Jam Cruise 14 - MSC Divina - Thursday

Jam Cruise 14

Festival Experience Archive

for The Lot Scene by Parker

Thursday Highlights

Cabinet - Paul Hoffman, Anders Beck, & Friends - Snarky Puppy - Lettuce - Con Brio

    Not too much worse for the wear just yet, we arose, caffeinated ourselves, pulled our gear together, and got our slap-happy selves up to the pool deck to start the day with a little Cabinet action.  This Pennsylvania-based string band was a mighty fine addition to this year’s lineup and we were very grateful to have them aboard.  Their unique sound and energy was most certainly appreciated by the audiences they drew, from both bluegrass fan and non-fan alike.  I do know that they killed it, however…twice in fact.  But we’ll just focus on that first Thursday noon set, shall we?  J.P. Biondo took to the mic for their first number, “A Smile”, which had a light and mellow reggae feel to it especially on top of the grooving bass line Dylan Skursky was putting down for us.  Nice way to get things going underneath that warm Caribbean sun.  Next up they gave us a personal favorite of mine:  “The Dove” (or “Dub Dove” in this case) — also with J.P. on lead vocals.  But, why not take a quick listen and enjoy? 

Cabinet rounded out our bluegrass compliment on board the Boat this year for Jam Cruise 14. This is "The Dove" from their noon pool deck set aboard the MSC Divina on Thursday, Jan 7th. Please enjoy...I know I sure did!!

They took this one directly into the funky instrumental “Mysterio” followed by another favorite, “Heavy Rain”.  Love the amazing vocal harmonies in this Pappy Biondo-led one and definitely love them live best.  Also dig on Todd Kopec’s fiddle style — it really comes out in this one and adds this fantastic dimension to the song.  Later down the set came the track that made me a Cabient fan at DelFest a few years back:  “Mr. Spaceman”.  Filled with the electric guitar licks of Mickey Coviello, this rock’n’roll number is filled with tongue-in-cheek lyrics and super fun musical textures and lines all buoyed up by Jami Novak’s excellent drumming.  “Hey, Mr. Spaceman, won’t you please take me along for a ride?”  And what a ride this song takes you on!  Fiddle, guitar, banjo care of Pappy…mando thanks to J.P. and all these things wrapped up in the central jam.  Oh, and did I mention that they had Ron Holloway join them on saxophone for this one, too?  Ron’s incredible sax stylings against Cabinet’s edgy string-band background?  Pretty freakin’ unreal to say the least, everyone.  The Cabinet boys finally brought their energetic set to a close with a superb “Susquehanna Breakdown” every foot in the crowd tapping or dancing right until the last note.  If this was any indication of how Thursday was to go, then we were all of us in for a true treat.  Many thanks to Cabinet for getting things started out just right!

Cabinet and Ron Holloway

    Next up on the Lagunitas Stage on the pool deck was a special surprise, indeed.  We all knew that Anders Beck and Paul Hoffman of Greensky Bluegrass were hired stringslingers for the duration of the cruise but when we saw five gents on stage vice the two we were expecting, we knew that we were in for something unique and wonderful.  Joining Phoffman and Anders were Travis Book (The Infamous Stringdusters) on bass, Cris Jacobs on guitar, and Jay Cobb Anderson (Fruition) on guitar — not a bad supergroup, eh?  Someone in the crowd shouted their name should be ‘The Heartthrobs’ and I think it kind of stuck.  At least Phoff was heard to like it, however I am getting ahead of myself.  They kicked things off with a lively “Frederico” (GSBG rep being the majority of the selections they played) and it was a perfect chance to see how this ad hoc ensemble of acoustic greats gelled together musically.  Not that any of us had any reservations, that is.  To the contrary…all this group did was live completely up to any and all expectations, exceeding many more.  After “Frederico” they played “Fixin’ to Ruin” — we got up nice and close and personal for this one so we could share the magic with you: 

Anders Beck and Paul Hoffman of Greensky Bluegrass were on the Boat this year as roving artists at large. The guested in with many, many bands and also threw down with a makeshift ensemble comprised of Cris Jacobs, Jay Cobb Anderson, and Travis Book. Here they cover GSBG's "Fixin' to Ruin" on the Lagunitas Stage.

These fellows sounds pretty durn amazing, huh?  And they just kept laying down the heat, song after song.  Then it was time for the soulful and beseeching “Windshield”, a current crowd favorite in the Greensky universe.  It was fascinating to hear another ensemble besides GSBG playing this one…this sort of incredible but bizzaro alternate timeline Greensky backing Paul’s heartfelt solo replete with that oh-so iconic dobro line from Anders.  Really glad that Anders and Paul decided to put together The Heartthrobs.  (See?  It’s sticking.)  “Demons” was next in line for our musical delight featuring some really exquisite guitar stylings from Mr. Cris Jacobs — another place where it was of interest to see the difference between GSBG and The Heartthrobs especially when counterpointed by the familiar mandolin of Phoffman.  And who doesn’t love a little reggae?  And a little Bob Marley to boot?  “Could You Be Loved” was an apropos cover for the tropical and cheery atmosphere all around the stage underneath that bright seascape sun.  Cris and Jay decided to trade guitars on this one, thus furthering the differing sounds of this ensemble.  Paul just nailed the solo here, too.  Not to mention Jay on the back-up vocals…killing it.  Really the whole thing sounded just marvelous.  Thanks for that little gift, fellas!   Later on down the set we got some more GSBG in the form of “Don’t Lie” which sounded pretty damn great.  Again, I have to point out the funny play on the ears that this set threw down for us — Greensky songs played by some of the band with extremely talented friends sitting in.  Surreal and supremely fantastic.  One of my favorite sets on the entirety of Jam Cruise this year to be sure.  Cheers to all five you skilled gentlemen and thanks for sharing!

Travis Book, Anders Beck, Paul Hoffman, Cris Jacobs, & Jay Cobb Anderson

    Later in the day we found ourselves back up on the pool deck at the main stage for some funk love with Snarky Puppy.  This was only my second time seeing them so I was pretty psyched to catch some more of their sound and style.  So it was to be horns and funk and straight jamming out and I was more than ready for it.  This was the perfect way to ramp up an evening scheduled for tons of funk.  Their first song was full of nasty good rock mashed up with funk and it was an optimal way to get us all dancing where we stood on the packed, packed pool deck.  In listening back through my notes, I was struck over and over by the interplay of horns and guitars and how incredible that sounds, all bolstered by some seriously tight drum work.  And then there’s the keyboard skills of distinctive mention.  All told it makes for one incredible ensemble sound with layered textures and lines that weave together one ear-opening tapestry of sound and energy.  Looking forward to familiarizing myself with Snarky all the more in the future and very grateful that they found their way onto the Boat to be a part of this funk-laden voyage.

