Lindsey Stirling, The Murat, Indianapolis, Indiana, June 9, 2014
Listen as Dale Taylor sits in on the teleconference with Kevin Cronin of REO Speedwagon along with Robert Lamm and Lee Loughnane of Chicago to discuss music today and the Summer Tour.
Legendary rock bands, REO Speedwagon and Chicago, will soon kick off a co-headlining summer tour. The 24-date tour, presented by Live Nation, will take the bands through major metropolitan areas across the United States including New York City, Boston, Dallas, Phoenix, Detroit and more. Tickets are on sale now through the Live Nation mobile app and at www.livenation.com.
Photos by Greg Fiore (http://www.gregfiore.net/)
James Taylor brought his Grammy Award winning iconic blend of singer/songwriter to the famed and historic Hollywood Bowl on June 7th. Our contributor, Greg Fiore, was happily given the opportunity to capture the night. With a full, 12 piece band, James delivered 24 songs including “Sweet Baby James”; Carol King’s fan favorite, “You’ve Got a Friend”; “Something in the Way She Moves”; and The Drifters, “Up on the Roof”.
Words by Mike Gregory, Photos by Lucas Armstrong
Sirius XM radio helps ease the pain of my morning commute and lately, JamOn (channel 29), has been nailing it! This time, the songs catching my attention were “Dead Signal” and “In the Basement of the Alamo.” The band’s name was “TAUK.” At a stoplight, I quickly jotted down the name in order to research them later that evening. 
Turns out, TAUK is from NYC and released their first album, “Homunculus,” in 2013 and are poised for a new album later this summer. Currently touring up and down the eastern seaboard, I was pleased to find Atlanta on the list with the show being just a few weeks away. The members of TAUK include Matt Jalbert (guitar), Charlie Dolan (bass), Alric “A.C.” Carter (keyboards/organ), and Isaac Teel (drums) and most of the band have been playing together since middle school. Something told me this was not a show to miss
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Approaching the perimeter of Atlanta, a vicious storm loomed overhead. Clouds of death and destruction turned into torrential downpours with bolts of lightning crashing all around. I still managed to get to the show early and was rewarded with a double rainbow complete with fingers of lightning streaking horizontally across the sky—truly, some of the most impressive display of lightning I have ever seen!
Atlanta is home to many great music venues, but Terminal West ranks pretty high up there in my book! When I am there, I feel as if I am part of the show and not just watching a show. Drinks, food, great bands and views of the stage keep me checking their website on a regular basis.
TAUK took the stage about 9:15, though A.C. kept everyone entertained on the keys up until then. One by one the band members picked up their respective instruments and fell in line with A.C. culminating into an extended trance-like slow jam. The jams faded in and out, interlaced with short unpredictable separate bursts of intensity from each band member. These intense bursts often took on an aggressive metal sound while the rest of the members played softly. This pattern was repeated throughout the night. Isaac Teel, the most recent addition to the band, was chewing gum as he kept time. He was having a great time, smacking his gum to the beat and blowing a huge bubble now and then. Bassist, Charlie Dolan, let his fingers do most of the talking, occasionally cracking a smile after his contribution to the ever expanding jam. Guitarist, Matt Jalbert, was the most animated of the group smiling away as he ripped through solos like a hot knife through butter! TAUK is a united force with no member of the band standing above another making for a well-rounded experience of instrumental pleasure for the fans.
After a brief pause to exchange pleasantries with the crowd and switch guitars, the band broke into The Beatles’, “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” from their beloved album, Abbey Road. TAUK’s music stirs one’s soul and the crowd loved every precious minute of it! A strange form of dance resembling a mosh pit in slow motion began to emerge in certain segments of the crowd. Dancers stood a few feet apart gently moving closer, as if in slow motion, suddenly crashing into one another at the last second. As they made their final approach, Led Zeppelin’s, “Immigrant Song” and Kill Bill’s, “Battle Without Honor or Humanity” left the crowd hungry for more! TAUK rolled out the red carpet for EARPHUNK in dramatic fashion. EARPHUNK, of course, kept the music flowing with freeform jams and casual sparring between the guitar and keys well into the night. Later, Matt was invited up on stage for a stellar rendition of the Steve Miller Band classic, “Fly Like An Eagle”.
The history of music and how it evolves over time has always fascinated me. Experiencing TAUK live made me feel like I was watching something new and undiscovered evolve, as if I was an astronomer looking through the Hubble telescope for the first time. TAUK can be summed up as truly original and come highly recommended from this music fan! Check them out!
The 7th Annual DelFest returned to Cumberland, MD this year, for another memorable Memorial Day Weekend of music festival bliss. Set in a historical little mountain town with a small Amtrak station, brick buildings along a quaint Main Street, and dirt roads leading to mountain tops – DelFest has laid claim to what seems to be a perfect setting for a spectacular bluegrass festival.
