Category: Folk/Americana

Dave Rawlings Cranking Up the Machine

Folk mastermind Dave Rawlings and his equally masterful wife Gillian Welch are making a lot of news lately, and it is music to the ears of fans everywhere.

First off, they accepted a Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting from the Americana Music Association. The award was presented at the association’s 2015 Honors & Awards ceremony on Wednesday at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, which will be broadcast later this year on PBS. Read Robyn Hitchcock’s incredible introduction to Dave and Gillian in full below (shared from Dave Rawlings Machine’s Facebook page).

They also released their new album, Nashville Obsolete, under the David Rawlings Machine moniker. Released today on Acony Records, it comprises seven compositions and, in addition to Rawlings and Welch, features the talents of Paul Kowert of the Punch Brothers on bass and label mate Willie Watson on vocals and guitar. It also includes guest appearances from Brittany Haas on fiddle and Jordan Tice on mandolin.

As if that weren’t enough to carry them through the week, they’ve also announced a fall tour that will span the country. All tickets went on sale today as well, so it was a big week for the couple! With stops in Buffalo, Ithaca, Albany and New York, fans in New York state will have multiple chances to catch the duo in action.

Full list of dates, reaching all the way into early 2016, are below:

Sun – 10/18 – Santa Barbara, CA @ Lobero Theatre
Mon – 10/19 – San Francisco, CA @ Warfield Theatre
Tue – 10/20 – Chico, CA @ Paradise Performing Arts Center
Wed – 10/21 – Eugene, OR @ McDonald Theater
Thu – 10/22 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
Sat – 10/24 – Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theatre
Sun – 10/25 – Missoula, MT @ The Wilma Theater
Mon – 10/26 – Billings, MT @ Babcock Theatre
Thu – 10/29 – St. Paul, MN @ Fitzgerald Theater
Fri – 10/30 – Madison, WI @ Capitol Theater
Sat – 10/31 – Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre
Sun – 11/1 – Detroit, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
Mon – 11/2 – Cleveland, OH @ Music Box Supper Club
Wed – 11/4 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Byham Theatre
Thu – 11/5 – Buffalo, NY @ Asbury Hall @ Babeville
Fri – 11/6 – Ithaca, NY @ State Theatre
Sat – 11/7 – Albany, NY @ Hart Theatre The Egg
Mon – 11/9 – Northampton, MA @ Calvin Theatre & Performing Arts
Wed – 11/11 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
Thu – 11/12 – S. Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
Fri – 11/13 – Portland, ME @ State Theatre
Sat – 11/14 – Providence, RI @ Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel
Mon – 11/16 – Boston, MA @ The Wilbur Theatre
Tue – 11/17 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
Thu – 11/19 – Washington, DC @ Lincoln Theatre
Fri – 11/20 – Charlottesville, VA @ Jefferson Theater
Sat – 11/21 – Richmond, VA @ The National
Sun – 11/22 – Durham, NC @ Durham Performing Arts Center
Tue – 11/24 – Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel
Wed – 11/25 – Knoxville, TN @ Tennessee Theatre
Sat – 12/26 – Chattanooga, TN @ Tivoli Theatre
Sun – 12/27 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
Mon – 12/28 – Birmingham, AL @ Iron City Music Hall
Tue – 12/29 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
Tue – 1/5 – Memphis, TN @ Minglewood Hall
Thu – 1/7 – Houston, TX @ Cullen Performance Hall
Fri – 1/8 – Dallas, TX @ Majestic Theatre
Sat – 1/9 – Austin, TX @ Paramount Theatre
Mon – 1/11 – Albuquerque, NM @ National Hispanic Cultural Center
Tue – 1/12 – Flagstaff, AZ @ Orpheum Theater
Wed – 1/13 – Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre
Thu – 1/14 – Scottsdale, AZ @ Scottsdale Center for Performing Arts
Sat – 1/16 – Los Angeles, CA @ Ace Hotel

September 18, 2015
Hearing Aide: Greg Pier ‘Three Bird Songs and Six More’

After having the absolute pleasure of reviewing his long-running band, Mandate of Heaven’s most recent work and anticipating their new release, Syracuse singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Greg Pier has released a solo outing, Three Bird Songs and Six More.

