This February, Widespread Panic proved that you can still get a lot done while sitting on the job, as they celebrated 25 years of southern rock improvisation with the Wood Tour.  Dave Schools said, “I think that most people don’t have a preconceived notion and they like the air of mystery.  I know we do.”  He could have easily been speaking about the Wood Tour.  For an all-acoustic set-list, Panic reworked familiar arrangements and added new covers providing wide-eyed fans an intimate look at a stripped down body of work.  On the night of the Colorado opener, before the band took the stage, Denver’s Fillmore Auditorium stirred in anticipation.  I was in the crowd and there was a sense of mystery in the air.

For a band known for never playing the same show twice, this acoustic tour is not exactly a first.  At least, not conceptually.  The Sit & Ski tour of 1996 started off as an all-acoustic musical travelogue winding through some of Colorado’s most prominent mountain ski-towns.  The first night at the Fox, John Bell and Dave Schools played acoustic all night.  However, lead guitarist Michael Houser (1962-2002) plugged in after a few songs and steadily increased the volume with each set.  By Mt. Crested Butte, the last show, all members were standing and playing electric.  That tour is still considered by band members as one of the most creative periods and a foreshadowing of the Wood Tour.  Sixteen years later, and we were all ready.  Panic returned to Colorado, pulled up a chair to play a full acoustic show.

Along with lead guitarist Jimmy Herring’s new custom guitar, bassist Schools donned a mariachi bass and front man John Bell picked apart a banjitar on selected songs.  For me, perhaps the best instrument of the night was John Bell’s iconic voice that is synonymous with Panic’s southern rock sound. On the classic songs, “Can’t Get High” and “Nobody’s Loss”, Bell’s voice echoed through the Fillmore sticking to each rib of the capacity crowd.  Other highlights included Panic’s cover of “Good Morning Little School Girl” that added a little boogie-woogie to the second set.  

Known for their endurance, Widespread Panic played two complete sets with a three song encore.  Even though the acoustic performance was cause to strip down each song to its skeleton, there was plenty of meat left on the bone. Seeing JoJo’s piano intro for “This Part of Town” made us all grateful about where we were standing.  Known for their signature song melodies, Panic didn’t disappoint. “Travelin’ Man” blended into “Party at your Mama’s House” and finished with “Stop Breakin’ Down Blues”.  Even with plenty of notes packed in-between, they allowed space for the controlled chaos that gives Widespread Panic the anything goes ability that makes each show unique. 

The show’s encores included Neil Young’s “Don’t Be Denied” and a nod to native Georgia with “Up All Night” before closing with Billy Joe Shaver’s “I’m Just an Old Chunk of Coal”.  As the satisfied audience filed out of the Fillmore into a cold Colorado night, the steam rising from their bated breaths, you could see in the air what Schools' had mentioned.  The Wood Tour had reached the Rockies, and it was no mystery that Panic still likes to put on a show.

If you weren’t able to get a ticket don’t worry!  The Wood Tour Concert Film of the Denver shows at the Fillmore (2/10-2/12) and at The Tabernacle in Atlanta (1/27-1/29) will be available on February 24th.

The first thing a salmon does from birth is establish its home.

Long before a salmon becomes leftovers, neatly wrapped in a styrofoam container placed in the crisper between the string cheese and lettuce. Before it is placed in the surgical hands of a sue chef or taken in the tattered net of a fisherman, a salmon makes an incredible journey. Like their scale rich counterpart, jam band Leftover Salmon established their home over twenty years ago at the Fox Theatre in their native habitat of Boulder, Colorado.  So when it was time for the Fox Theatre to celebrate twenty years of hosting artists the likes of Phish, Hunter S. Thompson, and Willie Nelson on March 6, 2012 they asked hometown heroes Leftover Salmon to return for a two day celebration.

Taking the stage with smiles from ear to ear front man Vince Herman told the crowd, “Start shouting em’ out, we’re going to play ’em all! It’s going to be a dance party tonight!”  From that moment on Leftover Salmon had every toe tapping in the house.  A fast paced first set kicked the night off with some bluesy fun provided by songs “Steam Boat Whistle Blues” and “Unplug that Telephone”.  At times it was hard to keep up with Andy Thorn’s feverish banjo picking as the melody of “Morning Sun” sounded more like the orchestral interlude of “The Flight of the Bumblebee”.  As the first set finished with the electric fireworks of “On The Other Side”, I could help but think of the incredible journey of a salmon.

After the initial growth and development in small fresh water springs a salmon takes the long arduous journey to the ocean.

Since Leftover Salmon formed in 1989 there have been fifteen different band members including those currently back stage preparing for another boisterous set.  Two days prior they preformed an unannounced set at the Snowball Music Festival in Avon, Colorado to honor the tenth anniversary of the passing of former banjo player Mark Vann. Looking around the Fox Theatre it was inspiring to see faces new and old come together to celebrate the journey.

As the second set beings my eyes scan past the far right of the stage and I spot a canvas and a man who calls himself “Scramble Campbell”. Dancing and flinging paint like a man possessed Scramble has painted over one-hundred artists at the Fox Theatre over the years.  Perched over the crowd singing along with to the cover of Bob Dylan’s “Tangled Up In Blue”, Scramble captured the celebration covered in yellows and greens.

Not without their own genetic mutations, Leftover Salmon lived up to their cartoonish self-owned classification as Polyethnic Cajun Slamgrass in the second set.  Drew Emmitt owned the title as he took a glass side to and electric mandolin making Woody Guthrie sound like Jimi Hendrix. Described as a “firehouse” by Herman earlier in the night, drummer Jose Martinez kept everyone on time during “River’s Rising” as the second set ended with a splash.

After spending the majority of its life in the vast ocean, the salmon instinctively returns home to its place of origin.

Even after playing a three hour show, Leftover Salmon is still in the present, celebrating the past, and looking toward the future.  They finished the night with a four song encore including Snoop Dogg’s “Gin and Juice” and the sing-a-long tune “Rise Up”.  With twenty years under its belt, the Fox Theatre looks to continue hosting great musical acts on the hill.  Hopefully for the rest of us, Leftover Salmon will be there to share in both the celebration and the journey.

This past Friday, as another unseasonably warm sun sunk behind the Rocky Mountains, Katya Chorover settled into Denver’s Gypsy House Café to celebrate the release of her new album “Big Big Love”.  Chorover’s first album in ten years is filled with sweet and sour beginnings and endings.  Vocally, Chorover’s a powerhouse, reminiscent of soulful country legends Lucinda Williams and Iris Dement.  Chorover’s voice is like your first sip of whiskey, the one you feel in freefall until it lands with a clunk in the pit of your stomach.  Her voice is then illuminated by her lyrical prowess.  Chorover, like all great song writers, has the unique ability to plant a vivid image in the mind of her audience.  In this new album Chorover often sings about, as she puts it, “the cyclical ebb and flow found in nature”.  She creatively correlates the migratory patterns of birds to the mortality of man.  Before the performance I asked Chorover if she would respond to a few questions on a variety of topics with the hopes of gaining insight into the world through her eyes.  She kindly agreed:

Grateful Web: For "Big Big Love" you collaborated with several artists including co-producer Casey Neill, Chet Lyster (Lucinda Williams, The Eels), Matt Brown (She and Him), Townes Van Zant and Ewan McColl. You also recorded the album in five days. What was your experience working with so many musicians in such a short time period?

Chorover: Casey Neill, my friend, and co-producer on Big Big Love, lives in Portland, and has a successful songwriting/recording career. He set me up with a group of unbelievably talented, unbelievably nice people to record this project last winter. What I’m proudest of, is that we sat down in a room together and made this record live, with all the basic tracking done in 5 days, (with assorted session players coming in over a couple more weeks).  Though it was fast and loose, the record has, to me, a nice balance of polish and rough edges.  I was pretty hungry for the communion you get making music with other people when I went into the studio that week, and I feel eternally grateful to all of them for the gift of how FUN those sessions were...  Chet Lyster, who mixed the record, also has a lot to do with the final sound and vibe, blending the best pieces of several live takes of each song, and adding bits of studio-magic dust.

GW:  This is your first album in ten years. What have you been up to?

Chorover: I moved from Seattle where I had been for nearly 20 years, with my husband and our (then) 3 year old daughter to SW Colorado in 2006 for a job.  I had tried to get a recording going before I left Seattle, but wasn’t able to.  When we got down here, I played some locally, but I sort of stepped off the radar for a few years to adjust to this new place, and went back to teaching kids, and focused on parenting. I’m glad I waited, because it gave me time to woodshed, to write, and to listen to different music, and be part of an entirely different culture.  The rusty dusty country here had some time to seep in to the writing and the music.

GW:  Before hearing a single note from "Big Big Love" I assumed it would be filled with songs about being content, fulfilled, and well - being in love. However, in this album you often sing about the tireless yet inevitable process of change. For example, the lyric "We cannot change time, we can only change our mind" from the track "Movin' On".  Is "Big Big Love" more about searching for love than actually being in love?

Chorover:  I think it’s about the impermanence of love, or maybe the cyclical nature of it ---how it ebbs and flows.  Also the ongoing attempt to appreciate it fully in the moments when it’s there.  The title track (Big Big Love) was written for a beautiful, lively 36 year old friend of mine who passed away suddenly right after I first moved here.  We crossed paths for just a few months, and  then she was gone, and I still miss her and wish she was here.  Change—as you say, the inevitable process.

GW:  What was the last album you purchased? Any good?

Chorover:  Bruce Springsteen’s new one, Wrecking Ball. YES!!!

GW:  Some reviews have described your sound with adjectives like poetic, delicate, and graceful. What adjective(s) would you use to describe yourself?

Chorover:  searching, loving, busy, dreamer, cranky.

GW:  If you could have any superpower what would it be? Why?

Chorover:  To FLY!!!!! Me and birds, we have a thing.

GW:  One of my favorite lyrics is "you will dream smoky dreams on whiskey clouds".  Is whiskey your drink of choice?

Chorover:  Actually, yes, if I’m drinking the hard stuff, which I don’t do that often.  I also am fond of a good glass of wine.  That song was actually written about a guy who is imagined, living life on the road.

GW:  If you could be any historical figure who would you be? Why?

Chorover:  Do they have to be dead? If not: Aretha Franklin.  Because she’s the Queen of Soul. Bono seems to have a pretty badass life, too.

GW: Who would win in a fight between Denver International Airport's blue bronco and legendary Denver Bronco's quarterback John Elway?

Chorover:  HA! Had to Google DIA’s bronco and read a 2009 article.  I am quite sure he’d stomp the competition.

Surrounded by new faces, loved ones, and seventies era couch cushions, Chorover played an intimate set at the Gypsy House Cafe.  She bounced from acoustic to electric and opened with a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Buckets of Rain”.  Although this new album could simply be considered country, Chorover is more complex.  She is an interesting hybrid of folk and soul that directs my fingers towards the Americana record isle.  For example, Chorover’s lyrics in “It Wasn’t Me” are reflective of the authentic expression of life, love, and culture as she sings, “revolution, evolution shedding my skin I am born again”.  In this same track she is accompanied by a soft horn section that provides a slight jazz influence. 

While the wine bottles emptied and the candlelight danced, Chorover paused between songs to share their origin.  She shares that the song, “Off the Map” from her previous 2001 album with the same name, was written while she and her husband were exploring some abandoned back roads of Colorado.  She carefully describes the strange feeling of wholeness she experienced while completely isolated from the rest of the world. 

As the moon traded places with the sun, Chorover gracefully closed her set.  This was her first stop on a two and a half week tour.  She will be traveling through much of Colorado and then onto more of the north west.  She will be playing a full band show on the main stage at the Dolores River Festival on June 2 in Dolores, Colorado.

Despite the title “Locked Down” Dr. John’s new album was released today on Nonesuch Records.  Produced by lifelong fan and Black Keys front man Dan Auerbach, this new album travels deep into the Cajun swamp and back out again.  Such reflects the life and times of Mac Rebnnack who has been putting his unique blend of funk and blues into the music world since the 60s under the alias Dr. John.  Auerbach claims he encouraged him to write these new tracks from the perspective of Mac Rebnnack instead of the Mardi Gras symbol that is “Dr. John”.  They set out to create an album that is both personal and honest.  This goal is easily attained on the heartfelt ballad “My Children, My Angels” as Rebnnack sings to his children “Aint trying to make excuses but then, I just want to be there for ya’ll as a friend”. “Locked Down” impressively melts these soulful ballads with a full brass section that is neatly polished.  “Big Shot” pulls you through the speakers and plants you in a sticky August night somewhere in New Orleans with a cup of bourbon.  On this album the doctor has the medicine to treat whatever ails you.  Yes, it is a delicious steaming hot gumbo that brings young and old, style and grace, pit stains and headdresses to the pit of your stomach.  Whether this is your first bite or you’ve been tasting the musical styling’s of Dr. John for years, this album will have you coming back for seconds.

Alex Winston’s new LP title “King Con” came to her after spending several months in an Elvis costume while promoting the track “Velvet Elvis”.  It was through this experience Winston came to the realization that an Elvis impersonator is the ultimate con.  Winston wears one disguise very well throughout this album as she sings with a quirky innocence about corrupt preachers, regrets, and as she puts it “guts and other stuff”.  Hauntingly beautiful up-tempo melodies are intertwined with grim and somber content that gives this album a complex dynamic.  Winston joyfully sings, “Benny Benny/Takes my Penny/Then he skins me to the bone” as if it were a nursery rhyme hushing you to sleep.  Listen to this album with your headphones on to truly appreciate the production value as well as Winston’s haunting vocal performance.  You haven’t heard anything just like it. Available Tuesday    Pro: The production of these mesmerizing melodies will keep you coming back for more.Con: Listener may experience insomnia and/or hallucinations. 

Imagine riding down the middle of Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras on a giant mechanical bird.  That is just what vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Theresa Andersson did for the music video “Hold On To Me”.  Jealous?  This song much like the music video itself is quite a production.  Overlapping melodies start low and end high as they culminate in with dancing masked performers and a drum line.  Look for Anderson’s release of “Street Parade” the new full length album available on April 24th.  Meanwhile, wet you palate with the video “Hold On To Me”.   