Snarky Puppy

    Lettuce was another band I was happy to see again as I’ve only seen them a couple of times before.  Keeping the funk going loud and proud and adding a healthy dose of soul to the mix, Boston’s Lettuce always makes for a really great time, no matter your musical tastes.  And who didn’t love the fact that there were so very many horns on Jam Cruise this year?  Horns everywhere you looked.  So much funk and New Orleans groove busting out at the seams.  It was a brassy smorgasbord of sweet sonorous sound.  And Lettuce were certainly no exception providing their own unique spin on the genre.  They most certainly had everyone dancing and moving and kicking it to their funky bad selves bringing out guests like Nigel Hall to get down with them.  And get down they did…like the bosses they are.  Of mention is their penchant for trippy, space-jammy interludes that really grab the ear musically and aesthetically especially in the keyboard lines.  Pretty wild stuff at times — gotta love it.  Sadly, however, we cut our time with Lettuce a little short this evening in order to grab some much needed food.  But that’s not Lettuce’s fault.  Jam Cruise is a marathon of sprints, remember?  As much as you hate to, sometimes you have to make sacrifices in order to sustain yourself.  Then again, the best thing about Jam Cruise is that you usually have a second chance to get your dance on with a band you missed or partially missed.  But we’re not done yet!

Lettuce

    Con Brio was the big unexpected break out band on Jam Cruise for me this year.  Based in San Francisco, this group specializes in “dance-heavy funk” and boy, do they ever.  Frontman Ziek McCarter is a tour-de-force with a dynamite voice and some serious showmanship to be reckoned with.  I’d place his sound squarely somewhere between Jamiroquai, D’Angelo, Michael Jackson, and Pharrell…but with a sound all his own.  And the group?  Incredible!!  So much energy and what a great ensemble sound!  Here is a bit of info taken from their website: 

    “In 2013, the longstanding rhythm section of keyboardist Micah Dubreuil, bassist Jonathan Kirchner and drummer Andrew Laubacher joined forces with incomparable guitar slinger Benjamin Andrews and McCarter: a Texas transplant who as a 19-year-old had already begun drawing crowds in his new hometown. Add in the fireworks of the Marcus Stephens on tenor saxophone and Brendan Liu on trumpet and you have the skill and confidence that comes from years of stage time and deeply-established musical partnerships with the thirst and energy of a rising star – a bright light who’s just getting started.”

I couldn’t agree more.  Several people I spoke with stated that Con Brio was their favorite or a stand out band for them for all of Jam Cruise.  I had no idea who they were before setting sail but I will certainly be seeking them out from here on.  I would highly recommend these guys to you, my friend.  If you love dancing to some funky great groove music, that is.  Dirty, dirty good rock’n’roll funk dance music.  You know, if you like that sort of thing.  The band opened things up with a, surprise, funky one called “Paradise” and that is where we were all first introduced to Ziek’s powerful and beautiful voice.  Not only a strong full-voice singer, he is also possessed of a fine falsetto which he uses with great aplomb.  They followed this with “Sundown” and later down the set with a song called “Never”.  My favorite song of their set had to be “Kiss the Sun” featuring some groovy keyboard work from Micah and some pure funk guitar from Benjamin.  All of this providing the foundation for Ziek’s angelic crooning.  Moral of this story?  Go so this band.  Seriously.  Follow them and find them and go see this band.  Trust me, you’ll be rather glad you did.

Con Brio

    We finished out the evening with some more of Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, catching the tail end of the set in the Pantheon Theater.  A completely epic “Truckin’” dominated the few songs we saw, all members of the band firing on all cylinders.  There is nothing like watching that band play that music in that way.  That remarkable, one-of-a-kind way.  And a great band to lead us into our late night offerings around the Boat, those small moments of magic and mayhem that can only be found in the wee hours of the morn aboard Jam Cruise.  Another day was closing down but one more was yet on the horizon.  Friday was anon but sleep called in it’s annoyingly insistent way.  What a Thursday.  What a Thursday, indeed!  How couldn’t I look forward to Friday and all that Friday promised?  And what a way to fall asleep…filled with gratitude and the fondest of fresh memories…

Friday inbound soon, my friends!!

Jam Cruise 14 - MSC Divina - Wednesday

Jam Cruise 14

Festival Experience Archive

for The Lot Scene by Parker

Wednesday Highlights

Sail Away - Dumpstaphunk - The Infamous Stringdusters - Joe Russo’s Almost Dead - Soulive

    So, there we were in Miami, lined up, waiting for that special moment.  The moment we get to set foot on “The Boat” once again and sail away into the briny blue on a musical adventure like no other.  Embarkation always takes longer than you’d like, but, believe-you-me, all the seeming hassles are worth the end game:  Jam Cruise.  Once aboard we made our way to our staterooms ready to decorate doors, settle our stuff, grab some costumery, and prepare for this infamous “marathon of sprints” to begin in earnest and soon.  One thing Jam Cruise doesn’t waste a lot of once it gets going is time.  And that can be both a blessing and a curse.  Time management flies right out the porthole and FOMO sets in almost immediately.  But that is all part of the frenetic, chaotic, lovely, wonderful craziness that is Jam Cruise.  Needless to say with such an ambitious schedule every cruise it is well-nigh impossible to see every act, or even a part of every one.  However, always boasting a very eclectic mix of musical genres from the jam universe and with most bands performing twice, one can assemble quite the hearty and hefty musical buffet during the course of the five night run.  And this is precisely what we did…beginning with Dumpstaphunk throwing down at the traditional Sail Away Party on the pool deck of the MSC Divina, our proud mistress of the seas and loving home for the better part of a week.  After the customary toast thanks to our intrepid leader Annabel Stelling it was time for the music to begin!!  So let’s do this, shall we?

