NYS Music 20​16

Tag: Mihali Savoulidis

  • The Werk Out Music and Arts Festival Exceeds Expectations

    The 7th annual Werk Out Music and Arts Festival at Legend Valley Music Venue and Campground was stacked for success with a powerhouse line-up.

    Taking place in Thornville, Ohio, August 4-6,  it was more than just the music that fueled the success of this year’s festival.  Anchored by moving tributes in honor of former Werks’ keyboardist Norman Dimitrouleas, as well a plethora of artist sit-ins and breakout performances, this year’s festival was marked with emotion and surprises.

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    The Werk Out’s biggest surprise literally fell on STS9 drummer Zach Velmer, when a female fan managed to bypass festival security.  Once onstage, the fan made Werk Out history by attempting a trust fall onto Velmer and his kit.  STS9 left the stage to regroup and returned for a high energy second set that closed out the Main Stage on Friday Night.

    Friday afternoon was highlighted by the Big Damn Jam’s performance of the Beatles’ classic album Abbey Road. The performance was dedicated to Dimitrouleas, who passed earlier this year.  As a member of Big Damn Jam, Dimitrouleas always wanted to perform the album.  After his passing, BDJ decided to honor him posthumously with the performance at this year’s Werk Out Music Festival.

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    The Abbey Road set included a rotating cast of musicians most notably Dino Dimitrouleas (The Werks), Todd Stoop, Alex Delk (Octopus’ Garden), Marcus Cornwell (The Vibe) and Justin Robb (Litz) as well almost a dozen other musicians throughout the afternoon set.  Most of the musicians participating had played with Dimitrouleas in various projects over the year.  During the set, fabric flowers fashioned from Dimitrouleas’ old shirts were passed out in his honor.  Fans and musicians wore them on hats, backpacks and various pieces of clothing throughout the rest of the weekend._MG_8188

    The tributes to Dimitrouleas continued throughout the weekend including The Werks’ Saturday night encore with a dedicated performance of “Carry Me Back Home.”

    “I’ve never been so emotionally touched by a musical performance as I was during the Werks encore tribute to Norman on Saturday night,” said Zachary Burns of Grand Rapids, MI.  “Everything from the crowd chanting ‘DINO! DINO! DINO!’, to Dino’s speech before the song starting, to seemingly every member and a good portion of the crowd crying during ‘Carry Me Back Home.’ That was the definition of being happy and sad at the same time.”

    The Werk Out’s most talked about performance came in the form of the Twerkapod “Tribute to the 90s.”  Featuring members of Twiddle, The Werks, and Dopapod, the Friday night late night set was packed with a mix of obvious choices (Green Day, Blink 182, Sublime, Nirvana, Rage Against the Machine) and stunning surprises (Britney Spears, Hanson and TLC).  Highlighted performances from the set included “Gangsta’s Paradise” which featured a perfect reproduction of the song’s ending choral arrangement and Twerkapod’s word perfect performance of TLC’s “Waterfalls.”

    Fans of The Werks weren’t in agreement on which of the weekends multiple sets were the band’s best.  Most found that each of the weekend’s set contributed a different experience for the weekend.

    “I really enjoyed the first Werks set on Thursday,” noted Tyler Raymond of Michigan. “I’ve seen the Werks more than any other band and the sound and production was top notch from them. The way the light show was coordinated with the band was seriously next level. You could really tell that they were putting the shows on for us and that the guys really love us.”

    Dino Dimitrouleas, currently on a hiatus from bass duties with The Werks,  joined his band mates on several occasions for sit-ins throughout the weekend starting Friday night.  “When Dino came on stage in the tent everyone was so happy” Raymond told NYS Music, “Definitely a moment to always remember.”

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    Vermont based quartet Twiddle continued to create a buzz about their unique brand of jam.  Raymond also noted that the band’s Saturday night sunset performance on the Side Stage was among his favorite non-Werks set of the weekend.  “They are moving up the list of my favorite bands quickly because what they bring to the take is so fresh and different than anyone else out there right now.”

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    The weekend also featured several breakout performances.  New York’s Mister F and Teddy Midnight created a buzz in the Big Tent Stage.  North Carolina’s Big Something capitalized on their first Werk Out appearance on the Side Stage with a high energy afternoon performance on Saturday afternoon, while Maryland based band Litz turned heads during their Big Tent Stage set, which featured a sit-in from Twiddle keyboardist Ryan Dempsey.

    In fact, the weekend was full of sit-ins including Twiddle’s Mihali Savoulidis and The Werks’ Chris Houser performing with Greensky Bluegrass and Dopapod’s Rob Compa shredding during Twiddle’s “Apples.”  And according to Derrick Webber of Ypsilanti, MI, these sit-ins add a new element of musicianship for some of his favorite musicians. “It blows me away to hear such clean performances from guys that don’t typically play together, and the passion they still have is inspiring.

    The weekend’s ultimate sit-in featured members of the Werks, Twiddle, Greensky Bluegrass and Big Something in Matt Butler’s Everyone Orchestra. Butler finds a way to coordinate a variety of musical sounds, while leading his EO members to create unique and one time only jams. Twiddle bassist Zdenek Gubb stepped on stage to lead the EO to the highest energy, grooved out dance party of the set.  However, Houser received the set’s MVP award for showcasing a variety of styles, genres and face-melting solos throughout the performance.

    Beyond the music, the Werk Out featured a large number of vendors, giving attendee’s a variety of food, beverages, merchandise and crafts to choose from over the weekend. Vendors for the weekend all were competitively priced, creating a fairly priced and active marketplace throughout the weekend.

