Thu, 03/22/2007 - 1:13 pm

It's interesting that when you ask anyone from south Florida what the local music scene is like, most locals will reply 'What music scene?". Now don't get me wrong, there is a music scene that really caters to the jazz, Latin and blues world but nothing alternative or rock that really stood out and connected south Florida to the rest of the world since the days of the Hollywood Sportatorium that is until now Langerado.

A lot of bands in the past really had no reason to check out south Florida due to the fact that a lot of the venues were closing down, it's expensive to play down in the dirty south, a few little hurricanes and quite frankly the crowd turnout has always been an issue. Well that's changed recently due to a festival that started in 2003 as a small musical gathering on one stage and a couple bands that has now morphed into a full blown festival.

What's great about this festival?  Well, there are a variety of things to consider…for example, it happens at the perfect time of the year (usually the second weekend of March when the Florida weather is at its best); it's attractive to a lot of college students since it usually falls on their spring break, it's in a great location that allows onsite camping and also the quality and quantity of bands represented. For a very decent ticket price, you can check out a great assortment of bands that range from up & coming to the well established ones kicking off their yearly spring tours. Another great thing is that there really isn't any major traffic jams either if you're staying off site (unlike a certain Phish concert that closed down a major highway once). So to get the ball rolling, here's the day to day coverage of this year's Langerado Festival in all its glory!

crowdFirst thing I happened to notice was the fact that there was a LOT of out of state license plates ranging from Washington, Texas to New York . Interesting enough, there weren't too many locals on the first day of the festival. This didn't seem to be a problem the place was still packed with people dancing to their own groove. As for the performances, to put it bluntly, I had to admit there were a lot of bands that I hadn't heard of even though I work in the industry (so much for being in the know huh?). First up for me was the band Assembly of Dust whose roots rock flavor was a wonderful surprise for me in fact, they were so good that I actually bought their album (it didn't hurt that Victor Wooten from Bela Fleck's band stopped by for a visit).

Next up was Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings who threw down a nice amount of soul and funk covers which also included a wonderful tribute to the King of Soul himself, James Brown. Another pleasant surprise for me was the North Mississippi Allstars who ended up sts9inviting local Langerado favorites of the past, the Lee Boys to a vicious jam session on stage proving once again that the south will rise again.

Other stunning performances included the Hold Steady who were along the lines of Weezer, the electronica beats of Lotus, an incredible set by Bela Fleck and the Flecktones who always manages to create beautiful music everywhere they go, Sound Tribe Sector Nine who had the Swamp Tent busting at the seams and the bonus factor for the night was seeing Steve Malkmus (Pavement guitarist) amazing performance and of course Trey Anastasio who closed out the first night of the festival to a overwhelming crowd of loving fans cheering him on. There were music jams happening throughout the night but unfortunately they sold out rather quickly and well, this music princess needed her much needed beauty sleep!

Thu, 07/26/2007 - 1:49 pm

I almost didn't go to Wakarusa this year.  I had sworn never to go to Bonnaroo, the venue just being too large in my opinion, but the scheduled acts were just too sick to turn down.  Not thinking that I could swing both weekends, I made a hard decision based mostly on financial reasons. Not being about to miss up an opportunity for a cheap ticket, I scanned Craigslist at the last minute and turned up a request for a certain qualified someone to work press for Wakarusa. Honestly, that's my dream job.

I graduated from the University of Missouri, Columbia and then went on to obtain an assistant city editor's position at the Columbia Missourian while working on my Master's in Education.  While most of my journalist friends dream of working for a large publication in a big city, I dream of working with people that actually know me, covering events I'm excited about with the hope of conveying some of my passions to others who are passionate about the same things. For me, there's nothing much more important to me than my music. Okay so there's my family and friends and, make fun all you want, my pets. My Ipod is constantly getting fuller. If I could permanently implant it, tapping maybe a spot on my wrist to change songs, I would.

Having said all that, working this festival was hard…much more difficult than it usually is to make the choices as a spectator. Obviously with festivals with this much variety and scheduled acts, there are crucial decisions that must be made. Who do you go see? And probably more importantly, who do you give up? Having to both shoot and review the festival ups the ante greatly. What if I totally miss someone great that I should have covered?! So I took a ton of pictures and tried to listen as I went along, but I have to admit my analysis of the bands might have suffered a bit because I was worried about getting great shots. Therefore, feel free to add your comments and opinions and especially if you were there…chime in and add to the reviews! Enjoy.  I know I did and look forward to getting better and giving you more of what you want each time I get the opportunity to cover these great weekends for you.

Cheers,

amanda

ps. I'll try and focus on some of the smaller/lesser-known artists I saw since we all probably love to add new music to our collections.  And c'mon, you've gotta admit that's one of the best parts of festivals like this…getting to see some kicking new acts!

Thursday

3 Peas

3 Peas, a funk trio based out of Fort Collins, Colorado, opened my Wakarusa weekend at the Homegrown stage. I caught the last part of their hour set and was pleasantly surprised.  I had never heard them before and enjoyed their last few songs.  People were quite obviously just arriving and setting up camp, so the crowd was small and still getting into the groove of beginning their weekend festivities.

One of my all-time favorite things must be watching those create and paint during shows and Dan Kudreyko from Huntington Village, New York stood at the front while creating a new painting during this show.

Preston Girard

Preston Girard must have been a last-minute addition to the schedule as I couldn't find him included in the artist's lists.  After doing a little research, I found that Girard began writing music in 1997 which he set to his father's poetry (suspense novelist James Preston Girard) though later he began writing his own lyrics, releasing "Simple Life" in 2002.  The crowd just had to turn around after the 3 Peas to catch this one-man, mellow, acoustic set at the Porch end of the Homegrown/Porch tent.

Unfortunately for Preston, most of his potential audience took a detour toward the face painting tent where Kelsey Swartz became the first of her quartet of friends to have her breasts painted that day.

Papa Mali

After snapping a few pics of the breast painting, I wandered over to the Revival Tent to catch some Papa Mali.  I thought they sounded great and seemed to be livening things up for the still-small crowd.  I heard a few mentions that the set was similar to what they had done at Mountain Jam the week before but had to believe that most of the crowd wouldn't know that and were really just enjoying the music.  I've been looking forward to seeing the set list from that show but have yet to find it.

Wakarusa 2007

Welborne was in true form during his hour set, obviously enjoying himself as much as the ever-growing crowd which, in my opinion, would have welcomed a longer set.

Savoy and John Statz

There were a few minutes to run back over to the Homegrown/Porch tent and check out Savoy and then John Statz.  Savoy calls Boulder, Colorado home.  At first they reminded me a lot of Sound Tribe, but their sound was much more mellow and ethereal…at least the show I saw.  It was really beautiful.  I would recommend seeing them if you get a chance but at the very least heading over to their myspace to have a listen for yourself.

Savoy | Wakarusa 2007

Again, the crowd only had to turn around to hear John Statz, an extremely young-looking folk singer from Madison, Wisconsin.  Statz, 23, seemed more than ready to get going after a short sound check, telling his sound man "Sounds good bro. Let'er rip!" He had a suitcase sitting at the front of his stage with a small collection of merchandise.  Even though his mellower, subdued sound isn't quite my thing, I would have stuck around a bit longer had Dubconscious not started.

Dubconscious

I have to admit that I almost always think the boys of Dubconscious put on a great show.  It's apparent that these guys love making music together and entertaining the crowd.  They started off a little more reggae than I'm used to or prefer but soon seemed to get into a more tribal sound. They soon got warmed up and fell into a cohesive groove. Even though the grounds were still pretty empty at the end of their set, the Revival tent itself was pretty packed with hula hoopers and a thoroughly happy crowd bouncing beach balls off each other.

After Dubconscious, I wandered out into the grounds a bit. Even at 6 p.m. on opening day the venue was still surprisingly empty compared to years past.  Deciding to ride the shuttle back to camp and just check out how many people were coming and going at the time, I engaged one of the bus drivers who told me that I was right. It was still dead. "You know why? Don't you?" he asked. "They just killed themselves last year with how strict they were. It's going to take a couple of years for them to redeem themselves and for people to trust that they can come back"

Outformation

Outformation is clearly a spin-off of Widespread Panic.  No one even seems to dispute that, though it seems fans might be getting a little disillusioned with the "lack of originality".  There was a lot of talk in the tent and afterwards on the grounds about this particular group.

Here's the short version.  In 2002, Panic guitarist Michael Houser died and Sam Holt, who was Houser's guitar tech, decided to follow his mentor's advice and branch out on his own.  I'm not in any way saying this was a mistake, and neither are the people I talked to and/or overheard.  We're just saying that Outformation sounds just a tad too much like Panic.

I'll admit to eavesdropping on some conversations, one of which consisted of an older gentleman telling his friends his opinion and story of Outformation.  "Sooner or later someone needs to tell them to find their own sound." He also explained that Holt was a "spot-on tech" but "was basically just taking Widespread Panic's music and stretching it a bit."

That said, there was a great feel to this show.  They seemed at their best when they were just jamming and going with the sound rather than during the vocal sections when they just seemed as if they weren't into it. The crowd loved it regardless, which doesn't come as a huge surprise to me seeing as widespread draws a huge crowd every time and possesses a huge fan base.

North Mississippi Allstars

Luther Dickinson | NMAS

North Mississippi Allstars was THE place to be that night. I'm biased though, so I decided it would be best to let someone from the crowd give their opinions about this one…  It was finally starting to look like the weekend would pick up to what I was accustomed. I stopped to talk to a couple of girls who looked like they were having the time of their lives during the show. I had wandered the crowd looking for someone to interview after the show and these two seemed perfect. They has been dancing together off and on for most of the set and looked elated and just completely joyous to be there.

Lauren and Kelsey miller are sisters from British Columbia. Turns out I had found other biased NMA fans and they admitted it right away.  These two were great, true fans and sisters, completing each others sentences and chiming in when one didn't get it quite right.  "Oh, you do want to talk to us. We'll only give you our biased opinions."  That's fine, I told them and proceeded to ask what they had thought.  They had seem them twice playing with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and thought that there were a lot more people dancing at those shows, though I didn't think there was a lack of enthusiasm in tonight's crowd at all, but opening day of anything will do that to you.  Lauren and Kelsey completely disagreed about the crowd though, beginning to argue between the two of them as if I wasn't there.

I never did get a clear winner as to whether they thought the shows with the Dirty dozen had been better than the Kansas city show they had caught when NMA played with Split lip Rayfield and Son Volt several months after 2005's Wakarusa. One thing was quite clear though, "All of their shows have just been absolutely amazing!"

EOTO

EOTO also had some great fans. First person I talked to upon entering the tent assured me that this show was going to be "tight as f*@#," and he was right.  Despite a slow start with Michael Travis of String Cheese Incident assuring the crowd that they were almost done with "the million cables" that needed to find the proper homes and the sound board having some trouble with the speakers, this show was as "tight" as promised.  Wish I had had the camera up to catch the looks on Travis' and the audiences' faces when the speakers finally kicked in properly.  The energy was great and there were no slow moments the entire set!

Jason Hann | EOTO

Jason Hann and Michael Travis create a fresh show each time, so there's always a new experience.  All the music is created then and there, recorded and mixed as they perform. The spontaneity has to be one of the things I love best about EOTO.  This is some of late night music at its finest.

Kan'nal

Earlier in the evening I'd met Dave Smith, whom everyone calls Smitty, from Colorado.  Upon his emphatic suggestion I had decided to make sure I made it to the late night Kan'nal show.  I'd never heard of this group, but even if Smitty hadn't talked them up so much, I would have heard of them by the end of the weekend, though it would have been too late.  This was an amazing show! Smitty and I had talked about Xavier Rudd so he told me that one of the band members played the didgeridoo.  He also promised some crazy beautiful dancers and Kan'nal delivered. I have to admit that Smitty promised fire and I didn't see any during that night's show but it was still phenomenal.

The seven current members of Kan'nal give an explosive performance. They all look so intense but at the same time filled with joy while they are onstage. They call their sound tribal psychedelic rock. I'll completely agree with that description but with the dancing and costumes, it becomes much more than the music and becomes an entire experience.

First night recap

Overall, the whole night seemed kind of subdued.  Sundown stage wasn't open the first night and we were without the Sunup stage entirely this year.  People seem to be migrating back and forth between the campground venues and the main field stages a lot more than normal, but talking to people throughout the evening made me decide that the motivating factor of that seemed to be that there were a lot of bands that festival goers have never heard of before so people were seeking new music to love.  All of the excitement I'm used to started happening in the smaller tents late that night and the artists didn't seem any less energized regardless.  In my experience most artists feed off  the crowd anyway, so there were times where the more subdued feel of the night brought about so lower-energy performance, but most seemed to get the crowd going and pull everyone out of the slump starting a great cycle of give and take energy between the artists and the audiences.

Thu, 07/26/2007 - 2:22 pm

JJGrey and Mofro guys can do no wrong in my mind. I've gotta admit I enjoy their more enthusiastic shows, some days JJ just is in a mellow kind of mood, but today did not disappoint in the least.  It might have had something to do with the fact that they hadn't played in three weeks, which Grey informed the audience early on. "haven't even had a lick of the snake, and God this feels good!" I have absolutely no idea what that means, and couldn't find the answer anywhere on the net, and maybe I heard incorrectly but I wasn't the only one. I asked around and made a couple of the other photographers repeat what we heard and that's it. Whatever, it got a laugh from the crowd and put smiles on people's faces so that's all that counts, eh?