Dumpstaphunk - Sail Away Party

    What more perfect a way to begin a cruise based solely on music than with some funky grooves care of New Orleans’ own Dumpstaphunk?  It was straight funk out of the gate with a wailing instrumental piece from the boys in this awesome band.  Soulful and just down right nasty, horns a-blazin’ away and with massive amounts of energy to kick things off.  The hot and humorous “Gassman Chronicles” was their next offering, played at a fast clip after a dirty good opening on keys from Ivan Neville.  “Do you smell that?” was his questioning intro to the song.  Well…“they [do] call him ‘funk-alot’” after all.  And there was so much funk in this one — better than album greatness going on.  And then how about a tasty cover from the boys and some featured guests?  How about The Band’s “Don’t Do It” with Amy Helm and Cris Jacobs?  How about this video of how it all went down for your viewing pleasure? 

Dumpstaphunk played this year's Sail Away Party on Jam Cruise, grooving us from Miami all the way out to sea. They invited friends Cris Jacobs and Amy Helm out to join them for The Band's "Don't Do It" -- and it simply funked all of us up in a fine fashion!!

Not bad at all, am I right?  Some seriously amazing music going on already.  And we were just getting started.  Having the Steeltown Horns sitting in all set was pretty amazing in its own right as well.  Funk plus horns is always a great idea in my opinion.  “Dancin’ to the Truth”, a favorite of mine, was also a big crowd favorite amongst the gathered throng of happy Jam Cruisers.  Nothing like singing along to some of your favorite funky jams.  But then, as if we’d barely had time to get our groove on, it was time for some bluegrass pickin’ with The Infamous Stringdusters down in the Pantheon Theater.  Thus began our first “music rush” of the week…the belief that if we hurry fast enough we can always catch the last note of music with one band and the first of another in a different venue.  Well, all I can say is:  the struggle is real.  

Dumpstaphunk

    Changing gears completely it was time to trade up keys and horns for strings with the Stringdusters.  It also makes for an interesting transition moving indoors for the secondary stage.  Kinda gives you the feelings of an outdoor and an indoor festival all-in-one and on a boat to boot.  Variety is the spice of life after all, right my friends?  And nothing like an opening cover of the Dead from the Dusters — “Big River” was a big hit and started things off in a big way.  Not only was there some great harmony in the vocals but we got quite a nice banjo solo from Chris Pandolfi and a mighty fine one on dobro from Andy Hall as well.  Helluva good way to kick things off.  The Dusters lads took things right into a tasty instrumental next with “Cluck Old Hen” giving the growing crowd exactly the fast pickin’ they wanted.  But why take my word for it when you can see for yourself, right?  

The Infamous Stringdusters broke in the Pantheon Theater Stage for the rest of Jam Cruise 14 on Wednesday night, Jan 6th. Here is the instrumental "Cluck Old Hen", their second song of the evening, for your listening pleasure.

Just fantastic.  Every time I see this band play they are just that much edgier, that much more intense and focused and it always reflects in their sound and their playing.  This Jam Cruise set was no exception.  Later on down the set Travis Book stepped up to the mic for a gritty “Get It While You Can” crooning his soulful advice out to the audience.  Mr. Jeremy Garrett threw down an exquisite fiddle solo for us during this one.  Much appreciated for that, good sir!  Friends and guests Paul Hoffman and Anders Beck of Greensky Bluegrass joined in for a sizzling “Small Axe”.  Paul took lead vocals on this one and the sound of double dobros was one to be relished and savored.  Holy goodness how much amazing music on one stage!!  And that is the very magic of Jam Cruise…all the guesting in and collaborations.  Andy Hall and Anders just killed it together.  Damn, was that good!!  The biggest climactic moment of the set came later on during the “Sugarfoot Jam” — my stars, my friends.  You’ve rarely heard such an electric buildup of bluegrass energy and explosiveness.  And it melted scores of faces in that theater.  Such incredible musicianship.  So fast.  So much.  Wowsers.  Next up, Nicki Bluhm joined the Dusters on stage for some more Grateful Dead love.  This time “Not Fade Away” was on the docket.  Really lovely version of this song.  Nicki’s voice alongside the strings of the ISD made for a really moving rendition.  And one which the crowd certainly enjoyed, singing and clapping along.  Later still down this fabulous set the boys took “Heady Festy” directly into “Jack-a-Roe” with Travis on vocals.  I’m sensing a theme to this set maybe?  Great guitar work from Andy Falco on this one for us.  Always love watching that man work…he makes fast pickin’ look so easy.  Finally, they brought this steam engine of a set to a close with “LLD” taken directly into “Gettin’ Down the Road (Hillbillies)”.  My goodness…I believe I was gettin’ the vapors.  What a set!  So freakin’ happy the Stringdusters were on the Boat this year!  It is so important to have the bluegrass vibe on board and these fine gentlemen most certainly helped to fulfill that need.  Thanks for an incredible first set and such fun, my good men!!  Bravi!

The Stringdusters with Paul Hoffman and Anders Beck

    Then it was back up the elevators to Deck 14 and Joe Russo’s Almost Dead on the pool deck stage.  So excited to have these fellows on Jam Cruise this year.  By far, my current favorite in the Dead arena in terms of amazing energy and incredible musicianship.  The extreme amount of special they bring to their approach to the beloved music of The Grateful Dead is really something wonderful to behold.  Provided you love superb music, that is.  Opening up with a long instrumental intro to “Not Fade Away” filled with lots of jamming drums from Joe himself as well as some sweet, sweet shredding on guitar from Scott Metzger and American Babies' Tom Hamilton.  “Not Fade Away” is always a good opener and this was our second offering of the cruise already.  Honestly, it was really interesting to hear the two versions so closely back-to-back, one being strings and soulful diva singing and the other being a jumped-up interpretation of an old favorite.  Made me all the more interested in the remainder of the set.  They followed this lengthy monster of a “Not Fade Away” with a bright and lovely “Rubin and Cherise” with Tom on lead vocals.  A great little dance number to which the audience responded with grooving feet and smiling faces.  Not to mention the ridiculous and huge jam in the middle replete with tons of fantastic keyboards care of Mr. Marco Benevento and lots of sizzling drive to it.  A highlight of the evening’s music thus far to be sure.  “Goin’ Down the Road Feeling Bad” was another crowd pleaser in a host of crowd pleasers.  A slamming version of this song, it brought the audience to even further life out under those beautiful stars.  The boat rocking back and forth underneath as if to the music itself.  But why not get a little taste of it yourself? 

