Strings & Sol Festival 2016 - Puerto Morelos, Mexico - Sunday

Strings & Sol Bluegrass Festival 2016

Festival Experience Archive

for The Lot Scene by Parker

Sunday Feature - Greensky Bluegrass Poolside Set

    One of the more unique and certainly special aspects of this year’s Strings & Sol had to be Greensky Bluegrass’s poolside set on Sunday afternoon.  The band had gathered in the cupolaed gazebo in the middle of the pool with countless inflatable rafts of varying types and themes bobbing around them holding up fans gathered to hear some incredible string band music, cocktails in hand.  The setting was perfect with the sun high above overhead, warming us all but not too hot.  The pool itself was blue and sparkling and refreshing and it was packed full of S&S Family ready for some Greensky.  The band opened things up with an excellent cover for them, “American Band” by Grand Funk Railroad.  There was a surprisingly good sound emanating from the speakers and drifting out over the pool and towards the sea as Paul Hoffman crooned and beckoned us all in with his singular voice.  They rocked this one pretty hard, throwing down some seriously fine solo work throughout.  Paul nailed down some excellent mando a couple of minutes in which was, in turn, answered by Anders Beck on dobro.  What a complementary duo are those two!  All of this was underscored by the ever-present notes of Mike Bont’s bold banjo stylings, a sound I listen for in all their numbers.  What an opener for such a unique set as this!  It was hard to get past just how decadent this all seemed.  The amazing staff of the Now Sapphire coming around with drink after drink, GSBG throwing down some awesome newgrass, a gorgeous day in a tropical paradise?  We were all pinching ourselves for fear of dreaming this all up.  A very nice “Top Gun Theme” teaser opened up the next song, “Dustbowl Overtures”, a lovely and balanced number really showing the ensemble sound of Greensky in fine fashion.  While they do some mighty wonderful soloing, they also make one helluva combined sound and texture, throwing down some collective jams that will have your jaw dropping and your feet dancing.  Mike Bont did have a particularly nice solo in this one, however, stepping briefly out of the ensemble sound and right back into it so deftly.  The next two songs were a combination right-left hook that hit us all square in the happy.  They first played “No Idea” which they then took directly into the Beatles’ “Help!” simply killing both songs summarily.  But, as fate would have it, you can see and hear for yourself!!  Please enjoy!! 

Strings & Sol has so many unique aspects to offer the festival goer including the gorgeous pool area in the middle of the Now Sapphire resort. This serves as a hub for so much of the socializing and the side events hosted by Cloud 9 and their staff not to mention some incredible music opportunities like the poolside set with Greensky on Sun Dec 11th.

See what I meant about the perfect setting?  Definitely not your normal bluegrass ambiance, right?  Yet one more reason that S&S is so very special to so many people.  A bit down the set they gave us a phenomenal cover of the James Gang’s “Walk Away” Phoff just destroying the vocals under that warm Mexican sun.  The central jam of this one was pretty amazing, with Dave Bruzza showing some serious chops on guitar, no doubting that man is a monster on his instrument.  Mike Devol, laying down the facts and just the facts on his baller ass bass also served as chief harmonizer to Hoffman, helping create a delightful vocal texture between the two of them.  The ending jam was nothing to shake a stick at, either.  On and on and on it went, Beck’s dobro singing out to the joy of all listening, Bont’s banjo omnipresent and awesome.  Are they just the best bluegrass band for covers or what?  I would argue a very hearty “yes”.  Especially after that one.  One fun trivia note:  they got their lighting designer, Andrew Lincoln, to come do vocals on “Feelin’ Alright”…and he was fantastic.  Go Lincoln!  Talk about a crowd pleaser!  Finally, they closed everything down with Paul Simon’s “Gumboots”.  Damn, what a show!  What a special treat for all at hand.  And, judging by the amount of fun everyone had, to include the band, I would say the experiment was a grand success!  Bravi to the fine fellows from Kalamazoo, MI!!  Bravi, indeed!!

