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Deep Roots Mountain Revival 2016 - Saturday

September 26, 2016

Deep Roots Mountain Revival 2016

Marvin’s Mountaintop, WV

Festival Experience Archive

for The Lot Scene by Bill Rudd

Saturday Highlights

The festival vibe was alive and well around Deep Roots Mountain Revival on another gorgeous pre-autumn morning with the sky full of welcome white clouds to shield some of the sunlight we felt pretty intensely on Friday. The smells of camp stove breakfasts began to waft throughout car camping and we knew it was time to hike to the hilltop grove for some pickin’ on the Highland Outdoors Roots Stage. Appropriately Grand Ole’ Ditch began their set with “Pickin’ for Breakfast” altered from yesterday’s edition by Jody Mosser’s decision to lead things with the dobro instead of his acoustic guitar. The band blended the sleepy instrumental directly into “Sugar Grove,” a song about finding yourself in the West Virginia woods written and sung by mandolinist Lucas Mathews, that was highlighted by an extended jam which hinted at many of the Mountain Revivalist’s activities the previous evening. Hear for yourself here:

Grand Ole' Ditch perform their original songs "Pickin' For Breakfast" into "Sugar Grove" at Deep Roots Mountain Revival on Marvin's Mountain Top in Masontown, WV on 9/17/16.

A Lionel Ritchie “All Night Long” tease? Fiesta forever, indeed gentlemen. The fellas followed that up with “This Time,” a straight up rock song where the string band dialed in distortion to get heavy with the backing of Todd Hocherl’s drumming. Things got weird with Craig Miller singing “Pigeon Eatin’ Catfish,” a song written by bassist Jacob Mathews about an alcoholic wels catfish with a preference for squab. It was time for a bluegrass breakdown with a “Dear Old Dixie” that had the folks who had trekked up the trail to the Roots Stage getting down with Ditch. The pickin’ turned progressive with Craig’s original from Unwind called “Copper Kettle Coal,” an incredible song that demonstrates the diversity of the group, switching tempos and genres throughout. Luke was back singing lead on the traditional bluegrass classic “Rocket Man,” by Elton John, which the band followed with an “Allegany Sun” for the ages. The song written by Jody’s friend-of-a-friend Matt Hamilton, details the experience of driving over the westernmost Maryland mountains and got diverted into Phishy territory with an appearance from “First Tube” during an exploratory detour. Grand Ole’ Ditch punctuated their final Deep Roots performance with “Rocky Island” a jovial Stanley Brothers cover which perfectly foreshadowed the traditional bluegrass masterclass that was about to take place on Main Stage B later that afternoon.

We broke for lunch back at camp to gear up for the impending Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder storm that approached and headed towards the Main Stages just in time to catch the end of The Black Lillies’ rocking Americana set. Ricky Skaggs’s septet began soon thereafter and blasted out of the gate like a thoroughbred with a “How Mountain Girls” that was blazing hot from start to finish. Thankfully the mountaintop temperature hovered in the mid 80’s, which was perfect for dancing to one of the country’s best bluegrass bands. Ricky announced that next was "a mountain love song" before Russ Carson kicked off “Pig in a Pen” with a blistering banjo roll. They paid tribute to the father of bluegrass with a pair of Bill Monroe tunes, “Toy Heart” and the aptly named “Bluegrass Breakdown” an instrumental lead by Skaggs’ mandolin that rages just as much in 2016 as it did when the Bluegrass Boys were first pickin’ it in the 40s. Ricky dedicates a significant portion of each set to the Stanley brothers, having been raised on their material by his mountain mother who he says sang like Ralph, the man who hired Ricky as a Clinch Mountain Boy when he was still a teen. The first Stanley song was the mournful “Your Selfish Heart” about the popular bluegrass theme of being cheated on. Later they covered the classic country hymn “Rank Stranger” as well as “Home in the Carolina Mountains,” a song Ricky called “deep catalog Stanley Brothers.” Russ attempted to emulate Dr. Ralph’s banjo on an instrumental that showed off the picking prowess of the entire collective. This is a magnificent seven of bluegrass, with seemingly constant solos from folks like sizzling fiddler Andy Leftwitch and newest member the amazing lead guitarist Jake Workman, who follows in the footsteps of modern masters Cody Kilby and Bryan Sutton that had previously held the position. It’s important to specify “lead” with Kentucky Thunder because Skaggs keeps three guitarists in the band, with Eddie Faris on an archtop and Ricky’s long time friend Paul Brewster on rhythm guitar in addition to marvelous tenor vocals. The next couple of covers were coincidentally both recorded by Hot Rize, brilliant renditions of the McGee Brothers’ “Blue Night” and Bill Monroe’s “Rocky Road Blues,” the latter sung by the band’s talented bassist Scott Mulvahill. Then, it was time for “Tennessee Stud” a song about an incomparable racehorse made famous in bluegrass by Doc Watson. Ricky closed the impressive set with a raucous “Lil’ Maggie” where rapid instrumentation was accentuated by his embellished vocal segments that embodied that essential Stanley sound. The captivated crowd called for an encore, a request granted with the legendary Bill Monroe's "Uncle Pen." Please enjoy Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder’s old school encore for yourself folks:

Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder cover Bill Monroe's "Uncle Pen" at Deep Roots Mountain Revival on Marvin's Mountain Top in Masontown, WV on 9/17/16.

Music to our ears too Ricky, thanks for a truly magnificent set on Marvin’s Mountain Top!

The David Grisman Sextet almost immediately appeared on Stage A and started things off with a few of the jazzy instrumentals that the Dawg built to excel at performance. Especially impressive was a swing tune named “The Purple Grotto” which appears on their inventively-titled new album The David Grisman Sextet. Next was a tune Grisman quite literally dreamed up known as “Hornpipe Dream,” or he concluded it could be called “Horn Pipe Dream” too, before guiding the bouncy bluegrass instrumental with his mandolin. The Deep Roots Dead theme was reenergized with “Grateful Dawg” a funkier instrumental that shuffles back and forth between jazz, blues, and jam, written by Grisman with Jerry Garcia soon after they reunited in the early 90s. Ricky Skaggs had been watching from the wings for most of the set and was finally called to sit in on a soulful “Watson's Blues,” Bill Monroe's tribute to Doc Watson. Would you like to witness some of that double mando action? Well, here ya go:

The David Grisman Sextet are joined by Ricky Skaggs for a cover of Bill Monroe's "Watson's Blues" at Deep Roots Mountain Revival on Marvin's Mountain Top in Masontown, WV on 9/17/16.

Skaggs left the stage but Dawg continued the tributes with a piece he wrote in dedication to the great Red Allen entitled “Pigeon Roost.” A meandering David Grisman Sextet original number called “Slinky” was next, a true jazzgrass tune if there ever was one. They finished up with “Dawg's Bounce,” a song Grisman mentioned he normally played on the banjolin but this time found flutist Matt Eakle switching over to kazoo for most of the song, despite managing to add in a stellar flute solo as well. A founding father of jamgrass, David Grisman has spent a lifetime dedicated to testing the boundaries of bluegrass and it was truly an honor to be able to experience his outstanding sextet up close and personal at Deep Roots Mountain Revival.

After a well-deserved break back at camp we were ready for a face full of Keel. The Larry Keel Experience was already at work, playing a quirky original called “Lizard Lady” as we hiked up the rocky trail that lead to the Roots Stage. The jamgrass trio from Virginia followed up with “Lil’ Miss” a swampy song about an infallible woman that showcased Larry’s distinctive growl and legendary guitar skills. Larry ended up giving a birthday shout out to Steve Heavner his sound man, road manager, merch guy, van driver, and all-around awesome dude — class act as always, Larry. The Experience slowed down a bit with a pair of love songs, “One” and “Heartbeat Soul Beat,” but things quickened up again with an instrumental that demonstrated the chemistry developing between Larry’s flat-picking and newcomer to the band Jared Pool’s mandolin, with the two dueling and playing off of one another nicely. However, despite Pool’s immense talent it’s hard to escape the void left by the absence of longtime Keel collaborator Will Lee’s banjo. Bassist Jenny Keel announced it was time for “Larry does Jerry,” as her husband sang a “Ramble On Rose” that everyone in attendance was very grateful for. The next song “Miles & Miles,” was co-written with Keller Williams and appears on Keel's new album Experienced. The lyrics mention that “a truthful heart that will light the darkened sky,” much the way the harvest moon again began to brighten the forest we gathered in. Larry made it known he was impressed with the other musicians on the mountaintop, mentioning electric rock guitarist Marcus King and jamgrass act The Rumpke Mountain Boys who were also getting Keeled in the audience. The aroma of Lynyrd Skynyrd entered the sweet southern air with a cover of “That Smell,” an unfortunately poignant song about the deadly dangers of drug abuse. Our “more banjo” prayers were answered when Leftover Salmon’s Andy Thorn came out to get weird in the woods with The Experience, starting with the Keel classic “Culpepper Woodchuck.” The song pulsed back and forth until Larry bursted out the titular line and it exploded into an uproarious jam that included an interlude into the über traditional “Soldiers Joy,” which caused Keel to pause and assert, “It's about morphine,” before the rest of the band joined back with the woodchucking. That left just enough time for “a quick one,” which was a rapid instrumental that allowed Larry, Jared, and Andy another chance for some face-melting shredding. Keel your own face here:

The Larry Keel Experience is joined by Leftover Salmon's Andy Thorn on banjo for an instrumental at Deep Roots Mountain Revival on Marvin's Mountain Top in Masontown, WV on 9/17/16.

What an awesome way to end an excellent set in the West Virginia backwoods with the Larry Keel Experience!

Night had officially fallen on Marvin’s Mountain Top, with campfires ablaze throughout the open fields lightly filled with RVs, cars, and tents. A definite haze hung over the encampment which was apropos because country rockers Blackberry Smoke had taken Main Stage A with authority. Fans filled the flattened area in front for their performance, which sounded sort of like a southern rock styled Led Zeppelin. Definitely not a bad thing! The Grateful Dead cover train hit a repeat as the Georgian group also played “Ramble On Rose,” not quite a reprisal of Keel’s Roots Stage rendition less than an hour earlier. Their set ended with great fanfare from the swirling stage lights and fog to the vigorous applause of the hundreds assembled, but our attention soon shifted to Stage B where The Cris Jacobs Band from Baltimore was about to take things for a tremendous blues rock turn. Oh my my! Right at the start Cris busted out an entry from The Bridge’s historic catalogue with a joyous “Heavy Water” that was extended into an elaborate jam that served to introduce the skilled musicians he’d currently surrounded himself with. Cris led on both vocals and electric guitar but was backed by proficient bassist Todd Herrington and the mighty John Ginty, a prominent keyboardist who’s toured with everyone from The Dixie Chicks to Robert Randolph & The Family Band. Dusty Ray Simmons’s drumming was particularly on point driving the intro to Jacobs’s “The Devil or Jesse James,” a rhythmic swamp rock story infused with soul from Cris’s powerfully smooth vocals. At solo shows, Cris always spends time playing a custom cigar box guitar and it was nice to see him rocking it out during “Me Oh My,” with abundant effects and his full band on the mountaintop. Cris is no stranger to Marvin’s, having frequently performed in Masontown at the All Good Music Festival as frontman for The Bridge, the Maryland roots rock ensemble known for their funky jams and a bit of a Little Feat vibe that persists in this project, especially when Ginty is pounding away on his Hammond organ at high volume. While it’s likely Cris Jacobs’s voice that earned him high profile solo gigs opening tours for folks like Steve Winwood and Sturgill Simpson, it‘s his brilliant electric guitar playing that had us in awe all night long at Deep Roots Mountain Revival. The combination of musicianship and passion Cris Jacobs brought to the table also has us anxiously awaiting his album Dust To Gold in October, as well as Neville Jacobs, his project with Ivan Neville due for release 2017. Thankfully for the impatient among us on Marvin’s Mountaintop, there was still more in store from Cris Jacobs that evening.

