Category: Music Festivals

Vote in MarchSCampness from SummerCamp & Win Tickets and More!

We are deep into March Madness and the counselors at Summer Camp have launched their own March SCampness.

Fans of the Midwest festival on Memorial Day weekend are encouraged to vote for their favorite aspects of Summer Camp. Voting also enters fans in contests for VIPupgrades, Red Barn late night tickets, Thursday pre-party tickets, and more! Round 2 voting is now open through Wednesday, March 23!

Counselor Carmel shed some light on the MarchSCampness:

We really wanted to highlight the uniqueness of Summer Camp. There are a lot of festivals out there, but not many of them have survived as long as Summer Camp has. There are these deep seeded elements that add to our community and traditions that keep us all coming back every year. This will be my 12th. The idea came about from Brad and was an evolution of a Umphrey’s McGee bracket we did last year in our Summer Camp group. That was an idea of Alex, one of our Camp Counselors. We had such a good response that festival management wanted to take it one step further this year.

Of the remaining rounds, the Sweet Sixteen ends tonight, Wednesday, March 23. The Elite Eight runs Thursday, March 24 until Saturday, March 26. Voting for the Final Four will be held Sunday, March 27 through Tuesday, March 29. And the Championship round will last two days: Wednesday, March 30 and Thursday, March 31.

Prizes include SCamp Merch Packages (five winners), Thursday pre-party tickets (three winners), pair of Red Barn late night tickets of your choice (two winners), and VIP Upgrade with your choice of Red Barn late night tickets (two winners). Read more about the rules here.

March 23, 2016
Rock n Roll Resort Releases Schedule, Announces Artists at Large

Rock n Roll Resort v6 “Low Key” has released their schedule for this weekend’s festivities and with hardly any overlapping sets, there’s no excuse to not get down with your friends this weekend in the Catskills!

On Friday night, things get started in the Acoustic Lounge with some Phish via Uncle Ebenezer, along with Cousin Earth’s funky earth sounds, and Outer Style. The Empire Lounge heats up with Fat Bradley in the Empire Lounge and some funk shortly after via Formula 5. Hayley Jane and the Primates kick off the night in the Manhattan Theatre, followed by the first of three Max Creek sets this weekend. The music doesn’t stop until dawn with Roxy Roca, Teddy Midnight and Funkadelic Astronaut stretchin the night until day.

Saturday has music starting at 11am for the early risers! Don’t miss Goose, Black Mountain Symphony and Mister F as they start your day off right. New England favorites The Kind Buds start their set promptly at 4:20, right before Master of Ceremonies Honeycomb demonstrates some of the best beatboxing in the Northeast. Two more sets of Max Creek and a pair from West End Blend span the night in the Theater, while Clevland’s Broccoli Samuari hits the Lounge at 10pm, followed by Chromatropic and Space Bacon. Don’t miss psychedelic duo The Balkun Brothers or The Other Brothers (no relation), the latter hailing from nearby New Paltz and ready to fill your ears with soul.

Artists at Large include members of Beau Sasser’s Escape Plan, Danny “Soul Train” Meyer and Mary Corso. Danny is a founding member of On The Spot Trio, and is currently with Beau Sasser’s Escape Plan & formerly of Alan Evans’ Playonbrother (2012-2015). Mary Corso, the lead vocalist for Beau Sasser’s Escape Plan & founding member of her own band Broca’s Area. Mary and Danny have recently worked together in a new project called Danny Mayer Trio featuring members of Turkuaz & Nth Power.

March 22, 2016
Aura Music and Arts Festival Stacks the Collabs at Suwannee

Although festivals are scheduled all year round, if you’re from New York, you typically kick things off in May or June. But, if you’re willing to travel south to a magical place called the Spirit of Suwannee Music Park, festival season starts early – this year with The Disco Biscuits and Thievery Corporation as headliners at Aura Music and Arts Festival.

Aura drew us in on March 3-5 with its incredibly stacked lineup, sunshine and rumors of perhaps something bigger to be discovered. Everything seemed to fall in place throughout the trip, from something as small as a free burrito bowl at Tijuana Flats to a chance encounter that would lead to a dozen new best friends. This festival’s namesake is vibrant, full of light and overwhelmingly positive.

Like most festivals, the first day of Aura brings a heightened sense of excitement. Guests find the perfect spot to camp under draping live oaks, walk the more than 500 acres of festival grounds and plan their strategy for attending their favorite sets. The park feels like an enchanted forest out of a fairy tale and the guests as happy as royalty attending a special kind of ball.
We kicked off Thursday with a passionate set from Florida’s own Greenhouse Lounge at the Amphitheater Stage. The electronic trio gave it their all for their last performance as a band, while welcoming their former drummers Jason Hunnicut who now runs the 1904 Music Hall in Jacksonville and Scotty Zwang, now of Dopapod who came to Aura as an “artist at large” (AAL).

Fusik of Jacksonville delivered an upbeat and funky set in the vibe tent, covering The Talking Heads’ “Born Under Punches” and preparing the crowd for ultimate cover band Pink Talking Fish. PTF is the perfect night-one band by seamlessly blending favorites from each beloved group.