Every song was more energized than the last which Grey characterized as now they were "cookin' with grease!"  Grey is a big proponent of getting out of doors and enjoying nature and the company of others.

Luna Angel

Luna Angel

The fact that Luna Angel is gorgeous distracts from the fact that she is also talented.  Sauntering onto the stage in a black jumpsuit and gold twisted chains, the guys' jaws in the venue dropped.  Pretty soon mouths were closed and everyone was dancing to her smooth reggae sound.  The high-energy show had just enough sensuality to inspire the couples in the audience to get a little closer when dancing.  Luna's uncle is Junior Marvin, the guitarist for Bob Marley's Wailers, so she comes from great musical stock. Her brother Moese also has put out an album, but she's the one to watch.

Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band

These guys are just plain fun and crazy.  Walking up to the show from backstage in the artist's area, I was accosted by Ric, YMBFBB's drummer, demanding that I take a picture with him and a couple of the other guys because he was, correctly, convinced that not a single picture of myself existed on that camera.  Overlook the crazy outfits and focus on the rapport this band has with their audience.  You can't help but have fun when these guys are up there working their booties off to entertain you and make your day better!

The Nightwatchman

Okay, so I honestly ran into a couple of people who enjoyed this show, but overall, The Nightwatchman was being heckled backstage and in little conversations throughout the venue. We were an outwardly polite audience, however, so we deserve props for that.

The Nightwatchman is Tom Morello, the guitarist for Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave.  He's amazing in both of those capacities and even as a solo guitarist as the Nightwatchman, but the consensus is that he should stick to that and leave the singing to someone else.  I'll be nice and leave it at that.

Ozomatli

Ozomtli | Clinton State Park, Kansas | Grateful Web © 2007

I usually don't like too much that can even be classified as Latin music...maybe it's the fact that I don't think I can dance very well to it without looking like an idiot. I have to be in the right mood for it, but these guys have so much energy it's ridiculous. But then one takes a look at their crowd and realizes that they have just as much so it's probably a vicious cycle of feeding energy off one another which makes for an exciting show! There's a lot of passion and talent up on that stage and the fact that their lyrics often have a decidedly political message suggests we not only enjoy them for fun but take them seriously and listen to what they have to say.

P.S. When I was talking to a few of the other women backstage, one suggested that it helps that the boys of Ozomatli aren't hard to look at either.

Galactic

I happen to be pretty fond of Galactic (any band that incorporates the sax catches my eye) but tonight they only rose in my estimation. Their cover of the Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil" was completely awesome.  I love that song anyway and for them to bring their funky sound to it just rocked.  Then they pulled out Mofro's "Lazy Fo' Acre" and the set just got better from there.

Ben Harper

Ben Harper | Wakarusa

The crowd brought out all the toys for Ben Harper. I'm used to a more subdued crowd at Harper shows, not that they are boring by any means, but I'm not used to all the beach balls and Frisbees being tossed around amid clouds of bubbles like today.  It was nice though to see everybody in such an ecstatic mood. The crowd was very attentive and appreciative of Harper's attempt to keep the mood shifting by switching back and forth from strong, more energetic tunes to mellow, sensual songs.  The feeling was light, carefree, and totally fun. Juan's signature kissing noises during "Steal My Kisses" always help draw some grins and laughter.  I have to admit to being a nerd and saying that one of the coolest points for me was when a huge Luna moth fluttered above the crowds' heads near the front of the stage during "Burn One Down" which was the final song of the set. Harper didn't disappoint his numerous fans and ended with not one, but two encores which included "Walk Away" and "Exodus", two apparent crowd favs.

Tea Leaf Green

I don't know that much about Tea Leaf Green so I had to ask those around me what songs were what when I heard something I liked. That said, they did a great job on "Dragonfly" and "Jezebel" though they got a slow start on "Not Human" which I hear is usually a great one though I'm not too fond of songs with more spoken-type lyrics.

I've seen them a couple of times at festivals but usually just in passing for a few tunes while I made my way to a different stage. This time they had a late-night set so I was able to hear a bit more.  I didn't catch the first part of the show, but enjoyed the AC/DC cover "Have a Drink on Me"…that one I did recognize!

Thu, 07/26/2007 - 2:31 pm

Saturday

John Butler Trio

This music makes me happy, though I have to say my highlight was his pre-finisher "Better Than."  There's just something about that song that makes me seriously think about my life and what's going on around me (not that "Used to Get High for a Living" doesn't but not in the same way).  I've found that it has that same effect on other people too, which I'm sure would make the boys of this trio happy because isn't that the ultimate goal of every musician? To entertain us while prompting us to think? Ending with "Funky Tonight" is always a good move, too.

Brothers Green

I have to admit that I missed most of the Brothers Green show because I was paranoid about missing the beginning of Widespread since we had a strict shooting rule. Honestly, I should have known that WP would never start on time. But…These guys happen to be friends of mine, so I've seen them several times and can attest to the fact that they're good and worth seeing.  They'll tell you they make "emotional roller coaster music" and you'll see a tiny tagline on their flyers under the logo that states "Rock+HipHop+Blues+Soul+Funk+Reggae = the shake yo' ass buffet." That about sums it up.

Widespread Panic

Widespread Panic

Widespread was Widespread. Sometimes there's not much else to say.

Son Volt

I'll just go ahead and tell you. I caught just a tad of Son Volt.  I was exhausted but knew I wanted to catch Kid Beyond, Bassnectar, and Lotus that night, so I went back to the tent and took a teeny, tiny nap. Don't give me a hard time. I love Son Volt so it was a hard decision for me.  I heard it was a great show though!

Kid Beyond

Here's another recent discovery of mine with whom I'm enthralled. I saw Kid Beyond open for Imogen Heap at the Pageant in St. Louis this last year.  As a crowd, our jaws dropped collectively as we glanced around to see if everyone was reacting the same way.  He was the last thing we seemed to expect at that show.  This man makes all of his music with his mouth. He uses a live loop system to produce what we see/hear and everything is different each time.  Rarely do I like someone well enough to pick up their album at a concert, but this time I did, and I've been a convert ever since.

Kid Beyond is Andrew Chaikin and luckily I was able to get the chance to interview him and learn a little more about what he does, so keep your eyes out for that info coming soon. In the meantime, the vibe in the tent that night was amazing. It was much more packed than I expected from a late show playing opposite Bassnectar and Lotus. I saw a couple of people getting dragged into the tent by friends only to watch their faces light up and their bodies start to move to Kid Beyond's infectious mood and music.

Bassnectar

Wakarusa 2007

After Kid Beyond, I ran up to the campgrounds quickly to check out Bassnectar before heading back for Lotus.  I had been looking forward to this show but decided to stay for all of KB.  Even so, I ended up not staying at Bassnectar.  It was just too crowded. The entire stage was filled with people so I couldn't even see Ashton.  Trust me, everyone was having a great time, but there were only so many sweaty, dirty bodies packed into small quarters I could handle at one time, and I'd reached my limit.  What I heard sounded great and exactly what I'm used to at his shows.  The crowd was raging so I'll leave you to draw your conclusions…

Lotus

So what festival is complete without a crazy, huge storm with lots of lightning, thunder, and a few outage scares?  It had been kinda of drizzling off and on all night, but we were lucky that Lotus was pretty much over when it started getting bad, but having that for the background of this show was pretty cool. The light show on the ceiling of the revival tent was incredible and a lot of the crowd seemed to be spending their time dancing while staring upward instead of dancing and watching the band.

Lotus | Wakarusa

Before that though, the crowd went a little nuts when "Jump Off" smoothly went into "Legend of Zelda".  I admit I was addicted to that game when I was a kid, so hearing Lotus do it was fun to say the least.  There also was a bit of crowd commotion when they started "It's All Clear to Me Now" which moved into "Slow Cookin." Of course "One Last Hurrah" seemed the obvious choice for this set closer.

Talk on the net had people saying this was one of the sickest shows they've seen from Lotus in a bit and that this was THE place to be late night Saturday.

Thu, 07/26/2007 - 2:39 pm

The drum circle on Sunday morning at Wakarusa remains one of my favorite events of the festival. The energy there is just unbelievable and joyous. People who have no clue who one another are and might not ever get together to form some great sounds, but that's the inherent nature of a drum circle, right?  I do like that it's on Sunday morning though; it's almost like going to a really good church service where the message is left up to the individual and what happens to be speaking to them most at the moment, both on the side of the drummers/dancers and the spectators.

That 1 Guy

Critter was showing me around camp when we rolled up next to the campground stage.  I hadn't been there yet that weekend but it was packed just then. Critter told me That 1 Guy was playing. I had meant to catch that set since I had heard it'd be a pretty interesting show, so we pulled over for a few.  I was amazed. I mean this guy was crazy.  Then let's combine some outwardly nonsensical Phish-type lyrics with a bit of a Les Claypool sound and throw in a voice reminiscent of Trent Reznor… finally notice him rocking out playing this odd-looking contraption that he calls his "Magic Pipe" and you've got yourself That 1 Guy aka. Mike Silverman from Berkeley, California.  Now, you're more than welcome to disagree with me. Lord knows, my friends have, but that's how I hear it. Regardless, this guy rocks with some funky, danceable music. Check. Him. Out!

Medeski, Martin, and Wood

They opened with "Hanuman" which is one of my current favorites.  "Coconut Boogaloo" swerved into a cool bluesy number that I didn't recognize as anything in particular and there was a pretty rockin' drum solo followed by "Cat Creeps."

Overall, MMW was on point for this set and the crowd knew it.

Michael Franti

I did not expect to be shocked during this show by anything. You expect the usual…politically minded but always fun Franti.  This show however was a tad different. Franti somewhat frantically covered Sublime's "What I Got" and I swear there was a bit of the Sesame Street theme tossed in there too along with "The Rainbow Connection" and the Cookie Monster's  "C Is for Cookie."  Upon perusal of recent setlists, this combo seems like it's a current favorite for both Franti and his fans.  "Light Up Ya Lighter" brought more of them out than I've ever seen at a show before. The sea of lighters and a few cells was pretty cool.

Michael Franti

Ok, now for the true craziness. It's almost dark, we're done with our photo ops,  and I'm sitting near the edge of the photo pit looking through my pics and watching the rest of the show.  This girl in VIP comes up to me and leans over the fence to get my attention. She has a dark pair of glasses on her head, a sign that says "Free Hugs" and a blind person's white cane. I go over and she explains that her blind friend needs to meet Franti and gives me some crazy story to which I only paid a bit of attention.  I explain to her that there's no way I can make this happen but she's tenacious and won't give it up. She's trying to jump the fence and, I'm sorry, but I'm not going to get in trouble for just watching her do it.  I called over my media liaison, Heather, and we talked to this girl again (I can't remember if her name was Lisa or if that was the name of her "blind friend") and explained to her that she could jump the fence but security is standing right there…already watching her and we really wouldn't advise it.  Next thing I know, it's a few later and I see a lot of movement to my left. One of the other photogs is helping her over the fence.  I've never seen a human being scramble over a fence and a bunch of speakers so fast in my entire life…and I've seen some stage crashers in my time.  I was shocked, but no more so than Franti. I couldn't get my camera back out fast enough! The look on his face was crazy. Security and the stage crew guys were right on it, but Franti shook his head and told them to let her stay.  It probably helped her cause she was cute and had on a bikini top and short shorts.  At this point, she had the glasses down and the cane and sign out again.  She looked like she was blind, but in reality, it was her "friend" who was blind. Who knows if that person even existed or if the whole thing was just a ploy to make it easier for her to stay on stage? Either way, it was totally nuts and completely entertaining.  She got to stay up there for a long time.  They tried several times to take her away, but she clung to Franti for dear life, even once jumping up into his arms!  They finally carried her off amid her flailing arms and legs. I've not laughed so hard in a very long time.  So, whoever you were, thanks for the entertainment.

We can't possibly forget the finale when Franti brought out about a dozen of the bare, yet painted, breasted girls we'd all seen around the venue that weekend.  Again, couldn't get the camera out fast enough, but I finally got some decent shots. Should have made a point to get some of the slack-jawed males in the audience. Crazy stage crashing "blind" girls and bare-breasted women… Seriously, what more could you ask for in a show?  In terms of impromptu craziness, this one gets a 10!

Les Claypool

So he comes out in his hat and his green light-up glasses and gets to groovin' right away on "One Better."  What's not to like about Les? Nothing! He's talented, he's entertaining, he's unusual. Then you've got Gabby LaLa who is a total trip in and of herself.

Even though he started late and ended early, he packed as much into this show as possible and fans were happy! The upright came out and the pig mask went on.  Let's see, what else did he play?  "Long in the Tooth" was a fav as well as the story of "Vernon the Company Man" and "Of Whales and Woe."  He even brought out some "D's Diner" though it seemed quite abbreviated...

People were disappointed that the set was cut short…as in there were "boos" while he explained that the whole thing was supposed to have been shut down about five minutes ago.  Though he never directly said the reason was Franti's encore which included topless, painted girls dancing onstage…the Franti set ran over and Les informed us that there would be none of that at this show since his wife would not appreciate that much at all.  Regardless of the shorter set, this was a highlight of my weekend for sure.

