WinterWonderGrass CO 2017 - Friday

WinterWonderGrass CO 2017

Festival Experience Archive

for The Lot Scene by Parker

Friday Highlights

Cabinet - Gipsy Moon - Leftover Salmon

    It was a partly cloudy sky overhead as we made our way to the festival grounds proper.  Ticketing and security flowed really smoothly and, before we knew it, we were inside and heading up to the rail for some heady Pennsylvania grass with Cabinet.  And, for those that know their Cabinet, you’ll know that we were in for a real treat, and a chilly WinterWonderGrassy one at that.  Of course, it was to be high energy, dancin’, twirlin’ stompgrass from the very beginning with them.  After a slow, building diversion of a beginning, “Aint Gonna Work Tomorrow” developed with Pappy Biondo at the mic for lead vocals.  But this was just the start of one helluva fun ride into a fantastic set.  Everyone would get their chance at soloing, ’tis true.  And solo they did.  From Micky Coviello spicing things up with some seriously tasty guitar riffs to Todd Kopec on fiddle, shredding some strings with his fiery hot bow, things got down and dirty in the best way possible.  Of course, we can’t forget Pappy and his ninja-like banjo skills, playing deliberately in and out of tune throughout the song to match the lyrics.  I mean, that some pretty incredible stuff going on right there!  And what about that breakdown at the end?  The whole thing put us all in the perfect mood for dancing underneath the wintry Colorado skies to some seriously amazing string band music!  Bravi to these PA boys for bringing such heat to warm up the audience!  Off to one superbly good start, I’d say.  A little into their set, the band delivered up a great “Arco Arena” into “Diamond Joe” combo that continued to bring some staunchly excellent energy to the stage.  “Arco” is a brooding and intense instrumental which features the ensemble sound of this unique band in an exemplary manner.  Effect heavy and electrified, this tune is more journey than destination, exploratory…  Some great fiddle work from Kopec was counterpointed by Coviello on electric guitar, both weaving in and out of the fabric of the band’s overall texture.  Then they took this directly into “Diamond Joe”, a clear crowd favorite, putting the mic back in Pappy’s adept hands.  This also meant that the mando was firmly in JP Biondo’s hands, which is precisely where you want it to be.  He adds such flourish to the framework of every song, his style so distinctive.  Pappy crooned out the story of Diamond Joe in his hallmark manner, the band behind him forming a wall of sound and action in perfect support.  Definitely found myself loving Dylan Skursky’s bass lines during the ending jam alongside Jami Novak’s solo drumming (Josh Karis couldn’t make it this fest).  Those two really held things down while the rest of the band wailed overhead.  Great stuff, boys!!  Excellence!!  Further on down the set, we managed to capture a little video of this poetry-in-motion with Cabinet at WWG CO 2017.  Please enjoy “Po’s Reel” my friends!! 

Cabinet ripped it up on the main stage at WinterWonderGrass, Friday the 24th of February. Always ones to deliver a fantastic show, the boys from PA certainly did NOT disappoint these Colorado crowds. What energy...what a great time with great music!! Thanks fellas!!

Pretty cool stuff, right?  I mean, the entire experience…the snow, the weather, the music…so amazing!  Just after “Po’s” the band took things in a happy, reggae-feeling, groovy direction with “A Smile”, JP on lead vocals bringing this joyful vibe to one and all.  The band matched his tone, keeping things light and bouncy.  Perfect music for dancing, which is precisely what every person there was doing.  We couldn’t help it!  Not sure I’d ever actually heard this one live before.  A new favorite, absolutely.  Thanks for that, fellas!  Finally, it was time to close things down for this sweet, sweet set.  The choice?  Why, “Susquehanna Breakdown”, of course!  And the apropos closer I would have to say, friends.  Quick, fun dance music, this instrumental featured every member of the band in some form or fashion before things were all done.  JP’s mando solo melted so many faces medics had to be called in.  That’s only before Kopec melted all the remainder with his sizzling fiddle stylings.  Crazy good!!  But do you think that Pappy or Mickey would be outdone?  Not whatsoever.  Banjo and guitar going nuts respectively, so many notes coming out of that stage.  It was almost too much.  But not quite, if you know what I mean.  What a marvelous set, everyone!  It really felt like WinterWonderGrass now, now that I’d stood out under the winter weather and seen some hot, hot grass music.  Yeah, I was back.  And how phenomenal it was so far!  A huge thanks to Cabinet for making the trip to Colorado and for bringing the noise.  Cheers!!

Cabinet

    Dropping back to the Soapbox Stage after Cabinet, it was time for some home-grown, Colorado gypsy grass with Nederland’s own Gipsy Moon.  If your eyes and ears aren’t on this band yet, then you might want to lend a couple of each to the cause.  Interesting and unorthodox instrumentation, fantastic song-writing, phenomenal musicianship and singing…all these things characterize GM but they are so much more as well.  I’ve had my eye on this group for awhile now and I have witnessed nothing but wonderful things and a meteoric rise towards success.  I was definitely excited to have them at WWG this year and proud of them for snagging three sets throughout the weekend, this Soapbox set being their second following another performance the day before.  We spent the first few songs up front in the crowded tent until it just got too warm and we needed to fade to the back…but the place was packed.  Good for Gipsy Moon!  And as well they deserve it.  The band took the stage and quickly got things going with “Right Kind of Crazy”, Mackenzie Page at the vocal helm as always, her unique and delightful voice crooning out into the crowd.  Matt Cantor, on bass and vocal harmonies, stood like a mighty tree, instrument in hand to her left, Andrew Conley on cello to Matt’s left.  Omar Mansour was arranged in the rear of the group this time, his fantastic drumming chops such a wonderful addition to the already singular and fabulous sound of this band.  That percussion brings such a lovely drive and added emotion to each and every piece.  It’s always so magical to watch a new recruit jive so very well with an ensemble to the point of making it that much better as a result.  Loving it!  I really like Andrew’s lines at various points in this one…they provide so much movement and character.  Of course, so much of that has to do with the timbre of his chosen instrument.  In a genre heavily populated by fiddles, it takes guts to don a cello and rock it the way Conley does.  And does he ever rock it!  Some of his solos are face melters to be sure.  What a start to what would be a marvelous set!  Silas Herman wrote the second number they played that evening, a lively tune with a lovely mandolin and cello intro called “Daybreak”.  The duet that Andrew and Silas play throughout most of the song, the melody, is just breathtakingly pretty.  And Mr. Herman definitely lets loose on that mando of his, killing it with note after amazing note.  A happy tune, a dancing tune, a tune full of joy and merriment.  But, isn’t that Silas in a nutshell?  I just love it when an instrumental takes me somewhere…someplace as I have my eyes closed…a place far away and magical…a place of pure music.  That’s precisely what this WWG version of “Daybreak” did for me that Friday.  Lovely playing, just gorgeous.  Especially Andrew and Silas.  Thank you fellas immensely!!  Next up, they played their song “Skeleton” which we were able to capture on video for you!  Please enjoy this bit of the Soapbox Stage experience at WinterWonderGrass!! 