    Nick Augustine, a first time Werk Out attendee from Maryland, noted that his favorite non-musical part of the weekend was the fire spinners and propane dance floor set up near the late night stage.  “What a cool addition to the atmosphere!”_MG_8359

    The Werk Out looks to return to the Legend Valley Music Venue and Campground for its eighth installment next August.  The venue has plenty of space for the festival to grow without the inconvenience of having to move locations to accommodate its growing popularity.  What the Werk Out does right is that it cultivates an environment of friendship and community while packing its line-up with musicians and artists that clearly have solid working relationships and mutual respect for their fellow musicians.

    Augustine, who told NYS Music that he will be making the Werk Out an annual addition to his summer festival plans, said it was the overwhelming sense of community that made the festival a stand-out event.  “The staff, the crew and the people were all adding to making this festival fun, beautiful, exciting and safe. From the decorations to the sound and lights to the amount of good vibes and vending, this festival was one of the best I’ve attended!”

  • A Milestone at 10: Pondfest Continues to Innovate

    For any festival to survive – let alone thrive – for 10 years is an impressive feat. Bonnaroo and Coachella are two names that immediately pop into mind, but now it’s time to add Backwoods Pondfest to that list.

    This past weekend at Twin Ponds Campsite in Peru, N.Y., Pondfest, which is put on by northern New York band Lucid, celebrated its 10th birthday by throwing a truly cohesive party melding the fun of camping in the middle of the forest with live music.

    The lineup mixed the best that the Adirondacks has to offer, with some of the bigger acts of the festival circuit. Lucid, a band straight from the heart of the Adirondacks, has been a staple of the weekend since inception, and while this year was the same, it was also very different. Last year, the band announced it was taking a long break, but not officially breaking up and would continue to play events like Pondfest.

    And just to put any rumors to bed, bassist Chris Shacklett gave me a brief interview on Saturday afternoon to discuss the state of the band. First off, Lucid is not breaking up.

    “We are totally shifting our focus,” Shacklett said. “Instead of continuing to hemorrhage money, we are being smarter about what we do. There’s not going to be much in the way of touring anymore, but we’re going to do more things like this (Pondfest).”

    Along with Lucid, the other headliners were Melvin Seals and JGB, Pink Talking Fish (is Bowie), the Blind Owl Band and Twiddle’s guitarist Mihali Savoulidis and his ‘Frends’, who brought the surprise of a Twiddle set. NYS Music contributor Chelsea Wright was in attendance and gives us a first hand account of how it went down:

    “I received a message from Lowell, letting me know that there would be a special surprise Thursday night. I made the last minute decision to travel the two hours from Vermont for the ‘Mihali & Frends’ show, knowing that if Lowell promised a surprise, it was bound to be extra special. Having seen Mihali & Frends the weekend prior as a part of Twiddle’s first major event, Tumble Down, I knew that some amazing collaborations were going to happen – at his sold out Higher Ground show, he brought together musicians from Nahko & Medicine For The People, Twiddle, and the Kitchen Dwellers for two full hours of incredible jams.

    Pondfest Arriving just on time, I approached the stage and Mihali was just getting it started by inviting a few good Frends up to join him. It was like revolving doors, including some of my favorite musicians; Ryan Dempsey on keys, Jamie Armstrong on Sax, Joshua West on drums, to Kevin Sabourin on guitar and vocals. At one point Brad Hester from Annie in The Water came up and had a back and forth match on a kazoo, with Jamie’s sax. Then they switched it up to Chris Shacklett on bass, Lowell Wurster on percussion and vocals, the beautiful Meadow on vocals, and then the big surprise of a total shift into a set by Twiddle. After Twiddle finished, Mihali remained, and invited members of Capital Zen up to join him. It was an all-around party, with special moments that no one could have anticipated.”

    Arriving on Friday, I was greeted by multiple ambulances and state police cars with lights flashing all over. I was not allowed to enter for nearly two hours as the entrance was blocked for any cars getting in or out.

    When pressed for a reason, a State Police officer said, “We’re here because of some overdoses. Make sure you’re safe when you go in.”

    Derek Haviland, the press and marketing man for the festival, said there weren’t any overdoses in the sense that you’d think of, but rather that someone had simply imbibed a bit too much and just needed a little help. He hinted at a bit of an overreaction by local first responders.

    “Little towns like this aren’t really used to stuff like this, so I think they just took any and every precaution while they were here,” Haviland said, adding that the individual was fine by the following morning. “We are safety first; we took all the right precautions.”

    With my delayed arrival killing any chance at seeing Hayley Jane and the Primates, Bella’s Bartok, Thunder Body and Lucid, I arrived just as Melvin Seals was taking the stage. The longtime keyboardist for Jerry Garcia had a nice groove going for “Cats Under the Stars,” before starting right up into a Grateful Dead regular, “Sugaree.” “Strugglin’ Man,” “Rhapsody in Red” and “Money Honey” perfectly captured the essence of a JGB show, with swirling, noodly guitar and the big church organ sound. “Sisters and Brothers” and “Deal” were my personal favorites, with the latter coaxing an uproarious applause from the crowd of beards, sun dresses and dreadlocks.

    Pondfest Right after, on the Woods Stage, Syracuse hip-hop trio Sophistafunk took the audience on a positive mental trip with lyrics of encouragement, happiness and elation.

    Spiritual Rez then started the late night sets and there seemed to be a large congregation of fans in attendance mainly to see this band. After a set with some sit-ins, Rez gave way to Tweed on the Woods Stage at around 2:25 a.m.

    Tweed could be categorized as a jamtronic act, but I thought the set was more dreamy than anything else. Because of the downpour, I made the decision to hear the set from my tent which was about 300 feet from the stage. I drifted right off into blissful slumber.