The Werks were a major draw for us, having only seen them once before, but making appearances in our earbuds on the regular. Unfortunately, the only rain of the whole weekend decided to come down mid-way through a powerful “Duck Farm,” After only three songs, the Werks were forced to call it quits as fans ran for cover.

By late morning on Friday, the Florida sun dried things out. Georgia natives Dank delivered a hard-rocking set, reminiscent of the progressive rock style of Umphrey’s McGee. Crazy Fingers provided the familiar and beloved sounds of the Grateful Dead, while welcoming guitarist Ben Sparco for the later half of the set, who was clearly still feeling the adrenaline from his own set earlier that afternoon.

Mike Dillon brings a wild stage presence during his bands set, preceding an incredible show from Animal Liberation Orchestra (ALO). They are joined by Carly Meyers and Adam Gertner of ROAR for one of the best sets of the weekend just in time to release their new album Follow the Yarn.

Particle delivered a stellar performance keeping the tempo of Escort’s “Cocaine Blues” throughout the majority of the set. At the same time, a special project called Nunchuck!, consisting of Mike Dillon, Craig Brodhead of Turkuaz and again Chuck Jones and Scotty Zwang of Dopapod, did something unique in the Vibe Tent. The “psychedelic punk rock” set was more quirky than it was tight leaving the crowd giggling, and blushing when Dillon “tea bagged” his own drum. (Yes, this happened.)

The New Deal and Thievery Corporation both had beautiful stage presence with lasers and lights for days. However it was Turkuaz that stole the show Friday night. The nine-piece funk outfit from Brooklyn, NY filled the Porch Stage with a powerful and truly fun set. Artists at large Jennifer Hartswick and trombone player Natalie Cressman of Trey Anastasio Band brought the brass to the party.

On Saturday, Broccoli Samurai of Ohio welcomed artists at large Chuck Jones and Scotty Zwang of Dopapod adding to the delight of fans. The Heavy Pets brought us back to the 80’s covering Paul Simon, David Bowie, Thomas Dolby and R.E.M. Jennifer Hartswick and Natalie Cressman sat in as well.

Tom Hamilton’s American Babies welcomed Aaron Magner of the Disco Biscuits on the keys for a rendition of “The Wheel” into their own “Joelene” and back to “The Wheel.”

Two-time Grammy-award winners Snarky Puppy was an experience in itself. The 13-member jazz/funk group is more of an orchestra than it is a band. Keeping with the guest appearances, they welcomed Dillon on percussion and again Hartswick and Cressman for an outstanding version of “Quartermaster.”

The festival culminated with two sets of jamtronica giants The Disco Biscuits. Tom Hamilton helped them kick off the first set with “Scarlet Begonias” and “I Know You Rider.” “Pimp Blue Rikki” was a surprise to many leading into the ending of “Morph Dusseldorf.” Hartswick and Cressman joined tDB for “Funky Town” before taking a set break. The second set was geared towards the masses picking up again with “Morph Dusseldorf” and weaving in and out of Caterpillar with “A Fifth of Beethoven.” The laser light show was out of this world reflecting off the woodsy amphitheater.

Throughout the weekend, both on stage and off, collaboration seemed to be a key theme. We ended our experience gathered around our own campfire we collectively built with a family who just days before were complete strangers. We came for the music, but we left so much, much more.

[FinalTilesGallery id=’673′]
[FinalTilesGallery id=’674′]
[FinalTilesGallery id=’675′]
[FinalTilesGallery id=’676′]
[FinalTilesGallery id=’677′]

March 12, 2016
Xponential Music Festival Announces Lineup

Now in its 12th year at Wiggins Park on the Camden waterfront, the Xponential Music Festival has again expanded its festival grounds to include BB&T Pavilion. The annual three-day, two-venue festival will be held July 22 to 24, with another noteworthy lineup just announced.

Member-supported radio station WXPN has again partnered with Live Nation to bring a slew of national acts to the scenic waterfront festival.

With the purchase of a 3-Day Go Everywhere Pass, festival goers will have access to all three concerts held at the BB&T Pavilion, in addition to all three days at Wiggins Park. The first night will host Ryan Adams and Kurt Vile and Violators. Night two will include recent Grammy-nominated Alabama Shakes and Gary Clark Jr., with special guest Chicano Batman. The final night includes a special performance by Brandi Carlile and Old Crow Medicine Show, with special guest case/lang/veirs.

Two stages at Wiggins Park will host dozens of bands and solo artists, including Josh Ritter & the Royal City Band, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, the Felice Brothers, Father John Misty (solo), Femi Kuti & the Positive Force, the Districts, The Record Company, David Wax Museum, the Suffers, Darlingside and Low Cut Connie. Keeping true to tradition, many artists are featured regularly on WXPN and can attribute a measurable amount of popularity to being on their airwaves.

The festival is easily accessed by public transportation, with a number of activities for kids and families and an extensive selection of food, drinks and vendors. Resting on a natural amphitheater with pristine acoustics, Wiggins Park has a beautiful view of the Delaware River and accompanying Philadelphia skyline.