Sun, 09/09/2007 - 9:36 pm

Hey kids! Sorry this review is so late, but life always gets in the way once you return from a fest huh? Anyway, I moved to another state so that was a bit disruptive, then I got almost entirely finished with this little piece here, and the house got struck by lightning! And wouldn't it just figure that the two things that got smoked were some files I had open on another computer (including this review) and my beloved stereo! Heartbreak all around. I digress. Hope everyone had a great summer and are finding some cool musical events for the upcoming lovely fall weather. I'll be heading to Vegoose myself for the third year in a row and strongly suggest you catch this year as it looks unbelievably promising! In the meantime…enjoy and respond. Cheers! amanda

Wednesday

That 1 Guy

I caught just a bit of his show @ Wakarusa this year, so I was uber-excited to get the chance to see some more here. You have to see That 1 Guy to understand what I'm talking about, and even then, I'm not sure. He plays this crazy-looking, homemade instrument that he calls the Magic Pipe…infer what you will.

He played a lot of food-related stuff from his new album "The Moon is Disgusting" such as "Oranges" and "Bananas" and "It's Raining Meat", which isn't from the current album but the first "Songs in the Key of Beotch," but he got the biggest laugh when he cranked out "Buttmachine."

Now lots of other reviewers have described his sound in odd little ways, so I'll let you look those up my Web-surfing friends, and I'll not try to trump those descriptions. He's awesome. That's all you need to know.

He's currently touring this fall, so look him up and see if he'll be in your area. Tickets seem to be pretty reasonable for the couple shows I'm catching so being broke isn't an excuse when you know you'll be going out and spending a few on drinks regardless…you might as well catch a good show instead.

WookieFoot

I had no idea what to expect going into this show except for some overheard conversations earlier in the day about some "craziness about to go down" @ the WookieFoot show that night. Considering the number of festivals I've been to, "craziness" can mean just about anything.

 

Wookiefoot

I knew the WookieFoot crew was camped up near my little neighborhood and I hadn't seen or heard anything out of the ordinary coming from their direction, so I was a bit skeptical that the rumors were true. Then I arrived to see one of the most excited and animated crowds I've witnessed in a long time. There was so much going on I didn't know what to watch and shoot first. There were @ least a half a dozen members on the stage including a bagpiper! (My mom loves bagpipes. They make her cry for some odd reason, but she swears they are happy tears…oh yeah, and we're not Scottish. Mom is German and a smidge of English, so who knows right?)

Anyway, the place was like a circus. The rotating cast of way to many band members to mention kept things wild and fun. Almost everybody wore face paint and an unusual outfit of some sort ranging from fuzzy pants in wild, day-glo patterns to super-hero outfits to short kimonos for the girls during a parasol dance. My favorite part of the stage had to be the garden gnome sitting near the front corner with an empty Frappuccino bottle next to him.  Then you've got jugglers and spinner and fire dancers coming out every so often. WookieFoot allows you to feast your ears and eyes and mind with their high-energy show and socially conscious and often story-telling lyrics. One of my top recs for the weekend!

Thursday

Hunab

Hunab

My neighbors, Dave and Jill, recommended I go see Hunab, and of course I went. How could I pass up what Dave described as a "delicious combo of tasty tunes"? Besides, that's one of the best parts of festivals like this…going to see people you've never heard of solely on the recommendation of almost strangers/brand-spankin' new friends.

Hunab's out of Iowa City and started their musical relationship in high school, adding members along the way. These five guys have an infectious enthusiasm, but you'll mostly notice just how much fun their percussionist, Collin, is having. Just watching him brings a smile.  It's a shame they played early in the day and in the enclosed and often-crowded Saloon. I'm confident they would have drawn in tons of passers-by had they been on and open stage somewhere. They describe themselves as psychedelic/jam-band/fusion on their Myspace, but then again, who doesn't fit themselves into those categories these days? It's a catch-all. What I did see was pretty diverse though. Some reggae tunes moving into some more mellow instrumental pieces followed by some funkier stereotypical hippie jams. Worth checking out either way.

Dubconscious

This show opened with the normal "what's going on today" but with a special shout-out to whomever turned in the guy's wallet to VIP that morning.  I don't agree with his statement that he wouldn't have seen it again at any other festival, but the crowd was pretty kind overall that weekend.

Dubconscious

They opened with "Wise Man Say" and moved into "Past Tense" which has a good message, but I can never decide for sure if I like the actual song or not. Solomon tearing it up on the trumpet on "Spell" is always nice to hear. They finished strong though mellow with "Mental Alcatraz."

Galactic & Particle

Deciding between Galactic and Particle becomes a ridiculous thing, so I just wandered back and forth between the two. I needed the exercise anyway, since I have a goal to lose at least five pounds per festival anyway.  It helped that Particle played on the Barn Stage which required a short-short walk up a hill. I've seen both multiple times in multiple kinds of venues, and I only like one better than the other depending on my mood. Particle seems to be more enjoyable as a "late-night" show for me, plus I'm a sucker for Zeppelin covers, so today I have to admit I favored Galactic. Either way, both bands played in good form. Wish I had a set list for both to pass on, so if anyone has one...

Zappa Plays Zappa

Dweezil Zappa

Dweezil and his crew looked so happy up there.  They've really done a fabulous job of recreating his dad's signature sound. I had never heard them before and left impressed.  So again, if anyone has a set list for this one, pass it on please?

Umphrey's McGee

Tonight's show moved around a lot and circled back on itself even more with "Divisions" making an early appearance in the set, and if I remember correctly, closing the set out before the encore. A couple other songs started in one place and finished in another as will happen during a good jam-band show.  One of my favorite Talking Heads' tunes "Making Flippy Floppy" turned into a huge jam and really brought the crowd alive, especially with the calliope-sounding riff.

I had a good time, but I'll admit to having heard some complaints about tonight's performance from those around me and again while heading up to later night shows. Basically, the consensus became that while it proved to be an "alright" show, it was a "bit too abstract and just didn't live up to expectations."  I've only seen Umphrey's a few times over the last couple of years so when one guy said they hadn't "played a decent show since '98." I almost stopped him to ask what he meant, but by that time he was arguing about his statement with a friend, and I wasn't about to get into the middle of that one!

Regardless, the encore began with the obligatory "you guys are the best" and "it's been great playing for y'all" to be followed by a split-up "Nemo" with a little "Wizard Burial Ground" thrown in the middle. Nice way to end an evening…except the Biscuits were up next, so it wasn't yet time for bed.

The Disco Biscuits

They are always a great late-night show. I had fun. I danced. I don't remember specific songs. :^) Everybody around me seemed to be having a fabulous time as well.

Friday

Everyone Orchestra

Matt Butler and The Everyone Orchestra

The chemistry for this EO show resided mostly on stage right where Shawn (who happened to be wearing a gorgeous pair of strappy, gold heels) from Madahoochi, Los Angeles, hip-hop artist Deploi and keyboardist Asher Fulero resided. The rest of the crew rocked as well, but these three looked like they were having such a fabulous time that it was hard to focus elsewhere. Though Levi Chen's playing of the guitar and Chinese harp on the opposite side of the stage prompted me to make the trip over to Lake Sallie Campground Stage the next night to see him on his own. Director Matt Butler and the constantly rotating cast of the EO make this a group worth seeing every time.

The String Cheese Incident

A lot of people will miss SCI which was apparent at this show. I caught the very beginning to go shoot then took the opportunity of what I knew was going to be a long set to go clean up and shower. Besides, you can hear the main stage wonderfully from the VIP shower area, so I knew I wasn't going to miss too much. Besides, these were some of the best showers at any festival I've ever been to. Nature's Gate provided their organic shampoos, conditioners, body washes and lotions in lovely scents such as Chamomile & Lemon Verbena or Grapefruit & Wild Ginger. Yum.

Got back to camp after, checked in with my neighbors to see where Dave and the girls were. Dennis gave me directions to where he's seen them last down in the VIP area, so I went off in search of them. I got down there and decided it was going to be near impossible to find them, so I just started taking some night pics of the crowd and messing with the shutter speed to see if I could get some cool light effects from all the glow sticks there. Somebody threw a whole ton of them out into the crowd so I turned my flash on and turned the camera off to the side just to see what I would get of people scrambling for them. Several minutes later, I scrolled through the batch I had just taken and totally flipped out when I saw the girls in one of the random pics I had taken of the crowd. I now knew exactly where they were! They couldn't believe that I had found them at all, let alone how it all occurred.

Michael Kang and Billy Nershi | The String Cheese Incident

This slow-starting String Cheese show picked up, plus I had found my friends. Life was good. "Chameleon" into "Close Your Eyes" could have been a little louder and crisper, but I'm pretty sure that's a sound guy's fault and not that of the band. The drum/percussion jam right before frequent SCI guest Scott Law joined them for San Jose was awesome and really perked up the crowd.

The Tragically Hip

I'd randomly picked up a Tragically Hip CD from a recent eBay shopping spree and loved it, so imagine my pleasure at finding out they were going to be @ 10KLF.  Then I got down to the front and found out we weren't being allowed any photos, so that put me off as it always does. Despite this, this Ontario band put on a good show with a lot of energy and some kind of middle-aged-rocker angst going on from lead singer, Gordon Downie who I think kind of sounds like Michael Stipe from R.E.M. I know I'm not the only one to make that comparison, so I must be on the right track.  I would really like to see them in a different venue, something smaller and more intimate or maybe I just need to be nearer the front to appreciate it more.

Kinetix

Melonhead @ 10KLF

Okay, so I honestly can't say that I paid much attention to this show from this Denver band, or that I was even there for very long. I'd just been down @ The Tragically Hip, which was a great show, but I was still a little peeved that they weren't allowing anyone to shoot the show. Not even the "three, no flash" we tend to get. Anyway, Kinetix played up in the Saloon, and they closed off the main door next to the stage to try and control crowd size and traffic flow, but those of us with press passes were allowed to enter there snap a few decent shots without having to fight the packed room to get to the front.

There are some tables and benches around the perimeter of the room which also had windows all the way around opening up onto a deck. I took the opportunity to stand on one of the benches to try and shoot over the crowd. No problem right? The kids around me were nice and let me up into their space even without the promise that I'd be quickly out of the way. Perfect…until I started shooting and doing my job and some freakin' juvenile dumb a#* on the deck decided it would be cute to reach in the window and grab a piece…if you know what I mean. Needless to say I whirled around to confront the creep only to find another guy who was either an exceptional actor or someone truly dumbfounded to have witnessed the grab and bolt. There's your odd little story for the day.

Oh yeah, so I liked what I heard. If I didn't already have plans to see That 1 Guy on the 21st of October, I'd totally go catch their show in Normal, IL on that same night.

Trampled by Turtles

Trampled by Turtles | 10KLF

If you missed this show, there's a great recording of it @ archive.org. Actually there's a few shows from this weekend up there which is immeasurably helpful to me when I'm checking to make sure the songs I've written down as ones I've liked are actually correct. Anyway, these guys were so on that night and definitely needed to be put on a bigger stage. Ryan Young from Pert Near Sandstone joined them on fiddle for the entire set which was a great addition and a nice surprise. It's honestly hard to pick out favorites but "Sleep Soundly" followed by an encore of "Whisky" and "Sloop John B" would be right up there.

Pnuma Trio

Would have enjoyed actually getting to see Pnuma tonight, though it was back up in the Saloon and we already know how I felt about that particular venue on this fine evening…though it does bring me to another story. I'll keep it to myself, though if you're reading this and "baby powder" means anything to you, you're welcome. Glad I could make the rest of your evening more enjoyable. Don't let your friends make fun too much.

There must be something about it up there…regardless, the place was packed to the point that no one was going in or out for the duration of the show. Not without considerable effort and probably upsetting some people. No matter, it was a perfectly lovely evening for sitting on a nearby wall and listening from the outside. Unfortunately I left a tad earlier than planned to escort two young ladies who happened to be my neighbors safely back to camp after they ingested a few acquired party favors. My complete sober state entitled me to be their chaperone for the end of the evening. Nighty night kids

Saturday

Keller Williams

Johnny had been talking about Keller all morning, so I knew we'd be heading down to this show for sure. This gorgeous, last afternoon had just the right combo of sun and breeze. His impressive guitar collection filled the stage.  My favorite part had to be his cover of the Butthole Surfer's "Pepper." I think everyone around me burst out laughing at the same time I did. There were also a couple really impressive jams tossed in throughout the show.

Keller Williams | 10KLF

Toubab Krewe

The Wizard advised the Barn Stage's crowd that if they weren't already on their feet, they probably should get there 'cause he knew they were going to want to dance once the show got started. This is another show on archive.org that you should check out. The set list is missing but it's well worth listening to. The music began and the crowd danced as much, if not more, than the Wizard had estimated.

Gov't Mule

This show lacked fans and while more wandered in a bit later, it still seemed to be a rather sad turnout. They performed a good "Patchwork Quilt" which was written by Warren in memory of Jerry and ended with a welcome, but not nearly as good as the original, "Soulshine."

Bob Weir & RatDog

RatDog with Kimock

Despite my initial lack of excitement, this was a greatly performed show, and I'm so glad I made the point to see it instead of passively listening from afar. Loved hearing "Tennessee Jed" and "Cassidy" in the first set. The second set featured an enjoyable run starting off with "Come Together" and ending in "One More Saturday Night" before the encore. 

Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk

Honestly, I needed to go to bed. I had such a long drive in front of me that I didn't stay here nearly as long as I wanted to. Besides, my neighbors were there to represent. Jill was there with Dave and his infamous, but popular, plant…if you were @ the show, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. What I heard, I loved. I'll have to make sure I pick up another show sometime in the near future.

10klf Rundown

For the fifth year now, the almost 8,000 residents of Detroit Lakes, Minnesota prepared themselves for the arrival of approximately 20,000 10K festival-goers to converge on their community. Not to mention the WE Fest, which has about double the attendees of 10KLF, coming just several weeks later (this year WE Fest had its 25th anniversary).  Soo Pass Ranch becomes the party place for two totally different types of musical events. Even Detroit Lakes Sheriff Tim Gordon said in an online article that comparing the two events is like "apples and oranges."