It may have been the middle of September but it was still festival season and therefore Salmon season. Leftover Salmon definitely lived up to their rowdy reputation at Deep Roots Mountain Revival and their contribution to the Grateful Dead cover collection came early with a “Mr. Charlie” that was elevated to the occasion of the band’s triumphant return to Marvin’s Mountain Top, after being an All Good headliner there several times before. The band’s next song mentioned being “down in the hollow on a cold southern night” which somehow felt appropriate despite nighttime temperatures that had stayed pleasantly in the 70s. Leftover didn't wait long to bring out their good bud Larry Keel who carried out his Collings guitar for an extended portion of the set, beginning with incredible banjoist Andy Thorn’s instrumental “Bolin Creek” that raged more like the roaring whitewater of the nearby Cheat River. Adding Keel to the already combustible combination of Thorn and gifted instrumentalist Drew Emmitt ignited an explosive spacey explorational segment that transitioned to an Alwyn Robinson drum solo before traveling back to outer space via Main Stage A. The Leftover Salmon crew technically calls Colorado home however their east coast ties were unmistakable, especially in “Appalachian Soul,” which was literally a soulful rock song about life in the mountains, sung by acoustic guitarist and party god frontman Vince Herman. Next up was the McGraw Gap firefighting tune “Fireline,” which has been a bright spot burning in Salmon’s setlist on many a night. For those unfamiliar, McGraw Gap was the band Larry Keel was a member of that won the prestigious Telluride Bluegrass Festival Band Competition in 1995. Fittingly Salmon followed up with a song written by Drew Emmett that McGraw Gap once recorded called “Troubled Times,” which Emmett noted was sadly still relevant because it asked the wind to “blow away these troubled times.” The party picked up some more Polyethnic Cajun Slamgrass in the form of “Mama Boulet,” a song that sounded like spicy gumbo smells and featured another predominant solo from the terrific drummer Alwyn Robinson. The sit ins continued when Cris Jacobs returned with his guitar for “Sitting On Top Of The World,” a song frequently chosen for guest appearances but made unique in this instance by a slightly slowed tempo and the shared vocal duties of Herman, Emmett, and Jacobs. Larry Keel was called back out but came empty handed so Vince lent him his guitar and put on a scratch board for an extraordinarily epic version of Led Zeppelin's “Rock and Roll” that had the crowd going absolutely insane over intense guitar solos traded back and forth between Emmett, Keel, and especially Cris Jacobs, who impressed the others to the point where they he insisted he take several elongated breaks. This was a set that exemplified everything great about music festivals, with virtuosic artists from three different acts banding together for a once in a lifetime experience. What a way to wrap up the Mountain Revival Saturday Main Stages. Awesome work everyone involved!

But wait, there's more! It was time for a late night Rumpke Mountain Boys throwdown back up on the Roots Stage. The rough edged bluegrass band from Cincinnati embraces the term trashgrass, naming themselves after the mythical Rumpke Mountain, a nickname for their local landfill which happens to be one of the largest in the country. The boys kicked things off with a song called “Feeling Good” and from the dance moves already being employed among the trees out front, it was apparent the audience was feeling pretty good too. Guitarist Adam Copeland and company wailed the mournful “Make It Rain” which was followed by the traditional bluegrass tune “If I Should Wander Back Tonight,” though nothing coming from these Mountain Boys can exactly be called traditional thanks to their love for effects pedals and rambling instrumentals. Rumpke’s next song mentioned drinking in the morning to forget the night before, something a few of the folks in woods would definitely be partaking in the following Sunday morning. Actually, who are we kidding, this set didn’t even start until well past 2am, we were already several hours into Sunday. And what better time for a David Bowie cover, as a trashgrass take on “Speed of Life” was next. The Rumpke instrumentalists were putting on quite a show, Ben Gourley having a shredding tenor guitar that replaced his mandolin for the majority of the set, while Jason Wolf switched back and forth between his 5-string banjo and a pedal steel guitar positioned at the ready in front of him. “Why can't we all stay young pretty mama?” asked the next song and it was followed with one that said everything would be alright “just as long as that woman stands by me.” We were in the “looking for love” portion of the evening and for good reason, as awesome and beautiful women were all over the place at Deep Roots Mountain Revival. While the next song asked, “Where is your heart tonight?” it was clear that the heart of the festival was definitely in San Francisco with the great Grateful Dead because it was time for yet another cover with Rumpke Mountain’s version of “Dark Star” that felt like it might have been jammed out for 40 minutes. While it can’t be determined exactly how long the somber Dead tune lasted, it is certain that Leftover Salmon’s Vince Herman made a prolific appearance at approximately 4:35 am, or, about 5 minutes after this writer made the mistake of heading back down the hill towards camp. Subsequent investigation uncovered that the jovial jamgrass superstar sat in on “Such a Good Idea,” “Murder In The First Degree,” and “Lord Won't You Help Me,” in addition to freestyling hilarious lyrics during a psychedelic version of “8th Of January,” also known as “Battle Of New Orleans.” The stories of festivarians able to persevere into the night told of the pickin’ and drinking till sunrise to be expected from any proper Rumpke Mountain Boys party with festival master Vince Herman.

Those of us who went to bed awoke Sunday morning to grey skies spewing intermittent raindrops that moistened the mountaintop but didn’t damper the good mood generated from three full days of amazing musical mayhem. The schedule for Sunday included more insanely talented acts like WV bluegrassers The Hillbilly Gypsies, the up-and-coming electric guitar phenom lead Marcus King Band, and wooly country crooner Jamey Johnson whose set included a surprise guest appearance from bluegrass icon Alison Krauss, who is tied for the most awarded Grammy recipient alive today. Unfortunately for this reporter, and thereby you the reader, the decision was made to dismantle camp and head from the hills before Sunday’s music began, beaten by exhaustion and the elements after three truly monumental days (and nights) of music. In addition to the multitude of tunes, the festival was fantastic because of the wonderful folks who were in attendance. Yes, their numbers were at times astonishingly small considering the stacked lineup, but those who bought tickets, volunteered, or were brought to the festival by other means, happened to be some of the most passionate and loyal people in the festival community. The spirit of the mountaintop was palpable every moment and we were encouraged and expected to enjoy ourselves with the only limitation being respect for the property. The Deep Roots team certainly succeeded in reviving the great musical legacy of Marvin’s Mountain Top and have assured festival goers that they’ve already begun planning for a return trip in sometime in 2017. The early adopters who attended the inaugural event will tell you: Deep Roots Mountain Revival is an experience that will not be forgotten and should not to be missed going forward. The Lot Scene would like to send our sincerest thanks to everyone who ensured that a good time was had by all!

A huge round of thanks and applause go out to guest writer, Bill Rudd, and guest photographer, Jeff Socha for their incredible work at Deep Roots Mountain Revival! What amazing coverage of this first-time fest out east!!

Cheers to you both, gentlemen!!

Click here to view our photo galleries from Deep Roots Mountain Revival

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DelFest 9 - Festival Experience Archive - Sunday

June 8, 2016

DelFest 9

Festival Experience Archive

for The Lot Scene by Parker

Sunday Highlights

Grand Ole’ Ditch

It’s a good thing that Sunday is truly Funday, isn’t it? I mean, by that point in a festival even the hardiest of us is beginning to feel the effects. But, with the prospect of incredible music to motivate us, we pulled ourselves up, slugged some liquid caffeine, grabbed our gear and happily got right back to it! Our first music of the day was at the Potomac Stage with Cumberland’s own and our buddies, Grand Ole’ Ditch. So far it was a nice, mild day and great festival weather, the clouds providing a bit of reprieve from the warm sun. The perfect climate for dancing to some awesome string band tunes. “Allegheny Sun” was Ditch’s opener for the morning, the band choosing to launch into a sprightly song to kick things into gear for us and to help shake the cobwebs out of the old brain bucket. The monster instrumental in the center of this one was a fun ride through some masterful music-making. Craig Miller on banjo, “Fiddlin’ Ray” Bruckman on fiddle, both throwing down some nasty licks filling out this jam to the brim. And then you hear Jacob Mathews’s bass coming through like a semi-truck of sound, popping out of the texture in a fantastic way only to be reabsorbed back into the mix, ever the foundation of the band’s harmonic fabric. Jody Mosser accredited himself very well on the lead vocals in “Allegheny”, just one of the gents in the band who is featured as a singer. That’s a great reason to love Ditch: that special “many bands in one” quality that some bands manage to accomplish through having many “lead singers” belting out all different kinds of songs. It can really add to a band’s breadth and depth. Craig stepped up to the mic for the next number, “Take Me Back” from their Big Red Ball album, sounding fantastic on this Sunday morning. He surely sounded better than I did at the time. Haha. There was some excellent fiddle work from Ray in this version of “Take Me Back” pretty early on which was, in turn, complemented by Miller’s banjo stylings a bit further into things. I was loving the vocal harmonies in this one, too. There’s quite a few members of Grand Ole’ Ditch and, as such, you get the opportunity for some pretty big vocal texture which is supremely satisfying to the musical palate. Their next tune they dedicated to Craig’s son, which is always nice thing to see. Family, right? Precisely. Lots of great Jody dobro going on throughout in this instrumental. My goodness do I love the timbre of that instrument — the sound is just so entrancing. Especially in the hands of an expert player like Mosser. Pappy Biondo, Joe Dep, and Brittany Haas then joined the Ditch boys on stage for a rollicking good time in the form of “Mama Don’t Allow No Music”, a rowdy Jody-led piece. And, it just so happens we have a nice, big clip of the whole thing to show you right here:

Sunday Funday and we kicked things off with some Grand Ole' Ditch, why not? Perfect way to shake out the cobwebs from a few days of festying. Pappy Biondo, Joe Dep, and Brittany Haas joined in the fun on this one. Check it out!!