Reserved and lawn seating are now available through Ticketmaster.com, the BB&T Pavilion box office or by calling 800-745-3000. In addition to the reserved seat and lawn tickets, weekend passes for Wiggins Park-only concerts will be offered. Upgrade options will be available for a limited time, including a new option to upgrade to reserved seating for each night at BB&T Pavilion.

March 8, 2016
The Monsters of Rock Cruise: The Best Of and The Big Disappointment

“Basically, I don’t do anything profound at all, all I do is play shapes.” –A humble George Lynch said dressed in a casual jogging suit during his guitar clinic on the third day of this year’s Monsters of Rock Cruise.

This particular expedition was all about the ‘shredder’, the guitarist. Legendary names like Steve Vai, Akira Takahashi, Michael Angelo Batio, Vinnie Moore, George Lynch, Gus G all boarded this boat of mayhem to play, meet fans, provide classes or guitar clinics and rock the hell out.

Many veteran cruisers said this was the favorite out of all five-cruise experiences, the weather was stellar, the vibe was calm and the crowd was smaller and more intimate. From non-stop concerts on 4 stages, guitar clinics/classes, Meet and Greets, Q&A with the Artists, Charity benefits and excursions to Nassau and our private island, how could one have a bad time?

The talent on this year’s cruise was unprecedented, almost all the artists blew my mind, Helloween, Gus G, Y&T, Hellion, Tesla, Extreme, Armored Saint, Hardcore Superstar were all incredible. But alas there are only so many words to go around, here are some highlighted moments that caught my eye and ear, followed by an unfortunate big disappointment.

Best Cathartic Experience: Queensryche

Some call them progressive rock, others say hard rock and yet others peg them as a heavy metal band. It’s hard to sum up their wall of sound, harmonic guitars, tribal drumming and melodic bass lines. They’re signature sound is so unique, so categorizing them seems inane; they are the category for others to follow suit.

Each incendiary performance on the Pearl was a mix of vintage Queensryche and new Queensryche, but always littered with tracks from one of the greatest conceptual albums of all time, “Operation Mindcrime”. However, their new material from “Condition Human” is some of their strongest work to date.

Scott Rockenfield (Drums) and Eddie Jackson (Bass) are the foundation and ground the band firmly, while guitarists Michael Wilton and Parker Lundgren are the spine of Queensryche, the layers upon layers upon layers of melodies and harmonies are masterfully intertwined giving them that signature sound that is Queensryche.

Singer, Todd LaTorre has become such a solid part of the quintet, there are only two words from here, “Geoff Who?” I had the honor to interview Mr. Tate during his last tour and when I asked him, “What do you do to take care of your voice?” He smiled and said, “Nothing” and then proceeded to take a big drag off his cigar. Don’t get me wrong, Tate is an icon, but sometimes icons need to step aside. LaTorre meticulously takes care of his voice to ensure he is in perfect pitch night after night, that being said, his impressive vocal abilities run the spectrum and reaches places that Tate hasn’t been in years.

Queensryche offers a true cathartic experience. Aligned with the ritualistic undertones of the music, one might feel as if taken on a journey through space and time, but left with questions about the world, love and the human condition…and that spin cycling guitar melody you just can’t quite get out of your head.

Best Hardcore Yoga: Metal Church

I asked the bands and fans, who, in your opinion, is the heaviest and hardest band on this cruise? Across the board, Metal Church was the answer.

Metal Church comes to the cruise with a few big announcements right now. One is the return of singer, Mike Howe after 20 years AND a brand new album with Howe called “XI”. All pretty big news…

I expected Metal Church to melt my face off on the pool stage that night and I am pleasantly surprised that my face is still intact. Don’t get me wrong, their music is heavy with political and sociological overtones, it’s melodic, rich, dark and a little evil, but there also exists this calm, like a rumbling thunder or a deep shifting of tectonic plates, I was surprised of the grounded feeling it brought along with that high power and intensity.

In a brief conversation with return vocalist Mike Howe, I tried to explain how it was different than I expected, I wasn’t being very clear and then he summed it all up for me. He said, “It’s meant to be a sort of yoga.” Genius.

Howe’s vocals are as pristine as they were over 20 years ago, if not better with maturity adding a little bit of an edge. Howe has a peaceful, happy go lucky attitude and a contagious bop onstage, but happy or not, his vocals could not only break a glass but slice right through metal. Guitarist, Kurdt Vanderhoof, genius behind the music and backbone of the band, plays warm, calming melodies one minute followed by vibrating, razor edged notes the next. The dichotomy of musical styles and arrangements really lend to an amazing auditory experience not to be missed.

Best Whirling Dervish: Michael Monroe

Upon hearing Michael Monroe was added to this hardcore/thrasher/shredder cruise, my first thought was- interesting choice. Truth be told, regardless of the fact Hanoi Rocks changed the face of rock and roll in the 80’s and inspired bands from the Sunset Strip to the Lower East Side, I hadn’t heard or thought about Michael Monroe since the old days, that seemed like another lifetime ago. And now I can’t stop thinking about him.