Released on July 25, 2015, all songs were written, performed, recorded, and mixed by Greg Pier at Neon Witch Studio, from 2013-2015. As stated on his bandcamp page, “The songs on this demo are inspired by the countryside of Onondaga and Oneida counties in central New York.” He lists his Townes Van Zant and Lightning Hopkins as influences, I’ll add my thoughts to that at the end. As a listener that was only recently introduced to his band, this is completely new and unexpected ground, expectations are high.

The acoustic guitar, when well played is like listening to three parts, melody, bass and metronome. It has a percussive accent and bass line from the right thumb, melody from the right fingers, direction and foundation from the left. It tells a story for the voice to sing about. “Kitty Kills the Cardinal” is a striking example right out of the box. You can almost feel the wind under the wings come from Pier’s soft, but steady, right hand and his voice changes character fluidly as the multiple perspectives play out their versions of demise. Right into “Amber Eyes” with a bit of a bounce belying the topic, but there’s an energy of change, renewal and introspection underlying. With the mist of a tambourine interlaced, Pier’s voice softens with the nylon strings and speaks in a voice of knowing.

“Blue Jay Blues” is just that, Pier flexes skills, sounding right at home with the blues, walking blues that is. It’s the feeling of motion while talking to a friend, in this case telling a story to the only ears listening. Verbalization of dreams is often the best way to attain them, no matter who the audience may be. “Fields of White” is bassy and percussive, it yearns to find shelter and safety for a child of desolation, all the while knowing the end is impossible to avoid. “Easy to Say” is one of my favorite picking patterns, it’s strong and aggressively attacked with both hands. It’s youthful and staunch, yet the protagonist is learning lessons deeply and painfully. The brash use of his B and E strings close distinctly cold, as cold as the dismissed heart.

“Prison Creek” gets a bit Delta Blues, reflected through the tone and timbre of the finger pick, combine that with the doubled vocals and it gets eerie, fast. The voice has a tinge of spirit presence, apparition-like, but somewhat soothing, foretelling, maybe that’s the hook. When it doubles it feels like doom. Then “Paper World” is lilting and lost, but eloquently said. Analogizing a love cycle to a paper map that’s easily torn. The sylph harmony at the end is faint in its agreement.

“Red-Winged Blackbird’”takes a first person position as the ever observant red-wing, wings beating furiously, rising, drifting, voiced by the acoustic while the notes he takes smolder out. The multiple tracks thicken both words and notes adding a element of pace. The multiple voicing is used very sparingly throughout, but nicely here in the bridge. The closer, “Spring Ponies” is perfect in its delivery and ability to let the mind wander attempting definition. It’s more free than that with its bounce and bravado, its push start and heralded arrival of spring.

Pier reaches for a different foothold securely. His vocal expression mixed with the varying patterns on the acoustic combine in a superb way. Whether light or dark, blues or otherwise, he sings and plays in colors all his own. He creates motion as well as emotional imagery in a style that is very distinct. His phrasing is deft, his playing is nimble and strong, the subtlety of the mix is near immaculate. There are moments that conjure thoughts of George Harrison, Elliot Smith and Nick Drake, John Fahey, Sufjan Stevens. Likewise with breaths of acoustic delta blues players, Mississippi John Hurt and Elizabeth Cotton. Pier certainly pays respect to his strongest influences, I really dig that and my favorite musicians consistently do it. He’s more than capable of whatever he wants musically, I wonder if this acoustic work coincides with fatherhood.

Key Tracks: Kitty Kills The Cardinal, Prison Creek, Red-Winged Blackbird

Please check out this and the rest of his extensive catalog at bandcamp (solo) facebook (MoH) and bandcamp (MoH).

September 16, 2015
Hearing Aide: Jason Isbell ‘Something More Than Free’

Two months ago roots-rocker Jason Isbell released his fifth studio album, Something More Than Free, and the record quickly topped Billboard’s rock, country, and folk charts after its July 17 drop date.

