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

Strings & Sol Bluegrass Festival 2016

Festival Experience Archive

for The Lot Scene by Parker

Monday Highlights

The Infamous Stringdusters - Greensky Bluegrass - Yonder Mountain String Band

    And so, it was our last day in paradise once more.  However, there could be no sadness among us due to the simply phenomenal line-up in store for the final evening.  The Dusters, Greensky, and Yonder?  Not a bad way to round things out whatsoever!  And, certainly, with a head and heart filled with so many excellent memories at that point, everything to come was going to be icing on the bluegrass cake!  First up, it was time for some sunset action with The Infamous Stringdusters, main stage.  Kicking things off with “Light and Love” the band launched into their show with fantastic energy from the very beginning.  Not that that should be a big surprise to anyone familiar with a Dusters show.  So animated, so talented, so well-polished.  Suffice it to say, they deliver quite the performance every time and this one was no exception.  A little down the set, they catered right to this author’s heart by playing some delightful Pink Floyd in the form of “Fearless” which sounded absolutely fantastic.  And the inclusion of Andy Hall’s dobro in some Floyd?  Forget about it!  Incredible!  Travis Book summarily nailed down the vocals, clearly in very fine voice that evening.  An altogether excellent cover of an old favorite of mine.  Yet another bluegrass band that can really put together a wonderful cover experience for the audience.  Bravi, fellas!  Further into their set, the Dusters invited their good friend Nicki Bluhm out on stage to sing a couple of numbers with them.  The first of these was “Big Road Blues” which, true to form, was bluesy and funky and fun.  Really enjoyed this one.  Nicki sounded mighty fine on the lyrics, her voice so suited to this kind of music.  Between Hall’s dobro and Jeremy Garrett’s fiddle there was no shortage of flourishes and grace notes floating around this groovy musical texture.  Then Andy Falco’s guitar solo…my goodness.  Just how adept is that man at his instrument?  Insane!  What a rush of a good time — really dug this selection!!  They followed this up with one of their standards as of late:  “Run to Heaven”.  Man, did it ever sound good on the beach at sunset that evening.  Garrett’s fiddle and Hall’s dobro once again did a dance around one another all counterpointing Chris Pandolfi’s banjo excellence.  Ensemble-wise, there are few other bands out there better than these Dusters.  After Nicki left the stage to much applause for her lovely contributions to the show and a bit on down the line, the boys played some Grateful Dead for us all.  What a gift!  “Jack Straw” proved to be one of those pivotal moments of the fest when everyone just seems to lock into the experience.  Luckily, we captured that very experience on film for you!  Please enjoy the Dusters’s S&S version of “Jack Straw”: 

And just how about a little Dead with your Dusters? That's precisely what went down at Strings & Sol this year on Monday, December 12th. The Infamous Stringdusters played one helluva sunset show on the final day of S&S 2016, and this "Jack Straw" was no exception.

Chills, right?  Talk about tearing another cover up!  We were being treated to such incredibly great music…what luck and we all knew it!  Then, Jake Jolliff (Yonder Mountain String Band) joined the fellows on the main stage for a couple of pieces, packing his mandolin like a side iron.  “Wheel Hoss” proved to be one speeding freight train of string band magnificence.  So many notes from all those instruments for this tune.  Whether it was banjo or dobro or mando or fiddle, guitar, or bass it was a never-ending litany of note after precious note, melting into our ears, melting our faces.  Jake was on fire, of course, enjoying playing alongside ISD, clearly written on his face.  Garrett, of course, had to answer on fiddle, throwing down some serious solo work with his bow.  I mean, Falco, Panda, Book…all killed it.  Just killed it.  One of the more fun “Wheel Hoss” renditions I’ve been privy to.  Massively great job, guys!  Another cover was waiting around the corner and later on in the set:  the Police’s “Walking on the Moon”.  I really enjoy this one from the Dusters, always have.  Travis Book always does an excellent job with the vocals, really bringing this song to life.  Love those duet slides from Garrett and Hall in the beginning — what a cool sound, what a timbre!  Damn, were they in great form that night!  But, isn’t that what we’ve all come to expect from ISD?  Amazing shows each and every time?  I mean, right?  And this one fit the bill to a “t”.  It’s interesting to map out how shows make you feel…and I know how this one was making me feel.  Utterly happy.  Stupendous music will do that to you.  They finished up this stellar show with “Long Lonesome Day” and “Getting Down the Road”, quite the double-whammy closer.  Panda was all over the intro to “Lonesome Day” laying down some serious notes on his banjo which provided the perfect lead in for Travis on vocals.  Andy was a monster that dobro, showing just how incredible he is on his chosen instrument.  And, my goodness, do I love me some dobro!  Such good solo work from all the gents, to be honest…Falco dominated on guitar as usual, Jeremy made his fiddle sing like a well-trained soprano, it all sounded phenomenal.  This trend continued into “Getting Down the Road” which proved a very strong finish.  The band took the high energy of the night all the way to the end delivering one memorable show to be sure.  And the crowd loved it to the very last note.  How couldn’t we have?  It was just so good!  So many big thanks to the band and the folks that support them.  So happy to have had them at Strings & Sol this year!!

