club, the Club Chill stage is a unique one featuring wooden stadium style seating with multiple levels that were also partially enclosed. Although it was located uphill from the main stage, it featured some of the finest acts of the weekend including a thoroughly enjoyable set from Buffalo’s own Aqueous early Friday evening.

The Nth Power, an emerging funk, jazz and soul hybrid act initiated action over on the main stage. Spearheaded by the drumming prowess of Nikki Glaspie. The lively rockers powered through a set of originals including “Only Love” and also included a cover of The Beatles’ “She’s So Heavy”.

This warmed up the stage nicely for Lettuce, who followed with their signature high-octane brand of funk. Fittingly, they brought former member Nigel Hall on stage for the last few numbers laying down a funky “Sounds Like A Party To Me.” This was only the first of many memorable sit ins and collaborations throughout the weekend. The night continued with spirited set of electronica infused rock courtesy of Lotus, Break Science kept the party going and then some with a set that featured a plethora of sit ins from drummer Adam Deitch’s fellow Lettuce band members.

Meanwhile, Club Chill was packed to the gills thanks to another well-orchestrated collaboration. Members of Twiddle were joined by an all-star supporting cast including Tim Palmieri from Kung Fu on guitar and Tood Stoops from Raq on keys for a Grateful Dead tribute set. A clean run through the Jerry Garcia classic “Birdsong” preceded a thunderous rendition of “The Other One”. Other classics like “I Know You Rider” and “Fire on the Mountain” were met with appreciative roars and applause as this hyped set seemed to live up to its billing. One last mashup of rich musical talent brought things to a close on Friday with Dopakuaz Plays Studio 54. Comprised of members from Dopapod and Turkuaz, the big band ensemble replete with female vocalists did their very best to create an air of a late night disco party at the renowned New York City night club starting with an opener of KC & The Sunshine Band’s “That’s The Way (I Like It)”.

The hits just kept on coming late into the night with spot on renditions of “You Should Be Dancing” and “Get Down.” The group even showed an ability to shift seamlessly between songs which was highlighted by an impressive “Funky Town” >“Disco Inferno” transition.

Saturday saw more musical tributes and artists joining forces with beautiful results. Shwizz and Fikus combined for a Shwikus Plays the ’80s set that was very well received. They were followed by yet another super group as the ChillFam All-Stars, which included Steve Molitz from Particle on keys and Mike Greenfield from Lotus on drums, paid musical tribute to the great Herbie Hancock.

Club Chill was enraptured as the All Stars pulled off a set that included hits like “Watermelon Man” and “Rockit”. A tribute of another sort took place later on the main stage as Dweezil Zappa brought his Zappa Plays Zappa band for a set of his father’s music. Their current tour is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention album One Size Fits All so a steady diet of tracks from that were played in addition to other classics like “Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow”.

The main late night musical acts for Saturday featured two bands who are at very different points in their respective careers. Venerable upstate New York jam legends moe. were given the headlining slot for this year’s Chill, the first one they’ve ever played. A set opening “Seat of My Pants” was jammed to perfection and a rousing segue into “Recreational Chemistry” had hopes high for a special set. However, they didn’t dig too much deeper into the musical vault as the rest of set featured staples like “Happy Hour Hero,” “Spine of a Dog” and “Buster,” which served as closer. On the other end of the spectrum is Twiddle, a Vermont based rock quartet that is growing in popularity each passing day. They seem to have already developed a young and enthusiastic fan base and their performance this weekend surely opened some eyes. Playing with a noticeable energy and excitement, the group sent everyone back to their respective homes smiling with a set that saw Todd Stoops sit in on “Brown Chicken Brown Cow” and an impressive display of talent by keyboardist Ryan Dempsey on “Jamflowman” which featured a fun give and take jam with guitarist Mihali Savoulidis.

With two incredible nights of music in the books, Sunday offered no rest for the weary as another full schedule lay in store. Turkuaz got things started in the early afternoon with their customary explosive big band sound. They were followed by The Motet who ran through a set of their own funky hits including “Funny Bone” and “Like We Own It”.

Up at Club Chill, another of New York’s own, Solaris played to a small but rapt crowd as they delivered their version of electronica which included a fun take on the theme from Tetris. Shortly afterwards, it was time for Dopapod and their set on the main stage. With the sun beginning to set behind the trees, a beautiful canvas was naturally created as the group seemed to soak up every minute of their set which was littered with teases of “Funkytown” throughout as a nod to Friday night’s performance.