A follow-up to his 2013 album-of-the-year, Southeastern, the former Drive-By Trucker teamed up again with producer Dave Cobb, and the two created something more polished, identifiable— dare we say, genre-saving for new Nashville to embrace. The album captures the sounds of ’70s outlaw anthems, crooner acoustic ballads and small-town blues-rock with simple bass lines. Isbell’s raw vocals loosely dominate and demand careful attention. Never cryptic in his songwriting, Isbell “put down my fears on a page” and arranged those scribbled-down emotions into 11 solid tracks that pluck to the core of the human search for meaning.

With SMTF Isbell takes listeners on a 43-minute mental flashback from a more mature musician “hell-bent on growing up if it takes a lifetime” to the rebellious “22-backwoods-years-old” determined to find his sound. In songs like “24 Frames,” “Life You Chose,” “Speed Trap Town,” and “Children of Children” (note the nod to Led Zeppelin’s “Thank You”), Isbell weaves his autobiographical experience of loss, learning, growing, and salvaging the good into tender hymns for the underprivileged rural South and those struggling with addiction. And it’s this unapologetic courage to sound like nobody but himself that secures Isbell as a front-and-center fixture on Americana’s stage.

SMTF marks Isbell’s return as a focused, confident artist who’s at peace with his purpose and proves that a metamodern country boy can survive.

Key Tracks: 24 Frames, Life You Chose, Something More Than Free

September 14, 2015
Grayak and Yankee Blood Offer a Genuine Connection

The feathery, jazz-infused voice of Yankee Blood singer/bassist Ruth Kelly, supported by guitarist/vocalist James Karp and drummer Adam Verone, filled downtown Funk ‘n Waffles Thursday, September 3, with a lighthearted yet full sound that would never suggest they were short a keyboardist. A healthy crowd had gathered even before Yankee Blood got the show started, who were opening for local band Grayak. All three musicians casually donning t-shirts and jeans, the lazy, bluesy feel of their second song, “Sioux City” got the crowd swaying in an almost dream-like state.

They performed a brand new song titled “Savage,” which will be included on their EP coming out in October. The track started off as a slow rock number, but carried out a heavy instrumental buildup with head bang worthy beats. The egg crate stuffed into the bass drum quivered in approval. After their performance of “Blue Eyed Lover,” Kelly divulged how she normally plays the tune on upright bass, but winged it (very successfully) on her red lacquered Gretsch hollow-body electric bass.

Yankee Blood’s second to last song, “Beekeeper,” will also be featured on their EP. Kelly made sure to alert the crowd of Karp’s ironic fear of bees before adding that once the EP is out, copies will be distributed with jars of honey. Her witty quips between songs revealed an endearing and sharp sense of humor, painting the trio as the sort of people that would be fun to hang out with and share a few beers. Softly crooning the line “I want someone to love,” during “Beekeeper,” followed a theme present in several Yankee Blood songs concerning an honest yearning to share such tenderness with someone.

The five members of Grayak, who had been mingling in the crowd during Yankee Blood’s set, coalesced on stage to commence part two of the evening’s entertainment. Frontman Phil Grajko, sporting suspenders and a metal canteen slung across his torso, looked ready to embark on an intense musical expedition. Thinking logically, he opted to set the canteen by his feet rather than trying to rock it while simultaneously playing guitar. With Hannah Grajko assisting on vocals, Brendan Gosson on fiddle and mandolin, Blake Propst on upright bass and Tyler Dattmore on drums, they opened their set with a bouncy, optimistic tune titled “Seek It Still.” It describes a personal quest of persistence and determination to find truth and meaning in the world even if the path is rough.

The song functioned as a fitting kickoff for Grayak, a project which Grajko has been nurturing for quite some time, often playing solo, but finally able to showcase with a full ensemble. The crowd, heavily speckled with friends and fans whom have seen Grajko develop and transform his musical repertoire over the years, welcomed the distinctive guitar/fiddle intro to “Have a Beautiful Now,” quickly getting into a flowy dance groove and happily singing along to a song many audience members share a personal connection to.