Warren Haynes | Gov't Mule | 10KLF

That same article, found on the Detroit Lakes Sheriff site, stated that while there were only 18 arrests at 10KLF, compared to WE Fest's 87, most of those at 10KLF were for felony offenses.  Unfortunately, two deaths occurred at this year's festival. Both were cited as being drug-related. Rumors of the deaths spread quickly through the festival grounds and seemed to be a catalyst for some intense conversations including one in my own neighborhood about the need for moderation, knowing your limits, and the importance of all of us looking out for one another regardless of how well we know each other.  I saw multiple instances of just that kind of love and responsibility for one another that weekend. Kind of gives me hope that the world isn't as horrible as it appears to be so often.

Overall, I think 10KLF pulled off a very successful "weekend." Thanks to all of my great neighbors on the hill for helping me have a fabulous weekend!  Click here to see more photos from the 2007 10KLF.

Mon, 02/04/2008 - 9:42 pm

I can't decide if it's better that I wait so long after the shows to turn in my reviews or not. This time was a bit excessive, and I won't bore you with my personal issues. I'm still new to this, so sometimes I want to get it all out but then I want to wait and see what sticks out in my mind in the long run…you know, what really was so fabulous I just couldn't forget it?  That said, I'm finally turning in my Vegoose 2007 review.  (There's all of that and the fact that I've been a horrible procrastinator lately) It won't happen again, it's not fair to those of you who want to read a review right away, so…my sincerest apologies.

Every year at Vegoose is a completely different experience. They seem to try so hard to switch it up and bring in acts that you might not anticipate seeing in the same venue. In fact, I think they might try too hard and get themselves into trouble. I've never seen so much pre-fest hype as what I've witnessed preceding Vegoose the past two years. No one knew what to expect the first year so that wasn't an issue but this year and in 2006, everybody was all in a tizzy about promises made and promises broken. My advice to those of you who've never been but are considering it….ignore all of that. I've not had a bad time yet and can't imagine that I ever will.

This year brought me lots of new bands to experience. Old favorites were there too, but the majority of bands I'd not seen before, so for me, that's the best part. Anyway, let's begin.

Saturday

Gorgeous weather makes me a happy girl automatically. Plus I hadn't yet gotten to see Emmy and Jimmy who live only a couple of hours from me up in Chicago, but I still don't see them enough and we get to spend serious quality time together when we converge in Vegas.

Lupe Fiasco

Lupe Fiasco

It was a shame Lupe didn't have a stronger crowd. The show exuded a great energy, but with Gogol Bordello playing opposite, it wasn't surprising that fans were lacking. Of course he performed "Superstar", which I'm quite partial to despite its general popularity and its staple-like concert status. Included in this set was "American Terrorist" performed with Matthew Santos, who also joined Lupe for "The Cool".

Despite other reviews I've seen, I think the guys were in good form and gradually those concert-goers who started at Gogol Bordello filtered back over to the Double Down Stage for a great ending to one of Vegoose's opening sets.

Gogol Bordello

So several of us that were meeting up in Vegas talk about what and who we're going to see while we're there so as to maximize the time we get to spend together but still get to see everything we want to see. I'd been seeing all the talk on Myspace about Gogol but just hadn't gotten around to checking them out online yet. Emmy forced me to while I was visiting the week before we left. Appalled! I couldn't believe that this caused all of the hype I had read. Completely disappointed…but of course I was going to catch at least part of the show. Really could that many people be wrong?  Maybe the choices for their profile just weren't doing them justice.

I left pleasantly surprised. They were just as entertaining as I expected. I've never seen anything quite like it though their sound was more discordant than I was in the mood for so I moved on to Blonde Redhead, which I'd been super excited about!

Blonde Redhead

Kazu Makino | Blond Redhead

Blonde Redhead was even better than I anticipated. I'd been listening to their latest album for the past couple days during my pool time.  They had a pretty strong crowd for the first couple of songs but then there was a bit of an exodus once Sound Tribe came on, which was disappointing simply because I'm sure a lot of people there had seen several Sound Tribe shows at least. Part of the lure of festivals like this is getting to see new bands and spending a lot of time checking out stuff I've never experienced before while throwing in some of the traditional stuff.

Mastodon

Overheard at Mastodon, "Oh shit! They're gonna chop off some goat heads." After seeing the shocked look on my face, they added that it's "all tongue-in-cheek".  I'm afraid it just isn't my taste though, so I can speak with no authority here. The friends I was with seemed to enjoy it greatly and were a bit mesmerized at times. Personally, I couldn't stop wondering at the appeal of hanging an upside-down cross made of bones around one's neck Mr. Sanders. "Naked Burn" just kinda hurt my ears to be honest, but I will not deny that they seemed to be rather talented musicians despite the discord.

Sound Tribe and Atmosphere

I've seen both of these bands several times and since I knew I'd be catching the late-night STS9 show, I popped in for a couple of seconds to take some pics and just check out the crowds. As I said earlier, I was more excited to see those bands that I've never seen before. For that, this year's Vegoose was the place to be.

Cypress Hill rocked. Soooo good. The only "bad" thing was the contact high I picked up while watching the show since I had my interview with Blonde Redhead at 6. Honestly, I got so nervous after I realized my condition that it took a little bit to start to enjoy the show again and realize I was completely capable of functioning in this state without making a fool of myself.

Cypress Hill | Vegoose

Queens of the Stone Age

With the best quote of the weekend during the opening bars of "In the fade", "It's ok to clap but not get the clap."  My friend Don loves QOTSA, so we spent a good portion of the show texting back and forth about what he was missing. I'll say I'm more impressed with their musical talent than their singing abilities. What I loved even more were Troy's white shoes, but that's me being a girl for you. While I'm not as enamored with them as he is, they had a great crowd who so obviously loved the show. The audience can make or break a show for sure, so things quieted down a bit as people started to filter over to the Snake Eyes stage for the Stooges show…me among them. There was no way I was about to miss a bit of that. Sacrifices had to be made including missing most of Thievery Corporation, but c'mon, it's the Stooges.

Iggy and the Stooges

Whoa. I'm not sure what I expected, but it wasn't this. First, I expected the re-creation of the Fun House album to take more than a little longer than half an hour. I don't know why. I own the album. I listen to it frequently. I know it's short. But it seemed to fly by when it was happening in front of my eyes.

Iggy

Iggy was of course his usual self, complete with slowly southward creeping pair of knickers. I'm surprised they didn't fall off before the end of the show though by "No Fund" they were most definitely undone. The humping of the speaker thoroughly caught everyone's attention as well.

Daft Punk

This is what I'd been waiting for and for sure I got to see a phenomenal show. Others agreed. I heard several people remark that it was an incredible closing night to the "Alive" tour. I've not seen Daft Punk before and thought I might be too excited and let myself right into disappointment. I have a habit of doing that despite my initial pessimistic nature. The fact that I had photo pit access for the first several songs made it all that much better. Of course they did "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger", in fact several times as both "Around the World" and "Face to Face" led into it. And while a lot of people seemed to think the rumors of Kanye joining them would come to fruition, they didn't for which I was oddly thankful surprising even myself.  The second time "HBFS" led directly into "One More Time", which also made another later appearance.  Sweet Jesus, I'll admit to being in heaven after a long day. No need for everyone to have worried about them ending early that night.

I completely disagree with all of you complaining about the lack of variety in their sets. Of course, they have a lot of songs to choose from, but in this type of setting why would you play anything except your most popular? I mean, haven't all of us wanted to go to a show and hear just exactly what it is we love the most? I missed "Digital Love," wished that had made an appearance, but I am in no way complaining. I had the most fun and was at my most joyful during this show. The energy of the crowd around me exuded everything I felt then, all of which was accompanied by a gorgeous light show.

Too entranced to pay better attention to anything other than my absolute favs, I've had to snag the set list off the net. This is nothing official mind you and different people argue on order, sooo this seems the most complete. ** Cheers kids!

Sunday

The final day of Vegoose remained much more laid back than Saturday with a lot of people not showing up until later in the afternoon and evening. They missed too many good shows in my opinion, but even I didn't run myself ragged on Sunday, carefully choosing who I was going to go see and spending more time with my friends and enjoying the atmosphere of the place.

Ghostface Killah & the Rhythm Roots Allstars

Nuts. Wearing sweatshirts and/or long sleeves while under those lights and in that heat is just crazy. The weather was truly great so there was no need for anything other than a lightweight tee. I'd have died honestly, but still there they were. Not my favorite show of the weekend, but worth checking out.

Robert Randolph

These guys are honestly some of the nicest musicians I've ever met. Didn't get the chance to chat at all this show, but I have previously and that colors all other times I ever get to see them. I'm a sucker for down-to-earth talented men. It doesn't hurt that Randolph is gorgeous on top of all that talent. I loved that his sister sang with them again. It happens frequently but not as often as I'd like. She adds a great extra dimension to the shows that I really enjoy.  And obviously any show that closes with a good version of "Purple Haze" makes me a happy girl.

Ghostland Observatory

Never heard of them, was tired and just wanted to chill, but Matt (aka The Ice Cream Man) would hear none of it. Said I couldn't miss it and to leave his presence immediately and I would not be disappointed. He was right. I wasn't. I don't know why I doubted him in this first place since he's never steered me wrong before.

The Great American Pumpkin - Vegoose 2007

Infected Mushroom

They totally had their crowd in their palms, though it took a bit of time to get the hand-waving in sync.  I didn't stay long here deciding to go back to my wandering…

Muse

Muse endured a ridiculously long sound check followed by more waiting. When they finally took the stage, it appeared as if the crowd found themselves splitting into a perfect harmony. Those wanting a mosh pit experience congregated to the left of the stage while those on the right retained more of a chill attitude just sitting and enjoying the music and the company.

Muse displayed great keyboard work, which broke up some of the heavier sounding stuff with some pretty trills. I hadn't familiarized myself with Muse as much as I would have liked, but left with a new interest for sure. Of course they played  "Knights of Cydonia" which is one of the few songs I felt I really knew and could recognize as being theirs regardless of context. Quite enjoyable. I heard a couple of remarks as I wandered the crowd that the sound was off, but I honestly think that just had to do with where you happened to be. UNKLE bled over a little bit from the Joker's Stage but it was no big deal.

Like I've said before, I enjoy seeing a connection between the artists and the crowd. After all, we're the reason they're here and back again. Must have been some pretty good costumes up front as they remarked on the number of interesting outfits. The very bluesy "Feeling Good" came up fourth I think and was just awesome. I could totally picture some glamorous 40s singer sitting on a piano singing this one. "Starlight" also brought lots of audience participation. Such a good show! So glad I made a point to catch these guys.

UNKLE

Another pleasant surprise as UNKLE opened with Beethoven's 9th. Loved that! Moved seamlessly into "Chemistry" which picked up the tempo quite well and led into another awesome show. These guys remind me of the Editors so much.  Tell me I'm wrong. I left with a whole list of lyrics that I wanted to look up so I could figure out the set list, but I didn't have to since it was easily found online…and able to be downloaded I might add, which was a total bonus. They finished as they had started with "Chemistry."  Total props for that one since I enjoy shows that come full circle in one form or another. It adds a lot for me if I feel there's closure to a show instead of just a "Thanks and good night!"  I think Muse and UNKLE tied for my favorite shows and definitely new-to-me artists for today.

Rage Against the Machine | Vegoose

Rage Against the Machine

I spent most of this show trying to make sure my friend, Matt, on the other end of a phone call could hear adequately. Unbeknownst to me, he's a huge RatM fan and was currently cursing the fact that I was there instead of him. In order to maintain the peace, I recorded as much as I could on my handheld, interview recorder, but he still wasn't too happy with me when I got back.

Thanks for the folks who set-up Grateful Web with a pass to the show -- Sadly, Vegoose 2007 ended up being the last one.  Check out more photos from Vegoose 2007.

Sun, 03/02/2008 - 9:27 pm

So, I'm leaving in a few days for my first Langerado festival…my first, but this is the 6th year of the party's existence. I've always heard fabulous things about it but never have been able to go.  I have to say that even though things haven't gone as originally planned, like they ever really do right? I'm getting super stoked about going.

Looking through the facts about this gig, I'm a bit intrigued.  I always like to see how a festival has grown...or not as the newness of things wears off or promoters make mistakes.  However, Langerado has grown exponentially over the past five years. Previous years were held mostly at Markham Park in Sunrise Florida once the attendance numbers outgrew two previous venues.  The first year, held at the Stadium Festival Fair Grounds in Ft. Lauderdale, lasted a single day with a small but respectable initial turnout of approximately 3,500 attendees.  That's honestly not too bad considering it was a single-day, 15-artist event...

2004 saw the fest grow into four stages, adding another five artists to the lineup and welcoming 1,000 more attendees into the new home at Young Circle Park in downtown Hollywood, Florida...that also happens to be the headquarters of the Seminole Tribe of Florida...Hollywood, not the park.

2008 Langerado brings us to the Big Cypress Seminole Reservation encompassing about 50,000 acres in Hendry County Florida. (If it's good enough for the Phish NYE 1999-2000 festival, I'm sure it'll do for Langerado.) This reservation is one of six Seminole reservations in Florida.  According to our press info, "More than 3,300 Seminoles live on and off the reservations.  The Tribe is a sovereign government, subject to U.S. laws.  Florida criminal laws also apply to reservation lands.  The Seminole Tribe operates its own police force of more than 150 professionally-trained and equipped officers."