What a gift to have JRAD on Jam Cruise this year. Such incredible energy brought to your favorite Dead songs...and this one is no exception. Captured on the pool deck of the MSC Divina. What a rush!!

Not feeling bad after that one, are you?  Nope!  That’s what I thought!  And a little later down the set we kept the party rolling with one incredible “Tennessee Jed”.  It’s almost impossible to write anything but stellar reviews for these adept individuals and their special musical relationship with the music of the Dead.  And they just kept rocking us and rocking us and rocking us all the more!  Like with the myriad solo-laden “Shakedown Street” the band offered up to us, which melted several faces in my immediate vicinity.  Including my own.  Every member of the band took this opportunity to show their stupendous stuff, showcasing their immense talent and skill on their respective instruments.  And Joe always there in the background, the miraculous eight-armed man, keeping those beats of insanity and perfect tempo.  And always seeming so casual about the whole affair.  Astounding.  The band invited the extremely talented Nicole Atkins up to sing back up on “Franklin’s Tower” and she completely nailed it to the wall.  What a great combination, this band and this lady!  Bravi on all fronts to all involved…what a version of this song!  Not to mention the phenomenal instrumental work as well.  Then all this fell right into a huge “Viola Lee Blues” encore complete with a “Chalk Dust Torture” tease at the very beginning.  Amazing.  And they sounded just supremely good right up to the last note.  What a terrific set!  No notes at all, my friends…and thank you so much for the wonderful tunes!!

JRAD

    After floating around the ship for a little while and grabbing some much needed pizza and french fries (two of the major food groups on Jam Cruise) we got back up to the pool deck in time to catch a little of Soulive’s late night set.  The energy was that of funk and groove and guitars and keys and bouncing electricity.  An apropos situation for continued dancing and moving to the music to say the very least.  We walked in on a high-stepping instrumental piece that immediately had us grooving to the beat.  Just excellent.  They slowed things down for a truly soulful “late night” number next, bringing things to a mellower area.  Take a nice, long listen for yourself…you’ll be glad you did: 

Soulive took the late night spot on the pool deck stage last Wed night on Jam Cruise 14. A great way to shut down that stage for the evening. Enjoy!!

The brought the energy back up to the frenzied levels of before with their next tune, horns blasting and keys resonating out into the night air.  Guitar licks left and right funking the whole situation up.  A great way to close out the main stage music for the evening!!  Many thanks to Soulive for their unique brand of awesome.

    Then, as the narrative of most nights on Jam Cruise goes, we began our late night creep all around the Boat, finding music here and there and everywhere.  The Jam Room was thumping late into the night, as to be magically expected.  The Spot hadn’t quite yet developed (more on that later).  Nighttime munchies and elevator conversations.  Wandering and checking out door decorations and the crazy late vibes that permeate the ship from stem to stern.  All-in-all a marvelous first night of Jam Cruise 14 - and just barely scratching the surface, too!  That is the crazy part of it all!!

Thursday inbound soon, friends!!

Strings & Sol Festival 2015 - Puerto Morelos, Mexico - Sunday

Strings & Sol Festival

Festival Experience Archive

for The Lot Scene by Parker

Sunday Highlights

Leftover Salmon - Greensky Bluegrass - Yonder Mountain String Band

    Sunday Funday.  No matter how many times you say it, it still doesn't make it any less true.  And what a Funday Sunday was this year at Strings & Sol.  After three days of mind-bendingly good music, we could all barely stand any more…but suffer through we did.  For the music, of course.  But if you call Leftover Salmon for a sunset show “suffering” well, I think you had best realign your priorities.  Salmon?  Hot damn-on!!  Love.  That.  Band.  The sheer happy and joy they bring to a show that blankets the audience in a smiling embrace makes each and every time I see them so very worth it.  And this time was absolutely the case.  The LoS boys kicked things off with a motoring “Get Up and Go”, the first note inciting a dancing fiesta in the sands in front of the stage.  Such great advice in those lyrics as Vince sang the lead.  Sometimes you really just have to “get up and go”, you know?  One kickass banjo solo was included as well in this merry-making first song care of Andy Thorn.  Wow, what a start!  Up next was a smoking “On the Other Side” which we recorded and bring to you now: 

Sunday Funday at S&S 4 -- sunset show with Leftover Salmon!! Hard drivin', fast pickin' music from Colorado, the boys gave us one helluva "On the Other Side". Perfect for those dancing feet!!

Wish I could celebrate the sunset everyday this way.  The fast pickin’ thrill ride “Aquatic Hitchhiker” followed and sizzled the entire way through.  Love that deceptive beginning…it so belies the fire to ensue.  Andy Thorn.  My word, what skills.  What ridiculously incredible skills.  Nothing like watching Drew Emmitt more than hold his own on mando at the same time, too.  What hard drivin’ pair, those two.  And Vince?  The whole time simply spanking it on guitar.  Wowsers.  The next song had us all singing up to the moon that evening as the darkness slowly fell around us, the waves lapping against the shore a constant background sound juxtaposed to the mighty music from the stage.  Vince Herman, ladies and gents!  “Sing Up to the Moon” is always a crowd pleaser and it sure pleased all of us, his crooning and strumming like that of a favorite uncle.  Or even a father.  Papa Vince.  I like that.  Later on down the set we got the steam train that is “Breakin’ Thru” with Drew on lead vocals followed by the lighthearted and bouncing “Boo Boo”.  Of great note was Alwyn Robinson’s monster, monster drum solo in “Boo Boo” — holy crap!  That guy is a machine!!  Moving on down the line we got a nice “Highway Song” and later still a huge treat in the form a four fiddle chorus care of Luke Bulla, Tim Carbone (Railroad Earth), Drew Emmitt, and Sam Bush all on fiddle for “Bend in the River”.  Plus the whole Salmon sound to boot?  It was riveting.  Truly.  So much awesome power on that stage all in one place.  So much fiddle!!  And then it was time for a little T. Rex.  Yeah, that’s right.  T. Rex.  “Bang a Gong” was an unexpected treat from a band who loves to specialize in the unexpected.   Anders Beck joined in the fun as well on electric dobro.  Vince sounded great on the vocals and the band took the opportunity to really jam it out in the middle.  Supremely gratifying, my friends.  Especially with all those fiddles still hanging around.  Dayum!!  They finished things off with a little John Hartford, “Up on the Hill Where They Do the Boogie”, one of my very favorite songs no matter who plays it.  Anders and the fiddlers stuck around for this one, too.  The jams, oh the jams, my friends!!  Epic!!  An incredibly perfect way to end a sunset show at Strings & Sol.  Big time thanks to the band and all their guests for such a fun time! 