How to adequately and accurately describe Gipsy Moon? The proper mix of talent and skill on a meteoric rise towards great and wonderful things? That gets close. And that's exactly what this year's WinterWonderGrass Colorado saw from this Nederland, CO, band.

I mean, how can you not just love this band?  And see how packed the place was?  Not bad, right?  Then, talk about being whisked away somewhere…!!  The Greek song “Misrilou” always seems to do that to me.  Between the gypsy sounds of the band and Mackenzie’s mesmerizing and exotic vocals, I felt again transported by this song to a distant land filled with bazaars and spices and interesting foreign languages.  Man, do I love this band…have I said that already?  Omar was the man in this one, too!  Why?  Well, he kicked things into super double overdrive at one point pounding away like an ecstatic beast on his drums and whipping the band into a magical frenzy.  What a ride!  Holy goodness!  I mean it!  Wow.  Had to sit down after that one.  Finally, the band closed down their short set with “Gin”, an old and great standard from Gipsy Moon’s catalogue.  The slow and mellow opening most certainly belies the party flavor of this song once it gets going properly.  An anthem to drinking the finer things in life, this one never fails to satisfy a music-loving crowd.  Excellent work from everyone in the band forming some really fine ensemble sound.  Silas had his own moments to shine to be sure as did Andrew and Omar, but always seeming in seamless support of Mackenzie’s dulcet vocal lines.  And then, sadly, it was over.  Another fantastic set from this fantastic band.  Really make time to see them if you haven’t — time spent with Gipsy Moon is so very worth it.  So much thanks and love going out to the band from this journalist.  You guys are phenomenal and we thank you for it!!

Gipsy Moon

    And then, just a little farther into the cold Colorado night, it was time for some red hot vibes from everyone’s favorite polyethnic cajun slamgrass band, Leftover Salmon!  What would a festival like WWG be without Salmon?  I’m not sure I want to find out.  But, luckily, for us that night we didn’t have to because LoS brought some serious intensity to the main stage.  Opening things up with a fantastic WinterWonderGrass version of “Lonesome Weary Ramblin’ Highway Man” the band showed from the first instant that they meant some serious musical business that night.  Lucky for us in the crowd, no?  And, lucky for you, we just happened to nab this opener on video for your viewing delight!  Please take a gander and enjoy, friends! 

Friday night at WinterWonderGrass 2017 in Steamboat Springs, CO, was a fantastic night of music to be sure. Headlining the night, Leftover Salmon made their hefty contribution to the scene with this opener continuing through to a marvelous set. Please enjoy this WWGCO 2017 version of "Lonesome Weary Ramblin' Highway Man"!!

And, just like that, bang!  We were off!  What a great way to start a show!  Further into the set, the band brought a little sunshine to the chilly WWG stage with “The Sun Dog” with a blazing hot intro from Andy Thorn that bled right into the tune proper.  This was a new instrumental to me and I really got into it — excellent for dancing, no doubt.  So many notes from that Thorn character, too.  Just so many.  That is, until Drew Emmitt got ahold of things on his mando offering a sortie of countless tones of his own.  “And Vince Herman?” you ask.  Well, he was busy shredding things up complete on guitar in that classic Vince style.  Man, do these fellas know their way around a fret board!  So much respect for the musical acumen of this super fun band of delightful crazies.  Talk about not feeling the cold anymore!  My blood was on the rise from all the blazing hot music coming from the stage.  It felt fantastic, my friends!  A little bit later on came an LoS classic:  “Down in the Hollow”.  Drew was up to the mic for lead vocals on this one, the man ready to croon his heart out as always for the adoring audience.  And did he ever!  Vince threw down a tasty solo a short ways into the song, pushing the whole thing ever onwards at full speed ahead, the steamboat that is Leftover Salmon chugging merrily along.  Erik Deutsch brought out some nasty good work of his own on the keys giving us a super sweet melody run jammed out as only this talented man can.  This was, in a nutshell, quite the musical rush.  And what a set so far.  But wait, there’s more!  Like the “New Speedway Boogie” that happened next for instance.  Yes, you read that correctly.  With a super bluesy opening, this one took form and we all recognized just how lucky we all were in that moment.  Vince laid down the lyrics like a champion bard doing this one a service for one and all there that evening.  Alwyn Robinson brought some funky goodness on the drums making this one pop out into the cold evening air.  Greg Garrison and Deutsch also shared a little funk of their own, bass and keys shining out respectively.  Holy Dead, Batman!  How good was this??  They took “Speedway” directly into “Powder Day” and Andy Thorn jumped up to the mic for this apropos song for the snowy setting.  And, from all the reports from those who had ventured up the mountain that Friday, it had been a great “powder day” for one and all.  As it should be, right?  Fresh pow pow on the mou mou, brah?  Bingo.  Drew had pulled out this flying-v electric he’d been playing all night with a look towards getting down — and get down with it he did, my friends.  Andy killed the lyrics, clearly singing about something he knows well.  He does live in Colorado after all.  Pretty incredible banjo solo from that same man as well a couple of minutes in.  A mighty fine selection for this WinterWonderGrass.  Great job, fellas!  The whole thing wound down with a jumping version of “Get No Better”, Dave Bruzza of Greensky Bluegrass joining them on stage for a bit of the fun.  Vince was the lead man on this one, although Bruzza jumped up to duet with him pretty soon in.  The ensemble sound of the band was on point throughout this one, a magic wall of slamgrass sound sweetly serenading all of us, filling our hearts with joy and merriment enough to make it to and through the impending late night after the show.  And what a show it had been, thanks to the gents of Leftover Salmon!  So many huge thanks going out to the band and their folks for helping to make Friday night at WinterWonderGrass CO 2017 so special.  Always an amazing time with this band and this night had been no exception.  Certainly made me hungry for more incredible grass music all weekend long at WWG.  Thank you, Salmon!  Thank you a million times over for what you do!

Leftover Salmon

And, Saturday?  On its way, friends!!

