For the past seven years, LOCKN’ has been a true musical haven for improvisation, acting as a base for some of the most famous and remarkable collaborations. This year was no exception as some of this music scene’s most influential artists came together to share moments with festival patrons that won’t be forgotten any time soon.
The atmosphere at LOCKN’ this year was unique in that the festival felt smaller in scale compared to some of the past years when the grounds were overflowing with festivalgoers by virtue of acts like Phish, Disco Biscuits, The String Cheese Incident and Widespread Panic. In a way, the experience was more intimate and special as a result, with the performing artists’ music sweeping out into the crowd to bring their audience on a journey that was curated for their experience and their memories only.
It is always interesting to see the year-to-year tweaks that the festival implements to change the mood or improve the experience for patrons. This year, the thing that stood out was the late night shows in Garcia’s Forest, which included Circles Around the Sun, Soulive and Galactic.
Never miss a LOCKN’ sunset. Oteil & Friends
For those of us that have been six-to-seven year patrons of the festival, it is nostalgic to remember back to a widely favored and heralded set at LOCKN’ by the Tedeschi Trucks Band in 2014 in the Garcia Forest. What a trip, so many years later, to experience the powerhouse group headlining the festival, joined by superstar Trey Anastasio as the key acts of the weekend.
R.I.P Neal Casal, pictured at his last performance with Oteil & Friends.
Festivalgoers of this year’s LOCKN’ will forever evoke the memories of Neal Casal’s final performances, before our music community tragically lost him the Monday following the festival. This past weekend, Neal Casal performed late night on Thursday night with his outfit, Circles Around the Sun, which was orginially formed back in 2015 to record the interlude music for The Grateful Dead’s 50th Anniversary Fare Thee Well shows. Joe Russo performed a surprise sit-in with the group Thursday evening, in light of a collaborative EP that is due to release later this fall. Neal was seen again on stage with powerhouse group Oteil Burbridge & Friends, which also included Bob Weir and Duane Betts. Here is a clip of his solo on Thursday night with Circles Around the Sun:
“Interlocking” sets was the theme of the weekend, as always, at LOCKN’. Bob Weir graced a number of sets as a guest, as usual, including Oteil & Friends’ set where he sat in for “Cassidy” and a “Happy Birthday” song to Oteil; he joined Twiddle with Eric Krasno and John Popper for “Eyes of the World;” Old Crow Medicine; and Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians for “Deep Elem Blues.” Bob Weir was also “sitting in” during Joe Russo’s Almost Dead set when the camera spanned to him sitting side stage on a couch listening to JRAD’s set that included cuts like “Ruben and Cherise,” “Peggy-O,” “The Other One,” “Casey Jones” and “Uncle John’s Band,” to name a few.
Other notable moments of the weekend include one of the early sets of the weekend, when Trey played with the Thai-funk improv outfit Khruangbin, adding his legendary guitar licks to songs like, “Lady & Man” and “People Everywhere (Still Alive).” Moon Alice performed with the T Sisters and Lester Chambers and his son Dylan Chambers on Friday on classics such as “Uncle Johns Band” and “Attics Of My Life,” in addition to a few Moon Alice classics. Melvin Seals & JGB played a set together with John Kadlecik and the Pigeons Playing Ping Pong set had a sit-in from the Revivalist horns, to name a few more “Lockn’ Moments.” Honorable mentions should go to Fruition, who brought a sizable crowd to an 11 a.m. Garcia’s Forest set, finishing their performance with a crowd-requested “The Meaning.” Free Union started off the main stage performances on Saturday by inviting members of the Audacity Brass Band to play with them after their set was cancelled due to the storm on Friday.
Bob Weir and John Popper of Blues Traveler sit in with Twiddle.
But the weekend recap wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the extraordinary delicacy of seeing Trey and Derek performing together. Trey and Derek, certainly not strangers to each other’s guitar licks as the first time they played together was 20 years ago, had no trouble showing their respect for each other’s craft by adding the perfect additions to their respective sets. Starting with Friday night, Derek sat in for the entire second set with Trey Anastasio Band for songs like “Set Your Soul Free,” “Ghost,” and “Blaze On” with an additional sit-in from Susan on “A Life Beyond a Dream” and “Rise/Come Together.” On Saturday, Trey sat in with TTB for covers from the Derek and the Dominos’ classic album Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs while TTB proper followed with “Keep On Growing,” “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out” and “I Am Yours.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaJ4auxoI0E
Derek Derek Derek Trey Trey Trey
Once again, the spirit at LOCKN’ was alive and well this year, and is rooted deeply now for the tradition to continue next year all over again.
Phish has announced a 7 date 2019 Fall Tour, kicking off in Providence, Rhode Island on November 29 & 30 at the Dunkin Donuts Center. Following that, the band has a NY date in Uniondale at the Nassau Coliseum on December 1. Next they will head to Pittsburgh’s Petersen Events Center on December 4 and wrapping with a 3-night run at the North Charleston Coliseum on December 6-8 in Charleston, South Carolina.
A ticket-request period for Phish Fall Tour 2019 shows is now open and will run through Monday, Aug. 19, at 10 a.m. ET. General ticket sales for the tour begin Friday, Aug. 23. Phish and CID Entertainment are also offering travel packages (which include hotel & tickets) for Providence, Uniondale and Charleston. Travel Packages go on sale Thursday, August 15th at Noon ET.
Phish Fall Tour 2019
Nov. 29 – Dunkin’ Donuts Center, Providence, RI
Nov. 30 – Dunkin’ Donuts Center, Providence, RIDec. 1 – Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NYDec. 4 – Petersen Events Center, Pittsburgh, PADec. 6 – North Charleston Coliseum, Charleston, SCDec. 7 – North Charleston Coliseum, Charleston, SCDec. 8 – North Charleston Coliseum, Charleston, SC
Two mid-week shows in Connecticut wrapped up Phish’s east coast portion of their summer tour, before heading west for three nights at Alpine Valley in Wisconsin, and three nights at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, CO.
While at Mohegan Sun for their first ever shows at the venue, on Tuesday Phish brought back a cover of Apples in Stereo’s “Energy,” had fun with “Weekapaug Groove” in both sets, and took “Beneath a Sea of Stars Part 1” for a long psychedelic spin. A “Foam” encore, the first ever, was heartily enjoyed by fans chasing it all tour. Wednesday night fans were treated to impressive versions of “Wingsuit” and “David Bowie” as well as more love for Ghosts of the Forest with “Ruby Waves” appearing twice in Set 2.