Greensky Bluegrass's Poolside Set

Sunday Highlights

Leftover Salmon - Keller & the Keels - Railroad Earth

    Sunday Funday had arrived in fine form, the third day of the festival where we all hit our respective strides and really began to settle into the pace of the fest and the vibe of the Now Sapphire.  It was Discograss Day at S&S, too, as fate would have it and some people embraced the theme from the very beginning of the day, afro wigs and disco ball necklaces could be seen everywhere all day long, increasingly so as Sunday drew on towards sunset and Leftover Salmon’s main stage show.  I arrived a couple of songs in, food having taken immediate precedence lest I fall down dancing.  You know how it is.  Hard to line everything up just right all the time…but we still try.  The band had sounded pretty damn amazing from where I sat stuffing my face, so I knew to be ready for an incredible show in progress.  Well, I knew to be ready for that anyways.  I mean, we’re talking about Salmon here!  I walked up to the band steaming along to “Gold Hill Line” with Drew Emmitt on lead vocals.  A quintessential Salmon song, “Gold Hill” rocks as much as it string bands.  With Vince Herman on back-up vocals and tearing things up on his guitar, Drew sounded amazing as ever, his voice so suited to this style of music.  Certainly an excellent selection to make my entry to.  They followed this up with “Liza” a crowd favorite to be sure.  So many folks dancing in the sand to the setting sun singing along in full voice, enjoying life to the extreme.  It was a rather magical sight to behold.  Vince was up on the mic for vocals on this one, backed by one of the best bands in the business.  Erik Deutsch and his fantastic keyboard skills punctuated the entire song with a few solos and riffs here and there adding his distinctive spice to the madcap musical gumbo that is Leftover Salmon.  Andy Thorn laid down quite the solo himself on his trusty electric banjo, really showing off his great skills on the instrument.  Great, great version of this song…really tropical and apropos for this setting next to the sea.  A bit down the set they gave the crowd a great Little Feat cover in the form of “Gimme A Stone” of which we snagged a recording just for you, my friends!!  Please enjoy!! 

Leftover Salmon breathes so much incredible energy into everything they do, Strings & Sol being high on the list. This year's sunset show from them was nothing short of phenomenal, including this fantastic S&S 2016 rendition of "Gimme A Stone" on Sun 11 Dec. Please enjoy, friends!!

Jeremy Garrett (The Infamous Stringdusters) joined the band for the next tune, “Bolin Creek” which was pretty damn hot I must say.  A sizzling fast instrumental, everyone had their chance at soloing and doing it well.  So much music packed into such a relatively short amount of time.  Vince destroyed things on guitar summarily handing things off to Garrett whose fiddle was on fire that afternoon.  Erik took the reigns on keys and shredded for a hot minute until trading off to Andy who needed to melt a few faces, apparently.  What a rush!  What a ride!  Seriously fine musicianship all around, to a man.  And that jam in the middle??  My goodness!  So many thanks as a result, to be sure.  Cheers to Jeremy Garrett for joining in the fun!  Further down the set a ways we were treated to the rock fusion thrill ride that is “Better” as they brought things to a close.  Syncopated and rolling along like a freight train, this song hurtled into the evening sky and rained down upon the crowd like a silver light of music and joy.  Erik Deutsch laid down some nasty, nasty stuff on those keys of his dominating the melodic scene for a stretch.  Damn, can that man play some keyboards!  Alwyn Robinson was killing it on the skins, throwing down beat after beat like a multi-armed beast specially-designed by a secret project to be a true master of the drums.  The man is a machine, it’s true.  Greg Garrison’s bass came shining through the texture a few times rooting the song back down lest it fly off the tracks.  Love watching him play — always enjoying himself so much.  And how couldn’t he be?  The song came cruising to a halt to the instant applause of everyone gathered in front of that special stage on the Mexican beach.  As usual, Salmon had put together one baller ass show for us, perfect for the tropics and the festival itself.  And they really threw down, too, bringing their A game to the Now Sapphire and to that very stage.  So much praise to heap upon these gentlemen…for the unique style of music they bring to the world and for the joy they spread daily.  Bravi, fellows, for a fine, fine show!  Cheers and thanks!