Additional Saturday highlights included Electron, an old Disco Biscuits side project featuring Marc Brownstein on bass and Aron Magner on keys who were joined by Tom Hamilton on guitar and Mike Greenfield on drums. This was as close to an actual Bisco performance as you can get as the old friends ripped through a set that included classics like “Shelby Rose” and “42” as well as a sterling cover of Pink Floyd’s “Have a Cigar”. Not to be outdone, Pink Talking Fish, a band that melds the music of Phish, Talking Heads and Pink Floyd, played perhaps one of most enjoyable sets of the weekend afterwards that featured other Pink Floyd covers like “Money” and “Eclipse”. The highlight may have been the performance of “Pigs (3 Different Ones)” that was dropped right in the “pause” section of Divided Sky.

To close things out, Catskill Chill had Particle, the only band to appear here every year, play a farewell set that featured sit ins from start to finish. Members of Dopapod, Turkuaz and Electron all jumped on stage at some point for a truly fitting farewell. The family atmosphere this festival has naturally developed was highlighted by the closing selections of “Family Affair” and “We Are Family”. Particle keyboardist/leader Steve Molitz urged everyone to remember the good times created at this special place before everyone went on their way and the book was closed on another special weekend. Some say the month of March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.

While it may be debatable as to when summer festival season exactly comes in, there’s no doubt after a weekend of music like this one that it goes out with a Chill.

September 28, 2015
Up North Grace Potter is Grand

With flawless vocal delivery, an array of acclaimed guest musicians and a fiery light show, Vermont rocker Grace Potter wowed a crowd of thousands at Burlington’s fifth annual Grand Point North festival.

Potter, originally from Waitsfield, has found success on an international level in recent years, topping iTunes charts and even collaborating with The Rolling Stones. Light rain on the first day of the weekend festival did little to dampen the spirits of an enthusiastic crowd who traveled from both near and far to see acts that also included The Flaming Lips, Shakey Graves, and Mike Gordon of Phish. As Potter walked onto the stage, her skin glistening from raindrops, the audience went wild. Potter, now a solo artist after disbanding Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, put on an astounding performance, showing off her piano, guitar, and bluesy vocal skills. Crowd favorites included “Paris (Ooh La La),” “Low Road,” “Runaway,” “Stop the Bus,” “Hot to the Touch” and “Delirious.”

When Potter sang a passionate rendition of “Stars,” having prefaced the performance by explaining that the song was about losing someone close to her, some in the crowd were moved to tears. The surprise of the night came when special guest Kenny Chesney joined Potter to perform their single, “Wild Child.”

Earlier in the day, performers included Amy Helm, daughter of Levon Helm, who played with her band Amy Helm & The Handsome Strangers, Odessa, Madaila, and Maryse Smith with Michael Chorney. These musicians, along with Shakey Graves, Phish’s Gordon, and Burlington-based singer Kat Wright, joined Potter on stage for the final song of the evening, “Burning Down The House.”

Written by Alexandra Provost, Photos by Laura Carbone

September 26, 2015
Lockn’ 2015: Turning Lemons into Tasty Lemonade

The third year of Lockn’ Music Festival brought together another year of incredible jam and classic rock acts to a crowd of aging Deadheads and jamband lovers in the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia. The location was as ideal as you could get – mountains for miles on a hilly expanse with room for tens of thousands to convene for four days. Lockn’ has taken the lineup and style of the first few years of Bonnaroo and brought that formula back for fans of a wide range of jambands alongside special guests and classic rock acts that few would be able to see otherwise. Despite weather that cancelled Thursday’s music, the weekend was a great success for patrons and musicians alike; Lockn’ is all smiles, all the time.

The microburst that blew threw on Wednesday evening caused a significant amount of damage that disrupted festival arrivals from setting up campsites until Friday morning. Cancelling Thursday’s music was a necessary step for organizers so that they could assess damage, make repairs and ensure that the festival goers, once allowed inside the grounds, would be safe and the festival would not have lingering issues to address during arrival.

Although the music was cancelled on Thursday, bands made an effort to placate fans who were stranded in Charlottesville, VA, about a half hour away from Lockn’s home in Arrington, VA. Billy and the Kids, featuring Bill Kreutzmann, Aron Magner, Tom Hamilton and Reed Mathis took over The Jefferson Theater, selling the show out shortly after being announced that same day. They brought up friends Jason Hahn, Eric Krasno and John Popper for portions of the night as they drifted through the Grateful Dead catalog with a fresh take on the classics. Down the street Strangefolk performed for free at The Whisky Jar, entertaining a packed house and outdoor patio that brought to mind the band 20 years ago on the college circuit in New England, although now with a wider catalog and ardent fans singing along with the band. The Southern Belles, MOOGATU and Kings of Belmont all performed at The Ante Room in Charlottesville, making the best of the situation. Even though the bands had their Thursday sets cancelled, they made lemons out of lemonade while the music never stopped.