    Waking up in the woods when the weather is hot but still pleasant, is everything I want in a festival morning. This morning was special as some of my favorite live acts were slated to perform. Making my way backstage to interview some folks, I bumped into Formula 5’s bassist and the young Gregg Allman-lookalike James Woods, who was energized and pumped for the band’s set later that afternoon.

    Pondfest After grabbing a sausage, egg and cheese, two coffees and water (thanks to my editor), I made my way to catch some of Doomf#@k, a band with some of the Lucid guys. I can only describe this act as a talented, humorous joke band.

    The Honey Smugglers were slated to perform on the smaller stage, but because the members of The Brummy Brothers, scheduled to perform on the main stage later, got into a car accident and were unable to make the trek, the Smugglers were asked to move from their slot and play on the main stage later.

    Formula 5 comprises young men from the Adirondacks, led by guitarist Joe Davis who totes a red Gibson SG, a guitar he loves with all his heart.

    “This thing is a beauty,” he said before loading in his gear.

    F5’s set consisted of some of the tightest jamming I have ever heard from the group. Matt Richards, who recently took over keyboard duties, displayed the energy and enthusiasm he brings to the band. Woods and Davis are a natural team, with Davis typically weaving his speedy licks around Woods’ boisterous bass lines.

    Mister F’s insane pace and tempo made them perfect for the late afternoon slot before Lucid and The Blind Owl Band satiated the crowd’s thirst for jams, before leading into Pink Talking Fish’s set in honor of David Bowie. The band weaved in songs from Bowie, Phish, Talking Heads and Pink Floyd seamlessly while guitarist Dave Brunyak shredded uncontrollably.

    Gang of Thieves, The Nth Power and Subsoil finished off the music with abandon and there wasn’t an unhappy soul in attendance.

    With 10 years under the belt, Pondfest shows no signs of slowing down, even a bit. Attendees often speak of the weekend as “going home” to see their friends and make new ones. With a great philosophy and positive outlook, Pondfest stands to be around and rocking the Adirondacks for years to come.

  • Tumbledown: An Unforgettable Series of Musical Experiences

    Tumbledown was an incredible weekend of music, delivering countless excellent and unexpected moments. Upon arrival, the buzz of energy and anticipation in the air was strong. Sunshine, happy faces and eager ears covered the expanse of the Burlington waterfront.

    tumbledownThe first day started out with a few solo songs with Mihali, followed by an incredible set by Annie in the Water, which was a total surprise. The Kitchen Dwellers were originally in place to kick it off, but had a delayed flight, so Annie In The Water filled in on the spot. This ended up being a blessing in disguise, as the Kitchen Dwellers played at Higher Ground later in the evening, before Cabinet – we got the best of both worlds! Annie in the Water really started it off right with a mellow, jam/rock, reggae vibe. Up next came Turkuaz, a funky super-group that really lay it all out, featuring tunes from their most recent album Digitonium (2015). They drew a large crowd, which they amped up with their high-energy performance – a perfect opening for Twiddle’s first set of the evening.

    Twiddle tore up the stage for the first night of their event, leaving their fans wondering how it could get any better. They played some of their older tunes starting with “Blueberry Tumble,” “Brown Chicken Brown Cow” and “Amydst the Myst.” They finished off the first set with a few excellent tunes from their 2011 album, Somewhere On The Mountain, “Wescotton Candy,” “Beehop” and “Honeyburste.” The second set opened up with several of their newest songs which are heavy jams, “Fire on High,” “Blunderbuss” and the classic “Tiberius” followed by another new lyrical favorite, “Every Soul.”

    tumbledownTwiddle then played “Beethoven & Greene,” which led to a super connected interaction with the crowd, where, what seemed like the entire crowd echoed back the chorus: “Somewhere on the mountain they say that there’s a potion, that makes you truly happy and infinite in wisdom. It makes you shine as bright as the sun do shine, Keep your life doing right and your mind being kind, If your heart is true and your heart is pure, then this won’t undo the potion will endure in you.” They finished the second set off with a few more older tunes, and a classic cover, “Carter Candlestick,” “The Catapillar,” and an extra special version of “Funkytown,” joined by members of Turkuaz who belted out, “Won’t you take me to, Tumble Down?”

    Topping off the day of amazing music, was the after-shows which included Pigeons Playing Ping Pong with a sit in by Mihali at Nectar’s, and the ‘Kitchen Cabinet’ at Higher Ground. The Kitchen Cabinet show turned out to be an incredible surprise. First the Kitchen Dwellers played a set, followed by Cabinet. Then the two bands came together for their first ever collaboration. The chemistry between the two bands was undeniable, and they had everyone in the crowd stomping and dancing. This was the perfect way to end the first night of Tumble Down.

    Besides the array of musical experiences offered, Tumbledown also featured some other treats, such as the ‘Wompahoofus,’ a disc golf tournament held by the White Light Foundation, which donates proceeds to charity. There were games scattered throughout the waterfront such as corn-hole, frisbee, and even a squirt-gun powered boat race station. There were many excellent vendors, and even an art show hosted by PhanArt which was held at Club Metronome throughout the day. This was a good way for fans of the music to showcase their artwork, and make connections – the turnout was great, and the line at the door when they opened up it continued to grow.

    Day two began with a yoga class in the beautiful sunshine. Cabinet started off the music, bringing their deep bluegrass, Americana roots sound. The vibe they created was just right for Nahko & Medicine for the People to follow. MFTP’s set was another super high-energy show, featuring songs off of their most recent album Hoka (2016).  A request to the crowd for the cultivation of presence together, and grounding into the space in silence was made and Nahko then led the band into the songs “Directions,” “Make A Change,” “Love Letters to God”and “We Are on Time.”

