Rising to increased popularity with her recent Grammy win, Brandi Carlile has been selling out acoustic shows up and down the east coast this spring. Saturday’s show at the Shelburne Museum in Vermont was no exception. Hundreds of fans filled the open-air amphitheater, ignoring the forecasted weather warnings of lightning storms and surrounding the stage as the technicians brushed sheets of water off the rubber stage.
Photo by Jim Gilbert
Brandi and the twins would inevitably have to cancel this concert after performing a mere three acoustic songs due to safety concerns. But frankly, their performance, while uplifting and inspiring as always, was only half of this concert experience. The mood of the fans, drenched in rain and mud, huddled in the cold for hours, was brighter than any sunshine hiding behind the clouds. Strangers at 6 pm when the gates opened, the fans quickly bonded, sharing ponchos with strangers, supporting children so they had space to dance, and even covering our concert photographer with an umbrella to protect his gear.
Brandy Clark, the sultry country opener who crooned about divorce, breaking stereotypes of “good girls,” and even smoking weed, was a well thought out choice for the Brandi Carlile fans. Ms. Clark’s real-speak poetry and sexy voice quieted the shivering fans, her music temporarily distracting them from their discomfort. She appeared completely unmoved by the rains that came in sideways toward her while singing. Her voice was a balance between graceful beauty and gritty truths, leading this writer to check her out immediately after on Spotify to hear more.
Between sets, fans began to worry about the weather. It appeared to be worsening, and while the concert was advertised “rain or shine,” there was awareness that the electrical equipment on stage was drenched by the soaking deluge.
Photo by Jim Gilbert
But Brandi and the twins didn’t disappoint. They took the stage with acoustic guitars and stomped wooden boxes for percussion, as plastic covering protected the drums. Starting with “Follow,” Brandi thanked the fans for staying in the pouring cold rain. She remarked, “This is simply amazing to see everyone here.”
And everyone did seem to be there. The fans were overflowing the venue, filling every open grassy area (and the muddy ones too). The trio shifted the song list to accommodate their acoustic sound, bringing great joy to fans who are familiar with older Brandi Carlile albums.
But sadly after the third song, Brandi announced lightning strikes were too close, and the concert would have to be cancelled. The stage was quickly cleared, and fans ran out through hurricane like rains and winds to safely evacuate the space.
Photo by Jim Gilbert
Shorter than expected, but as authentically Brandi Carlile an experience as one might hope for, Shelburne Museum offered a perfect setting for kindness, acoustic music, poetry, and even some dancing in a hurricane. Brandi Carlile concerts – even when cut short – are worth braving any storm.
Note: Higher Ground Music announced that ticket holders will receive refunds. Tickets purchased online through Ticketfly will be refunded automatically; otherwise, fans need to visit their point of purchase for the refund.
Since its inception back in 2009 Albany based punk band, The Slaughterhouse Chorus, have been taking no prisoners with their aggressive, in-your-face musical style. With the release of their fourth record, …In The Name Of Progress, the band has penned its swan song and will be disbanding later this year. After ten years of touring and recording original material, the members of The Slaughterhouse Chorus, which is comprised of Chris Jordan (vocals and guitar), Jay Bonafide (guitar), Bob Watson (bass and vocals) and Mark McKenna (drums), have always steered through the rocky waters of the music industry with honesty and integrity. Initially formed from the ashes of local long-running punk/ska band, Public Access, the band has always had a “do it yourself” mentality that is a hallmark to their popularity and longevity.
The Slaughterhouse Chorus’ latest effort is a stripped down production that was captured at vocalist Chris Jordan’s rural Rensselear County cabin. Each of the five tracks on …In The Name Of Progress were recorded as a live performance by the band and recorded by producer, Ryan Slowey. The EP is being released by local artist collaborative label, Built4BBQ’s, that the band helped co-found. Their first release since 2014, …In the Name of Progress will be available on 12″ vinyl and digital download.
The EP starts off strong with the fast tempo punk number “Greenplates.” Fast guitars and booming vocals by Jordan set the testosterone fueled tone for the record. With lyrics that drip with irony and disillusionment, Jordan lyrically recounts a life of toil and hard work with nothing to show for it but poverty and frustration.
The Second track off of …In The Name Of Progress, entitled “Hambone,” brings a taste of country flavor to an otherwise irreverent punk number. The tune lyrically depicts a gloriously raucous road trip to Nashville where a fresh start in life awaits… if they can just get there in one piece. The track features guitar work straight out of the Grand Ole Opry from Jay Bonafide, who deftly picks away like Roy Clark coming down off of a three day bender. “Hambone” is a fun track to listen to and features backup vocals by Built4BBQ’s fellow label-mates, John “Henry’s Rifle” Pipino and Dan Wilson (of Kimono Dragons and the Rechorduroys), adding a bit of flavor to the number.