DelFest isn’t just a bluegrass festival though. By design of Del McCoury himself, this festival builds a natural bridge between genres of music where bluegrass is the root that produces a tree with many branches. By connecting bluegrass with jam band and electronic styles, old timey music and mountain music with blues and jazz – DelFest is ultimately about collaboration, a music mixture you can’t get anywhere else. The extensive collaboration of musicians is unique to this festival.
The festival began with an opening set by The Del McCoury Band on the Grandstand stage, followed by The Deadly Gentlemen, The Devil Makes Three and a raging set by Greensky Bluegrass. The tone was set and the party had officially started. Friday brought way to more fantastic music, mid-seventies sunny weather, and several epic collaborations.
Friday Afternoon featured Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band on the Grandstand stage. A trio from the foothills of southern Indiana with a walloping sound. Playing their brand of Americana-Blues tunes like, “Front Porch Trained”. In pure Reverend fashion, a back-story preceded several songs, most notably was the tale of the song, “Pot Roast and Kisses” which had been described as adorable, to which the Reverend replied – “I don’t write many adorable songs.” Breezy Peyton is the perfect partner to share the stage with her cigar box playing husband. She brings a level of feminine style to the band that can not be manufactured – playing the washboard with the grace of a fiddle player and the panache of a punk rocker.
Friday Night on the Grandstand stage showcased a new line-up for DelFest veterans Yonder Mountain String Band. With the recent departure of Jeff Austin, fans were not sure what to expect at this first festival appearance without the beloved mandolin player. The band was joined by Jon frazier on mandolin and Jerry Douglas on the dobro. The new sound of the dobro was met with great excitement and jubilee of what sounded like a less edgy and more jamgrass-string band sound than with the original line-up. A harmony filled the air with the sound of the dobro that just centered everything on the stage that night. The band spent more time jamming than usual with 9 of their 14 songs being in excess of the five minute mark. Jeff Austin may not have been there but he hadn’t been replaced either, the band was an extension and collaboration of the YMSB we have all come to love. Del McCoury joined the band and dobro god Jerry Douglas on stage for and bluesy “On A Monday”, where Del kept Douglas in good company with the complimentary sound of their respective instruments. Bass player, Ben Kaufman asked Del to ‘sing us a song’ and the crowd was greeted with a fast-ass-bluegrass style of “Hit Parade Of Love”. Del was front and center hitting those high notes with precision every time.
Railroad Earth closed out the evening on the Grandstand stage with a spectacular bluegrass dance party fit for the mightiest of moonshiners and railroad hobos. Highlights from this set were “Dandelion Wine” and the epic energy infused set closer, “Peace On Earth”. Festival goers were undoubtedly left with the ambition to continue on to the late night at the Music Hall with Greensky Bluegrass and Cabinet. Cabinet’s late night set was energetic with several new songs being sprinkled about. The band has a unique old-timey mountain band sound despite the young age of the band members, whom play with the chops of a seasoned bluegrass band. Festival staff poured out of the backstage area to participate in the ‘honky tonkin’ dance party.
Saturday morning awakened with sunshine and a slight breeze, festival goers were bright eyed and ready to dance. The Potomac stage was home to Pennsylvania’s bluegrass allstars, Cabinet. Green lush grass served as a dancefloor for a full crowd. With no visible signs of fatigue from the late-night before, Cabinet played a strong set with several well known favorites, “Doors” and “Wine and Shine”, both songs express the depth of their talent. Watch for more of this band, they continue to build a strong following, relative to Yonder’s Kinfolk and the Railroad Earth Hobos.
The highlight on Saturday afternoon for many at the Potomac stage was the California Honeydrops, whom state their purpose is to make people dance, sing and enjoy themselves. That is exactly what the crowd was doing during their set. The Honeydrops exhibited a certain level of energy fitting for a rowdy late-night; which they also knocked out of the park on Sunday. The afternoon performance was a jazzy funky blues infused musical paradise. A back story was told of the days when the band first got its start playing the subway stations throughout california, where they couldn’t get a drum set down below so to improvise the percussionist brought out a washboard. The song “Pumpkin Pie” caused a foot-stomping, clap-along from the fully satisfied crowd. It’s a safe assumption that many in attendance were drawn to their Sunday late-night set purely based on the earlier performance.
DelFest not only focuses on offering a more intense line-up each year but they also focus on the atmosphere of the entire festival outside of the music. The set-up and lay out is exceptional with short distance walks to hot indoor shower stalls and a family-camping area that revels in comparison to any other family area at a festival. The family-friendliness is another piece that keeps festivals goers in attendance year after year, DelFest has become an annual family vacation for many festival goers with children. Also notable it the choice in food vendors both inside the music field and along the fairway of the food court. Festival goers could choose from gigantic greek salads and gyros from, Tim’s Greek and Middle eastern Foods or organic coffee and smoothies at, Buzzthru Espresso Bar. The vendors that attend this festival are also unique in their own right. With a relatively small number of vendors, festival goers had their pick at completely individual artists and retailers. Sunshyne Silverware was on site again this year, selling her unique recycled jewelry made of silverware and other repurposed items.