Leftover Salmon

    After the traditional two hour break, music resumed after dark with Keller Williams and the Keels on the main stage.  Always a fun show as well, I was glad that they were all three hereat Strings & Sol, you know, to give it that extra edge.  The opened up with Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab”, an old favorite amongst fans of this trio.  Talk about a powerhouse of musicians, too!  Keller?  Larry Keel?  And Jenny Keel?  Suffice it to say you get a whole lot of music for your money with these guys.  Keller was on his mandola for this set, allowing for Larry to take full control of the guitar lines for the night.  And, with Jenny on her stalwart bass laying it down one amazing note at a time, we couldn’t lose!  “Crater in the Backyard” came next, that tongue-in-cheek song about a huge hole in Keller’s back yard and what it might become.  Familiar territory once again for Keller fans.  They all sounded phenomenal from where I was in the sand, dancing with my wife and friends.  So many notes from Larry, I mean just so many.  That man’s guitar really gets a workout every show, right?  And Keller, goofing around with the vocal lines, as per his wont.  The man surely has a sense of humor.  A bit down the set, we recorded the S&S version of “Rebels” for you here, hope you enjoy!!! 

Nothing quite like having Keller and the Keels down in Mexico this year for Strings & Sol 2016!! Lending their special brand of string band music to the main stage, this trio threw down hit after hit for the happy beach-dancing audience below to include this rendition of "Rebels" from their performance on Sunday, December 11th.

What a night for music, huh?  It really was lovely, the rains of the previous night having abated.  They followed “Rebels” with a personal favorite of mine:  “Breathe”, taking things at a quick clip, Keller picking away on his mandola.  It was a fast version to be sure.  Larry kept up in fine fashion, adding his own bevy of notes to the mix.  Jenny, like a sentinel, was there keeping things grounded and providing some lovely harmonic vocals.  What a jam in the middle of this one, too!  Get down, you three crazy music folk!!  Seriously, fantastic.  A little Eagles cover was in the works that evening as well…“Seven Bridges Road” was a nice surprise in the set.  True to form, they sped this one along, nailing the three part harmonies, Larry’s signature gravely voice counterpointing those of the others.  The Eagles certainly never did it like this!  Further down the set we got a great version of The Dead’s “Loser” — what a treat in a sea of musical gifts that weekend.  “Last fair deal in the country,” indeed!  It was interesting and fun and really nice to look around to see so many people singing along, this song so familiar to so much of the S&S Family.  Moments like that are ones that make me love our community all the more.  Finally, they finished things off by taking things directly in to Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall” catering to this author’s every whim apparently.  It was, and I quote my voice notes, “badass”.  And it was, believe you me.  I really do love that version of an old staunch favorite of mine.  Pink Floyd and I go way back so, for Keller and the Keels to take me there as a send off from their phenomenal set?  Crazy good!  Thanks to Jenny and Larry Keel and Keller Williams for a delightful set of gritty, funny, amazing music!  Always look forward to seeing them again…always will.  iiGracias, amigos!!