Now wasn’t that just a kick in the pants? Super fun times with super great musicians. That’s pretty much DelFest in a nutshell. Then it was time for some music from their new album, Unwind: “Copper Coal Kettle” is a gritty, dirty, but oh-so-good trip through some western Maryland newgrass. Craig was back on the vocals for this one leading the band through the wide and varied musical landscape to include the super Pink Floyd-feeling mellow middle breakdown that picks up into a more of a party tempo at a moment’s notice thanks to the deft drumming of Todd Hocherl. Later on down the set we were treated to more of the new album with the title track, “Unwind”, a speedy and catchy ditty to be sure. One that will find its way into your mind often. It certainly whipped the crowd into a joyous frenzy well enough: lots of dancing. Lots. The gents all sounded fantastic on their respective instruments, too, trading solo parts back and forth so adeptly. They took “Unwind” directly into a personal favorite of mine, “Pigeon Eatin’ Catfish”, another fast-paced, energetic romp and stomp of bluegrass enjoyment led by Miller on the vocals. This one gave the boys each an opportunity to rock it out on their chosen instruments, like Lucas Mathews’s phatty solo on mandolin counterpointing all of Jody’s crazy amazing dobro goodness. Another incredibly fun ride at the hands of Grand Ole’ Ditch. What a Sunday morning show!! Wowsers. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Ray and his fiddle in this one as well — so very good. There is no doubt that man earned his nickname very honestly. Jody’s dobro provided the sweet lead in for the next number to which Ryan Hohing’s guitar answered, firing up this instrumental as each member came in one by one. I hadn’t heard this one before and didn’t catch its name, sadly, because I was really into its mellow groove. Some tunes are just super pleasant, right? More lovely mando work from Luke stood out for me here, only to be answered by Craig’s banjo and Ray’s fiddle. Really dug that little tune. Finally, a bit later on, they closed down their set with a speedy version of Jerry Garcia’s “Shady Grove” which turned into a giant dance-fest out in the crowd. We were eating it up, too…like a pigeon eatin’ catfish. A supremely fine way to finish up another DelFest show for these hometown heroes. An encore opportunity saw the band play “Blue Light” which was pure bluegrass right up to the last note. And it was yet one more fast dancin’ song, too! Kicking up our heels until the very end, not a bad way to start a Sunday. So many thanks to Grand Ole’ Ditch for all the smiles and magnificent music. Sure would love to get these fellas out to Colorado…hmmmm. Might just have to see about that. Cheers, boys!!

Cabinet

Main stage time with Pennsylvania’s Cabinet. How lucky was that? From the first time I saw these gentlemen (at DelFest, no less), I was hooked on their particular style of string band badassery. High energy? Damn straight. Great songwriting? Damn skippy. Olympic-level musicianship? Damn right. There are so many reasons to love this band, I could write the entire remainder of the review on just that. But, I bet you’d like to read a bit about their music now, wouldn’t you? So would I! Let’s do that! They took a groovy, mellow approach to the intro of their first song, beguiling all of us and bringing us further in before letting loose with “Hit It on the Head” in full force, guitars blazing and fiddle wailing away, banjo on the merry bandwagon, too. Boom! And we were all hit on the head with some Cabinet. Todd Kopec’s familiar fiddling was ever-present throughout, sewing this song together like a musical needle and thread, shred and thread. So much of that tasty good up energy that you can expect so very much of from this band. They took this directly into “Celebration” with Pappy Biondo at the helm for the lead vocals. His cousin, J.P. Biondo was dominating the mando as usual, working that wee fretboard like the pro that he is. Pappy threw down some of his unique banjosity for us, too, rounding out that comprehensive ensemble sound that is Cabinet. Great message to this song, as well…we really do need to love one another. Like sisters and brothers. Music like this never lies. A little later in the set, the band introduced Josh Karis, their new drummer, to the crowd during the soft and intense building intro to “Caroline”. Of course, we all applauded and cheered and made the newest member of the Cabinet family feel welcome. And then “Caroline” built and built and built based on the singing of the band and the crowd (as encouraged) as well as the energy of the percussion section, Karis and Jami Novak. They traded the mellower feeling for a bounce back up to the rafters once more with “Shined Like the Sun” which they went directly into through a big, bold jam. What a roller coaster ride!! So much good music coming out of those speakers at us. Pappy was back up to the mic for “Shined”, crooning to us in that signature voice of his. Really dug Dylan Skursky’s bass line in this one — it stuck out for me in a positive way, driving the song forward and dovetailing into the drums doing the same. Not always easy to get all the bass you might want in a big band…no complaints though. Nothing like the musical texture of a band like Cabinet. Todd also nailed down a serious fiddle solo about hallway through only to hand things off to Mickey Coviello on electric guitar for a mighty fine solo of his own then only to give the reigns back to Kopec and then back to Mickey once more. Damn. Incredible work gents. Super fun musical moments. Later still in their set, J.P. stepped up to the mic to take lead vocals on “Bottom of the Sea” which we have for you now, good people:

And the fun just kept going on Sunday at DelFest -- this time on the main stage with Pennsylvania's Cabinet. Boy do we love this band!! And why not? They are pretty durn amazing. But why take our word for it when you can check 'em out yourself??

Pretty wonderful music, right friends? I mean, you can see this band’s huge appeal, right? Just wait until you see them live if you haven’t already. Further on down the line came the rip-roaring thrill-a-minute known as “Susquehanna Breakdown”, an instrumental of enjoyably monstrous proportions. Lots and lots of wicked good soloing on all instruments, from mando to banjo to guitar to fiddle and back again and again. Holy schneikies! So very good! And, just like, that…BANG!! The song was over and we were all reeling from the shockwave of awesome. The boys in the band invited their friend Sierra Hull out to play with them on the next song, “99 Years (And One Dark Day)”, Cabinet’s premier prison song. That was something I felt was even more in abundance this year at DelFest: guesting in. There just seemed to be that much more it going on which was wonderful. Mickey had a supremely good guitar solo in “99 Years”, in addition to Sierra’s amazing work, herself. That lady is such a superb player and such a great guest to have sit in. Brava! “Cut Down Tree” served as the closer for this huge main stage set from Cabinet. Pappy was back at the mic for another solo and took us deftly to the end of the show. All the gents took their chance at another soloing go round pretty much all song long, instruments shining as their notes rang out in unison or harmonies with their fellows. And when things kicked double time for the breakdown? Forget about it. Just ridiculous. And a favorite of the crowd unless my eyes deceived me…some seriously crazy dancing going on out there in front of the stage. Huge ending had us all cheering for more. What a show from these boys from Pennsylvania! A big time thanks to them and all their people for making it to DelFest this year and adding their own brand of everything amazing to the mix. Cheers, fellas!!

The Del McCoury Band

Sunday evening and so it was that we all got another go round with Del McCoury and his magnificent band. Gathered in front of the DF main stage, we all readied ourselves for another exquisite set of classic bluegrass and audience favorites. And, of course, to hear our dear Pappy Del sing to us once more. As the gents took the stage in their best dress, we wondered at what precisely might be in store for us this eve. They certainly didn’t waste any time getting things going with “Loneliness and Desperation”, Rob McCoury leading everything off with his almighty banjo. Jason Carter’s fiddle shone throughout the song as well, providing a fitting complement to Del’s quintessential bluegrass voice. Not to be outdone by his brother or Jason, Ronnie McCoury delivered a might mandolin solo to the delight of the crowd…almost as much delight as when Del hit those hight notes. Talk about a way to make a Del audience smile ear to ear and give a hoot and holler, too. High notes. Yes, please. “She’s Left Me Again” was their second song of the evening, a sad tale meted out in very incredible three-part harmony between Del, Jason, and Ronnie. Just fabulous through and through. One of the many, many reasons I love bluegrass music so much is that very thing: incredible harmonies. And Del rooting things down on guitar alongside Alan Bartram on bass, classic bluegrass style. Boy does their music certainly evoke strong feelings in a person, transporting her/him to far off places and back again. Truly delightful. Ronnie was up to the mic to lead things in the direction of “Thanks A Lot”, a personal favorite of mine and of much of the audience, apparently. Great minds think alike, right? Some supremely fine fiddle coming down from Carter’s neck of the stage during this song answered by Ronnie’s own getting down on mando. Quite seriously, these have to be some of the very best musicians in the genre. Hell, in many genres for that matter. Good times and very happy with the show thus far! A little later down the set, Del took the lead again for “Same Kind of Crazy”, a song about finding just that perfect mirrored freak in your intended counterpart. Love at first madness, maybe? Or maybe just shared madness. Del certainly had his own feelings on the issue to be sure. Great back and forth between everyone in the band during the breakdowns between the verses — really exceptional music. Next up was a wicked fast fiddle tune led by Jason but featuring every single man’s fingers flying over fretboard of his chosen instrument. I missed the name of the tune but I didn’t miss a note of that freight train barreling towards us all at a ludicrous speed (any Spaceballs fans out there?) colliding with our consciousness and inspiring smile after smile after smile. So freakin’ fast they play. So fast! Superheroes dwell among us my friends…know them by the musical demigod aura they most assuredly emanate. And Del and band might have just as well been the musical Avengers. Alan Bartram was up the microphone for lead vocals on the next song, a slower number called the “Kentucky Waltz”. And, it just so happens that we recorded the entire thing just for you, friend!! How lucky, right?

Sunday evening at DelFest was a delight with The Del McCoury Band on the main stage. Alan Bartram took to the mic for this one, a lovely waltz. The "Kentucky Waltz" to be exact. Hope you love it!!

My gosh does that bass playin’ man have some seriously awesome vocal cords! I do so love it when he sings us one. Then came one of those crowd pleasers I was talking about: “Henry Walker”. Del at the helm, he sang us through this dark tale with grace and style, his band of merry music makers in full support. A little further down the set, Woody Guthrie’s grandson came out to play dobro with them for the next number, Guthrie’s own “Californy Gold”. Carter was on point with his fiddle providing some lovely color to the song, notes floating over and around the lyrics sung by Del. Nothing like getting to hear a little dobro alongside Del Band, right? Maybe they’ll hire a full-time dobro player…a boy can dream, can’t he? Speaking of dobro, Woody’s grandson certainly knew his way around the instrument, laying down a mean solo for us a few minutes in. Further on into the set, Ronnie’s son, Evan, joined in on guitar for some of the fun as well as Conner Broome on the keys. Del crooned out the lyrics to this one for us, teaching us all about coming to terms with life’s sad state of affairs when it comes to love. Or lack thereof. “Learnin’ the Blues” is a, ahem, blueprint for doing just such a thing. Loved the interplay between Jason and Rob on this one, fiddle and banjo shining out respectively. Conner nailed his keyboard solo to the ground, it certainly must be said. That young man has a very bright musical future, indeed. A bit later still “Black Jack County Chains” was on the docket for us, Del at the mic to give us more of what we all wanted, what we all came for. “Feel it in your bones” bluegrass. Ah, so nice. And such a robust set chock full of it, too. You always get so much from a Del Band show, quality, quantity, you name it. Close on “Black Jack’s” heels came the bullet train experience that is “All Aboard”, Evan McCoury still on stage playing guitar alongside these greats and more than holding his own. Always and forever the crowd pleaser, this one didn’t disappoint that night in Cumberland, you can count on that. The band’s instruments rang out measure after measure constantly building and rebuilding the texture as the song hurtled along at Del speed. (Which is a mightily speedy speed at that!) I have distinct and pleasant memories of Ronnie’s mandolin that keep coming back to me when I think about this song. What a way to close out a show!! Then, after a short time offstage, the band returned and Vassar McCoury, Rob’s young son, joined in for the first encore alongside his cousin, Evan…and which song? Why “Cold Rain and Snow”, of course. There were quite the number of voices singing along with Del to this one. I can’t imagine why. Jason showed us all how it’s done a number of times taking up the melody line on his fiddle and killing it. And I’ll always love hearing Del play guitar, hearing him lead those chords, picking away. And, boy, does that gentleman sure look stately when holding that six-string. After “Cold Rain and Snow” they launched into a big, fun version of “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” which was followed by the “Whitehouse Blues”. So it was to be hard drivin’, fast pickin’ until the very end, huh? Well, alrighty then, if we must, we must. And we did. Lightning quick work all around from every man, Rob and Ronnie hot on their instruments, Jason and Alan working the same and then Del, of course, rhythm guitar to the core. One helluva big encore ender for a big, big show. And the screams from the crowd — deafening in such an awesome way. Del and his band had done it once again. They had performed the magic spells and created that cosmic awesomeness once more that is their fabulous music. And I was so grateful to have heard it all. So grateful. A massive thanks to Mr. McCoury, the members of his band, and to all those hard-working folks in Del and DelFest’s employ for such an incredible time and festival. Cheers to one and all for making things so very special this year!!