The Infamous Stringdusters

    Greensky Bluegrass.  Just the name alone, right?  Exactly.  Darkness had fallen all around the brightly lit stage by that point, all of us having supped and refreshed and donned our party gear to help take this entire affair to a happy close.  The band walked out to great applause, all of us ready to get our groove on, Greensky style.  They opened the whole shebang with “Merely Avoiding”, Paul Hoffman sounding recording perfect straight out of the gate, both on vocals and mandolin.  And there was no denying the omnipresence of the sweet sound of Anders Beck’s dobro as he filled the song with bar after bar of delightful notes.  Mike Bont’s banjo duet with Hoffman’s mando a few minutes in was really tight from a musical texture perspective as well — really enjoyed that combined sound from those two adept gentleman.  Fantastic start and the crowd thought so as well.  This was followed by Dave Bruzza jumping up to the mic for one of the fine standards of the GSBG catalog:  “Worried About the Weather”.  Lots and lots of notes were coming from Bont’s side of the stage throughout this one counterpointed by Beck’s own lovely contributions coming from the opposite.  Of course, Bruzza’s own guitar chops are very much in need of mention — his solo at the two minute mark was absolutely gorgeous.  The more I hear that man play the more I want to hear that man play.  And talk about your sing-a-long crowd pleaser!  They took this directly into some more Pink Floyd for the evening, just warming my heart to no end.  “Time” from Floyd’s incredible and timeless Dark Side of the Moon album.  Man, do I just love GSBG’s version of this song!  From Hoffman kicking some serious ass on the vocals and making them his own to the stupendous ensemble sound coming from the entire band to the phenomenal solos from everyone that illuminated this music in such new and exciting ways, this one proved a huge favorite for the entire audience.  And how couldn’t it have been?  I mean we’re talking Greensky doing Floyd, my friends!!  How much better can it really get??  Bont was a madman…a madman I tell you all song long.  You could only see a blur where his fingers were supposed to be — so many freakin’ notes.  So excellent!  Bruzza certainly threw down his share of crazy good soloing following up Anders who had just delivered some lengthy and masterful melody work himself.  All around, I’d give the fellas an A+ for their mighty fine efforts here.  Might fine, indeed!  Thanks for catering to this long time Floyd fan, you guys!  Friends Andy Goessling (Railroad Earth) and Duke Davis joined the band for their next song, “Miss September” which was proved to be a pretty groovy damn time.  But, you needn’t take my word for it when you can see for yourself right here!! 

Friends Duke Davis and Andy Goessling (Railroad Earth) sat in with GSBG as one helluva horn section during Greensky's final night main stage performance at Strings & Sol 2016 (Mon 12 Dec). What a great sound to have with the boys from Michigan!! Bravi to all on stage for this fantastic "Miss September" -- please enjoy!!!

Not bad, right?  Not bad at all!  Pretty groovy damn time, indeed, right?  Well, that groove kept right on a-going when The Infamous Stringdusters and Nicki Bluhm joined the fellas on stage for some seriously good supergroup action.  Sadly, Travis Book didn’t make it out with ISD, but you could tell he was there in spirit for this big rendition of Clapton’s “After Midnight”.  As such, Mike Devol was working double overtime to provide that baller bass sound…no worries, my friends.  He did an outstanding job.  As always.  That man, the consummate professional.  What a steamroller of a song this one turned out to be…obviously.  So many excellent musicians on stage at one time.  My goodness!  It was almost too much.  Almost.  But not even remotely…I could watch that show for hours.  The Greenfamous Stringgrassers?  Yeah, I’d buy that ticket.  I can’t even begin to accurately describe for you all the stellar music that graced my ears during this song.  Banjos and guitars and mandolin and dobros and fiddle, oh my!!  Needless to say, it sounded like heaven.  And what a great song choice, too!  We were all very much into the entire vibe and loving every minute.  Lots and lots of happy faces in that crowd.  A little on down the set, the band welcomed Larry Keel and Danny Barnes up to join them for a fun version of “I’d Probably Kill You” which, as you guessed, morphed into “I’d probably Keel you” during the course of the number.  Nothing like getting the combined awesome grit of Keel and Barnes out there with GSBG — really makes for quite the necessary musical experience to witness.  Bruzza and Hoffman sang their duet in fine fashion, providing that melodic and lyric complement to the band and their pals.  Danny was, in a word, nasty on the banjo, really throwing down in only the way that he can.  So very good.  Larry, well, Larry was Larry, through and through.  Just shredding on guitar, owning every note.  It certainly can be said of both guests that they are true wizards on their chosen instruments.  You could tell how much the band truly enjoyed sharing the stage with them.  Finally, a little later on, they closed things out by playing a fantastic S&S version of “Living Over”.  It proved to be a perfect closing song for the night of music they had delivered to us, dancing on the beaches of the Now Sapphire in tropical and gorgeous Mexico.  So many cheers to the boys from Kalamazoo!  They did it again!  Bravi, fellas!!