Saturday night’s first headliners on the Grandstand stage, The Del McCoury Band kicked off what would prove to be an epic evening of bluegrass, rock n’ roll, blues, and enough collaboration to satisfy the soul of any music lover. Beginning with “Travelin Teardrop Blues”, the Del McCoury band was dressed to the hilt as usual. The crowd wouldn’t have expected anything less than full suits following the performance the night before, where Del required Jerry Douglas to put on a tie with his “Make cornbread not war” T-shirt. Del commands a dapper gentleman quality of anyone he shares the stage with. Ricky Skaggs joined the McCoury’s for “The Old Cross Roads”. Del introduced Skaggs saying he had a lot to tell about this guy. Having knowing one another since the sixties, Del gave a story of how he was invited to record on Skaggs’ new label at the time. The collaboration at this festival is just uncanny, the camaraderie and friendship that is woven throughout every performance. This festival has a family feeling that keeps festival goers coming back year after year with larger and larger crowds. Also joining Del onstage Saturday was Americana star, Jim Lauderdale, playing a sweet “Slewfoot” – Lauderdale was fit to take the stage with Del in his purple suit with the yin and yang symbol on the pant leg. The Saturday performance set the bar high for those to come.
Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby with Kentucky Thunder were up next on the Grandstand stage. The pairing of this duo was ingenious. Hornsby’s soulful piano playing met with great delight the sound of Skagg’s extensive instrumental repertoire. These two heavy-hitters played highlights like, “Darlin’ Cory” and 2Pac’s “Just The Way It Is” which spawned an offbeat conversation between Hornsby and Skaggs on what to call the newly formed joint of bluegrass and rap. The crowd took it in jest as it seemed like such a ridiculous proposition after such a well played bluegrass version of a rap song. Skaggs and Hornsby were the embodiment of the collaboration that was taking place throughout the weekend. Their set brought together bluegrass and rock n’ roll with style and grace.
By 10:15PM the crowd was still going strong and hungry for more dancin and music. The Travelin’ McCourys took the stage for their headlining spot for the evening. Dressed in more casual clothing, a cooler, hipper version of the bluegrass band with their father, the McCoury boys wore jeans and dress-shirts and cowboy boots. Starting off strong with homage to their roots with Doc Watson’s, “Southbound”. Bassist Alan Bartram, introduced a song he wrote in which he says, was inspired by Del McCoury himself, “Old Boy Still In The Game”, a tale of a hard working bluegrass man with ‘every hair in place hitting every high note that he tries’ – a sincere tribute to the man who made the entire weekend possible. The Travelin’ McCourys proved they had their namesakes sense of style and musical talent but with a twenty-first century sound.
The McCourys surprised the crowd with a first time performance of “Feuding Banjos”, which featured Ronnie McCoury on a five string banjo battling his brother Robbie McCoury on a four string banjo. What ensued was an epic rendition of a classic, never before seen on this stage. The McCourys ended their night by inviting Jeff Austin and Bill Nershi to the stage for a stage full of bluegrass superstars to play a jam filled, “Don’t It Make You Want To Dance”. Also inviting Tim Carbone and Kimber Ludiker to play fiddle on one of the most amazing “Raleigh & Spencer” that erupted with enthusiasm and excitement from the stage and the crowd alike. Jeff Austin had been missed during the Yonder performance but he spent the weekend making up for it with performances like this.
If you had the energy after a day like that then you were lucky enough to continue onto Saturday’s sold out late-night with Railroad Earth and Shook Twins which, I am told was a dance party that could not be described by words. For those of us who didn’t make it to late-night, may have found comfort in our festival neighbour, Robert’s philosophy which very logically stated, “seeing 11 hours of music is plenty, there is no need for a late-night for me.”
Sunday morning continued with the beautiful weather and music started early on the Grandstand stage with the gospel music of the Gibson Brothers. Festival goers were welcomed to join in the Sunday morning worship style music, which only seemed fitting for so many that consider their music to be their church. The Grandstand stage hosted plenty of amazing music all day Sunday. Highlights like Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn and Hot Rize pleased festival goers as they hoola hooped in the field and enjoyed what the day had to offer.
An intimate crowd in the Music Hall were treated to a tradition at DelFest, the McCoury Family Jam. This performance showcased members of the entire McCoury family, Del, his brother Jerry and several Grandchildren. It is clear that to be a McCoury, one must also be immersed in the world of music, whether it be Evan McCoury playing guitar to his Grandfather’s delight or Jean McCoury snapping photos of her family from the crowd. The entire McCoury family could be found roaming the grounds of the festival throughout the day. Tying together the camaraderie and collaboration and family-friendly atmosphere this festival strives and succeeds in producing.