Luckily fans of The Slaughterhouse Chorus still have a few chances seeing the local punk favorites live before they hang it up for good. They perform next at their final record release party at Albany’s Hollow Bar & Kitchen on Friday, May 31 at 8PM. They will be accompanied by musical friends Turf ‘n’ Turf, The Death Vacation, and Kimono Dragons. The Slaughterhouse Chorus will play a few more shows this year before taking their final bow sometime this fall, including the sixth annual Built4BBQ Star Spangled Bonanza July 3 at the Hangar on the Hudson, and the Divine Vibes music festival at the Beer Diviner Brewery July 19-21.
Colorado’s The String Cheese Incident graced the tri-state area with a 3-night run at the storied Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY to celebrate twenty-five years as a band. This run featured numerous rare covers, the spirit of Jerry Garcia, NOLA style marching into the crowd, and special guests. The band includes Michael Kang (electric mandolin/fiddle), Michael Travis (drums), Kyle Hollingsworth (Keyboards/Synth), Billy Nershi (electric/acoustic guitar), Keith Moseley (bass) and Jason Hann (percussion).
Night one started out with a bang, despite the band and crew travelling through the night from Del Fest and arriving at 8 a.m. that morning. The set started with “Believe,” from their 2017 album with the same name. The boys brought a piece of Del Fest to the Capitol Theatre with bluegrass tunes “So Far From Home” > “Cedar Laurels” and energized the crowd with an incredible segue. “Laurels” was last played at Red Rocks in July 2018. “Gone Crooked” is a new tune by Moseley, written with Raymond Baxter, and had a nice old timey feel. Rounding out the set was “BollyMunster” and the psychedelic “Peace of Mine” > “Let’s Go Outside.”
Michael Kang on the fiddle
Set 2 began with a SCI classic, “Smile,” played for Nershi’s wife Jillian who was celebrating her birthday that night. Nershi announced that the song was originally written for her. Fan favorite “Desert Dawn” segued into two tunes from The Beatles’ Abbey Road, “Polythene Pam” and “She Came In Through The Bathroom Window.” “Pam” was last played 15 years ago, on 04/04/2004, with six total live appearances in all. While not as rare, “Bathroom Window” was last played two years ago on 08/13/2017.
These rarities continued the high energy segue chain into the traditional bluegrass tune turned jam monster, “Rivertrance.” A rocking drum segment followed, with only Travis and Hann on stage. The new Dead-influenced Hollingsworth song “Big Reveal” > “All We Got” closed the set, but the show was far from over. SCI encored with their latin classic “San Jose” and then finished “Desert Dawn.”
Keith Mosely and Michael Kang jam together
Night two picked up where night one left off. Set one started with “Vertigo” and the segue sandwich of “Black and White” > “Can’t Wait Another Day” > “Midnight Moonlight,” the latter being a cover of Peter Rowan for the Jerry Garcia side project, Old and in the Way. The party then went into high gear as the band dove into “Valley of the Jig,” a SCI dancehall beast that is a reworked version of the traditional bluegrass tune, “Red Haired Boy.” The set closed out with Untying the Not’s “Sirens” > the quintessential “Restless Wind.”
SCI covers The Talking Head’s “Burning Down The House”
Set two continued with jam vehicles “Just One Story” > “Rosie.” “Song In My Head” then proceeded, from the album of the same name, followed by their debut of the Jerry Garcia Band cover, “Tore Up Over You.” “45th of November,” from the album One Step Closer, started a funk and psychedelic sequence that reminded the Northeast who SCI is. This began with a segue into the Talking Head’s “Burning Down the House.” The walls of the Capitol Theatre were filled with projections of fire. This cover was last played on 10/29/16 at Hulaween. The jazz-jam monster by The Weather Report “Birdland” > “Wheel Hoss” > “Birdland” > “Just One Story” closed out set two. Apparently, the band was also supposed to play “Jellyfish,” but scrapped the song based on time constraints. Capitol Theatre owner and jamband promoter Pete Shapiro was in the crowd tonight and addressed the audience before the boys returned for the encore. Nershi’s timeless bluegrass tune about rekindling lost love, “Bar Stool,” ended the show.
Pete Shapiro, owner of the Capitol Theatre, addresses the audience
Night three began with the band announcing, “Never miss a Monday night show.” The venue was half full, and those in attendance were in for a cheesy treat. The show started on a high note with “You’ve Got The World” and Believe’s “Sweet Spot.” The perennial fan favorite plus bluegrass tune “Little Hands” included a tight jam and segue into “Don’t It Make You Wanna Dance,” a Jerry Jeff Walker cover. Kang’s “Beautiful,” also from Believe, led into the introduction of their friend, guitarist Scott Sharad. He joined the band on stage for a rocking version of “Outside And Inside” > “Hot’ Lanta.”