Greensky Bluegrass

And bringing up the closing spot on the main stage for DelFest 9, you say? Why it just so happens that it was Greensky Bluegrass, those wild and wonderful fellows from Kalamazoo, MI. And they helped bring the outdoor portion of DF to an end in a mighty fine fashion, playing hits and covers and all the good stuff. Truly this band gets better and better each time I see them, a trend that has continued for many years now and doesn't seem to show any signs of slacking anytime soon. Our boys got things going with a rousing “Jaywalking” after Joe Craven’s simply stellar introduction of the band. It seemed a perfect beginning in the cooling night air, the stars peeking out over Cumberland. Here is some video footage of that very song and including Joe’s intro (which you’ll dig). Please enjoy!!

The final main stage show at DelFest 2016 rested on the stout musical shoulders of Greensky Bluegrass. One of those bands that gets that much better every time you see them, GSBG nailed down a killer performance on Sunday. This is how it all began... Enjoy!!!

And now you’re off to the races with us! Not too shabby a start, no? Let’s keep going! A quick-paced “Burn Them” followed “Jaywalking”, Paul Hoffman back at the microphone for the lead. Some adept work from Dave Bruzza on guitar served to color the landscape of the song as did that mando of Paul’s. Let us not forget Anders Beck’s dobro, either. Ever present as a part of the musical fabric or standing out to solo, that sound is unmistakable and always welcome. “What if sorrows swim?” Not the most attractive prospect. Guess we’ll need to burn them, right? A little later in the setprovided us with a lengthy and super fun “Broke Mountain Breakdown”, an instrumental of monumental proportions. Simply astounding work all around from each member of the band. Bruzza’s guitar singing out into the night air, Hoffman’s mando taking care of the high end of things with aplomb, Beck and his dobro. That lovely, lovely dobro. Made for a great combined moment when all the band stopped for a big “Del Yeah!” right in the middle of the tune. Michael Bont’s solo a couple of minutes into the piece was nothing short of inspired. And that’s the way things continued throughout “Broke Mountain”, with the solo passing back and forth like a jar of shine, from member to member and back again. What a breakdown it was, too! So much good music for 10 plus minutes. Talk about your value, right? That and so much more. Hoffman even threw in some tiny “I Feel Like Bustin’ Loose” teases for good measure. Love it! Further still down the set we got this big version of “Demons” that went directly into Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark”. “Demons” sounded fantastic, augmented in all the right ways by Paul’s baller mandolin solo not to mention his spot-on vocals. No doubts that gentleman can sing and sing very well. Big, meaty guitar solo from Dave in this one, too. Really made for a robust version of the song, especially with Anders answering on so deftly on dobro. “Dancing in the Dark” saw Hoffman channel his inner Boss while laying down some of that all-American music Springsteen is so well-known for. It certainly was a nice treat for the crowd, lots of whom took the opportunity to sing along with Phoffman. Good times to be sure. Next up was the heartfelt and mellow but intense “In Control”. Such a lovely song and so well executed at DF that night. So much tasty, tasty dobro from Mr. Beck throughout the song…makes for such an enjoyable musical journey. Gorgeous ensemble work here, too, giving license for the boys to do some rather pretty things over the top, like Mike’s banjo solo soaring over the remaining instrumental framework like a bird on the wing. They took this directly into “Letter to Seymour” which followed, Dave Bruzza at the mic for lead vocals. Hard drivin’, fast pickin’ was the name of this game, their fingers so many blurs as they screamed over the smoking fretboards assembled on stage. Now that’s what we call good music! Later on down the set the fellas gave us a nice long version of “Leap Year” which we ate up with glee. Nothing like getting a long, righteous jam from these insanely skilled individuals. Which meant lots of magnificent soloing, of course! And thank all the music gods for that! Bruzza was a beast on that guitar of his, moving things forward with a buoyant energy which he handed off to Hoffman, who took things and ran with them on his mando. All this incredible only led us to some mellow stylings from your man, Mr. Beck, on that legendary dobro of his…and to a super chill central jam in the middle, Bruzza back around to dominate again. You just get so much song when you plug into that GSBG energy. And this continued for a lovely, lengthy 13:42. Like I said, so much song. Classic Phoffman at the ending part of the jam and song with some big “I Feel Like Bustin’ Loose” teases…I think we’ve all come to rely on those over the past little while with these gents. And you never really know what the Phoff is going to do once under those colorful lights. More classic GSBG with their chosen closer, “Atlantic City”. Certainly one of the favorite covers songs of Greensky fans, this crowd seemed super happy to be getting this one as made apparent by their cheers and singing along. It made for a very fitting ending to this final main stage set at DelFest 9. The hoots and screams at the close of the song were mighty, indeed. It was an intense and special moment. The boys really sounded polished and professional all night long, doling out a strong setlist of super great music, great choices abounding for this DF crowd. A giant round of applause to every member of this fantastic band! Thank you all, as always, for what you do for you do it so very well. Thank you for sharing your music with us! See you in Telluride!!

Late Night - The Travelin’ McCoury’s featuring Keller Williams

Keller. The McCourys. Together. Live. I almost don’t really need to write any more than that. But I will because you need to hear at least a bit about how awesome this was. Besides, this was the final music of DelFest 9, the last notes would be played in the Music Hall that night. Plus, I mean: Keller. The McCourys! I mean, come on. Let’s do this, shall we? They kicked things off with a nice, long “Port-a-potty Line” (the song, not the line), building things from a super quiet intro through more and more intensity, the tempo increasing until they all launched into the lyrics. Funny, weird, and wonderful as always, that’s Keller’s music. And, in the hands of the McCourys, something special, indeed. Some really fine banjo from Mr. Rob McCoury at the behest of Keller Williams was surely welcome. Then some of the same from Rob McCoury on mandolin. Great energy to get all this going…lots of dancing feet, still up and running after days of the same. I was proud of my community. A little bit further into the set, we got a double-barreled whammy in the form of “I Am Elvis” directly into “Hot Stuff”. Another super mellow and spacey intro began this one, like on the album but a bit grittier, minutes stretching out into note after note, the quiet intensity changing ever so slowly into more and more until the familiar strains of the song proper take hold and the lyrics begin to spin out their craziness. Suffice it to say, this one takes you places. And it took us that night right smack into some of Donna Summer’s “Hot Stuff”. I’ve seen them do this song before and it’s really grown on me. Nothing like watching a bunch of bluegrassers channel their inner disco soul diva. These two songs did make for quite the pairing for a “to the very end” late night dance fest. And they were just sounding so very good playing together. I seriously urge you to see this act if it ever comes your way…you will not be disappointed. Like we weren’t disappointed remotely with Jason Carter’s fiddle playing in this one. Talk about your hot stuff! They played some numbers from the Pick album they all recorded together a few years ago, too, which sure was a treat. Like Alan Bartram up to the mic for the lead vocals on “Messed Up Just Right” a favorite song around The Lot Scene offices. Who doesn’t love clever word play? And really good bluegrass music. Add those together, and you’ve got yourself a stew goin’! Bartram knocked the lyrics out of the park, of course. It is no secret that man sings like a champ. Some nice moments from Ronnie and Jason, too. An all-around excellent version of this song. Bravi! Then it was time to take a little walk with the Dead, “Candyman” style. Keller was our lead man on this one, singing to a crowd who was singing along with him, the words so familiar to so many. This is just a great song to begin with…then you add the gents on stage and some DelFest to the mix? You had best stand back! What a pleasantly volatile cocktail that was!! They followed this with another great cover, Tom Petty’s “You Got Lucky Babe”, with a little bit of a vocal percussion intro from Keller. Fantastic arrangement of this song…really stayed true to the original but grassed it up in so many new ways at the same time. Besides, what crowd doesn’t like a little Tom Petty? Or a little Cody Kilby on guitar while they’re at it? Just how incredible is he? No, really. My hat is ever off to Mr. Kilby — such skills that pay the bills!! Further down the set we were gifted with a lengthy “Broken Convertible” with some awesome breakdowns in it. Lots of great jams in this set so far! Keller hammed it up something wonderful on the vocals for this one, the gents in harmonic support sounding superb themselves. A lovely round-robin of solo work from all the members of the band in this one, too. Rob, Ronnie, Jason, everyone sounded amazing, nice long jams giving them the opportunity to really shine. Cody and Alan had their own moments, of course. This was a big song with all sorts of music coming at us. It was magnificent. This was followed by more Dead with “I Know You Rider” which whipped that late night crowd into a hopping frenzy of fun loving and music mischief. “I wish I was a headlight on a northbound train!” rang the lyrics from the mouths of every person in the building, as we all screamed our happiness together. Sizzling hot fiddle from Jason in this one…so very good. Perfect. And then there was that smokin’ banjo solo from the Five-String Flamethrower right at the end which capped things off in excellent fashion. Bam! Just like that! Finally, later on a bit it was time to bring this marvelous set of music to a fitting end and what could have been more fitting than “Bumper Sticker”? I mean, the song calls out so many folks at DF this year by name, included Del, himself. It’s like a roster of great music within more music. How great is that? Despite it being late, we even got a cameo from Lisa McCoury, Rob’s wife, who came out and danced a bit for us. It was fantastic. This is a fast picker for sure, too, and the boys all just nailed down tight ensemble sound in quick time. And then, wham! It was over and we were all cheering like maniacs for an encore. Which, luckily, we got…gratefully. And some Foster the People, too. Have you heard Keller and the McCourys’ version of “Pumped Up Kicks”? It’s pretty sweet, I must admit. And, what’s that? More incredible vocal harmonies overlaying wicked hot instrumentals? Oh, please no. Anything but that! Rob was on fire on his banjo, fingers making it smoke from head to foot. Colby? Guitar god again as usual? You bet your boots, friends. Ronnie? Pure domination on mandolin? And with some “Hot Stuff” teases, too? Oh, Ronnie. Good stuff. And that central breakdown. Whew! What a thrill ride! Jason Carter laid down some deadly seriously fiddle as the band jammed around him with reckless abandon. Suffice it to say, this monster encore brought the house down at the end just like you’d have expected…faster and faster and faster until the very last vocals heralding the end of DelFest 9. A few thank yous and lots and lots of cheering and then, it was all over. So quickly, seeming, and yet, we’d been at this for days. But, what a way to end it all! What a DelFest! What a weekend! Many thanks to The Travelin’ McCourys and to Keller Williams for ushering us all to the other side with music unparalleled and enough energy to see us all back to our homes safely the following day.

And, while I’m on the subject of giving thanks, I merely want to say another round of thank yous to Del McCoury, his family, his band, and his people for all the magic they instill in DelFest, for all the warm welcoming they do all weekend long, and for simply being wonderful folks. Thanks to all the bands for the stellar music offerings throughout our days in Cumberland — your music clearly helped to make this the best DelFest yet. Bravi to one and all!! And a huge thanks to my community, my bluegrass family, my fellow Deltopians…you always make it so easy to do this thing that we do, and a helluva lot of fun to boot. I really can hardly wait for next year’s 10th Anniversary DelFest. Talk about your shenanigannery!! Guess we’ll just all have to wait a spell and see…

CLICK ON THE BANNER BELOW FOR OUR COMPLETE PHOTO GALLERIES FROM Sunday @ DELFEST!