Langerado's desire to be as "green" as possible deserves kudos. Almost all of these fests take huge strides to be so, I think it's time we start highlighting them and learning from their examples. I know I'm much more focused on sticking to the three R's during and immediately after a fest when it's brought into the forefront of my mind.

Here's the lowdown of Langerado Greening plans direct from our press info:

Greening Langerado

Langerado Music Festival aspires to be as clean and as green as the tropics that surround Big Cypress.  Looking at the pristine land that hosts Langerado with the Atlantic Ocean on the horizon, this is naturally the only choice.  Langerado chooses to promote what is best for the preservation of the environment just like we choose to promote the finest and freshest musicians.

Langerado Greening Initiative:

• Bio-Diesel Fueled Generators & Light Towers
• Extensive Recycling Program for all Materials On Site
• Greenerado Eco-Village
• Biodegradable Plates, Cups & Utensils used by all Vendors
• Sustainable Catering Practices
• Compost Program for Vendors and Patrons
• Green Sponsors
• Carbon OffSet Program
• Organic Merchandise Options
• Artist Participation

Waste Management - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

To accomplish the goal of significantly reducing waste that's created at the event, Langerado is embracing the Three R's.  Food vendors are required to serve food on materials that are completely biodegradable (Reduce).  These items, along with food waste from vendors and fans at the festival will be taken to a local farm to be transformed to organic fertilizer (Reuse).  Plans are in place to effectively recycle glass, aluminum, and cardboard used on site (Recycle). Production offices will use recycled paper, and other sustainable products to reduce waste created by the festival. This is only the beginning...as the festival draws near additional components will grow with this program.

Renewable Energy - B20 Bio-Diesel

Langerado's generators & light towers powered by B20 Bio Diesel limits reliance on petroleum and prevents harmful CO2 emissions from contaminating our beautiful surroundings. B20 will be available for refueling Bio Diesel tour buses on site. In addition, through a combination of approaches, Langerado aims to offset the carbon output from the event by balancing the ecological footprint of bands and fans who travel many miles to arrive at this pristine location.

Greenerado - Sustainability Village

Everyone at the festival contributes to the success of Greening Langerado! On the stage near the EcoVillage, artists will jam and activists will spread positive messages for change.  Non-profit organizations will showcase their efforts at sustainability and will teach festival goers how to take some of the eco-friendly practices they see at Langerado home with them. This is not just a component of the event, it is the heart and soul that's being woven into every aspect of Langerado!

So there's a few of the basics. Y'all know me and my procrastinating nature, so cheers to turning over a new leaf by getting something out there early. If you have any recommendations for whom I might not know but is not to be missed…drop me a line. Plus, maybe a few of you will say hi before we all leave and we can be social once we get there.  It's sure to be a good time. Time for a new adventure boys and girls!

Sat, 03/22/2008 - 9:48 pm

Amanda Bell, who covered Langerado on behalf of the Grateful Web, has started to send her pictures from the weekend.  We're in the process of getting more pictures up as well as Amanda's write-up from the weekend.  Please check back soon for more pictures and for Amanda's review.  We hope you enjoy the pictures and a special thanks to Madison House for the hospitality.

 

Enjoy,

The Grateful Web

Sun, 03/30/2008 - 9:12 pm

This entire trip ranks up there with one of the biggest adventures I've had to date. No doubt Coventry still takes number one simply because the conditions there were so deplorable and put me in bed for a week after to the point where my mom took care of me, waking me only to make sure I ate and drank something and took some more antibiotics.  Langerado takes the prestigious place of number two simply by sheer volume of things that went wrong. Let's begin at the beginning and when we get to the end…we'll stop.

I'd missed going to Langerado last year because my best friend in the entire world suffers from seasonal affective disorder and experienced a mini-breakdown which led me to plan an uber-spontaneous trip to Miami for the two of us, thus no Langerado. It's most definitely not her thing…to the extent that she finds me nuts for actually enjoying going to things such as this. Anyway, I digress. But you should get used to it, this thing is gonna' be chock-full of digression.  This year Emmy and Jimmy, my current festival partners in crime, though mostly in Las Vegas, were going so I asked Mike if I could redeem my Vegas write-up by covering Langerado. Granted permission, I was ready to go. We had planned on flying down together, splitting a rental and a hotel and still having money left over for whatever struck our fancy. Then Cosmo hurt his leg.  Now E&J and I spurn the idea of children of our own unless they exist in the form of the four-legged variety.  They have Conan and Cosmo and I have Ecko. We love them horribly. Simple as that. We spend money we don't have if they need something, so when Cosi-bear had an issue, the fun money got spent on that. I chose to go it alone and drive down which was the only option when it came to money. Even though gas prices are disgustingly high, it would still be cheaper to drive than fly, hotel, rent.

Fast forward. Car died. Got a new car. Hurt my back; couldn't drive. Went to a new chiro. Got it fixed. Able to drive. Got a new tent. Needed it. Couldn't afford it. Got it anyway. One of the cool ones that hooks to the back of the SUV and has a screen room. Awesome it is. Waited too long. Shipped it to Heather's house in Atlanta, my half-way point. Packed my bags and the old tent just in case. Took off. Scary weather when I left. Seven degrees, ice on the road, semis turned over in ditches and an RV turned to splinters. Made it to Heather's. Tent was there. Super happy to see her and the tent both. Left for the second day. Finally found a Starbuck's. Double shot, no breakfast, totally tweaked out on espresso.

Play. Outside of Tampa, the car in front of me runs over this section of busted semi tire and spits it out of the back of their car. There was no possible way to avoid it. I heard a huge thud and figured I'd run over it, but I never saw it come out of the back of the car in my rearview.  I just assumed it stuck underneath so I pulled off at the next exit, walked around to the back and peered underneath. Nothing. Walked around front with more than a bit of trepidation. I found it, doubled over and lodged into one of the only two slots which make up the grill of my car.

This wrinkled old man in overalls worn out in too many places pulls up in a truck that's seen better days too, gets out and walks over to where I'm contemplating the fate of my trip. "Looks like ya' got yourself a gator stuck in there." He declares with a muddy southern drawl. "Yes, sir," I reply. "Would you care to help me pull it out?" He was too old to hear the hissing noise that I heard, but he helped me pull it out of the grill all the while telling me just how expensive fixing that was going to be. Once we pulled it out, I could see where the hissing was coming from and why. My radiator spit just the smallest amount of fluid at me. I decided to take my chances and keep going. I grabbed the "gator" and threw it in the back in case the insurance company needed to see it. I spent the next hour and a half on the phone with the insurance company and several auto shops trying to find someone to fix it down in Fort Lauderdale, which is closest to Big Cypress where Langerado was being held.

Fabulously enough, there existed a silver lining. Since the tire was in the air at the time of impact instead of my running into it, comprehensive covered it, and I didn't have to pay a deductible.  I'd be taking it to Nasca's in Fort Lauderdale the next morning. My only goal was finally getting to the festival and getting started. Joe Nasca told me the skies had opened up down there, so I could look forward to getting drenched. That didn't start until I was about 30 miles away from my destination, and he wasn't kidding. I couldn't see more than a few feet in front of my windshield, and the water pooled on the road making driving more than a bit scary.  It let up enough to let me out of the car and under the media check-in tent before it started up again. Forget the tent, the wind blew the rain sideways and right under and soaked the lot of us. I then had a 14-mile, three hour wait ahead of me before actually getting into the venue, but thankfully I had good music and good friends to chat with on the phone to keep me occupied.

Finally I got in, VIP camp no less which was a nice little surprise (thanks to Madison House Publicity for their hospitality).  I picked a spot near the venue entrance and got busy setting up this new, wicked tent I got…one of the one's that attach to the back of the SUV so you can use that as an extra sleeping area or whatever, but I already mentioned that.  Anyway, I almost had it completed when these three most obviously drunk guys pulled up in a golf cart and informed me that if I wasn't with Red Bull then could I please move my tent over so they could pull the massive RV/bus out the next morning because they had somewhere important to be and would need to leave very early. They even offered to come back in 5 to help me do it since I'd already staked down.

Well, I didn't really see that actually coming to fruition, so I moved the thing myself. Right after I had it all set up again and was working on the last part of staking down the attached screen room, my right foot started to tingle and burn in spots. Apparently there are a lot of fire ants here. A LOT! They're everywhere. No way around it…though I wish the Langerado site would have mentioned that. They did recommend that we not wear open-toed shoes but neglected to say why. So after I brushed all of those off…oh and btw. I was wearing close-toed shoes…and called my mom to look up fire ants and see just what was going to happen to me, I once again took un-staked so I could move the tent.  I took the flashlight over and thoroughly checked out the new spot for anything that might bite and burn. Nada. I'm golden. Got set up again. Met my new neighbors who were nice enough to help out since I was anxious to get down to the venue and wanted to stop by medical really quickly to get some cream to put on my little misfortune. I made sure to warn them to look over their selected spot first so they didn't have the same issue as I had. Turns out Joel and Matt grew up in my hometown of Peoria. What are the odds?! They were totally awesome and sweet and I'm super glad to have been fortunate enough to camp next to them and if the Red Bull lushes hadn't felt so self-important and then the fire ants attacked, who knows if I'd been lucky enough to have met them.  All done. Time to go play.

You all know that one of my favorite things about going to a festival is getting the opportunity to be exposed to a ton of new bands and music I've not heard before. One of the first things I do when I get there has to be to start talking to my neighbors about who they plan on seeing and getting the dish on who's not to be missed. I've become a fan of who knows how many bands this way….simply off the recommendation of new friends. Best way in my opinion, so I highly recommend doing it

Thursday

Awesome New Republic

Awesome New Republic

I'd missed quite a bit of the evening already. The weather really held things up and we were in line for quite awhile. Bummed as I was to have missed That 1 Guy and Les Claypool, I headed out on the advice of one of the guys @ the checkpoints to see ANR. ANR didn't have to come far for this one. They originated in Miami a few years ago and appear to be a local favorite despite a full-blown breakup and make-up. It's hard for me to describe their sound, definitely a little bit retro pop and punk. Several of their songs remind me of a combination of Pet Shop Boys and The Killers. Go figure but go see them.

The New Deal

I'd just left my friend Heather's in Atlanta, hometown to the New Deal, that morning and so I knew that they were playing. Heather doesn't really know Sound Tribe, but I kind of knew what to expect when she told me they were ambient and techno.  Plus it seems as if those bands always seem to land the later-night slots at these festivals. Perfect time for it really.  They went on @ 10:30 @ the Chickee Hut Stage which seemed almost impossible to find. I met Jenna and Bobby from Miami on our way from ANR to tND when Bobby asked to look at my schedule and if I had any clue where tND was playing. We figured it out together by process of elimination and headed through the marshy mess to where the obligatory light show for a techno show was taking place. They were getting more excited with every step so I asked them to tell me a little bit about what we were going to see.  I asked if they were anything like Sound Tribe and Jenna replied that they were "very techno, very Sound Tribe."  When I asked her to elaborate Bobby just gave me a huge smile and said "They're great. Just watch and look what happens."

It was good and definitely a good show to hit before P Groove, which was starting at midnight, but I had to jet shortly thereafter to head to Dark Star Orchestra. This venue was so spread out that more planning than normal for me had to take place.

Rob Eaton | DSO

Dark Star Orchestra

Walking up, one could tell this was show of the night. DSO came out to huge cheers after being introduced as "not only the best at what they do but they're the only ones that do what they do."  I like a lot of variety in my shows with a few surprises thrown in. I'm going to get crucified for this I'm sure but I've never been that excited about DSO. I've seen them a couple of times before and it's not that I don't enjoy it, I do. I especially love Lisa Mackey. She's so fun. There's just nothing like the real Dead, no matter how good you are. Maybe since I never got the chance to see the Grateful Dead live I don't really know huh? Regardless, everyone else looked like they were having a great time.

Perpetual Groove

I have to admit I didn't stay long here. I needed to go to bed. I took some pictures and hung out for a little bit. Talked to some kids who were totally stoked to have been able to come. Said my goodnights and headed back to camp. I could hear the Swamp Stage really well from my place so I went back, had a cocktail and drifted off to what sounded like a pretty cool P Groove show….that and some girl that kept yelling "Hell yeah! Fuck yeah!"

P-Groove

If you were there…you know whom I'm talking about. I think this chick has become the official mascot of the Langerado music festival. I thought I was the only one. I heard her several times that weekend and wondered what was up, but look on any Langerado blog or on their Myspace and there's a TON of people that ran into her. It's actually very hilarious. She's totally famous and probably doesn't even know it!

Friday

I spent the majority of the day in Fort Lauderdale. I needed to have my radiator replaced before even attempting to get back home safely and Nasca's took the weekends off. So while I hated missing too many good shows that day, I really didn't have much of a choice. Instead, I decided to make the best of it and spent the day lying on the beach. Seriously, things could have been worse. The weather was absolutely beautiful so you'll hear no complaints from me. I figured as long as I made it back before dark and the night shows with a fixed vehicle, I'd be a happy girl.

311

I have to admit to have missed 311, which I kicked myself for missing but knew there was no way around. You can't drive 23 hours with a busted, leaking radiator. Turns out I did miss an absolutely phenomenal show. Waiting to talk to Billy, the guy doing the alligator wrestling that weekend, I struck up a conversation with LeeAnn from Sarasota and Dave from Cincinnati, though he's originally from Buffalo.  I asked them what they had loved so far and without missing a beat Dave said that his highlight probably hadn't happened yet. There were too many things to still look forward to but that the 311 show "was the first really hot think that was going on. The energy was so high! I loved the mix of reggae and metal."