The more reggae-style instrumentation during “Maya” provided a slight divergence and nice addition to the folk-centered genre Grayak largely falls under. The playful fiddle part literally chases the lyrics “I run, I run, I run…” adding an intriguing audio element that emphasizes the vocals. Before beginning “Together” Grajko announced, as he always does, “This is a love song but it’s also sort of about the apocalypse.” The introduction usually provokes people to smile and possibly feel slightly confused. After the song concluded, Grajko noted his musical troupe has only been playing together for a few weeks, adding to the impressiveness of their collaboration. The band polished off their set with Grayak’s title track, “Made of Light.” Opening with a low-key bass solo, the lyrics speak to the connectedness of humankind. It slowly builds with up-tempo guitar and runaway fiddle parts that might make someone wish they were standing in a breezy meadow on a warm summer’s day.

September 11, 2015
Amy Helm and Dr. John and the Nite Trippers at Central Park Summerstage

Nestled in a wooded area of NYC’s Central Park in the area of East 70th St., Rumsey Playfield has played host as one of the City Parks Foundation’s Summerstage venues in the series’ 30th season in 2015. Recently on a bright summer afternoon with plenty of shade at Rumsey Playfield, the Summerstage series welcomed a fantastically paired bill of Amy Helm and Dr. John & The Nite Trippers.

The free show (some Summerstage shows are free, others ticketed) drew in a generationally diverse crowd, surprisingly so for the styles of music on stage. The music proved timeless with older folks grooving along to Dr. John’s signature New Orleans sound just as much as the younger folks were off their smart phones, diving into the music as well.

For Amy Helm and her band, this show was a sort of respite back home after being on the road for a while. The Woodstock native played a mix of cover songs and material off of her debut album, Didn’t It Rain. Her glowing presence on stage wasn’t complete without the presence of her late father, Levon Helm, his first name branded on her guitar strap in small letters between the larger letters of the last name they both share.

NYC may be some 1,300 miles away from New Orleans and void of beignets and baked ham sandwiches from Mother’s, but when Dr. John took the stage in his suit and colorfully decorated hat it seemed like a small piece of the French Quarter took over the nook of Central Park. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member and New Orleans native boasted a cool confidence in his performance while backed by a talented band, each member entwining their talent for a wholesome show.

The Summerstage Series continues throughout NYC’s five boroughs through the first week of August with some remarkable acts yet to come. Check out their full schedule here.

Amy Helm Setlist

Didn’t It Rain, Roll Away, Rescue Me, Roll The Stone, Gentling Me, Atlantic City (Springsteen Cover), Deep Water, When the Battle is Over (Aretha Franklin cover), Slippin’ and Slidin’ (Little Richard cover), Meet Me in the Morning (Bob Dylan cover), Gloryland, Good News (Sam Cooke cover)

Dr. John & The Nite Trippers Setlist

Croaker Courtbullion, Iko Iko, Mardi Gras Day, Eleggua, Monkey Speaks, Going Back to New Orleans, Big Shot, Splinters, Right Place, Mama & Papa, Wonderful World, Mac the Knife, Do You Call the Buddy, Old Settlers, Goodnight Irene, Black Widow Spider, Big Chief

Amy Helm

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Dr. John & The Nite Trippers

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August 12, 2015
Keller Williams Announces Fall Tour and New Trio

Singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Keller Williams is gearing up for another tour, now celebrating his 20th year creating music. His fall tour will start at the end of August and will feature the brand new Keller Williams Trio with friends Bob Wasserman and Rodney Holmes.

When not playing with the trio, Keller will be performing with some of his side projects including Keller and the Keels, Keller Williams’ Grateful Gospel, and funk project Keller Williams with More Than a Little. His bands will be making stops at festivals such as Lockn’ Festival, Luna Light and Magnolia Fest, among others. As if that wasn’t enough, Keller will also be solo headlining clubs along the way.

Over Thanksgiving weekend, Keller will host an all-star lineup of bluegrass friends for “Thanksforgrassgiving” on Nov. 27 and 28. Joining him will be Travis Book and Chris Pandolfi (The Infamous Stringdusters), Larry Keel, Jason Carter (Del McCoury Band) and Jay Starling (Love Cannon). Catch this bluegrass extravaganza at The National in Richmond, Virginia on the 27th and the 9:30 Club in D.C. on the 28th.