A unique encore involving “Kung” and “I Saw it Again” preceded “Slave to the Traffic” light, which bid farewell to the East coast for five or so months.
This show featured the first Energy since August 4, 2013 (226 shows) and the Phish debut of Wider. Trey and Mike teased A Love Supreme in Beneath a Sea of Stars Part 1. Ghost contained an Under Pressure tease from Trey and a Weekapaug Groove jam with lyrics. Birds of a Feather featured The Birds samples from Page and Third Stone From the Sun teases from Trey.
With a summer tour progressing steadily along, and each subsequent venue seemingly raising the bar higher at each stop, expectations for the upcoming set of Phish shows at Saratoga Performing Arts Center were at a fever pitch. The band never seems to disappoint at this classic Upstate NY shed, showing us this is what SPAC sounds like when the boys from Vermont come to town. Coming off of three stellar shows in Camden, marked with a notably missing “Tweezer Reprise” from the final night, expectations about the SPAC opener (and rest of the show) were rampant and lofty.
In vintage Phish fashion, the band bypassed the “Tweezer Reprise” opener many expected to happen as a nod to the unfinished business in Camden and replaced it with a first-time-played cover of The Everly Brothers’ “Cathy’s Clown,” leading to a confusing and somewhat mellow start. Afterwards, the expected “Reprise” was delivered in full force which fired up the crowd instantly and began a long stretch of high energy rock anthems, including “Carini,” a song that’s already opened two previous shows this tour. A silky smooth transition of funk from “AC/DC Bag” to “The Moma Dance” then followed before a mid set “Theme From the Bottom” that served as a respite of sorts. A rare performance of “Home” was a welcome surprise in the first set and set the waves in motion for the powerful “Bathtub Gin” that followed. That would have been more than sufficient for a complete first set, but Phish had other ideas and tacked on the perennial “Walls of the Cave” set closer in typical high octane, raucous fashion.
After a brief “Cool Amber and Mercury” to open Set 2, Mike Gordon provided the opening bass slaps to “Down with Disease” and with that we were off and running with a 21 minute gem of a jam. This instant classic found its way into the full “Scents and Subtle Sounds,” complete with intro which was soundchecked earlier that night, then dipped into “Twist” to continue a set of deep exploration. From there, the energy was sustained with “Wilson” > “Scent of a Mule” and “Fuck Your Face,” before a mild breather in the form of “Halley’s Comet.” The set closed out with a “Harry Hood” that closed out yet another Phish set that sustained the all killer/no filler trend that has been steady since Camden.
For the encore, much discussion led to Fishman tapping the kick drum to signal the start of “Fee,” which found Trey having megaphone issues but still pushed through with the help of the audience. “A Life Beyond a Dream” from Ghosts of the Forest, built up towards a pleasant landing ground, and after slight discussion, Phish wrapped up their second 3-song encore in a row with “First Tube.” Trey ran around the and marched from stage left to stage right hamming it up with the fans as he burned through the pinnacle show closer.
Phish returned to Maine this week for the first time since 2013 for two shows at Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion in Bangor, Maine. The first night saw intense rain descend upon the crowd, with two nearly 20 minute jams from “Down with Disease” and “Simple” in the second set. Night two brought less rain and a hot set 2 trio of “Fuego” -> “Cities” -> “Final Hurrah,” standouts on a summer tour that has nearly reached its midpoint.
If you are heading to Phish at Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), here are some veteran tips for making the most out of the two-day run, especially for out-of-town phans.
Saratoga Spa State Park is easy to get lost in, as this is an expansive park, and you can easily wind up walking around for an hour looking for the lot your car is in, or altogether become disoriented. Save the map below, just in case.
In the interest of making sure everyone knows what has been the norm in the past, whether you have been here before or not, keep these few things in mind:
State Troopers. Keep all alcohol in a cup and don’t test the troopers. Phish fans are typically well behaved, but this is a state park, just like Jones Beach, something that shouldn’t be ignored while pre-gaming in the lots.
Hotels. Some establishments have been known to call-in suspected drug use. Be smart when pre-gaming at the hotel or getting back, and try to enjoy the post-show scene before getting some needed sleep.
Leaving SPAC. Expect checkpoints for drunk driving and K-9 units for the obvious. Don’t leave the park without a sober driver and when you do, drive the speed limit. Whether you’re driving down Route 9, Route 50, I-87 or towards the small towns north and south of Saratoga, take your time.
Post Shows – more info coming soon!
If you are headed south out of SPAC, or looking for music and eats, stop off in Malta for two nights of post shows at Nanola. Where is Malta? Just 10 minutes south of SPAC, off Exit 12 right on Route 9. The menu is fantastic — great Cajun-inspired food and American dishes, as well as one of the best draft and bottle selections in the Capital District.
There is an amazing amount of music lined up after each day of this year’s Phish SPAC run. That’s the beauty of seeing Phish at a venue like SPAC — the town opens up its doors to Phish with many options for music, art and daytime and nighttime activities.
Saturday morning and afternoon on the farm came quickly. Festival goers were treated to the first small taste of heat that the great fields in Tennessee are known for. While temperatures did not surpass the lower eighties on this morning, they were certainly hot enough to get people out and moving early, as stagnating at campsites throughout the grounds simply is not an option for survival in the moist heat.
Photo by Rob Roane
I got up, bumped around the grounds for a little bit seeking sustenance and cold beverage, and noticed the true surrealism that had begun to set in in full force. The camps and plazas that played central host to each camp cluster oozed with creativity and expression in all forms. Incredible spray-painted graffiti covered site walls; giant spotlights had been moved in front of the Bonnaroo disco ball high atop a fire tower overlooking the grounds. The festival was seeping with life. Before I go further to recap the performances I took in, I’m going to illuminate maybe my biggest takeaway from this weekend which really did strike me as I ambled about on this fine Saturday. I am a thirty-something year old, and while of course Bonnaroo draws from every demographic of age young and old, it is largely comprised of younger folks.
Walking the grounds at this festival was like looking back through a window of time for me, looking back at a snapshot of my own past experience of falling in love with live music and the culture that surrounds it. Had I not attended this festival as a much younger person, some fifteen years ago to be exact, I don’t know where my life would be today, but I can assure you I would not be a music journalist. Back then, and as I imagined the case to be for many of those who I watched this morning, was the first time feeling the kind of freedom that lives at Bonnaroo. Simply put, as a young person especially, this is a festival that will change your life. It was so, so endearing to peek back into this reflection of my own past and observe people having their life altered, hopefully for the better. Now let’s talk tunes.
