Driving from Connecticut in the driving rain to see live music outside seems like a normal event, to me. So happy was I to be joined by a sold out crowd for the Saturday at Green River. Happier still to arrive at the venue to a dry parking lot. Armed only with my chair and a screen house that I definitely did not want to assemble, I was rewarded with an excellent day of music and weather. Festival blogs are blurry, so I will do my best to reconstruct.
Eilen Jewel : Regional warbler is a regular at this fest. Her alt-country stylings have matured.
The Felice Brothers: NY state crew survived the hard partying early days. One brother on accordion and keys, the main dude on guitar and vocals. Penn Station and Frankie’s Gun from the early aughts were nice.
GA-20: Black denim clad hairy blues trio from Boston. Wild speculation surrounding the name. Lead singer had dark aviators and a Caucasian Afro, maybe an Afreaux. I thought there was a bass, but it was actually two guitars and drums which exuded a heavy Black Keys racket.
Rubblebucket: UVM jazz nerds Kalmia Traver on bass clarinet, vocals, twirling and Alex Toth on trumpet and vocals led their troupe of merry pranksters for a rousing set. Joined by another trumpet/keys, guitar, bass, and drums, these seasoned jamsters have grown since the early vibes days. Part performance art, part music, the set was well received by the crowd. At one point, Kalmia announced it was “tutu time”, where, you guessed it, the band donned multi-colored tutus jammed, hopped off stage and snaked through the crowd.
Jupiter and Okwess: High energy African funk from the Congo. Led by the wiry Jupiter on vocals, gyrations, and conga, he was joined by two guitars, bass, and a drummer who wore a creepy wrestling mask. He sang mainly in his native tongue and encouraged the audience to jump onstage for the party. Jupiter has likened the shape of Africa to a revolver, with the Congo as the trigger.
The Wood Brothers: These guys have been positively reviewed many times in this blog. Oliver on guitar and vocals, Chris on basses and vocals, with Jano Rix on drums. Always a great set, these guys are seasoned veterans at this point. Good cover of Los Lobos’ I Got Loaded, Postcards From Hell, and Between The Beats (from the new record), One More Day. Festival highlight was their rendition of Luckiest Man from their first record. I’ve heard them play this many times, and I guess so has our crew at the fest because our entire tent spontaneously broke into the refrain at the same time.
Sammy Rae and the Friends: Main stage closer is always a crap shoot. This crew alleges to draw from classic rock, folk, and funk which seemed like too many lanes to drive down. Good cover of The Doobie Brothers Long Train Running.
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