Leftover Salmon & Friends

    Dumping a little “Kerosene” on the stage before you set it aflame is usually a pretty good approach.  Especially if you are Greensky Bluegrass.  And you are into melting faces with your impossibly good music.  Dave Bruzza’s vocals and Anders Beck’s dobro, you ask?  About as freaking amazing as Bont’s banjo and Hoffman’s mando.  Big solos all around.  This song was, in a word, hot.  Red hot.  Another great choice for a great opener.  They continued things with “Wings for Wheels”, another Bruzza lead, which sounded fantastic.  Some really great instrumental work throughout.  But why take my word for it when you can see it right here? 

Sunday was a HUGE music day at Strings and Sol this year. So much incredible stuff going down on those two stages. GSBG threw down an amazing show including this little number for you. Hope you enjoy!! Recorded on tripod.

Miss Allie Kral (Yonder Mountain) stepped up to join them for a couple of numbers, first of which was “All Four”.  Second was a favorite cover of mine (and of many, many in the crowd), “Atlantic City”.  This one sounded as good if not better than I have ever heard them play it, no small part going to Allie for some excellent fiddle work.  Just lovely.  Later on we got the ever morose and foreboding “Bring Out Your Dead” which sounded especially dark there on the beach with the black ocean stretching to the starlit horizon.  Chilling.  Friend Andy Goessling (Railroad Earth) jumped up to guest in on sax on a couple of songs with the GSBG boys.  First was “Less Than Supper” and “Lose My Way” followed.  Andy’s mellow saxophone lines really did make the perfect complement to the strings of the band.  Both songs really sounded quite marvelous.  Paul’s duet in “Lose” with Andy was pretty special.  Anders and Andy also enjoyed some incredible interplay between instruments — really awesome stuff.  “Fell in love with the four chord, I didn’t need any more…”  Ah, what a line.  A line from “The Four”, of course, which was the next song in line and which sounded superb.  Then, after some “Windshield” action and “Jaywalking” (with Tim Carbone) the band had a real treat for us all:  some Paul Simon.  Hells to the yeah.  They covered “Gumboots” with Tim still on stage playing along and it sounded magnificent.  Of course, I am a huge Simon fan.  But even those completely unfamiliar with Paul or his music would have loved this one.  Another perfect cover for this band…amidst a veritable sea of perfect covers they already do.  Bravi, boys — loved this one!  Then it was time for Larry Keel to join in the fun for a very special “I’d Probably ‘Keel’ You” with Bruzza changing the lyrics a bit here and there for Larry’s benefit.  Always nice to have Larry share a stage with you.  Indeed.  Which he continued to do for “Hit Parade of Love” that followed.  They finally brought this brute of a show to a close with “Leap Year”.  Bam.  Just like that.  And in your face.  Damn, what a show.  As I said before:  impossibly good music.

Greensky Bluegrass

    The final main stage show of Strings & Sol 4.  Wow, did it really go by that quickly?  Alas, much like summer camp, good things like S&S fly by in an instant.  But there was still some Yonder yet to be had and we were to have it!  “Blue Collar Blues” directly into an album-perfect “Mother’s Only Son” featuring some great banjo licks from Dave and back into “Blue Collar” was the way YMSB opened their set.  Big opening.  Huge.  White hot fast pickin’. We all knew we were in for a goliath of a show.  “Rain Still Falls” followed next which we have for you here, please enjoy: 

Yonder had the closing main stage show at S&S this year and they tore it down!! Here is a little piece of that show from Sunday, 13 Dec 2015. Enjoy!!! Recorded on tripod.

Everyone sounding on point all around.  Next up was came “Bold to Ride” which featured some really fine fiddle work from Miss Allie Kral.  I mean supremely fine.  Later on down the set they invited Sam Bush, Larry Keel, and Robbie McCoury (Del McCoury Band) up for “They” taken directly into “Casualty” both of which were pretty incredible.  Kind of hard to have that kind of star power on stage with you and not make incredible music.  Allie’s signature “Love Before You Can’t” was up next for us, all of us basking in her reflected glory.  Then a nice surprise with a Jake-led vocal for America’s “Sister Goldenhair”.  Great selection for this band and Jake sounded really good on the lyrics.  Very impressed…let’s give him the mic more often.  And a what a quick-paced, grassed-up version, too!  A bit later in the set the band busted out a big “Northern Song” into “Pockets” back into “Northern” joined by Luke Bulla, Scott Vestal (Sam Bush Band), and Paul Hoffman (Greensky Bluegrass).  Some big sound emanating from that stage.  And a fiddle duet?  You betcha!  Magnificent.  Dusty Springfield’s “Son of a Preacherman” was next on the docket and Allie just nailed this one down to the ground.  And with all those guests still on stage with them, too.  Spectacular.  After a huge “Angel” directly into “Robots” back into “Angel” closer it was encore time out there on the darkened beach.  “Drawing a Melody” and “Oh La La” were the encores that evening but “Oh La La” took the cake.  Almost every musician present at Strings & Sol came out to guest for this one.  It was breathtaking, just seeing them all up there together.  So many happy vibes, so many smiles, so many great memories.  Such a great way to close things down at S&S.

Yonder & Friends

    Strings & Sol 4 was, in a word, fantabulous.  There is little else to say but thanks so much to all those who had any hand in making this fest go as smoothly and as wonderfully as it did.  You have made so many of us lifelong converts to S&S and with good reason.  Please, on behalf of all of us, I beseech you, continue to kick ass and put together the best little grass fest outside US borders!!!  Cannot wait for next year!!  