DelFest 2016 - Photo Gallery - Sunday, 5/29/16

Thanks for reading everyone!! Next up? Telluride!!

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DelFest 9 - Festival Experience Archive - Friday

June 4, 2016

DelFest 9

Festival Experience Archive

for The Lot Scene by Parker

Friday Highlights

Grand Ole’ Ditch

Up and at ‘em Friday morning, we were ready to head to the Music Hall to catch some Grand Ole’ Ditch as they held their CD release party for their new album, Unwind. We had the distinct pleasure of reviewing Unwind over the past few weeks and really fell in love with the album. Great new and evolved sound from this high energy Cumberland band. It had been almost a year since I’d heard Ditch play so I was eager to hear some of these new songs live. Immediately they launched into the semi-quiet, slowly building intro of the title and first track of the album, “Unwind”, stepping off briskly into the song proper and into Craig Miller’s vocals. Great way to start an album and an even better way to start this particular show. Nice crowd in for the event, too…made for quite the celebratory and festive atmosphere. Following the album’s order, they took “Unwind” directly into “Whippoorwill” with Luke Mathews at the mic. I like this song for its tight ensemble sound between all the members of the band…it really gives the song a nice flow to follow. I really dig all the energy changes throughout the song as well because they make for a rich musical topography. So far, so great. Sounding lovely, boys!! The instrumental “Chester’s Breakdown” followed led by Jody Mosser on dobro. They invited the indomitable Miss Sierra Hull out on stage to join them for this one, her ever-present mandolin in hand. Here is how that magic went:

The talented Sierra Hull joined Ditch on the stage Friday morning at DelFest 9 for a rollicking version of "Chester's Breakdown" a lively instrumental from their new album, Unwind. And what a ride it was!!! Enjoy friends!!!

Love all the guesting in at DelFest!! It can make for such marvelous moments. Later down the set, “Fiddlin’ Ray” Bruckman stepped up to the mic for the classic cowboy-feeling song “Long to Come Home to Thee”. Nothing but “cowtown” all over this one. And I love it. It sounds amazing and definitely displays some of the breadth this band has developed over the years. Ray also delivered up some truly nice fiddle along the way, why not? Not to mention some of that sweet, sweet dobro from Jody and some serious banjo stylings from Craig. And let us never forget those gents who keep the whole event driving along: Jacob Mathews on bass, Ryan Hohing on guitar, and Todd Hocherl on drums. The Ditch Rhythm Section rolls deep, what can I say? What a swinging and enjoyable little number start to finish. Bravo! One of my faves from the album, “Copper Kettle Coal” came next and was followed by “This Time” both of which sounded damn near album perfect. And I guess that would make sense this being their release party and all. Great job, fellas. The band was certainly loving their time on stage, bouncing around with their instruments, et al. Love seeing that in a band. Nothing like watching them enjoy their profession as much as they do, shared smiles and happy energy. Ronnie McCoury joined them for “Dragon’s Breath” with Jody on guitar instead of dobro for this number. Hard drivin’, fast pickin’ to be sure, this is sizzling hot fiddle tune led by “Fiddlin’ Ray”. So much good soloing throughout this one by pretty much everybody. Ronnie sounded magnificent on his mando, of course. That man always brings so very much to the musical table. Bravo, good sir! They finished off the album a bit down the way with “Foolish Pride”, Craig back on lead vocals. Another fast-paced ride through great bluegrass, this is a perfect closer for an album and a perfect way to round things out at an album release party. Great fiddlin’ from Ray on this one as well as some super hot dobro from Jody. I definitely dig on the vocals in this one…a lot of vocal texture at certain points making for quite the wall of musical sound. Good stuff. As an encore Ditch treated us to an old Dillards' song, “Old Man at the Mill” with Jacob taking the solo for most of it. And what a treat!! “Ladies step forward and the gents step back!” And, just like that, the set came to a close to great applause from all of us in the Music Hall. Bravi to you, Ditch lads!!! Wonderful show and wonderful time. And not to mention the wonderful album, fellas. (Read my review of Unwind here.) Thanks for all the great music, once again!! Looking forward to more, my friends!!

Fruition

“Meet me, meet me on the mountain. Where the wind keeps blowin’ our blues away…” …is precisely how Fruition’s main stage set on Friday afternoon began. “Meet Me on the Mountain” is a song they recorded with The Grant Farm on an EP called Meeting on the Mountain. Gorgeous vocals, lovely harmonies, such soulful solo singing, heart-grabbing in-your-soul instrumental grooving. Oh, you betcha! That moment when the instruments enter into the equation in full force: intensely magic. And I could listen to Jay Cobb Anderson croon all day long. That man has some serious pipes and knows how to use them. We also got a delightful mandolin solo from Mimi Naja before song’s end. Does this band know how to make a musical entrance or what? Awesomesauceness. So far Fruition was kicking some serious tail at their first DelFest and that should come as no surprise to any who know these astounding musicians from Portland, OR. They followed up with “Blue Light”, a super catchy song that is a personal favorite. And, it just so happens, we nabbed it on video for you:

More goodness from Fruition at DelFest 9!!! This time from their Friday afternoon set on the main stage. Even through the deluge of rain and horrendous winds, the band played on as everyone danced in the downpour. Thank goodness no one was hurt and the music could continue!!! Please enjoy!!!

What a way to keep amping things up, right? That’s what I thought, too. Bonnie Paine from Elephant Revival brought her washboard out on stage to join them up next for “The Wanter”. Who doesn’t love a little washboard in their Fruition? Especially in the hands of someone so deft at it as Bonnie. Mimi was at the helm of this one spanking the lead vocals summarily. So much good energy to this one — had us all dancing where we stood. Some really groovy guitar work from Jay, too. Fun times all around with this song…many thanks, guys! Tyler Thompson drummed out a mighty fine intro to the following song, the Kellen Asebroek-led “Above the Line”. It must be mentioned here that Jeff Leonard’s ever-present foundation on bass is like a good friend who chills with you all show just hanging and never letting you down. It’s so very nice. There was some supremely awesome interplay between Mimi and Jay on mandolin and guitar, respectively…several very incredible musical moments. They took “Above the Line” directly into the title track from their new album, Labor of Love, Bonnie remaining on stage for another go round. Jay was just meant to sing songs like this. And, believe-you-me, there is no labor in loving this band. Whatsoever. A little later down the set Bridget Law from Elephant Revival joined Fruition for some fun while the rain poured down on the crowd. A lot of people scattered but so many chose to stay in the downpour and dance their faces off. “Beside You” is a sweet and tender Mimi-led love song that cascaded gently from the speakers and splashed joyfully down upon the smiling rain-soaked masses in front of the stage. Some very lovely harmonies await one lucky enough to hear this one. Just delightful, really. And that fiddle! Thank you, Bridget!! Wowsers. Then the rain got even worse but the people stayed on. Through the thunder. Through the wind. Through the lightning. It was an impressive display of human dedication to music and community. Kellen was back up to the mic for “Boil Over” which is a sizzling hot roller coaster ride through some marvelous musical mayhem. Sounds fun, right? Well it most certainly is. And was. People were going nuts in the rain to this, running around and jumping and kicking like happy horses in a pasture. It was really happy-making to behold. Later on down the set we got a real treat with a Led Zeppelin cover led by none other than Jay Cobb Anderson. And he sounded magnificent on “Hey Hey What Can I Do”, I mean, just like Robert Plant. Fruition playing Zeppelin? Are you kidding me? Holy goodness!! So good!! Kellen was back up to the mic for a song he wrote called “The Meaning” also from their new album. It was a mild and easy-going way to end their set and perfect for the rain. What a show from Fruition at what will only be the first of many DelFests for them!! Way to knock it out of the park both days, you guys!! So amazing…so many thanks to you all!!

The Infamous Stringdusters featuring Nicki Bluhm

Then it was time to get dusty with The Infamous Stringdusters on the main stage, DelFest-style. The rain was still falling lightly as they took the stage, their friend and collaborative partner, Nicki Bluhm, sure to not be far behind. Dust. Rain. Mud. Let’s dust it up!! The fellas kicked things off with a speedy “Peace of Mind”, an old favorite of mine and of many folks in the crowd who chose to sing along. I ate up the round robin of instrumental work from man to man and back again throughout the song. The musical texture as a result was fabulous as usual. And those harmonies! Some of the best vocals in the business today, in my opinion. These boys sing and sing well!! Big thanks to Andy Hall for just completely owning his lengthy and lovely dobro solo for me…I mean, it felt like a personal gift. So I’m sticking to it. The soft and sweet “Night on the River” followed “Peace of Mind” with Travis Book up to the mic for the lead vocals. I’ll tell you what…that man can croon, too!! And he sounded fantastic, especially juxtaposed to Jeremy Garrett’s supremely fine fiddling. A light lucid daydream, this one, amidst the sparse droplets of water still floating down from the clearing skies. Especially the spacey jam at the end, the kind that takes you places you want to go. Like directly into the next song, for instance. “Well, Well” sped the tempo back up again with Garrett taking both vocal and fiddle solos to task as the band gelled both songs together and then let rip with the new. Chris Pandolfi threw down some serious banjo attitude on the ever-popular cover “Big River” (originally recorded by Johnny Cash and played to prominence by The Grateful Dead) which came next. Talk about making that 5-string sing!! Only to hand the reigns over to Hall on dobro so he could kick a little ass, too. Love this version of this song. So far, so wonderful with this Dusters set, huh? We all sure thought so! Later on down the set, Nicki did, indeed, make an appearance to sing with the gents. “See How Far You’ve Come” was the first selection that they performed together, one of the tracks from the Dusters’ new collaborative album, Ladies & Gentlemen. This is a gorgeous piece with lots of tasty dobro for those so inclined, which I am. They followed this with “Run to Heaven” another track from their new album. There is certainly a good musical marriage there between Bluhm and the Dusters. A whole new elemental feeling is created on stage when she joins them — it’s pretty special. Then they all channeled their inner Jefferson Airplane for a grassed-up version of “Somebody to Love” which sounded fantastic. Bluhm simply destroyed those vocals so mad props to her, to be sure. Andy Falco’s facial expressions during the jams on this song were priceless. Clearly someone was having a magnificent time. Weren’t we all? Later on down the set we were treated to some delicious vocal harmonies in the form of a merrymaking Public Service Announcement by the name of “Let It Go”. A super positive message of hope and help all sung to super awesome vocal music? Why, yes, please!! And thank you! Then, a bit later on down the line it was time to close things out. And just how did they decide to end their ridiculously good main stage set? How about with a little “Fork in the Road” directly into The Dead’s “Jack Straw”? Pretty durn sweet, huh? And, it just so happens that we were able to get them both on video just for you!! Also pretty durn sweet, right? Well, here you go, good people…enjoy!!

The Infamous Stringdusters closed out their Friday set at DelFest 9 with a bang. "Fork in the Road" into "Jack Straw"?? How exquisite!! Nothing like a big Dead ender, right? And despite the rain, too!! Nothing could stop the Dusters...or us!!! Enjoy...

Many thanks to The Infamous Stringdusters and Nicki Bluhm for absolutely fabulous time!! Cheers to one and all!!