Baptized in Folk tradition and based in Colorado since 1989, Reed Foehl (pronounced Faille) has a soulful voice with a body of work that offers communion to a Folk congregation whose apostles have names like Guthrie and Dylan.This April 13th, Reed Foehl debuted his forth-coming album, Color Me In, at Swallow Hill. Established in 1979, the Swallow Hill community is one of the largest non-profit organizations in the United States to serve as a source of roots, folk and acoustic music. The Julie Davis School of Music located in downtown Denver provides music lessons for all ages and presents more than 200 performances a year.Previously a church, the venue’s pane glass echoes stories. The stage, once the altar, now proclaims the spirit of folk music. With the accompaniment of cello player Philip Parker, Foehl unveiled an assortment of acoustic arrangements. One of which was the title track Color Me In, a reflection of the isolation and loneliness that comes during the cold winter months. Foehl then slipped behind the keys of a grand piano to present a requiem of sorts, a murder ballad “The Kill”. His voice was reminiscent of a sorrowful Neil Young.Not just another songwriter, Foehl’s lyrical prowess demands a second listen. Though not always good news, there is a message. For example, the song Strange Days (Acoustic Junction, 1999) intricately dissects the acceptance of a moment in which the realization that a sudden ending is inevitable and there is nothing left to do but move on.  Foehl sings, “And in the moment that it matters/every compromise is shattered/as the second hand moves faster than the first/ on the winds of my arrival/was the chance of my survival/these are strange, strange days”.  Foehl’s writing is filled with such thoughtful and detailed moments of personal expression.  The new album promises to hold more of the same as he collaborated with the great contemporary folk musician Gregory Alan Isakov.  Look for Reed Fohel’s new album Color Me In this fall.  He is currently touring most of the mid-west in April and will be hitting the East coast in late spring.

As the bartender made his last call, Todd Snider knew his evening with his hero Jerry Jeff Walker was coming to a close. They finished their drinks and slipped out the exit into a still dark night. It was the hour in which a busy city was fast asleep and only the air made a noise. Together they began to tiptoe down lonely city blocks until they heard the strings of an acoustic guitar... 

On Friday April 27, Todd Snider brought his poetically-hilarious-storytelling-folk-blues to Denver’s L2 Arts center. Snider embodies folk music’s essence with songs that not only reflect a masterful storyteller but captures moments, where fact or fiction is irrelevant, that arouse seizures of uncontrollable laughter. He has been introducing himself live for years by saying, “If you’ve never heard me play before my name is Todd Snider I’ve been driving around fifteen-years making this shit up singing it for anyone who’ll listen to it, some of it’s sad, some of it’s funny, some of it’s short, some of it’s longer than others, and sometimes I’ll go on for more than eighteen minutes between the song.”    

You may think you don’t know Todd Snider, but I can guarantee that isn’t true. I don’t care if you measure your days in coffee spoons or milk cartons, you have known two people in your lifetime: 1) The person who can control a room with a story. 2) The person who does not have to get out more than three words before you are hunched over laughing like a child who just learned flatulence can be used as a musical instrument. Todd Snider is both of these people wrapped into one, who just so happens to be a talented musician. Oh, and he also wrote that “Beer Run” song that was stolen from him by a songwriter who later brought it to Garth Brooks. 

As moths to a flame they began turning corners searching for the source of music. Then suddenly, they spotted a man playing for no one with his hat turned upwards on the pavement. It was odd this man chose this moment to play with absolutely no prospective customers, but what was unexplainable was that this man was playing Jerry Jeff Walker’s “Mr. Bojangles”.

At the age of 19, Todd Snider was introduced to the music of Jerry Jeff Walker. Snider recalls after the first chance he had to see Mr. Walker perform live he wanted to model his live act after him. So in true Jerry Jeff fashion Snider began touring the county performing solo and telling lengthy charismatic stories between notes. This tour is in support of Snider’s newest album, Time as We Know It: The Songs of Jerry Jeff Walker, a tribute to the man who helped define his career. He also brought along with him for this tour The Burnouts, a backing band that help to fill out some of Snider’s fingerpicking. 

The L2 Arts center is a branch of Swallow Hill’s movement to revitalize old church buildings as places of folk music worship in Denver. Todd Snider and The Burnouts seemingly took the stage with ambiguous expectations as they had no idea as to how accepting a church congregation would be to a man whose last album was titled, “Agnostic Hymns and Stoner Fables.” The crowd, perhaps won over by Snider’s charm, smiled and applauded as he often spoke of his quarrels with religion. Snider remarked, “I would love to put my trust in God, but he’s clearly keeping secrets from me”.

Closing out a lengthy set that had the old mixed in with the new, Todd Snider remarked how fortunate he is to have been playing all these years. He then spoke of how strange he finds it that people can’t believe he enjoys playing the same song over and over again. Referencing the song “Beer Run” Snider said, “How could you get sick of singing “beer” and “run” in the tune of “You Get a Line and I’ll Get a Pole”? I sang it twice before I came out here.” If you have the chance to see Todd Snider live it is a must, there is nothing quite like it.    

Fighting every urge in his body to speak out to the man playing to tell him that he was performing the song of the man standing next to him, Todd Snider stood in silence and etched this moment into his memory. Once the song had ended, the two men smiled at one another and slipped off into the darkness.

On Friday, May 11 the Kansas based high octane bluegrass trio known as Split Lip Rayfield (SLR) took the stage behind the sliding barn doors of Denver’s Larimer Lounge.   Passionate bluegrass fans stirred in anticipation to watch the finely-aged, unique instrumentation that is Split Lip Rayfield.  This is no ordinary bluegrass jam band; Split Lip Rayfield holds elements of country, folk, and a dash of metal that conjures up a Frankenstein image that cannot be easily pinned down.  As the lights dimmed and the barn doors slammed shut, fans huddled together to sing along with the three headed mud stomping monster.

Based out of Wichita, Kansas, Split Lip Rayfield’s first album of the same name was released in 1998 under Bloodshot Records.  Since then they have released six albums including two live recordings, one of which was done at Denver’s Bluebird Theater (2004).  Their last album titled “I’ll be Around” was released in 2008 and dedicated to the band’s former member Kirk Rundstrom, who passed away a year prior.  Respecting his imprint on the group, they decided not to seek a musical replacement for Rundstrom and continued on as a trio. “I’ll Be Around” both displays how musically talented the members of SLR are and shines lyrically, as well as reflecting the ups and downs of their career.

On stage, their energy is contagious and swirls around the room looking for places to land. Eric Mardis seemingly switches between the banjo and guitar giving the group its country polish.  On the mandolin, Wayne Gottstine plays the instrument like I’ve never seen.  In photographs his fingers blur together and appear to be one.  Finally, there is Jeff Eaton on the gas tank bass.  There is possibly no one else on the planet who knows their instrument better.  An actual gas tank removed from a tractor, Eaton’s bass is currently seventeen years old and counting.  It sits on what appears to be the bottom of a pogo stick and has a polished wooden neck. It only has one string but you would never know that from listening to Eaton play.  Hunched over, like Beethoven at the keys, Eaton is slamming on the gas tank and at times tuning in-between notes. Needless to say, there is never a dull moment at a Split Lip show.

The night’s set list was comprised equally of songs from previous albums and the most recent “I’ll Be Around”.  Including the track “Aces High” which is clearly a testament to the belief that good fortune and good company come hand in hand.  As the barn doors reopened, the animals were released back into the wild, to go forth looking for good fortune in the midst of good company. If you are looking for a chance to catch the cowpunk trio, look for summer tour dates including Wakarusa and High Sierra Music Festivals.        

On Thursday, May 24^th singer-songwriter Michelle McAfee took to the courtyard of Denver’s Quixote’s True Blue Cafe to kick off her summer tour. Originally from the mountains of Nederland, Colorado, McAfee ventured to the whiskey-stained streets of Nashville, Tennessee, years prior to become a professional songwriter. After many years of writing and co-producing songs for other artists she found it was time to step away from the assembly-line structure of creating mainstream music. With the passing of time and the spark of inspiration from her community, McAfee rekindled her desire to create music. The recently released album “Up in the Air” is the first of her own original material since she took to the music scene twenty years ago.

Not stopping there, McAfee has her fingers on several other projects such as “One Soul” a collective whose mission is to bring music and art into prisons and communities and “Big Wildlife” who is fighting to have bear extermination outlawed by the state of Oregon.

With such an interesting resume, I was thrilled to find McAfee had time to share a few words:

GW: Your music career began in 1992 and has taken you from your hometown of Nederland, CO, to Nashville, TN, to Los Angeles. Why is "Up In the Air" the first album you recorded of your own material? Why now?

MM: Great question! I was a professional songwriter for nearly 12 years.  I recorded a lot of demos that the publisher would pitch to major label artists and I was very focused on that job.  It was like a 9-6 job where I would show up at the office and go to a writing room, usually working with another songwriter.  At the time, it didn't make sense to record an album and tour...... seemed like it would be pulling me from the focus of my job.  The truth was, I was scared to make my own album.  It's very vulnerable to put yourself out to the world as an artist.   My voice is very unique and I was surrounded by mainstream, big commercial voices.  Deep down I didn't think I could do my own album and have it succeed in that arena, so I just didn't do one.  Instead, I surrounded myself as a support writer to people who were doing it on a large scale.   I left the mainstream music business pretty burned out.   It took a couple of years and a very supportive, nurturing community to allow me to fall in love with the process of making music again.  I had to find my own voice as a writer and singer the grass roots way, and unlearn being a chameleon writer for other voices.  I no longer create music for a paycheck.  I create it because I love it.  "Up In The Air" was a milestone for me.  It's what was waiting on the other side of a very deep canyon of fear. 

GW: How would you describe your music in three adjectives or less?

MM: You've stumped me on the easiest question :)  I'll give it a shot: rootsy, story-driven, expressive   

GW: You are a part of the collective "One Soul" which takes music and art into prisons. How did you get involved with this project and what has your experience been like?

MM: I met Melissa Mitchell when she was in Portland working on her Rain or Shine album.  We instantly hit it off and she felt like a sister.  After knowing her 2 weeks she called and said "You want to go to prison with me?" She had done a show with Michael Franti at New Folsom Prison a few years prior and had gone back for several years in a row working with the Arts In Corrections Program.  The State of California was going to shut the program down so she put a call out to a group of us to go for the last time.  Our group went in and we ended up doing it differently. We didn't just put on a concert, we circled chairs in the Art room and created an exchange.  We broke the ice by playing our songs then invited the men in blue to share their poetry and songs and artwork.  It was one of the most powerful experiences of my life.   The administration saw that what we were doing was having an effect.  They brought us into the AdSeg unit where no one from the outside goes.  Men are held in cages the size of a phone booth.  We had to wear stab jackets under our guitars.  They led us into the room and we played music for them.  Many of them at first were despondent but they responded to the music and soon they were sharing poetry and having real conversations with us from the other side of the bars. One of the men in AdSeg asked what the group was called.  We told him we didn't have a name, we were each just solo artists.  He smiled big and said "no way man, you guys are One Soul".  That's how the collective was named. Since that first time 3 years ago, New Folsom has allowed us to come back every year. We pay our own way through our own fundraising efforts. Last November we brought a visual artist in with us.  There is a very potent difference between the men who have art and music as an outlet to express themselves and the men inside who do not have that program. The ones who are given a chance to learn to connect with their own creativity and find their own expressive voice make big changes internally.  There is one man in the Arts In Corrections Program who is a "Lifer", has been in since he was 19 and is now 54.  He's an amazing poet.  He teaches a writing class to other prisoners and is a role model in that place.  He has impact on the younger men who come in... and who will someday be released. 

GW: If you had to be reincarnated as a tree, what tree would you be?

MM: (I love this question :)  Cedar

GW: You are involved with several other fascinating organizations such as Seven Seeds Farm, Siskiyou Project, and Big Wildlife. Is there one organization that you are particularly excited about?

MM: They are all doing really great work and I'm grateful to each of those organizations for their very positive impact in this world.  I'm super excited about Big Wildlife who is right now fighting to have Bear Extermination by the State of Oregon outlawed.  The State (with our tax money) kills hundreds of black bears every year in Oregon.  Their numbers are declining rapidly and this organization is working really hard on behalf of the bears, and those of us who understand the need to protect them, to create different legislation around this issue. 

GW: Who is your favorite historical figure and why?

MM: Sitting Bull. He had the heart and tenacity to hold his people out (of the reservations) until the very end.

GW: What's next for Michelle McAfee?

MM: I'm in the process of finishing my 2nd album that I recorded with producer Jeremy Sherrer in Portland, OR.  I'm very excited about it - we might surprise some folks with this one!  After shows in Colorado and New Mexico I head to Alaska to teach a songwriting workshop and perform at SalmonFest.  This year I am focused on touring in support of the new album and getting the album to radio. 

As the sun went dark and the porch lights came aglow, McAfee started working through a set list comprised of songs from her new album “Up in the Air.” Her live performance is an honest portrayal of a musician sharing material with the world for the first time. Although she has had years of valuable experience as a songwriter, her live performance is more reflective of her true essence as a new performer.  Nervous energy mixed with overt enthusiasm can be both refreshing and nerve wracking to watch from afar.  To her credit, McAfee takes on one of the greatest challenges a musician can by incorporating her personal journey into her music. Like traditional folk artists John Prine and Kris Kristofferson, McAfee attempts to bring her songs to life with storytelling, humor, and dialogue between songs.  Long stories between notes and crowd interaction are difficult pieces to put into play with grace and style; and the masters have taken years to hone their craft.  Switching between a variety of acoustic instruments, McAfee is taking the folk tradition head on with a strong grass roots effort to get her music out to the public.  

Any good musician uses language as a series of stepping stones to pass personal expression on to the audience. It is what binds us together. So when the musician Curumin (KOO-roo-mean) performed at Denver’s Bluebird Theater this past Sunday evening, expressing himself in Portuguese, I was searching to find what binds us together.With 236 million speakers, Portuguese is the 6th most spoken language in the world, and a beautifully expressive one at that. A native of Sao Paolo, Brazil, Curumin is touring in support of his third full length album Arrocha. The word “arrocha” means to hold on with a lot of pleasure (and if you can roll your ‘r’s is very pleasurable to say).Curumin’s musical recipe includes a smorgasbord of hip-hop, samba, jazz, bossa nova, reggae and funk. On this album Curumin explains to his new record label, Six Degrees Records, that he set out to make more sensual music that tunes down the hip-hop ingredient: “In Bahia it’s a rhythm, a way of dancing where you hold your girl very close. On this album I’m trying to make more sensual music, speaking with a lot of feeling and getting closer to people.”As the captain of his vessel, Curumin sits behind the drums center stage, singing lead vocals and twisting the knobs on an MPC (Music Production Center). A guitarist accompanies him to the right and a bass player on his left; each with their own MPCs helping to create an electronic soundscape. Together they are able to develop an atmosphere that is unmistakably unique and undeniably authentic.Suddenly, the language piece is put into place. They could be singing to me about necrophilia and I would still be floating in the air, trying to sing along none the wiser. But they’re clearly not and I don’t have to understand Portugese to know it. They are smiling, laughing, pushing out remarkable sounds that transcend the language barrier and effortlessly bind us together.They slip into the song “Afoxoque” that is the hard-hitting bass-heavy first track from the new album. The word “Afoxoque” is a blend of two meanings, the Portuguese “the power of speech” and the English “shock”. Curumin, a man of many meanings, centers this arrangement on the shock that happens to you from the power of language. Curumin, a man of many meanings, understands this power very well.