Fans in Buffalo can see the Keller Williams Trio on Sept. 26 at The Tralf. For tickets, tour dates and other information, visit Keller’s website.

August 5, 2015
Grace Potter Proves She’s “Got The Medicine That Everybody Wants” In Canandaigua

After the very first verse of the very first song, there is no doubt that Grace Potter is the real deal. I have seen some female fronted bands where the incredibly pretty woman is scantily clad, she barely sings, she strums the same open note on her guitar over and over again and struts around the stage much to the delight of the men in the audience.

Take that pathetic image and reverse it completely and you have Grace Potter. Potter is beautiful in a tasteful, sultry way, when she opens up her lungs, it’s similar to a pipe organ filling a church with flawlessly designed acoustics, she absolutely rocks her Gibson Flying V guitar and she dances in her heels or barefoot in a delightful free spirited way that evokes the crowd to join her. Did I mention she has the best rock n roll howl in the business?

I enjoyed every minute of the two hour set that Potter and her current back-up band performed Sunday night at the Constellation Brands-Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center (CMAC). Potter took the stage to a roar of applause despite a rather light crowd. The amazing thing about Potter is the amount of time she spends singing with no break. She ripped right through a sixteen song set list with little reprieve. When she wasn’t singing her heart out, she was wailing on her guitar, hammering away on the piano, shaking her tambourine or shaking her booty. She was working hard up on the stage but managed to make it look effortless.

Potter and company played a variety of genres of music from what sounded like modern country, a bit of blues, love ballads and good old rock and roll. I am convinced that with Potter’s range and vocal ability that she can pull off just about anything. She showcased her vocals in “Timekeeper,” “Stars” and “Delirious” a cut off of her upcoming release Midnight. My favorite song of the evening was “Loneliest Soul” off The Lion The Beast The Beat. With its unusual riffs and almost whiney beats combined with Potters melancholy, symphonic voice, it created almost a spiritual effect. It gave me goosebumps.

Other highlights of the evening included fast paced “Medicine” “Hot Summer Night” and a moving version of “Nothing But the Water.” Grace Potter is known for throwing in a hodge podge of cover songs in her live performances. She has run the gamut from Rod Stewart’s “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy,” to Johnny Cash’s “God’s Gonna Cut You Down.” The crowd at CMAC was graced with Potter’s version of The Rolling Stone’s “Gimme Shelter” that was sure to make Mick Jagger proud. Potter ended the evening with fan favorite “Paris (Ooh La La).”

I don’t often make recommendations when it comes to music, but if you have not listened to Grace Potter, please take a moment to go check out some of her live stuff. There’s plenty on YouTube. I was blown away by everything about her. Also, don’t forget she has her new solo album titled Midnight being released at midnight on August 14, 2015.

August 4, 2015
An Evening With The Lone Bellow

On a warm Friday night in June, a fairly packed house at The Egg‘s smaller room, The Swyer Theatre, The Lone Bellow were just as excited to be in Albany as Albany was excited to see them.

With lots of smiles, jokes, and music, the five piece band based out of Brooklyn wowed the crowd for close to two hours. Starting the evening off Zach Williams, Kanene Donehey Pipkin, and Brian Elmquist came to the stage and surrounded a mic to deliver three songs with just acoustic guitars and beautiful harmonies. This would happen again near the end of the show in the crowd and for the encore. The way the three of their voices blend together is gorgeous and needs to be heard by people who love music.

After Jason Pipkin and Justin Glasco, Bass and drums respectively came out, the evening turned from a folk vibe to full on rock and roll. The band played much of the material from the two albums they have released so far and many in the audience knew every word. Zach has a lot of energy and engages the crowd at all times, almost like a preacher making sure his sermon is heard while Brian plays the guitar like there is nothing else in the world for him to do. Kanene, when she was not switching instruments be it keys, mandolin, or bass, soothed the souls of the crowd with her fantastic voice.

The band had to restart parts of songs a couple of times, but they took it in stride and joked with the crowd about it, giving the evening a relaxed feeling and that it’s all part of the show. The Lone Bellow was on fire all evening and when they come back to Albany, which hopefully will be sooner than later, it would not be surprising to see them playing to bigger audiences once word gets out about what people missed out on.