Billy Nershi
SCI seemed determined to top each setlist, and the last set was no exception. All six members started the second set by marching into the floor NOLA style, and played an acoustic version of “Dark Hollow.” This song was last played almost 13 years ago at the Tweeter Center on 07/15/2006. “Into The Blue” preceded the always inspiring “Joyful Sound” > “Rumble” and got the crowd moving again. The Keller Williams cover “Best Feeling” launched into a dark reggae jam and segued into The Police’s “Walking On The Moon.” This is the third time they have played this unique cover. “Moon” went back into “Feeling” and then transitioned into Song in my Head’s “Colliding.” Another quintessential String Cheese Incident classic and jam beast, “Texas,” closed out this sensational set. Peter Gabriel’s “Shaking The Tree,” last played 03/18/2017, ended the run and sent the hard core fans home happy. The Northeast awaits the return of this gouda band.
Set One: Believe, So Far From Home > Cedar Laurels, Gone Crooked, BollyMunster, Piece Of Mine > Let’s Go Outside
Set Two: Smile, Desert Dawn > Polythene Pam > She Came In Through The Bathroom Window > Rivertrance > Drums, The Big Reveal > All We Got
Encore: San Jose > Desert Dawn
Sunday, May 26, 2019
Set One: Vertigo, Black and White > Can’t Wait Another Day > Midnight Moonlight, Valley Of The Jig, Sirens > Restless Wind
Set Two: Just One Story > Rosie, Song In My Head, Tore Up Over You, 45th of November > Burning Down The House, Birdland > Wheel Hoss > Birdland > Just One Story
Encore: Barstool
Monday, May 27, 2019
Set One: You’ve Got The World, Sweet Spot, Little Hands > Don’t It Make You Wanna Dance, Beautiful, Outside And Inside1 > Hot ‘Lanta1
Set Two: Dark Hollow2, Into The Blue, Joyful Sound > Rumble, Best Feeling > Walking On The Moon > Best Feeling > Colliding, Texas
Encore: Shakin’ The Tree
Notes 1 with Scott Sharrard on electic guitar, 2 Unplugged, Acoustic
MGMT & Warpaint recently performed at The Capitol Theatre. MGMT played an intimate and fun set with hits such as “Kids,” “Time To Pretend,” “Brian Eno,” and “Electric Feel” sprinkled within some of their newer material from their newest album Little Dark Age.
Losing ones you love stirs up a plethora of emotions that can be hard to process. But confronting the loss head on can be the best way to continue living your best life, the way the deceased would want you to live your life. For International Orange, that meant finishing their sophomore album without their beloved bassist, Gaku Takanashi.
But they pushed through and created a diverse and well executed album. Listeners will find flavors of afro-beat, soul, rock and psychedelic funk, all cut with the jam band flavor we know and love. Although Takanashi did not see the publishing of the album, he did have his hand in nearly half of the songs on the collection.
In short, everything on here is clean, tight and tasty. Arguably, there’s not really a bad song on here. It’s was even sitting in the No. 7 spot on the Roots Music Report chart when it was first released. You can find it there now, but just a few spots lower in rank. No matter though, the album is still fresh and delicious.
Listeners will find a recognizable, contemporary jam sound in “Keep the Blue Side Up” and “Freight Liner.” Unique grooves, time signatures and quirky solos are uplifting and plain fun.
More experimental tracks like “Olinda” and “Sookie’s Roomba” contain touches of latin polyrhythms and open-ended jazzy instrumentals. It reminds listeners that this group is peppered with highly experienced musicians who have played with the likes of Keith Jarrett, Sting and Chris Potter. The companionship and camaraderie within “Olinda” is particularly fascinating. The groups manages to evenly share the space throughout these complex movements and time signatures which keeps things sonically engaging – no easy feat when it comes to improvisational work. “Olinda” is also a fantastic showcase of Takanashi’s skills as he holds down the beat for the entirety of the song but shows restraint when it comes to exploring the space. He was a remarkable player and we can only hope his peers can carry on his legacy in future work.
You can find their full length album on Spotify and Bandcamp. Obviously, a live setting is going to sell their sound more than it will on a recording. Unfortunately, there are no upcoming shows, but their Facebook page shows a consistent run of shows over the past few months, mainly in the Brooklyn area.