Sunday Evening began once again with The Del McCoury Band on the Grandstand Stage. Del spent a good amount of time thanking the many people involved in the behind the scenes of making DelFest possible, local heroes, family and extended family. Del exhibited his southern gentleman sense of humor while introducing his beloved wife Jean McCoury as, “the one who got all these families up here started.” Del’s sense of family and respect and love of music has been passed down through the generations of his enormous family. He also has seemed to have hit the proverbial nail on the head with his hands on approach to his own festival, where he can be counted on for odd jobs like folding the shirts at the merch table or making lineup choices. Festival goers saw Del throughout the weekend riding in a motorcycle and shaking hands with fans and media whilst posing for the now famous #Delfies that were projected onto the video screen in between sets. Del has his hands in every part of this festival and it shows in every aspect, right down to the decision to bring not only bluegrass artists to the stage but also the jamband and electronic styles that have been bridged by fans from all genres, a natural progression of things.
Sunday night had saved the best for last with reports of the highest number of single day tickets being sold for a DelFest performance, The String Cheese Incident hit the stage with what has been described as ‘genre juggling’ music. This band has morphed over their 20 year existence and this show made fans out of the most traditional of bluegrass lovers, whether they knew it or not. Their night started with their more stringband sounding hits and bridged eloquently into their electronic style that has given way to side projects EOTO. To round out the collaboration for the weekend, Del joined the band onstage for “Sittin On Top Of The World”, where Del was heard saying, “I’m not used to all these plugs,” as he was watching his guitar being plugged into the cables on stage. Jeff Austin made yet another stellar appearance with String Cheese, playing the Dead’s “I know You Rider.” Despite the neon lights and the sequined hula hoopers all around the field, they put on an amazing show at DelFest with great acceptance by festival goers. The energy and crowd devotion was similar to that of Phish fans at a NYE show in Madison Square Garden.
DelFest certainly delivered what they intended yet again! This festival creates an extremely unique family-friendly, genre-bending, collaboration of the most talented musicians alive, to celebrate with the music industries hardest working individuals under the guidance of the best hair in bluegrass, Mr. Del McCoury. The seventh annual event has gone down in the history books, well until next year anyway. Festival goers are already pumped for what the next DelFest can bring. Mark your calendars because if you haven’t already experienced this festival and all it has to offer, you’re missing out. I know where I’ll be every Memorial Day weekend from here on out.
Written By: Kristen Mack-Perry
Photos By: Mark Loveless
*Check out the full photo gallery of DelFest 2014 by Jams Plus Photographer, Mark Loveless
What A Long Strange Creek It’s Been
By Tim O’Shea
Photos by Shaun Seip
There are certain telltale signs of seasonal change in this country depending on where you live. Some would argue that winter doesn’t really begin until the first snow fall. Others might say that spring isn’t underway until the first flowers bloom or the first allergy attack ensues. For music lovers, the opening bell of summer is rung loudly and proudly on Memorial Day Weekend at a number of festivals throughout the country. One of the more established and endearing ones took place last weekend in Greenfield, MA and it goes by the name of Strange Creek.
Once again, Camp Kee-Wanee, a children’s summer day camp nestled right in the heart of the Berkshires region, played host to this festival that serves as both a celebration of music and an unofficial kick off to summer. Now in its 12th year and presented by Wormtown Trading Company, the Strange Creek Campout 2014 edition had some early indications that this year would be a little different. One of the festival’s musical namesakes, Strangefolk, would not be playing this year. Traditionally, this band would co-host the festival with Max Creek, another legendary band with strong ties to the Northeast. However, while some of the names may have been different this year, it was very clear early on that Strange Creek could still deliver an impressive musical punch, offer a little something for almost all tastes and preferences and continue be a place where lasting memories are made.
Thursday
Strange Creek Campout started on Thursday night for a lot of people as the festival did allow for an early entrance. While this made for a lot of camp site areas being staked out and set up in the dark, many folks still seemed to choose this option over arriving the next day and possibly missing out on music. Small armies of people walking to and from cars while carrying coolers, tents and bags could be seen well into the night. For those entering after sundown, proper lighting and preparedness were truly at a premium.
One of the signature elements of camping at this festival is that almost all of it is done in the woods. Camp Kee-Wanee offers a unique forest-like setting as part of the backdrop for the weekend with sets of winding trails that are spaced out enough to provide ample room for camping under the trees. This summer camp, now inhabited by adults and “big kids” for the weekend, also features two fairly small open air spaces amongst the wooded camping area that house the two side stages for the weekend. The River Worm and Vernville stages were incredibly accessible for those in the general camping area and with the main stage located just a few yards outside the wooded area, it made for very easy transitions between stages with minimal loss of music – always a plus at any festival.
However, there would be no music on these stages tonight. Thursday was designated mainly for early arrivals and a chance to get a camp site in order. Slowly but surely, campers filled in along the outlying tree line and trail ways and those who came later had to trek further into the woods in order to find large clearings. Spontaneous group hooting and hollering in the dark served as a signal that collective spirits were high and people were ready to embrace a new round of Strange Creek.