“Work is love made visible.  And he alone is great who turns the voice of the wind into a song made sweeter by his own loving.” – From The Prophet by Kahlil GibranIn support of their sophomore album Prophet, Indie Rock existentialists Ramona Falls hit the Hi-Dive in Denver last week.  Just one year ago Brent Knopf left the art-rock outfit Menomena (a name inspired by the Muppets) to take a more personal exploration to creating music. In doing so he decided to focus on his (at the time) side project Ramona Falls. Named after a waterfall Knopf used to hike around Mt. Hood as a child, Ramona Falls is the result of a heartfelt musical and personal exploration.The joy can be seen on each one of their faces as they parade through a collection of music from the new album.  “Bodies of Water”, the starting gun for Prophet, is a ceremonious call to release the mind from previous attachments.  A perfect introduction that takes the audience into the world they have created. It reminds us, “we cannot have total control”, Knopf sings, “so just let it go”.As color images dance from the projector, each member of Ramona Falls is highlighted. Drummer and proud owner of an impressive head of hair, Paul Alcott keeps the audience entertained and engaged throughout.  Matt Sheehy (guitar) and Dave Lowensohn (bass) creatively play off of each other to enhance Knopf’s keyboard without overpowering on the emotionally charged “Spore”.  They later let loose on “Brevony” as the show reaches its climax with squealing guitars and Knopf singing through his teeth.What was truly inspiring of Ramona Falls was the impressive fan following that has accumulated in such a short amount of time.  Fans flocked from throughout the city to catch a glimpse of the “Prophet”.  Perhaps it was overflow from Menomena or the new album that brought them out, but it was the love of the work made visible that brought them rushing the stage.                                     

Fore·cas·tle (f’ok_sol) n. ~ A superstructure at the bow of a ship where the crew is housed. Hard at work in the unruly sea, it is a place workers gather to unwind after a hard day of labor. Simply put, it is a place where people come together.

This year the Forecastle Festival is celebrating its tenth anniversary with headlining acts Bassnectar, Wilco and festival collaborators My Morning Jacket. Straight from Louisville, Kentucky’s steamy summer underbelly, this year’s Forecastle is setting sail on a new horizon as they team up for the first time with the folks who bring you the annual Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tennessee (A/C Entertainment).  Although changing in size and shape, Forecastle is sticking to its roots and keeping it homegrown with local Kentuckians Ben Sollee, Sleeper Agent, Cheyenne Marie Mize and national acts Dr. Dog, Galactic, and Preservation Hall Jazz Band.         

In the past Forecastle Festival has hosted acts such as The Black Keys, Widespread Panic, Avett Brothers, The Flaming Lips, and The Black Crowes. However, it didn’t always start out that way. In 2002, J.K. McKnight designated a place and time once a year to bring people together. The plan was elegant: Invite the community to watch musicians perform in front of a backdrop that hosted socially and environmentally conscious activism and art. The first year was a single day affair where the bands played for free and most of the supplies were donated. I would list some acts for you, but I couldn’t find them and you wouldn’t recognize them anyway. 

Since then Forecastle has not only hosted many nationally known acts but has stuck to its message of arts and activism that makes this festival so unique. Speakers including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Riverkeepers), Rob Caughlan (Surfrider Foundation) and Christopher Childs (Greenpeace International) all previously performed. In 2011, The Forecastle Foundation was created to help preserve the final remaining areas of extreme biodiversity that are among the most threatened on the planet. 

This year’s festival promises to be the biggest and best yet. It has expanded to four stages on Louisville’s breezy waterfront park and is working in cahoots with hometown heroes My Morning Jacket. Check back for more updates, reviews, and interviews with artists at the festival and follow me on twitter @Greatful4castle. 

The rain held off and the crowds flooded in, on Friday's kickoff to the tenth anniversary of the Forecastle Festival in Louisville, Kentucky.  Down to the very last minute volunteers and staff worked diligently to place each piece of ship wreckage in its specific location for a record crowd that wrapped down Witherspoon Street. Throughout the weekend more than 35,000 attendees came together on the banks of the Ohio River to take part in the celebration of music, art, and activism.

The Head and The Heart walked onto the Boom Stage Friday afternoon singing and grinning to My Morning Jacket’s “Wordless Chorus” that played them on the stage. A little tease to a knowledgeable crowd who were waiting surprises from their hometown heroes who are headlining and curating the event. Once onstage vocalist/violinist Charity Rose Thielen said, “It’s good to be in horse, bourbon and My Morning Jacket country – and not necessarily in that order.”  They played an hour long set of songs from their self-titled full length album which was highlighted at the end of their performance with “Rivers and Roads.” Charity Rose again stole the show singing the chorus until her face became flushed.

At 9:10 the riff-riders Sleigh Bells took the main stage for an hour-long set that could have been heard underwater. The Brooklyn-based act is an interesting mesh of previously mutilated genres. Things like digital-hardcore and noise-punk have all been used to pin point the violent guitar riffs and high speed impact that is Sleigh Bells.  They played a monstrous set that included “Crown on the Ground”, “Infinity Guitars”, and their radio hit “Rill Rill”.

Following Sleigh Bells was the headlining act Bassnectar, who is also crossing over and redefining genres. The world of D.J.ing is more perplexing and illusive to music lovers than ever before. Is it dubstep or electronic? Is it stealing other musicians’ hard work or is it recreating a previously structured melody into something similar but not the same (like resetting a bone)? Is he doing any work up there or just pressing play and dancing? I certainly cannot answer these questions; however, Bassnectar fans don’t seem to care one way or another.  Once his impressive light show goes up and the music comes on, the fans go Charlie Sheen. It looks like choreographed convulsions and it doesn’t stop until the music does.  Whether you personally love it or hate it or don’t understand it, there’s definitely something there and the fans want more of it.

The late night set was given to the up and coming band out of Bowling Green, Kentucky Sleeper Agent. On the opposite side of the lawn from Bassnectar, Sleeper Agent went to work dumping their hook-centric rock onto their ever growing population of fans. They described this stage as one of their biggest to date including SXSW, Hangout Fest, and Coachella. They conducted 6+ interviews on Friday, including one with The Grateful Web:

Check out more photos from Forecastle Fest.  | Forecastle Festival part II | part III

Grateful Web’s Interview with Sleeper Agent

Grateful Web: Forecastle is celebrating its tenth year.  What were you guys doing ten years ago?

Sleeper Agent: The first Spider Man was a pretty big deal.

GW: Since Bassnectar is playing during your set, do you think there will be a lot of head scratching done by fans to decide who to go see?

Sleeper Agent: We saw David Guetta at Coachella this year and if the (Bassnectar) production is anything like that show it’s going to be quite the spectacle. Guetta is not even dubstep, but they have the rock n’ roll mentality and they put on quite the show.  (Drummer Justin Wilson) For me it wouldn’t be a contest, I’m a drummer so what am I going to go see at a Bassnectar show? 

GW: The Grateful Web is based out of Boulder, Colorado and you will be playing in Broomfield, CO on September 28th with Dispatch, any big plans for the show?

Sleeper Agent: We love Colorado! The Boulder Theater was our first stop on tour ever and we have spent time in Fort Collins and Denver.  Boulder especially is full of very sweet, sweet people.

GW: You are close to the guys in Cage the Elephant, Schools and Canago, and Morning Teleportation who are all from Bowling Green, Kentucky. What’s going on in Bowling Green?

Sleeper Agent: Um, not a lot, that’s why there’s a lot of bands! But seriously, everyone there is just really supportive of new music.  The radio station B93 is always up to put new music on the air and if someone hears of a new show, they go check it out. There is also Eastern Kentucky University which brings a lot of people from different backgrounds together to create and record new music.  There are clubs and “Bro Sports Bars” and other things to do that are in other cities, but Bowling Green has a lot of people actively seeking out the subculture and they all stick together.

GW: Where you at all surprised by the show of support and acceptance you got from your first album Celabrasion?

Sleeper Agent: We wrote all of it in five days.  We had five songs from out independent record and then wrote the rest in a week. We just wanted to make a rock n’ roll record that was fun and catchy as shit.

GW: Do you have the same approach to the new album?

Sleeper Agent: Two years ago almost to the day someone approached us and said, “If you want to record an album you have this much time if you want to do it.” This time someone approached us and said, “If you want to record another album you have four months to do it.”  So now the mindset is almost a complete one eighty.  It’s still going to sound like a Sleeper Agent’s song, but we are putting a lot more thought and time into it.

GW: If your schedule allows it, who are you the most excited to see at Forecastle?

Sleeper Agent: If we didn’t have to leave tomorrow I would say Wilco and My Morning Jacket. Since we do have to leave: Sleigh Bells.

Saturday was the day that the looming threat of rain finally hit the festival.  A strong downpour from noon to four postponed the entire day back an hour, however, it didn’t shut down the event or cancel any performances. In fact, it provided a nice cloud canopy of protection from the sun for most of the day. Dedicated fans that stood in the rain for an hour waiting for the gates to open were rewarded with an impromptu acoustic performance by My Morning Jacket when they were finally allowed in. They played the songs “Wonderful (The Way I feel)” and “Tonight I Want to Celebrate with You,” which are currently making the rounds on Youtube.

Once day two was finally underway, Justin Townes Earle took to the Boom stage and performed a selection of songs from his new album Nothing’s Going to Change the Way you Feel About Me Now. Looking more like he was taking to the Forecastle pirate theme then his usual Dapper Dan Man style, Justin Townes Earle was enjoying himself.  He told the crowd, “Country stopped being country around the 70s.”

Dr. Dog, who always puts on a lively show, came out in full force Saturday afternoon. They opened with “Shadow People” from their well received 2010 album Shame, Shame. They finished with “The Rabbit, The Bat, and the Reindeer” from their 2008 eyebrow raising album Fate. They then played a large selection of songs including “That Old Black Hole” from their current release Be the Void. The set gave Dr. Dog fans new and old something to high-five about. 

The mash-up guru Girl Talk came on just as the sun went down, allowing for his light show and duffel bags of confetti to be blasted across the Festival grounds.  Say what you will about the modern day D.J., when Black Sabbath meets Three 6 Mafia everyone’s dancing.

Headlining Saturday, playing a 2+ hour set with over 20 songs, four of them masterfully rearranged covers, lovers of puppets and potassium: My Morning Jacket. In the land of Muhammad Ali, there is another heavyweight in town.  They also prove to be the people’s champ as Saturday night’s event was the largest capacity of festival-goers for the weekend.  Opening with “The Dark” from their 1999 release The Tennessee Fire , My Morning Jacket celebrated the culmination of the tenth anniversary of the Forecastle Festival with a wide range of their catalogue including “Cobra” from their Chocolate and Ice EP and others including “The Bear”, “Run Thru”, and “Holdin’ On To Black Metal” (The latter performed with Preservation Hall Jazz Band).

What made the set truly special were the four interspersed cover songs throughout. Dean Wareham came out to help give George Harrison’s “Isn’t it a Pity” a reverb makeover. Jim James proved his voice was made to sing Elton John’s “Rocket Man” with acoustic accompaniment.  They gave a nod to the late Levon Helm of The Band who passed away this year with “It Makes No Difference”. Then possibly the best George Michael impersonation known to man, as they covered “Careless Whisper” Jim James made it known to all: “George Michael gets a lot of shit, but he’s a fucking genius.” As they bombarded the audience with bananas which led into the final song of the night: One Big Holliday.  Former guitarist Johnny Quaid who was with MMJ up until their 2005 release “Z” and playing the festival under his new outfit The Ravenna Colt came out to play with the band.  In all, it was obvious the duties of bringing in the tenth anniversary of the Forecastle Festival were not taken lightly by My Morning Jacket. 

Earlier on Saturday, Preservation Hall Jazz Band felt right at home with the humidity and threat of rain that frequents the Louisiana coast.  Playing through a long set of their traditional New Orleans Jazz, Preservation Hall brings to the stage something that has been entertaining folks for over one hundred years.  The Grateful Web spoke with Ben Jaffe of Preservation Hall Jazz Band to talk about the Festival, New Orleans and, of course, Jazz.

Check out more photos from Forecastle fest. | Forecastle Festival part 1 | part III

Grateful Web’s Interview with Ben Jaffe of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band

GW: Forecastle is celebrating in tenth year.  What were you or Preservation Hall Jazz Band doing ten years ago?

Ben Jaffe: We’ve evolved a lot as an organization in ten years.  In ten years we’ve lived through Hurricane Katrina, the BP oil spill and we’ve lost and replaced several members of PHJB family.  These past ten years have really been an evolution. Also, it’s amazing to think that this year is our 50th anniversary as an organization; so we were also turning 40 ten years ago.

GW: That is amazing! In that time so many people have come and gone which makes PHJB like a living organism in that respect.  In what ways does PHJB stay the same and how does it change when that happens?

Ben Jaffe: That idea that people don’t really die and they live on through tradition is what’s really beautiful about New Orleans. I think the people from the Preservation Hall family that we’ve lost in the past ten years: John Brunious (Trumpet), Ralph H. Johnson Sr. (Clarinet), David Goulie (Clarinet) and then I think of our current members: Mark Braud (trumpet, Vocals), Charlie Gabriel (Clarinet, Vocals), and myself and were are all dependents of those families. That is an amazing tradition to know that music in New Orleans is embraced and passed down from generation to generation.          

GW: PHJB is working to “Nurture and perpetuate the art form of New Orleans Jazz”. How do you go about reinventing or presenting a traditional music art form in a contemporary market, such as the Forecastle Festival that hosts so many new acts?