He also gushed a bit about Mickey Hart, which I had to agree was a really good time too.

Jen Durkin | Mickey Hart Band

Mickey Hart Band

I went through a huge Mickey Hart phase a few years ago. I have absolutely no clue which of my friends introduced me to him, but I was slightly enthralled. I go through phases with a lot of music but tend to hang onto most really. Anyway, I was excited to get to see them. I still like my discs better than live but that happens sometimes. Maybe it's just because then I get to pick and choose which of his stuff I'm in the mood for?  I sincerely wish I could have stayed longer but I still had a huge trek to get over to Built to Spill in time.

Built to Spill

The crowd at BtS consisted of some pretty serious fans. One girl in the front right behind the photo pit seemed totally enthralled from the moment they walked on the stage. If I had known I would have talked to her before the show, but at this point I didn't want to interrupt her obviously blissful experience to get her view on this show.  Not only was the crowd incredibly enthusiastic, they were very willing to be helpful. At one point near the beginning, I think it was Greg…wasn't really paying a ton of attention when he spoke…said he was having issues with the mic stand and asked one of the crew to come out, when various members of the crowd yelled out that they'd hold it for him if needed.

Doug Martsch | Built to Spill

I'd seen BtS at the Austin City Limits festival in 2005 for the first time and thought they were incredible. My friend Kelly from CoMo happens to also be a little bit in love with them so she turned me on the their best stuff. We'd seen them with her in CoMo since then too.  I'd heard rumors that they would be a recent addition to the Wakarusa schedule this summer but so far I'm not seeing them in the lineup or in the date list on BtS site.

Unfortunately this was another show I had to skip out on early though I certainly wasn't the only one. They only were going to be playing for an hour and the just as their set was to end, the Beastie Boys, which promised to be the show of the weekend, started. No way could I miss even a tiny second of that. Plus we all had to meet ahead of time to make sure out photo waivers were completed and signed in order for us to be escorted over into the pit in time.  What I saw of it, I loved. BtS always makes me a happy girl. They're never all crazy, so it's not always a high-intensity show, but it's always very good and I've not been disappointed yet.

Beastie Boys

So I'm going to start out with the fact that they closed with Sabotage. Seriously, I know that's not always the favorite, even though it is a huge hit, since there are so many wicked choices, but imagine my elation that that's what they finished up with?

Anyway, back to the beginning. We all get escorted through the backstage area to the photo pit. I say this was the most anticipated show simply because the crowd showed palpable excitement as in electric air. The fact that I was super stoked might have clouded my perception but I'm not willing to concede that by any means. I really don't care that there were a few sound issues during the show…ok so more than a few, but the festival in general had sound issues on every stage.  General message board discussion blames the festival setting though I've heard several shows have had sound issues lately. I don't care. It was working for enough of the evening to make it tolerable. I would really prefer to see them in a smaller venue but the infectious happiness of such a huge crowd can't be beat.

Adam Horovitz | Beastie Boys

Talking to people on Saturday, it seemed like the only thing people remembered was how much fun they had. Somehow I managed to strike up a conversation with Jonathon and Mary Welch Fox…actually I stopped to take their picture and ended up having a whole conversation about how good the Beastie Boys show had been. Miss Fox had this fantasy of the Disco Biscuits opening for the Beastie Boys. She continued to say that contrary to what people might think that it wasn't such an odd idea at all, and that if you really get a chance to listen to the Beastie Boys do some of their purely instrumental stuff they sound very much like the Biscuits.

Apparently she had been to a show…I wanna say in New York… where they had gone strictly without lyrics. Honestly I've never heard of that…not of them doing a whole show that way. I mean Futterman's Rule absolutely makes it as one of my favorite songs, but I looked it up and I've been stuck in the rut of listening to the more old-school stuff I listened to in high school. They did several instrumental-only shows last year after they released The Mix-up, strictly instrumental. I sampled a bit of it and actually ordered it today. So don't say that I don't practice what I preach. J Thanks for the tip Miss Mary Welch Fox!

Bassnectar

Bassnectar | Langerado Music Festival | Grateful Web © 2008

Before he came out, his intro announced that we were under a severe thunderstorm and tornado warning. I had thought we were done with all that from the day before but I guess not. Serious sound problems prevented this one from starting on time but once Lorin told them just to give up, shut something down that wasn't working and go a bit more natural, things proceeded smoothly.  Bassnectar was on fire that night. In fact, I even heard a girl say that as I was walking back to camp to secure everything.  The last few songs Lorin took down his hair, which is amazingly long, and probably ended up really tangled considering how much it whipped around in the wind.

I talked to Beth and Tiffany from Vermont the next morning as we were walking down to the venue. That's another great thing about festivals like this. A simple compliment on a really cute dress leads to conversation. They couldn't stop talking about last night's show and how he'd played their favorite songs. Turns out these two are a lot like me. We know what we love but are horrible at song titles. When I asked them what songs were their favorites, they just looked at each other and laughed. One thing for sure they both agreed that they would both be at the Bassnectar show at Rothbury this Fourth of July weekend. Actually it seems that's the absolute place to be this summer. A ton of my friends have already bought their tickets and can't stop talking about it. So, Beth and Tif, hopefully we'll see each other there. It was great talking to you for a few!

STS9

Hunter Brown | STS9

I've seen Sound Tribe numerous times, so it always feels like I have nothing new to say about them at all. I love their shows. Pure and simple. They could play the same dozen songs over and over, and I wouldn't care a bit. What made this one special had to be that all of us thought we were going to be caught in some crazy tornado-filled dance fest.  I'd gone back to camp earlier in the evening once all of us found out that the weather was going to be picking up again. The bigger nerds of us, me included I'm afraid, grabbed our various smart phones and logged into the weather to see just what the radar said. After Bassnectar, I ran back to secure everything as best as I possibly could and get some rain gear to cover my real gear. I'm fine with getting wet but a wet camera and notebook and such sucks.

I stayed. I danced. I went back to camp around 3 just because I wanted to beat the storm back. I figured it had held off long enough and would come down any minute. I wasn't far off. I fell asleep to the boys, which was lovely…then I woke up. The wind blew so hard my tent looked like it was getting ready to lay over on its side. The rain started pouring soon after. Craziness, but par for the course on this trip. Amazingly it held off long enough for Sound Tribe to finish and most of the fans to get back home or at least be meandering that way. I heard lots of screams mixed with laughter as I stood inside my tent holding onto the pole from the inside in order to make myself feel a little more secure. I wasn't going anywhere, but I was more than a bit nervous about my new baby. About a half an hour later the wind died down enough and I crawled back into bed.

Mon, 04/14/2008 - 12:52 am

As I said, I had gone back to camp earlier to make sure things were as secured as possible and to attach the tent to the car just in case I needed to sleep in there that night. Good thing I had.  I awoke about 4 a.m. to raging winds and wicked rain.  I seemed securely attached…for now. The wind was blowing so hard that my tent was beginning to lean sideways. Where it attached to the car, it made a horrible, potential shredding noise.  I bolted awake and stood at that point where I felt it had the most potential for weakness…for the next 45 minutes.  Luckily, I have a fabulous mother who doesn't care when her first-born calls and wakes her up in the middle of the night simply because she doesn't feel like being alone while she deals with the possibility of blowing away.  Don't worry, I didn't make her stay up with me that entire time, but I did want to tell her I loved her in case I blew away that night.  She's used to me being jokingly dramatic at times.  Finally, the tent ceased leaning over and I crawled back into the little nest I'd created in the back of my Vue.

Saturday morning dawned clear, warm and blue. Perfectly lovely weather, not giving even a hint of last night's storms. Plus, with us being camped on such sandy ground, there wasn't the mud and ick everywhere to which I expected to wake up.  There existed some definite evidence of last night's wind though. For example, what once sheltered the media and our gear no longer existed. I'm not sure if the media tent had been taken down or had blown down, but was once a couple row of tables and a little living room-type setting was now some randomly placed couches, chairs and tables. Despite the crazy winds last night, everything else seemed pretty intact on the festival grounds

The Bad Plus

For some reason, the first thing I thought of was Schroeder, Snoopy and Pig Pen jamming out as I walked down toward the venue and the Swamp Stage, which everyone has to walk past to get further into the venue…not sure if I mentioned that earlier or not. So if you've ever watched that Peanuts episode (Play it Again, Charlie Brown), you know the only thing missing out of The Bad Plus is the banjo.

According to their website, bassist Reid Anderson, pianist Ethan Iverson, and drummer David King have known each other since their teen years in the Midwest. These guys most obviously have fun together and it comes through loud and clear in their music and stage presence.

Charlie Stokes

State Radio

State Radio became a cool, new find for me this trip. Their myspace lists them as rock, reggae and indie, which is accurate and oddly appealing.  Obviously, I'm not the only one since they're selling out shows pretty consistently.  Charlie Stokes' voice reminds me of Dave Matthews at times, but I have to admit my own friends disagree but have no better comparison to offer.  Regardless, you should completely check them out if they're near you. They'll be playing Wakarusa in Lawrence, Kansas later this summer, but they'll also be at Rothbury (and we've already established that's the show to be at this summer, right?) Anyway, they're spend the majority of May in the U.K. and one show in Ireland before coming back across to spend the summer in the U.S., so you'll have plenty of opportunity to catch them somewhere.

Arrested Development

One of the highest energy shows of the fest had to be Arrested Development. They ended up being even better than I expected, which always makes for a great time. Who can forget Mr. Wendal or Tennessee? And, I'd honestly forgotten until I heard them played again today. They put on such a great show; I don't know how they kept up that pace the entire time. Amazing.

Citizen Cope

Citizen Cope had a small crew handing out cds earlier in the day, for which I'm super glad 'cause it's turned into one I've kept in heavy rotation since then. I spent some time talking to Julia and Megan before the show. I've quite possibly never met two people so excited to see a show. They'd waited to be up in the very front for a bit and were super stoked for the show to begin. Julia was beside herself, "I'm sooo ready for this music." They both were convinced this was going to be the highlight of the weekend.  I lost track of them after the show, but assume that since I loved the show and wasn't even familiar with Citizen Cope that they left without being disappointed.  CC plays Rothbury later this summer…getting the point yet kiddos?

Antibalas

Antibalas possesses an incredible amount of energy and funk.  Their horn section amazes everyone each time. All around good time and well worth skipping a bit of Ben Folds to catch.

Ben Folds

I didn't get to see as much of Ben Folds as I had wanted to, but was blessed enough to start talking to a beautiful young lady from Boston the next day that saw the entire thing.  Alex had been introduced to Ben Folds several years earlier when her then boyfriend, and now fiancée, had made her a mix cd with Ben's "The Luckiest" song as the last track. Alex almost hadn't listened to the entire thing since he'd picked an odd collection of previous tunes to start out.  So, we all know Alex's favorite song; I'm partial to "Landed" myself, which I was lucky enough to hear during my short stint at the Sunset Stage.

Thievery Corporation

Thievery Corporation

I think it's becoming obvious that I love any band that puts on a show.  I love music in general, but there's something to be said about adding some additional entertainment in there to help set yourself apart. Thievery Corporation makes sure to do just that by having so many elements up on that stage. Throw in dancers and gorgeous costumes, and I'm hooked for sure. "The Passing Stars" and "Lebanese Blonde" have to be two of my favorites for sure. (LeeAnn and Dave, from earlier sections, claimed Thievery Corp as a new fav for them overall.)

They seem to be slated to play earlier in the day at some fests, though they had a late night show at Vegoose, but I think would be better suited for later night rather than mid-evening.  Regardless, they are amazingly beautiful and entertaining. Another definite band to see at Rothbury...

Medeski, Scofield, Martin & Wood

rocked. They always do. These guys brought their A-game tonight for sure.  I've heard some debate over whether or not MMW is better as MSMW, but for me there's absolutely no question. John Scofield adds a great life and energy to each show.

R.E.M.

Michael Stipe

I caught Stipe's green, Obama t-shirt...and then a photographer next to me snatched it out of my hand. Bad, bad form to which he responded with a shrug of the shoulders and some "all's fair in love and war" themed comment. I was crushed until Stipe instructed him to give it up and throw it out into the crowd. Karma's a bitch, eh? Lol.

Never having seen R.E.M. live, I'd been looking forward to this show for weeks. Even though I heard a bit of smack being talked the next day, I wouldn't believe a word of it. I was there, silly. Of course they didn't disappoint, though there were a only a very few rather slow moments, but we'll ignore those. They opened with "What's the Frequency Kenneth". Totally awesome. Throw in "Orange Crush", "Bad Day", "Man on the Moon", "Losing my Religion", "The One I Love", and "Drive"…incredible.

Stipe threw in his political commentary whenever possible, starting with the Obama shirt and then with his little speech on how he's "sick to death of top politicians" telling him what he should fear.  He continued to say, "I'm old enough, smart enough, experienced enough and wise enough to know what it is I should fear and I fear politicians telling me what to do."

This show completely ties with the Beastie Boys for my favorite show of the weekend, and in certain moments, I'll tell you it tops them as my favorite. I vacillate.