The Del McCoury Band

We walked back to the main stage area just as Del and his erstwhile band of musical magicians were firing up their set with “Traveling Teardrop Blues”, fast pickin’ abounding. It had been a soggy day at DelFest yet spirits were all still higher than high given the influx of so much incredible string band music. More than enough to sustain the soul for a few lifetimes, no doubt. Rob McCoury and his brother Ronnie both had standout roles in this one complemented by Jason Carter’s fiddle stylings. And then Mr. McCoury, Del, himself. Where would we all be without the singing of Del McCoury? That instantly recognizable timbre of a man whose music we love so intently. Please, sing to us Del!! Then it was time to slow things down a bit, waltz-style, with “Bluest Man in Town” only to speed them back up again with Scruggs’s “The Bluegrass Breakdown” which followed. I love that good back-and-forth in a setlist from one kind of energy to the next. So much fast and incredible musicianship in that “Breakdown”, too. Rob was a blur on his banjo and Ronnie answered suit, mando-style. And do you think Jason would stay silent? Hardly! He jumped into the fray, sawing away on that fiddle of his and kicking things into high gear. How much fun was this?? Ronnie McCoury stepped up to the mic for the lead vocals on “Walk Out in the Rain” which came next in line that set. Definitely a personal favorite of mine and they doled out an extremely fine version of it for us. Besides, I just love to hear Ronnie sing, too. He and his father sound so similar, but I understand how that goes. And, of course, that similarity is in no way bad thing…the precise opposite, in fact. Ronnie also decided to give us all a big ol’ mando solo while he was at it. Hey, why not? Supremely great stuff right there. And now it’s time for another video! This time? “Limehouse Blues”, a Robbie McCoury-led instrumental piece. Take a look and enjoy!!

Time for some of that fast pickin' from the one and only Rob McCoury of The Del McCoury Band. Not to be outshone by the rest of the band, of course!! One of those amazing instrumentals from Del and the boys. So much fun!! Hope you enjoy!!

Excellence. Just pure excellence. But, then again, it is the Del McCoury Band we’re talking about here. “Nashville Cats” followed “Limehouse” telling us that familiar story of music-making in Nashville and the challenges inherent therein. Del sure hammed it up on the mic in between verses which was a hoot and holler. How can’t you just adore that dynamic man? A little later on in the set Alan Bartram took lead vocals for an old Hank Williams song called “You Win Again” strutting his own vocal stuff for us. And that man sure can sing. And that’s in a band filled with great singers. So much different musical sound and timbre and texture from a band like this. Ensures you could never, ever get remotely bored with their music. Bored with Del Band?? Hardly!! Later still down the set, they took one from their new album Del and Woody, a Woody Guthrie song called “Cornbread and Creek Water”. Fast pickin’? Whew! You had best believe it! Lots of super fast playing on this one driving it forward. Such a pleasure and privilege to hear some of this old Guthrie come to light at the hands of The Del McCoury Band! What a wonderful present. Truly. A bit down the set we were treated to some of that extremely fine and well-developed vocal harmony for which this band is almost infamous in “Count Me Out”. Such lovely blend! But also a song about drawing a seemingly much-needed line in the sand. Sometimes those are necessary…even in bluegrass music. Gorgeous song nevertheless and always a good addition to a Del Band setlist. Next up was another song by the great Hank Williams: “Train Wreck of Emotion”. This one was filled with plenty of good pickin’ by one and all, making the song sing speedily along. “I'm lyin' in the rubble cinder, smoke and ash. My heart still poundin' from the impact of the crash. I can see tomorrow's headlines, 'Heartbroke from blind devotion’. Just another victim of a trainwreak of emotion.” Now that, my friends, is some serious song-writing. Bravo to both The Del McCoury band and Mr. Williams for such an enjoyable jaunt through emotional hard times. Certainly proved a huge crowd pleaser to be sure. Excellence. “Working on a Building” made its appearance later on in the set, Del just nailing high note after high note all within a tight and polished vocal harmonic texture. Always the catchy one, I noted many, many mouths in the crowd singing along to the words with Del and company. We were all working on a DelFest, that was certainly the truth. And a fan-freakin’-tastic DelFest to boot!! Towards the close of this giant set of incredible bluegrass enjoyment and fun a couple of the true blue crowd favorites appeared on the scene. First, “1952 Vincent Black Lightning” came roaring out to the delight of the audience. Talk about a preferred song, eh? Everyone went nuts as Del invited us all to sing along. We do love our “Vincent” after all. It sounded just as wonderful as always, that tragic tale of love and motorbikes. Which certainly prepared us all for the closing “All Aboard” which came a little later on. As intense and explosive as ever, this one threw us all into a dancing frenzy as we listened to the entire band just nail this one to the wall (as usual). What a way to end an incredible show such as this!! No surprises here…just super happy and satisfied bluegrass fans. The best kind, right? A HUGE thanks to Mr. McCoury and his stupendous band for all of the amazing we just soaked in from that stage. The reason for this fest in the first place, it is always a privilege and honor to see Del play alongside his sons and the rest of the band. Bravi to you all, gentleman, and thanks again. What a weekend so far and it was only halfway through!! How exciting to think of Saturday and Sunday to come…but you’ll just have to wait a spell, alright?

CLICK ON THE BANNER BELOW FOR OUR COMPLETE PHOTO GALLERIES FROM Friday @ DELFEST!

DelFest 2016 - Photo Gallery - Friday, 5/27/16

Keep your eyes peeled for Saturday and Sunday coverage coming your way soon!!

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All Good Music Festival 2015 - Summit Point, WV - Friday

July 16, 2015

All Good Music Festival 2015

Festival Experience Archive

for The Lot Scene by Parker

Friday

Cabinet - Turkuaz - Grand Ole’ Ditch - Railroad Earth - The Word - Joe Russo’s Almost Dead - Lettuce

A mighty, mighty day of music t’was Friday at All Good this year. So many fantastic bands, so much fantastic music — it’s going to take us a little while to stroll through it all. I guess we had better get started, hadn’t we? It was definitely warmer day out as we made our way back into the venue, however, a sky full of billowy white clouds helped to cool our heads throughout the afternoon. Luckily the weather never got unbearably hot during the course of the weekend, although it certainly stayed warm until the end. After hitting up the watering station as per usual we descended back down into the bowl in time for Cabinet to throw down some more fast pickin’ on the Crane Stage at noon.

Things got going with “The Dove” with all of us grooving to the funky backbeat as J.P. Biondo lamented the sad tale of losing one’s love never to get her back. A strong start which slammed delightfully right into the aural arcane enigma that is Cabinet’s “Mysterio” — but why take my meager word for it when you can see for yourself?

Cabinet was fortunate enough to snag two sets at All Good 2015 -- here is how their second set opened on Friday.

And the hits just kept coming. “Heavy Rain”, with its loud, lovely rigorously good harmonies was up next which most definitely had us all singing along and dancing to the fine fiddle stylings of Todd Kopec. This band commands so much talent and skill, especially in the songwriting arena — so much of their music is just loads of fun or extremely poignant or full of feeling that it makes one of their shows a marvelous roller coaster ride through a thoroughly enjoyable musical landscape. What a treat it was to get a second set from them this year! The boys followed next with a little “Nashville Blues” action - “Because people here, Lord, they treat me fine. First they give me beer, Lord, they give me moonshine!” What a line! Even if shine isn’t your cup of, well, shine, you have to concede the poetry there. Well, I suppose you don’t have to — not in the business of giving orders here at The Scene. But you smell what I’m stepping in, right? Right. Then they slowed things down a little and moved us onto a nice crowd favorite with “Caroline”, the oh-so familiar melody drifting out over the sea of faces under a hot West Virginia sun. This was a rather stellar version that contained a huge and exceptional jam at the end with some incredible fiddle work from Todd and some great interplay between Pappy’s banjo lines and J.P.’s mando — mad good music from every angle. Later on down the set came the song that made me a Cabinet fan and, as such, I was thrilled for its inclusion: “Mr. Spaceman” which was, as always, a light-hearted tale of alien abduction punctuated by superb instrumentals. Thanks for that little gift, fellas!! Even Andy Goessling of Railroad Earth stopped by to lend some saxophone chops to the mix by set’s end!! Another incredible show from Cabinet — these boys gave us both barrels over the course of two days and left us all still wanting more! That’s one of the hallmarks of a great band, my friends!! And that, is most certainly what Cabinet is. And more. See you lads on Jam Cruise this year — hell yeah!!

Turkuaz. Dragon Stage. Friday afternoon. This nine-person dance music dynamo from Brooklyn walked out and took over the stage immediately as if they owned the place. And, after their first few songs it was apparent that they did, in fact, own All Good for that set. And they owned it so well!! Pretty impressive swagger for their first time here — and with good reason. Their opener set the tone for this maddeningly fun fox trot with frivolity:

Turkuaz killed it at All Good 2015 -- here is how they kicked things off!!

And now you have to listen to me some more. Kind of sad, right, when compared to that delight, right? I promise to try and not bore you. But, no promises, OK? OK. Moving on. They continued with the brassy and sassy “Future 86” hanging on that powerful and pretty damn amazing vocal duo, Sammi Garett and Shira Elias. Man, can those ladies wail!! Wowsers! As if Turkuaz could please the crowd any further at this point they whipped out a super tight and gratifying “Bubba Slide” — nothing like watching Chris Brouwers play trumpet and keys simultaneously…that is some serious skill to be sure. And rather entertaining no doubt. I need to take a quick moment to tell you just how good this band sounds in person, how their wave of sweet sonority washes over you, coats your being in goodness, and brings a smile to the lips and jig to the midsection: it is pretty special and most definitely worth checking out. Find some dates and see these folks soon — well, only if you like good music, that is. But that’s between you and the mirror, no? “Lookin' Tough, Feelin' Good” was next in line for our musical delight, with its driving energy and feeling reminiscent a bit of The Talking Heads (with a major horn section — who tore things apart all set long I feel need to mention). Their version of Traffic’s iconic “Feelin’ Alright” was a very nice and well-executed surprise with yet more excellent horn work from Chris, Greg Sanderson, and Josh Schwartz. This was my first time seeing Turkuaz and I know that I couldn’t possibly be my last after how much freakin’ fun those guys were!! Any group that can transport you on a magic carpet of musicianship away from the heat and humidity and into a place of pure musical enjoyment is a band worth anyone’s time, everyone’s time. This, my friends, is such a band. In spades. Go. See. Turkuaz!

After Turkuaz wrapped, we hightailed it over to the Believe in Music Stage to get in on some Grand Ole’ Ditch action, All Good-style. Playing their first All Good as well, the boys from Cumberland, MD, pulled out all the stops and gave one hell of a great show that Friday afternoon. The band opened with “Open Road” (fitting, no?) setting the tone immediately for their set, Jody Mosser’s masterful dobro and lead vocals starting us all into the next 45 minutes of powerhouse pickin’, done the Ditch way. It sure is a treat to watch Jody play, him being one of those musicians who wears his joy and fulfillment at his job written all over his face for all to see. Once again, though, why just read when you can experience, too? VIDEO

The fellas from Cumberland, MD, made their All Good debut this past Friday on the Believe in Music Stage. Tore. It. Up. Thanks, Ditch!!