Ben Jaffe: To me one of the most important things to acknowledge and recognize is that traditions evolve, and any tradition we observe today had its start at some point. When it had its start maybe people welcomed it or looked at it like it was the craziest thing in the world.  It’s hard for us to really have that perspective.  I’ve been fortunate to be raised by some first tradition jazz musicians.  Jazz as an art form is really on about one hundred years old. So when I was growing up in the 70s I just missed the first and second generations of Jazz musicians; those who were there at the birth of Jazz. What they did was take it from the church or marching band environments and created a new audience for it by bringing it into dance halls. When Jazz started, man, Jazz was the original rock n’ roll. People wrote about it as something eroding the moral fiber of society. Jazz got its name from a slang term people used to call brothels or “Jazz Houses”. The original spelling of Jazz is actually “Jasf” which was a slang term for sex or a woman’s private parts.  It wasn’t something you would hear at Carnegie Hall. At one point in time you had to be up to no good to be listening to this music. Now to see where it has evolved it truly amazing to me. For me as the creative director of Preservation Hall I feel the responsibility to constantly contribute to new traditions and contribute to leave our imprint on Jazz as musicians have done for over a hundred years now. Every member of our band can trace our roots back to beginning of New Orleans Jazz.

GW: Didn’t your father play in PHJB?

Ben Jaffe: My father and mother created the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.  My dad ended up playing tuba in the band and I inherited his feet. 

GW: You worked with My Morning Jacket who’s hosting this year’s Forecastle for the film “Louisiana Fairytale”. What was it that brought you two together?

Ben Jaffe: Jim (James) was one of the artists who accepted the request to come and work on a collaboration project called “Preservation” we recorded several years ago. From that there was an immediate life-long friendship. My Morning Jacket then invited us to go on tour with them and we ended up playing in New Orleans, playing at Preservation Hall together and playing the Jazz fest a few years now. We’ve just done a lot of really great projects together.  It’s really great to have a relatively young rock n’ roll band embrace what we do.  Jim (James) is a very curious and brave artist who isn’t afraid to explore.   

GW: Hurricane Katrina forced Preservation Hall to close for over a year, not to mention the other devastating effects it had on the city.  Did anything good come from the bad?

Ben Jaffe: That’s something we’ve all had to come to peace with.  It had been a bittersweet pill.  Speaking for myself, it was the most challenging event I’ve ever had to deal with in my life. (Hurricane Katrina) was as emotionally difficult as losing my father.  What came out of it was a renewed sense of who we are as a community and what it is that’s important to us.  The people of this city put it back together brick by brick.  We rebuilt our community, neighborhoods, and we brought back the traditions we were raised with.  I’ve lived here my entire life and I have never seen the city so charged before.  There are literally hundreds of kids who are today playing New Orleans style music and it can be heard on top 40 radio here.  I don’t know where that’s happening! You can be listening to Rihanna and then the Hot Eight Brass Band comes on playing “Let’s Fly Away”. That’s really cool!

On Sunday, most of the city slinked out of bed with a “careless whisper” and just enough gas left in the tank for one more day. Fans flocked to the Louisville village where they could hair-the-dog at the Kentucky Bourbon tent with some Woodford Reserve and then roll over Starboard Stage where Moon Taxi was gearing up to go. Making the rounds in support of their new album Cabaret, which is an eclectic arrangement of rock and reggae, Moon Taxi has developed quite a grass roots following due to their energetic live performance. They also have a wide range of sounds.  Depending on the song there could be a direct correlation to 311, Neil Young, or the Black Keys. Which begs the question: What are they going to sound like next?

Moments later the musically misunderstood Deer Tick started on the main stage. If there is one thing Deer Tick doesn’t like it’s the boiling down of their music into genres and sub-categories. However, if you haven’t heard them before, they are an alt-country-indie-nothing-folkish-punk-golden-toothed—indie-everything-rock-and/or-roll outfit out of Providence, Rhode Island. Dawning pink cowboys hats and who gives a shit attitudes, Deer Tick played to a crowd of their loyal fans. Their catalogue of songs from a soon-to-be six albums is a mesmerizing mix of beautiful melodies, heartfelt apologies, and guttural cries. They covered The Replacements’ “Bastards of Young” and their well-received folk-tastic single “Ashamed”.

Neko Case then followed on the main stage and played a beautiful set despite her constant complaints of the sweat inducing humidity. Across the great lawn another local Kentuckian, Cheyenne Marie Mize, played a short set of her folksy 2010 release “Before Lately” and 2012 follow up EP “We Don’t Need”.  Including the catchy local radio hit “Wishing Well” and the hauntingly beautiful “It Lingers”.

Wilco, as always, gave a promising performance that was only overshadowed by what felt like a short set. Due to My Morning Jacket’s late night romp the day before and Wilco’s usual tendency to play long sets, it was a shock to the system when they had to close up at 11.  However, they did play a set comprised mainly of their 2002 release “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” and sang happy birthday to American Folk hero Woody Guthrie who turned one hundred.

Perhaps the culmination of the Forecastle Festival, which was if nothing else a celebration of local art and culture, was Cellist Ben Sollee’s performance on Sunday evening.  Native Kentuckian Ben Sollee played a set including many songs from his new release “Live from the Grocery Store on Home”. What was magical about his set was when local artists Daniel Martin Moore, Cheyenne Marie Mize, Abigail Washburn, Carl Bromel, and Jim James came out to share the stage. Fans swooned (as did Sollee) at the show of support and sense of community that was shown on the stage.  Grateful Web was able to speak with the always respectful and upbeat Ben Sollee a few days prior.

Check out more photos from Forecastle Festival. |  Part I | Part II

Grateful Web Interview with Ben Sollee

Grateful Web: Forecastle is celebrating its tenth year. What were you doing ten years ago?

Ben Sollee: This time of year I was graduating from high school, I was going in-between touring with a blues band (Otis Taylor) and I believe we were in Cognac, France. I remember we were checking into the Hennessey Mansion where they were putting us up and I couldn’t get into my bed because Joe Cocker was in it.

GW: Did you kick him out?

Ben Sollee: No! I hung out and waited.

GW: That’s very respectful of you. You’ve played with so many artists that are here at Forecastle this year.  Are you going to be sharing the stage with anyone? 

Ben Sollee: Ya! I’m going to be sitting in and jamming with various folks: My good friend Abigail Washburn, Daniel Marin Moore, The Head and The Heart, Justin Townes Earle (maybe), and hopefully with my friends of My Morning Jacket. So, the answer is D all of the above.

GW: You’re going to be a busy guy.

Ben Sollee: Not a lot of people have a cello in their act and they like to incorporate it.

GW: Is that how you got into the cello?

Ben Sollee: I got into the cello because I just like all of the noises that it makes. I picked it up in the fourth grade. Shout out to public schools!

GW: You’re about to embark on your fourth “Ditch the Van” tour where you spend a week touring on a bicycle. What is it about the experience that keeps you strapping on the cello and pedaling down the road? 

Ben Sollee: With the bicycle tour you can only go so fast and so far. Inversely, with a festival like this you are seeing a lot of artists flying in and out; possibly across the country. I don’t envy that because it’s a hard lifestyle and you spend so much time in-between places that it’s hard to appreciate each place. So, the bicycle gives us the ability to slow down and really be in each place.     

GW: You are involved with many organizations such as Climate Ride, Alliance for Biking and Walking, and Appalachian Voices.  What project or organization are you the most excited to be working on currently? Why?

Ben Sollee: Gosh, there are so many things. We’re working with the East Coast Greenway, which is an organization that is set up to create a recreational highway all the way down the coast. From Portland, Mane to Jacksonville, Florida is the vision. Part of the bike tour coming up is to support that. I am also continuing to work with Oxfam America; they do a lot of great work across America. The Climate Ride that I just did raised just about three-thousand bucks for Kentuckians for the Commonwealth. There are also several other organization I work with in Kentucky.

GW: Forecastle’s slogan is “Music, Art, Activism”. Who is your favorite musician, favorite artist (painting, film maker, etc.) and what is your favorite activist organization?   

Ben Sollee: I love Nina Simone’s music. Her story is so insane, but I love what she in viewed in her music. Wes Anderson is my favorite filmmaker, without a doubt. It’s a huge organization that does amazing work all over the world, and some people might critique me for choosing an organization on such a huge scale, but OxFam America does amazing work around the world.

GW: If you could invent something that would improve your daily life, what would it be?

Ben Sollee: I don’t think I have to invent anything. I think only thing I would “invent” or add is better infrastructure. So people can navigate the land at our disposal without destroying it.

After fourteen full length albums, eight EPs and five record labels Thee Oh Sees are starting to relax.  Well, sort of. In a press release for Putrifiers II out September 11, John Dwyer spells it out, “I will still strike an audience in the brain,” although he admits, “maybe every now and then it would be okay if we relaxed a little.”It is safe to say that Thee Oh Sees are willing to chase any spark of inspiration down the rabbit hole. Simply put: Thee Oh Sees are fearless. Putrifiers II kicks off with Wax Face, a guitar centric romp complete with the garage punk feel Thee Oh Sees are known for. This song demands to be played loud and preferably while getting a tattoo of a snake coming out of a skull that is on fire. Then gradually, track by track, we start to hear a more refined and strategically placed sound. Hang A Picture has a distorted hook that is the centerpiece of the entire album. So Nice is something of a Celtic chant that is one kilt short of a potato famine. Wicked Park acts as a beautifully poetic acoustic closure to round out the ten track LP. No two songs on this album sound alike, yet there is a Lo-fi watermark that reassures you, your cassette tape is not on shuffle.  The one outlier on this album is Cloud #1 which is one minute and fifty seconds of someone sitting on a key board. I am pretty sure if you are over forty you can’t hear this track so some of you will be spared. The rest of us listen to what happens when Punk Rock meets a dog whistle. But hey, if you’re going to run a marathon, there’s going to be some nipple chafe.       For fans of The Black Lips, Velvet Underground and The Zombies you must give this record a listen. For fans savvy to the hard hitting notes of Thee Oh Sees’s past recordings, you will get a chance to hear a softer side of Dwyer’s creative melodies and song writing. For fans of music, looking for something outside the norm and refreshingly experimental, go see a Thee Oh See’s live performance and allow John Dwyer to strike you in the brain.

The date and location is unknown, all that is certain is that The Brave Abraham Judah walks the Earth. This six track concept album by Nick Miller & the Hustle Standard follows the fictional Abraham Judah as his spurs spin and his brow furrows. Released on August 14, of this year and peaking at the eight spot on the itunes Blues chart, you need to hear this tale.I was sold on The Brave Abraham Judah from the start. The idea of following a character as he walks bowlegged and battered across the country was so creatively intriguing I was prepared to be disappointed. However, the surprising treat of this album is not the journey of Abraham Judah, but that Nick Miller & the Hustle Standard has a refined blues-rock sound. We start with The Ghost, our first peak into Abraham Judah’s world and it holds hooks that bend into an unyielding energy. Each track surpasses the next as we follow Judah through cemeteries, ghost towns, and river banks.    Unfortunately, the development of the story behind Abraham Judah is lacking. Every song is a snapshot into his world, but they are never tied together into his tale. Judah does partake in all kinds of badassary, however, the audience is left wondering why.  Without the story line The Brave Abraham Judah is just badassary for badassary’s sake.Still this six track concept album is an impressive project come to life. Nick Miller & the Hustle Standard creatively pieced this album together and if you have the opportunity to see it live, it will not disappoint.

There are some songs that put you back into the time a place you first heard them.  The first time I heard Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody was on my father’s turn table when I was in the eighth grade. I can still see the needle spinning in the grooves perplexing me on many levels. The first time I heard Rage Against the Machine’s Bulls On Parade was on an unmarked cassette tape a friend had given me because we were too young to purchase anything with a parental advisory sticker (which made us want it so much more). I remember tiptoeing around with my walkman’s fuzzy headphones scratching my ears, and although I didn’t completely understand Zach De La Rocha, I could feel he would approve of my rebellious actions.

Please don’t think I am in anyway trying to connect Aaron Embry’s debut album Tiny Prayer’s to either Queen, Rage Against the Machine, or adolescence. Although, if anyone finds an artist who can complete such a task please let me know. My point is that Tiny Prayer’s is the quintessential fall album. Whenever I hear anything else from Aaron Embry, and I’m sure I will, I will think of fall leaves floating on the calm cool breeze. I will think of the smell that for some reason already partially belongs to football season, school supplies, and colors that represent the Houston Astros jersey’s circa 1975.

Tiny Prayer’s begins with the soothing lullaby: Moon Of the Day Lit Sky. Embry recalls writing most of the lyrics on the spot in an attempt to distract his three year old daughter who has having a fit in her car seat on the way to the zoo. Pointing out the waxing moon to his waning daughter Embry sings, “I love to see the Moon on a day lit sky/like a pearl up in the blue/singing please don’t cry!”

What is mostly an obvious collection of fragile harmonies and delicate melodies Embry challenges the listener to pinpoint his mood. Is he singing from a place of childish joy or aged remorse? It’s as elusive as the Higgs particle or evoking sarcasm in a text message. Especially on Your Heart and Mine, where Embry compares the rise and fall of Rome to the circular nature of love and heart break with a slight smile crocheting across his lips. I suggest you listen to this album on your turn table or through your fuzzy headphones while your rake leaves or bust out the long underwear. Aaron Embry is here and he brought fall with him.

Fifty years ago Preservation Hall opened its doors in New Orleans, Louisiana with a mission to preserve, honor, and protect New Orleans Jazz. In celebration of turning a half century Preservation Hall Jazz Band is releasing: The Preservation Hall 50th Anniversary Box Set. This ear bud time capsule consists of specific tracks from recordings released between 1962 and 2010. In accompanying celebration the current members of Preservation Hall Jazz Band performed and are releasing a recent performance at Carnegie Hall titled: St. Peter & 57th Street.With its birth coming at the turn of the century, New Orleans Jazz was roughly fifty years old when Preservation Hall opened. Jazz moved up river from New Orleans in the 1920’s and found refuge in Kansas City, Chicago, and New York. As Jazz began to develop in these cities the music became a reflection of the culture as it did in New Orleans. Chicago Jazz (King Oliver) developed into “Swing” that is commonly associated with the roaring twenties. New York Jazz (George Gershwin) entwined itself in the Harlem Renaissance and became a symbol of improvisation, urban culture, and bebop. Kansas City later became known as the ‘Home of the Sax” as its Jazz helped to develop the Big Band sound (Count Basie).As Jazz was taking on different forms and identities in various cities of the United States, New Orleans Jazz was the first true reflection of the culture. New Orleans Jazz is an authentic combination of Blues, Ragtime, and Big Brass Orchestra. Known for its Creole and Cajun spice, the cornet, clarinet, and trombone give New Orleans Jazz its distinct sound. The ingredient that puts the pepper in the gumbo, however, is the theme of celebration. If there is any city in America that knows how to celebrate it is New Orleans. Even funerals are seen as a chance to celebrate an honor one’s personal achievements with a parade of music through town.Preservation Hall Jazz Band’s live performance at Carnegie Hall on January 7 was certainly a celebration. Playing a lengthy set, they invited other artists to join in on almost every song. Mos Def performs on It Ain’t My Fault with Trombone Shorty and Allen Toussaint. The Del McCoury Band and the Blind Boys of Alabama close out the set in fashion with I’ll Fly Away. Other guest appearances include: Jim James (My Morning Jacket), Steve Earle, and The Givers. Both The Preservation Hall 50th Anniversary Box Set and the Carnegie Hall performance: St. Peter & 57th Street are now available for purchase.