Greensky Bluegrass with The Infamous Stringdusters and Nicki Bluhm

    Unfortunately, due to some technical issues, most of my note files for Yonder Mountain String Band’s performance were corrupted.  As such, I can only report on a couple of songs.  My sincerest apologies for this, my friends.  And my sincerest apologies to the band.  My memories are all happy ones, though — Yonder really put on a fantastic closing show for Strings & Sol.  “Complicated” was fantastic and Ben Kaufmann really sounded amazing on the vocals.  Classic YMSB sound for this one, with the added bonuses of the newer recruits, of course.  Adam Aijala gave us a beautiful solo on guitar a few minutes in that was just lovely to behold.  Allie’s fiddle was also a gorgeous addition to the mix of this song, doling out a truly fine solo run of her own.  All in all, it was mighty pretty version of this Yonder standard.  The encore from their show was pretty phenomenal, too.  Lots of friends joining them:  Bruzza, Devol, Drew Emmitt (Leftover Salmon), Beck, and Tim Carbone (Railroad Earth) — what a cast of characters to close down the fest’s last song.  Lou Reed’s “Take a Walk on the Wild Side” was on the menu and Dave Johnston was on the lead to take us all home.  What a version of this one, too!  Especially with all the various folks on stage doing the back up parts.  Pretty hilarious but pretty amazing, as well.  Certainly a great way to end things on a high note for this unparalleled festival experience.  Many thanks to Yonder for closing it all so well and keeping the energy going until the last note.  Fantastic!

Yonder Mountain String Band and Friends

    And, so, we said good-bye to another four days of music in the lovely Riviera Maya on the coast of eastern Mexico.  Cloud 9 had outdone themselves once again — this had been my favorite Strings & Sol thus far.  It really is such an incredible festival with so much going so right all around the bend.  The line-up was stellar this time just as always, the staff at the Now Sapphire and the resort itself were wonderful and charming…truly I have no notes for Strings & Sol whatsoever.  Except maybe one:  please don’t change a thing!  A huge round of applause to everyone who had a hand in making this year’s S&S go off so very well!  It was, as always, the experience of a lifetime and I know I cannot wait to get back in 2017!  Thanks for reading, everyone, and get yourself to Mexico this year!

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!!

 

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

Strings & Sol Festival 2016

Festival Experience Archive

for The Lot Scene by Parker

Introduction

    The third time was most certainly the charm this year for me at Strings & Sol, Cloud 9’s annual bluegrass bash on the beach down in Mexico.  So much clicked and grooved and jived in all the right ways and having the privilege of plugging into that unique energy and wonderful positivity that is the Strings & Sol reality became all the more real and important.  And fun…we can’t forget the fun.  What a cast of characters assembled, too, both on stage and off this festival having become a quick repository for so many super fans and linchpins of our community as well as a growing number of multi S&S alumni.  As such, the subculture of Strings & Sol draws you in, seduces you with so many amazing experiences and wonders, and then delights you to the very marrow with unparalleled music, a heavenly atmosphere, and the chance to experience it all with some of your favorite people.  And that lineup?  Are you kidding me?  As always, just the kind of music I want to hear with a frosty beverage in hand and my feet in the sand.  Bravi to Annabel Stelling and all at Cloud 9 who have a hand in making this festival happen each year.  For our money at The Lot Scene, it is clearly one of the best planned, organized, and run fests around.  Honestly, it’s damn near perfect.  Please keep up the wonderful work, guys!!  So many thanks!!  I guess, for me, it’s the overall feeling I get when I come to Strings & Sol.  I am reminded so acutely of summer camp as a child…meeting new people and having fun for a week or so, making lifelong friends in the process, saying goodbye for a year in between…having more fun than seems humanly possible.  And the Now Sapphire plays a huge role in this, too, what with their staff (our counselors if you will) always at the ready to make things happy, to make us happy.  Seeing the same staff from year to year…see?  Just like camp.  And the anticipation.  An entire year’s worth of waiting to get back to the magic.  Back to friends and drinks and music and the beach and the pool and the Buffet and fun.  All that and more:  Strings & Sol.  Camp Strings & Sol.  But, where would our favorite summer camp in December be without the music?  Without those Strings we’ve been hearing so much about?  Where, indeed?  How’s about we get down to business then, my friends…  