Gipsy Moon - 01 December 2016 - The Ogden Theatre - Denver, CO

Gipsy Moon

01 December 2016 - The Ogden Theatre - Denver, CO

for The Lot Scene by Parker

Band Members:  Silas Herman - mandolin, guitar, vocals; Mackenzie Page - guitar, tenor banjo, vocals; Matt Cantor - bass, vocals; Andrew Conley - cello; Omar Mansour - percussion

    The Ogden Theatre in Denver, CO, is a good get by any estimation when it comes to gigging bands.  As far as indoor venues go in a city filled with many others, it does very well on many fronts, but mostly serving as a great room for live music.  And grass music is no exception.  Add to this the long and prestigious list of others who have shared that same stage and you get a formidable venue.  This is why Nederland gypsy grassers Gipsy Moon felt especially grateful to be playing the space for their first time last Thursday opening up for Greensky Bluegrass.  And this was a gratitude they not only expressed over the mic but most assuredly through their fantastic playing that night as well.  Suffice it to say, they proved to be one hell of an opening act, delighting the packed room with a well-rounded and extremely enjoyable set.  The Ogden was humming with the anticipation energies of hundreds of music lovers all gathered to plug into that amazingness of sound and sight and wonder.  It was with a definite sense of pride and satisfaction that I watched them take the stage, knowing full well some of the meaning of this gig’s importance.  We all love to see the bands we love succeed, right?  And right before our eyes?  Always a wonderful experience to share with them.  Always.  But, I do suppose we ought to talk a little about the music, right?  Well then, let’s get moving right along!

    After taking their places and grabbing the requisite instruments, GM struck up the first chords of “Mama” and took immediately off into the fabric and texture of gypsy grass and scooping us all up alongside for the ride.  Mackenzie’s distinctive and gorgeous vocals entrance from the very get-go each time, weaving story after story for you in mellifluous melody and song, this time accompanying on her guitar.    Serving as the perfect counterpoint to Mackenzie’s stunning vocal lines, Silas’s mandolin cuts through the night like the blade of a brilliant and mad musical samurai, ripping loose with note after note after note to the delight of all.  Then, on the other end of the timbre spectrum, Andrew enters on his cello, obviously an instrument unique to the world of grass musics.  And what a lovely and individual sound!  The non sequitur nature of it really wakes up the ears, adding a real and palpable freshness to Gipsy Moon’s overall sonic framework.  (In fact, I had a chance to talk with Andrew after the show for a little while about this very thing.  Have cello, will rock.  Love it.)  And we were only one song in!  They followed up “Mama” with “St. Jane”, Omar’s drums and Matt’s bass providing a bouncing and bolstering introduction setting the song proper up in fine fashion.  This one is a dance song, through and through.  Nothing but incredible beats from Omar throughout providing those oh-so necessary dance rhythms.  Once again, I have to touch on the subject of Omar’s inclusion in the band and how very well I think it has been going for him and for GM as a result.  Pure and simple, Mr. Mansour brings some seriously intense and raucous energy to the ensemble which he gives freely to the rest of his bandmates and to the crowd equally as well as that metronomic backbone for the group to dance upon themselves, instruments in hand and succumbing to those rhythmic temptations as only we humans can.  And the audience at the Ogden was just eating it all up.  As well they should.  It certainly felt good to get the blood moving on that chilly December night.  And that sweet, sweet bass solo from Matt didn’t hurt the vibe whatsoever, either.  Funky!  Seriously.  Matt was proving the show’s powerhouse early on, as he stepped forward for a big and baller bass solo intro to get things going for “Banish Misfortune”, their next number.  The band all joined in one by one until everyone was playing this lively jig, an instrumental dominated by that booming bass.  I just love it when this ensemble skews Irish.  Really takes me back.  And I love listening to a great tune where everyone shares the melody line back and forth amongst all the instruments.  Musically, I think it’s rather enjoyable to hear the melody played through the various textures and timbres on the stage.  And GM’s fantastically one-of-a-kind instrumentation really makes for interesting and new and exciting versions of old favorites, such as this one.  And more dancing in the crowd — you know it!  How couldn’t you?  It was a jig for goodness sakes!  I mean…a jig.  Right?  Well, if you are tired from all that dancing, the next one is just for you!  We managed to capture some world premier footage of a brand new Gipsy Moon song — and we’re bringing it straight to you today!  So sit back, relax, and check out this new favorite around the TLS offices, “The Show Must Go On”: 

Colorado string band powerhouse Gipsy Moon played their first Ogden Theatre show in Denver, CO, on Thursday, 01 December 2016. As a part of their incredible set, they debuted this little beauty of a song...an instant favorite. Please enjoy "The Show Must Go On"!!!

How great is that one, am I right?  Looking very much forward to hearing it again sometime soon.  Mackenzie set her tenor banjo down and grabbed up her guitar for “Daybreak” which followed their new song debut.  Silas delivered a sweet and sonorous mando intro taking things into the tune itself, each member of the band gently joining in to create this light, lithe, and livelybit of enjoyment for band and audience member alike.  Another great instrumental from this extremely talented group of instrumentalists, this one is a favorite of mine for all the right reasons.  Much like “Banish Misfortune” we see the trade off of melody from instrument to instrument once again with such adept skill and ability, making for a truly wonderful musical experience.  High marks to the entire band for this one, creating the perfect midway mark for their fiery set.  And then there was Omar’s total and complete percussive onslaught of a solo to set the blood a boiling in all the best ways possible.  Magnificence!  But, where would a night of grass music and revelry be without a little “Gin”?  The seductive first few words sprang forth from Mackenzie in a mesmerizing and lilting spell enticing the listener into the greater song to follow.  Truly, the feeling is a masterful and magic one.  Definitely a stalwart standard of their repertoire, this song is always welcome for its bright and boisterous nature.  Silas had this particularly choice little section of solo work that popped right out in a delightful manner, mando shimmering in the stage lights, and it really just illustrated the true nature of this band and its superb style.  There seem to be thousands of little things, important things that make up that very nature and style.  And, it is the amalgam of all these countless, incredible details that produce the very gypsy grass sound that we have come to know and love from this quickly-rising Colorado band.  They continued the great fanfare of the evening with “Come With Me” another one with which I was happily familiar.  And another favorite to be sure.  Talk about your vocal harmonies here!  Mackenzie and Matt were nailing some truly gorgeous vocal lines for us all over the top of Silas and Andrew trading things back and forth, each man masterfully embracing his instrumental skill for our enjoyment.  Omar had this great big bass drum in his kit this time which was new to me…and it was spectacular.  What depth and massive tone he was getting — and what this was adding to the band was nothing short of perfection.  The band followed “Come With Me” with “Some Days”, getting a bit funkier and groovier, dropping things back to this mellow march of intensity and energy.  And funky and groovy it was, too, my friends!!  The fabric of your average GM setlist is always so interesting to watch unfold.  For example, “Some Days” was a contrapuntal addition to the mix in contrast to so many of the other songs on the setlist for the evening.  But, this band loves to take you places.  And in style, as well.  They love to lead you on a journey through music and form and sound and texture and song and, if they don’t change things a bit from time to time, that journey tends to wander around aimlessly, right?  Not with Gispy Moon.  No, with them, your wandering is all focused and free at the same time, lighting up the soul with wonder and merriment.  And that is part of the joy of choosing to travel with these magical musical gypsies on their journeys through time and space — you go places both musically and metaphysically.  And that is why we come to shows in the first place, right?  But then, sadly, it was time for GM’s last song of their set.  However, what a set it had been!  Andrew led in on his oh-so charming cello, spinning out a gypsy melody of the highest order heralding in “Dark Eyes”, an exotic and mysterious song of intriguing sound and spirit and just the right way to close things down Gispy Moon style.  Especially when the whole thing kicks into double overtime about halfway through and Silas goes to town on his mandotar, once again that savage musical samurai from earlier on.  Of very worthy note as well, Matt threw down a serious solo on that big beast of a bass of his which whipped the crowd into a frenzy.  What a way to close down this Ogden show!  The crowd erupted into huge applause and cheers as soon as the last notes rang out, the packed house in full approval of what they had just witnessed, the perfect precursor to a band such as Greensky Bluegrass.  Once again, Gipsy Moon had proven just what kind of band they are:  talented, skilled, driven, youthful, fun, intense, and veritable musical monsters in their own right.  And on and evening of a couple of firsts, as well.  Just the kind of show I love to attend.  A huge round of thanks and congrats go out to the band as well as all the hardworking folks that make GM happen!  So much phenomenal music, such a fantabulous set!  Bravi, bravi, bravi, my friends!  Thanks so much for the magic!  