July 15, 2015
Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance, Gem of the Finger Lakes

The Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance, taking place this weekend in Trumansburg, NY, is celebrating its 25th anniversary. What started as an event to raise funds for charity has evolved into the gem of the New York festival circuit.

Set within the Finger Lakes region, near Cayuga Lake and surrounded by the Taughannock Falls State Park, just 10 miles north of Ithaca the charitable, eco-conscious, music and art celebration will be held July 16-19.

Not only does Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance offer a stellar lineup year after year, and an interactive kids area, community based arts and crafts programs, and ties to charities — they work hard each year to move towards being a zero-waste festival. Every piece of table wear is compostable. Compost bins are located throughout the festival making it simple for festival goers to participate.

The charities that receive funding from Grassroots change from time to time but some of the most recent recipients include: Doctors Without Borders, State Theater of Ithaca, Ithaca Youth Bureau, Food Studies Institute, Sustainable Tompkins, Center for the Arts of Homer, Hospicare, Taughannock Soccer Club, and so many more. Grassroots is more than an annual festival to the Trumansburg community, its part of and an active participant of it.

With nearly 60 bands on four stages, this year’s lineup will have something for everyone, one of the characteristics of this festivals that ranks it so high on the list of ‘must see’ events in our area. The 25th anniversary headliners include: Donna The Buffalo, Steve Earle, and Trombone Shorty & New Orleans Avenue. Also appearing this year will be: Cabinet, Jimkata, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, John Brown’s Body, Sim Redmond Band, The Horse Flies, Thunderbody, Sophistafunk, and many more.

Tickets, both 4-day and single day options are still available online and at select ticket outlets, and at the gate for you late comers. Sadly, as it always does, inside camping is sold out, but there are still off-site camping options still available. Check the festival website for camping ticket details and availability.

NYS Music will be on site all weekend with live updates and highlights, follow us on social media for everything Grassroots. We are so excited to be a part of this beautiful event with all the other eco-conscious music lovers. See you there!

July 14, 2015
The Fifth Annual Frendly Gathering: Where Friendship Comes First

The fifth annual Frendly Gathering was held the last weekend of June at beautiful defunct ski mountain Timber Ridge Resort in the Green Mountains of Southern Vermont. With professional snowboarders Jack Mitrani and Danny Davis at the helm, Frendly set out to bring the masses together for a weekend of incredible music, camping, skateboarding, delicious food, yoga and most importantly, inclusiveness. With the motto “there is no ‘I’ in frends,” the festival was true to its word and brought out the best in their attendees.

For those who bought early arrival passes for Thursday, there was noteworthy music already happening once they were shuttled to the grounds. Devesh Duo Band and Gold Town welcomed Frendly goers setting up camp, followed by Burlington favorites Dead Set . With their unique renditions of classic Grateful Dead tunes, they got the bodies moving during the first beautiful sunset of Frendly Gathering.

Billed as The Smooths, Mihali Savoulidis of Twiddle and Todd Stoops took the stage for a unique, smile-inducing set. A cast of characters joined in on the fun for “Frends Theme,” including Jack and Danny, Ryan Dempsey of Twiddle and Jack’s brother Luke Mitrani. The crowd was full of energy, singing along with every word. The magic began to swell, and it was only a matter of time before the rest of the masses would fill the mountain with hugs, smiles and high-fives.

By Friday morning, it was apparent that people were anxious and ready for the headliners of the weekend, Twiddle. Mihali did several solo shows in the Martin Guitar Dome where anyone could pick up a guitar and play throughout the weekend. But Mihali’s kid’s set in the dome was certainly something special, with the tiniest of Twiddle fans singing every word. The kid’s set really proved that the Gathering wanted every single attendee, from little to big, to be included in the magic. Even Ben and Jerry’s were in on the fun, handing out free ice cream throughout the weekend.