At The Well in Brooklyn, hosts Mike & Lauren invited 55 craft brewers, several local food vendors and two regional bands to come together for the 6th Annual Five Boro Craft Beer Fest. Attendees enjoyed 100+ beer and cider choices, gourmet eats and one hell of a rock ‘n’ roll show in an open, sunny setting splashed with bright and colorful street art, providing a pleasurable experience for both the palate and the eye.
The day began with a lot of hustle and bustle; craft beer vendors buzzing around, ice trucks loading in, and the bands plugging in for soundcheck. Individual tasting glasses featuring the rockin’ Five Boro Craft Beer Fest logo were lined up at the registration table, the guest line formed and at 4 P.M. the party began. The event was an all-inclusive one, wristbands provided attendees with all you can eat, drink and dance for the duration of the afternoon into the evening.
Beers were flowing, toes were tapping and it was time for some snacks. Staying true to the well balanced theme of the day, the food vendors provided festival goers choices of all things sweet, salty, savory, spicy and tangy to compliment the plethora of liquid libations. Traze, a Queens-based food shop that offers up gourmet “grandma-style” pizza were slinging slices as fast as the brews were pouring. Little Chef, Little Kitchen, a personal chef service served up “adobo chicken and waffle bites,” the sweet and savory combo hit with the crowd. More top-notch tastiness was brought to the party by The Huntress Whiskey n’ Wings, with delicious chicken wings, Sigmund’s Pretzels,with the ever-favorite salty pretzels and Kalahari Biltong, providing samples of “air dried, thinly sliced beef” a provision that beer drinkers, hikers, campers, festival goers alike would find handy. None went hungry at the 6th Annual Five Boro Craft Beer Fest, that is for sure.
Little Chef Little Kitchen serving up “adobo chicken & waffle bites”
Traze slinging little slices of pizza heaven.
The Huntress dishing out a variety of addicting chicken wings and flavors.
Kalahari Biltong sharing their “air dried thin beef.”
Next, the tunes. First to take the stage was Black Brant, a rock trio hailing from New Jersey. Comprised of Pat Seiler (guitar), Mike McCabe (bass), and Shawn Latham (drums), the threesome got the crowd moving with a wide array of cover songs ranging from alternative, reggae, blues and classic rock. Sing-a-longs and “rock-on!’s” were heard coming from the dancing crowd.
After a short changeover, Brooklyn-based band Of Clocks And Clouds hopped on stage. The stage and crowd warmed by Black Brant, they started right into a strong set of rock ‘n’ roll. Of Clocks And Clouds is comprised of Brooklyn-bred brothers Joe Salgo (guitar, vocals), Tom Salgo (lead guitar, vocals), Nick Salgo (drums), Russian-born Yuri Soussov (bass), and Connecticut native Zander Ryzinski (keys/synth), forming a powerful force that is both predictable and imperceptible; much like clocks and clouds. The first set featured several original songs and closing out with a saucy rendition of Cream’s “Sunshine Of Your Love.” OCAC opened the second set with “Worst Look,” into an impressive, hard hitting cover of Metallica’s “For Whom The Bell Tolls,” led by drummer Nick Salgo on vocals. The sun was starting to set, the crowd was having a blast and the band jammed out six more big, emotive, rock tunes closing with another bang “Who I Am,” led by drummer Nick Salgo. The song is new to their repertoire, but quickly became a staple fan-favorite.
Black Brant, rockers from New Egypt, New Jersey Brooklyn band Of Clocks And Clouds close out the night.
The 6th Annual Five Boro Craft Beer Fest was an incredible success, a great time was had by all. Sunshine, delicious food, tasty brews, great music, friends and family all made for an event that will be attended year after year. For more information on this event, the breweries, provisions, and musicians, visit the Five Boro Craft Beer Fest website.
Karla Bonoff had a wry smile on her face at The Egg Friday, May 10 as she recalled an audience member at a previous show shouting play something cheerful!
“I’m trying,” muttered Bonoff ruefully, pausing a beat. “Actually, I told her she’s at the wrong show.”
Accompanied by the exceptionally tasteful guitarist, Nina Gerber, Bonoff alternated between acoustic guitar and grand piano, singing every number except for Gerber’s solo instrumental version of Clive Gregson’s “It’s All Just Talk.” The 67-year-old Bonoff is blessed with a powerful voice, yet she’s most comfortable expressing melancholy and yearning, as exemplified by “Please Be the One” and “Someone to Lay Down Beside Me.”
A succession of such downcast material doesn’t necessarily sound like a fun Friday night, but thankfully Bonoff has become something of a raconteur, displaying a sly sense of humor that appears only intermittently in her lyrics. She spoke fondly of her early years, recalling all the “icky boyfriends” who inspired “Trouble Again” and remembering open mike nights at the Troubadour where she first heard Jackson Browne unveil “Something Fine.”