Gipsy Moon

Gipsy Moon - 01 October 2016 - Boulder Bandshell - Boulder, CO

Gipsy Moon

01 October 2016 - Boulder Bandshell - Boulder, CO

for The Lot Scene by Parker

Band Members:  Silas Herman - mandolin, guitar, vocals; Mackenzie Page - guitar, tenor banjo, vocals; Matt Cantor - bass, vocals; Andrew Conley - cello; Omar Mansour - percussion

    It was a beauty of a brisk fall evening in Boulder, Colorado, as we made our way downtown to the bandshell on Boulder Creek.  We were glad for the warmer clothing we’d seen fit to wear as the sun disappeared behind the mountains just to our west.  The Boulder Green Bear Fest was in full swing with vendors of all kinds assembled to wow us with their wares, brews, and other sundry interesting things all in celebration of the protection and restoration of our planet’s oceans.  It made for a merry atmosphere and also meant a growing crowd being drawn to the bandshell in time to hear those oh-so-unique and wonderful stylings of Colorado’s own gypsygrass band, Gipsy Moon.  The MC persuaded the majority of those present to leave their seats and get up and dance along to this lovely one-of-a-kind string band from Nederland…a job he did very well for the grand majority of us did, indeed, dance and shake and groove for the full two hour set.  It was both a heartwarming and impressive display of those times when Humanity just gets it all perfectly right for a spell.  And what a show from Gipsy Moon that night — what a show, indeed!  Gratifying, satisfying, mystifying, and I ain’t lying!!  But, lest we put the cart before the horse, leave us away to all things in the appropriate order.  I mean, we are civilized, are we not?  To the music!!  Excelsior!!

Gipsy Moon

    Under the glowing rainbow bands of the shell above, Gipsy Moon set the tone for their CD Release Party by letting loose the first notes of the evening’s pleasure, a slowly, softly building texture of minor chords and Mackenzie’s velvet voice.  First choice for the night?  Well, “Stolichnaya”, of course!  And why not a song about vodka at a beer fest?  Why not, indeed!  A seductive and swelling ensemble sound grew and embellished and became a gateway to sounds of select musics from Eastern Europe and beyond into Mother Russia, herself.  Andrew’s haunting cello solo early on only served to solidify this strong feeling of slavic song from far away.  And, when things kicked into double time midway through, all became one with the dance and romance of this perfect example of Gipsy Moon’s extremely diverse and very wide-ranging repertoire.  Lovely work from Silas on his mando, who proceeded to pick out the tune with perfect precision.  What a start to a wondrous show!  They followed such magic up with Mackenzie relating that, having just played at a dispensary earlier that day, they were inspired to play the next song, “St. Anne’s”, apparently written to the patron saint of such goings on.  Luckily, we have some mighty fine video of that song just for you!  Please enjoy. 

October 1st, 2016, was a special day for Gipsy Moon and a special one for the rest of us, too. That evening saw the band throw the CD Release Party for their new album, Sticks and Stones, at the Boulder Bandshell in downtown Boulder, CO. And it was a FREE show, too, to boot!!