Photo by Rob Roane
I got in early for the hard psychedelic post-rock sounds of New York’s own Rubblebucket. A nice sized crowd had gathered early at Which Stage on this humid afternoon set and Rubblebucket did what they do best, deliver sound in a theatrical and enthralling manor. Adorned in a neon green top with Beetlejuice pants, Kalmia Traver moved around the stage as if she owned it, powering the band through takes off their most recent release Sun Machine. Traver is a force of nature on the stage, flanked of course by her trusty band mates, the eclectic Alex Toth and the rest, Rubblebucket threw down a very “New York” set, which was refreshing to hear the sounds of the concrete jungle all the way down at Great Stage Park. Traver’s baritone sax augmented by the rest of the horns belted wonderfully out over the masses. The crowd grew as the set continued, but I retreated to the lounge to guzzle water and collect myself. Luckily, next on my list was Hippo Campus, which was set to take place also at the Which Stage, so I rested backstage until it was time for their curtain call.
When I popped back out in front of the stage for Hippo Campus, a massive crowd was there to greet me. Although the adjacent What Stage is indeed the festival’s main permanent stage, the crowds at Which Stage all weekend were omnipresent. The crowd can run very wide at the Which Stage, and stagger all the way back into the causeways of the grounds, through patches of shade provided by the sparse trees overhead and back even further, sometimes mixing with the back of the crowds at the tents. It is truly a sight. Hippo Campus wove a web of a kind of neo pop sound, one that is a bit foreign to me as an author but certainly was not to those in attendance. I was again reminded of how far the talent buying at this festival had come, and what a mystical thing genre diversity can be. From one end of the spectrum to the other I went, moving from the Which Stage over to the main stage for what I thought was some good old fashioned new age country.
Mauren Morris came on a recommendation to me a few months prior to this outing. Being from the south myself, I am indeed a [gasp] country music fan. There is a movement going on in country music right now that is really yielding some interesting stuff, and Mauren Morris did not disappoint, though she was not what I expected. Morris has been in the news recently after being outspoken regarding issues such as the need for stricter gun legislation which, to the untrained eye, seems a bit odd of someone from her genre. Hence, why I was interested to begin with. I discovered a very well polished, mostly traditional female country vocalist, rooted in the sound of Nashville, the city from which she hails. With a classic country look, cowboy boots and hat, bleach blond hair swaying to and fro, Morris led her band through some high-energy numbers including her current Billboard hit “Girl” which was received thankfully by the large mid afternoon crowd. The set did get interesting though, as Morris inventively worked in some EDM textures into her show. I can safely say this was unexpected, intriguing, and the first of its’ kind for me. A low electro bass murmur pulsated the stage at interspersed segments during her songs, and then it clicked why she was so popular among young people. I made my way from the What Stage back to camp for a brief break, and I heard the serenading sounds of The Grateful Dead coming from tents nearby, always welcoming notes to my ears. I felt refreshed as I prepared for what was easily my favorite set of the day.
As I re-approached the Which Stage, the biggest heap of people on the grounds of the second stage that I witnessed all weekend long greeted my eyes. Kacey Musgraves had brought a colossal size party with her only fit for the Bonnaroovians that salivated in anticipation of this set. Friends, let me implore you, go see this show. Musgraves transported us all to another land with her smooth, serendipitous sound that washed me away like a warm and gentle wave. Yes, she is a country singer, but her range is remarkably dynamic. Her sound is eerie, luminescent, powerful but peaceful. I recognized “Butterflies,” which was gleefully received by the capacity crowd. Giant inflatable blue balls bounced their way from the front of the crowd to the back, color was everywhere; Musgraves was hitting home runs. As the set moved forward, completely out of left field here comes a monster Flaming Lips cover in the form of “Do You Realize??” The crowd sung in unison; beauty was everywhere.
Photo by Rob Roane
As the daylight began to retire, ushering in the much-needed coolness of the evening, I bounced between two lineup legends in their own rights. Under the forgiving cover of the tents I watched a patron saint of songwriting, the big door prize himself, John Prine take his band through some mighty fine picking and singing. I saw a nice opening suite of “Hello in There,” “Summer’s End,” and the lively “Knockin’ on Your Screen Door,” before I sprung from That Tent to This Tent for Jim James and his band of rock steady pros. While many in the crowd anticipated a set rich with My Morning Jacket materiel, James instead threw out mostly recent solo stuff, including the Sirius XM favorite “Just A Fool.” James did however have one surprise up his sleeve as the lights went dim on the backline of the band and James switched to a seated acoustic guitar before the opening chords of the My Morning Jacket anthem “I’m Amazed” began. This was a truly stunning moment as time almost stood still just long enough for the seated Kentucky rock god to belt out poignantly, “After all is said and done, where is the justice?” as the song concluded. Never one to shy away from social commentary, he let the last notes linger in order to emphasize this powerful message in the form of lyric.
Before moving onto Saturday’s headliner and late night charades, I want to give a tip of the hat to my discovery of the day: Liily. This four-piece new age indie punk rock outfit out of Los Angeles played the smaller Who Stage which resides centrally between the two tents. The stage features up and comers under much smaller production but it is a great opportunity to discover new artists, and I can safely say I won’t soon forget this power punch. Liily is here to tell you that rock is far from dead, and that the California sound is getting re-carved. This was a scorching performance from a band whose oldest member is not even 21 years of age. This was by far and beyond the most truly rocking set I saw all weekend. Expect to see a lot more from this young ferocious foursome.
Photo by Rob Roane
I migrated from the smallest stage on the property back to the largest, for the feature of the evening, the Texas tornado, Post Malone. While the actual music struck me as nothing more than his studio stuff turned up very loudly, I will say that the production was impressive. A fierce collection of pyrotechnics peppered the performance frequently, and let’s be honest here, pyrotechnics are always cool. Towers of fire two stories high backed Post Malone as he talked the giant gathering through his hits like “White Iverson,” “Sunflower,” and “Congratulations.” I wasn’t specifically disappointed with this set, because it was exactly what I imagined it would be, but at its conclusion I was more than ready for the late night bomber Joe Russo and his Almost Dead to invade the grounds.
Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, or “JRAD” as they are effectively known, was the only manifestation of live Grateful Dead at the farm at the 2019 installment of Bonnaroo. While I have commented on how nice it is to see how far the booking at this festival has come, I was more than happy to see JRAD sneak onto the lineup to ensure at least a small piece of Bonnaroo’s roots remained on the farm. A sparkling “Rubin and Cherise” got the party started for the notably easy to maneuver crowd gathered at “That Tent.” Russo moved his band through classic after classic, with a specifically cool “Help on the Way” > “Slipknot!” > “Throwing Stones” sequence. “Throwing Stones” occupying the slot which is usually reserved for “Franklin’s Tower” was a nice touch.
As GRiZ had done the night before, Russo nodded to the late Dr. John by busting out “Such a Night” before closing things down with an extended “Samson and Delilah,” taking the clock several ticks past their allotted 3:15 a.m. stoppage time. I barely made it back to camp to embrace my pillow oh so welcomingly. Find the complete JRAD set at the bottom of this recap.
Setlist: Rubin and Cherise, St. Stephen, Mama Tried, Help on the Way, Slipknot!, Throwing Stones, He’s Gone, Playing In The Band, Terrapin Suite, I Need A Miracle, Such A Night (Dr. John), Samson and Delilah
Photo by Rob Roane
Sunday
The time had almost come to say farewell to this majestic place called Bonnaroo. Sunday was upon us all, and along with it now the true nature of the farm: sweltering heat. I knew I could not bid this extravaganza goodbye without first kissing its cruel mistress the sun at least once. Sunday brought temperatures far more familiar to most savvy Bonnaroovians. The thermometers rose towards 90 degrees. Sweat bathed us all. No matter though, because it was Sunday, a day commonly referred to as “The Lord’s Day,” and on this Sunday, by all accounts The Lord was coming in the form of a traditional proper two set Phish escapade. Praise!
Before the Vermonters completely took over, I braved the heat to make it into Centeroo for the speakers of the truth through brazen brass, one of my absolute favorite bands on the circuit today and a Bonaroo veteran taboot, The Soul Rebels. The Soul Rebels brought the funk party live and direct to the Which Stage on this baking afternoon, and, as always, I hung on every note. With renditions of “If I Ruled The World” complete with the Nas vocal parts delivered by trumpeter Julian Gosin, and their ode to their home city of New Orleans “504,” The Soul Rebels boomed on this Sunday afternoon, just enough to forget the heat for a cool 45 minutes. I spoke with the Soul Rebels’ Julian Gosin and Marcus Hubbard after their set about Bonnaroo, the importance of keeping brass in schools, and much more.
Marcus Hubbard and Julian Gosin. Photo by Rob Roane.
We’re here at Bonnaroo, which is a really diverse festival. I can tell you, just walking around the festival grounds, it’s way different then other places I’ve seen you [Soul Rebels]. There are all colors out there, there are all creeds, and it’s great. The duality of that is though that while we’re here at this great melting pot of diversity, there’s also a culture war going on. People high up in our administration right now are fighting to do things like take music out of schools, and ironically brass is kind of on the front lines of this fight.
NYS Music: Can music save a life?
Julian Gosin: Music can definitely save a life.
NYS Music: And has it?
JG: Ya man, we living proof. New Orleans… unfortunately doesn’t have the best reputation when it comes to crime.
NYS Music: Sure.
JG: But… the music is one of those things that kept a lot of us off the street, kept us busy, kept us focused, kept us motivated. After school, we would get home six, seven o’clock at night coming from band practice, and we were so focused in on our craft, we would extend that at home. Probably with another two or three hours of practice. Just the mentality of really wanting to do it is just the thing. Coming from New Orleans, we were the cool kids, we were cooler than the football players. We were young and not really realizing at the time what the music was doing for our careers and our safety, and our lives, and our families. It’s so important to keep the music in the schools. Right now, I’m currently working in the schools back home and there’s just such a big gap from when we were in school to now. We just want to give back. Music can save a life, man.
For my complete interview with The Soul Rebels, keep it dialed in right here with NYS Music and we will release the whole transcript soon. Now onward we go!
Photo by Rob Roane
By about 4 p.m. it was a full on roast. I had to retreat for some time just in order to reserve the energy to stand for the evening to come. I tumbled back to camp for a breather before ultimately making my last trip into the belly of the beast. I got a bit of a second wind thanks to The Wood Brothers sparking a notably fast paced set at That Tent that included “Saturday,” “I Got Loaded,” and of course “Luckiest Man.” They also threw in a nice curveball with “Express Yourself,” a song written in the seventies by Charles Wright, but popularized mostly by N.W.A. in the ’90s. The Wood Brothers had the crowd moving, and amongst its ranks, one could clearly see that most of the Phish crowd had deemed That Tent their pre-party. It was nearly time.
Before the last hurrah, I made sure to stop by the queen Cardi B. Her set was exactly as I imagined it, very hype, with a gargantuan crowd. Cardi played the hits, and midway through suffered somewhat of a wardrobe malfunction, splitting the backside of her outfit. She took it like a complete professional though, and to the crowd’s delight she finished the entirety of her set in a bathrobe. My ears rang as her set finished up, but no ear ringing would deter me from the big show.
Photo by Rob Roane
Phish took the main stage just a few ticks after 8:30 p.m. with Trey Anastasio beckoning the crowd, “You guys got any energy left, Bonnaroo? Because we do!” The crowd was far more concentrated than Friday, as seemingly many of the folks on tour had procured wrist bands and made it in for the Bonnaroo blast off set. Big Red and the gang got right down and dirty with a quick “Set Your Soul Free” before encouraging the youngsters out there to “Blaze On.” I noticed so many first timers again at this show, and it was so encouraging dancing amongst them, knowing so many would get hooked because of this set. Music is indeed a beautiful thing. The Kasvot Växt hymn “Death Don’t Hurt Very Long” took the tertiary spot before a nice Bonnaroo “Reba” popped its head up in the first set. A triumphant and appropriate “Free” came next, perhaps a nod to what so many discover on this great farm. “Sand” proved to be the dance friendly number in the first set, the contagious guitar riff lapping out over the crowd, most of whom had dropped their jaw thanks to this early crescendo.
Photo by Rob Roane
The second set can stand up to any second set in recent memory. This was no “festival set” as I previously mentioned many feared. This was the real deal. “Mike’s Song” led us down the hallway out of the gate, before a huge 14+ minute “Fluffhead” that was followed by a hefty “Twist.” That pairing is a favorite of mine and was the high point of this set. A nice “Weekapaug Groove” sandwich that found “No Man In No Man’s Land” as the meat in the middle came next, before creating an even larger sandwich by reintroducing a brief return to “Twist.” What a set indeed.