Karla Bonoffand Gerber finished strong with a couple of disparate cover versions. An up-tempo rendition of “Personally” was set up nicely by Bonoff.
“I’m gonna play a tune I didn’t write — it was my only hit, technically. Number 11 on the Billboard charts! The way I found this song was my dear old friend Glenn Frey, a great collector of obscure R&B tunes, played me this record by Jackie Moore from the mid-seventies.”
(I said) “Wow, what a great tune — I can’t believe that hasn’t been a hit for anybody!”
Frey: “Yeah, you know, I was thinking I should send this to Bonnie Raitt.”
Cue much laughter from the audience. “Hi Glenn,” continued Bonoff.
“Here I am, right here. So, I didn’t let him send it to Bonnie. I recorded it and it was a hit. This record had horns on it and strings and the Eagles singing background vocals and all this stuff — a big record. So I didn’t really over the years play it very much. I didn’t feel like I could really reproduce that big record. But I don’t give a shit anymore!”
The subsequent version of “Personally” was a nice shot of adrenaline after so many ballads, but Bonoff slowed things down for the finale.
“I was taking guitar lessons (in the late sixties) from a great musician: Frank Hamilton who was in the Weavers on and off with Pete Seeger. He taught in a little guitar store in the heart of Hollywood called Barney Kessel’s Music World. He taught me a lot of arrangements they used to play in the Weavers. When I recorded it I was lucky enough to have James Taylor and J.D. Souther play on it, but they couldn’t quite make it here tonight.”
And in fact no one missed them, as Bonoff and Gerber meshed beautifully on a gorgeous rendition of the Irish folk ballad “The Water is Wide.” It was a fitting end to a lovely evening at the Egg.
Setlist: Home, Baja, Oklahoma, Trouble Again, Something Fine (Jackson Browne), Daddy’s Little Girl, Rose in the Garden, Restless Nights, Tell Me Why, It’s All Just Talk (Clive Gregson), Please Be the One, Falling Star, Carry Me Home, Lose Again, Someone to Lay Down Beside Me, Personally (Paul Kelly), The Water is Wide*
*(traditional, arranged by Frank Hamilton, Pete Seeger & Karla Bonoff)
The Kirkland Art Center in Clinton was recently the scene for Kat Wright‘s return to her upstate roots. The Rochester-born chanteuse and her band performed a soulful, sometimes funky, 22-song set to a sold out audience at this small venue in Central New York.
NPR once described Wright as a mix of Amy Winehouse and Bonnie Raitt. It’s easy to note tones of Susan Tedeschi in her delivery as well. This served Wright well later in the set when she and guitarist, Bob Wagner, teamed for a stirring duet of Tedeschi Trucks Band’s “Shelter.”
Kat Wright
Wright’s band is one of the tightest around, making due without the presence of keyboardist, Shane Hardiman, who was missing due to health issues. Wright made note of the spaciousness to her right and wished Hardiman well in his recovery.
Wright commands your attention with her presence and her voice. As soon as she opens her mouth, the notes pour out effortlessly. She possesses that rare quality of projecting deep soulful notes with what may seem to the onlooker as pure ease.
Their set opened with an instrumental jam sans Wright, where the band: Bob Wagner (guitar), Josh Weinstein (bass), Colin Jalbert (drums), Jake Whitesell (tenor sax), and Phil Rodriguez (trumpet), displayed their chops right out of the gate.
Wright joined the fellas for a sultry, soulful performance of “All About You” to get things rolling. The standing room only audience was rapt with the voice coming from the stage while the band provided a jazzy backdrop.
Throughout the course of the night, Wright wowed with her voice while the band did the same. There were points during the show where the band seemed like they were ready to let rip but were holding back just a bit, to allow Wright to shine. These moments were sparse and when they let loose; they really let loose.
This is a well-educated outfit, as shown in covers of blues classics from Howlin’ Wolf and Junior Wells and their jaw-dropping version of the Tedeschi Trucks Band’s “Shelter.” This is a band that wears its influences on their sleeves. If you want funk, they can funk you up with the best of them. If you want soulful ballads, you got it. Blues? Indeed. Kat Wright is one to check out.
The night’s opener was the Utica-based Americana band, The Old Main. Their brand of music is rife with foot-stompers and tender ballads with the ability to flat-out rock. They’re a band on the rise around New York State, but knew their role on this night as the opening act. Humble and funny, they quickly won the audience over with witty, self-deprecating banter between songs and a solid set of original material spanning their two studio albums, as well as a new, as-yet-unnamed song.