Next up on the setlist was “Mama”, a song characterized by musical balance between the instruments creating a wonderfully unified texture amongst all the musicians on stage, to include Mackenzie on vocals.  And there was so much more incredible solo work from Conley and Herman all buoyed up so masterfully by Cantor on his deep, abiding bass and Mansour, the madman of percussion, who lends his own metronomic backbone to the entirety of the group.  This was only my third time seeing them since they added Mr. Mansour to the roster and, I must say, I just love the reinvigorated vibe of the whole shebang.  Omar’s contributions are already cementing themselves delightfully into what was already an incredible band.  Bravo!  “Come with Me” was our next offering of the evening, which featured Mackenzie on lead and Matt on vocal harmonies from the very beginning - always amazing and easy on the ears.  All this was marvelously counterpointed by Andrew’s silken cello line underneath.  This group has such an astute mastery over the best arrangement of their musical assets and this song was exemplary of this fact, no doubt.  Lots of great energy for dancing and keeping that crowd in the groove.  They slowed things down for “Blue Sky” which followed, taking things to that gorgeous place of gentleness and soft beauty that is such an easy space for this group to access.  More sweet and lovely harmonies from Cantor and Page ensued sliding over the mellow intensity of the harmonic instrumental framework being woven by Herman and Conley, Mansour keeping things light and airy from behind Mackenzie.  It was a truly gorgeous moment in an evening of just such moments.  “Dying of Days” came after “Blue Sky” and put the energy of the night back into dance mode.  This one is an old favorite of mine and one that definitely evolved into something all the more special with the inclusion of Omar’s drums.  As I intimated before, this is a really good marriage here.  Excellence all around to be sure.  And then we had a treat for this reporter:  an old tune from his Traditional Irish Music days:  “Banish Misfortune”.  Nothing like getting an actual jig to kick your heels up to!  Matt took the melody line on his bass with his bow and it made for the perfect intro.  Yet one more example of the varied song/tune roster this band has mastered in spades.  Passing the melody off to Silas on mando, Matt returned to the bass line only to come back in for some particularly tasty harmonies and then back to the solo once more.  And the crowd was eating it up!  Clapping and dancing and clearly enjoying themselves to the full, it was great to be a part of such a happy gathering.  A little on down the set, friend and fiddle player Etienne Cremieux (The Caribou Mountain Collective) joined in the fun for a few numbers, the first of which was “Dark Eyes”, a great standard from this crew.  Taken at a much slower and seductive a pace at the start, the song had nowhere to go but forward and fabulously more intense.  What a disciplined and steady build, too.  Made for quite the new musical creation from a familiar song.  And the addition of Etienne’s fiddle to the mix, you ask?  Like a fish to water, that was the fiddle poured into the mixture of Gipsy Moon’s stringed goodness.  Mackenzie was in really fine voice for this one, it must be said.  Just lovely work, good lady.  Conley’s back-and-forth with Cremieux, cello to fiddle and fiddle to cello and back again, all ending in harmonic excellence — what a ride that was!!  Much to the utter delight of the crowd…and why shouldn’t they have been delighted?  What stupendous musicianship!  And at a free show, too!  Oh, did I forget to mention the show was free?  Sorry about that…yeah, life is really good sometimes.  And everyone at the concert got a free (yup, that word again) download card for Gipsy Moon’s latest album, Sticks and Stones.  Pretty sweet, right?  Exactly.  Etienne remained for the next piece, a Greek song from the early 20th Century whose name I missed.  What a delectable Eastern Mediterranean feel this song had.  Instantly we were all transported to distant lands filled with exotic sights and sounds and aromas blown in on the trade winds.  More incredible fiddle tone sprinkled into this recipe for musical deliciousness made for a perfect rendition of this song in this moment.  Quite the adventure for those of us with our feet still planted in Boulder, CO.  Magnificent.  A bit on down the set from there came a Herman-written instrumental called “Daybreak”.  Hard to say anything else about this that doesn’t have to do with its pure and utter beauty.  If you have ever basked in the stark and amazing loveliness of a tune or a song, then this is one for you.  Great energy and some supremely fine writing make this one a pleasure, through and through.  Bravi to the entire band for making this version so fine for all of us!  “Once in a Dream” was the follow-up to “Daybreak”, another song that trades its deceptive and mellower intro in for the upbeat tempo of a dance song.  I, for one, love that about Gipsy Moon’s music…it takes you places.  All sorts of places.  Internal, external, metaphysical.  It’s really rather remarkable.  And we were off on yet another trip it would seem with the following “Caravan” whose instant energy was palpable and dance-worthy.  Mackenzie and Matt shared the vocals throughout most of the song in a delightful display of adept harmony.  I loved Silas’s prolific solo near the two minute mark.  His mando fit the entire musical framework of this one so well!!  Not to mention Conley kicking some serious ass on that cello of his.  That man never ceases to impress the hell out of me.  Certainly one of the fiercer cellists I have ever seen…his playing is really pretty wild and wonderful to behold.  Another favorite of mine was the next on the list that night, “Away We Go”.  And what an intense and deep version of this song it was, too.  Without even being able to put my finger completely on it, there was just something delightfully dark and mysterious this time around…and it was to be found in Silas’s mandolin, Mackenzie’s vocals, Andrew’s cello…all throughout the band.  The attitude in Matt’s bass playing was nothing short of nasty good and, my man, Omar, was nailing down beat after beat with liquid energy.  And then, just like that, sadly it was all over.  Time for the last song of this magical night with Gipsy Moon.  And, when you start a show out with vodka, what do you end with?  The only logical answer is “Gin”.  Of course.  What a sound epitomizing the very essence of this band and their supremely unique style!  Mellow to start and whiz-bang to end, this is another musical roller coaster steeped in the musics of a dozen nations and myriad folk the world over.  And, why not have Omar step up for a baller solo on all his drum friends?  Nothing short of spectacular.  One helluva way to close down a monster show like this!  But, wait, there’s more!  You guessed it…encore time!  “House of the Rising Sun”?  Are you joking me?  Perfection!  Slow and sultry and sweetly melancholy to start, this one beguiled and bewitched from beginning to end.  And then the upbeat hit us like a bullwhip as the song hurtled into higher gear unleashing a deluge of delightful notes from each and every instrument on stage, all hands a blur as they so deftly plied their trade.  Etienne was back in on fiddle for this one as well, lending his own brand of marvelous musical madness to the fray and it was the perfect icing for this Gipsy Moon cake.  A huge end to a huge show!  This truly may have been the best I heard and seen them yet.  No kidding!  By the last note, my gratitude and joy at having made this show were through the roof.  Such stage presence, such energy, so much of all that is good and awesome and mesmerizing in music.  And all under those glowing rainbow bands adorning the Boulder Bandshell — certainly made for a mighty confluence of wonderful things on the stage below.  A huge congratulations to the band on their new album and their very successful CD Release Party concert!  And a giant round of thanks to all five members of Gipsy Moon for their brilliance that evening!  So much gratitude to go around!!  And, all thanks toMackenzie, Omar, Andrew, Matt, and Silas.  Bravi!!

Gipsy Moon and Etienne Cremieux

Leftover Salmon at the Stanley 2016 - Friday

Leftover Salmon at the Stanley 2016

Festival Experience Archive

for The Lot Scene by Parker

Friday Highlights

Leftover Salmon - Gipsy Moon (Late Night)

    So, there we were, back at the historic and haunted Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado.  Lured there by one of the best parties around, die hards flocked from all over the country to this supremely fun and marvelous merry and strange little festival tucked away in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains.  Sitting in a bowl valley with soaring, snow covered peaks all around, the venue is certainly not short on natural beauty or charm making the weekend a coveted one in the musical calendar to be sure.  And then there is the magnificent Stanley itself standing proud and a bit eerily above the town of Estes Park welcoming in every possible way and which certainly played the erstwhile and gracious host to our weekend of merriment and mutual madness.  The party atmosphere was in full effect from the moment we arrived on the Stanley’s property solidifying the fact that this weekend was going to be wonderful on so very many fronts.  And so, with visions of The Shining and Leftover dancing around in our heads we were all ready for things to begin properly…

    The welcome reception officially kicked things off for the weekend with Gipsy Moon providing the live entertainment.  They were, as always, fantastic.  Truly love that band.  But, more on those amazing young musicians later.  After the reception, we had a bit of time to get to the Concert Hall for the evening’s main event:  Leftover Salmon.  The reason for the season, Salmon were to play three full shows over the course of the weekend.  And, a little bit about the Concert Hall at the Stanley — it is a pristine white professionally designed vintage venue space with rich wood floors and superb acoustics, large, stately windows lining each side.  A balcony at the rear of the spacious yet intimate room completes the air of classical concert hall which was to stand immediately juxtaposed to the extremely energetic and madcap musical marvel that is Leftover Salmon, everyone’s favorite polyethnic cajun slamgrass band.  And, while the space was full it was never crowded, with a nice balance of people to room.  Always makes for a finer experience in my opinion.  And what a fine experience this was!  So many great people all gathered together in this hall to celebrate music and life and fellowship.  And with such incredible music all weekend long!  Speaking of which, why don’t we get ourselves to summadat right now?  