The Nederland, Colorado based indie acoustic quintet, Elephant Revival releases the staggeringly beautiful It’s Alive EP. This seven song collection comes with an illustrated hardcover songbook that contains lyrics from their first two albums. The complete package contains bonus digital downloads and a full color book with chord charts, notations, arrangements, and artwork by all the band members.

It’s Alive is a strong showing of lyrical prowess, melodic melodies, and impressive instrumentation. There is no weak link to be found in the chain of musicians as all five members work together as one solitary unit. All five members share vocals, write songs, and play about fifteen instruments between them (including the stomp box, washboard, musical saw and djembe).

This versatility in instrumentation and collaboration is reflective in the sound that Elephant Revival conjures up. Harnessing a genre that contains elements of alt-country, folk, gypsy, and rock; It’s Alive spans a wide realm of possibilities while holding onto a core sound uniquely their own. Elephant Revival is currently touring in support of the It’s Alive EP + Songbook release.

Oct. 6 – Albino Skunk Music Festival, Greer, S.C.
Oct. 7 – The Festy Experience, Roseland, Va.
Oct. 10 – Port Cape Girardeau, Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Oct. 11-13 – Yonder Mountain String Band Harvest Music Festival, Ozark, Ark.
Oct. 18 – The Walnut Room (Walnut Street location), Denver
Oct. 19 – The Soiled Dove Underground, Denver
Oct. 20 – Daniel’s Hall at Swallow Hill, Denver
Oct. 21 – The Stage Stop, Rollinsville

Regions of Light and Sound of God, the first album straight from the effervescent mind of Jim James, will be released on February 5. As a true headphone heretic, this project adds another dimension to James’s already genre bending discography which includes: My Morning Jacket, Monsters of Folk, and Yim Yames. The nine track LP is a powerful portrayal of how it feels to fall into darkness.While creating this album Jim James was heavily influenced by the 1929 graphic novel God’s Man created by Lynd Ward. God’s Man is a heart wrenching tale of an artist who struggles with the counter opposing forces of the heart and mind. In the search to find acceptance of his art and the woman he loves, the artist finds himself fighting off hallucinations and literally falling into darkness. In a recent interview with Rolling Stone Magazine James explains, “There's a scene where the main character's chased out of town and he falls off a cliff and is lost and kind of injured and this woman finds him and nurses him back to health and they fall in love. And they have a child together and they have this new life. That had happened to me. I had fallen offstage and gotten injured and gotten super dark and fell in love, and all that was happening at the same time I was loving this book.” Although this scene James is referring to was the inspiration for the track A New Life, the entire album was written to score the novel.The album is without a doubt powerful, erupting from the inside out and bouncing around the room as to make acquaintances with every crack and crevasse. Yet, the passion is thoughtful, sincere, and healing. Reminiscent of Marvin Gaye’s Mercy, Mercy Me or Curtis Mayfield’s Move On Up - Not quite a call to action, but a call to listen. It is not always clear if James is singing from a place of anguish, anger, or acceptance. Perhaps, that was the intent; nothing is more of a blurred line in this world than those of the regions of light and sound.One thing is clear, however, the methodical madness of Jim James is transparent on this album. The listener is encouraged to sink in and smile as a bearded Muppet bounces around the studio twisting knobs and fraying wires. On the album, James plays every instrumental himself. In a world where most of today’s music feels insincere and distant, Regions of Light and Sound of God, is an honest reflection of an artist’s journey.  

The five piece multi-talented Milo Greene is devotedly touring the United Sates to share their unique brand of Cinematic-Pop. Grateful Web will be covering their show this Saturday at Headliners Music Hall in Louisville, Kentucky. We were lucky enough to speak with Vocalist and Multi-Instrumentalist Graham Fink to talk about all things Cinema, Bonnaroo, and St. Paddy’s Day.

Grateful Web: The term "Cinematic-Pop" - songs written to score a movie - has been used to define the sound of Milo Greene. How does this approach to song writing make Milo Greene songs unique?

Graham Fink: We've just been aware of the visual aspects of our music since we got started. We love movies and we've always had them in mind when writing songs. Scoring is something we're all interested in, as a band and individually.

GW: Milo Greene released the short film MODDISON last year. It is a collection of individual music videos of every song from the debut album that, when played in order makes up the film. How did this project come about? What is the film/album about?

Fink: We had a little but of time off between recording and touring and wanted to create a visual partner to the album, so we came up with a narrative, got a filmmaker friend and small crew, and shot up near Shaver Lake. Loosely it's about a young man having a breakdown, but to me the landscapes are as much the protagonist as the character.

GW: Favorite director?

Fink: Personally, Leos Carax

GW: Influences cinematic, musical or otherwise?

Fink: Hitchcock's use of space in North by Northwest, Bowie's versatility over the years, Reggie Miller's 3-point-shot.

GW: Milo Greene is a member of the impressive Bonaroo lineup for this summer including Paul Mcartney, Tom Petty and Mumford and Sons. Do you have any Pre-Rooexpectations? Any artist you are looking forward to see if time allows?

Fink: Tom Petty. He's a big hero of mine. Also excited to be playing along side our friends Haim and Lord Huron - always fun to have friends at festivals.

GW: Who is Milo Greene? What is he doing right now?

Fink: A handsome British man with a monocle. He's wheeling and dealing to book some young band their first breakthrough show someplace

GW: How is Milo Greene celebrating St. Patrick's day?

Fink: I think we'll be in West Virginia - I've heard they throw pool parties in dumpsters there, so with any luck...

GW: If you could tour with any other band/performer/etc who would it be? Why?

Fink: Daft Punk, for the sole reason that I would be in great shape at the end of the tour from dancing every night. #cardio

The Silent Comedy is no laughing matter. Set to release the six-track EP Friends Divide on June 10^th, The Silent Comedy has been fermenting nicely in San Diego’s local bar scene. Their previous album Common Faults sold over 14,000 copies. They have been accumulating a cult-like following, impart due to their ruckus live performances which have fondly been dubbed a “Whiskey Tent Revival”.

Friends Divide does not disappoint. Although it only holds six tracks, including the hard-hitting single “God Neon”, Friends Divide is a deep album with interesting arrangements and a unique blend of Americana, Rock n’ Roll, Blues and Folk. Friends Divine takes on a hard hitting sound while remaining firmly planted it its bluegrass roots. This challenge is not taken lightly by members Joshua (bass/vocals) and Jeremiah Zimmerman (keys, vocals, guitar), Chad Lee (drums), and Justin Buchanan (banjo, mandolin).

As the story goes, The Zimmerman brothers’ father was a preacher who sold all of the family’s possessions so that they could travel the world. He possibly had an alternate agenda that if his sons ever wanted to start a folk band they would have plenty of authentic material. Nonetheless, the lyrics on Friends Divide are genially joyous and honest portrayals of light and day and everything lost in between. They will be touring in support of their upcoming release with The Heavy and ZZ Ward this summer. See below for details.

Tour Dates

June 4th - Orlando, FL - The Social *
June 5th - Ybor City, FL - The Ritz Ybor *
June 7th - Columbia, SC - New Brookland Tavern *
June 8th - Charleston, SC - The Pour House *
June 10th - Washington, DC - Sixth & I Historic Synagogue ^
June 11th - Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club ^
June 12th - New York, NY - Webster Hall ^
June 14th - Philadelphia, PA - The Theater of the Living Arts ^
June 16th - Chicago, IL - Double Door ^
June 17th - Columbus, OH - A&R Music Bar
June 18th - Detroit, MI - The Shelter
June 19th - Toronto, ON - Phoenix Concert Theater
June 20th - Cleveland Heights, OH - Grog Shop
June 22nd - Indianapolis, IN - Radio Radio
June 23rd - St. Louis, MO - Blueberry Hill
June 25th - St. Paul, MN - The Turf Club
June 28th - Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge
June 29th - Aspen, CO - Belly Up Aspen
June 30th - Santa Fe, NM - Santa Fe Railyard Pizza
August 5th - Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up Tavern ^
August 6th - Santa Ana, CA - The Constellation Room ^
August 8th - Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theater ^
August 11th - Seattle, WA - Neptune Theater ^
August 13th - Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios ^

* w/ ZZ Ward
^ w/ The Heavy

Fore·cas·tle (f’ok_sol) n. ~ A superstructure at the bow of a ship where the crew is housed. Hard at work in the unruly sea, it is a place workers gather to unwind after a hard day of labor. Simply put, it is a place where people come together.

This year marks the eleventh anniversary of the Forecastle Festival with headlining acts: The Black Keys, The String Cheese Incident, and The Avett Brothers. Other noteworthy performers include: Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters, The Flaming Lips, The Alabama Shakes, Houndmouth, and Jim James. The festival also features late night shows on the Belle of Louisville and Forecastle Bourbon Lounge – both guaranteed to make a splash.

Although the festival is now equipped with four stages anchored to the banks of the Ohio River, Forecastle Festival originally came from very humble beginnings. In 2002, J.K. McKnight designated a place and time once a year to bring people together. The plan was elegant: Invite the community to watch musicians perform in front of a backdrop that hosted socially and environmentally conscious activism and art. The first year was a single day affair where the bands played for free and most of the supplies were donated. I would list some acts for you, but I couldn’t find them and you wouldn’t recognize them anyway.

Since then Forecastle has not only hosted many nationally known acts but has stuck to its message of arts and activism that makes this festival so unique. Speakers including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Riverkeepers), Rob Caughlan (Surfrider Foundation) and Christopher Childs (Greenpeace International) all previously performed. In 2011, The Forecastle Foundation was created to help preserve the final remaining areas of extreme biodiversity that are among the most threatened on the planet.

This year Grateful Web will be talking with artists: The Wild Feathers, The 23 String Band, Roadkill Ghost Choir, Lion Named Roar, and Sarah Jarosz. Check back for more updates, reviews, photos, and follow me on twitter @GratefulWelp.

“Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people’s hats off… I quietly take to the ship.” – Herman Melville

With Forecastle only a few days away The Wild Feathers are in the middle of a massive tour that dates back to early January. The Wild Feathers have been receiving rave reviews for their live performances and debut album which incorporates five vocalists into a folk-blues-rock sound. They will be playing the WFPK Port stage on Sunday at 1:15pm. Grateful Web spoke with guitar player and vocalist Taylor Burns about the debut album, the Music Festival Culture, and Willie Nelson.

Grateful Web: Thanks for giving us some of your time. We know you’ve been busy this summer.

Taylor Burns: Yeah man, happy to.  We’ve been touring nonstop since January with less than a week off at a time to promote our debut album (The Wild Feathers LP). Touring has been very beneficial. I feel like we’ve been gaining some momentum and when the record comes out (August 6^th) it’s going to be really good for us.

GW: That’s great. How do fans of live music hear about The Wild Feathers and buy tickets for your show when the album’s not even out for another month?

Burns: We have a really great booking agency and publicist who’ve been helping us to get our name out there. But really, I think just playing as much as we have has helped us; getting in front of as many people as possible night after night.

GW: Well it must be working because I saw you are going to be opening for Willie Nelson later in the summer?!

Burns: (Laughs) Yeah, we are doing ten dates with him along the west coast. We all listened to him growing up. It’s really unbelievable, man. We played two nights with Bob Dylan earlier this year, and you think it can’t get any better than that, and then we get to play ten nights with Willie.

GW: The album has been getting great reviews from major publications like Filter, Magnet and a few other sources. What about this album are you the most proud of?

Burns: We just endured. We started making an album with Interscope and got dropped midway through. But we stuck it out and made the album we wanted to make and it came out the way we wanted it to. Now it’s being vindicated by critics and fans. It’s a really great feeling.

GW: I read that many of the band members were previously working on solo projects before The Wild Feathers were formed. How did everyone in the band come together?    

Burns: Preston, the lead guitar player, and I (Taylor) have been in bands together since high school. I met Ricky and Joel from a mutual friend in Austin, Texas. We just started hanging out together and wrote a few songs. Then I got a call from them in Nashville and they asked if I wanted to do this for real and I said, “Fuck Yeah” and went to Nashville to starting working on it.

GW: Nashville seems to have a magnetism that draws in songwriters.

Burns: Yeah, it’s awesome. I think there’s something special in the air.

GW: You’ve done a lot of festivals this summer including Forecastle, Hangout Fest, Sasquatch, Summerset, and Austin City Limits. How does playing a music festival stack up to playing normal show?

Burns: I grew up idolizing music festivals like Woodstock and it seems like they’ve really exploded again in the past five to ten years. The only one I’ve ever attended as a patron was Austin City Limits. I attended it a few times when I was living in Austin and I loved it. I think there’s something very special about seeing so many people and artists in a central location. It creates a culture and atmosphere that is very special.

GW: Anyone you’re excited to see as a patron at Forecastle this year?

Burns: We really love DAWES. We caught some of their show a SXSW and were completely blown away. I am also excited to see Jim James from My Morning Jacket. I’m sure there are others but it will depend on what our schedule allows.

GW: Thanks again for your time and we look forward to seeing you at the festival.

Burns: Likewise, man. Take care.  

Last weekend Louisville, Kentucky hosted the eleventh annual Forecastle Festival on the banks of the Ohio River. Over 75,000 fans, four stages, 65 musical acts and one festival evacuation made for an exciting weekend. With live music comes the element of surprise and it was plentiful this year. Unfortunate cancellations were made by acts Animal Collective, Dan Deacon, and Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings due to illness and the threat of powerful thunderstorms shifted the schedules during two day of the event. Yet despite the unexpected; fans, musicians, festival workers and volunteers kept laughing as they effortlessly held the ship together.

Hailing from just across the Ohio River in southern Indiana, Houndmouth was the first band of the festival to draw an impressive crowd. Although this performance was a bit of a homecoming, they have been gaining national attention this summer touring with the Alabama Shakes, who also appeared at the festival. The set primarily consisted of songs from their first and only LP, From the Hills Below the City. Violinist Scott Moore, from Kentucky based bluegrass outfit 23 String Band, joined in for a few songs. Houndmouth closed their set covering The Band’s “I Shall Be Released”.  