Keller & the Keels

    Rounding out the evening on the main stage was a show with Railroad Earth.  Walking into a sea of sequined jumpsuits, afro wigs, bellbottoms, and other Discograss related accouterment, I began that evening a few songs in with The Band’s “Acadian Driftwood” a favorite song of mine for a long time.  And I do dig RRE’s version of it, this one especially.  It just fit with the setting so well and jived with the experience in so many great ways.  Todd Sheaffer was on lead vocals for most of the song, relating the sad tale, trading off with Tim Carbone from time to time.  Great harmonies during the choruses as well — really fine singing work there.   No doubting the extent of the talents of this band.  Andrew Altman led things in for the next song on his bass, giving us some funky stylings to counterpoint John Skehan and Andy Goessling’s mandolin playing.  “Walk Beside Me” sure started out with a groovy intro, the fellas kicking it a little on the edgy side of things themselves.  Todd rocked the vocals in very fine voice all the while shored up by this mighty ensemble.  And there was no mistaking the sound of the double mandolins.  Made for quite the musical texture.  Down the set a ways came a huge drum intro from Carey Harmon, the living metronome.  It set the tone well for “Butterfly and the Tree” which the band launched into, adding their instruments to the drums and creating a really lovely musical landscape.  A lively tune for sure, this one had us all dancing in that magical sand, grooving along with Railroad.  Up next, they played us a great version of “The Hunting Song” with Goessling on penny whistle and banjo, Altman on electric bass, Carbone on some light percussion, and an octave mandolin in Skehan’s grip.  The whistle in Andy’s adept hands added a very haunting quality to this mellow, yet intense song.  What a fantastic sound this one had tonight!  Then, they took this directly into “Spring-Heeled Jack” for a double-barrel of fun kind of of night.  It was pure excellence.  A bit later on in the show, they sped things up again with a rollicking rendition of “Bread and Water” inspiring yet more dancing out of our exhausted feet and legs.  Todd nailed the lyrics down like a champ while the rest of the band summarily killed it all around him.  Quite a great bit of fun — I love it when this band steps it up like this!  The amazing banjo solo from Goessling about a minute in would have had you falling in love with that instrument all over again.  Carbone was white hot on the fiddle, doing what he does best for all of us there present.  And we were very thankful for it!  They finally ended up closing everything down with “Every Grain of Sand” choosing a mellower way to finish the night.  Such an energetic show!  So many great songs on the setlist.  The weather had been perfect as had the surroundings.  What more could we have asked for?  As we all began to clear out and head to late night with Danny Barnes, the tones of Railroad’s delightful show rang through our heads, making us all smile with the remembrance of it all.  An ovation for Railroad Earth, if you please!  Mighty fine, gentleman, mighty fine, indeed!  A supreme round of thanks to all of RRE and their staff and crew for another incredible night of music in Mexico!  And there was still one more day to go!!

Railroad Earth

Monday’s action coming at you soon, friends!!

 

Leftover Salmon at the Stanley 2016 - Saturday

Leftover Salmon at the Stanley 2016

Festival Experience Archive

for The Lot Scene by Parker

Saturday Highlights

Larry Keel & Friends (Surprise Matinee Set) - Leftover Salmon

    Up and at ‘em on Saturday and ready for more, the time was growing closer until the “Surprise Matinee Set - It’ll Freak You Out Who’s Playing!”  And, I honestly admit, I was a tad freaked out to discover who would be gracing the stage in the Concert Hall that afternoon.  There had been a few solid rumors floating around that it might be Jeff Austin or Sam Bush as they were both in nearby Longmont that afternoon as well, however, these rumors proved false as we all entered the hall at two o’clock.  All speculation was cast aside as soon as two-thirty rolled around and, lo and behold, Larry and Jenny Keel walked out on stage with Alwyn Robinson!  What a surprise, honest and true!  And what a stellar surprise it was, too!  I am a huge fan of Larry and Jenny and to see them here for this huge party weekend was quite the sight for us all…and a very welcome sight at that.  They opened things up with a song about a haunted house Larry had lived in somewhere in Virginia.  “Little Green Man” instantly gives you that grit and dirty goodness we have all come to expect from Larry over the years.  Great little ensemble sound, too, with Alwyn on drums and Jenny on her erstwhile bass.  I knew this set was going to be great from the get-go.  About a minute into the song, Larry showered us with some serious guitar goodies, fast pickin’ to the core.  No one picks quite like Larry Keel.  They took this directly into a track from Larry’s new album Experienced:  “Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong”.  A bit of a cautionary tale regarding the lady in question, this one is bluesy and full of attitude.  Some more tough, tantalizing guitar licks from Larry for us to enhance the mood of this song.  No one sings quite like Larry Keel, either, folks.  Organic, from the center of the chest, full voice and full of conviction.  Love it.  They followed this with Larry’s take on modern technology, “The Internet”.  Slower and bit more brooding than the first couple of selections, Larry almost dropping to a low spoken voice at times, this song possesses its own fierceness all punctuated by the marvelous madness that is Larry’s guitar.  So far, so very good, my friends.  We had the good fortune to shoot a video of the next song for you — “Lizard Lady”.  Please enjoy! 

We were all very surprised by Larry and Jenny Keel this weekend as they were the secret guests. Amazing set Saturday afternoon at the Stanley -- lots of friends joining in like Alwyn Robinson (Leftover Salmon), too. Incredible!! Enjoy!!