Gipsy Moon

    We decided to head a different route than normal and bring you a video of the first song of Leftover’s Friday night show.  That way you could get that initial flavor of the spectacle for yourself.  The band opened with “Out in the Woods” and took the opportunity to showcase the friends who had joined them for the night:  Jeff Coffin (The Dave Mathews Band) on saxophone and Erik Deutsch on keyboards.  Drew Emmitt took the lead on this one, crooning to the audience in his instantly recognizable voice.  But, listen to me gabbing on…why not take a quick look and listen yourselves? 

Leftover Salmon came out both barrels a-blazin' on Friday night of their second Leftover Stanley weekend. An amazing set from these fabulous fellows, this is how they opened things up. Please enjoy!!

Off to a pretty good start, right?  I’d say so in the very least.  And how about those friends joining in?  That Jeff Coffin can wail on the sax, am I right?  And he continued to do so all night long, but I am getting ahead of myself.  And Erik on those keys?  Salmon and keys is always a great combination.  And continuing straight on into the fun of the night, “Sing Up to the Moon” was next in line for all of us.  One of the perfect examples of their self-professed genre and style, “Sing Up” is an instant crowd pleaser each and every time.  And, believe-you-me, this crowd had come to dance and party and rage until the break of dawn.  And what an excellent selection for just such activities.  Vince sounded album-perfect on the vocals as he led this juggernaut of joy on that Concert Hall stage.  Andy rocked out a tight little solo for us banjo a couple of minutes in — smiles all around.  This was answered by Erik throwing down on the keys in very fine fashion.  And, of course, Jeff on that sax of his.  A small aside here:  Salmon with saxophone is a pretty righteous experience.  Especially with a player as phenomenal as Jeff Coffin.  What a ride and only two songs in!  Andy Thorn was up to lead the next tune, that magical musical journey otherwise known as “Aquatic Hitchhiker”.  The usual lulling of the soft and sweet intro section did its job perfectly setting us all up for the expected madness that was to ensue.  And, just as gleefully anticipated, Andy and the band erupted into a cyclone of hard drivin’ fast pickin’.  Hurtling along at the speed of sound we were all of us on one giant thrill ride of stupendous string band music.  Not to be left behind, Jeff added his horn to the mix with some solo work followed by Erik on the keys.  Both of which were wonderful and proof that Salmon were employing the skills of their friends to the utmost that weekend, a trait of the shows we would all come to appreciate so fully by Sunday’s last note.  Alwyn Robinson laid down a pretty serious drum solo in this one, too, which is most certainly of note.  Love his style of playing so much.  And, after a mellow and mysterious center section, they brought things to a huge and magnificent whiz-bang of a close to copious amounts of applause and praise from the audience.  This was shaping up to be one helluva show!  Drew snagged the mic and took the lead for the next song, “All Night Ride”, another scorching hot, swift-paced adventure through quick pickin’, Salmon-style.  Andy Thorn’s banjo set the blistering stride counterpointed by Drew’s mandolin and punctuated by Jeff’s sax.  All at breakneck speed thus showcasing and proving this band’s serious musical acumen.  And Drew was really going for it on the vocals as well, kicking ass and taking names as only that man can when on the mic.  You know, just another face melter from this crazy ass band we all love so much.  Then there was that one time at the Stanley when Salmon played some Zappa.  Mainly in the form of “Camarillo Brillo”.  A bunch of whack ado awesome nut jobs playing the music of another whack ado awesome nut job?  Why the hell not?  Especially when it was that good.  And then it was time for some T. Rex.  Yup…you got that right.  T. Rex.  “Bang A Gong” anyone?  Vince laid down the vocals for this one, kicking some ass in the process.  Some great interplay between keys and banjo on this one.  Not to mention Greg’s ever-present and balanced bass badassery keeping the rest of these maniacs driving forward.  Such big sound coming from that stage!  And so good, to boot!  Whew!  

Leftover Salmon

    Set break was a much needed bit of down time to recover our strength for the next set soon around the bend.  The chilly breeze blowing in through the open windows was so welcome to cool the heated brows of those gathered in homage to some of that sweet, sweet Salmon sound.  But we weren’t to rest for too long, since the band came back out blazing both barrels into the night to the delight of us all.  “Better” got things instantly going once again with its intensity of motion and feeling and we were all dancing wildly once more to the music of this wonderful band.  Nice fat, fantastic keyboard solo from Mr. Deutsch about a minute into it — excellent sound to have alongside Leftover.  Loving his addition to the band for the weekend.  Coffin took over from there, taking the opportunity to wail out a tasty and lengthy solo blanketing the concert hall in that unique timbre.  And, just like that, we were off once again!  At this point, Vince announced that they were just going to play the entire Euphoria record.  And I’ll be damned if they didn’t do just that!  What a treat…damn, son!  Of course, he didn’t mention that they were going to go completely ape while they did so.  They injected so much energy and merriment and pure, undiluted joy into this set — it was just so much fun to be there and to be a part of it all.  And it was just the first night, too.  So hard to believe.  Alwyn’s steady and steadfast beat launched us all into the next song from the album, “Highway Song”.  Drew nailed the vocals down on this one sounding so much like the recorded version it was kinda scary…not to mention his monster electric solo in the middle.  An excellent live version of “Highway” which was followed, in turn, by an excellent version of “Baby Hold On”.  Another good dance tune, that one, and with lots of lovely keyboard work from Erik.  “River’s Rising” was next in line for the evening which brought its welcome form of raucous and rowdy to the table — just a big energy song.  Andy Thorn had a pretty stellar solo a couple of minutes into things which Drew answered on electric guitar with some solo work of his own.  Interesting juxtaposition of those instruments there.  The bad and boisterous breakdown in this one was nothing short of epic.  Yeah, I used that word.  But, trust me, I know of what I speak.  Between Andy losing his mind on banjo and the rest of the band doing the same, what more can I say?  Epic.  Drew just shredding the hell out of his guitar while everyone else jams away like madmen?  Epic.  The trippy Erik-led mellow space jam section?  Epic.  Quite the momentous “River’s Rising” to say the least.  But they weren’t done yet…  No, to the contrary since there was a bunch of album left to play.  Vince brought his brand of insanity to the fore as he took the lead vocals on “Mama Boulet” changing the lyrics to “she’ll turn into Sheryl Crow for you” a couple of times and simply rocking it out for us.  Another big time dance number for the crowd.  Banjo solo from Thorn in this one was out of this world.  What a phenomenal player we have in Andy, no?  Jeff Coffin strutted his musical stuff again with a hefty solo of his own.  This song really was a perfect place for some sax.  Mr. Robinson gave us another of his signature solos while the rest of the band left the stage — always a cool visual.  This was a rather lengthy and large solo, too.  And one that led us directly into “Funky Mountain Fogdown” by way of an exploratory instrumental segue.  But once “Funky” hit properly it hit us all squarely in the face with some extremely fast pickin’.  Damn!  Drew’s fingers were flying over his mando just as fast as Andy’s were over the banjo.  Coffin kept pace with them both on saxophone, blowing out a mean melody of his own.  Vince was rocking his own craziness on the guitar the entire time.  The expressions on that man’s face…priceless!  He clearly loves his job to death.  “Muddy Water Home” was up next with Drew taking his familiar lead on the mic.  Vince had a particularly nice guitar solo early on which was followed by some more of that awesome horn from Jeff.  Great version of this one to be sure.  “Cash on the Barrelhead” followed (these two songs being in switched order from the album, why not) and featured Drew on vocals as well.  Quite the impressive piano solo from Erik Deutsch during “Cash” — just adore having keys with Salmon!  The breakneck tempo of “Ain’t Gonna Work”  took things from “Ridiculous Speed” to “Ludicrous Speed” in the blink of an eye.  Such wickedly fast quickness, such impossibly speedy playing.  So very impressive each and every time I see it.  And so many notes from every man on the stage…the wall of sound coming down at us was just staggeringly amazing.  Andy, Drew, Erik, Vince…all of them just bringing it to the next level all at once and all incredible.  Loved Vince’s guitar solo in this one — full of so much of that unique form of, well, Vince that we’ve all come to love and respect over the years.  Erik went a bit out into insane Salmon territory with his solo, too.  Good stuff.  Finishing up the Euphoria album, “This is the Time” and “Euphoria” rounded out the evening in lovely style.   “Euphoria” is a personal favorite of mine and I am always grateful to hear it even when I’ve been expecting it for an entire set, anticipating and waiting happily for the goodness to come.  Vince gave one helluva a performance on the vocals this time around, vaulting this song up to the rafters and back again.  And the entire ensemble on stage followed the lead and poured a whole heaping help of fun into this one for us.  A perfect way to end the first evening of superb music and enjoyment at the Stanley Hotel with Leftover Salmon and friends.  And they played us an entire album, too!  What a surprise…what a present!  The second installment of “Leftover Stanley” was going swimmingly thus far, so very fabulous on all fronts.  Many thanks to the band and their guests for the entire evening of musical adventure!!  So looking forward to the rest of the weekend!  But there was late night Friday to be had first and foremost…