Strings & Sol Festival 2015 - Puerto Morelos, Mexico - Saturday

Strings & Sol Festival 2015

Festival Experience Archive

for The Lot Scene by Parker

Saturday Highlights

Greensky Bluegrass (Unplugged) - Yonder Mountain String Band - Sam Bush Band - Railroad Earth - Fruition (Late Night)

    New to S&S this year was the concept of an “unplugged” session on Saturday afternoon in the palapa.  Greensky Bluegrass had the honors of being the first to play a set like this and ended up turning the affair into a “storytellers” kind of event providing background and info on many of the songs they played as well as on the band itself.  All told, it went off like gangbusters — I am anxious to see Strings & Sol continue this idea in the future.  Huddled around a single microphone with Anders off to the side with his own for awesome dobro purposes, the boys kicked things off with a heartfelt and lovely “Old Barns” with Paul Hoffman later providing the inspiration story for this song:  someone close who had suffered a tragedy and imparted the wisdom learned from the experience which, in turn, became the lyrics for “Barns”.  Supremely touching and fascinating at the same time.  We just happened to grab some video of this one for you and are so glad we did.  Please take a listen to this powerful song: 

Strings & Sol added a new dimension this year on Saturday afternoon with an "Unplugged" session from Greensky Bluegrass. It was especially good and something I hope they continue in years to come. GSBG opened the session on 12 Dec 2015 with "Old Barns" as seen here.

Chills.  They continued things with the lighthearted “Reverend (Reggae)” and then treated us to a fine “Take Cover”.  Crowd-sourcing the songs one-by-one, “Bottle Dry” was next on the docket.  Paul told the background story that around 2005, he and Dave Bruzza decided it would be a good idea to move to Asheville, NC, to make it big — but they never made it there instead turning their energies to song-writing and producing ones like “Bottle Dry” right there on Paul’s couch.  Lucky for us, right?  I can’t tell you how cool the sound was, this “unplugged” sound.  Really made for a special set to be sure.  The harmonies came out particularly lovely in this configuration.  Quite the soulful solo from Bruzza, too.  Sounded amazing through that single mic.  Sweet, dirty dobro as well from Anders.  Great suggestion from the crowd.  Later down the set we got the poetic “For Sure, Uh Huh” with Anders prefacing it by praising Hoffman’s songwriting skills.  A song which always gets a few great laughs — and why shouldn’t it?  The kind of dark cautionary tale “What Happened to Jim?” followed, a song that showcases the band’s black humor side a bit.  Sure sounded amazing in that palapa, however.  A hopping “Letter to Seymour” brought the energy back up to prime dancing levels, even though most of us were seated for this show with Dave sounding album perfect on the vocals.  They closed the whole shebang down with some Thin Lizzy for us.  Yeah, you read that right.  Thin Lizzy.  And they just nailed “The Boys Are Back in Town”.  Nailed it to the floor.  Right there in front of everybody.  And we just freaking loved every minute.  Every note, every riff, every word.  Paul slew the main vocals while Bont danced around like a madman, banjo in hand.  What wasn’t to love?  Thank you guys so much for such an interesting and entertaining new way of seeing you perform.  Definitely want to see S&S continue this series and definitely want to see GSBG unplugged again someday soon.  So worth it!!

Greensky Unplugged

    Later that day we were all back on the beach, feet buried in the powdery crystals underneath, beverage in hand, and ready to send the sun a-setting with Yonder Mountain String Band.  Adam led things off with a blistering guitar line that set the tone for the entirety of “Eat In Go Deaf” providing the perfect energy for Jake to soar on mandolin.  Quite the brisk and bold instrumental opener which they took directly into “Looking Back Over My Shoulder” showcasing some of those lovely multi-part harmonies the band has been honing to perfection.  Ben sounded really excellent on those lead vocals as well not to mention Jolliff’s lengthy mando solo.  A great start so far to what would be a great show.  They, in turn, took “Shoulder” straight into the crowd pleaser “Left Me in a Hole”.  Talk about some dancin’ Kinfolk at S&S!  A little later in the set the band gave us a really fine “The End Is Not In Sight” featuring Mr. Jake Jolliff on mandolin.  It was a superb moment in the show, but why take my word for it when we have it for you here? 

The sunset set honors on Saturday 12 Dec 2015 fell to Yonder Mountain at Strings & Sol this year. And what a set they played, too!! Including this little gem led by Jake Jolliff. Nothing like watching the ocean waves in the background... //sigh// Recorded on tripod. Apologies for any adverse wind effects.

Not a bad way to celebrate the sunset, eh?  But, wait…there’s more!  A sizzling hot “On the Run” followed, Ben belting out that well-known story of woe against the backdrop of a breezy Caribbean sea as friends Larry Keel and Drew Emmitt joined in.  They took this into “You’re No Good” made famous by Linda Ronstadt featuring Miss Allie Kral on vocals.  What a funky, dusky, fantastic version of this one!  Allie’s vocals were seductive and right on point — she sounded, in a word, phenomenal.  Add to that Adam’s super nasty good guitar solo and you’ve got yourself a stew goin’!  (Any Arrested Development fans out there?)  And who doesn’t just adore Allie’s voice more and more these days?!?  What a powerful asset for the band, no doubts there.  The band swung “No Good” right back into “On the Run” to finish things up with a bang.  Quite the hot little run there.  The tender “Father’s Arms” came next followed by a Colorado-nod soon on its heels with a fantastic “Criminal”.  Most definitely one of the songs that made me a Yonder fan all those years ago — so glad to hear it there on the balmy beach.  The band then played us a nice “Winds of Wyoming” which they took into the Talking Heads’ “Girlfriend Is Better”, a favorite cover of mine from this band.  Always nice to get some Talking Heads in this life, no?  The sax solo from guest Andy Goessling was very choice, adding so much musical ambiance to the texture.  Yonder chose to close things down with a very big and energetic “All the Time” right into “Sidewalk Stars” back into “All the Time”.  This featured some amazing fiddle work from Miss Kral and some blistering mando soloing from Mr. Jolliff.  Not to mention the banjo excellence from Dave on these ones.  A white hot way to end another delectable show from Yonder Mountain String Band.  What an anchor for this festival is the music of this band!  So many thanks for another wonderful show, lady and gents!!

Yonder & Friends

    So, there comes a time in every festival where a writer likes to take a set for themselves to enjoy.  Sam Bush Band on Saturday evening was just such a show for me.  In a quick sentence, Sam and his band just killed it — from song selection (like a kick ass “Tennessee Jed” or a great’n’grassy “Great Balls of Fire”) to execution to raw energy, they delivered time and again and it made for a supremely good show.  Very glad I took this one for me.  I appreciate your understanding, my friends.  Now back to the music!!