The Old Main
The band, consisting of stand-up bassist Nash Robb, guitarist Seth Becker, drummer Mitch Eckler, and banjoist Dusty Elmer, rolled through a solid eight song set, incorporating an enthusiastic jam session that had Eckler using Robb’s bass as an adjunct to his drum kit during “Tuesday.” Robb and Owen offer some of the best harmonizing in Americana today with Eckler providing additional harmonies to add an extra punch. Elmer’s picking is effortless. The Old Main did exactly what they set out to do for this show — provide solid opening band material while winning over new fans.
Kat Wright will be performing at the moe.down Festival in Turin Fourth of July Weekend. The Old Main will be performing at Woods Fest 2 in Westernville on August 10. Both bands are well worth checking out.
Into the Mystic – six musicians from the Burlington, Vermont area plus a ringer guitarist from neighboring New Hampshire – paid tribute to the artistry of Van Morrison at Skyloft in Crossgates Mall on Saturday May 18.
For nearly two hours the septet ranged through the early years of Morrison’s catalog, focusing mostly on his heralded seventies period. With Avery Cooper contributing on sax (plus some lovely flute on “Tupelo Honey”) and Gordon Clark on trombone, Into the Mystic resembles a stripped-down version of Morrison’s 1973 Caledonia Soul Orchestra.
The Caledonia ensemble featured a string section as well as horns, but Into the Mystic was content to embellish every song (except “Bulbs”) with peppy horn arrangements. They certainly did justice to such early hits as “Wild Night,” “Domino” and “Caravan,” but the charts were even more intriguing when ITM explored less familiar eighties compositions, such as “Dweller on the Threshold,” “Cleaning Windows” and “Tore Down a la Rimbaud.”
Justin Panigutti, on vocals and rhythm guitar, had perhaps the toughest job of anyone in the septet, emulating Morrison’s gruff vocals, his penchant for wordless exclamations and exhortations, and even occasionally Van’s patented leg kick and arm thrust.
The Alchemystics
Panigutti’s love for Van’s music was evident – in fact, it was clear that the entire band enjoyed their work. Guitarist Daniel Rahilly didn’t have much room to show off, but on “Kingdom Hall” he unleashed a pithy stinging solo with a studied nonchalance that evoked Robbie Robertson.
Setlist: Wavelength, Kingdom Hall, And It Stoned Me, Warm Love, Dweller on the Threshold, Glad Tidings, Wild Night, Domino, Cleaning Windows, I’ve Been Working, Tupelo Honey, Sweet Thing, Tore Down a la Rimbaud, Satisfied, Bulbs, Into the Mystic, St. Dominic’s Preview, Caravan
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong threw their 10th annual Domefest this year at its new location, Marvin’s Mountaintop in Masontown, WV. Previously held in Bedford, PA, the fest moved to the new site to allow for an expansion in size and attendees. As people arrived Thursday afternoon, they knew they were in for a treat as Marvin’s scenic wide open views showcased West Virginia’s natural beauty.
Thursday kicked off with Chalk Dinosaur on the main stage, a fun, dancey, electronic group that provided an entertaining start to the music. Following the prehistoric groovers came Cycles, a jammy power rock trio from Denver, CO that knows how to explore new territory and shred the audience’s faces off in the same jam. Cycles crushed their set, gaining new fans and satisfying returning fans alike. Next came another Colorado group, The Magic Beans, who seem to be a favorite among Pigeons’ crowd, and for good reason, performing their first set of the weekend. The highlight of the Beans’ set was by far the segment of “Mission” segued into “Dr. Bubbleman,” featuring some exemplary type 2 jamming that was backed up by lighting designer Tim Farquhuar’s impressive work.
Closing out the main “Gallery Society” stage, came Pigeons Playing Ping Pong for their first set of the weekend. Thursday’s theme was “Domecoming Weekend,” so the band was dressed in matching sparkly gold jackets and snazzy white pants. The group played a number of their biggest songs including “Melting Lights,” “Scwanthem,” and “Something for Ya,” and debuted a cover of Metallica’s legendary “Enter Sandman,” led by drummer Alex Petropulos on vocals. For an encore, the band wished guitarist Jeremy Schon a happy birthday and performed their song “Su Casa” with John Denver’s “Country Roads” sandwiched in the middle of the tune, an homage to the festival’s new home in West Virginia.
In between all of these sets, Asheville-based funk band The Fritz performed tweener sets at the festival’s smaller stage, the “Bamboo Eater” stage, which was immediately to the right of the main stage, making it extremely easy for attendees to move between both. The Fritz absolutely killed it during all of the sets, bringing fun and funky covers of Elton John’s “Bennie and the Jets,” (dedicated to Ben Carrey from Pigeons) and Michael Jackson’s dance hit “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” to the ears of the ‘domies’ that stuck around for their sets. These guys are definitely a band to keep an eye on, every member just exudes talent and creativity, and frontman Jamar Woods has dance moves that are just as impressive as his keyboard skills.