    Nahko truly left an imprint on the crowd with the message he brought through the music during this set. Observing the onlookers, it was easy to notice that even the security guards were listening with a little deeper curiosity. Towards the end, Nahko invited Mihali on stage to play guitar alongside him during “Wash Away.” There was also a guest vocal appearance by singer/songwriter Madison Pruitt. These two bands really got the crowd riled up for Twiddle’s upcoming show.

    Twiddle shocked the crowd even more this set, with the biggest surprise of the weekend. They played mostly classic songs off of their first two albums, throwing a few new ones in here and there. They started off with “Subconscious Prelude,” doing what they do best – shifting from one jam into the next, into “Earth Mama” > “Brick of Barley” > “Daydream Farmer” > “Indigo Trigger” and back into “Subconscious Prelude” to finish it off.  The first set finished with their rendition of “Best Feeling” by Keller Williams, with a little tease of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal.”

    Holly Bowling took over for the setbreak, doing another ‘Tweener’ set, and then was invited to stay on stage for the beginning of the next. That’s when the big surprise came. The crowd could never have seen it coming. They started the second set with “Hatti’s Jam” – at this time I was over by the waterfront enjoying the tail end of the sunset, and I heard them shift into “When It Rains It Poors.” At that moment, I started feeling drawn to the stage, as that song typically does to most Twiddle fans. As I approached, I saw that Page McConnell from Phish had joined Dempsey on keys for “WIRIP.” Unexpected, unannounced to the crowd – the keys of Phish came onstage to sit in with Twiddle. The crowd was a sea of smiles, and all I could think was what an incredible and completely shocking moment. Truly a triumph for Twiddle, being life-long fans and deeply inspired by their music. After this, the vibe was electric. They ripped through a few songs I’ve heard them play many times, but with a new luster: “Dr. Remidi’s Melodium” and “Grandpa Fox,” into a new crowd favorite “Lost In The Cold” and finishing with “Wasabi Eruption” and “The Box.”

    And again for the second night, it didn’t end there. Finishing off the weekend full of amazing musical acts, was ‘Mihali & Frends’ at Higher Ground. This was a super cohesive collaboration, with Nahko Bear on keys and vocals, Justin Chittams on drums and Mihali on acoustic and vocals. After a few songs, they were joined by Tim Snider on the fiddle who really tore up the stage with his presence. As the night went along, Mihali invited musicians from the previous day’s acts to join him on stage.  Zdenek joined on the bass, then from the Kitchen Dwellers, Shawn Swain on mandolin and Torrin on banjo and vocals, and eventually Joe joined in swapping out with Zdenek.

    Brook Jordan and Ryan Dempsey also switched out with Justin and Nahko, coming full circle throughout several others coming and going from the stage also including Lowell Wurster from Lucid on vocals, harmonica and the washboard. At one point, Mihali re-joined the stage -after giving a guitar solo to the man who builds his guitars-and picked up the mic to MC and freestyle, shifting into a song that he created on the spot about Tumbledown. It was an incredible late-night show of revolving musicians. The best part, is that it was not rehearsed at all and it seemed as if they had all been playing together for years. To be able to pull off a show like that, is much more than a feat. It was an incredible array of talent joining forces, all put together by Mihali himself.

    The fact that this was Twiddle’s first big event, must have played a role in how well they played, because in the past eight years that I have experienced the pleasure of watching them grow as a band, this was by far the best I have witnessed yet. They were really interactive with the crowd, and it felt interconnected on a level that allowed for the vibe to rise and expand throughout the entire atmosphere over the span of both days. Stay tuned for a larger photo gallery coming soon, featuring coverage from the entire two days.

  • Frendly Gathering 2016: Jack Mitrani Shares The Evolution

    The Frendly Gathering 2016 was an incredible 3 day adventure, that always delivers more love, compassion and new ‘frendships’ than one can imagine. Jack Mitrani & Danny Davis founders/owners of The Frendly Gathering festival, and the rest of the ‘Frends Crew‘ have had quite the journey throughout their growth with the Frendly community – fans, musicians, artists & ‘frends’.

    One thing that makes Frendly stand out far beyond any festival I have yet to attend, is the essence that remains year after year – no matter how big the festival gets, it maintains the inclusivity that it was founded upon. I got a chance to speak with Jack about his personal experience with this.

    jack mitraniChelsea Erin Wright: The Frendly Gathering 2016 has been incredible for me so far. Experiencing the evolution of Frendly since the very first one in Vermont, has been ahhh-mazing!

    Jack Mitrani: Ah yes, you’re a lucky one!

    CW: Yeah certainly, blessed. I’d love to hear a bit about how your journey manifesting your dreams to create Frendly, has transformed your life?

    JM: My life, wow…yeah. Great question. I think that over the years Frendly has just evolved and the way that it has evolved, is by so many amazing people being behind this to make it happen. It’s taught me so much…it’s taught me so much in business, in relationships, in health…the yoga, the musicians. It’s really been such a crazy lesson, and I take the lessons from what I’ve created with Frendly into my everyday life; a host in action sports, a boyfriend, and every other thing that I am outside of this, ya know? I just feel like I’m so lucky, because I never in a million years would’ve known if you asked me before I started this, if I would be an event planner or festival owner, or any of that…some of that kinda just popped up out of the ground, and has really shaped my life today.

    CW: Yeah that’s pretty incredible…it’s affected you on every level of your being.

    JM: Mhmm, literally. There’s so much you can learn from, like I was saying – the yoga, the community that this festival brings is so health conscious, Earth frendly conscious…you just get so much from it that I would never have gotten. In the action sports, snowboard world that I come from it’s definitely there, but this is like the core of real human beings.

    CW: Yeah, it is way more interconnected than any other festival I’ve attended.

    JM: Yeah exactly, on a spiritual level.