When Eddie Trunk (or nicknamed on this cruise, Eddie Drunk) introduced Mr. Monroe, he said Monroe’s last three albums are the best of his whole catalog, including when he was in Hanoi Rocks. Their set, of course, ran the gamut, from the new Monroe material as well as some older Hanoi anthems. New songs like “Goin’ Down with the Ship” (which I’m slightly addicted to it’s looping melody), “Ballad of the Lower East Side” and “Old King’s Road” are fresh, clean, precise, but still possessing that Hanoi/Monroe edge.

Monroe is an incredible performer; onstage he is a whirling dervish with endless exuberance and excitement that cannot be contained. He is a joy to watch and experience and he raised the vibration of the theater that night with his pure, contagious animation.

His band of vagabonds are great musicians as well. Legendary bassist, Sammy Yaffa and drummer, Karl Rockfist have been with Monroe the longest and serve as a grounding cord for Monroe’s spinning energy. Newcomers, Rich Jones and Steve Conte (Guitars) are a perfect fit for this quintet. Cruisers could just not stop talking about Michael Monroe and his band, certainly before out of anticipation and wonderment, but definitely after as well. And for the ones that missed them, you can catch them all over Finland and parts of Europe over the next couple months.

Best Alien Love Songs: Steve Vai

Being face to face in the lounge with Steve Vai for the better part of an hour was like being in the presence of a creative master. He seemed to be the largest pull for all our Meet and Greets on the ship and each person who entered the radius of his being was met with kindness and respect. He is a centered soul and while he methodically made his tea just the way he likes, it didn’t flutter him in the least to take note that forty people were standing by silently witnessing him do this mundane task.

We were and are mesmerized by him; as a mere mortal and an onstage showman.

An 18 year old Vai started his career with Zappa, then David Lee Roth, on to Whitesnake followed by a slew of solo work, including eight studio albums. Some might think watching a Vai show without a ‘David Lee Roth-type’ would be uneventful, quite the contrary, it’s an out of this world experience and Vai is the creator of this journey. He took us to other worlds and even other galaxies, and all with the sounds of one guitar. He was whimsical, he was fun and he was a creative genius. If George Lynch plays shapes, Steve Vai plays alien love songs and is an out of this world master of the guitar.

The Best Divine Connection: Doro

With bands scheduled back-to-back in all four venues all day, sound check happens in the Stardust Theater just minutes before the doors open to the fans. And for those 5-7 minutes, we as Media, get to see the real personalities before the stage personalities are unleashed. Sometimes they are very different, sometimes not. Doro is the same. After the sound check was to her liking, she turned around to the row of photographers patiently waiting and in the sweetest German accent, bright smile and little giggle said, “Ok, I’ll see you in five minutes.”

Onstage she is the Metal Queen, clad in faux-leather (she’s an animal lover) and studs, regardless of her tough onstage persona, she’s still exudes sweetness as if honey were dripping out of her pores. She sticks close to the edge of the stage throughout her performance, pacing from left to right and back, singing with her fans, head banging with her fans, holding their hands, never losing constant close contact with them, almost as if they were her blood supply and she theirs. Her energy and enthusiasm is truly boundless. And they love her for this.

Vocally, she’s stellar, a hard-edged, low rumble with a layer of angelic quality is what makes her voice extremely unique, extremely beautiful and extremely rock and roll.

Since she went solo, the two most constant members of her band over the years are Johnny Dee (Drums) and Nick Douglas (Bass). Dee on drums is a hard hitter and certifiable maniac. Douglas and Dee together ground and stabilize the sound that is Doro. Look for her new single dropping on April 1.

The Big Disappointment: Sebastian Bach

“You’re looking at who put the hair in Hair Metal!” Sebastian Bach said during his Q&A in the Atrium on Day One of the cruise, we all chuckled, but it was only Day One. It seemed as we got farther from the port of Miami, Bach went farther down the wine bottle and farther from reality.

This being his first cruise with the Monsters of Rock, there was a fair share of excitement from the fans, but he was rarely seen out and about like his colleagues. During the MotorBowie Jams in the tiny Spinnaker Lounge, instead of taking the stage like everyone else, he parted the sea of people with security escorting him to the front of the stage. He accosted the photographers as usual, complaining we were shooting up his nose and threw us out of the pit during both his shows. And sadly, he accosted fans too- one woman to tears during the MotorBowie Jams. And it seems he has a new habit of throwing people out of venues- Donald Trump style or even getting thrown out himself.

Bach’s two performances were mostly, if not all Skid Row material, sprinkled with a cover or two, his voice shows the wear and tear of rusty galvanized steel plumbing from 1958. That being said, the aggressive gusto of his voice is there like in “Slave to the Grind”, but his high notes are choppy, uncontrollable and painfully absent. George Lynch happened to cross my path during “18 and Life” right at the moment of the once beautifully, iconic, high-intensity, emotional scream that follows the guitar solo. Lynch had his fingers in his ears.

Lastly, some say, he’s more of an entertainer now. Sadly, his once sexy stage presence has become diminished to a disheveled mess or train wreck you just can’t stop watching.

Bach, what’s got you all twisted up?

And so it is… the end to another amazing Monsters of Rock Cruise. See you all in October for the West cruise, where we finally for the first time get out of the humidity and into the Pacific Ocean.