Now you’ve got a sense of Larry if you’ve never seen him live before.  And, if you have, then you got a bit more of the awesome that is Larry.  I just adore his interactions with his wife on stage, too.  What a couple those two make, both on and off stage.  And we were all certainly very happy that they were joining us that Saturday.  Jenny and Larry wrote the next song together, per their introduction of it.  “The Heartbeat, the Soulbeat” saw the sweeter side of Larry and Jenny come through in music, live for us all to share in.  The lightning quick ending breakdown was pretty magical as well.  No doubts Larry can play and play super fast, right?  Hot damn!  Then Andy Thorn and Drew Emmitt joined the happy throng for some good times done right, Larry telling the audience how lucky he is to get to pick with these guys.  I can agree with that.  Instantly bigger and bolder sound for the next song, “Pioneers” also from his new album.  Fantastic banjo work from Andy as always, really catering to the whole pioneer feeling of this selection.  And Larry crooning out the story of hardship in the west the entire time.  Just lovely.  Drew was up to the microphone next to sing us one.  And sing us one, he did, my friends!  “Nine Pound Hammer” was a fun little romp through some string band musicianship.  Larry throwing down solos on his guitar, Drew answering on mando — pure excellence.  Not to mention Andy going absolutely nuts on banjo.  Just supremely enjoyable music in all regards.  “Bloody Mary Morning” was next in line in the set and was apropos given our location and that we’d all be drinking bloodies the very next morning.  Way to call it, Larry and Jenny!  (Who had their own bloodies on stage I might add.  Lucky ducks!)  Vince Herman ended up coming out on stage to sing a couple of verses for us and join in the ever-building craziness.  A little on down the set we got a nasty good “Culpepper Woodchuck” from that group of maniacs on stage that was all sorts of filthy awesome.  So much gritty playing, so much raw musicality and it went on for minutes and minutes.  We managed to grab the very end part for you on video — apologies for not getting all of it.  Hope you like! 

Some more of Larry's surprise set with Jenny Keel, Drew Emmitt, Andy Thorn, and Alwyn Robinson. What a lovely surprise it was, too! How about a little "Culpepper Woodchuck" in your life today? Enjoy!!

As a way of reparation, we’d like to offer this full video of the Andy Thorn-led instrumental “Star of Munster”.  Talk about some fast pickin’!  Wow…how do they do that?  Seriously.  Can you dig it? 

Fast pickin' was the name of this game during Larry's surprise set at the historic Stanley Hotel in Estes Park. Saturday afternoon's show was a sizzling one thanks to the many guests. Andy Thorn led this "Star of Munster" straight to musical victory...enjoy!!!

Larry and crew closed the whole show down with a soulful “Freeborn Man”, Larry taking the opportunity to lay down some serious guitar work in between, as well as throwing down some superb vocals.  One helluva Larry Keel kind of way to end a Larry Keel kind of set.  So many huge thanks to the Keels and their pals for putting on such a fantastic show!  And big thanks to Leftover Salmon for inviting them to join in the insanity at the Stanley this year!  And, they were right, I was totally freaked out!

Larry Keel & Friends

Larry Keel & Friends Scrambled

    After a few hours’ break and after we’d had a chance to change into our formal attire (per the instructions) it was time once again to descend to the Concert Hall and soak up some prime time Leftover Salmon.  And, boy, if we weren’t all looking damn good, if I do say so myself.  Not a bad looking crew at all!!  Guess you might say that we all clean up pretty nicely.  Guess you might say…  Ah, to the music!  Jeff Coffin and Erik Deutsch were joining the boys for another evening and it would seem that Larry Keel was to guest in on a couple right from the beginning.  Drew was up to the mic for the first song of the night, “Tangled Up in Blue”.  This was a nice treat, some Bob Dylan right off the bat.  Not a bad way to start things off whatsoever.  Drew sounded great on the vocals, too…really belting them out and getting things going in an energetic way.  Andy Thorn’s banjo was ringing out into the crowd just as Coffin’s sax fired up forming a nice duet for a few bars.  “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” was next up and we grabbed a really nice video of it for you which we have here: 

Leftover got down with a BIG Bob Dylan set at the Stanley Hotel this year. Jamming with friends Larry Keel, Erik Deutsch, and Jeff Coffin, it was plain to see how much they enjoyed playing this set. Hope you enjoy it, too, my friends!!!