    CW: Definitely, and that’s one of the defining elements. It’s not about the typical kind of ‘party’ that you see at bigger festivals. The all inclusive vibe of Frendly is undeniable, which is one of many reasons why I have returned every year – what has been your favorite part of watching the Frendly community grow?

    JM: I can think about this and come up with one billion answers because there are so many things, but the first thing that popped in my head was year after year, it grows, it doubles in size, and no matter how many more new people come, everybody ripples with the Frendly inclusive energy. Like watching Twiddle play at the campfire, and everyone respects the band…no one trampled them for an autograph right after…it’s just great that no matter how big it’s grown, it’s still remained to the core of what it stands for.

    CW: You’ve been able to maintain the Frendly essence and it’s quite a beautiful, special energy. I’ll definitely say that where I come from there’s not a great sense of community, and this experience each year has opened my eyes up in a lot of ways.

    JM: That’s the best part about this weekend…for the Frendly crew that prepares the site beforehand, it’s like we’re building, and it’s stressful and crazy, and we’re like what are we doing?! And then all of the sudden everyone shows up, and we remember that’s why we do it – everyone’s so nice, everyone’s hugging you…we want to just embrace every single second around all of these people. I have a broken leg right now, for those of you who can’t see me, and people just come up to me and heal me…people ask if I’m okay, and what’s happened…it’s so nice, like you said, to just be surrounded by kindness everywhere you turn. I wish that the entire world was like that.

    CW: If only we could expand this to cover the Earth!

    JM: Yes if only…Vermont, I would say is very peaceful in this way. If you go to NYC and walk around on the streets you feel alone.

    CW: There has to be a pretty incredible shift, which needs to happen.

    JM: I agree, 100%…if we could bottle this up & turn this into a nuclear bomb of peace and blast it out everywhere…I was a huge John Lennon fan growing up, which is where a lot of this vision comes from, it’s is ingrained in me. I’ve always wondered why there needs to be borders and why everyone can’t be peaceful…this is like our version of it, our small little nugget of it that we get to live.

    CW: It’s a wonderful little world that you’ve created!

    JM: Thank you! That we’ve created…the team, and you for being here throughout the years…it’s all of us.

    CW: Yes! And speaking of Vermont being peaceful, this mountain is the perfect place for Frendly…what led you to Timber Ridge?

    JM: Well, we used to come to Timber Ridge when we were in highschool…a family friend owned it, so we would come here for prom and graduation parties…this was the spot, ya know? If Chris Waker was throwing a party at Timber Ridge, it was known that everyone was going to be there. So the first two Frendly gatherings we threw in California, and then we realized we should throw it in Vermont. So we called up Chris, he asked his dad and they were super excited…from that day on, it’s been the most solid connection and the ridge couldn’t be more perfect for this kind of event.

    CW: That’s wild that you’ve been coming here since you were in highschool…makes it even that much more special for you!

    JM: Yeah I know, if you only knew the memories I have from inside of this lodge from when we were kids! And I see a lot of people here from high-school, it’s kind of like a reunion. There are a lot of stories and history at Timber Ridge.

    CW: The stories that continue to be created are what make the space! Each year’s line-up has been pretty special…what inspired this years?

    JM: Every year the lineup comes from the same inspiration, which is a combination of myself and my partner Danny Davis’ vision…we’re huge music fans, so we spend the entire year looking for music. And then we have all of the facebook fans…we’ll throw out a post asking the fans who they think should headline and play the upcoming Frendly and we’ll get hundreds of comments. We go through each one and see who got the most recommendations, and we really spend time filtering through. We also have Higher Ground, a venue in Burlington that has talent booking, which suggests up and coming artists as well. It’s a year long process of making sure we’ve searched every band in the world!

    CW: It’s pretty incredible that you guys reach out to the fans & take their opinions into consideration. I’m not aware of any other festival that does that.

    JM: Yeah, of course – those are the people who are coming, and they have so many good suggestions…it’s a collaborative decision on the lineup. Our lineups are always very eclectic, and ultimately this is really about bringing people together for a good time, to shut off from technology and connect with each other, and the music is the catalyst for that experience. So we want bands from every genre, to hit every Frend. The whole point of this is because we want all of our frends to come here, to get them all in the same place…so in order to do that you have to cater to all of the frends!

    CW: It’s more about connection, which is most important! That’s just another aspect of what makes Frendly so special. What has been your favorite musical experience so far this weekend?

    JM: The Twiddle campfire set for sure…Thursday night Twiddle played around the campfire, and that was my favorite for sure. I talked to Mihali the lead singer and guitar player, and we were asking each other if it was possible…we talked about it for months. So then when it actually happened, and everyone was singing along, the feeling that we pulled it off. I think that’s the most special part about Frendly, is the unique performances that we get to put together and experience here.

    CW: There are definitely some unique ones! Like the pond sets, where people can be swimming & have the stage right there. I saw some very young kids right up in the front at the fire and was thinking wow, if I were one of those kids seeing Twiddle for the first time, at Frendly around a campfire…how incredible. And to look around, and see almost everyone singing along word for word. It was excellent!

    JM: Yes, yes! It’s so awesome! And the fact that the people respect it. Imagine if people didn’t respect that, ya know?…or like caused a riot…campfires can cause people to get wild!

    CW: A riot over Twiddle at the fire, imagine that…

    JM: Literally it could happen, our headlining band playing around a campfire…

    CW: Yeah it’s pretty incredible that we could have them there and they don’t have to be fenced in, they could be totally exposed and immerse in the experience. I’ve been seeing Twiddle since 2008, lucky for me I grew up about a half hour from where they formed in Vermont. I feel fortunate to have had the opportunities to see them play the much smaller and intimate shows around the area, including many of Mihali’s solo shows. Watching them transform over the past eight years has been so beautiful. But being able to see them play, without a fence…without a crowd pressing to be as close as possible – what a feat you pulled off! It says a lot about the energy created here, and the people that come.