The trifecta of “Fuego” -> “Ghost” -> “Bathtub Gin” put the bookend on the second set. Phish had dominated the farm once again. Hands met hands in high fives; the phrase “Happy Roo” was exchanged by many. Just as they had come, both the band and the 80,000 patrons would soon slink back out into the night and back to their respective lives, but not before meeting Wilson. The notes of “Wilson” came knocking back on the stage door for one last rump shake, the raucousness created by the “blat-boom” lyrics was palpable. Somehow, even on the last leg of this four-day behemoth of a festival, this may have been the highest point of energy. “First Tube” sent us all on our way and brought the show to a climactic end as Anastasio held his guitar high above his head and ran around the stage. Mission: accomplished. For the complete Phish setlist see just below this recap.
If I can leave you with anything, it would be to return to my words at the top of this recap – this festival can change your life, you simply have to let it.
Phish setlist – Set 1: Set Your Soul Free, Blaze On, Death Don’t Hurt Very Long, Reba (no whistling), Free > Sand, Wolfman’s Brother, Cavern.
Set 2: Mike’s Song > Fluffhead > Twist > Weekapaug Groove > No Man In No Man’s Land > Weekapaug Groove > Twist > Fuego > Ghost > Bathtub Gin.
Vermont’s jam loving rock band, Phish, graced the stage of the woodsy meets urban Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD, as they blazed on their 2019 summer tour. The June 22, 2019 show included a debut from Trey Anastasio side project, Ghosts of the Forest. Phish consists of Trey Anastasio (guitar), Mike Gordon (bass), Page McConnell (keyboard, organ) and Jon Fishman (drums).
MPP is located in the heart of Symphony Woods, a woodland preservation designed by famous architects, Frank Gehry and N. David O’Malley in 1967. It was originally built as a summer stage for the National Symphony Orchestra. The venue has won over popular music acts because of its natural surroundings and excellent sound.
Set one kicked off with “Undermind,” from the album with that name. Two funky fan favorites followed, “Tube,” with a delicious jam from McConnell, and the Son Seals’ cover, “Funky Bitch.” The fire-and-ice jam vehicle “Steam” was up next, followed by phish classics “My Sweet One” and “NICU.”
Phish slowed the set down with the debut of “Friend,” from Anastasio’s side project Ghosts of the Forest. This band was created to play songs honoring Anastasio’s long time friend, Chris Cottrell, who lost his battle with cancer in 2018. Meaningful lyrics pierce hearts: “why do we have to wait until it’s gone to know what love is?”
The boys pressed the gas pedal for “No Men in No Man’s Land,” off their album Big Boat. Classics “The Horse” > “Silent in the Morning,” from the album Rift, had the crowd with arms in the air. Jam monster “David Bowie” was played next, and for the first time in 2019. The set closed out with “Squirming Coil,” from Lawnboy as the sun set behind the venue.
The second set was full of segues and jamming, starting with “Ghost,” from Story of the Ghost. “Ghost” transitioned to the a jam sandwich with high energy “Axilla,” then into new tune, “Set Your Soul Free.” The Pink Floyd-esque “What’s the Use?” and finally “Billy Breathes” followed suit.
“Death Don’t Hurt Very Long,” from their new album Kazvot Vox, started the second segue sequence. The next layer in the jam triffle was “Backwards Down the Numberline” from the 2009 release, Joy. The perennial Phish favorite “Harry Hood” was up next, and Anastasio’s on point guitar work had the crowd feeling good. The boys transitioned into “Rise/Come Together,” another new song. The final layer was the classic “Golgi Apparatus,” ironically last played almost one year ago at Merriweather Post Pavilion.
Phish sent their fans home happy with “Bug” > “Character Zero,” including an electrified closing jam. Phish fans await what night two has in store for them. Tickets are sold out, but can be obtained through CashorTrade.
Set 1: Undermind, Tube, Funky Bitch, Steam > My Sweet One > NICU, Friend[1], No Men In No Man’s Land > The Horse > Silent in the Morning, David Bowie, The Squirming Coil.
Set 2: Ghost > Axilla > Set Your Soul Free > What’s the Use? > Billy Breathes, Death Don’t Hurt Very Long > Backwards Down the Number Line > Harry Hood > Rise/Come Together > Golgi Apparatus.
Hello readers, I have finally made it back safely from my trip into the paranormal carnival that lives every year on the farm in Manchester, Tennessee. Yes my friends I am of course referring to the annual Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, now a larger than life gathering of existence and culture from around the world. I first attended Bonnaroo many moons ago, as a wide-eyed teenager, and it has been an absolute pleasure to return under the NYS Music banner to report back to you on all my findings there. I arrived of course with some foggy memory of what life on the farm was like, but no blurry recollection from years ago could prepare me for my trip through the wormhole and into the fertile cradle of vivacity that is Bonnaroo. Allow me to spin you a yarn of my discoveries as I breathed in all that this country’s largest camping festival had to offer. After all, Bonnaroo is indeed the beautiful mecca of discovery. Come with me as I gaze back at my wonderful weekend.
Photo by Rob Roane
In its seventeenth consecutive installment Bonnaroo hosted a wide array of artists across its numerous official stages and instalments, but it hosted so much more than music. I will of course spotlight some of the incredible sound I absorbed from the stages, and I will also describe some of the additional color qualities that really cement this festival in greatness. Firstly, it is important to establish here too that Bonnaroo is a fierce beast of an endurance test. For four days and nights I sought out to hear old favorites, discover new ones, and bask in the glow in the diversity of the festival, and I did just that. Let’s start with my arrival on the farm.