There was a small selection of music this night to choose from for those who were already settled in for the weekend and not exhausted from doing so. Like any summer camp, this one also features a set of large cabins near the main grounds for group activities, which in this instance consisted of a nightly barrage of late night music. With a very limited capacity and a full sound that bounced right off the wooden walls and ceilings, the late night cabins played host to some of the best (and loudest) music of the weekend.
Gratefully Yours, an all-star Grateful Dead cover band of sorts, helped provide the late night soundtrack for those who were willing and able to stay up this first night. Their performance in the Wormtown Cabin was very well received and seemed to set the tone nicely for what Strange Creek had to offer this year. ‘Casey Jones’ featured a resounding guitar solo that helped take this Dead standard to another level. This then gave way to a version of ‘Turn On Your Lovelight’ that called to mind epic set closers of the past. However, there would be no Pigpen-esque solos at the end of this one. Instead, the set came to a close with an upbeat combination of ‘Shakedown Street -> U.S. Blues’ that showed there was definitely still some life left in the crowd.
Afterwards, those who were still standing could entertain themselves at the large bonfire located right near the cabin if not ready to call it an opening night yet. The community bonfire is one of the signature elements of this festival and is always sure to draw a crowd whether it’s for heating or entertainment purposes. Between this and the fire dancers/jugglers/twirlers that accompanied acts to the side of the main stages all weekend, fire was certainly another constant theme well represented all weekend.
Friday
Friday was the first official full day of music at Strange Creek as all stages were now in play. At the Vernville Stage, one of the smaller ones tucked back in the campground, Massachusetts natives Bay Road delivered an early afternoon set to a small yet eager crowd. For acts with early time slots today, crowd size seemed to be affected as there were still many people just arriving who were trying to secure plots of wooded camp land for the weekend.
Nearby, just a short walk down one of the winding trails at the River Worm Stage, B.A. Dario was giving the festival an early electronica feel with a scorching set of dance music featuring impressive bass play from Jay Cimini. This group, former Wormtown Battle of Bands champions, also contains band members who’ve previously moonlighted as part of Triumph, a Disco Biscuits cover band. The influence of these kings of jamtronica was clearly present in their playing which was crisp and well executed. One of the highlights was a really fun take on The Talking Heads classic hit ‘Girlfriend is Better’. This, combined with the free CDs that were available, was sure to earn this young act some new followers.
A much more established musical act was now setting up shop on one of the two new and improved main stages. Wild Adriatic, a rock outfit based in Saratoga Springs, NY that’s been starting to receive national acclaim, delighted the crowd basking in the sun with an impressively soulful set of music that included a take on The Band’s song ‘Ophelia’. This group has all the looks and sound of a classic rock band but still manages to incorporate modern day influences which makes for a very fun listen. If their set at Strange Creek is any indication, it’s only a matter of time before this act is given prime festival billings and time slots.
As the warm but pleasant afternoon rolled on, most of the weekend attendees were now finished parking and lugging gear in and resigned to setting up campsites and getting acclimated to the grounds. Slowly, crowd sizes at all stages started to increase exponentially. The festival seemed to really kick into high gear for the first time with a spellbinding set of music delivered by New York City rockers Consider the Source whose name is more than appropriate based on all the varying musical styles and sounds they can produce in one sitting. They had the now voracious festival crowd in the palm of their collective hand as they deftly shifted from prog rock elements to heavy metal themes and then back to a jazz styling that seemed to have an international flavor. Gabriel Marin put on a truly impressive exhibition of fretless double-neck guitar work while bassist John Ferrara’s ability to shift gears on the fly served as a more than suitable complement. It’s no wonder the band’s sound has been dubbed “Sci-Fi Middle Eastern fusion” amongst other things; it’s that unique a sound.
As she tends to do at most summer festivals, Mother Nature eventually made an appearance in the form of a slow and steady rainfall that wreaked havoc on some of the major Friday sets. Yarn, an established Americana type band, were only able to get a few songs into their 5 p.m. set before the rain forced many folks to seek cover or flee altogether. While the band remained dry on the covered stage and displayed an innate ability to turn a folksy sounding song into a serious locked in jam, the dropping temperatures and rain made it difficult to maintain a large crowd for their performance.
Unfortunately, the same can be said for Turkuaz’s set that followed on the adjacent stage. This up and coming band from New York City that combines funk and explosive rock with a big band feel also had to deal with the elements in their set. However, that didn’t stop them from powering through a set that put their collective musicianship on full display and featured fun covers like ‘Honkey Tonk Women’ and ‘Take Me to the River’, the latter of which being very appropriate for the conditions at the time.