They followed next with the bouncing and driving “Unwind” taking that right into “Whippoorwill”. After that we got a reggae-ed up treat of an old Dillards song, “Man at the Mill”, which grooved and funked to the backbeat all punctuated by the sounds of dobro and mandolin. A really cool tune to be sure — grateful to have gotten that one. Then it was time for some hard drivin’ fast pickin’ in the form of the instrumental “Chester’s Breakdown” featuring some truly fine fiddle fronting from 'Fiddlin' Ray Bruckman. Craig Miller jumped up and sang us the next song, “Take Me Back”, all the while doling out some right dandy banjo. I really enjoyed this one, featuring some really cool multi-vocal lines and tight harmonies. Looking forward to hearing it again sometime soon. Sitting under the azure blue skies with a slight breeze blowing cooling the head the thought occurred to me at just how incredible this all was and how thankful I was to be there hearing such lovely music in such a lovely setting. And surrounded by lovely people, of course! Which made the whirlwind instrumental ride that came up next so fantastic — “Dragon’s Breath” was populated by massive amounts of great music and skill, each member trading the solo back and forth with ease and precision, especially Ryan Hohing shredding things to pieces on guitar. Also of note, Todd Hocherl’s drumming really anchors the intensity of this band, providing so much of the driving force and feeling that, in my opinion, helps make Ditch the superlative band that they are. Then we were treated to a selection from their new album called “Cabins in the Laurel” featuring Lucas Matthews on lead vocals — how lucky to get yet another “Colorado” song in the grass and jam world repertoire and a great one at that!! Being from Boulder I am very prejudiced (how could I not be?) when it comes to songs about my state and, I must admit, I just love the ever-growing body of them. And “Cabins” is most definitely a welcome addition to the mix! Thanks for that little gift, boys! And thanks for that sweet, sweet guitar solo, Jody! Later down the set we got some Del McCoury action in with a little “I’ve Endured” finally closing things down with “Bluelight” the smiles on each face up there a perfect display of the joy we all felt at the Believe in Music Stage that afternoon. Way to simply burn down your first All Good showing, my friends! Absolutely one of the best sets I saw all festival. Excellent job, Ditch, and thank you!! Catch you round the bend really soon, I hope!

Later that day we found our way once again to the Crane Stage, this time for those Stillwater, NJ, fellows, Railroad Earth. I was very happy to see them included in the lineup for this year and I was looking forward to having a nice change of pace. Todd Sheaffer kicked things off for us and the band with the opening strains and lines of “When the Sun Gets in Your Blood”, the whole ensemble instantly sounding texture-tight and ever-harmonious from the very beginning. An auspicious start to a lovely set from RRE!! As if pandering to me here in WV, the boys fired up a rock solid, lengthy, and jam-laden “Colorado” next, with so much of that iconic fiddle by Tim Carbone. So much and so wonderful. As well as some very fine playing, of course, from all the other gents, especially John Skehan on mandolin. Ah, Colorado…summertime. Thanks for that one, you guys!! The pensive and introspective “Been Down This Road” came afterwards followed by the powerful and funky “Mighty River” which flowed like a round-robin from musician to musician, each one showcasing their immense talent and then receding flawlessly back into the ensemble sound, the entirety spanned by Todd’s unmistakably recognizable voice and vocals. Neal Casal (Chris Robinson Brotherhood) joined in on electric guitar with Railroad on the stage for a long and mellow “Grandfather Mountain” (11:37), another display of world-class musicianship from each member of the band. It really could not be stressed enough just how incredibly excellent each of these gents is at his chosen instrument(s) — it is as if a collection of highly acclaimed professors and doctors of music decided to form a stupendous string band and go on the road hitting places like All Good. Simply put, a Railroad Earth performance is like few others in terms of the amount of musical acumen and ability all in one group. Later in the set came that prime instrumental-heavy powerhouse, “Warhead Boogie”, which took us all on its well-known but wonderful musical journey eliding right into “Tuba Mirum” which, in turn, went directly into “Chasin’ a Rainbow”, Carbone’s familiar fiddle riffs anchoring us into the song like an old friend. Ending jam? You bet…and a really sweet one, too. The back and forth between Andy and John and Tim was just stellar and completely on-point. Then, tying a ribbon on the whole affair, the boys decided to finish things up with some pickin’ and grinnin’ for us with a very fine “Bringin’ My Baby Home”:

Railroad Earth finished their excellent set with this song on Friday at All Good 2015. Great time, guys, many thanks!!

Back over on the Dragon it was time. “What time?” you ask. “Time for The Word,” I answer. “Time for The Word.” And time for The Word it was, indeed. Power. Intensity. Electricity. Dirty good music. The Word. They came out swinging with the robust “Come By Here” from their recent album Soul Food. Really incredible sound live to be sure. The term “wall of sound” comes to mind. But what sound!! That Sacred Steel plus a hard edge of rock plus gospel plus funk plus soul plus so much more, it really has a unique a intensive sound when experienced up close and personal. In case you are unfamiliar with the roster, The Word are: Robert Randolph (pedal steel guitar), John Medeski (keyboards), Luther Dickinson (electric guitar), Cody Dickinson (drums, washboard), and Chris Chew (bass guitar). Virtuosos each in their own right on their own instrument, as an ensemble they are well-nigh unstoppable. The overall sound they end up creating is a moving happenstance, one that changes the listener. It is impossible to be in the presence of such powerfully good music without coming away a bit better than before. Instrumental after marvelous instrumental flew past and I lamented at my ignorance of their catalogue, it being my first time seeing them and all. However, I also know this won’t be the last time I see them nor will I refrain from grabbing their album as soon as possible. One particularly trippy moment came in the form of some electric washboard weirdness care of Cody Dickinson. Never heard an electric washboard before — it was fascinating. Later on down the riveting set we got a really nice keys-heavy “Glory Glory” which also featured some searing hot slide thanks to Mr. Robert Randolph. So much attitude, so much in-your-face. And so appreciated! It must also be said just how spacey and out there this band gets at times as well — an extremely well-rounded group of gents musically. Wonderful set, wonderful times! Really looking very much forward to my next Word show. Let’s hope it’s not too far in the future! However, as The Word was wrapping things we were already booking it back over to the Crane for some JRAD all up in our business…

I couldn't possibly have anything more wonderful to say about the band that came next on the Crane Stage -- their unmatchable energy and loyal dedication to performing the music of The Grateful Dead and perform it extremely well is almost immeasurable. All of this led by that human octopus on the drums, Mr. Joe Russo himself, the man whose intricate and complex rhythms seem to accomplish in one person what the Dead did in two. His leadership and guidance hurtles the band time and again wonderfully down the halls of musical nostalgia, all reimagined and given new, vibrant life. The band, of course, is Joe Russo's Almost Dead and has quickly become my favorite Dead band on the beat -- this show not being one to let me down! They opened their set with a near picture-perfect "Reuben and Cherise", Tom Hamilton’s lead guitar and vocals so very reminiscent of Jerry. There was also a really decent and mellow jam at the end of "Reuben" that really got the jam juices flowing for the remainder of their show taking things directly into "Feel Like a Stranger" from there. "Stranger", in turn, went straight into a very spacey and kinda trippy "King Solomon's Marbles". But it just so happens we have some footage of that very jam for your viewing pleasure!!

JRAD played a lengthy and pretty amazing "King Solomon's Marbles" jam at the end of "Feels Like a Stranger" on Friday night at All Good 2015. Here's how it went...

After that epic, happily heavily instrumental and jam-laden three song run, things took a quick pause and then continued with "Alligator" featuring some sweet jazzy, honky tonk piano stylings from Marco Benevento. Nothing like a good keys solo! And nothing like a really, really good keys solo, either!! Man were these boys hot tonight! Which made the next song, "Franklin's Tower", a particularly welcome addition to the setlist that evening. And they just spanked this crowd favorite, and spanked it well and good. If you are looking to experience the music of the Dead in a fresh and fun and fantastic manner, then get thee to a JRAD show as soon as humanly possible. Each new time I see them I am always left with wanting more of their renditions of my faves. Like their final song of the night: "Sugar Magnolia". Sunshine daydream. Going where the wind blows. Man, what a great way to end a supremely excellent set. It most certainly had all of us singing and swaying and smoothly enjoying this wonderful song. Lost in the heady delight with a mind full of being Grateful for 1.25 hours it was time to motivate ourselves to get ready for the evening’s remaining music. What a day of music so far and what a night to go…not to mention Saturday on the horizon.

Let’s leave you with this parting shot from Lettuce’s fire hot set, shall we? Just a little something good and extra from our Friday at All Good:

Funky, groovy, rocking it out...Lettuce gave a very fine midnight set at All Good 2015. Here's a little bit of it for you.

Saturday on the way, folks! Stay tuned!!

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DelFest 8 - Festival Experience Archive - Sunday

June 9, 2015

DelFest 8

Festival Experience Archive

for The Lot Scene by Parker

Sunday

Sunday. The back stretch. The last leg. The Final Countdown. Sleepy morning. Sunshiny day. Perfection.

The day for gospel sets and river floats and tying a huge party-shaped ribbon around the last day of one of the “bestest festests” on our planet. The energy was ebullient and bubbly that day, the weather had been getting all the more perfect all weekend culminating in a day just ripe for music, merriment, and more, more, more blessed bluegrass all up in our business! This was a huge day of music…I suppose I had better get to telling you about it.

Grand Ole’ Ditch

Nothing like Cumberland’s own to get things going on a Sunday, right? I was really excited to see these fellas tear up the Potomac Stage once again, and with good reason. The lads kicked things off with a rather fine “Graham Central Station” instrumental which was the perfect way to get things going on such a lovely Sunday. Then it was time for a little string song with “Blue Light” — “I’m going down to that blue light, where the music plays all night”. Love it. Maybe they should consider getting blue lights to mark out the Late Night shows at DelFest? And who doesn’t love a birthday? Well nine-year-old Meg in the crowd received a special dedication of “Allegany Sun” (written by Matt Hamilton of Virginia) for just such an occasion. And she was a lucky lady given how great it was. Definitely one of my favorite songs of the set. Then things got a little rock’n’rolly with “Roll with the Punches” followed by the mysterious and minor-run-laden “Dark Rider”. Further on down the set was a sweet and lively guitar tune named for one of the instruments in the band, “79-28”. One doesn’t often get a tune inspired by and named for an instrument played on that very instrument, to be sure. Fiddlin’ Ray stepped up to the fore to saw out a hot fiddle tune named “Dragon’s Breath” for us next and it was superb. Great interplay between the other instruments and the fiddle. It was starting to feel more like “DeadFest” than DelFest given all the amazing Dead covers we’d been getting thus far. And Grand Ole’ Ditch wasn’t going to disappoint, instead giving us a fantastic and mellow “Candyman”. To the utter delight of those assembled, of course. What a weekend for the Dead and bluegrass! (And it wasn’t done yet, but more on that later.) The boys continued later with a slow, swung “Baby Jane” followed by a hopping “Cabins in the Laurel”. Time for some dancing anyone? With this band, you’re pretty much assured to be on your feet and romping around — and you’ll be in great company. And this “Cabins” had us all moving merrily about. Keeping that energy high, the Ditch boys finished up with a simmering “Foolish Pride”. Wowsers, what a set! So glad to have caught these fellas this year at DelFest. Very much looking forward to seeing them again soon! Colorado tour, mayhaps?