Sam Bush Band

    Railroad Earth came out on the main stage for their show with guns a-blazin’ kicking off with a huge crowd pleaser, “Head”.  This one got everyone singing and dancing and continuing their overall merriment to the sounds of this Jersey string band.  Tim Carbone had a really fine early solo in this one and Skehan’s mando line was a constant companion throughout the first bit of the song.  Really great energy, really great playing all around from man to man especially during the lengthy central jam.  We managed to grab a recording of their next number, “Storms”, for you to take a look at…please, enjoy: 

Railroad had the big Main Stage show Saturday night at Strings & Sol this year and filled it with tons of great music for us all. "Storms" came second in line of the first set. A good show but terribly windy. Please excuse all the wind noise and interruption -- there was no way to avoid this atmospheric condition.

Larry Keel jumped up on stage to join them for “Just So You Know” adding just that right amount of “Keelness” to the whole affair and spicing it up just so.  Todd sounded just excellent on the lead vocals, truly counterpointing all the fantastic musicianship playing alongside.  Tim’s fiddle playing was haunting all through not to mention Andy’s sonorous saxophone licks.  Molto bene!  They continued the show with “Old Dangerfield” featuring Sam Bush on mandolin and “The Cuckoo” featuring Luke Bulla on fiddle.  Both songs and guests were phenomenal but, sadly there were some technical difficulties so the first set was cut a bit short.  After they got everything all fixed up and a bit of a set break, things got going again second set with a mighty “Grandfather Mountain” which sounded just about album perfect.  Andrew Altman was up next to the mic for the lead vocals in “12 Wolves”.  Give that man the mic more often — he sounded really, really good.  Great song, too.  Not one I had heard before.  I’ll be looking for that one at RRE shows to come.  The always heartfelt and mysterious “Potter’s Field” was next in line and followed by “Colorado”, one of my personal favorites for very biased reasons (I live there).  A big dancer and crowd-pleaser this one kept us all movin’ and groovin’ in the cool tropical night air.  John Skehan threw down a monster solo in this song — damn can that cat jam!   Tim Carbone was not to be outdone himself, either.  The fellas really lit up the Yucatan that night!  And to bring things towards and eventual close, you ask?  Check this brute of a list out:  “Face with a Hole” into “Warhead Boogie” into “Stillwater Getaway” (with Luke Bulla on fiddle) directly into “Peggy-O”!!  Are you kidding me?!?  I usually hate to use the word “epic” but that was a pretty epic ride to the end!  “Warhead Boogie” was a monster jam all the way through.  Loved it.  And the “Peggy-O”?  What a crowd-pleaser!  I heard many, many people talking about that very moment for the rest of the weekend.  So very good!  My hat goes off to these fine gentlemen and the very fine music they make and share with the rest of us!  Bravi, again for such a great show, good sirs!  Bravi!

Railroad Earth

    And then, after all of that stellar music all day and night long, it was time for late night in the palapa with Fruition.  The perfect, I say again, perfect energy for late night at Strings & Sol.  Right when you need that infusion of electric music body-shaking boogie bolts, Fruition steps up on stage and starts shooting them into the crowd.  They ended up playing “And There She Was” again for us and rocked it right the hell out of the resort.  Mimi was shredding it on the electric guitar and things ended up in a trippy Hendrix-esque territory.  Not too bad at all!  We also got a really nice and sweet “Warm Summer’s Night” with guests Tim Carbone (Railroad Earth) and Andy Thorn (Leftover Salmon).  Really fine solo work from both gentlemen and really incredible playing from the band the entire set through.  As I said before, Fruition were the perfect addition for late night at S&S.  They gave us so much great music and beautiful intensity — I cannot imagine my S&S 4 experience without them.  Truly.  I sincerely hope that they will be back next year.  They are certainly most deserving of it.  Thanks for all the amazing music memories, you guys!!

Fruition & Friends

Strings & Sol Festival 2015 - Puerto Morelos, Mexico - Friday

Strings & Sol Festival 2015

Festival Experience Archive

for The Lot Scene by Parker

Friday Highlights

Railroad Earth - Fruition - Greensky Bluegrass - John Hartford Tribute hosted by Vince Herman (Late Night)

    Ah, yes.  The infamous sunset sets at Strings & Sol.  A time when most folk are still in their swimwear, a great portion are still in the ocean, and all are wowed by the setting of the Caribbean sun as their favorite grass music engulfs them in happiness and joy.  And up first on the docket for 2015’s S&S leading sunset?  None other than those beloved Jersey boys, Railroad Earth.  They chose a prime opener to get things going that evening on the bonnie beach:  “Seven Story Mountain” with Todd Scheaffer on lead vocals.  I do so love that synchronous intensity mixed with mellow that this band loves to throw down at times.  The band sounded excellent out of the gate, too…but that is unsurprising to anyone who knows this group or has ever heard them before.  And there is just something special about these sunset sets that brings so much musical goodness out of the ensembles performing.  Railroad on Friday was certainly no exception.  Next up was a mighty fine “Lordy, Lordy” which we were able to capture on video for your own personal experience…please enjoy: 

Friday's fiery sunset brought with a simmering set from Railroad Earth on 11 Dec 2015 at Strings & Sol 4. Here is the second song from their set: "Lordy, Lordy". Hope you enjoy!! Recorded on tripod. Apologies for the adverse wind effects.