Thursday
Arriving at a festival is always a special feeling. Those familiar with it know that the Thursday night energy can be something fierce. Patrons are fueled by an anticipation that has been building for months. The evening comes quickly, as Thursday is the only real day in which travelers are not encumbered by heat or other tiring forces that set in once the weekend really gets rolling. As I arrived on the farm, I was immediately reminded how different this place was than anywhere else on earth. I cannot state this enough friends: arrival at Bonnaroo is absolutely electric. As soon as my size 12 touched the hallowed grounds, I was infected with the vibe. Electric neon jumped from every avenue. Sound took over. This year’s festival saw 80,000 patrons make land, the most the site has had on it in some time, and the party was indeed completely sold out. Due to traffic, I arrived slightly delayed, but to my delight, Thursday’s Grand Ole’ Opry set was broadcast on the AM radio. I listened to the sound of Nashville as I set up camp, curated by the great Old Crow Medicine Show. While the reception was a little fuzzy, it came through clearly enough to remind me that while Bonnaroo is the true melting pot of the festival circuit, it is embedded in its Tennessee roots, as it should be. I moved quickly at camp, and finally departed for “Centeroo,” the central hub of the festival and venue area. The Nude Party, a twang rock operation from Boone, NC already had the Thursday party in full swing at “That Tent.” This sextet of rockabilly troubadours delivered a sound that I can only describe as very full, and present. They’re a mountain party in a pressure cooker that is just waiting to break out. The packed house crowd ate their energy up and delivered it back to the stage in a to and fro dance. It was good to be back.
I trekked onto “This Tent” to get my first taste of
indulgence in new discovery of the weekend.
Being from NC myself, I was plenty familiar with The Nude Party, but the
next group I saw came under several recommendations preceding the festival. The Comet Is Coming is a progressive
jazz psych funk trio all the way from London. This trident of a unit comprised
of drums, sax, and keys assured the crowd that the comet was for sure coming.
Their party consisted of an ongoing flow of rhythm in continues breaks and time
changes that saw each member take lead while the others followed. Their little
game of follow the leader always culminated a massive crescendo of interplay,
which saw each member bursting at the seams with tempo. The jams always came to
a boil, leaving the crowd in frenzy after each and every take. With no real
soloist element amongst the trio, this was a true sound build band. Completely
unrelenting high energy, my first time with The Comet Is Coming was a microcosm
for everything that is great about this festival. I discovered my first new
favorite band of the weekend, I was filled with intrigue and inspiration, and I
left fulfilled, but certainly still hungry for more. The night was still young.
Back across the causeway my eyes darted from one luminescent structure to
another. This gathering had a heartbeat, the pulse of which is unmatched. I
followed my feet to the Magic City
Hippies, a new age digital indie funk operation from the majestic city of
Miami.
The Magic City Hippies are a true Bonnaroovian outlet. They lace some familiar samples over breaks and supplement them with catchy guitar riffs all while interacting with the crowd, which continued to grow under the loving cloak of “That Tent.” They’re all fun, all the time, the way a Thursday night at the farm should be. Let me tip my cap to the way this lineup was curated and slotted. Those behind the scheduling at Bonnaroo are absolute masters. As the electro funk party simmered, I got a chance to catch up with the Magic City Hippies and talk about how much it meant to be at Bonnaroo, amongst such great company.
Photo by Rob Roane
NYS Music: Can you guys talk
a little about what it means to bring your block party vibe from Miami all the
way to the big stage here at Bonnaroo?
Magic City Hippies: Ah man,
you know, we know we’re here for a reason, to deliver what we love to deliver
and that’s music. We come from Miami, a city rich of course with Latino culture
so we knew early on that if we were going to make music that it had to make
people move. To come here to the big stage, I was cheesing a little bit up
there. We used to play sweaty house parties on a Friday night, the ones where
it would just be us and twenty people in a room with the fog machine is on way
too long and just sweating it out with our friends. The Bonnaroo Beacon called
us an alt-pop-party starter band and that’s kind of what we are. We’re blessed
to be here.
Thursday night ‘Roo is the party starter, and the Magic City
Hippies were right in place. The party was far from over though.
Before Space Jesus
descended on the mass to hit the crowd with the first real dose of bass, I
stopped in the Snake & Jakes’s Christmas Club Barn to take in the Kasvot Växt dance party. The Christmas
Club Barn is exactly what it sounds like- a blinking beacon of Christmas
decorations complete with a full service bar and DJ booth. This is what Bonnaroo
is about, random themed destination installations in which patrons can simply
immerse themselves in surrealism, a theme that would reappear throughout the
weekend. Strangely, little to no Kasvot Växt, a fictional Scandinavian rock
band created by Phish was actually played during this set. Nevertheless, my
eyes still gaped wide with stimulation from this interactive candy cane land.
Photo by Rob Roane
Space Jesus, a New York native, took the throne on “The
Other,” Bonnaroo’s third largest stage. This stage once was a tent, but the
cover has long since been removed to form a fully operational stage used mostly
for bass music throughout the weekend. Space Jesus wasted no time getting right
down to it, as the thump from the woofers got deeper and deeper. I could see
immediately that this type of stuff is what many of the patrons craved and was
what they came for. This is a snapshot of how Bonnaroo has changed in the years
since I once frequented the farm. Not in a bad way though, the bass hawks are
devout fans, will follow an artist like Space Jesus wherever he goes, and help
establish the diversity in genre that allows for this festivals long term
continuance and success. It was nice to see the mostly college aged crowd head
banging in unison to the deep melodic womp of Space Jesus. This man came to get
down (he came to get down), and being that there were no seats (nor would they
be needed), the kids jumped around.
The clock now lingered past two in the morning as I sauntered back to camp, so filled with excitement and purpose. I had finally come home; after all it was this festival that sparked my real love for live music and the culture that surrounds it. One foot back onto the already beaten path leading into the massive campgrounds and another creature of the surreal approached me. A GIANT VW Beetle-like motorist comes cruising down the road, two stories tall, laden with go-go dancers and sewn in all kinds of light, this mechanized creature of the night is apparently a staple of the roadways at the festival, and made its first pass through the hordes. Conceived in some kind of post apocalyptic Mad Max comic book acid trip, this stuff happens only at Bonnaroo my friends, only at Bonnaroo.
Friday
I awoke Friday morning under what Bonnaroovians know to be very mild conditions. A place known for its unbearable heat, most of the weekend’s temperatures hovered in the mid seventies, a blessing for all those in attendance. While we did have to brave the heat and subsequent dust bowl circumstances would come later in the weekend, Friday proved to be quite pleasant. The first full day of the festival was now underway, I got my first chance to really hone in on what makes Bonnaroo standalone: diversity. In the prior night’s darkness and absolute loony-bin madness it was hard to make out the exact complexions of those sharing the crowd around me. In Friday’s daylight I was able to make a first real glance at this feature. I took in some fantastic acts on Friday, including the first dose of the weekend’s main headliner Phish, but first let me comment on the array of color at the farm in the form of its main attraction: the people.