Now Sapphire Pool and Pool Bar

Friday Highlights

Yonder Mountain String Band - Leftover Salmon

    Annabel Stelling joined Yonder Mountain String Band for the traditional welcome toast as the waves crashed nearby and as everyone raised their libations high into the evening sky in salute to the good times to come.  Always such a triumphant and expectant moment and certainly a favorite of many in the crowd.  How couldn’t it be?  With so much music in store at that point in the festival, that must serve as a great memory for so many people who attended.  And then, in a flash, the music was off to a hot start with Yonder at the helm getting everyone’s feet a-dancing in that cool white sand once again.  They kicked things off with a speedy and energetic “Insult and an Elbow” from their album Black Sheep.  A good choice in that these five talented individuals showed that they meant business for the remainder of the weekend from the very get go.  Jake Jolliff’s early solo at Warp 5 was a perfect example of this fact.  And Allie Kral's answer to that solo a bit later in the song?  Riveting.  Plainly put, we were all in for some sizzling YMSB this weekend.  And we were loving it.  Another selection from Black Sheep was next in line that evening in the form of a fantastic Strings & Sol rendition of “I’m Lost”.  But, the best thing is, you don’t have to take my word for it because we recorded a lovely video of it just for you!  Please enjoy! 

Yonder Mountain String Band kicked things off in their traditionally fine fashion at Strings & Sol this year after the yearly Welcome Toast on Fri Dec 9th with a fantastic set. Here is a small taste of it for you...feel that ocean breeze? What a great way to get this amazing festival started!!

Nothing like taking it that special vantage point from the beach at S&S.  It really is as magical as everyone says it is.  “Pockets” followed “I’m Lost” for this opening set from Yonder Mountain on the stage sitting blithely next to the sea, the mixture of music and nature creating a heady brew for the crowd below.  Really fine guitar solo from Adam Aijala about a minute into things truly showcasing the musical acumen that is so prevalent in this band.  And this was only echoed in Allie’s own extremely gifted and skilled musicianship exemplified in her own killer soloing.  The next song saw Jake Jolliff come up to the mic to take the lead on King Harvest’s “Dancing in the Moonlight”, yet another excellent cover from YMSB.  They certainly have a strong collection of those very songs.  Fantastic ensemble work from the entire group on this one highlighting that easygoing feel of yesteryear that this song evokes in spades as well as the round robin of sweet solos that kept coming round the bend time and again.  I really enjoyed this version of an old favorite.  Superb job, guys!  Danny Barnes joined the band on stage for a couple of numbers beginning with “Winds of Wyoming” which they took directly into “Funtime” and back into “Winds”.  Holy goodness can that man play the banjo!!  Yonder just knows how to interface with a guest so very well to bring out the very best of the collaboration.  Adam took this to heart with a lengthy and fiery good guitar solo a couple of minutes into the mix.  Such skill on that instrument!  Allie’s contribution to the good times on stage is of necessary mention as well — that good lady can evoke so much incredible joy from that fiddle of hers.  And we are all so glad she does just that!  All of this was in anticipation of Danny on his 5-string, however, as he lit up the night with his own unique brand of picking.  What a monstrously awesome augmentation to Yonder.  Bravo, sir!  Then, Dave Johnston threw down some duet action with Danny as well which was twice the banjo goodness.  So much string band happy on stage all at one time!!  And then it was time for Danny to bust out the lead on “Funtime” with Ben in support on harmonies.  What’s that about Jake nailing down some seriously crazy good solo work?  Yeah, you got that one right, my friend for that certainly went down, too.  Talk about a fun time, indeed.  So fun!  Especially when they slammed right back into “Winds of Wyoming” to finish things out with Danny.  Excellence!  Later in the set, Drew Emmitt of Leftover Salmon came out to add his voice and mando to the madness on the S&S main stage for a couple of songs:  “Summer in the City” into “Kentucky Mandolin” back into “Summer”.  Again, another perfect example of how well Yonder really synchs with other musicians.  I love that aspect of this band.  You could tell Drew was having a blast up there, too, smiling away in such the infectious manner.  Nothing like watching our favorite musicians love what they do.  The final song of the set came a little later with Larry Keel added in this time to increase that fun payout.  Yonder and Larry finished the show with “Sidewalk Stars” an old favorite in the YSMB catalogue.  Larry, of course, added his signature grit and sincerity to the performance which, if you are a fan of Mr. Keel like I am, is always encouraged.  What a way to conclude the opening set of Strings & Sol 2016!!  What a set itself!!  If this was an indication of what was to come (and it was, believe-you-me) we were all in for the best weekend of bluegrass on the beach yet.  And that was pretty damn exciting.  Cheers to Yonder for tearing the lid off Strings & Sol 2016 for us!!  Bravi!!