Just delightful, no?  So great to get two Dylan songs straight in a row, too.  In honor of Greg Garrison’s birthday, he sang us a lovely “When I Paint My Masterpiece”.  Alwyn pounding out that familiar 3-2 clave beat while Erik went to town on the keys for us, Drew nailing down a sweet mando line, not mention Vince on guitar — all made for an excellent rendition of this one.  And more Dylan.  Hmmmmm.  Something was dawning on the crowd, I could see it.  Our mutual recognition that this might just be an entire Dylan set!  What a treat, right?  I’ll say.  “Simple Twist of Fate” had Vince back up to the mic to take the lead vocals.  Drew’s mandolin was ever-present throughout providing a lovely and light backdrop to the slightly heavier lyrics.  Andy Thorn had a really tight and beautiful solo a little ways into the piece.  Just marvelous.  And so it was a Bob Dylan set!!  How ridiculously cool!  Feeling so lucky to have been a part of this!  And grateful.  Andy Thorn stepped up to lead the next one, a Dylan banjo tune called “Nashville Skyline Rag”.  Some good ol’ fashioned straight pickin’ with this selection.  And a great tune for the band to showcase their skills and talents on their respective instruments.  Especially of note was Greg’s birthday solo on that fatty bass.  This led to a crazy big drum solo from Alwyn.  Also a great number for dancing the night away as we all did.  So much freakin’ fun!  Drew grabbed up his electric guitar for the next piece, “Meet Me in the Morning”, and treated us all to a little bit of straight up rock’n’roll.  He also gave us a great treatment of the lyrics, Drew-style.  Really solid keyboards and sax going down in this one, too.  Bravo to Erik on his monster solo.  That cat can hit those keys, man!!  This Dylan set was turning out to be white hot.  Vince gave us that nice familiar lead-in on guitar for the instantly recognizable “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35” which followed “Morning” and then took up the vocals in a perfect attitude and style for this iconic song.  Talk about a crowd pleaser, too…but of course.  I mean, who doesn’t love yelling “everybody must get stoned” at the absolute top of her or his lungs alongside a few hundred of your favorite folk?  We all certainly did, as evidenced by the ringing of our collective shouts bouncing around the hall and beyond.  Another beastly piano solo from Mr. Deutsch right smack in the middle here, too.  Just nasty good.  Jeff played the part of harmonica on his sax to much success.  We all got “stoned” together that day let there be no doubt thanks to the boys in that band.  Marvelous.  And so much Dylan!  Can’t stress that enough or be happy enough about it!!  Especially since Leftover decided (apparently) to come out and kill it so summarily that evening.  Must’ve had a band meeting or something.  Ah, but it was now time for set break.  And with it, the now infamous Jay Blakesburg photo shoot of all those assembled in their finery and fancy dress, to be immortalized in print like in that horror movie of renown.  We all posed and smiled and looked the part as Jay snapped a few quick ones and it was done.  Back to mingling and chitchatting for a few more minutes until things continued with the second act.  What an evening so far!!

Andy Thorn & Erik Deutsch

    Vince approached the mic and said “let’s keep this thing going a little longer” and that’s exactly what we did for the second set.  The band looked so good in their tuxedos — they clean up pretty well, too, I reckon.  It’s always interesting to see folks in dress different from their normal way of living.  And formal attire always transforms a person in some or many ways.  A cool process to witness.  They resumed the musical mayhem of the evening with “One More Chance”, a song that Vince introduced by way of telling a bit about his love story with his wife Marisa.  So very sweet.  Just so happens we captured that one on film for you to witness here: 

After a very heady Bob Dylan set, we were gifted with a couple of Salmon songs, this one dedicated to Marisa, Vince's wife. And a nice lengthy version to boot!! Hope you enjoy it as much as we all did at the Stanley!!