Grey skies continued overhead as Upstate New York legends Donna The Buffalo took their turn on the main stage. As the rain slowly started to fade out, the iconic grassroots rockers acted in accordance by turning a mellow opening to their set into a frenzied synchronized groove when all was said and done. Classic hits like ‘If You Only Could’ helped establish a relaxing early vibe to their set. Tara Nevins sang this one beautifully as always and later showcased a full repetoire of her musical proficiency by eventually switching from acoustic guitar to fiddle to washboard and then back to guitar. The other founding band member, guitarist Jeb Puryear, seemed to emerge as the set progressed as he lent his signature voice and guitar play to songs like ’40 Days, 40 Nights’. Puryear’s distinct vocal style also helped set the tone for more rocking numbers like ‘Tonight, Tomorrow and Yesterday’ which had a very nice extended jam on the back end highlighted by synchronous interplay between relatively new band members Mark Raudubaugh and Kyle Spark on drums and bass, respectively. With psychedelic imaging now imposed on the side stage video monitors, Donna shifted into overdrive and took everyone along with them for one last ride on a standout version of ‘Why You Wanna Leave Me’ that put on full display this band’s one of a kind blend of zydeco infused improvisational jamming.
With rain at a minimum and collective spirits soaring, it was soon time for Zach Deputy’s set on the main stage. No stranger to Wormtown and Strange Creek, Deputy showcased his incredible talent in front of what was by far the largest audience to this point of the weekend. His heartfelt song writing combined with the ability to loop sounds and man made beats over it has always been welcome at Strange Creek and is now bordering on “festival staple” territory. It’s hard not to enjoy a performer who seems to take so much pleasure from the collective energy and passion of a receptive crowd which this one certainly was. This capped off a wet, wild and wonderful day of music on the main stages.
For Friday late night activities, there was certainly a bountiful selection of contrasting musical styles – a testament to the versatility of this popular small festival. Traditional co-hosts Max Creek played their first set ever in one of the cabins which was highlighted by some audience participation. The band decided to have an informal Karoake Contest that would see three fans get a chance to join the legendary New England rockers on stage. It wasn’t much of a contest per se (just a Facebook post by the band asking people to list a song they’d be willing and able to sing), but three people still got to live out their rock and roll fantasties all the same via a traditional sit-in. Mark Salmon handled vocals on ‘Truck Drivin’ Blues’, Tiffany Lake lent her voice to the Warren Zevon classic ‘Lawyers, Guns and Money’ and Jamie Parfet tackled ‘Blood Red Roses’ as the last of the three song guest vocalist gauntlet. Creek then went on to play a spirted late night set that both long time fans and newcomers seemingly all enjoyed. A set closing segue of ‘Not Fade Away -> Helter Skelter’ had the Wormtown Cabin dancing as one and salivating for more which would have to wait until tomorrow night.
Their set was followed by another group who would be making their first of two perfomances of the weekend, The Alchemystics, who gave the late night crowd a proper dose of their infectious blend of reggae, hip-hop and improv. In the Kee Wanee cabin across the way, the William Thompson Funk Experiment seemed to go off without a hitch before they too yielded the stage to a band full of regaee and rhythmic influences, Roots of Creation. If none of the above suited your tastes, there was another option still as Jeff Bujak brought his signaure blend of edm music to the Holisitic Cabin as well as a bunch of headphones for group usuage. Silent Discos have become all the rage at festivals nowadays due to noise regulations and Strange Creek’s version of this was a “Silent Bujak” that allowed a handful of people (the Holisitic Cabin is much smaller than the other two) to listen to music as loud and as long as they wanted on the headphones that were provided upon entry. This was the last hurrah for many on this night as tired legs and minds soon gave way to much needed sleep in order to handle another two days of music.
Saturday
With one night in the books, Saturday picked up the momentum gained from the day before and ran with it. Depending on where your campsite was, there was a very good chance that your alarm clock this morning took the form of a marching band that paraded all throughout the wooded campgrounds.
One of the many endearing qualities of Strange Creek is the abundance of “off stage” entertainment. In this instance, it was a roaming army of horn players and percussionists naturally being led around by a conductor. The roving troubadours would play marching band standards, covers, and even jam out for a little while before moving on down the trail and doing the same in another spot. Their presence was felt all weekend and they were consistently a giant magnet for smiles and onlookers all weekend. A true weekend highlight was the impromptu dance circle they created Friday afternoon by the craft vendors where their own version of the Pharrell Williams mega-hit ‘Happy’ served as the house music.
The roaming entertainment soon gave way to music as Hot Day at the Zoo got things started on the Vernville stage. The bluegrass quartet ripped through a set of songs that had any weary listener up and moving again. In what’s almost a prerequisite for being a touring act these days, the band showed an artful knack of being able to shift from straight up bluegrass to hard rock and from folksy songs to breakneck jamming. Yet another Grateful Dead cover made an appearance as the band ended their set with a sterling take on ‘New Cumberland Blues’ that was capped with a brief run through of ‘Foxy Lady’.
Back on the main stage, local Berkshire rockers Domino Theory treated the afternoon crowd to a set of power rock tunes and even got some assistance from Max Creek’s own Scott Murawski on a couple of numbers. Immediately following them, Murawksi’s partner in Creek, drummer Greg Vasso, got one of his old bands back together for a full fledged Jiggle the Handle reunion. This is a band which used to open for such national acts as Little Feat and Widespread Panic, but now only play the occasional reunion show to give their loyal followers a taste of what once was.