Yonder Mountain String Band

    Festivaaaaaaaaaaaal!!  Ah, the cry of the Leftover Salmon.  The rally that utters forth time and again from the great polyethnic cajun slamgrass chieftain, Vince Herman.  Leftover Salmon.  That band’s band.  That amazing ongoing experiment in music, madness, merrymaking, and mutual awesomeness.  What would S&S be without LoS?  Where would we all be without them to help welcome us back to camp on the first night of the fun?  I am just glad we didn’t have to find any of that out this year as we watched Salmon take the stage after Yonder Mountain.  I freely admit my bias here:  I adore this band.  It’s really hard not to.  From the energy to the joy to the music to the everything, I really enjoy all that they do.  But, then again, I really like to have fun at shows and Leftover provides fun in droves.  So, let’s get to that fun, shall we?  “Mexico” was our collective intro into how Salmon was feeling this year at S&S.  Drew Emmitt was up to the mic for the lead vocals on this homage to our current location, with the band in full support to be sure.  Nothing at all like that sweet, sweet Salmon ensemble sound.  Alwyn Robinson was serving up some serious beats that translated directly into sand flying around our dancing feet on the beach down below and while the rest of the band wailed away, stirring the pot in all sorts of fine ways.  Quite the auspicious start to what would be a marvelous show.  “Zombie Jamboree” was the perfect follow-up to the intensity of “Mexico”.  Erik Deutsch tore things up on his keys in that ever-more-respectable way that only he can.  As most of you know already, I supremely love that man’s playing.  Especially with this, one of my favorite bands.  Lighthearted and joyous, Vince heartily sang the tongue-in-cheek lyrics as we all jumped and thrashed about in glee and as Andy Thorn serenaded us all on his mystical banjo.  Drew took his own turn at the fun with a lengthy and lively solo on his mandolin.  Pure excellence!  Then, how about a big turn at “Tequila” with Larry Keel?  Oh, the “Tequila” joke, you ask?  Ah, yes.  The “Tequila” joke.  So, apparently as we would find out later in the weekend from Anders Beck of Greensky Bluegrass, the idea was to play the ending riff of The Champs’ classic “Tequila” after every song and have the crowd yell the magic word.  So, Yonder did begin this…my apologies for not telling you sooner.  And it kept going.  And going.  All weekend.  But, we’ll get to that.  For now, it was still fresh and funny.  And how can’t you love Salmon with Larry Keel?  Next, we managed to get another great video for you to help transport you to the beaches of S&S with us.  Please enjoy this “Whispering Waters”!! 

Leftover Salmon lit up the night sky on Friday, December 9th at Strings & Sol 2016 with their incredible set. Always a perfect fit for this bluegrass festival on the beach, Leftover certainly did NOT disappoint all those who traveled to Mexico to bask in the sun, fun, and music.

If you closed your eyes, you could’ve almost been there, right?  That’s what we try to do for you, good people — take you there.  Later on the fantastic familiar drum intro of “Gulf of Mexico” heralded in the perfect anthem for the setting at the Now Sapphire right by that very body of water…or a little around the corner at least.  But who’s counting?  Hey, we were by water in Mexico.  More than good enough for us as we enjoyed this classic from Leftover, Drew at the vocal helm.  Some marvelous banjo badness from Thorn helped kick things into high gear as Drew answered on his electric guitar, all the while Robinson like a mad metronomic monster throwing down the base to the whole affair.  Brilliance from every corner of the band!!  Bravo to Greg Garrison on that bass of his!!  Bravo to Erik on the keys!!  What a showing!!  Then how about a little Hendrix, why not?  Why not, indeed!!  “The Wind Cries Mary” is one of my favorite covers from this band, and they just freakin’ kill it every time I hear it so why shouldn’t it be?  Drew provides the vocals for the adventure and the whole thing is taken at a quick bluegrass pace.  Magnificence.  Erik tickled those ivories so adeptly and sweetly, synth set to organ, phaser set to “kick ass”.  And so much awesomely awesome drumming, Alwyn!  My goodness…leave some beats for the rest of the class, please.  Ha!  Not to mention Drew on his mandolin and Andy on banjo!!  It’s enough musical merriment so as to cause palpitations!  Big, big music from this big music band.  After a small set break the band got back into the shenanigans we’d all been enjoying thus far.  A bit into that second set, the band launched into a “Funky Mountain Fogdown” with a “Tequila” inspired intro that developed into something rather fun and funky, indeed.  Maybe it was Andy Hall’s dobro that really brought the funk to it all.  Whatever the reason, we were on quite the ride through fast pickin’ heaven.  So much great musicianship going round and round and round.  Crazy good!!  I mean, Vince was nailing it on guitar like a super champ and then, bam, hands it right off to Hall who…runs…with…it.  I mean just goes and goes.  Such incredible music.  Not to be outdone, Deutsch comes in on those keys and just dominates until Andy Thorn steals the show on banjo!  Whoa!  What a rush!  What could you even follow that with?  Well, Salmon does it a little something like this:  “Get Up And Go”.  Vince singing to us about living life in much better fashion?  A perfect way to dance out the energy from the “Fogdown” before.  Andy Hall stayed out there throwing down those perfect dobro licks to enhance this travelin’ song.  What a player, huh?  That man knows his instrument so damn well.  So impressive.  So appreciated.  Finally, they closed things down for the night on the main stage with “River’s Rising”.  A great and strong staple of the Salmon catalogue, this one never disappoints.  It’s just a great rock song, you know?  Drew was in fine voice with Vince in support, throwing down the vocals like a a pair of rock gods.  This was a big one, too, clocking in at 13:54 — lots of music up in here.  This, of course, gave everyone the opportunity to shine and shine they did.  From Drew just shredding it on electric to Alwyn going nuts on those skins, the energy just kept building and building.  But the real creme de la creme was the mid section of the song, the jam.  At times pure, high energy rock’n’roll and at others trippy space breakdown, Leftover was determined to take the audience some place far away and special.  And that is exactly what they did.  Wow.  By the time the song came back to itself at the end of the more than 10 minute jam it was still filled with madness and energy and fun and laughter.  What an ending!!  Not a person standing on that beach wasn’t left wheezing with pure merriment and gratitude.  What a show!!  Festivaaaaaaaaaal!!  What a ride!!  And that, my friends, is precisely why we go to Strings & Sol.  Boom!  So many thank yous to the band and their folks who help to get them to places like S&S.  Thanks to the Cloud 9 folks for an amazing first day at Strings.  Ah, back at camp and couldn’t be happier.  So much fun to be had…already had.  Amazing.  And still three days to go!!  