Vince, come play with us...forever and ever and ever...

    Gipsy Moon.  A superlatively talented and skilled young band.  And they played one incredibly good late night rest assured.  I’ve really enjoyed getting to know this band over the past couple of years, both musically and personally.  Not only are they amazingly good and talented young musicians, they are also amazingly good people.  Humble, organic, real.  Just the kinds of traits you look for in great musicians.  And so late night took place in the main Stanley Hotel building in the McGregor Ballroom, the same location as the welcome session earlier that evening.  Alas, we arrived a tad late to the party and so missed the first few songs.   We did have the privilege of walking in during the beginning of Fleetwood Mac’s “Rhiannon”, a perfect cover for this band.  Mackenzie Page’s voice is well suited to this song as is the song itself for the band.  A very good choice from a group that makes many, many of those already.  The instrumentation of the band really lent itself very well to the mood and feel of “Rhiannon” a song not without a bit of mystery.  Made me sad to think we’d missed precious minutes of this show.  “Dying of Days” followed and was very bit as marvelous as can be expected.  One of my favorites of their originals, the chorus is as haunting as the instrumental lines.  Thankfully, you don’t have to listen to my prattle on about how wonderful it is because we recorded a nice video version of it for you here:  

Late night belonged to Gipsy Moon at The Stanley Hotel on Friday night -- and they completely nailed it down to the floor!! Such good music!! Here is just a small sample of the incredible we were treated to - enjoy!!!

Just lovely, wasn’t it?  As always with this band, they play really gorgeous music.  Not all bands have such beauty inherent to their style of playing.  Matt Cantor led the next piece, a familiar jig whose name escapes me, on his rich-timbred bass.  The interplay of the melody line between bass and Silas Herman’s mandolin here was simply splendid.  A really fun reinvention of a classic fiddle tune.  “Right Before the Dawn” was next in line and featured a soulful intro from Andrew Bain Conley on cello.  Again, Mackenzie’s unique, sweet, dusky, and lovely singing featured in this piece.  How can one not just love her voice?  Fantastic ensemble work from all four band members as well.  Excellent breakdown at the ending of “Right Before the Dawn”, too.  Just magnificent all around.  Eli Emmitt, son of Drew Emmitt (Leftover Salmon), joined them on stage for a number that he wrote, a guitar tune.  The “Spawn of Salmon” as Mackenzie called Eli and Silas.  A nice reel of a tune, to be sure.  Really dug what Eli had written.  Lead in came from Andrew on cello which he handed off to Silas on mandolin.  In turn, Mackenzie joined in on banjo and eventually Eli himself taking melody on guitar.  Such talent all over that stage!!  Such good music!!  Next up Mackenzie went back to crooning once again for us all with “Lonely Girl at Heart”.  Just gorgeous!!  Man can that lady sing!!  And when she has such stellar instrumental backing as Gipsy Moon, she can truly soar as a vocalist.  And I so love the texture of this band as well — having cello makes for a very unique overall sound and one that I truly appreciate fully.  A little farther down the set before they closed things out they played a particular favorite of mine:  the sad and soulful “Clementine”.  Not the way you used to sing it around the campfire, mind you, this one is mournful and dirge-like, but not without the original dark humor of the lyrics.  Matt’s low and deep bowing on his bass provided the appropriate foundation for this one.   Most certainly a different take on this song and one that is pretty damn amazing.  Love it.  “Oh my darling…oh my darling Clementine.”  Oh my, indeed!!  What a late night show — truly I cannot say enough good things about Gipsy Moon in one go.  They deliver so much already and have so much promise for the future.  This is definitely a band to keep your eye on over the next few years, I know I will be.  And it was nice and late in a haunted hotel for a Salmon weekend.  What more could you ask for?  I know I was happy as all hell and it was only just Friday.  Friday I tell you!!  Time for some really late night creeping to begin.  And then time to do it all over again on Saturday.  But that’s a story for another time.

Gipsy Moon

Saturday and Sunday on their way, folks!!  

The Infamous Stringdusters - 20 April 2015 - Boulder Theater - Boulder, CO

The Infamous Stringdusters

20 April 2015 - Boulder Theater - Boulder, CO

for The Lot Scene by Parker

Setlist:  Set 1 - Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 (intro)> Winds of Change, The Hobo Song, Dream You Back, End of the Line, Summercamp> Walking on the Moon, Tragic Life, Head Over Heels, When Silence Is the Only Sound> Machines

Set 2 - Sunny Side of the Mountain> Two Hits and The Joint Turned Brown, I'll Get Away, Sentenced to Life with The Blues, No More to Leave You Behind, Rainbows, Don't Mean Nothin', Hazosphere, Rockets, Angeline the Baker> Wake Me Up, Lovin' You, This Weary Heart You Stole Away, Don't Think Twice It's All Right, Y2K

Encore - Rainy Day Women #12 & 35, Keep on Truckin’ (both with Gipsy Moon) 

Note:  This review is part of a continued collaboration between The Lot Scene and our new friends The Mischief Collective (www.themischiefcollective.com) with whom we are thrilled and honored to be working.  Here’s to the beginning of a great friendship!!