    JM: Exactly! We don’t have to put a fence up, we don’t have security standing everywhere. We do have security in front of the big stage…and sometimes I just want to tell them to go home, like what are ya doing here?…ya look cool standing there with your arms crossed, but everyone’s respectful here.

    CW: Yeah exactly, it’s quite thing to know that you don’t truly need that barrier. What do you envision for the future of Frendly?

    JM: I’ve always envisioned multiple events…bottling up the same experience we have here, and trying to send it around the world to places that need it, places that need a sense of community. That would be the dream come true…doing what we do here around the world.

    CW: That would be awesome, and with how I’ve seen you manifest this into the beautiful creation that it is, I have no doubt that you’ll make that happen! Thank you for sharing your time with me, and for providing such a beautiful experience for so many people! I look forward to many more Frendly’s.

    JM: Thank you Chelsea! It was a pleasure.

    To read NYS’ review of the festival follow link: Frendly Gathering 2016: A Most Fulfilling Weekend in Vermont

    Stay tuned for several other photo galleries to come, of the bands from each day.

  • Frendly Gathering 2016: A Most Fulfilling Weekend in Vermont

    From the first moment festival-goers entered Timber Ridge in Windham, VT, the frendly feeling was immediate and overwhelming. Everywhere the eye could see, campers were setting up tents, walking around and looking for long-lost faces they hadn’t seen in what always seems is way too long. The vendor booths were starting to come alive as their first patrons wandered up to grab a drink and some food after the initial moments of the Frendly Gathering 2016 adventure started.

    Thursday, June 23: Day One

    The Frendly Stage kicked off Thursday’s music with the collaboration Zebra Muscle’s first of two sets of the weekend. The impromptu band led by Danny Davis’s roommate, Chris Emmington, was the first to sound the musical alarm, with the help of Twiddle’s drummer, Brook Jordan. Next to come up was Canyon Village, WY-based bluegrass quartet Canyon Collected, followed by the warmest of welcomes from the hosts, Jack Mitrani and Danny Davis – two of the seven founding members of the Frends Crew.

    The next two acts to take the stage were breathtakingly full, funky-soul Burlington, VT, natives Smooth Antics and the Van Morrison tribute band Into the Mystic. After more than three hours of action on the Frendly Stage, fans were given a chance to catch their breath. People kicked around the concert field catching up with frends who had arrived a set or two before. Others went back to their campsites to give their dancing feet a rest. However, all knew what was next – Twiddle’s first set of the weekend.

    As the clock neared 11 p.m., the excited gatherers climbed partway up the hill to a budding campfire, where the four rising stars of Vermont-based Twiddle, Mihali Savoulidis, Zdenek Parker Gubb, Ryan Dempsey and Brook Jordan, were organizing their respective basic setups for an intimate set. They began with “Lost in the Cold;” a song that has quickly become yet another that fans sing-along to in unison with the lion personified, Mihali. The boys played newer songs, like “White Light” and “Be There,” but were sure to hit other tunes along their timeline like “Hatti’s Jam” into “When It Rains It Pours” and “Frankenfoote” into the first night closer and ever-appropriate “Frends Theme.”

    Everyone slowly dispersed heading back to various campsites or to explore this year’s Frendly grounds. The first day of Frendly Gathering 2016 had come to a close. People laid their heads down, and smiles ran across their faces as they were thinking about the day.

    Friday, June 24: Day Two

    As the sun rose in the small southern Vermont town of Windham, campers awoke to what was assuredly going to be a beautiful day. Most people knew the weather was going to be nice, since they had prepared their camping gear in the previous days for the appropriate conditions, but the anticipation of the day’s beauty came from a source much closer to the heart. After all, it was the beginning of the second day of Frendly Gathering 2016.

    The day started as a crowd gathered with their mats in front of the Frendly Stage for Rise and Shine Yoga. Shortly after that, Burlington-based surf band the High Breaks were the first musical act of the day. Following the wave-riding music that helped shake the morning cobwebs off of people’s hips were traditional world-fusion Vermonters Mal Maiz, the first band to take the Wood Stage. Up next was Boston’s alternative folk rock trio Ballroom Thieves at the Burton Teepee.

    The day was gaining momentum and was certainly showing no signs of slowing as Twiddle prepared for their second set of the weekend. The resident headliner played on a platform in the middle of a camping area by the pond, situated next to the mountain’s lodge. A crowd of fans, frends and family gathered around as the mid-afternoon set began with “Amydst the Myst” from their latest album, Plump.

    The set wasn’t long, but brought giant smiles to everyone’s faces, especially when they led into the crowd favorite “Mamunes the Faun,” during which the muse of the song could be seen dancing on the lawn behind the stage. After the pond set had wrapped up, the rest of the day was filled with a litany of amazing music all over the mountainside. Marco Benevento rocked the Frendly Stage to a crowd who couldn’t stifle their excitement for the New York State native. Following him was Eminence Ensemble, a Boulder, CO, progressive rock band with a funky fusion, on the Wood Stage.

    On top of the typical stage performances there were the various acts who appeared in the Airstream camper, dubbed the FrendShip. The performances included Jaden Carlson Band and Trevor Hall with Mihali. There was also an open mic at the Martin Dome throughout each day where Martin and Co Guitars, a sponsor of the festival, provided a variety of guitars for everyone to play and try their hand at entertaining the crowd.