Dan Deacon

Dan Deacon

Go see him. I don't care where or when. Just do it. I had no idea what I was in for except that Santiago had said he planned on not missing this show tonight. After R.E.M., we split, and I went back to camp to download some photos. Deacon wasn't slated to be on until 12:30 and to be over on the Chickee Hut stage, which lives way over in nowhere land and requires a bit of a tromp through a swamp.  On my way back down to see the Biscuits, I noticed a growing crowd and some odd items over at the Swamp Stage. The Lee Boys weren't set to be on until 12:30, so I made a point to stop and see what was going on. Turns out Dan Deacon had been moved over from the Chickee Hut and was on earlier than expected

He set up his table of kitsch in front of the stage…not even in the photo pit mind you, but actually on the field itself.  Without a doubt, this takes the "most interactive" award of the weekend. He had the crowd following directions like a bunch of drunken school children.  They were more than happy to oblige. They pointed, they yelled, they formed tunnels.  Dan Deacon is an interesting character, dressed in a t-shirt and sweat pants, he worked so hard the sweat poured off of him as well as a healthy dose of steam rose from his balding head. The crowd obviously loved him, and he loved them back.

Disco Biscuits

The Biscuits opened with Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, automatically putting them in my good graces, though I happen to really love them anyway, so...I've only seen the Biscuits a few times but and overall I leave happy though there's been a few disappointing moments, but this show might make it hard for them to top in the future.

(btw. I hear they're playing an amazingly, wicked show in NYC tonight…since as I'm writing this, I'm getting "wish you were here" texts from Emmy and Jimmy who're at the show right now.)

Sunday

loving Langerado | 2008

It's ridiculously cold tonight. Seriously, we're in the Everglades, and it was gorgeously warm yesterday. Now I can see my breath. That's bad. What's even worse is that I've left the Biscuits show to go home to some much-anticipated sleep. It's three o'clock, well technically four o'clock since we moved the clocks ahead one hour, and I'm exhausted. Nobody likes to be cold and tired. I like it even less than other people I've been told.

Anyway, so somehow I managed to lock myself out of my car…with everything locked inside: my bag, my phones, both sets of keys, everything. I'd locked the doors from the inside and walked around to open the back to go to bed in what I've now dubbed my nest, which is extremely comfortable filled with warm blankets, pillows and my stuffed black sheep, which I sleep with every night despite being made fun of by numerous friends. I really don't care. I travel a lot, and it helps keep me from freaking out when I wake up and forget where I am. Make fun all you want and join the club. Anyway, so I let myself into the tent and find that unlike the other two nights where this method worked, it's locked the back of the car as well as all four doors.

I go back up to the entrance to GA camping and found my new friend, and generally big security guy, Keith. After explaining that I'd locked myself out of my car and just wanted to go to bed, he promised he'd be able to get into the Vue, no problem. That was excellent news considering that that on-site car-problem guys had decided to go home and go to bed so unless Keith came through I was homeless for the evening. Well I guess I could have tried to sleep in the tent but I didn't have any of my blankets or anything. I also probably could have crashed next door, but I was craving my own "bed". Keith and I spend the next two-ish hours driving around in a golf cart looking for something that we can use to break into my car. I'm freezing. I try convincing him that if we can find one of the flat, metal rods holding the fencing in place that's loose enough, that might work.  Too bad they're all held firmly in place.  Finally, we find a piece of fencing not tightly held, and he wiggles the rod out.  We spend the next half an hour trying to unlock the car without totally destroying my paint job around the door frames.  Thanks to the couple of drunk hippies who were convinced that they knew best how to accomplish the goal of getting me into my car. Your intentions were greatly appreciated as was the huge laugh Keith and I got after you left.  Thanks sooo much to Keith for never giving up until I put myself safely and thankfully to bed.

Oh yeah, when I woke up the next morning…the car battery had died. I'm close to the edge here.

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals

Grace Potter

Grace cracks me up. She's so nutty and weird a lot of the time, but also kinda shy and quiet that I just can't figure her out. She's also known to be a bit moody at times, but today she played in top form and just seemed to be having a ridiculous amount of fun, which translated well onstage and became infectious.

Sidenote: I'm over telling my troubles a bit, but you have to admit it has gotten a bit ridiculous this weekend. As I'm walking through the crowd, getting some shots and heading back to the media area for a bit before Ani, some girl, who I later drag out is named Heidi, flings her arm out and knocks my camera out of my hand. This sends my camera crashing to the ground and bashing my lens out of whack, leaving my camera completely ruined forever and ever.  I get back to the media area and have the guys take a look at it. It's done, and I finally break down into tears.  They're all quick to reassure me with words and hugs and tell me how well I've handled the crappy adventures of this weekend…and that they wondered how long it would take before I cried. Lol.

Ani DiFranco

Ani DiFranco

I wish I had stayed longer at Ani. She's incredibly talented. I wanted to run over and catch Blind Melon, but think my better bet would have been to stay here.

Blind Melon

So there's this cute girl near the front in a bee costume (ala Heather DeLoach) which helps set the mood, but my mood for the old Blind Melon…the one I listened to in high school.  You know the one, from the days of "No Rain", "Change", "Tones of Home" and Shannon Hoon?  That's what I craved and not what I got.

of Montreal

Here's another nuts show that must be seen to be appreciated. of Montreal puts on a great Vaudeville burlesque-ish show.  I thought I might not like them as much without the show they put on, but I've frequented their Myspace quite a bit in the past weeks.  They're even more fabulous live of course.  Crazy costumes, coffins filled with shaving cream from which a covered Kevin emerges in only his knickers to sing while having balloons filled with glitter, confetti, puffballs and other small items suitable for sticking to creaminess popped above his head.  Go to a show. You can look forward to a veritable sideshow with an awesome soundtrack.

Hint, hint, guess who else will be at Rothbury?

The National

Here's my dilemma. After Heidi knocked my camera out of my hand, I had no choice but to try and continue to shoot using my personal digital. I hadn't used it but a couple of times during the weekend, so I had neglected to keep a charge on the battery.  Because of this, I'd asked to be allowed to go backstage and up into the sound booth to charge it during the end of of Montreal. This now puts me hanging out watching the shows from backstage, which rocks. It also puts me within earshot of members of The National hanging out with friends and just chatting it up and talking about how they choose their set lists.

Now I'm not sure how ethical this is, but it's not like I'm revealing tawdry secrets so…plus I've always wondered how bands decide what they're going to play and how many fights break out over trying to make a list everyone can agree upon. Apparently, from what I overhear, The National tries to come to as much of a consensus as possible but understands that there are "just certain ones we do well especially at certain places."  There are 10-15 songs they do consistently throughout several shows, but the day of the show is when they really figure it out.  Today's show brought up a little bit of an argument over the set list. Aaron, Bryan and Matt apparently argue the most because each has his particular favorites, plus they like to change it up a bit more than Matt does.

Farewell...

After The National, I wandered back through the venue and said my goodbyes to some of the other photogs and security I'd made friends with over the weekend. I was more than ready for bed in order to get up early and get all packed up.  Woke up before sunrise the next morning and texted Keith to see if he had any good stories from the night before. He came and chatted while I packed my stuff.  The interesting characters seemed to gravitate toward us as we were some of the only people up.  Some random guy had gotten dropped off by another security guy not too far from where we were. He felt the need to strike up a conversation and complain about his plight, which included getting caught in places he wasn't authorized to be within the venue and possibly paying off staff to let him backstage and being locked out of some RV that was his home for the weekend.  He'd left his keys with some girl that gives great massages but that he doesn't know very well.  He'd also apparently had a lot of drugs taken away from him earlier in the weekend. And something about how he was just going to report the rental as stolen since he didn't feel like taking it back to the company. Who knows? Just more interesting stories to relate, I suppose.

see you next year!

Finally, everything fit into its proper place in the car. After such a long weekend, all I wanted was a good coffee and I relaxing walk on the beach so I could pick up shells. My great Aunt Helen and Uncle Ronie used to bring me back shells from the Gulf Coast all of the time when I was little but I'd never been to a beach on the western side of Florida. My ride home took me right through Naples, so I decided on a detour to the beach. I walked along the beach picking up shells, making a perfectly enjoyable end to my stay in Florida.

Thanks for sticking with me through this whole thing. It is a bit longer than my other reviews but hopefully more interesting too. :)

Mon, 07/21/2008 - 9:09 am

Amanda Bell was covering the Rothbury Festival on behalf of the Grateful Web.  Her pictures are starting to roll in.  Right now we have Thursday pictures up, but check back throughout the week as we add a lot more pictures from the remainder of the weekend. Also, Amanda's Rothbury write-up will be coming soon.  Thanks to the kind folks at Madison House for their warm hospitality.

 

Enjoy,

The Grateful Web

Sun, 08/24/2008 - 9:03 pm

After Langerado, I had no idea what to expect out of my trip. My festival experiences were becoming increasing hazardous but the weather channel was reporting decent weather for the weekend, and I didn't see anything on the Rothbury site warning about local pests of which one should beware.  I'd purchased a new camera that I couldn't quite afford but badly needed after my last one was broken at Langerado.  I was leaving immediately after work on Wednesday to do an overnight in Chicago at Emmy and Jimmy's house before we met up with another couple, Julie and Paul, and pick up Paris at the airport. We planned to head out at five the next morning. All my loved ones had been given their copies of my itinerary and all contact information should I disappear off of the face of the Earth. Car was packed, and I was set.

I tried a new route up to Chicago.  A much more pleasant way to start a trip…instead of dealing with the ugly interstate and endless corn and beans, I used a route that took me along the Illinois River before joining up with a lesser traveled interstate.  Traffic into Chicago crept along due to some construction, but overall it was a blessedly boring drive compared to my last road trip.  I arrived, ran some errands, took my last "real" shower and got a good night's sleep.

The trip to Rothbury was pretty uneventful. Had to be. Emmy and Jimmy believe in driving the speed limit. Not the five-over speed limit the rest of us adhere to at the least but really the posted speed limit.  For me, the perpetual speeder, it was excruciating!  But I'd promised Matt I'd do my very best to make sure I camped next to people that cared what happened to me over the weekend, so I endured.

We'd heard the wait for actual physical placement on festival grounds was nearing five hours once entering the line, but it wasn't nearly that long.  I think from the moment we became part of the line on U.S. 31 waiting for the exit, to the moment we actually got parked was approximately three hours.  The lines for security were no big deal at all and looked perfectly organized and efficient.

I have to say I l.o.v.e.d the fabric bracelets!  It's a horror for me to go to any festival and have to wear one of the paper bracelets.  I'm allergic to the adhesive they put on those stupid things. It makes me break out into hives up to my elbows, so I refuse to wear them. That rarely happens though. Usually they have plastic of some sort, but even those irritate the skin.  But the fabric bracelets took it up a notch, and I never want to go back to anything less. Kudos Rothbury, you're gaining points right and left here.

Gates were scheduled to be opened at 8 am, but calls to friends working security in the venue informed us that we were behind the times and gates actually ended up opening during the wee, wee hours of the morning. Entry into the festival went quite smoothly. In fact all the problems one expects out of a first-time festival remained non-issues…well mostly. NASCAR traffic experts might know how to get us in and out in record time, but they certainly don't know how to pace themselves when it comes to creating living spaces for herds of grown-up kids.  Maybe they didn't have much to do with the actual parking but someone should have.

Turns out they hadn't prepared properly when parking the first arrivers. Up front, the first arrivals had tons of room to spread out and really get the most enjoyment out of the festival, camping experience. By the time we arrived and made it through the gates and to the campground, they were packing us in like sardines, everyone on top of one another and no room to even walk between the tents in most cases.  We managed to get everyone's gear set up in relatively decent time, though I got a lot of crap for me being by myself and taking up so much room with my extravagant tent.

We all got set up, I tried to take a quick nap while everyone else made cocktails and played bags before we took off for the night. The walk up to the venue might possibly have been the last time we were all together the rest of the weekend.  We come together in bits and pieces, but Paris or I always were missing from the original group.  Paris is a wanderer, and I'm constantly racing from stage to stage to get the pics. I know I always say this but I've gotta go back to being more of a festival-goer.  I realize this as I'm about to write my reviews of the shows and think I'm not as qualified this time cause I was all over the place.

Anyway, I'm checking in to get my media credentials while they wait for me. I'd love to say it was patiently, but pretty soon I hear a couple of "Amanda"s coming from voices I recognize a hundred meters or so away.  I wave behind me to the group but pretty soon the chant is picked up by dozens of people around them, and I suddenly look as though I have an entourage.

I rejoin the group only for us to immediately split up to go in the directions of food, cash machine and venue. While The Establishment looked intriguing, like a huge pink and yellow bouncy house like the kind you know you begged your parents to let you play in at the local fair during your official childhood, we were headed in.

The atmosphere in the very short line to the festival grounds was electric. Even before you entered, there was sooo much to see. The Establishment, home of the most eclectic acts of the weekend, was only the beginning. As soon as you entered, you looked to your left to see a huge tree-shaped carousel-type structure dripping with apes. We'd find out later what that was all about. Directly in front of you was a huge wooden structure that looked vaguely like a child's Popsicle stick sculpture.

We veered off to the left and found ourselves at the Tripolee Domes.  You know those big half-circle, old-school jungle gyms? Think three of those on steroids with pieces of fabric stretched amoeba-shaped between them in front of a small stage. An intimate, small-venue experience with the cool artsy atmosphere of rest of the fest perfect for morning yoga and late, late night partying.

This entire festival provided every sensory experience possible with so much to see, search out and explore.  Everyone I spoke to over the weekend continued to be amazed.

Click here for more Rothbury photos!