So, after feeling like my musical palate had been delightfully worked over by Gipsy Moon like Rocky and a side of beef, it was time to continue our holiday celebrations with The Infamous Stringdusters.  And with a head still full of great music from the afternoon’s flashpick, I was all-the-more ready for some more of that quick pickin’ sound that the Dusters do so very well.  First on the docket?  Well, given the date, how about an apropos intro teaser of Dylan’s “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35”?  I am sure you’re familiar with the chorus.  Well, it certainly got us all instantly invested in the first set and when segued into the crowd-pleasing “Winds of Change” we were all fully onboard the Dusters Bluegrass Express once again.  Second in line was Travis who stepped up next for a contemplative look on life through another’s eyes with “The Hobo Song”.  Clearly the boys were enjoying themselves and they definitely took the time to tell us all so.  Andy grabbed the mic for a second to express his gratitude for being able to be in Colorado and play in Boulder, “the center of the Universe today” as he described it.  Of course, his gratitude was dwarfed by our own, eager and ready for the next song.  There Jeremy-led “Dream You Back” broke into a wicked, hopping pace bringing immediate response in the form of hundreds of stomping feet and helping set the tone for the sine curve-shaped energy the rest of the show was to take (high energy song - slower, intense song, and back again).  After the last chord faded out, Travis remarked how that was some “fast ass pickin’” — I honestly couldn't have said it any better myself.  A really nice “End of the Line” led us to Booksy’s “Summercamp” which was treated to great ensemble jamming by the band, some lovely fiddle work by Jeremy, and even a bit of a reggaegrass feel at one point.  All of which was played right into their well-known cover of the Police’s “Walking on the Moon”, a very welcome addition to the setlist that evening.  Bringing that since curve down again slightly, we were given the mournful “Tragic Life” next, with Jeremy dolefully singing us into the ridiculous jams that happened throughout which brought the energy back up again, the evening truly a seesaw of musical experience.  Especially the minutes-long back-and-forth free-for-all (complete with a tiny “Bird Song” teaser from Falco) that pushed this selection to the 9:30 mark for us.  Just the kind of instrumental excellence I have come to appreciate and expect from this multitalented, super-skilled ensemble — all of whom get high marks for just spanking this song.  Thanks, fellas!!  Ah, nothing like a dobro-heavy intro to an Andy Hall solo like “Head Over Heels” which came next, but, then again I am bit biased towards the dobro.  As the set drew to a close, “When Silence is the Only Sound” went straight into a whopping 13 minute “Machines” to finish things up.  So much incredible playing and so much playfulness.  Jam after solo after interlude and back again through a rich tapestry of sound and color, Hall’s dobro lines cheerfully reminding me of Pink Floyd’s Gilmour on electric circa 1990s, this instrumental was a standout favorite of mine from the entire Dusters Boulder Theater run.  Plus, watching the live and natural interplay between the members of this band as they perform is pretty fascinating, such as Panda’s constant grinning as he leads a melodic line or some fantastic “Falco face” as the guitarist shreds the fretboard — and this epic “Machines” gave us all ample opportunity to observe the lot of them, lost in the musical divine.  Certainly a rather satisfying end to the first set.  Just the kind that makes you look forward to more!

It's always nice to catch up with good friends at set break, that perfect mix of merch runs, bar line standing, bathroom needs, and chit-chatting with the ones you call “chum”.  Set break at Boulder Theater is always especially nice — just love my home venue.  And home to some more Dusters in my life.  And my face.  “Sunny Side of the Mountain” began the second round of music with Travis coming out strong on the lead vocals and Jeremy gluing each verse together adeptly with his fiddle interludes or Andy Falco on this guitar.  Add Hall and Pandolfi and, to quote (Arrested Development’s) Carl Weathers, “you got yourself a stew goin’!!”  Which was exactly what we had as “Sunny” morphed into a five-part harmony “Two Hits and the Joint Turned Brown” which was littered with light-hearted 4/20 references, a most appropriate anthem for celebrating the show’s date properly.  I’ve definitely never heard a version of this song with a badass grass slam at the end, but now I have, thanks to The Infamous Stringdusters.  Bravi, boys!  The mic belonged to Jeremy next for another personal fave of mine, “I’ll Get Away”, and a swift version at that.  Man, do I love the harmonies in that song!  Falco’s “Sentenced to Life with the Blues” took us to a lengthy “No More to Leave You Behind” that started out with a spacey, free form intro but finished with a truly explosive wave of sonic texture and timbre.  So much ability on display on one stage.  What a wild wonderful ride!  The mildly melancholic “Rainbows” came after chased by “Don’t Mean Nothin’”.  Next on the list was the 7:03 long instrumental tune, “Hazosphere”, a lively and speedy grass number which gave each member of the band ample opportunity to showcase their skills.  Which they did.  Amply.  A seriously good jam from start to finish.  Booksy sang us a pleasant “Rockets”  followed by a Panda-intro-led, floor stomping “Angeline the Baker” which ran directly into “Wake Me Up” continuing the dancing, twirling, hopping energy and forming a nice Travis set of book-ends.  An obvious crowd favorite to be sure.  The slow, steady, rhythmic beginning of the subsequent “Lovin’ You” is always such a false representative of the mad rocking that comes near song’s end, with a little “Norwegian Wood” teaser from Falco and Panda I might add.  Then it was time for some good old-fashioned bluegrass with The Stanley Brothers’ “This Weary Heart You Stole Away” which the Dusters honored in fine fashion with Jeremy’s vocals and fiddle anchoring in classic style.  “Don't Think Twice, It's All Right” and “Y2K” closed out the set for the evening, the final instrumental being quite the face-melter.  I honestly don’t know how human hands and fingers can move so quickly and yet so accurately as those of the Dusters.  What a dazzling display of pure musical mastery.  And it left the crowd elated, overjoyed, and thirsty for one more song.  Except we got two.  That’s right.  The boys came back on stage and invited all of Gipsy Moon back as well…first for Dylan’s “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35” (the full version this time — I guess the Dusters were determined that everybody get stoned) and then for John Hartford’s “Keep on Truckin’” both of which both bands simply nailed.  I mean, you can’t, just cannot go wrong with a Dylan/Hartford double-barrel encore!  And, when Travis changes the lyrics to “Keep on puffin’, puffin’ on down the road” you just can’t lose!!  A really fantastic close to a supremely great night of music.  And a truly memorable holiday.  Thanks for all the puff-puff-pickin’ boys!!  Same date, same place next year?