    As the night progressed, the highly anticipated upper-bill bands started to take the stage. Trevor Hall, the Los Angeles-based acoustic folk favorite, filled the Frendly Stage with his beautiful music. Pennsylvania native Cabinet found a happy home on the Wood Stage and as soon as their set was done, Brooklyn, NY-based power funk band Turkuaz exploded with their set on the Frendly Stage. Friday night’s main stages’ music was given its finale by Moon Hooch on the Wood Stage, followed by Big Gigantic on the Frendly Stage, who received guest appearances by both Mihali and the Turkuaz horns.

    After the final performance in the main concert field, a buzz filled the crowd; everyone was talking about a secret set. They all knew there were four sets of Twiddle but only three were on the schedule. This had to be it – everyone had to get up the mountain to ascend to the DJ Nest where Twiddle was about to play on platforms, built up in the trees. What could be expected from the set, no one knew.

    The lights flooded the trees and the set started. The Vermont-based quartet played their secret set in a single, hour-long jam, very much akin to a Phish secret set. There’s always the silly rumor that Twiddle’s ultimate goal is to one day be handed over the torch by Phish. Anyone who has grown with the band and their music knows that to be completely false. However, in this jam it was clear that these guys are heavily influenced by their Vermont jam band brethren and weren’t afraid to pay homage to them.

    After the amazing secret set everyone carefully traversed down the mountain. There was much to recap about the second day of Frendly Gathering 2016, sitting around campsites and on hillsides. Everyone went to bed, trying their hardest to forget that the next day would be the last day of what had already been an incredible weekend.

    Saturday, June 25: Day Three

    Many people awoke in their tents to the same atmosphere of beautiful weather and high anticipation of the day to come as they did for day two. Although it was the last day of the festival there was so much more to enjoy; what was to come would create memories that would help make the whole weekend last an eternity.

    The music kicked off at noon with New Paltz, NY-based Appalachian soul band Upstate Rubdown on the Frendly Stage. The stage was home to a few amazing sets in the afternoon, leading into the evening, including New York City’s first and only all-women mariachi group, Mariachi Flor de Toloache. They lit up the mountainside with their beautifully performed music, proudly displaying their Latina heritage. Once their set was complete, they were completely transparent in the fact that they had enjoyed every second of their Frendly experience, with the crowd fully reciprocating the feeling.

    Unlike the previous two days, day three was filled with overlapping performances while multiple stages were alive with music. While it was quite impossible to see every single act that day, there was one act that almost no one was prepared to miss — the late afternoon performance by Gubbulidis, featuring Jaden Carlson at the Burton Teepee. Starting off with the Twiddle song “Apples,” the trio, joined by Aaron Hagele on percussion, had the crowd completely mesmerized by a jaw-dropping and oh-too-quick set. The half-hour set ended the same way Twiddle’s campfire set ended, with the theme of the weekend, the theme of the hosts and the theme of many people’s lives, “Frends Theme.”

    As the sun started to set on the mountain, the teenage guitarist phenom, Jaden Carlson, had her first full set with her band, quite appropriately named Jaden Carlson Band, on the Wood Stage. The Boulder, CO-based band, filled with a fusion of jazz, funk and soul, was playing simultaneously with fellow westerners, Bozeman, MT’s Kitchen Dwellers, who were over in Wakers Barn. A Bluegrass band who is finally spreading their wings, the Kitchen Dwellers are more frequently dedicating time to playing east coast shows. Fans were torn between the two acts, but neither decision yielded anything resembling disappointment.

    The evening moved along in fine form with performances from Monophonics, Sinkane and a second set of the weekend from Zebra Muscle. As the clock approached 11 p.m., the frends on the mountain began feeling their much understood glee as Twiddle’s fourth and final set was coming up on the Frends Stage. Before the set started, the crowd was treated with a surprise from three young ladies known as The Jamflowgirls. Cassidy, Jamie and Georgia played a song, written with the help of Mihali, and performed on a Martin guitar Cassidy won earlier in the weekend. The song, “Frendly Gathering is Here,” will likely become another token theme for the festival.

    Twiddle’s final set was absolutely electrifying. Kicking off with “Jamflowman,” the host-band was quick to bring up their first guest, Jaden Carlson. She helped rock out “Hatti’s Jam” into “When it Rains it Pours.” When her guest appearance was finished, the little lady who had dropped jaws all weekend with her skill and phrasing, which could easily be attributed to her having an old soul, got an eruption of cheers from fans, new and old.

    Next up to help Twiddle close out the Frends Stage’s last act of the weekend was RAQ’s Todd Stoops. After he was announced, the crowd immediately cheered his name in the very familiar fashion, “Stooooops!” Before he and the band broke out into “Every Soul,” which he sat in on for the recording on the latest album, Plump, Todd wished his wife a happy birthday and anniversary; it was truly heartwarming. Stoops also came out a couple songs later to give support on a song continuously growing in popularity, “Lost in the Cold.” The last stand-in was by Torin Daniels from the Kitchen Dwellers, playing banjo on “Syncopated Healing.” The bluegrass sound was an amazing substantiation of the already fun and truly healing song.

    The weekend was capped off with a true mountain party, as festival-goers once again trekked up the mountain to the DJ Nest where the collaboration, the Smooths, played in the treetop platforms. They created a dance party, making sure to bring the crowd into full participation mode by covering Sublime songs, Talking Heads songs and much more. It gave everyone a feeling of fulfillment as Frendly Gathering 2016 had finally come to a close. Gatherers meandered down the mountain, looking for small final parties at various campsites. Sleep fell over the mountain as exhaustion from the joyous festivities finally settled deep into the bones of the mountainside frends. The only thing anyone could think of as they closed their eyes was what was to come with Frendly Gathering 2017.