After blowing out his knee at Summer Camp earlier this year, Big Boi had to cancel most of his summer tour dates while he recovered from major surgery. Although he spent the past few months engrossed with pain and boredom he was in good spirits. He confessed to the crowd it was terrible, “I was stuck in bed watching Toddlers & Tiaras.” He then led the crowd in the chant: “Fuck your TV, read a book!” Sitting on a gold throne in the center of the stage, Big Boi kept the energy level through the roof for the entirety of his hour long set. The set included many of the Outkast classics (Ms. Jackson - B.O.B. – ATLiens) as well as songs from his latest album, Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors (The Thickets – In the A). Dave Howard from 23 String Band told me later, “I woke up the next morning and didn’t know why my legs were so sore. Then I thought, ‘Oh yeah, Big Boi was awesome!’”

Yes, they played “Wagon Wheel”. They also played another hour and twenty five minutes of foot stomping rump shakin’ bluegrass.

Closing out the first night of the festival, String Cheese Incident played an hour and thirty minute set that except for a few short water breaks seamlessly flowed together. Backed by an impressive lightshow, they charged through a ten song set list that included “Rosie”, “Sirens”, and “Colorado Bluebird Sky”. The crowd exploded as they broke into a funky rendition of Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way”. As the lights came on, the crowd sluggishly left the festival ready to recharge for another full day of music.

Singer songwriter Sarah Jarosz kicked off the festivities on Saturday with her beautiful harmonies and creative folk interpretations. Rolling Stone once called her, “Gillian Welch’s long lost daughter” – which is quite a compliment considering she’s only twenty-one years old. Despite her young age she has an impressive resume which includes playing the RockyGrass Music Festival in Lyons, Colorado, at the age of 11. Her set reflected her many talents. She played many songs from her discography including her new album Bring Me up from Bones and included an enchanting cover of Joanna Newsom’s “The Book of Right-On”. Keep an eye out for Ms. Jarosz; she is not to be missed.

There are only two of them, but they make a lot of noise. The two piece blues-based folk duo out of Charleston, South Carolina didn’t mind the midday sun. Picking up momentum for their single Birmingham, Shovels & Rope play a set that makes me concerned for their instruments. Playing on an elevated platform they stomp, slam, and then swoon.

Once it appeared DAWES was set to play, the tarps came out. Festival goers were asked to vacate the premises and find shelter or safety or just hold on to something nailed down. The rain never came and as the warnings and blood pressure dropped the festival resumed after an hour delay.    

Perhaps due to Brittany Howard’s powerfully deep voice, I overheard, “I swear I thought the lead singer was a dude until today” too many times. Fortunately, for Brittany and the Shakes, she is captivating. She’s Janis Joplin reincarnate. The concise rock single “Hold On” has given the Alabama Shakes major attention; however, the majority of their set is full of soul. Not Rick James funky soul either, but uplifting gospel. Brittany you’re beautiful.

Back in his hometown, My Morning Jacket front man Jim James performed in support of his solo album Regions of Light and Sound of God. James bounced around the stage as he normally does, energizing the crowd with his endearingly strange artistic charades. Holding up bizarre statues and covering his head in a towel, he lets you know it’s going to get weird and you’re going to enjoy it. The set consisted mostly of songs from the new album with a few acoustic My Morning Jacket songs thrown in. He ended the set with a beautiful version of The Beatles’ “Let it Be”.

As if it was even possible: The Flaming Lips have become even weirder. Keeping in mind the last time The Flaming Lips played Forecastle they projected a naked woman on the screen, and then walked onto the stage by stepping out of the screen where the woman’s, um..velvet underground was being displayed. This time Wayne Coyne performed most of the set while holding a plastic baby, complete with an umbilical cord that wrapped around the stage. As he sang and danced he swaddled the baby, kissing and hugging it. The performance seemed to get a mixed reaction from the crowd. Personally, I think he’s got mommy issues.  

In 2009, when the festival was tucked away on a much smaller corner of the waterfront, The Black Keys performed. Now, with its biggest and best year yet The Black Keys came back to headline. Even though their set was pushed back due to the weather earlier in the day, The Black Keys played a full hour and a half. They ran through a set that spanned from the earlier Thickfreakness LP to the Grammy winning “Lonely Boy” (El Camino LP). By the end of the set, drenched in the humidity, fans sauntered home satisfied and sweaty.

In the midst of a very busy and very productive summer, Wild Feathers used their momentum to kick off the last day of the festival. With an impressive turnout for early in the day, the Wild Feathers made their presence felt. Playing songs from their soon to be released first LP of the same name, it was shocking to see how many fans already know the words to most of the songs. Like Sarah Jarosz, keep an eye out for these guys.

Tennis is the indie-pop group out of Denver, Colorado whose latest album was produced by Pat Carney of The Black Keys. Made up of husband and wife duo, Alania Moore and Patrick Riley, Tennis walks a fine line between the synth/pop and rock worlds. Moore’s vocals are tremendous and so entrancing fans didn’t mind standing in the sweltering heat.

The String Cheese Incident and Sam Bush graciously stepped in the Sunday timeslot that was originally slated for Animal Collective. Animal Collective had to suddenly cancel several of their summer dates due to illness.

Sam Bush is a man of many hats. He is considered to be the originator of “newgrass” or progressive bluegrass, which paved the way for acts like Nickel Creek, Yonder Mountain String Band, and String Cheese Incident. He has played the Telluride Bluegrass Festival 39 of the 40 years it has existed. This impressive feat has earned him the title: King of Telluride.

String Cheese Incident is a Colorado based bluegrass jam band whose headlining performance on the Mast Stage on Friday felt more like Phish than Leftover Salmon. So, when Sam Bush came on stage with String Cheese on Sunday afternoon, it was time to infuse the festival with high-octane bluegrass. They played their own material as well as some traditional bluegrass standards. The real treat of the performance was watching each musician take turns embracing the moments they had to share the stage with Bush.

Robert Plant is still as strong as ever. His performance creatively intertwined new material with Led Zeppelin classics. The Sensational Space Shifters are a world class backing band that took creative acoustic interpretations of the classics. Unfortunately the set was cut short due to a thunderstorm that swept through the festival. Plant took blame for the storm after playing “What Is and What Should Never Be” saying, “It was the naughty seventies.”

The Avett Brothers, who along with The Black Keys played Forecastle in its younger days, took great pride in closing the festival. Fortunately the storms passed by quickly and the Avett Brothers were able to play a lengthy 22 song set. The band was electric; swapping instruments, vocals, and the spotlight. The brothers consistently jumped into the audience keeping the energy high throughout the night. They closed with a sing-along to “I and Love and You”. It was the perfect way to end the festival.

Check out more photos from Forecastle 2013.

We were so excited with Sarah Jarosz’s performance at this year’s Forecastle Music Festival that we had to catch-up with her after the weekend. Sarah Jarosz is currently touring in support of her new album Build Me up from Bones. Although she is only twenty-one years old and a recent college graduate, she is extremely accomplished in the world of music. We discuss growing up in the music scene, her new album, and the college experience.

Grateful Web: Thank you for taking the time to speak with us. We loved your performance at Forecastle this year.

Sarah Jarosz: Thanks. We really had a blast. It was a great experience.

GW: You were one of our memorable moments from Forecastle. Did you see any performances that stuck out to you?

SJ: The Flaming Lips were really awesome. I’ve never seen them live before and it was definitely a highlight. 

GW: Are you playing other festivals this summer?

SJ: Yeah! We are actually on our way to Montana right now. We are going to play at the Top Hat Lounge then Targhee Fest, Ossipee Valley Music Festival, and Newport Folk Festival. We are extremely honored to be playing the Newport Folk Festival.

GW: Although you are originally from Texas you are familiar with the Colorado music scene. You played the Rockygrass Festival in Lyons, Colorado when you were eleven years old?!

SJ: Yeah, I played the Rockygrass Festival first when I was eleven and then played Telluride in 2007 when I was sixteen. Colorado has been a very special place for me.

GW: So, you’ve really been in the music scene you whole life.

SJ: I picked up a mandolin when I was ten and really fell in love with it. The rest really sprouted from that. I picked up the banjo and guitar spontaneously after that and I was off.

GW: When does your new album Build Me up from Bones Release?

SJ: September 24^th and I’m really excited about it. It’s nice to have it completed.

GW: What are you the most proud of with the album?

SJ: I just worked really hard on it. I stared working on the album back in January while I was still in school. Some of its co-written and some of it’s my original music. I’m really proud of it in all aspects.

GW: Is this album different than your previous releases?

SJ: Yeah, I think living in Boston for the past four years has had its influence on the album. The song writing was definitely inspired by my time in school up there.

GW: What school did you attend? What degree did you earn?

SJ: I went to the New England Conservatory and earned a degree in Contemporary Improvisations. It’s a study that means different things for different people. It’s a development of your personal style which allows you to study a lot of different kinds of music, music theory, and music history. It was a great experience for me. It really forced me out of my comfort zone musically and definitely impacted this album.

GW: Thanks for taking the time to speak with us and we hope to see you in Colorado in the near future.

SJ: My pleasure. I’m sure we’ll be back soon.

The Raised By Wolves recently released the music video "Freddy Freaker" - a track from the band's debut album Sadie Hawkins (2013). As the band explains it, "The video is a surreal exploration of the inevitable and often dissonant evolution of friendships over time." The green triangle used in the video appears to represent the concept of how all relationships remain balanced over time. The bonds of friendships may strengthen or deteriorate, yet the amount of change is equal to amount of time explored.

This intricate perception of relationships is prevalent throughout Sadie Hawkins. Moments of honest deep retrospect can be found throughout the duo's debut album. The Rasied By Wolves are Dusty Durston (vocals, drums) and Ben Eskin (guitar, bass, keys, backing vocals). These two, knowing something about the evolution of friendships over time, have been friends since they attended middle school in the suburbs of Washington D.C. Perhaps the depth presented in this 9 song LP is reflecting the tremendous length of time the two have been writing music together.

Often described as "indie-pop" Sadie Hawkins is nothing that hasn't been done before within the genre. However, Durston and Eskin are able to bring out the best elements with a force. To put it simply: For just two guys they make a lot of noise. Focused noise to be exact. Since creating the live band to fill out the quality of the album, it is no wonder The Raised By Wolves have been accepting praise for their high-octane live shows and impressive guitar work. Expect a lot more from these guys in the future, regarding their past and present explorations.

Ghost Owl's debut album "Say Goodbye to Finland" will be released on May 6th. The album as a whole is an experimental drift through futuristic soundscapes famed with uplifting electro-pop arrangements. This ten track LP contains the singles "Sky Yellow", "Idiot Kid" and "Velva 500". The one binding theme throughout these budding tracks is the prolific use of synthesizers; aimed to move the lamest of limbs.

Based out of Athens, Georgia Ghost Owl began its culmination in the winter of 2013 after the demise of a previously successful project Elephant Zaio Sunrise. This transition from past to present focus is the cornerstone from which "Say Goodbye to Finland" was built. Throughout the album there is a sense of overwhelming hope born from the promise of new beginnings after accepting an inevitable loss.

Together the indie-pop trio has developed a technology driven live show equipped with giant screens that dominate the stage. This visual appeal, paired with the dance floor Sirens beckoning from the depths of this album, demands Ghost Owl to be experienced live. Be sure to listen to this album in the following week and keep a hopeful eye for these guys to post tour dates in the near future.

"Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time." - Thomas Merton

The first album from French Style Furs, "Is Exotic Bait," is an existential collaboration. Nathan Willett and Matt Maust of Cold War Kids came together with lifelong friend and We Barbarians drummer Nathan Warkentin to document a spontaneous urgency to lose themselves and, in the process, find themselves.

While recording in NYC Nathan Willett came equipped with a book of poems written by Thomas Merton. Willet's fascination with the 20^th century Trappist monk who wrote on social justice, pacifism, and Eastern Religion led the band to use these poems as the lyrics for the album. This decision influenced the direction of the album and gave the members a chance to explore musically as well as spiritually.

Willett's signature voice gives this album the first impressions of a new Cold War Kids release. However, the feel of these songs framed by percussionist Stephen Hodges (Tom Waits, David Lynch) and vocals from Haley Dekle (Dirty Projectors) is unique unto itself. The track “Solitary Life" bounces around a bass line that bends into the outright culmination of all these musician's satisfying their creative urges. French Style Furs' Is Exotic Bait is the product of a band that is working hard to lose themselves and, in the process, find themselves.

Fore·cas·tle (f’ok_sol) n. ~ A superstructure at the bow of a ship where the crew is housed. Hard at work in the unruly sea, it is a place workers gather to unwind after a hard day of labor. Simply put, it is a place where people come together.

This year the Forecastle Festival will include headlining acts Outkast, Jack White, and Beck down on the waterfront in Louisville, Kentucky on July 18-20. Other “note”worthy musical artists include The Replacements, Against Me!, Band of Horses, Gary Clark Jr., Jenny Lewis, and Spoon. The festival will also features late night performances on the Belle of Louisville and local music venue, Headliners.

Although the festival is now equipped with four stages anchored to the banks of the Ohio River, Forecastle Festival originally came from very humble beginnings. In 2002, J.K. McKnight designated a place and time once a year to bring people together. The plan was elegant: Invite the community to watch musicians perform in front of a backdrop that hosted socially and environmentally conscious activism and art. The first year was a single day affair where the bands played for free and most of the supplies were donated. I would list some acts for you, but I couldn’t find them and you wouldn’t recognize them anyway.

Since then Forecastle has not only hosted many nationally known acts but has stuck to its message of arts and activism that makes this festival so unique. Speakers including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Riverkeepers), Rob Caughlan (Surfrider Foundation) and Christopher Childs (Greenpeace International) all previously performed. In 2011, The Forecastle Foundation was created to help preserve the final remaining areas of extreme biodiversity that are among the most threatened on the planet. This year Grateful Web will be talking with artists: The Weeks, Willie Watson (Old Crow Medicine Show/David Rawlings Machine), and more! Check back for more updates, reviews, and photos!

“Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people’s hats off… I quietly take to the ship.” – Herman Melville

After eight years of playing with Elephant Revival, the ambitious Sage Cook decided to chase a different dream. He moved to an isolated patch of land on the border of Oklahoma and Kansas with the long-term goal of setting up a farming community. After a year of pruning fruit trees, caring for livestock, and cultivating that community- new music was just another logical, organic process. We Dream Dawn is the product of living close to the land and letting ideas slowly develop over time. Sage Cook spoke to Grateful Web in anticipation of their first Colorado performance at the Walnut Room in Denver on April 18^th.