Continuing the trend of the all you can hear musical buffet that was Strange Creek Campout this year, the early evening portion of Saturday offered a little bit for everyone. For the reggae enthusiasts, The Alchemystics played their second set of the weekend that featured some of the band’s older numbers including a superb ‘Shine I’, an incredibly upbeat and harmonized song that exudes hope and positivity. Back in Vernville, The Garcia Project paid their respects to the legendary minstrel by performing some of his classic solo standards like ‘Valerie’ and ‘Reuben & Cherise’ before ending things with a soulful rendition of ‘Candyman’, a Grateful Dead classic. If neither of these two acts tickled your fancy, The Lee Boys were down on the main stage presiding over a Saturday night service of soulful rock and rhythmic blues. Following in the same footsteps and style of a Robert Randolph and the Family Band, this gospel band wasn’t immune to covers either as their take of Hendrix’s ‘Voodoo Chile’ came as somewhat of a surprise but certainly a welcome one.
Finally, it was time for some more home cooking from Max Creek who served as tonight’s headliner and delivered a full two sets of music that displayed the full breadth of this band’s musical prowess. Noted for their blend of memorable originals with a deep catalog of cover songs, this was exhibited right from the get go with an opening sequence of ‘Windows’ ->Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes’ that set the tone for a light but fun first set.
In the second set, Creek was joined by a pair of their former drummers, Scott Allshouse and Greg Vasso, to form the day’s second musical reunion of sorts. The order was switched in this set with one of the highlights of the night: a raucous cover of ‘Come Together’ that eloquently flowed into the long time Creek classic ‘You’re the Only One For Me’, a song that regularly makes an appearance at Strange Creek as a nod to the ever present love and respect between band and audience. It’s worth going to Strange Creek once in your life just to hear this played and see the effect it has on nearly everyone within earshot.
Once again, the late night cabins were alive with the sound of raging as another edition of Silent Bujak went down in the Holistic Cabin. For those who hadn’t gotten enough Grateful Dead in their musical diet yet, Shakedown, one of New England’s more prominent tribute bands, did their thing in the Wormtown Cabin. However, the highlight of late night was far and away a set from a band who seems to be making big strides in the festival circuit. No longer known for just a unique band name, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong turned an empty cabin into a packed dance hall in a matter of minutes. Their improvisational skills and visible chemistry were put to the test early with an impressive cover of Phish’s ‘Birds of a Feather’ that opened eyes (and ears) and served as a testament to the potential of this still relatively fledgling band. This performance was the final hurrah for many on this night as there was still one magical day of Strange Creek left to enjoy.
Sunday
The final stretch of a great weekend of music had by far the most pleasant weather of the weekend with bright sunny skies overhead and the occasional cool breeze. You couldn’t ask for better conditions on a wedding day and that’s exactly what took place at the main stage area as the Head Worm himself, Mark Blanchette, founder of Wormtown Trading Company, exchanged vows with Debbie Lee in what could be deemed a very non-private ceremony. A small crowd of festival attendees made sure there would be witnesses aplenty and Sunday was treated as an all day wedding reception complete with a complimentary lunch of salad and pasta for anyone who wanted it. Free food is often hard enough to turn down on its own but on the last day of a weekend festival full of dancing and partying, it’s near impossible.
As music goes, Sunday was just another day with a myriad of different styles from which to choose. Creek keyboardist Mark Mercier went back to work with one of his side touring projects, The Marks Brothers, who rattled through a set of classic rock covers including a run through of ‘Scarlet Begonias’ that had a spirited piano-led jam. Ryan Montbleau then followed with a set of solo acoustic tunes to keep the relaxed Sunday vibe going. Without his normal backing band, Montbleau still delighted the crowd with song after song that highlighted his deeply personal song writing style as well as his effusive personality. Acts like him and Zach Deputy have been mainstays at Strange Creek the last few years, giving the festival a modicum of continuity that many other smaller festivals of this nature seem to share.
The tone in the main stage area then shifted dramatically as it went from light and easy to hard and heavy courtesy of Z3, an all-star Frank Zappa tribute band. Featuring a core of guitar virtuoso Tim Palmieri, keyboard maven Beau Sasser and drum phenom Bill Carbone, the group had a very special guest with them for this performance as Ed Mann, former percussionist for Zappa, lent his expertise to the already star-studded lineup. A ferocious ‘Willie the Pimp’ got things cooking early as Z3 rattled off Zappa classics that were treated with full respect but still given a little modern touch to keep things interesting. They even covered Zappa’s cover songs with a fun take on the classic hit ‘So Happy Together’ by The Turtles that had many singing along earnestly. An up tempo ‘Joe’s Garage’ was also really well executed and helped cap an amazing tribute set. Certainly, no one was clamoring for this band to “turn it down” at any point.