The Wood Stage, set in the dense forest with a giant teepee covering the stage, was the scene of some incredible shows on Friday. New Jersey natives Sleepy Man, consisting of a trio of brothers ranging from age 12 to 17, put on a show that left the masses boggled at what they had witnessed. Spitting out folk and bluegrass like they had been playing for 20 years, Sleepy Man left no stone unturned. The crowd was electric, showing their pride for Frendly’s youngest act. Following Sleepy Man was the sultry sounds of Kat Wright and the Indomitable Soul Band. The eight-piece band sent horns blaring through the mountain, giving people the classic soul sounds sure to get them on their feet and dancing. Jumping back to the Woods Stage, Montana bluegrass band The Kitchen Dwellers took bluegrass to an entirely different level, blending psychedelia and bluegrass effortlessly.

Friday’s lineup was stacked, including Moon Hooch, Valerie June, Spirit Family Reunion and Canyon Collected. Each keeping the energy high, they were only paving the road for what would become an epic evening at Frendly. Heavy-hitting funk band Kung Fu brought the hammer down on Friday night, with new keyboardist Beau Sasser’s Hammond organ giving the crowd exactly what they were craving. The jam-funk brought the energy level at Frendly to new highs, especially when Mihali of Twiddle came on stage for “Hollywood Kisses,” which of course turned into “Mihaliwood Kisses.” After a full day of dancing and high energy acts, the crowd was still very ready for the headliners of the weekend: Twiddle.

If you were looking to hear your favorite Twiddle song, then they were anxious to give it to you. Opening with “Gatsby the Great,” Twiddle came out swinging. Every single person at the venue was on a Twiddle high, singing along and throwing the now-famous “peak” in the air. Torrin Daniels, banjo master from the Kitchen Dwellers, jumped in adding that extra something to an already incredible Twiddle set. Closing out the night with an epic version of “All Along the Watchtower,” no one left without a smile from ear to ear.

Singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and beat-boxer Lynx brought it all home Friday night after Twiddle. Her voice carried through the mountains, even to those too weary to stand after a heavy first day. It wouldn’t be the last we saw of Lynx though, as she played throughout the weekend on several stages, even making a stop in the Martin Guitar Dome.

Saturday came, and with it, some rain. But that didn’t stop the masses from doing their morning yoga and dancing to the incredible music that was to follow. If you were up early enough, your day began with a marching band down the mountain including Twiddle and Jack Mitrani and Danny Davis. As you hopped on the train, it led you down to the pond where Twiddle played to everyone huddled around the tiny body of water. It was an incredible way to kick off the final day, with everyone wearing their weary smiles with pride. The day was riddled with fantastic music, including Americana favorites The Kalob Griffin Band hailing from Philadelphia and an intimate Burton TeePee set from Nahko (of Nahko and Medicine for the People). Turkuaz took the Frendly Stage and before you knew it, the ultimate dance party erupted. Their horn-heavy funk eruption had a sea of people dancing effortlessly. Jumping back to the Wood Stage, soul band Con Brio kept the feet moving with their old-school approach to soul and funk.

In the middle of all the activities and music, there was some very important charity work being done by organizations like Love Your Brain and the newly-founded White Light Foundation. White Light raffled off Twiddle and Burton goods, raising over $2000 for the Kurn Hattin Homes for Children and Love Your Brain. If you bought even just one ticket, you could feel the good being passed on to those in need.

Even when the rain began to fall on Saturday evening, people gathered around for the inspiring international music of Nahko and Medicine for the People. The rain certainly did not deter fans from being included in the soul-healing music of Nahko. If anything, it was a welcomed sign from Mother Nature that we were all in it together.

Still the rain fell, but it did not stop every single person on the mountain from witnessing the final night of Twiddle. The crowd’s collective voices rang through the rain for songs like “Frankenfoot” and “Jamflowman.” It was magical, to say the least. Frendly Gathering most certainly delivered, paying homage to the ties that bind music-lovers together. If you came in with one friend, you left with many. If you came with the stresses of daily life on your shoulders, you left without them. Jack and Danny created the ultimate festival experience in the middle of Vermont, leaving everyone anxious for next year’s Gathering.

If you’re interested in seeing what all the fun was about, check out Frendly Presents YouTube channel, which has high-definition recaps of the entire weekend.

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July 13, 2015