Love that song.  Just love it to bits.  Drew was back up to the mic for the lead on “Western Skies” which followed.  Great banjo and mando duet intro on this one with Alwyn backing keeping that steady beat.  Building right into Drew’s crystal clear vocals.  Such great motion to this song — you can really feel the forward building sensation.  “…it takes me away, it takes me away.”  True enough, this song took me away!  On the wings of banjos and mandolins and saxophones…up and away!  And then it was time for a little “Home Cookin’” with Vince at the helm.  Another great choice for this evening of fun and finery.  One you can really get down to — and we all did, rest assured.  When you have a wave of sound the mass and magic of which you can practically surf down washing over you from seven different instruments you cannot help but surrender to the flow.  And that is precisely what was going down with this “Home Cookin’”.  Praise Salmon!!  Then it was time to get raucous with a big, bold “Hollerwood” which came after.  Hard drivin’ fast pickin’ was the name of this game all over the board.  From Andy to Drew to Vince and back again and then to Erik and Jeff.  A round robin of musical awesomesauceness in rapid time all up in our business.  And we couldn’t have been happier about it.  Wowsers!  So much great music in one show!!  After that they had brother Larry Keel come back out for some of that mess around du jour and he displayed his waxed mustache for all of us.  Nothing but class, that man.  Nothing but class.  Andy Thorn was up to the microphone for the subsequent “Morning Sun” which continued the theme of super fast pickin’ led by Andy himself on banjo.  Such inhuman quickness!  Seriously, how do they do it?  Never ceases to boggle the mind.  And Vince is no slouch on that guitar, either…quite to the contrary.  Man, that gent can pick that guitar in a masterful fashion.  Which is exactly what he did for us in a huge, badass scorching hot solo.  So, when was the last time you heard Larry Keel cover Grandmaster Flash?  Certainly not soon enough.  Ha!  Was this hilarious and entertaining all in one go!  Too damn funny.  Larry rapped out “The Message” for us in very fine form nailing lyric after lyrics as he strummed along.    The rest of the band were appropriately funky for the occasion, backing Larry up exquisitely and making this song work in so many ways.  Bravo to Mr. Keel for his mad flossing skills!!  Would love to see him cover some other vintage rap works.  “California Love” anyone?  Heh heh.  Silas Herman even came out to play Vince’s guitar in the groovy mix while Vince took over on washboard.  Pretty damn funky to say the least.  So glad I was there to witness it and tell the tale for you.  A huge, wacky finish brought this little present to a final end.  Wow.  What a ride.  The final song of the set was a monstrous and madcap “Jack London” with Vince one last time at the fore to usher us out into the night once again.  Every single member of the band was on absolute fire for this one, pulling out any and all available stops.  Drew shredded his mando to pieces, Andy destroyed all last vestiges of his banjo, Erik’s keys were smashed to bits, Jeff’s sax was done for, Alwyn’s drums were busting one by one, Greg’s bass was basically kaput, and Vince’s guitar?  Gone the way of the dodo.  Such a thoroughly incredible jam through to the very end — one of the very traits we’ve come to love so much in this band.  But they weren’t even remotely done yet!  They went directly into the Stones’ “Honkey Tonk Women” from there and proceeded to blow all our minds with a crazy fast-paced version of this one.  Sizzling good music and so great to hear this song played as such.  Wicked quick playing from one and all once again, Andy Thorn’s banjo shining through about halfway along.  Vince took care of those vocals quite superbly as well — always love hearing Papa Vince sing to us!  Bold, bold sound and so much of it.  Another one of those impressively large sound waves threatening to soak each and every one of us in so much musical bliss.  But they weren’t done yet!!  They, in turn, went directly into “Goin’ Down the Road Feeling Bad” for a little while to continue the evening with a touch of the Dead before heading right back into “Jack London” to finish it all off with a giant whiz-bang ending and massive thank you to the crowd.  Holy crapness, what a night of music!!  From start to finish just excellent through and through.  So many thanks to the Salmon fellows and their guests for the unparalleled evening of musical adventure!!  So many thanks to everyone at the Stanley Hotel for helping make this marvel of a night possible!!  And, with a head reeling from so much amazingness, we all gathered our things and headed out to regroup for late night with Alwyn Robinson and friends.  Damn, was that fun!  Damn, how we couldn’t wait for more music!  Damn!  And Sunday Bloody Funday was just around the corner.  Hot damn!

Leftover Salmon & Friends

The Lot Scene takes formal night by storm...

Sunday inbound soon, friends!!