Hot Rize

Due to some interview scheduling concerns I missed the first part of Hot Rize’s set, more’s the pity. However, I will talk about what I did see since it is Hot Rize and since they are incredible. You know. As I walked up to the Main Stage, the four gents based in Colorado were singing their gospel song, “The Way”, from their new album which features some of that pitch-perfect four-part harmony for which this band is renowned. That is one of the most rewarding aspects of this genre, in my opinion: the widespread occurrence of really good solo and harmony singing. Simply put, bluegrass music has a wealth of great voices that know how to be used properly. And it shows. And we are thankful. So thankful…especially for bands like Hot Rize. Taking a crowd request, Tim O’Brien stepped up to sing “99 Years” next and they, of course, nailed it. Point of interest: Pete’s banjo didn’t show for the festival so Pappy of Cabinet lent Pete his own banjo to play. Pretty nice, right? And Pete most assuredly did Pappy’s instrument proud. I love those little ins-and-outs stories from fests like this one. One of my very favorite Hot Rize songs was up next, “Blue is Fallin’”, a brutally honest testimonial (not sure if it is Tim’s or not) about what I surmise is either clinical depression or bipolar depression. From my own understanding of these diseases, this song hits the nail right on the head. Either way, it is an emotional, intense song and I just love it and am so glad they played it. At the end of the set, Del and Ronnie were invited out to sing a Bill Monroe ditty with the boys which was pretty much traditional bluegrass heaven for all of us. Sad that I missed so much of the show but ecstatic that I got to see any at all, it was time to get ready for more music with Lake Street Dive.

Lake Street Dive

Admittedly, this was my first time seeing this band, although I had heard a lot of hype from a great many friends. I was looking forward to seeing if they hype held up (not that I doubted it would). It did. Certainly the most rock sound of the bands at the fest this year and with unique instrumentation, this group centers around the incredible vocal talent and skill of their front lady, Rachael Price. The showmanship was akin to some of the bluegrass groups in attendance, though, with different members moving around the stage to join others or to gather in close ensembles. While I don’t know much of their original music (a situation I tend to fix), some of the recognizable covers were quite enjoyable. Annie Lennox’s “Walking on Broken Glass” was one of these. A lighter version of the song with some nice trumpet, Rachael also nailed down the iconic vocals in fine fashion. Later it was Van Halen’s “Jump” and, even though we lacked the guitar solos we crave from the original, I’d have to say her version beat out David Lee Roth’s. An unexpected cover to be sure. Their final song was one of theirs, “You Go Down Smooth”, and it was off-the-chain good. Between the great ensemble sound of the instrumentalists to Miss Price’s trademark voice, it was a fine ending to a standout set at DelFest 8. Again, I have to say how much I am looking forward to following yet another band.

Leftover Salmon

Salmon was meant for this festival, no doubts there. Spanning myriad genres but still able to throw down some mean bluegrass, the boys from Leftover came out swinging on the Main Stage with Hartford’s “Up on the Hill Where They Do they Boogie” (a favorite of mine and of, well, just about everyone out there). Helluva good way to start things out for us! Drew on vocals for “Down in the Hollow” came next and it was just fast pickin’ epitomized. Hot damn is this band good! Listening to my voice notes again was just giving me chills. Oh, and can Bill Payne play those keys or what? Damn, sir! Great musical addition to the band to be very sure. “Sometimes a River” followed and then Del joined the fellas (to a round of “Del! Del! Del!” chants) for one fantastic “Midnight Blues”. Nothing whatsoever like having our good ol’ Pappy Del lend that signature voice of his to an old favorite. Bill Payne’s song “Way Down Under” featured a particularly wonderful Andy Thorn solo on banjo, Payne’s piano a perfect backdrop. Later in the set the lighthearted “Liza” lit up the stages and our hearts alike. Any chance to see Vince being silly, being amazing, being Vince…well, that, my friends is a mitzvah. “…I’d swim a hot tub, I’d climb a tree.” Love it. Just as much as I love my native Colorado, subject of the subsequent “High Country”. I mean, who doesn’t want to be in the high country all day? We all did there in Cumberland at that moment, I can assure you. A truly special moment was in store when Tim O’Brien (Hot Rize) joined Salmon for a badass rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Man Gave Names to All the Animals”, nine-and-a-half minutes of musical weirdness and genius and enjoyment all rolled into one. And it was top notch I tell you. Top notch! Tim stayed up there, thankfully, for a galloping funhouse of “Let’s Give a Party” which dumped massive amounts of ants in our pants and hurried us along towards the end of the set with a hot and lengthy 12:21 “Aquatic Hitchhiker”. “Rag Mama Rag” was the closer of this lovely Leftover show and the boys certainly brought it to the end. Del yeah for Sunday sets like this one!! Del yeah for Leftover Salmon!!

The Del McCoury Band

Well, here it was, the keystone of the musical weekend: Del and the boys’ Sunday Main Stage hootenanny, a set the grand majority had been anticipating the entirety of the festival. The weather was delightful as the evening descended upon us, the slowly blanketing darkness punctuated by solitary stars poking through, one lazily after another. A prime setting for a little bluegrass music, Del McCoury style. “Loneliness and Desperation” started things off on a bluer foot than one might expect, however, little things like Jason Carter’s stellar fiddling or Del’s emblematic voice brought all our spirits far above the lyrics. Slowing things down a bit next with “Count Me Out” the band exhibited some of those perfect harmonies for which they are so well known, always a treat and one of the better aspects of bluegrass music, in my opinion. They wasted no time ramping things back up again to a wicked clip with “Bluegrass Breakdown”, the first bluegrass instrumental ever, written by Bill Monroe who had Scruggs pick it out for him. And, man, did Del and his fine fellows break it down! I imagine they took it at a slightly faster pace than did Scruggs, however, I haven’t done my research to find a recording so the jury will have to be out on that for awhile longer. How many times will I mention the musical ability of these men? How many times could possibly be too many? If you even remotely like good music, hell, even if you hate good music for some reason, I believe that you would be wholly blown away by watching these gents practice their art together. Ronnie stepped up to the mic for the loving, mournful “Body and Soul” and from the first notes he sang, the crowd erupted with appreciation, loving what they heard. And how couldn’t they? The man has one hell of a bluegrass voice. Simply said. Then it was time for some branding-iron hot banjo pickin’ from Rob during an instrumental he led followed by “This Kind of Life” and then a fiddle tune headed up by none other than Mr. Jason Carter. Talk about a deluge of delicious string band delights!! After that it was the song that helped win Del his Grammy, “The Streets of Baltimore” — Del sounded tremendous on the vocals and the fellas backed him with style. Later in the set was the ballad of a wicked man, “Eli Renfro” — “can’t you hear, can’t you hear?” The crowd surely heard a great version of this one. “Mountain Song” had a few forgotten lyrics, but who cares? As Del said, they make “good fill break[s]” — who am I to argue with him? Woody Guthrie’s “The New York Trains” came after, a song Guthrie wrote on his very first day in New York City about his impressions of life there, et al. As usual, a Del Band show is as educational as it is entertaining and inspiring and happy-making. Time for a love song at last: “You Took Me In Out of The Rain”, a duet for Del and Ronnie that had the audience clapping along from the start. Always nice to hear a song about love that goes right in this genre, right? True to form later in the set was the gospel corner with “Get Down on Your Knees and Pray” featuring some fantastic vocals and harmonies from the entire band. Truly great stuff…love when they go gospel. This was followed by a furious, frenetic, freakishly fast “White House Blues” — just when you think you’ve seen these guys play at their fastest yet, they go and do something like this. Not an errant note in the bunch and I must have clocked them at a billion notes a minute. Give or take. Lots and lots and, seriously, lots of them that’s for sure. And just as fast as it had begun it was over and time for Roosevelt Collier to join in on pedal steel and Evan McCoury on guitar (whom Del said he rarely brings on stage since he such a good guitar player) for Shawn Camp’s (Earls of Leicester) “My Love Will Not Change”. The additions of Collier and the younger McCoury were, in a word, wonderful. Such a wall of sweet, sweet sound rolling down from the stage. A very nice way to end an extremely nice show. But, wait…there’s more! An encore, you say? How about a little “Smoking Gun”? Just like that coffee of yore: good to the last drop. Just like this show, just like this show. Thanks for another magnificent one, Mr. McCoury, and many thanks to your marvelous band! And thanks for another stupendous DelFest!

Late Night - The Jeff Austin Band - The Travelin’ McCourys

Here it was, the last of the late nights and what a freakin’ line-up. After the J.A.B. explosion on the Main Stage we were all poised and ready for some more of that same magic here after midnight. And we let it all hang out dancing to Jeff and his merry musickers as they gave us frenetic, funky fast pickin’, Austin-style. A mellowish “Screen Door” kicked things off with a long, dreamy, entrancing jam at the end which eventually led into “Shake Me Up” for a combined total of almost a half hour’s worth of music. Super, my friends. Just super. Jeff reminded us all that the fest wasn’t over yet as he led into “Simple Truth”. Of course, he also reminded us about work the next week. Thanks a bunch, Jeff. But, really, thanks a bunch for such good music all weekend. The second-to-last song of the set was a speedy, rifle’s bullet of a “Sideshow Blues” complete with a DelFest-related soliloquy from Jeff about how we should all form a community that lives on the Allegany grounds all year long. Sounds like a good idea to me! The closer for J.A.B. was a lengthy and lovely “King Ebenezer” weighing in at 27:07. A milder-than-expected but still incredibly good late night set from Jeff and company. Absolutely put us all in the mood for some Travelin’ McCourys ready take the stage next. Now was the time for some severely lightning-fast pickin’ to end this festival for good and for right! The boys fired up the sizzling griddle of grass music with a quickly played quick “Quicksburg Rendezvous”, although I hardly remember anything about it since I was dancing so much. This gave way to Ronnie on vocals for the despairing “Deeper Shade of Blue”. It was straight bluegrass bullet train through Jason Carter singing “I’m Southbound” (which contained a stellar set of solos from Ronnie, Rob, Jason, and Cody) and “Old Train” and then slowing things up for “Delia’s Gone”. A fast and fun “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” came and kicked the fog from anyone’s brain at that wee hour in the morning and we were all glad for it. Later on in the set we got one of my favorite songs by this crew: “Messed Up Just Right”. What can I say? I like songs with clever lyrics. Oh, and songs that are really good and also sung by Alan Bartram. But hey, I can be particular sometimes. Like how this song was particularly good that late night. And then, hey, they threw down “Cumberland Blues” once more because someone had asked them to. And, truth be told, it was better this time around. More polished. And that would make sense. Hell, I was just glad to be getting it again. For the last four songs of the night the McCourys had Roosevelt Collier sit in to provide some of that crazy steel slide action of his. The first song of this collaboration was “One Way Rider” followed by a 10:56 “Loser” — Grateful Dead at DelFest 8 until the bitter end!! Again, “Loser” was improved over the night before and I was very, very grateful to be getting it, believe-you-me. Their final song and the final song of DelFest 8 was an old Lee Boys number with Roosevelt providing some amazing train sound effects on his slide. Over fifteen minutes later and we were all still wondering what the heck just happened to us, both that set and that night and that weekend altogether. Well, I know what happened for me: the best DelFest yet. Now, granted, I have only been to two, but this one was so damn wonderful that it guaranteed my place at next year’s DF (as if that were really necessary). Just great for me to be able to relate such good information and good news to you guys again this year. Already looking forward to doing the same next year! Thanks for reading everyone…hope you enjoyed!

Del yeah!!!

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