Music then shifted to a more funky tone as notable acts Fungus Amungus and The Main Squeeze each took a turn putting their respective versions of funk infused rock on display at the main stage. Fungus Amungus took a slightly harder approach with a sound that’s been labeled as “Parliament meets Sublime” while The Main Squeeze seemed to incorporate a more traditional feel. Back in Vernville, Soulive’s drummer Alan Evans brought his act Play On Brother to the party as they delighted the crowd with a raging set of electrified soul rock. Beau Sasser was called back into duty and manned the keyboard while Danny Mayer laid down thick grooves on the guitar from start to finish. A memorable rendition of Cream’s ‘Sunshine of Your Love’ was one of many highlights of this exciting side project that was extremely well received by all.
At long last, this musical marathon was finally nearing its end as only two acts remained on the main stage. For those who still hadn’t gotten their fill, Shakedown played another two sets of Grateful Dead music. Not only does this act have a sound that remains true to the original one, but a Garcia doppelganger on lead guitar really puts them over the edge. They’ve been honoring the jam pioneers at gigs across New England for over 20 years now and show no signs of slowing down if this weekend’s performances are any indication. Standout versions of ‘Saint of Circumstance’ and ‘Bird Song’ helped bring a rousing two sets of music to a close which served as the final Dead tribute for a weekend that was chock full of them.
Rusted Root then closed things out on the main stage with a truly spirited set that seemed to celebrate all the aspects of peace and unity that were present all weekend long. Showing they’re more than just musicians with radio hits like ‘Ecstasy’ and ‘Send Me on My Way’, the final headliners showcased their skill and cohesiveness with incredible rhythmic collaborations and well structured moments of improvisation and exploration. A Rusted Root classic like ‘Cat Turned Blue’ was enhanced by a slow but progressive jam that peaked with ‘All Along the Watchtower’ quotes at the end. Earlier, a cover of ‘Suspicious Minds’ was played to a perfection in a style all their own. The band wasn’t afraid to incorporate the occasional Led Zeppelin tease either as they wove their way through a set that just got better as it went along.
Things came to a crest when the band invited a young girl named Lilly to come and join them on stage to play a bongo drum and be a part of this special performance. She even took bows with the band after they were done with a set that had just about everything and produced smiles all around. It was a remarkably endearing and memorable image that helped close the book on a weekend that was full of them.
Strange Creek always promises a fun time whether you’re a first timer or a yearly regular. The collective family vibe and unified spirit are tangible once you set food on the grounds of Camp Kee-Wanee and the music that’s presented each year is always top notch. But Strange Creek is more than just good music, it’s an experience that’s meant to be shared with family and good friends and one that creates positive lasting memories. It’s about celebrating art in all of its forms and mediums and doing so while being embedded in nature. While the music and names may change slightly from year to year, the love personified by the people of Wormtown Trading who put this on every year, the incredible staff and those who attend every year never changes. For a similar experience, check out the Wormtown Music Festival this September 12th– 14th at this same venue that essentially serves as the end of summer party.
By: Meghan Barich
It was a fairytale kind of night for Jack Johnson at Farm Bureau Insurance Lawn at White River State Park in Indianapolis on June 1, 2014. It’s a happy thing, a Jack Johnson show. Few artists have the ability to bring social consciousness surrounding environmental issues wrapped up in happy, joyful music. But that’s exactly what fans get they arrive at one of his concerts.
“Hey, guys,” Johnson called out the audience’s eyes set to the stage. “There’s a rainbow behind you.” And that set the tone for the rest of the show, a befitting gift for Mother Nature’s troubadour. With the storms that cut short opening act, Amos Lee, beyond the venue, Jack Johnson played a full set to a sold-out Indianapolis crowd.
Delivering crowd-pleasing tunes for the whole show, Johnson engaged the fans in “the pit” by taking requests or at least acknowledging that he heard them. Who doesn’t like to be heard? The fans responded in kind by singing along to every song, even when Johnson quieted himself to hear the crowd serenate him—a come-to-be-expected part of a Jack Johnson show. This Indianapolis show included a mash up of Grateful Dead’s “Not Fade Way” with audience participation claps, an interesting ode to one of Jack Johnson’s apparent musical influencers.
Long-time friend and early supporter of Johnson’s music, Zach Gill of ALO, joined the band for the full set, adding the rich sounds of his voice, upright piano and ukulele. Johnson brought out the entire Amos Lee band for the encore where they performed an Amos Lee fan favorite, “Black River”. Then Johnson invited Zach Gill to lead the crew in some “baby-making” music to end the show with ALO’s “Girl, I Wanna Lay You Down”. The crowd ignited for the final tune, and those unfamiliar with ALO surely became fans that night.
Jack Johnson has sold out larger venues than The Lawn at White River and the location choice made for more intimate show. Set against the river with the Indianapolis skyline in the rear, on a beautiful late-spring evening, surrounded by smiling faces listening to good music—it really doesn’t get much better than that.
Photos by Phierce Photography, Keith Griner ~ www.phiercephotography.com/
Listen to Dale chat with John Driskell Hopkins of the Zak Brown Band
FX Media Solutions/©Phierce Photography by Keith Griner – 2014 – phiercephotography.com