There was a bit of rain from Thursday into Friday, but that didn’t break the domies’ spirits, as more and more people started embracing the mud and walking around barefoot. Friday was opened up by Mateo Monk (or White Wolf) on the main stage, performing a really spiritual solo looping set that ended with a song that repeated the line “music is my prayer.” Following Mateo came Deaf Scene, a heavy post rock band that seemed out of place at the festival, but absolutely crushed their set and had members of the Flock on the rail head banging by the end of their set. Bassist Eric Courtney performed the entire set in his boxers, and remained in that state for a good chunk of the day. West End Blend came next, an 8-piece funk band from Connecticut that bares a resemblance to Turkuaz. Lead singer and de facto front woman Erica T. Bryan soothed the souls of the crowd with her spectacular voice, backed up by a tight, get-shit-done rhythm section and horns.
Chicago prog rockers Mungion followed soon after, bringing the heat with spectacular versions of their songs “Quemaste tu Cabello,” “Nuthead,” and “Beneath the Shallows,” as well as a jammed out “Myrtle” that featured Aqueous’ Mike Gantzer on guitar. The group also performed Led Zeppelin’s “Fool in the Rain” with their original song “Return to Sender” sandwiched in the middle of it. Mungion’s first set of the weekend was fantastic and got the crowd rowdy and ready for Aqueous, the Buffalo-based groove rock band that has been steadily gaining popularity across the country over the past few years. The group opened their set with fan-favorite “Origami,” debuted a new song called “Be The Same,” which featured drummer Rob Houk on supporting vocals, and brought out West End Blend’s horn section for a performance of the album version of “Weight of the Word.” The set also contained a bustout of Cake’s “Short Skirt/Long Jacket” featuring Justin Reckamp of Mungion on guitar and Michael Bafundo of West End Blend on trumpet, which made the crowd go wild and had nearly everyone singing along.
Closing out the main stage per usual was Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, this time with two sets and following the theme of “Magic Kingdome.” The band was dressed in matching Mickey Mouse outfits of red pants, suspenders and black t-shirts. Both sets were jam-packed with Disney tunes, from Pocahontas’ “Colors of the Wind,” Lion King’s “I Just Can’t Wait To Be King,” and a medley of tunes from The Jungle Book, including the classic “Bear Necessities.” The group also encored with an original debut of a song called “Water,” adding to an ongoing list of songs that frontman Greg Ormont has written about cups. Highlights of the sets include the back half of the first set, which featured the West End Blend horns, the “Henrietta” second set opener, and the sandwich of “Poseidon” > “A Whole New World” > “Magic Carpet Ride” > “Abracadabra” > “Poseidon.”
Friday’s “Bamboo Eater” stage lineup featured the Dirty Grass Players, who showcased an impressive version of “Goin’ Down the Road Feeling Bad,” a number famously covered by the Grateful Dead; Schwa, Pigeons bassist Ben Carrey’s electronic side project that featured live bass and guitar as well as looping jams; and Fletcher’s Grove, the only band from West Virginia on the lineup, who brought their Appalachian rock sound and turned a few heads with their cover of “Shakedown Street” before Aqueous’ set. The real treat of the smaller stage was the Magic Beans’ second set of the weekend, a late night set that was originally only supposed to last until 3:30, but due to a lightning-induced set break, lasted until 5 in the morning instead. The group performed a 2-part “Lazer Lady” (only because of the lightning) as well as stellar versions of a bunch of Casino Cabaret tunes, including “Here On Out,” “Hanky Panky,” and “Mr. Scientist.”
Saturday’s weather was sunny and hot, not harboring a single drop of rain the entire day and officially cementing the best weather in Domefest history. Virginia’s Kendall Street Company opened the main stage, offering a mix of folksy rock tunes, acoustic driven ballads, and a portion of System of a Down’s “Chop Suey!” Swimmer took the stage next, with the Burlington jam quartet landing their spaceship of funky electronic jams right smack in the middle of Marvin’s muddy, hay-covered concert bowl. The group then made way for Funk You, a progressive funk band from Georgia that’s led by soulful singer and frontman Gavin Hamilton who laid down melodies that made some people stop in their tracks and turn to the stage. Funk You was a really fun act to watch and listen to, staying true to the “progressive funk” genre they classify themselves as with driving, intricate funk grooves. Next up were Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers, a band of musicians so in touch with their third eye that it made audience members want to give up everything and start following the rainbow. The Rainbow Seekers had one of the most entertaining stage presences, with members dancing around the stage while playing each song, bright colored outfits, a giant inflatable rainbow, and visibly having a good time being on stage together playing music. These guys are definitely a band to see live if you’ve never seen them before, their groovy, almost Motown-like sound, is sure to sooth whatever is ailing you.