Photo by Rob Roane
On my morning walkabout I was immediately reminded and attracted to the real feature of Bonnaroo 2019. Bonnaroo is a culture sponge, a tapestry of different walks of life all sewn together under like-mindedness in music and community. There were so many different kinds of people at this festival. Bonnaroo really delivers in this regard. The population at the farm is a far more accurate depiction of the real world than an outsider would imagine. People of all races, genders, and ethnicities are strewn about at every nook and cranny of the grounds. It is beautiful. The diversity in the genres of the bands on the stages finally reflects the diversity of the crowd. Bonnaroo has evolved over time from its jam band central roots, to the diverse cultural quilt that it is now. Congrats to you Bonnaroo, and to you Bonnaroovians, for you are the true testament of the magic and greatness that lives at the farm. Now let’s see some music.
Photo by Rob Roane
My first parlay at the “Which Stage,” Bonnaroo’s effective second stage, came with Nahko & Medicine for the People. Nahko brings this justice rich, earthy sound that is meant to inspire change and celebrate the planet. Nahko moved through his big poppers “Budding Trees” and “Black as Night” before I moved on to pop through Catfish and The Bottlemen, and a little of Parquet Courts. The former radiated this wild alt 90’s British rock, while the ladder boomed with New York flavor. Paul Vile (Jelloman) slung Jello shots into the crowd as Parquet Courts moved seamlessly through their post-punk catalogue. The New York sound was alive with Parquet Courts.
My first trip to the famed “What Stage,” the granddaddy of the Bonnaroo stages, I came for The Avett Brothers, a personal favorite at the festival, second only to the foursome from Vermont slated later in the evening. The Avetts smoothly laid into their set with “Vanity,” before turning the knobs to eleven with a nicely placed “Satan Pulls the Strings.” They queued up crowd pleasers “Ain’t No Man,” and “I Wish I Was,” before finishing strong on “Kick Drum Heart” and “No Hard Feelings.” It was great to see these North Carolina boys get their due yet again on arguably the biggest stage in the country. The sun began to sink low as the Avetts concluded, and I turned around backwards to face the mass and drink in this magnanimous movement.
Photo by Rob Roane
I caught a handful of the GRiZ set before heading back to revamp for the evening, for it was an evening of Phish my friends. GRiZ is simply put: awesome. Not only was this one of the only sets of the weekend which saw a real melding of the ages in the crowd, it was of course full steam from the jump off to the time I departed. GRiZ bridges the gap between today’s jamtronica and yesterday’s mastery of horns and musicianship. The crowd at the “Which Stage” was a complete arsenal for GRiZ, and to this point in the weekend it was the biggest crowd I encountered. This is demonstrative of GRiZ’s appeal, and it’s no accident he was chosen to host the G.O.A.T. Superjam later in the night. More about that shortly, first, let’s talk a little Phish.
Phish returned to Manchester for their third romp on the farm, once again to deliver three sets in total. First, their late slot to face plant the crowd into rock. While many devout Phish fans bemoaned them for returning to ‘Roo to deliver presumably what they refer to as “a festival set,” not standard of a regular Phish show. One that does not involve lots of improv or creativity in the set list. A set that serves a purpose, to expose newer, younger fans to their music, while not going too far out and not getting so weird that the crowd is turned off in the same stroke. Well a big ole poo-poo to those fans, because guess what: Phish came on stage at Bonnaroo and tapped up a complete barnburner from start to finish. This was no average “festival set” people, this was a statement that the boys from Vermont were here, and they were not messing around. Yes, the crowd was notably younger than an average Phish show, but that’s a great thing. That ensures the longevity of the music.
Photo by Rob Roane
I took in the set with Twitter’s Lil’ Nug, a young girl who has ascended to Phish fame after trolling the band a few months before, having no idea who they were, or why they were headlining Bonnaroo. A ripping “Carini”-> “Down With Disease” -> “Say It To Me S.A.N.T.O.S.” took the opening stanza. The band moved nicely right along through “Everything’s Right” before truly introducing the farm to what space smelled like with “Mercury” -> “Tweezer” -> “2001”-> “Steam.” Welcome to the land of milk and honey my friends, Phish had arrived at Bonnaroo. Lil Nug got down, I got down, and we all got down. Find a complete set list at the bottom of this recap.
Bonnaroo boasts the largest genre web of any festival of its kind. There is nothing more exemplary of this GRiZ’s G.O.A.T.: A Music Legends SuperJam. The jam featured artists from all over the spectrum coming together for one late night exclamation point that pays homage to music legends of the past, without whom events like Bonnaroo with remain only figments of grandiose imagination. This year’s jam featured GRiZ bringing one all star after another, including Nahko, Rubblebucket, Sunsquabi, members of Walk The Moon, members of Trey Anastasio Band, and so many more. This ridiculous collection of talent did justice to those that came before them. Climaxes included “So What’Cha Want” (Beastie Boys), “Right Place Wrong Time” (Dr. John), “Respect” (Aretha Franklin), “1999” (Prince), “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” (The Beatles), and a litany of other stellar renditions of fabulous canon classics. Find the complete set list below.
Of the Superjam, GRiZ said:
“The major point of this thing is to play a bunch of rad music and continue to re-tell stories of the great people who played music in the past.” He went on specifically to comment on Dr. John, who had passed on the week before.
“The definition of
funk music, which he carved out a large piece of, gave way to re-inventing
music however you feel. You don’t need to put things in a bo or follow any
rules or worry about what your heart feels about the music- you can just let it
go.”
Knees quaking, mind melting, I moseyed through Girl Talk for a second before hiking back into the jungle party that lay outside the walls of Centeroo. I was happy to see Girl Talk playing old mixes, reminiscent of when I discovered the blend DJ years before. Exiting a superb Friday night, I was reminded that like New York, Bonnaroo does not sleep.