March 7, 2016
Top 10 Reasons moe.’s Tropical Throe.down Was Amazing

moe. threw an amazing party Jan. 11-14 in Jamaica. This year’s Throe.down was combined with Little Feat’s annual destination festival called Feat Camp, and it was held at Jewel Paradise Cove in Runaway Bay, Jamaica.

Now that we’ve had a little time to ruminate on the amazing experience (yeah, yeah, we know, it’s been a long time), here are our top 10 favorite things about moe.’s Tropical Throe.down 2016.

1. Rob playing an entire song laying down
It was pretty epic. During the final moe. show of the festival, bassist Rob Derhak sat down in a chair for a few moments earlier in the show, but later on, someone switched the upright chair out with a lounge chair. Rob took the bait and sat down, laying back and kicking his feet up in front of him as he picked away at the laid-back new tune “Montego,” an instrumental debuted at the band’s New Year’s run in Albany.

Toward the end of the song, guitarist Al Schnier grabbed an inflatable whale that had been making its way around the resort pools for the last few days and the stage that night. He threw it on the ground near Rob and sat down straddling it as the two jammed with Rob slapping the shit out of a nasty bass solo.

The song transitioned into “Billy Goat,” a song that Rob sings, meaning he had to stand up. It was pretty entertaining to watch him try to haul himself out of the chair while playing the lead-in to the song without stopping. After some bad attempts with his legs flailing awkwardly, he finally took a second from playing so he could get up. Then he launched into a badass “Billy Goat” to end the set.

2. Sweet Billy Payne sit-ins
Little Feat’s keyboard player Bill Payne sat in with moe. on a handful of songs throughout the festival: “Sensory Deprivation Bank”>”Happy Hour Hero” on the second night and the Jimmy Cliff classic “The Harder They Come” and “Bring You Down” on the final night. moe. has had plenty of keyboard players sit in over the years, but Payne may be one of the best — he meshes well with the band’s sound while filling it out in strategic places. And the guys definitely seem to have fun playing with him.

It’s not the first time that Payne has sat in with moe. He joined the guys for their Halloween 2014 show in Las Vegas. The show was “The Big Lebowski”-themed, and Payne dressed as the Stranger, the movie’s narrator.

3. 85 and sun
We all know it hasn’t been the coldest winter in the Northeast, but it was still a huge relief to be in a place where it’s 85 degrees and sunny nonstop. And the resort where Throe.down was held, the Jewel Paradise Cove Beach Resort & Spa, was great — three swim-up bars, great food, the hot tubs were hot and the pools were refreshing, and you were never far from anything. Plus the service was usually super helpful, you could go on a free glass-bottom boat tour or snorkeling expedition or try their kayaks or other boats, and there was even a super-fast waterslide in the middle of the resort.

And Jamaica is an amazing place. Many of the people there seem to be friendly and positive people. We had several people tell us, “In Jamaica, there are no problems, only situations,” and we heard the refrain “No problem” each time we asked for anything.

4. “Ziggy Stardust” in honor of Bowie, “Donkey Show,” and other amazing music
Memorable musical moments at Throe.down were abundant. But the most poignant was probably when the band played “Ziggy Stardust.” David Bowie had died the day before, but it wasn’t until Jan. 11 that the news started to spread, and that night, moe. payed tribute to the rock icon with one of his most well-known songs. It was the third time moe. played it — they debuted it in 1999, and they brought it back out again for their Star Wars-themed Halloween 2015 show.

The least poignant moment — but still a super entertaining one — was when the band finished out Throe.down with “Tijuana Donkey Show,” the first time they had played it since 2007. Originally a song from side project Ha Ha the Moose, moe. played “Donkey Show” a handful of times between 2004 and ’07 before giving it up. Until the crowd insisted that it be the Throe.down 2016 encore. Percussionist Jim Loughlin, who drums for Ha Ha the Moose as “Sludge,” took over the drums while drummer Vinny Amico covered percussion.

The band also broke out “Defrost” again, which they played on New Year’s Eve for the first time in eight years. It was in heavy rotation in the mid ‘90s, but the band stopped playing it for an 11-year gap, pulling it out once in 2008, then again New Year’s Eve.

Other notable moments:
– moe. occasionally played a great version of Little Feat’s “Spanish Moon,” but with Little Feat co-hosting the festival with moe., they decided not to play what has become a popular cover among fans. But that didn’t stop moe. from teasing it a bit. During their Jan. 11 show, moe. played an extended jam featuring melodies from “Spanish Moon” in the middle of their “Cissy Strut” encore, getting close but never quite getting into the full song.
– They also teased ZZ Top’s “Waitin’ For the Bus” during the second set opener, “Puebla,” on Jan. 11.
– It was their frst time playing “Cantina Band” from Star Wars in a show that wasn’t billed a being “Star Wars” themed (third time overall).

5. If you like pina coladas…
And besides the regular shows, the daytime acoustic set was a whole other mess of fun. The guys played the set at Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville in Ocho Rios, but before the show, most of the band members joined fans on a catamaran ride and lunch with a company called Cool Runnings. The boat launched from Mahogany Beach in Ocho Rios and everyone was given a chance to snorkel, then there was a lot of rum punch, loud music and dancing. Some of the band members may have learned how to twerk.