Following Joe Hertler were Aqueous for their second headlining set of the weekend, a little earlier than their set the previous night which made perfect timing for the sun to set right as their music started. The group performed a slightly different set than usual, with the majority of the setlist broken up into 2 big segments of “Strange Times” > “Marty” > “Timmy’s Blades” > “Say It Again” and “Split the Difference” > “Rocko’s Modern Life Theme” > “Rugrats Theme” > “Random Company,” a truly career spanning setlist, as well as a reprisal of some covers from their Nickelodeon-themed Halloween show last October. Following those two segments, the group debuted a cover of “Walking on the Moon” by Empire of the Sun that featured drummer Rob Houk on lead vocals, which doesn’t happen very often. Houk crushed his vocals and was praised by the crowd with cheers of “Let Rob sing!” which fans have been asking for since the last time Houk led a cover. The group closed their set with their classic “Dave’s Song,” which featured a tease of AC/DC’s “Back in Black,” before playing the rare ending of “Dave’s” and closing out the set.
Pigeons came next, performing their last two sets of the weekend. Saturday’s theme was “Dome for the Holidays,” so the band was adorned in various holiday-themed outfits, including Ormont who wore a Hanukkah sweater and giant hat that said “Mazel Tov” across it. Both sets featured holiday songs of course, including the classic Bar Mitzvah song “Hava Nagila” and a mashup of the “Dreidel” song and “Jingle Bells,” as well as a show-closing “Auld Lang Syne.” Surrounding these covers were some stellar segments of “Julia” > “Beanstalk” > “Julia,” “Lightning” > “Moonwalk” > “E-Funk”, and “Zydeko” > “Sir Real” > “Dreidel Bells” > “Zydeko,” showcasing the group’s affinity and proclivity for long segued segments. Closing out the mainstage for the weekend was the much anticipated “Domefest All-Stars” set, featuring musicians from Aqueous, Mungion, Goose, Puremotion, Pigeons, Litz, and Funk You among others. The set mainly consisted of standards like Herbie Hancock’s “Chameleon,” from his infamous synth funk Headhunters album, and a version of The Meters’ “Cissy Strut” that featured Justin Reckamp, Sean Carolan, and Matt Kellen of Mungion, Peter Anspach from Goose, Mike Gantzer from Aqueous, Jeremy Schon from Pigeons and the Funk You horns. The set also featured performances of classic songs such as the Grateful Dead’s “Eyes of the World,” featuring all of the Pigeons besides Petropulos as well as Litz’ own Austin Litz on keys and Aqueous’ Rob Houk on drums, and Prince’s party anthem “1999” with Ormont trading verses a la the original version with Funk You’s Gavin Hamilton (who breathed a whole new life into the song with his soulful voice) and their saxophone player. The All-Stars closed off around 6 in the morning, just as the sun and temperature started rising for the dawn of a new day.
Over on the “Bamboo Eater” stage, Connecticut-based folk rock band Goose performed 3 tweener sets and absolutely lit the small stage on fire. Opening their first set with The Waitresses’ “Christmas Wrapping Paper” to fit the “Dome for the Holidays” theme, the group performed exemplary versions of “Time to Flee,” “Tumble,” “Jive Lee,” “Yeti,” and “Hot Tea,” as well as unique takes on The Who’s “Eminence Front” and the Talking Heads’ “Crosseyed and Painless.” Goose had the crowd moving and grooving during all 3 of their sets and definitely gained a lot of new fans throughout; check these guys out if you haven’t yet. The last band on the side stage was Mungion, back for their second set of the weekend. The group opened with a heavy hitting “Chatterbox” > “SteveO’s Waffle” > “Justice” by Jimmy Herring, followed by a version of “Herbert” that blew the minds of everyone in the audience with its complex composition and exploratory prog jam. The band closed out their set with a mashup of Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” and Primus’ “Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver” that worked so well it was almost like the original artists planned it.
The tenth annual Domefest was a shining example of what small festivals should be. Pigeons Playing Ping Pong know what their audience wants and they delivered beyond expectations. Hopefully the fest will return to Marvin’s Mountaintop next year, as the grounds provided the perfect setting for Domefest’s family vibes and tight-knit feeling. All of the bands that performed did so with energy and purpose and were met by love and respect from the Flock, which is a beautiful thing to experience at festivals. If you missed this year’s Dome, make it a point to make it out next year. You won’t regret it.
Check out our photographer Matt Shotwell’s photo gallery below for a look into how beautiful of an experience Dome really was.