Leftover Salmon with Andy Hall

Stay tuned for Saturday’s fun, everyone!!

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!!

WinterWonderGrass CO 2016 - Saturday

WinterWonderGrass CO 2016

Festival Experience Archive

for The Lot Scene by Parker

Saturday Highlights

Peter Rowan & Friends - Fruition - Greensky Bluegrass

    Saturday was here and with it another gorgeous day in Avon, CO.  The weather was mild for the time of year to say the least and many folks weren’t even wearing coats, myself included.  Crazy to think a hoodie will keep you warm in the middle of winter in the Rockies.  Well, heat waves are heat waves.  It was nice to have a reprieve from all the scarves and gloves and hats and big winter coats of the nighttime.  Those would be back around soon enough, however.  After grabbing some very necessary and very delectable food from the vendors at the back, we made our way around to the various tents taking in as much music as possible throughout the afternoon.  Here are the highlights from the main stage for you, my friends.

    As I stated in my earlier WonderGrass reviews, it was quite the honor and gift to have Mr. Peter Rowan present and in such wonderful form.  As such, the Peter Rowan & Friends on the bill promised to be rife with excellent music and teeming with talent.  And the promise was kept, believe-you-me.  Jay Starling (Love Canon), Tyler Thompson(Fruition), Peter Knight (Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band), and Tyler Grant (The Grant Farm) turned out to be Peter’s friends for the afternoon set.  And how happy we were that was the case!  What a powerhouse group of musicians!  We were certainly in for some special times to come in the very near future.  Peter chose “Wild Horses” as the first selection for the ensemble.  His voice sounding as clear and pure as the day he started singing, Mr. Rowan crooned gently and sweetly to the audience in only the way that he can.  Jay’s dobro was the perfect counterpoint to Peter’s voice, that distinctive sound buoying up the lyrics as Jay pulled note after soft and angelic note from his instrument.  An auspicious start to a wonderful set of songs.  Time to get the crowd a-singing along!!  Good ol’ “Midnight Moonlight”, that trusted friend, was next in line.  Mr. Rowan had a particularly lovely guitar solo during which Tyler Grant made his entrance.  Classy stuff, my friends.  And more of that epic dobro from Mr. Starling.  The crowd was certainly pleased with this one as I counted the smiles and number of mouths singing the words.  Impossible to count them all.  Not surprising in the slightest given the stellar nature of what was occurring on the stage.  A big, juicy, lengthy island medley came after in the form of “Johnny Too Bad” > “Jamaica Farewell” > “No Woman, No Cry” — a reggae-inspired feast for the ears this one had us singing along again and feeling the warmth of the Caribbean on our faces amidst the snow-covered Colorado mountains.  And what a wonderful feeling that was, too.  Luckily, we captured that very 15 minutes on film for you.  Please enjoy: 

Peter Rowan & Friends took us on a lovely musical journey on Sat of WWG CO this year. Tyler Grant, Jay Starling, Tyler Thompson, and Paul Knight joined Mr. Rowan for an incredible set. This Caribbean/Reggae medley certainly helped all of us keep warm that day!!! Enjoy!!

Pretty epic stuff, huh?  Precisely.  Nothing like that Peter Rowan, right?  Nothing, indeed.  “Doc Watson Morning” is a song that Peter wrote for Doc himself, a story of Watson’s musical life and influence in song.  A serenely mild and beautiful piece, this one tugs a bit at the heart strings, as intended, I’m sure.  “I pick up my old guitar and I start to play…cause it's a Doc Watson mornin' D-18 guitar pickin' kinda day.”  Sounds like a great way to spend a morning to me.  “Panama Red” followed “Doc” and proved to be exactly what you’d expect from this group:  spectacular.  Another tried and true song of the catalogue, this one never fails to get the crowd a-going.  Grant was pure excellence on the guitar with Peter’s solid bass line keeping things level unit the very end.  Same goes for Thompson’s beats all set — solid as a rock.  A marvelous group of musicians for Peter to play with.  They really sounded tight and polished.  And, as always, any opportunity to see Mr. Rowan play is one that a person should take, hands down.  Sincerely hope that he returns to WWG next year!  Bravi, gents!