Arrival on Friday led to five hours of traffic on winding back roads, which hardly tested the patience of the older fan base – five hours of traffic is a walk in the park if you went to any of the first three Bonnaroo’s or Phish’s festivals in the late 90s and early 00s. While traffic made it seem the crowd was sizeable this year (28,000 per co-promoter David Frey), it was slightly down from last year, due in part to Fare Thee Well (another Pete Shapiro promotion) being a destination event that some attended instead of Lockn’. The festival was VIP heavy with the gen pop given a view from car camping on the hill overlooking the Oak and Ridge stages, giving a glimpse at how the other half lives – closer to the stage, in glamping tents and RVs that were even more proximal to the venue. Indeed Lockn’ is a festival designed to attract a VIP crowd with VIP tastes.

Friday’s music was streamed briefly in the car and once campsite was setup, the folk rock of Anders Osborne circulated over the RVs and up the hill, a serene sound to mellow the stress of car confinement away. String Cheese Incident took the stage at dusk, fresh off their rescheduled Doobie Incident set earlier in the day, which many were disappointed to miss due to Thursday’s cancellation. Cheese played a six-song set over an hour, ending with a 1-2-3 punch of “Rosie,” “Close Your Eyes,” and “Colorado Bluebird Sky.” Phil Lesh and Friends performed a set that felt more like a Chris Robinson Brotherhood show, aside from when Eric Krasno and John Molo drove the set, notably on “Playing in the Band,” “Gimme Shelter” and the transition from “Morning Dew” into “I Know You Rider.”

Jefferson Airplane celebrated their 50th anniversary with founding members Jack Casady and Jorma Kaukonen alongside Larry Campbell, Teresa Williams, Jeff Pehrson, Rachael Price, GE Smith and Justin Gulp, as well as a guest appearance by Bill Kreutzmann. While there was no “We Built this City”, fans heard the early catalog and hits, including “Volunteers,” “White Rabbit,” and “Somebody to Love,” with Price and Williams handling the vocals for the absent Grace Slick. Sadly, no “We Built This City” was performed, despite being quite apropos for the setting.

The highlight of the day was the Joe Cocker tribute, Mad Dog and his Englishmen, fronted by Tedeschi Trucks Band and featuring some 20 players on stage throughout the night playing songs off the album and allowing a wide range of musicians to pay tribute to the late Cocker. Among the many highlights was John Bell on lead for “Delta Lady,” a rousing chorus for “Let’s Go Get Stoned,” Leon Russell shining on “Space Captain”, a pair of Beatles covers – “Something” and “She Came in Through the Bedroom Window”, as well as the rearranged Beatles “With a Little Help from my Friends” closing the set in grand fashion. Fingers crossed that this performance is available as a DVD in the near future.

Per past attendees, the venue set up had changed, but descriptions of the past were moot. The layout of the grounds – ample food and beer vending in just the right spots, clothing and art vendors set up in an easily digestible manner – made for wandering during the non-stop music an available option, never having to leave the concert field to explore. Participation row and the main food tent had a distinctly local focus, as Lockn’s is striving to make the event a more regional festival that draws locals in a part of the country that is light on the large festivals, All Good aside. Stages were set up side by side, with only two late night options, one slightly more convenient than the other. Blue Ridge Bowl was home to Umphrey’s on Friday night and Gov’t Mule Saturday night, as well as Melvin Seals and JGB Saturday morning and Keller Williams Grateful Gospel Sunday morning. Garcia’s had it’s own tent with a late night selection of Grade A Jerry tunes, while the Woods Stage, well, the Woods Stage was far and was a less attractive option with Mickey Hart and EOTO one night and Hart with Steve Kimock the other. No doubt these sets were better than imagined, but a 10 minute walk late at night at a festival takes an hour, and with limited music late night, Blue Ridge Bowl and Garcia’s regulated well.

The music on Saturday was a start to finish day of the best Lockn’ had to offer, keeping patrons inside the concert grounds and focused on a barrage of big names and big hits. The funky smooth Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe satiated the crowd in the mid-afternoon, punctuated by Chuck Leavell sitting in for The Rolling Stones “Tumbling Dice.” A mellow Hot Tuna set preceded Bob Weir joining Tedeschi Trucks Band for a bluesy string of tunes including “Key to the Highway” and “Walkin’ Blues.”

Robert Plant and his Sensational Shape Shifters played a set of Zeppelin standards with a bluesy touch to the traditional tracks. “Black Dog” had a slight twist to it, Howlin’ Wolf’s “Spoonful” was a pleasant surprise, “Going to California” sounded as grand as ever and “Whole Lotta Love” and “Rock & Roll” were both crowd movers for an audience moved from their lawn chairs to rock out to Plant’s vocals and showmanship.