Then, after lovely outdoor buffet lunch, everyone was bussed to Margaritaville, where moe. played a super fun acoustic set in the sun. They played some great covers including “Escape” — the “if you like pina coladas” song — the Violent Femmes’ “Blister in the Sun,” “Cajun Moon” by J.J. Cale, and the Talking Heads’ “This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody),” first played this New Year’s Eve. The song had the staff swaying to the tune by the end.

The set also included “Blue Eyed Son,” “That Country Tune” and “Johnny Lineup,” along with a few other tunes the band plays more regularly.

There’s something amazing about sitting on a deck, sipping margaritas and basking in the sun while listening to one of your favorite bands play a few dozen feet away. Even if the sound wasn’t perfect, it was still super entertaining. Jimmy Buffet would be proud.

6. Medeski Martin & Wood
The instrumental trio was billed as a special guest, and special they were. They refer to their music as an “amalgam of jazz, funk, ‘avant-noise’ and a million other musical currents and impulses,” and that pretty accurately described what it was like to see them play three days. The band swings from one influence to the next in a way that’s very fun and engaging, if sometime a little hard to follow. Their cover game was on point (or on fleek? Is that how you use that term?), ranging from Duke Ellington to David Bowie. MMW’s “avant-noise” bit seemed too much for a few of the fans to take, but for the most part, the crowd bobbed their heads and danced along as the creative trio brought them on an enjoyable musical journey.

And fans who stayed on for an extra day at the end of the festival were lucky enough to see both John Scofield and Warren Haynes sit in with MMW for a few songs. Both musicians were arriving for Government Mule’s Island Exodus 7, which began at the same resort the following day.

And with a band full of guys who are so cool and down to earth, that’s awesome. You’ll have plenty of opportunity to ask them all the moe. questions that have been keeping you up at night, like why did they stop playing “Disembodied Head,” or what on earth is going on with “Lazarus” these days, or what’s up with moe.down? But you might just find yourself cutting them a break and shooting the shit about the weather when you run into them, cuz hey, they’re on vacation too.

10. The drum stick trick

Watch this, paying special attention to Jim right around 1:01:45.

Jim and Vin are freakin’ ninjas. Apparently they’ve done this before. It’s amazing.

March 2, 2016
All Good Music Festival Retired

After nearly 20 years of great music and fun, All Good Music Festival & Campout is retiring.

Tim Walther and Junipa Conteno-Süslü began promoting and producing shows as a way to highlight the growing jamband scene in the Washington, D.C. and Baltimore area. The All Good Music Festival, which commenced in 1997, was the culmination of their work, bringing many touring acts to a single location. The festival began at Wilmer Park in Brandywine, Maryland and, after bouncing around for a couple years, landed on the festival’s longtime home at Marvin’s Mountaintop in Masontown, West Virginia. It was held there until 2012, when it moved to Legend Valley in Thornville, Ohio.

The festival had become a mainstay in the early days of music festivals, but was not without problems. In 2011, a truck crashed through the camping area over some tents, killing one and severely injuring three others. The driver blamed the parking lot attendants and security guards who guided him to park on a steep grassy area near tents and other vehicles, but failed to guide him out of his space upon leaving. Families of the victims sued him, along with about a dozen organizers and promoters.

All Good Music Festival has showcased both big names and newcomers to the jamband scene, as well as alternative rock acts. Well-known acts such as the Allman Brothers Band, Phil Lesh & Friends, Furthur, Primus, the Flaming Lips, and Cake have made appearances at the festival. Many popular smaller and regional acts have also been featured at All Good, including Brew, the Slip, the Werks and Brooklyn’s Moon Hooch. While Phish was broken up in 2006, the headliners were Trey Anastasio and Mike Gordon with the Benevento/Russo Duo.

The retirement was announced via a post on the All Good website.

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpiKzK12HWI[/embedyt]

February 24, 2016
Nunchuck! Brings Psychedelic Punk Rock to Suwannee

The 7^th annual Aura Music and Arts Festival is less than two weeks away and we couldn’t be more excited to show the Spirit of Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Florida some New York love! The Disco Biscuits and Thievery Corporation will headline this festival, one that many say is their favorite all year. In addition to a stacked lineup of various talented artists, one that we’re particularly intrigued by is Nunchuck!

Nunchuck! is a new project consisting of bassist Chuck Jones and drummer Scotty Zwang of Dopapod, guitarist Craig Brodhead of Turkuaz, and renowned percussionist Mike Dillon. The collaboration was formed specifically for Aura and despite what the name suggests, it’s not a Chuck Jones led group or even solely his brain child. (Nor is it affiliated with Lotus’ Mike Greenfield’s side project bearing the same name.)

Chuck Jones and Scotty Zwang of Dopapod.

Jones explained the selection of the other band members. He and Brodhead have become close friends as they both live in Hartford, Connecticut and are geographically displaced from the rest of their band members. Brodhead’s main project Turkuaz is also on Aura’s lineup. Mike Dillon – a member of Critters Buggin and Les Claypool’s Fancy Band – has past experience playing with Dopapod and even opened for them last year at this festival. The Mike Dillon band is on Aura’s schedule for Friday.