Peter Rowan & Friends

    Fruition, that whack ado walloping wonderment from Portland, were up next on the WinterWonderGrass main stage.  Suffice it to say, I am a rather big fan of this band.  And there are so many reasons I should be, too.  Electric hot instrumental playing on behalf of all members.  Lightning intensity in each and every song.  A robust and varied sound given the high level of multi-instrumentalism in the group.  So many good things in one, crazy fun package.  And that’s what Fruition really is at heart:  pure fun.  Pure musical genius combined with fun.  And heaps of talent and skill.  And all of them were ready to tear it completely limb-from-limb for us that evening.  Jay Cobb Anderson was up to the mic to lend his wonderfully unique voice for the first song, “Git Along”.  Of course, the delightful harmonies that characterize this band also make for an incredible feast for the ears, as made apparent in this one.  And we were off and running into the set!  “Blue Light” was next on the docket, dark and mysterious and brooding.  Kellen Asebroek provided lead vocals on this song perfectly fitting into the atmosphere of the piece.  I really do love all the voices of the three main vocalists in the band (Mimi Naja being the third).  Makes for an eclectic and very entertaining act.  Nice, deep and dusky bass work from Jeff Leonard here, too.  Really kept the driving motion throughout this song.  Mimi grabbed the mic for “Lay Down Blues” which came after.  Lots of delicious guitar from Jay in it from start to finish — really kept a fantastic rock’n’roll feel.  And the nighttime was the right time again as we danced in the cooling night air.  Mimi just nailed the vocals, too…as she always does.  I didn't see a single person who wasn’t dancing madly about as I looked around during “Lay Down”.  And I wasn’t the least bit surprised.  I know I was dancing madly about as well!!  Then my absolute current favorite song by Fruition came next:  “There She Was”.  In talking with Kellen late night at the Westin Hotel lobby one early morning he explained that, after going to a Motet show he wanted to write a funk song.  He said that he took a song he was working on, retooled it, and, well, “There She Was” so to speak.  And what a funk song it is!!  Funky and catchy and fabulous and charmingly crack-like this song has so much right going on with it.  I challenge you to not have this song in your head for days after hearing it.  Hell, Kellen said even he has it on the brain all the time.  You know it must be quite the catchy one, if that’s the case, right?  Always so happy to hear them play this song.  Thank you so much to Kellen for writing it and to the band for playing it so very well!!  A bit later in the set Tyler Thompson and Jeff Leonard set the tone in a mean style on the drums and bass, respectively, for the intro to “I Don’t Mind”.  Groovy and gritty, when Jay joined in on guitar, the texture took flight into a brazen rock song with Mimi destroying the lead vocals.  “I just keep moving.  I might be losing, but I don’t mind.”  Not a bad message of perseverance, eh?  Kicking things back up to ‘Ludicrous Speed’ Fruition thrashed out this next song in such delightful ways!  Crazy fast pickin’ and singing to boot, if you dig on wicked guitar riffs accompanied by mad, mad mando playing all shored up by some badass drums and baller bass, then you’d love “Never Again”.  And they really wailed this one out, too…inspiring dancing galore down on the ground before the stage.  Hard to be cold when the music is so very hot.  Succinctly fun times all around I have no doubts.  Jumping a bit ahead in the setlist we were all treated to a magma-hot “Fire” with none other than the Andy Thorn (Leftover Salmon) guesting in on his mighty banjo and the one and only Mr. Larry Keel on guitar.  And…guess what?  We’ve got it for you right here — hope you enjoy!!! 

Larry Keel and Andy Thorn joined Fruition on stage on Sat for their song "Fire" at WWG 2016 and made one helluva go of it!! What a powerhouse combination!! Really excellent stuff, my friends!! Please enjoy!!

Enjoyed it, right?  How couldn’t you?  That’s some seriously wonderful music coming at you like a velvet hammer.  Andy stayed out with the Portland crew for another, this time “I Can’t Stop”, Jay taking the lead with that incredible vibrant voice of his.  A song of personal exploration and understanding, it is a stroll on the pensive side of Fruition’s catalogue.  Gorgeous mandolin solo from Mimi in the mid section here as well.  Love her style.  And speaking of Mimi, how about her covering a little Jimmy Cliff for us all?  Please and thank you!!  “The Harder They Come” proved quite the audience-pleaser, but of course.  And it sounded fantastic.  Great cover addition to the setlist for the evening to be sure.  Finally, a wee bit more down the set, the band closed things down by inviting Paul Hoffman (Greensky Bluegrass) up on stage to help them thrown down an awesome “Mountain Annie”.  It was really superb to hear Paul step up to the mic to take the lead vocals a couple of times.  He sounded really organic and marvelous singing alongside Fruition.  This is a guest spot I’d like to see many times over in the future.  A really tight and enjoyable version of this song.  Many thanks to one and all for it and for a ridiculously good show.  Certainly many new Fruition fans were forged that night and with very good reason.  Bravi to the band and their friends who joined them to make it such a special night!!  Love this band!!  And there was still more music left in the evening, too…crazy right?