  • Twiddle Rings in the New Year with Three Album Run

    twiddle night oneOver three sold out nights in Burlington this New Year’s weekend, Twiddle played into the past, present and future of their musical catalog and continued to prove why they are one of the most talked about bands in the jam scene. The packed crowds at Higher Ground were treated to three very different nights of Twiddle. The band highlighted their three studio albums and substantiated that their latest release PLUMP is a showcase of where their live performance is headed.

    Twiddle roared in the New Year in vintage style. A “Gatsby the Great”-themed evening saw the band and fans dressed to the nines for New Year’s Eve. With several extended jams and a night packed with fan favorites, the band played their second studio album Somewhere on the Mountain in its entirety, while interjecting several non-studio fan favorites, including “Gatsby the Great” and “Hatti’s Jam,” throughout the sets.

    As an album Somewhere on the Mountain evokes the party, so it was fitting that Twiddle chose to play all 12 tracks on the biggest party night of the year. “Doinkinbonk!!!” into “Apples” became a 40-minute dance party/sing-along to two of the band’s most infectious songs. During “Apples,” Soul Monde’s Russ Lawton (drums) and Ray Packowski (keys) joined the band onstage while Twiddle’s Ryan Dempsey showed off his skills on the marimba. A dual drum performance between Lawton and Twiddle’s Brook Jordan added an unexpected element to the song, making it one of the evening’s most talked about moments.

    The first set closed with “Syncopated Healing” from the band’s most recent studio album PLUMP and a special guest appearance from Dempsey’s father, Stephen Dempsey, on saxophone. The song’s placement on night one was a bit of a red herring, as to not spoil the puzzle of what nights two and three would contain.

    twidle night twoThe second set saw a weaving of non-Twiddle moments, including a tease of Phish’s “Divided Sky” as well as a meaty jam of Daft Punk’s “Robot Rock,” in the middle of a nearly 20-minute version of “The Box.” The night ended with a more mellow approach as Twiddle cooled off the crowd with “Beethoven and Greene” before ending with a “Gatsby the Great” Reprise.

    While Twiddle rang in the New Year with a contagious groove, they started Friday night’s New Year’s Day performance with a glimpse into the band’s future. Joined on stage by “The Frendly Horns,” featuring Rich Williams (tenor sax), Adam Sawyer (trombone) and Chazz Canney (alto saxophone), the band once again intertwined non-studio songs among the tracks of their third studio album, PLUMP.

    The album’s opening track “Complacent Race” was debuted live for the first time, while the album’s horned tracks were brought to life for fans for the first time. It’s one thing to upgrade your band’s sound in the studio, but live the task is more difficult to pull together. If the sound on PLUMP is where the band sees their musical direction, they managed to prove two things on Friday night. First, that this newly debuted, polished studio sound is not outside of their ability to reproduce live. And second, that even PLUMP’s polished studio tracks have space to expand.

    “Polluted Beauty” and “Indigo Trigger” were launched into deep, nasty funked-out vehicles for the band to showcase where this newer material can go. On the other side of the coin, the band’s ability to weave tracks like the bluegrass-rooted “Hattibagen McRat” or the instrumental “Latin Tang” so seamlessly into the album’s mix show that this new material holds just as much of a viable place in Twiddle’s live show as does anything else they play.

    By the end of night two, many fans had started to put the puzzle pieces together. So on Saturday night, it was no surprise that the evening began with the opening track from Twiddle’s debut studio album, Natural Evolution of Consciousness, titled “The Catapillar” and ran through the album’s first four tracks before closing out the first set with two unrecorded gems “Earth Mama” and “The FRENDS Theme.”

    Night three contained less songs, but longer jams and more guest appearances. “The FRENDS Theme” featured Jack Mitrani (Frendly Crew) on electric guitar and vocals. Scott Hannay from Mister F (keys) and Jamie Armstrong from Lucid (saxophone) sat in during the second set opener “Tiberius,” while the second set closer “Frankenfoote” featured Lucid’s Lowell Wurster on washboard.

    twiddle night 3While the three day run didn’t include much in the way of catalog rarity, what it lacked in surprise it more than made up for in production value. Twiddle demonstrated a growth in technical skill and creative staging. Their studio polish appears to be rubbing off into their live performance with precision, turn-on-the-dime transitions and unique musical moments. The latest addition of Evan Antal as Lighting Director (Zed’s Dead, Kendrick Lamar) on this three-day run elevated the overall show experience.

    What’s most striking and noticeable about Twiddle’s growth is the rather intense development and involvement of their fans within the growing community. Fan artists continue to develop and execute inspired art from prints, clothing, pins and other merchandise that seem to be moving the band’s name further into the masses. Friday and Saturday nights saw a strong presence by the band’s fan-founded charity the White Light Foundation—all signs that Twiddle has an army of dedicated fans behind them.

    While some jamband fans debate the validity of Twiddle’s increased fan base and continued success, the band managed to show that over a three-night run in their hometown they are diverse, growing and paying attention to the details. All three nights sold out nearly a month before New Year’s Eve, evidence that Twiddle is quickly outgrowing the smaller venues their fans have grown comfortable seeing them in.

    As Twiddle prepares for its 2016 “Plumperdump Tour,” the small run of mostly 1,000-plus ticket theaters may be a sign that you won’t be seeing the band in smaller, more intimate venues again anytime soon. A good thing for the long list of fans clamoring to get into the band’s most recent sold-out shows for the majority of this past fall and winter tours.

    Twiddle heads out on Jam Cruise 2016 on Jan 6. The band will be on a short hiatus before kicking off the Plumperdump Tour in Portland, Maine, on Feb. 18. Spring dates are expected to take the band back out west and look to be announced in the coming weeks. Recent announcements include Twiddle slated to open for The Disco Biscuits at Red Rocks on June 4.

    Photos courtesy of Greg Horowitz Photography

    Recording of 12/31, 1/1 and 1/2 are available at Archive.org.