Craig Brodhead of Turkuaz

The four of them together make Nunchuck! – a “psychedelic punk rock” band that is sure to be something unique.

“The entire set list that we’re figuring out is all our favorite punk songs from the 70s, 80s and 90s,” said Jones. “All of us – myself, Scotty, Mike and Craig –part of our musical background has been inspired by heavier artists and genres so it will be nice for us to be able to experiment with that a little bit.”

Jones said their own creative palate is where the “psychedelic” portion comes in.

“That really means that we’re going to have not enough music to fill the slot, so we’ll be making lots of noise,” he said. “It’s going to be loud, aggressive and upbeat – so it will be fun!”

Mike Dillon.

According to Jones, the project was developed after Zwang expressed interest in participating in Aura, even though Dopapod is (sadly) not on this year’s lineup. With attendance around 5,000 guests in some of the most picturesque scenery, Aura offers something other festivals cannot.

“I love Suwanee so anything down there is a good time. I really think they do a nice job working with artists that are true to the festival circuit. Sometimes large ones pull in big names that they know will bring in a lot of people but they kind of lose its – I think the only way to describe it is ‘music festival vibe.’ Only people who’ve been to smaller ones and medium ones will know what that is exactly – the community vibe sort of thing.”

Nunchuck! is playing on Friday, March 4, from 8 to 9:15 p.m. in the Vibe Tent. Also playing at this time is Particle to which Jones sends a friendly challenge:

“I can guarantee with 100 percent certainty that Particle will be tighter and well-rehearsed, but…I don’t know if they’ll have as much fun as we are.”

In addition to The Disco Biscuits and Thievery Corporation, Nunchuck! will join the The New Deal, The Main Squeeze, The Werks, Snarky Puppy, Animal Liberation Orchestra (ALO), The Heavy Pets Tribute to the ‘80s, American Babies and more at this year’s festival March 3 – 6.

Aura also includes more than 25 yoga classes and an extensive Silent Disco lineup with guest DJ appearances from various musicians including Scotty Zwang.

Additional information and tickets available at www.auramusicfestival.com.

February 23, 2016
Fest Food: Phish Dick’s 2014

“We love Dick’s. We love it! Jennifer and Natalie, do you love Dick’s?” asked Trey before launching into Suzy Greenberg with the ladies on horns. Everyone loves Dick’s – the music from Phish, the mountains, the legal weed and the Phish food.

The first order of business was stocking up on canned goods for the Conscience Alliance food drive and finding a cake to celebrate my friends’ honeymoon. With some low-sodium black beans and a double layer, fruit-filled, crème Chantilly covered confection in tow, we set off for Commerce City.

The first treat on lot was “fire cider,” a concoction of vinegar, garlic, and organic honey, bottled up as a daily immune supplement. It was spicy, sweet, and sour. The next morning proved it’s also a magical hangover cure with a couple splashes in ice water. Late summer is prime stone fruit season in Colorado and one guy was hawking luscious, $1 peaches from a crate on his shoulder. It tasted like the culmination of all summer’s sweetness, juice running down my arm with each bite. The biggest favor you can do your body on tour is eating fruit and veggies daily, so be sure to eat a peach this weekend!

On night two the scent of smoked meat wafted over the lot, luring us to Baker’s BBQ. Pitmaster Blade was laboring over 5 pork butts for post-show sandwiches accompanied by his impressive array of sauces, including homemade ketchup, southern style and raspberry BBQ. Blade told us his specialty was BBQ sticky buns, stuffed with pulled pork and slathered in the raspberry sauce.

Kids were queued up on Shakedown for Phenominal Falafel from Steamboat Springs, delivering a sublime wrap of harissa, pickled carrots, red onion, spring mix and a drizzle of tzasiki over crispy chickpea fritters. I met my fiance at Phish when he offered to share his falafel, so this sandwich has a special place in my heart. The other frontrunner for superior savory snack was McDevitt Taco Supply from Boulder, advertising the “buy 4, get one dab free” special.

On Sunday we enjoyed a delicious lunch at Watercourse Foods, the original vegan restaurant in Denver. The pastry case was full of tempting treats, so I grabbed a hostess-style cupcake for the road. From there on out, it was a no holds barred sugarfest. Arriving at Dick’s, I had an organic strawberry margarita with a double splash of tequila, which was definitely the best cocktail of the weekend. Next up was a scoop of homemade strawberry compote over fresh whipped cream, garnished with short bread biscuits. The chef behind the berries had cooked in France for many years and wanted to share his passion for fine food with fellow fans.

We tried jasmine flower-flavored ice cream sandwiches made of hemp, and couldn’t resist a couple chicks wearing chocolate chip cookie costumes, selling their baked goods out of a pink wagon. At the show I headed to WaterWheel with the Hostess cupcake for my friend’s birthday. As luck would have it, his lovely lady brought the perfect pairing- a vegan Twinkie! Phish loves Dick’s and so does Fest Food, as every year it’s an all out smorgasboard.