Phish setlist: Carini -> Down with Disease -> Say it to Me S.A.N.T.O.S., Everything’s Right -> Mercury -> Tweezer -> Also Sprach Zarathustra -> Steam, Martian Monster, More -> Harry Hood -> Character Zero
E: Possum -> Tweezer Reprise
G.O.A.T.: A Music Legends Super Jam with GRiZ set list:
Miserlou (Dick Dale) (Core Band), So What’Cha Want (Beastie Boys) (GRANT INTRO), Right Place Wrong Time (Dr. John) (Core Band), Could You Be Loved (Bob Marley) (Nahko, Nattali Rize), This Land Is Your Land (Sharon Jones) (Deva Mahal), Piece of My Heart (Janis Joplin) (Jennifer Hartswick), Valarie (Amy Winehouse) (Jennifer Hartswick), Respect (Aretha Franklin) (Chrishira Perrier), 1999 (Prince) (K. Flay, Chrishira Perrier), Mary Jane (Rick James) (Chrishira Perrier), DANG! (Mac Miller) (PROBCAUSE, Chrishira Perrier), Grinding All My Love (Nipsy Hussle) (PROBCAUSE), Lithium (Nirvana) (K. Flay), What I Got (Sublime) (GRiZ, MUZZY BEARR), Blackhole Sun (Soundgarden) (Linsay Ell), While My Guitar Gently Weeps (The Beatles) (Linsay Ell), Folsom Prison Blues (Johnny Cash) (HOBO JOHNSON, RKS BASS & DRUMS), Bring It On Home To Me (Sam Cooke) (SAM MELO, Jennifer Hartswick, Linsay Ell), Wake Me Up (Avicii) (NOAH KAHAN, Music City Mystique Drumline), Drumline Interlude (Music City Mystique Drumline), We Will Rock You (Queen) (Walk The Moon, Music City Mystique Drumline), Under Pressure (Queen & David Bowie) (Walk The Moon, Rubblebucket), Let’s Dance (David Bowie) (Rubblebucket, BLACKSTAR BAND), Life On Mars? (David Bowie) (Rubblebucket) (BLACKSTAR BAND), Freedom! ‘90” (George Michael) (Deva Mahal, MUZZY BEARR, Chrishira Perrier).
*Song (Original Artist) (Lead Performer)
Stay tuned for Part 2 of NYS Music’s Bonnaroo coverage!
We have all been there; a concert you simply cannot refuse. A 220-dollar concert ticket followed by 100-dollars in fees, nearly a 50 percent up charge. It’s your favorite band, a no-holds-barred night out, but at what cost. The next few gigs you land 60-80 dollar tickets purchased from an online-fan-page-stranger. They even let you PayPal them after you got through the doors. As diehard fans, and musicians ourselves, we don’t want to be exploited; we want an exciting live music experience. Since we still yearn for human connection and tangible experiences transcending all sound – again, CashorTrade delivers.
We linger on this narrative because it is overwhelmingly real. You have already lived through it, overpaying, or missed out from an absurd standing room ticket. CashorTrade, an online ticket exchange and social platform for pure music junkies, is growing rapidly to bring real fans tickets at face value.
The Vermont co-founders and brothers, Dusty and Brando Rich, have bred CashorTrade from of their passion of live music, as well as disgust in oversaturated and overpriced tickets. Their story begins with a failed attempt to acquire Phish tickets at Hampton Coliseum in Vermont after the bands five year hiatus. It was Phish’s first performance since Coventry on August 15, 2004. The band started with “Fluffhead,” which was not played since 2000 (phish.net), but it should not merit a four-figure ticket price.
“What got us the most, was seeing the tickets listed for two – thousand – dollars a piece,” said Brando Rich. “When Phish stopped touring in 2004, Stubhub was created, and Facebook… The dawn of peer to peer ticketing platforms. A lot had changed, and five years later [2009] things are up and running… It has taken what used to happen in brick and mortar box offices to the extreme and ruined it for fans.”
CashorTrade has become a social network that allows people to have friends, share photos and connect with one another. It makes trading with people you know, love and trust that much easier. The Rich brothers have plans on building that further because “we want to better connect friends who have tickets they need. And, for fans to know about shows they are attending or interested in attending,” which is tailored to each specific user-profile.
The dawn of the internet had changed the concert experience, for better and worse. When it comes to ticket consumption Brando stresses that not all ticket company owners are fans. “I would go as far as saying that most are not fans. In the end, what my brother and I created is most helpful to fans because we are fans. We grew up loving live music – every ounce of it.”
“We would do whatever we could to get to the next show, fighting to make burritos in the lot, to make money [for our next tickets]. Your community feeds you, clothes you and it becomes your life.”
This lifestyle shows through the organic growth in the company, nearing a quarter-million users across 20 countries. CashorTrade is growing at 3,000 new users per month, and expanding. With closed first round investors, direct artist-partnerships, festival partnerships and a growing online platform, CashorTrade is on the rise. Fees diminished to ten-percent or less keeps the pressure off your wallet and draws focus to the music and those enjoying it.
Yesterday, June 12 at 2 p.m. EST, CashorTrade officially partnered proudly with Phish’s official charitable outreach, The WaterWheel Foundation – then again, it all began with Phish. Since 1997, WaterWheel’s outreach aides social and environmental efforts throughout each tour stop, notably local efforts in CashorTrade stomping-grounds: Vermont. Fans selling Phish tickets can opt to donate their profits directly to WaterWheel, while buyers will be charged CashorTrade’s transparent credit card fee (3%). Likewise, 100 percent of those ticket revenues go directly to WaterWheel, who has raised millions for more than 425 groups.
CashorTrade is closing in on their community, helping tickets stay in the hands of a tight-knit, music loving, and sustaining populous. They provide a platform where we can do it safely, carefree, and now, feel good by effortlessly giving back. Fans now have control and positive choice.
https://youtu.be/s3kpeoeNDXo
“We recently partnered with Billy Strings, an up-and-coming bluegrass guitarist, who is an amazing prodigy. I love his vibe and he really seems like the perfect fit for CashorTrade – so we are very excited to become his dedicated reseller.” Likewise, the company has paired with the killer, nationally touring act, Twiddle, said Rich. “They are selling out shows left and right; and they’re from Vermont, so that was a natural fit.”
“Partnerships are exciting, becoming an artists’ dedicated reseller is something we have always dreamed of doing,” said Rich. Additional partnerships with WaterWheel, Summer Camp Music Festival, Disc Jam and Osiris’ The Drop Podcast are just the beginning for CashorTrade. There is a lot of power in the fans.
According to their website, festivals are life changing moments. For Brando there are too many to count by hand, but the first Clifford Ball in 1996 holds a special place in his heart.
Phish played their first time at the former Plattsburgh Air Force Base. “My parents had just dropped me off my first year of college at Johnson State in Vermont. I got settled and drove straight to Plattsburgh, NY. It was the – most – amazing – three days of my life, having never seen so many people. It was something like experiencing a Woodstock-esque festival, with jam-packed streets, mayhem and three miles of party. That was pretty life changing, to see a plane fly overhead with Phish lyrics – and to think – what an extravaganza this is.”
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