Grateful Web: You stated We Dream Dawn is, “…a band with a farming problem”. How did We Dream Dawn come to blossom?

Sage Cook: It came out of the move back to land here in Kansas.  After being out in Colorado for eight years I wasn’t really looking to start another band and my family has this great property that has not been lived in for a number of years. What we wanted to do with the land was a ten to fifteen year long term project I was ready to get started with it. After being out here for about a year, I was invited to play a benefit concert with who are now the other members of We Dream Dawn. It felt really good. So good, we decided to book a few shows.

GW: Do you have any current affiliation with Elephant Revival?

SC: Not at the time. They have someone to fill my shoes and I love those guys but it got a little bit strenuous for me. I’m looking forward to working on growing food and making some art.

GW: For fans of Elephant Revival how would you compare the sound of the two bands?

SC: In the nature of [We Dream Dawn] being an electric trio it’s quite a bit different. We are louder and little bit more down tempo deep groove oriented. However, it is very similar in that we are very song oriented.

GW: So, you have been focusing a lot lyrically in terms of song writing?

SC: Song writing is definitely a huge love of mine. I’ve had this huge backlog of material for the past ten years or so and a lot of them are very soft acoustic guitar songs that I never thought would have worked with an electric bass and drums. I was surprised when we got together and played at how well it worked. There are a lot of quiet passages where there won’t be much drumming at all and then it culminates into some fire and energy.

GW: Did you write a lot of the material that is being used for We Dream Dawn while playing with Elephant Revival? Or are you still setting aside time now to write?

SC: It’s a little bit of both. There are a good number of brand new songs in the set, songs that only some of my family and friends have heard, and a few songs I’ve played with Elephant Revival for a really long time that we reinvented.

GW: You appear to approach creating music as an effortless and somewhat inevitable process of self-exploration. How does your writing process occur? Is it at all structured?

SC: No structure. Gardening is kind of the same way. I definitely carve out time to write when necessary but we currently are working up the arrangements of the songs we have now.

GW: What does the name We Dream Dawn mean to you?

SC: (Laughs) I like all of those words on their own, ya know? We co-create the new day with each other and can make whatever we want. Or, you can say we dreamt the new day but didn’t do anything about it. I felt like I was at a crossroads at my life where I needed to make a decision. Was I going to keep dreaming about this lifestyle where we are growing our own food and living as close to the land as possible? I keep having these profound experiences every day now that I’m out here.

GW: I think it’s honorable what you are doing. I feel like a lot of people have similar dreams of living off the land or living more simply, but not many actually take the leap to achieve it.

SC: We feel really fortunate to have this property available to us. Many people look at the financial prospect of getting a thirty-year mortgage and think, “How am I going to pay off this place just growing your own food?” It’s pretty much impossible, which is pretty sad. Wendell Berry writes a lot about that. That’s why I’m pretty open to inviting people to come out and join us in the middle of nowhere to see what we’re doing out here.  

GW: Your first Colorado show is April 18^th at the Walnut Theater. How do you feel about presenting this new material to your old stomping grounds?

SC: It’s a bit intimidating to be honest. But I don’t think it’s too far removed or different to be hated by our old fans. I’m not too worried, but it’s a new band and it’s a big room for our first show. But we are going to have a blast and there are so many people out there that I’m excited to see. I absolutely love the Front Range.

GW: When will more of this new project be made public?

SC: Well I’m trying to be as home grown as possible. I’m mixing, producing, and engineering everything for us. It has taken some time to get everything as good as I want. Even the song “Theresa” I just released on our website - I feel like I didn’t do a very good job of capturing the drum sound. So, as far as a release date I don’t know. We are trying to take it easy and serve the music; we are not in a hurry by any means.

GW: Thanks for taking the time to talk to us. We are looking forward to seeing you in Denver on April 18^th.

SC: Thanks! It should be a great time.

Quickly becoming one of the most anticipated music festivals in the nation, The Forecastle Festival is back for another big year with headlining acts Sam Smith, My Morning Jacket, and Widespread Panic down on the waterfront in Louisville, Kentucky on July 17-19. Other promising performances include Modest Mouse, Cage the Elephant, The War On Drugs, Tweedy, Houndmouth, and Portugal. The Man. The festival will also feature several late night shows including Talib Kweli and The Floozies.

Although the festival is now equipped with four stages anchored to the banks of the Ohio River, Forecastle Festival originally came from very humble beginnings. In 2002, J.K. McKnight designated a place and time once a year to bring people together. The plan was elegant: Invite the community to watch musicians perform in front of a backdrop that hosted socially and environmentally conscious activism and art. The first year was a single day affair where the bands played for free and most of the supplies were donated. I would list some acts for you, but I couldn’t find them and you wouldn’t recognize them anyway.

Since then Forecastle has not only hosted many nationally known acts but has stuck to its message of arts and activism that makes this festival so unique. This year Forecastle is promising to run on 100 percent pollution-free electricity through a partnership with national Clean Energy provider Arcadia Power. “The partnership is a huge leap forward, positioning us as one of the most sustainable, ecologically-focused events in the nation.” said McKnight.

Be sure to check back to Grateful Web throughout the weekend to get updates, photos, and interviews with the artists. 

This year's Forecastle Festival was a success despite extreme weather. Due to heavy rains leading up to the festival, the rising Ohio River threatened the structure of stages close to the water. A windstorm on Friday shut down headliner Sam Smith's performance early and caused a two-hour delay on Saturday. Throughout the weekend, however, the extreme heat was the talk of most festivalgoers. Thankfully, the crew hosting the event was phenomenal. Built-in shade structures and water stations kept the fans safe and comfortable despite the heat. Even while waiting for the gates to open during the delay on Saturday, volunteers where moving throughout the lines bringing bottled water to patient fans standing in the heat. The performances from the artists were incredible, but it was the flexibility of the crew, fans, and musicians that made this year's Forecastle such a memorable experience. Here’s a look at some of the highlights.

Milo Greene was the first act to take the Mast Stage on Friday. Piecing together a set composed of their new album Control and their 2012 self-titled release, Milo Greene demonstrated their ability to bring their intricate recordings to life. While the track 1957 may still be their best, Control is a huge step forward and has helped to fill out their set.

Since bursting onto the scene in 2006 with Robbers & Cowards, The Cold War Kids have kept busy. They have kept up an impressive touring schedule and still manage to write and release new music consistently. Watching their performance, it is clear that this intense work ethic has paid off. While I am personally happy to hear any song off their first release, the depth of their catalog is striking. Their high-energy, fourteen-song set drew on all of these albums including "One Song at a Time" from this year's release titled Five Quick Cuts.

The smile tells it all. Front man, Paul Janeway, who performes under the moniker St. Paul was groomed to be a preacher starting at age 10. When he takes the stage with his band it clear that church is in session. Writhing around the stage performing with his soul band, St. Paul & The Broken Bones is in pure bliss and it is infectious.

One of the many Kentucky based acts of the festival, Cage the Elephant was the first to grace a Forecastle stage. They did so playing an electric "My Old Kentucky Home" that was set to a Jimi-Hendrix style distortion. Diving into the crowd almost instantly, singer Matt Shultz held up his high-energy reputation throughout the set. Showing their depth, the crowd joined in on a sing-along for "Cigarette Daydreams."

Houndmouth, who hail from right across the river in New Albany, Indiana, performed the next homecoming set. Touring in support of their second full-length album, Little Neon Limelight, Houndmouth has a unique country rock sound that is reminiscent of The Band. Houndmouth is versatile; all members rotate lead vocals and harmonize to create a powerful sound that builds. They rock, they roll, they jam, they soul.

Since Forecastle was going to be his first performance since his recent vocal cord surgery, one of the biggest stories coming into the festival was Sam Smith. An outsider to the music festival scene, most fans attending Forecastle seemed split on the multi-award winning artist. Some fans were confused as to why he was asked to attend the festival. How does Sam Smith fit into a headlining slot next to bands My Morning Jacket and Widespread Panic? Some fans were ecstatic to see such a raw and undeniable talent live and in person. Although he may not jam like Widespread or rock like My Morning Jacket, his songs have been held up and praised by the public.

The other buzz circulating was whether or not his voice was going to hold up after his surgery. It was clear after opening the set with his hit "I'm Not The Only One" that Smith's voice had healed and was strong. He paused between songs to talk to the crowd and thank them for being so welcoming and supportive through social media and in person at the festival. He mentioned that he had never been to this part of the country and was blown away by how polite and genuine everyone had treated him. Unfortunately, severe wind and thunderstorms forced his set to end early. The festival site was evacuated due to safety concerns seven songs into Smith's set. Although his voice was strong and he appeared to be truly humbled to be at the festival, his seven song set felt like one long sad song. Perhaps he had something different and engaging to rally the crowd later the set but it didn't happen. Fans headed for cover, still split on Sam Smith and his presence at the festival.

After a two-hour delay due to the 60mph winds the night before that blew over fences and compromised the structure of the grounds, Mariachi El Bronx took the main stage early Saturday afternoon. In severe heat and wearing full black mariachi suits, the band put on a sweltering performance. Mariachi El Bronx's high-energy performance let the crowd know that the festival was back on track.

Bringing their genre-hopping sound to the festival, The Revivalists played a diverse set. Claiming New Orleans as home and touring non-stop since 2007, it is exciting to see an act that can change its sound from song to song. As a seven-piece outfit, The Revivalists create an intimate set with a lot of sound.

Another local act, Dr. Dundiff is a producer and emcee from Louisville, Kentucky. Dundiff blends samples that pull from jazz, soul, and hip-hop. His set on Saturday was littered with emcees from Louisville's underground music scene. Acts Shadowpact, Touch AC, Jalin Roze, and many more packed onto the Ocean Stage for the party. Surprising everyone, My Morning Jacket's Jim James joined the crew to provide a vocal sample from his track "State of the Art (A.E.I.O.U.)" as the local emcees took turns rapping over the beat.

John Medeski (Medeski Martin & Wood) + Robert Randolph + Luther and Cody Dickinson (North Mississippi All-Stars) + Chris Chew = The Word. Collaborating as a supergroup, The Word has taken to the festival scene to lay down their self claimed "New World Psychedelic Gospel Rock." They group-blazed through an action packed set that included "I Shall Not Be Moved" and "Call Him By His Name." It is always good to see Robert Randolph standing behind the pedal-steel guitar with a smile.

Hometown heroes My Morning Jacket have been huge supporters of the Forecastle Festival over the years. They even helped to curate the event back in 2012. This year, behind their latest album "The Waterfall," My Morning Jacket played Saturday's headlining set.

They played through a lengthy twenty-two song set with members of the Louisville Orchestra dropping in occasionally to fill out songs such as "Gideon," "Believe (No Body Knows)," and "Like a River." Songs from the new album fit seamlessly into the set as if they had been there all along.

Towards the middle of the set front man Jim James paused for a moment to mention the beauty of the festival. He encouraged fans to celebrate the diversity in performances and performers and turn it outward to each other and celebrate their own differences. Then, Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes) came out to accompany James as they played the acoustic "Wonderful (The Way I Feel)."

Original band member Johnny Quaid joined the current members for the duration of the six-song encore. The encore included the tracks "Steam Engine" and "Run Thru" from the 2003 release "It Still Moves." The set came to a close with the "One Big Holiday."

Jeff Tweedy's newest project is a collaboration with his nineteen year old son Spencer. The debut album from Tweedy is called Sukierae and features songs written by Jeff Tweedy. Being one of the most accomplished songwriters in his class, Jeff Tweedy continues his reign. His voice seems effortless and calming. It is one of the few voices that actually sounds better in person then recorded in the studio. I personally would rather see Wilco, with the impressive discography they have collected over the years, but Tweedy did not disappoint.

Kristian Matsson who performs under the name The Tallest Man on Earth took to the Ocean stage as the sun was setting on the festival Sunday evening. Dark Horse, his latest album released earlier this year, is an exciting and poetic reflection of his early song writing. Playing through a set that consisted of old favorites such as "The Dreamer" and "The Wild Hunt," the only song missing from the set was "King of Spain". He was accompanied on stage by fellow Sweden natives First Aid Kit for the song "The Garden." It was a special moment between the three as they smiled and laughed at missed notes and stage cues.  

As Widespread Panic took the stage it was clear the festival was winding down. Most vendors left their posts to enjoy the show and even some of the smaller stages were already being broken down. Playing one long seamless jam, Panic's set list really blended together. The real standout was a cover of The Doors' classic "Riders on the Storm" that surprisingly lended itself well to John Bell's voice.  Unfortunately, this was the most exciting song of the set. Widespread closed the festival with a few covers, including Alan Price's "Sell Sell". It was calming end to a long hot weekend.

Check out more photos from Forecastle Festival 2015.

Quickly becoming one of the most anticipated music festivals in the nation, The Forecastle Festival is back for another big year with headlining acts The Avett Brothers, Alabama Shakes, and Death Cab for Cutie down on the waterfront in Louisville, Kentucky on July 15-17. Other promising performances include Ryan Adams, Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, Grouplove, The Arcs, Gary Clark Jr., and Dr. Dog. The festival will also feature several late night shows including 23 String Band and RJD2 with John Dose.

Although the festival is now equipped with four stages anchored to the banks of the Ohio River, Forecastle Festival originally came from very humble beginnings. In 2002, J.K. McKnight designated a place and time once a year to bring people together. The plan was elegant: Invite the community to watch musicians perform in front of a backdrop that hosted socially and environmentally conscious activism and art. The first year was a single day affair where the bands played for free and most of the supplies were donated. I would list some acts for you, but I couldn’t find them and you wouldn’t recognize them anyway.

Since then Forecastle has not only hosted many nationally known acts but has stuck to its message of arts and activism that makes this festival so unique. This year Forecastle is promising to run on 100 percent pollution-free electricity through a partnership with national Clean Energy provider Arcadia Power. “The partnership is a huge leap forward, positioning us as one of the most sustainable, ecologically-focused events in the nation.” said McKnight.

Be sure to check back to Grateful Web throughout the weekend to get updates, photos, and interviews with the artists. 

Despite the extreme heat and an early weather evacuation Friday, Forecastle Festival 2016 was a success. Clouds rolled in around 4:00PM on Friday afternoon and evacuated the festival grounds. Fans took shelter and waited for a storm that never fully developed. Luckily the schedule was adjusted and there were no cancelations.