Wed, 08/27/2008 - 1:48 pm

The funky, jammy, L.A. based Underground Orchestra proved to be a good start to the music of the weekend before the chaos started. Anthony Rogers-Wright proved to be an entertaining bassist and just one component of this group. Sam Feldman plays the mandolin, which I love, so this group had an instant in. The rest of the guys obviously enjoyed their time @ the Domes together, but those two were my favs of this newly discovered group, both for me and lots of others from the sound of it. Not only did I talk to several people over the course of the weekend that mentioned that these guys were a great new find for them but their myspace site boasts several comments from converts. Their myspace site also has Savage in the player from the Rothbury set and is definitely worth checking out for a good taste of what we heard that day. Very drum circle/electronica that one especially in the beginning though I wish the drum aspect had remained as prominent throughout.

Perpetual Groove/Sherwood Forest

Ah, P-groove. Athens, Georgia produced a good festival staple here and our second music stop of the weekend. I have to admit we almost didn't quite make it as to get to the Sherwood Court stage, one had to take a trip through Sherwood Forrest. Luckily I'd met up with Kerry from setlist.com @ Underground Orchestra, split from my friends and headed over to Sherwood with him. Had we not been headed to shoot, I might have gotten lost for a little longer. I'll sprinkle Sherwood tidbits throughout but this place was absolutely amazing. I've never seen anything like it. On the walk there, Kerry and I chose the cut around The Ranch Arena's grounds which paid off with our first naked, painted set of tits of the weekend…times two. Everyone loves when I bring those kinds of pics homes. I digress.

Sherwood is absolutely amazing. Oh yeah, I said that already, but it's true. We couldn't wait until it got dark to see what this place turned into. There were a couple of sections of hammocks strapped up in the trees, but one main area had the most available for lounging, and people were already taking full advantage. The same white cloth that was stretched between the Tripolee Domes was also present here, occupying the huge expanse between the trees above the two main walkways in the Forrest. Wish I had a dollar for every dropped jaw wandering around accompanied by eyes turned upward. Huge string-like geometric objects also lived up there in colors that were definitely meant for the black lights we knew would be coming on later. Metallic pattered wrapping papers covered the lower parts of the trees for spots to shine on later. I'm sure I'm forgetting stuff so I'll move on and hit that later when as I recall. There's some pretty cool vids on YouTube of Sherwood that you should really check out to either enlighten you as to what we're all raving about or just to remind you of how disgustingly awesome it was. The best one is "The Forrest Life @ Rothbury." It'll also give you a good taste of "Carl."

P-Groove opened with Golden Path, which flowed into Three Weeks which really seemed to get the crowd going. Maybe people were finally starting to forget a bit of the distractions from the music…but only for a little while. P Groove filled their set with lots of jammy, instrumental stuff, but overall the crowd seemed to enjoy that and take the opportunity to do some early weekend dancing.

The Juan Maclean

Jimmy had been looking forward to The Juan Maclean so somehow I'd managed to find them and head over to the Domes. Emmy and Jimmy take semi-frequent trips to New York so I only assume that they discovered him there. Another cool find from this fest and definitely worth finding a show to see in person. Jimmy honestly is one of the best dancers I've ever seen, so he was totally in his element here, and Emmy loves house music in general so my two lovelies were having a great time. TJM is currently doing a North American tour, so look for some shows near you.

SXIP's Hour of Charm

Sxip Shirey hosts SXIP's Hour of Charm. A bit Vaudeville, a bit circus…I only caught the circus bit of the show, but heard Amanda Palmer of the Dresden Dolls made some appearances that weekend as she's been doing a bit of stuff with them lately. What I saw was pretty cool. I have no clue what they call the girls, or I suppose boys could too though I've never seen them, who climb huge ropes circa 80's b-movie gym class and do tricks. Eyes gazed upward into the lights as Una Mimnagh twisted herself up in the rope in various fashions leading to a finale where she slid down the entire impressive length to stop barely short of the straw covering the ground. Got it! Aerialists. Go see. I swear it will be awesome!

Lotus

I headed back over to the thoroughly packed Domes to catch up with everyone who'd transitioned from dancing to Juan Maclean to dancing to Lotus. Great set. Lots of dancing. All agreed that Bellweather into Flower Sermon was the best.

Disco Biscuits

Jon Gutwillig | Disco Biscuits

I went and caught the first couple of songs of the Biscuits, but just wasn't feeling it just then. I think my completely sober state had A LOT to do with it considering everyone else around me looked like they were having a seriously wicked amount of fun. I guess I just knew I had a long day ahead of me tomorrow so I wandered back to catch a bit of EOTO before heading to bed. I heard the next day that it continued to be a great time, but that a lot of people had chosen to check out EOTO about halfway through; though I heard mention there was a pretty good glow stick war.

EOTO

I liked the smaller atmosphere of the Tripolee Domes plus it was the last stage before heading out of the venue and back to camp. I tried to shoot EOTO but didn't have the best luck. The lighting proved too difficult for my amateur skills on the new gear. Regardless, the show totally rocked. Once it started to get more crowded, I headed back for a well-deserved dinner and cocktail before putting myself to bed.

Wed, 04/29/2009 - 5:50 am

A nasty day in February became much brighter when my Treo blew up as texts started flying in informing me that Rothbury 2009 was officially on.  After months of speculation and discussion about leases and bankruptcy and rumors of a possible alien abduction of any confirmed artists, this was fabulous news!

Here’s the boring stuff…in January, U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Scott W. Dales approved a lease agreement between the bankruptcy trustee and Rothbury, paving the way for the second year of the festival, but the official announcement of the July 2nd-5th dates didn’t come until almost a month later.

Here’s the fun stuff… Rothbury will definitely be returning for a second smashing summer at Michigan’s Double JJ Ranch. (so does that mean it's four j's?)

Now that we knew where we were spending Fourth of July weekend, the Infobury boards began the imperative prereq of artist predicting. That didn’t last long as the initial artist lineup quickly followed. So far the highlights include The Dead (for their only summer performance), Bob Dylan and His Band, The String Cheese Incident (for their only 2009 performance), Willie Nelson & Family and The Black Crowes.

I’m more excited about seeing Les Claypool, John Butler and Broken Social Scene.  I'm sure the additional artists will pique my interest when they are announced.  Even better will the newest green initiatives implemented this year. Rothbury has chosen to reduce their carbon footprint by donating to the development of a new wind farm in the Midwest called Tatanka…totally stoked about that!

Be sure to look for special trees in Sherwood. Rothbury’s having a tree-decorating contest this year.  Even though registration is closed, make sure you check out the designs when you get there! Five trees will be chosen as winners, receiving a Good Life ticket upgrade for themselves and two guests plus a $150 gift certificate. Decorations must be made from reclaimed or recycled materials and must not harm the tree or the land in any way. So no worries there fellow tree huggers!

Since all the formalities are out of the way, make sure you’ve got your tickets ordered and start working on the list of things you need to bring…glow sticks, glow paint, tent, costumes, liquor and other party favors, hand sanitizer, 3D glasses, hula hoop, sigg bottle, sunscreen, camera, etc.

No matter what else your year holds for you,  know you have a summer weekend of hunting for the secret stage in Sherwood Forrest, listening to everyone hollering for Karl (even though we all know he can’t possibly still be lost), browsing crazy cool artwork and listening to some fabulous shows! Enjoy!

Tue, 06/02/2009 - 12:38 am

I attended the first year of Summer Camp @ Three Sisters Park-Chillicothe, IL in 2001, but haven’t been back since due to living out of state and making those tough festival choices we all are forced to make! After eight years of my absence, I came back to find a very different experience...but only compared to the first.

Here are the line-ups…just so you can compare to this year’s, giving you somewhat of an idea just how much this, originally, tiny festival has grown.

2001

  • moe.
  • Ekoostik Hookah
  • The Samples
  • JGB featuring Melvin Seals
  • ulu
  • Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey
  • The All Rectangle
  • Blue Magoo
  • Indiana Trip Factory
  • Zea Mays
  • Finga Lickin'

2009

  • moe. (3 days)
  • Umphrey's McGee (3 days including two nights of two set shows and an afternoon acoustic set)
  • Willie Nelson
  • Method Man and Redman
  • Keller Williams
  • Les Claypool
  • Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood
  • Girl Talk
  • Gomez
  • Dark Star Orchestra
  • Los Lobos
  • Buckethead
  • Lotus
  • Bassnectar
  • That 1 Guy
  • The Wood Brothers
  • EOTO
  • Cornmeal
  • Junoir Brown
  • Family Groove Company
  • Assembly Of Dust
  • Future Rock
  • Hill Country Revue
  • 56 Hope Road
  • Easy Star All-Stars
  • Backyard Tire Fire
  • Groovatron
  • Moonalice
  • The Macpodz
  • U-Melt
  • Toubab Krewe
  • Madahoochi
  • Panjea
  • Brainchild
  • The Station
  • The Bridge
  • Secret Chiefs 3
  • Public Property
  • Greensky Bluegrass
  • Waterstreet
  • Chicago Farmer
  • The Stretch
  • Alabaster Brown
  • Charley Orlando Band
  • This Must Be The Band
  • Zmick
  • Underpaid Packy
  • Jaik Willis
  • Henhouse Prowlers
  • Steez
  • Shadyside Allstars
  • Yamn
  • Home
  • The Corduroy
  • Billy the Squirrel
  • Docson Hall
  • Hellen Keller Nation
  • Mooseknuckle
  • Five In A Hand
  • Kris Lager Band
  • The Coop
  • Slippy LaRue
  • Thinner Teed
  • Space Suit

Buckethead

Approximately 1,000 people attended the inaugural festival which encompassed only two stages over the course of two days. Since that first year, Summer Camp grew to more than 10,000 attendees, spreading to four stages and four days. What started as a cool little weekend in the woods where you knew just about everyone in attendance…even though some were very six degrees…has become a full-blown festy weekend, though if you get there early enough, you can still enjoy a super-shady camp.

Anyway, enjoy some video as I decompress, dust off, unpack and upload over the next few days. (Oh, and keep in mind that my video skills are still in the works, plus I was often trying to shoot and shoot at the same time. Gotta multi-task eh?)

Wed, 06/03/2009 - 12:00 am

The first year I attended Summer Camp also happened to be my first real festival. Years later, I’ve gotten a few more festivals under my belt including Wakarusa, Bonnaroo, Vegoose, 10,000 Lakes, Austin City Limits, Langerado, Hookahville…some in multiples and another so tiny, I can’t even recall its name. That first Summer Camp found me recovering from a brown recluse bite, though the reason for my flu-like symptoms was unknown to me at the time.

I’d pretty much only come to see Ekoostik Hookah and support my friends who played in Blue Magoo. We had a tiny, little tent, and I’d carefully prepped everything we would need for superb quesadillas including sautéed mushrooms, chicken, blended cheese and home-made salsa. I have no idea why I remember that so vividly, but I do. We had tons of room to spread out under the trees and were ridiculously close to the main stage.

This year, we had a huge tent and a ridiculous amount of stuff. Just to be clear, I take full responsibility for this. I’m a girl…a girl who likes to be clean and comfortable. I like to dress and feel as much like a normal person as possible at these things…and yes, that includes doing my makeup in the morning. What about it?  Fortunately, Josh volunteered at the festival this year allowing us to arrive Wednesday evening to drive the car in to unload and set up camp instead of being forced to haul everything from the parking lot.

Josh and I staked out a great spot with lots of room, but people setting up the next day were not exactly respectful of some boundaries. Regardless, we ended up with more than enough room and some fantastic neighbors, Dave and Jake, who as we found out during daylight Josh has camped next to last year. Andrew and Katie soon joined us, giving me another girl to talk to for which I was immensely grateful.

While most festivals require the majority of campers to set up next to their cars and walk a ways into the actual venue, Summer Camp is self-contained.  Parking occurs just inside the park and festival goers pack in all their gear from there.  The only checkpoint happens between the parking lot and the festival grounds. While this allows for some great camping in the woods, it makes it super difficult to find your way home at night! Luckily there ended up being a “ceiling” of twinkle lights and a lit Frosty the Snowman in the trees just to either side of our camp. 

That 1 guy @ Summer Camp '09

Even though we set up camp Wednesday evening, we ended up not being able to get back out to the venue until nine Thursday night. Lots of people still stood in line for tickets, so we weren’t the only late-comers. I can’t imagine actually having to set up camp completely in the dark, though I’ve done it many times.  This place was just so crowded, it would have been quite difficult without just dropping camp somewhere around the edges.

After too many last minute preparations getting our temporary home in order, we finally grabbed a few beers for him and mixed a strong cocktail for me and wandered out into the increasingly festive darkness to catch the last of Cornmeal’s pre-party set on the Starshine Stage.  True to form, this bluegrass band had the majority of the crowd dancing…then groaning in displeasure as the set ended.

Most of the crowd began filtering up toward the roaring community campfire to check out the Campfire Stage where 56 Hope Road played that night.  Sorry to say that I didn’t actually SEE anything on this stage the entire weekend…unless I was back in the VIP area to the sides and back of the stage.  Someone had a less than stellar idea to put it at the top of the hill this year instead of the bottom, so unless you happened to be in the first couple of rows, you weren’t seeing anything either.  We scored preciously guarded seats on the logs around the fire and settled in to enjoy the music…which didn’t sound like 56 Hope Road the entire time.  This sounded less bluesy, funk and more jammy, house. No idea and not complaining, but we’d all swear it wasn’t them unless they’d decided to channel Lotus or Sound Tribe for the night without quite doing it justice.  No matter, good times were had, met a few new people, ran into some other, headed off to bed.

Check out lots more photos from Summer Camp 2009.

Tue, 09/06/2011 - 3:03 pm
Tue, 09/06/2011 - 3:04 pm