Widespread Panic kicked off their set with “Chainsaw City” and “Henry Parson’s Died” before heading into new material off Street Dogs, “Cease Fire,” “Jamais Vu,” “Honky Red,” and “Street Dogs for Breakfast.” Warren Haynes unsurprisingly joined the band for “Surprise Valley”, followed by Chuck Leavell sitting in for “And it Stoned Me” before the big guest of the night, Jimmy Cliff, graced the stage and gave the performance of the festival. His classics – “Sitting in Limbo,” “The Harder They Come,” “You Can Get it if you Really Want,” “Many Rivers to Cross,” – were not just sing-alongs for the audience but a time for Widespread Panic (as well as Leavell) to shine as the greatest backup band ever for the legendary Cliff. Covering The Clash’s “Guns of Brixton” was unexpected and energetic throughout, while the obligatory “I Can See Clearly Now” was preceded with an introduction from Cliff, “This one’s from the movie Cool Runnings,” to which the audience cheered wildly and the spirit of John Candy laughed joyfully among the crowd.

Billy and the Kids played their stand-alone Saturday night set, with “Peggy-O”, “Dancing in the Streets,” and an extended “Throwing Stones,” seguing into “Not Fade Away” to close the set. Being Lockn’, the interlocking festival, as Phil Lesh and Friends began their set moments later, they picked up the beat of “Not Fade Away” and built a jam off the Buddy Holly song as they worked into “Scarlet Begonias,” “Hard to Handle,” and “Good Morning Little Schoolgirl,” a love letter to some woman/women that evening. Carlos Santana joined John Molo and Barry Sless as Phil’s friends, and his performance (when not overshadowed by Warren Haynes) was a true treat. The guitar prowess of Santana has been heard for over 50 years and to some, this was the first time seeing the legend, whose rapid fire guitarwork was given room to breathe on “The Other One” and “All Along the Watchtower.” A standalone Santana set would be a welcome addition to Lockn’ 2016.

Sunday was a crisp, dry day as fall began to hit the Blue Ridge Mountains and layers became required for many. Fishbone’s energetic ska amped up the crowd for The Oh Hello’s and St Paul & The Broken Bones prior to Slightly Stoopid’s 4:20 set of reggae infused set that was as lively as expected. Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue matched Fishbone’s energy with the usual high-intensity set of New Orleans-tinged songs, notably “Feets Can’t Fail me Now,” “On Your Way Down,” and a cover of Green Day’s “Brain Stew.”

Gov’t Mule played a set of older songs, a few from The Deep End albums, “Thorazine Shuffle”, “Blind Man in the Dark,” featuring Jimmy Herring on guitar, and a closing “Soulshine” which featured a cover of Van Morrison’s “Tupelo Honey” sandwiched inside. A few newer tracks – “Endless Parade,” “Stoop so Low,” and the rock ballad “Captured,” all made for one of the tightest sets of Lockn’. Haynes shines proper when he is in the confines of his own band.

Widespread Panic performed nearly on par with the night before, with only Haynes joining the band mid-set for a rowdy “Ribs and Whisky,” and “Taildragger.” New songs “Steven’s Cat” and “Sell Sell” gave another taste of Street Dogs but the second half of the set was where the true heat and highlights lay. Thanks to Duane Trucks filling in for Todd Nance, Widespread Panic has found a career resurgence and a louder, more powerful rocking sound as they near their 30th year as a band. “Papa’s Home” > “Drums/Bass” > “Papa’s Home” followed by “Disco” > “Protein Drink” > “Sewing Machine” blasted the audience off through one classic Panic tune (Disco) and a pair of Vic Chestnutt songs (Protein/Sewing) that wade in the water of hard rock, something that has changed the Panic sound for the better in the past few years. Robert Plant closed the festival with less variety than previously suggested, but when its Robert Plant, who doesn’t mind hearing “Black Dog” a second time? For that, the audience had no complaints.

Overall, Lockn’ 2015 was a great success despite Mother Nature giving the festival an additional challenge before the gates opened. Aside from putting together a lineup for the ages, Lockn’ combined local flavor and influence as well as a Gathering of the Vibes-esque crowd to treat the Mid-Atlantic to a well-established festival experience to end the summer. With time, Lockn’ is likely to be the next Bonnaroo.

September 22, 2015
Burning Man 2015 Black Rock City, NV (NSFW)

Once a year, tens of thousands of people gather in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert to create Burning Man: Black Rock City, a temporary metropolis dedicated to community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance. In this crucible of creativity, all are welcome. Burning Man isn’t your usual festival. It’s a vibrant participatory metropolis generated by its citizens.

[FinalTilesGallery id=’418′]

September 19, 2015