February 8, 2016
Fest Food: Magnaball

Our kitchen was cranking out enough cold brew concentrate for 800 cups of iced coffee. Everything was covered in coffee grounds for weeks and I thought the sound of grinding would never stop, but the moment we had been waiting for all summer arrived at last: it was time to pack up the car and make the pilgrimage from New England to Watkins Glen for this edition of Fest Food: Magnaball.

I splurged on tickets to the first Festival Ate dinner on Thursday evening, justifying the expense as it being my journalistic duty to do so. The setup was incredibly impressive, transforming a simple tent with some lighting and fabric to create a warm, elegant space and it was surreal to walk into a fine dining restaurant in the middle of a muddy field. Every night featured a different menu for vegans, vegetarians, or omnivores with beautiful plates of seasonal produce from Finger Lakes farms, each course named for Phish songs. While some dishes were not as flavorful as I hoped, it is not fair to judge a new restaurant on the first night of service in a big city, let alone at a music festival. Overflowing pitchers of the headiest Vermont craft beer pairings easily paid for the cost of the dinner and I discovered my favorite brew of the fest, Sip of Sunshine from Lawson’s Finest Liquids.

Every morning at Magnaball you could go do yoga, then wander through the farmer’s market snacking on freshly baked breads with local cheese, pickle and beet juice shots, a rainbow of summer vegetables and heirloom tomatoes, lush from the peak season sun. Elderflower Farm was selling blueberries by the pint as well as berry popsicles that made a perfect breakfast. I was lucky enough to be standing there when the caterers brought over a batch of blueberry muffins still warm from the oven that were fluffy, golden, and buttery. Elderflower Farm is run by the Fishman family in Lincoln, ME and in addition to growing berries, they produce organic, raw milk from jersey cows, and have Shetland sheep, pigs, chickens, turkeys and horses.

Next to Elderflower at the farmers market, Tessa Gordon, Mike’s 9 year old daughter, had set up a lemonade stand with proceeds to benefit The WaterWheel Foundation. The most adorable stand imaginable was constructed and Tessa couldn’t have been cuter in a lemon-patterned apron, serving up the tart drinks with a shot of blueberry juice and a yellow, polka-dot straw.

The fest food lineup at Magnaball was truly fantastic with something for everyone, from teriyaki tofu with quinoa to BBQ pulled pork from a giant smoker or pizza baked in a wood fired oven. There were so many new vendors to try, but at setbreak the first night, the siren song of an old favorite called… a primal craving for JERRY ROLL. This is the original king of Shakedown cuisine, vended on lots since the early days of the Grateful Dead and still going strong at shows across the country. The gigantic egg rolls are stuffed with shredded veggies, fried, and sodomized with Sriracha, soy and duck sauce. After inhaling my roll, I literally needed be hosed down under a water pump to regain composure and return to the show.

All summer we enjoyed the most delicious iced cold brew coffee at home, so my fiance wanted to spread the gospel of this beverage by vending at the fest. Every morning we were up early, ready to sell coffee in the lots. “It’s Ice Cold Brew Co.” featured both dark and light Magnaroasts that were low in acidity, high in caffine and had rich, robust flavor. Seeing the joy come over the hungover faces of happy campers as they took a sip and said, “Ahhh.. delicious!” made all his hard work worthwhile. And rolling out of my tent every morning to an unlimited supply of artisan iced coffee was absolutely heavenly, making Anthony my personal Magnaball MVP.

The last evening of the festival the pressure was on to plow through as many vendors as possible and that’s exactly what we did. Our all around festival favorite award goes to… Roti Rolls! This food truck from Charleston, SC served meat, veggies, and curry on Indian flatbreads similar to a scallion pancake. Easy to eat, filling but not heavy, with satisfying flavor is the recipe for perfect festival food and Roti Rolls definitely crushed it. An honorable mention goes to Arancini Bros from NYC for their sweet and savory stuffed risotto balls. And Righteous Felon Jerky for their Victorious BIG variety made with Victory Brewing Company beer- they share a wall with the brewery in Pennsylvania. I’ve never ordered food online in my life, but one taste convinced me to track them down immediately after the festival and order a wholesale case.

For the last evening at Waterwheel, I had to check out our neighbors vending in the next tent. They turned out to be a bunch of Phish fans from Massachusetts with an artisan popcorn company called Corn and Co. and gave us a box of goodies to taste test which we washed down with hibiscus, ginger, lime Aqua Vitea kombucha. When I returned to report back on our favorites, the owner mentioned that they were donating all their tips from that weekend to WaterWheel. I tried to reply and uncontrollably burst into tears of joy. All the wonder, magic, and good vibes of Magnaball seemed to culminate in this one act of kindness. Later that night we found out that WaterWheel hit a fundraising record at the festival with more support from the fans than ever before to help good causes across the country.

After the sublime YEM > fireworks encore, we danced our way through the DJ Drive-In set for a final midnight snack: hot and juicy fried chicken. Just as we ordered, a hot pan of cornbread came out of the oven and maple butter slathered squares were passed out to all the kids in line. It was a slice of heaven, just like Magnaball. Which was really a food festival where Phish happened to be playing every day. My dream come true.

February 6, 2016