Fruition and Paul Hoffman

    Green.  Sky.  Blue.  Grass.  Just wanted to get your attention.  You know, since this was one crazy good ass show.  Headlining the main stage for two consecutive nights, we were all poised and ready to ride along with GSBG for their first evening of magic and fun.  No matter how many times I see this band, each subsequent time is always that much better than the last.  Not really sure how they manage this seeming infraction of the laws of musical physics.  But, who cares?  These gents know how to jam in such innovative and interesting and inspiring ways — truly they bring a comprehensive show to the stage that never fails to satisfy.  They opened things up that Saturday with “The Four” > “One More Saturday Night” mixing a bit o’ the Dead in with your Greensky.  And what a mixture it was!!  But don’t take my word for it, check it out here: 

Two nights of GSBG at WWG this year!!! TWO NIGHTS!!! Here is how they opened up their Sat night show...phenomenal!! GSBG into DEAD??? Such incredible music -- thanks, boys!!

Let’s get this party started quickly, right?  Quickly, indeed.  Two songs in already and having a blast.  Fast pickin’ was up next with “Just to Lie”, Dave Bruzza providing a driving guitar line over the top of Mike Devol’s foundational bass.  This gave license for a bright mando solo from Paul and some lovely banjo work from Mike Bont.  I’d be remiss, of course, if I didn’t mention Anders Beck’s ever-present and sonorous dobro, but, then again, I am a total sucker for dobro.  Andy Thorn (Leftover Salmon) came out for the next song, “Burn Them”, adding his very own brand of banjo to the ensemble.  “What if sorrows swim?”  What a question!!  Andy tore it up, too.  Some great duet work with Bont as well as plenty of solo riffing and picking.  Double banjos, when played by gents such as these…what more could you as for?  There was a huge, epic, dirty, gorgeous, amazing jam in the middle of this one, too.  So much great music.  So much great banjo!  Bravo, Bont!  Bravo, Andy!!  A bit further into the set came “Dustbowl Overtures” followed by “Bringing in the Georgia Mail” both of which sounded simply magnificent.  The fellas were really on fire that night in the chilly evening.  They kept that fire going strong with “Demons”, the next song in line which they dedicated to Fruition.  This seemed apropos given the story Paul told us regarding Fruition playing “Demons” for him at a festival a couple of years back.  They took it at a nice clip, too, maybe another homage to the band of dedication?  Paul’s mandolin work was its usual excellence here and the omnipresence of Anders’ dobro is always a welcome friend.  However, I cannot go without mentioning Bruzza’s big ol’ fat solo in the middle which he handed off seamlessly to Beck.  Watching this band trade off melody lines is like watching a highly-tuned soccer team at work on the pitch:  expert and masterful.  Keeping things nice and heated, we got a riveting and riotous “Kerosene” which came at us like a cyclone circus caravan crashing over and all around us in large splashes of music and light.  Another quick one, “Kerosene” proved a fertile ground for fat jams and sizzling hot solos as each member of the band took his turn to melt a few more faces out in the crowd.  This, in turn, was followed by “Wings for Wheels” and then “Leap Year” to close things out.  “Leap Year” featured some good and raucous teases as one might hope:  mainly in the form of “I Feel Like Bustin’ Loose” and “It’s Getting Hot in Here”.  Paul, you nut.  Just can’t resist can you?  And thank all that’s decent and good for that!!  As an encore we were gifted with an appropriately magnificent “Atlantic City”, one of my favorite covers of theirs.  And a huge favorite of the crowd if their screams of approval were any indication.  Dobro goodness up until the very end of the show!  Ahhhh…how nice.  And all those incredible musicians, each of the GSBG gentlemen — so fantastic tonight, such a stellar show.  A big, big round of thanks to one and all for making Saturday night at WonderGrass so very special.  It was almost hard to believe that we had yet one more show in store with these fine musicians the following evening!  So glad that was the case, however.  So very glad, indeed.  What a night with Greensky!!

Greensky Bluegrass

    And then it was over and Saturday was already relegated to magnificent memory.  We’d seen so many great acts, heard so much marvelous music.  And we still had late night to go…Billy Strings and The Lil’ Smokies.  Talk about your late night!  And there was also Sunday in the works.  Sunday Funday, on the horizon and ready with even more music for those who had room left.  Like me.  I had more than enough and I was prepared in all ways necessary to consume more delicious bluegrass music.  But that is a story yet to come, my friends…

Sunday on its way, everyone!!