Grouplove was the first band to come on post evacuation. As the crowds began to resettle, Grouplove blazed through and energetic set, containing “Tounge Tided” and “Itchin’ on a photograph”. The set also included, “Welcome To your Life”, the single from their new studio album of the same name released July 15^th. However, the center piece of the set was the loud cover of The Beastie Boy’s 1994 classic “Sabotage”.

Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals continued their lengthy tour in support of the release, “Call it What It Is”. This is the first album from BHIC in almost a decade. The set consisted of songs from the new album as well as the classics, rearranged and reimagined. This included a riff off between Harper and bass player Nelson during "Steal My Kisses." Nelson played a lick and Harper attempted to mimic him on the slide guitar. This continued back and forth until Harper threw his hands up in defeat.

I must mention my own personal disappointment in the lack of conviction from the veteran protest singer. After enduring a summer of endless, horrific acts of violence night after night on the news and the less than comforting state of the presidential race, it seems to me that we need his messages of love, integrity, and forgiveness now more than ever. I was looking to him for guidance or a sentiment that everything is going to be alight if we work together. Perhaps it is an unfair request, or time restrictions due to the weather put constrains on the Ben’s banter, but I have to “Call it What it Is”.

Ghostland Observatory is best described as an, “electro-dance soul rock” which is a pretty confusing description. So I’ll give it a go and describe them more clearly as: That moment when you’re going too fast and you get the speed wobbles. You’re going to crash later, but for now you’re pushing the speed barrier in a Hunter S. Thomson free fall. Alright, that’s probably more confusing but you’ve either experienced or witnessed this happen. The Austin, Texas duo rarely performs, but when they do it is a sight to behold. Front man Aaron Behrens, attacks the stage and audience, leaping over amps, screaming into the mic, and sweating profusely. This evening’s set included the tracks, “Sad Sad City” and “Give Me the Beat”.

The Avett Brothers marched onto the stage for the final performance of the night with new haircut and a new album. The album, unlike the haircut, was a product of Rick Rubin, co-founder of Def Jam Records. “True Sadness” is the third album Rubin has produced with the band and it is certainly a formula that works. The album as a whole is a beautifully honest portrayal of the highs and lows that come as a product of love and loss. The album also highlights the inspiring song writing and haunting harmonies of Seth and Scott Avett. The set itself included new tracks, “Ain’t No Man” and “No Hard Feelings” as well as the classics, “Laundry Room”, “Kick Drum Heart”, and a cover of Willie Nelson’s “Stay All Night (Stay a Little Longer)”. There were high expectations for the Avett’s Friday night and they did nothing less than expected.

Danny Brown is one of the most interesting figures to emerge in hip-hop since Ol’ Dirty Bastard. From rapping Dr. Suess books as a child to his run-ins with the law, Danny Brown’s entire essence is completely unique and genuine. Which made it a little comical to watch a sea of white college students get down to Brown’s socially conscious lyrics, “Now I'm trapped in the trap and the devil ain't forgetting. Wanna see me dead or locked in a prison. In the system with division only thing that add up, fucked up cause a nigga tryna get a couple bucks”. However, Brown’s set was one of the most energetic of the weekend. The crowd came in swarms and stayed despite the rising heat and close quarters.

The Arcs is the garage rock side project of Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys). Their first album, “Yours, Dreamily,” was released in 2015 and carries that same The Black Keys intensity with a grittier, fuller sound. The set included the tracks, “Outta My Mind”, “Pistol Made of Bones”, and “Stay in My Corner”. To fill out the set the band included several great covers including “Smiling Faces Sometimes” by The Temptations and “Big Sky” by The Kinks.

The previous night Dr. Dog played a late night show after the festival at a local venue called Headliners Music Hall. Due to the storms and schedule change on Friday, the late night performance was pushed back and began at 1230am. As Dr. Dog walked out to an almost sold out crowd, vocalist Scott McMicken warned the building, “I hope you’re ready, we are going to play for a long time.”  And they did. The set comprised of twenty songs and one encore lasting until nearly 3am. On sunburned legs I watch them rip through a set including “Die, Die, Die”, which is rarely played live, and “Swampadelic Pop” the title track from their latest release. Dr. Dog did as the greats do, making their songs sound so much better live than on the album. The next day at the festival Dr. Dog played a smaller nine song set that spanned most of their impressive discography.

The Alabama Shakes headlined Saturday night and a full crowd flocked to the waterfront. Since appearing on the music scene in 2009, The Alabama Shakes have only produced two albums Boys & Girls (2012) and Sound & Color (2015). Within those two albums have been seven Grammy nominations and three acceptance speeches for Best Rock Performance (2016), Best Rock Song (Don’t Wanna Fight, 2016), and Best Alternative Album Music Album (Sound & Color 2016). Needless to say, their resume may be short but it packs a powerful punch. As Brittany Howard takes the stage she already appears to be transported to another place. With giant beads of sweat dripping down a face that is contorted into a series of hard angles, Howard’s passion is effortlessly absorbed by the crowd. The set included the majority of both albums, including, “Sound & Color”, “Hold On”, and “Don’t Wanna fight”.

The Heartless Bastards hail from the not too distant city of Cincinnati, Ohio. Like many of the other performers at Forecastle, Heartless Bastards have honed their craft with relentless touring, only taking small breaks to record new material. Perhaps this strategy is the cornerstone behind the band’s fifth release Restless Ones (2015).  Looking very at home, Heartless Bastards, played through a set including, “Gates of Dawn” and “Parted Ways”.

Gary Clark Jr. began playing the guitar at the age of twelve in his hometown of Austin, Texas. His hometown happens to also be the hometown of blues guitar legend Stevie Ray Vaughn. As Vaughn was redefining Texas blues, he took Gary Clark Jr. under his wing, as he knew, for good reason that he was going to be the future of Texas blues. I think it is safe to say that Vaughn made the right decision. He played through a strong set that included, “Bight Lights”, “Cold Blooded”, and “Numb”.

Death Cab for Cutie was certainly the most senior group of the weekend. They recently released their eight studio album, Kintsugi. Kintsugi is a philosophy derived from the Japanese art of repairing cracks in ceramics with gold to highlight the flaws instead of hiding them. This philosophy applies to the band as much as it applies to album itself. See how mature they are? Taking the stage Sunday afternoon, Death Cab for Cutie played the nostalgic hits, “Title Registration” and “Crooked Teeth” as well as the more contemporary, “No Room in Frame” and “Black Sun”.

Brandi Carlile was clearly humbled by the amount of fan support that came out to watch her set. Thanking the crowd after nearly every song, Carlile was present and enjoyed every second of every minute. One of the best of those moments, and perhaps the entire festival, was when Carlile invited a ten-year-old super fan on stage to sing the chorus of, “Keep your Heart Young”. Carlile bent down ask asked, “Are you nervous?” The ten-year-old responded, “Well yeah!”. Regardless of nerves, it was a wonderful duet and the crowd roared in approval of the performance. As the set continued, they covered Led Zeppelin’s “Going to California”, where Carlile gave Robbert Plant a run for his money. The final song was, “Folsom Prison Blues” in honor of the late Johnny Cash.

Ryan Adams closed out the festival Sunday night with a lot of laughs and a louder set than normal. Infamous for his song writing and acoustic performances which highlight this skill set, Adams took the final set of the festival ready to rock. With tacks, “Trouble” and “Black Sabbath (Cover of Black Sabbath)” Adams made it clear to fans that he was ready to help festival workers tear down the stage.  He did, however, slip in “Oh My Sweet Carolina” perhaps for the line, “I miss Kentucky and I miss my family. All the sweetest winds they blow across the south.” The laughs came when a fan shouted, “Play Summer of ’69!” referring to the Bryan Adams song. The crowd roared at the joke, but Adams proceeded to berate the fan for the outburst. I guess I get it. I mean, that must happen every night. After Adams cooled off he concluded his set with “Come Pick Me Up” and just like that it was time to go home.

The Forecastle Festival celebrated 15 years at sea this year with headlining acts Odesza, LCD Soundsystem, and Weezer. Although they set sail 15 years ago, fans are still discovering unique quirks about the festival each year. Did you know their lost and found carries over each year? So, if you lost a glow stick in 2016, you could have potentially salvaged it in 2017. Did you know there is a parenting tent where parents can change or feed their babies in a quiet and shaded environment? Did you know it takes tens of thousands kWh of electricity power the three-day festival and the carbon footprint is completely neutral? These are just some of the amenities that, in addition to the music, give the Forecastle Festival in Louisville, Kentucky a personalized and sincere vibe.

The Quiet Hollers took to the stage in their hometown on Friday to help open the festival.  The band creatively blends many of their influences such as alt. country, post-punk, and indie pop. Their bassist took a moment to reflect in-between songs to rhetorically ask the mostly local crowd, “Have you ever lived out one of your dreams?”

Real Estate is currently touring in support of their fourth full-length album In Mind. The new album is a powerful leap forward, shifting their focus from previous themes about teenage suburbia and into a more mature and adult centered writing. During the festival Real Estate leaned heavily on In Mind playing many of the new tracks including: “Darling”, “Serve the Sun”, and “Stained Glass”. More hardcore fans got a double dose of Real Estate when the played the late night show at Headliners Music Hall. Here the band covers more tracks from their previous three albums.

Cage the Elephant is no stranger to Forecastle. They have played the festival many times in virtually every timeslot on every stage. Lead singer Matt Shultz came out wearing a full green suit and jumped right into his Mick Jagger meets Anthony Kiedis dance moves. Unfortunately, the on stage swagger was overshadowed by a busted speaker that severely impacted the set. 

Super-duo Run the Jewels featuring rappers El-P and Killer Mike returned to Forecastle in support of their third album Run the Jewels 3. The album is as hard hitting musically as it is lyrically. The socially conscious album covers everything from police brutality to the artists own struggles with morality. At the Boom Stage on Friday night Run the Jewels walked out with all smiles to Queen’s “We are the Champions”. The duo quickly jumped into “Talk to Me” off the new album and only stopped briefly to joke with the crowd between songs. The seventeen song set left fans sweaty and exhausted after the long day.

Friday night’s headlining act came from another super-duo: Odesza. This Seattle duo formed in 2012, members Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight during their senior year of college. Since then they have put out three albums and are quickly rising to the top of the indie-electronica scene. Their set was composed of many songs off their most recent album, In Return and they had a light show that illuminated the crowd.

Another local musician took the Forecastle stage on a blistering Saturday afternoon. At only eighteen years old, Jack Harlow came out and stunned fans. Looking like a travel sized Kyle Moony from Saturday Night Live, Harlow put his high energy flow on display. He built the majority of his following on Soundcloud and YouTube while he was in high school and now that he has graduated he is going be putting all his efforts into his music career. Check out the songs “Ice Cream” and “Got Me Thinking.”

The Denver, Colorado based group Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats found mass success last year with their single “S.O.B.” that showed up on pop radio and multiple television commercials. What is impressive about this group is that every song on their debut album is of the same level of quality. Even the new songs off their just released A Little Something More From are instantaneously enjoyable. There are nine members in total, and each one is working to contribute to the sounds that are undeniably soulful. The humility of the band was also very moving. Virtually every member took turns thanking the crowd for their show of support.

Sturgill Simpson came out donning a Bill Belichick-esk cut off sweatshirt in the hot Kentucky sun. Although he is rooted in country on his newest release, he tended to explore different genres. He admits that he wanted to combine all of his favorite genres of music on A Sailor’s Guide to Earth including R&B, Motown, and rock. Watching Simpson and his large band you can see that he is not afraid to move away from country and impressively makes each of these genres his own.

As the sun set, hip-hop artist Vince Staples took to the Ocean stage. Although poetically he is similar to Kendrick Lamar, he has his own unique style. His 2016 release Prima Donna is-threw bombastic mix of samples ranging from Outkast to his own acapella version of “Let it Shine”. Staples had everyone moving, captivating a crowd with only a microphone and an orange screen.

Saturday night’s headliner was a reunited LCD Soundsystem that rocked the waterfront. Playing a set that comprised of many hits such as “Daft Punk is Playing at my House” and “Dance Yrself Clean” LCD Soundsystem proved that they are still the best dance band around. Their fifteen song set ended with “Yeah” and front man James Murphy telling the crowd, “This marks our first-ever encore at a festival!”

Kendrick Lamar is to Vince Staples as Childish Gambino is to Pell. Jared Pellerin aka. Pell was forced to move from Jackson, Mississippi during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. He was only able to leave with the music culture he grew up with. Channeling his roots, he released the album Floating While Dreaming in 2014. Since then it is apparent that he has been honing his craft. Playing for a smaller crowd early Sunday afternoon, Pell gave it his all, even coming up to talk to fans sweaty from the show. Look out for Pell; he will be a name that you hear again.

Charles Bradley makes James Brown look like Steve Urkel. Nicknamed “The Screaming Eagle of Soul,” Charles Bradley’s story of musical success has not been an easy path. Living in poverty for most of his youth and working odd jobs for most of his adulthood, the 68-year-old soul singer sure takes appreciation for what he has now. Spreading the love throughout his set, accompanied by a wardrobe change, Bradley didn’t let the hot day keep him from giving back to his fans. He closed the set with his Black Sabbath cover of “Changes”.

With what may prove to be the most well-written album of 2017 Conor Oberst came to Forecastle in support of Salutations. He ripped through an impressive set composed of several songs off the new album including “After Thought,” “Too Late to Fixate,” and the title track “Salutations.” The set was also filled with several songs by his alter ego Bright Eyes including “Well Whisky,” “Four Winds,” and “Southern State.” Oberst showed off his versatility by switching from the piano to guitar with ease between tracks helping the setting sun fall on the last day of the festival.

Weezer worked Sunday night to close out Forecastle and bridge the fan-age-gap. Throughout the weekend it was apparent when looking at the crowds, who and what genre were popular to who, when. Impressively, Weezer put out their first album (fans collectively call this self-titled album “The Blue Album” because the cover is blue) in 1994 and had several other hits throughout the 2000s. It was apparent in the faces of crowd goers that everyone was going to show up to support Weezer and teen angst was going to be the common denominator. Fans who were teenagers when the “Blue Album” came out, and fans who are teenagers now, all sang along in beautiful nerd-rock harmony. The band didn’t disappoint either, playing many songs from their first album such as “My Name Is Jonas,” “Buddy Holly,” and “Undone – The Sweater Song” and their later hits “Island in the Sun” and “Beverly Hills." They even through in a cover of Outkast’s “Hey Ya!” that got everyone moving as the 2017 Forecastle Festival came to a close.

Check out more photos from Forecastle 2017.