Not bad, right?  You betcha not bad…in fact so very good.  “Bread and Water” followed “Lordy” and was, in turn, followed by a light and sweet version of “The Good Life”, Tim Carbone’s fiddle lines cutting through the texture like a beacon.  Next up the unmistakable bass line from Andrew Altman ushered in a very mighty “Mighty River”, a song which offered each of these virtuosi the opportunity to showcase their abilities on their chosen instruments to a rather full degree.  An excellent song for dancing as the ocean breezes flow through the hair and send one’s clothes a-flutter.  Sadly, for the next song, we weren't graced with another rainbow this year, but that didn’t stop us all from chasing one along with the band.  An obvious crowd favorite with people singing and clapping and participating along to a great song, “Chasin’ A Rainbow” rarely fails to satisfy the soul, that night being just the case.  Further down the line we got the sad and soulful “From Dover to Dunkirk” with Todd’s crystal clear voice crooning the melancholy lyrics out into the darkening Caribbean evening.  Just lovely.  Jumping things back up to ‘fast pickin’ gear’ the band gave us a rollicking “New Camptown Races” which featured a supremely fine mandolin duet between John Skehan and Andy Goessling not to mention wonderful solos from both gentlemen as well.  Great little instrumental to get us all dancing in that soft, silken sand.  Tim Carbone was up to the mic for the next one, “Any Road”.  Always great to hear Uncle Tim sing to us!!  And saw away on that magic fiddle of his.  Great message to that song, too.  A big, fat “Hard Livin’” was up next for us all, and we were thankful for it, too!!  Anders Beck (Greensky Bluegrass) joined them on electric dobro and the band also showcased their multi-instrumentality with Tim on electric guitar, Andy on sax, and John on banjo — man, what a great version of this one!  And after so much good music already, too!  The mysterious “Where Songs Begin” came after with Allie Kral on fiddle which they took directly into their version of The Waterboys’ “Fisherman’s Blues” featuring some seriously incredible double fiddle work between Carbone and Kral.  The boys chose to close things down with a nice and quick “Cold Water” — a perfect dancer for the end of this sunset set.  Bravi, lads, and thanks a million for a fun time in the sand!!  Time for a quick dinner break and then…Fruition!!

Railroad Earth

    “Random Lee”!!  Bum-bum, bum-ba-dum-dum!!  If you know the song, you know the riff.  And you know it was a superb way to start off Fruition’s first set of their first Strings & Sol experience.  A real gem from the EP they did with Grant Farm, this song is a definite favorite of mine…and was of the crowd also.  Not hard music to dance to, Fruition.  Probably why so many new converts were made to their Portland point-of-view this past weekend.  That premium blend of rock’n’roll and string band that they’ve cornered so expertly was just the right kind of energy to add to Strings & Sol this year.  Like the amazing and raucous electricity of “Lay Down Blues”, their second song of the evening.  I loved this song.  Loved it.  It was, in a word, badass.  And that is in a veritable sea of badass Fruition songs.  But this one just spoke to me as it kicked me around in the most exquisite way. “Night time is the right time!”  Couldn’t agree more.  Down a bit in the set they played the always sweet and soulful “Come On, Get In” which featured the gorgeous and sonorous harmonies for which I love this band.  Well, one reason at any rate.  And who doesn’t love waltzing a bit in the sand, hmm?  Then they gave us a little Cake to have and eat, too, in the form of “Bucket Seats” — an unexpected one to be sure.  But a great cover to be sure as well.  And a supremely great mando solo from Mimi Naja in this one followed by some really fine guitar shred mastery from Jay Cobb Anderson.  Then we all found ourselves in Jay’s stellar voice in a flagrantly fun “I’m Not Lost Anymore” rockin’ away with the band, each of them taking the solo reins at least once during this one, you know, an opportunity to melt a few faces here and there.  A new favorite Mimi lead came down the way, “And There She Was”, a very disco-feeling little number that is just really delicious in every way.  So catchy and so well-executed.  Looking forward to much more of this song in my future!  Really enjoyed they way they traded off the solo lines between Kellen and Mimi.  Not to mention some tasty guitar riffs from Jay.  Great stuff all around!!  A sizzling hot version of “Never Again” came along next to fry our ears with musical madness — it really was a badass breakneck version of this song.  Another one just ripe for dancing on the starlit seashore, especially when Anders Beck (Greensky Bluegrass) joins in on the fun.  Mimi was back up to the mic for the melancholy “Wastin’ Away” which came next.  A sad, slow selection, this one set out to tug some heartstrings no doubt.  And it did just that.  Simply gorgeous harmonies.  Just love that aspect of this band!  A bit later on we got the rolling and energetic “Somehow, Someway, Someday” with its optimistic message and righteously rhythmic drum line courtesy of Tyler Thompson.  Yet another great dance song from this ebullient band from the Pacific Northwest.  Further on down the set came a hard drivin’, fast pickin’ gift in the form of “The Wanter” with Sam Bush still sitting in on fiddle.  Mimi told us how it is and we all loved it as the band sawed away and we all stomped away.  A fantastic version of this song a what a setting!  And what fiddle playing from Sammy!  Damn!  “Git Along” was Fruition’s next selection for us that evening, a medium-paced, heartfelt pickin’ party of a number it was an excellent addition to the setlist.  The uplifting “Bent” followed with Jay singing the positive lyrics out over the bucolic beach backdrop like a prophet in the night.  And, boom, one more beach dancer.  Bam!  So much jumping and grooving…so glad this band was here this year!  Another lovely selection from their EP with Grant Farm was up next:  “Meet Me on the Mountain”.  Lovely singing, lovely harmonies, lovely lyrics.  So much lovely.  And just the perfect energy pull right before the end of their set so they could blow the doors off the place with their last song.  Not bad, you guys.  Not bad at all.  What a perfect addition to the S&S lineup this year (as I have said before but needs stating again).  So much positive energy and amazing musicianship.  Fun quotient definitely multiplied.  Three cheers to Fruition and many thanks for all their incredible music!!  

Fruition was happily added to the lineup this year for S&S bringing their lovely and unique form of string band music all the way from Portland, OR, to the beaches of Mexico for our listening enjoyment. And they killed it all weekend. Like with this little number from Friday evening.

    Greensky Bluegrass traded in their northern climes for a more tropical destination this December and we were so freaking happy they did.  No strangers to the S&S scene, the lads from Kalamazoo took to the stage pursuant to delivering a sandstorm of a show there at the Now Sapphire Resort last Friday night.  And what to get things going, eh?  What song to start these oceanside olympics?  How about a fantastic “Frederico”?  Not bad, right?  Well, why not take a look and listen while you’re at it? 

Greensky had the big show on Friday night at S&S 4 giving us over 2.5 hours of incredible music as we danced with our feet in the sand. This is how they opened things up for us -- just wonderful!! Recorded on tripod. Apologies for any adverse wind effects.

And it only got better from there, my friends.  An upward spiral all night long, care of GSBG.  They followed “Fred” with “Burn Them”, the inspirational song for the title of their most recent album, If Sorrows Swim, which featured some really top notch dobro playing from Anders Beck.  Couple that with Paul Hoffman on mando and you start to get that Greensky sound you’re looking for, that awesome texture to which your ears have grow accustomed.  Afterwards came a nice Traffic cover (one of my favorites they do, in fact) in the form of “Light Up or Leave Me Alone” which they jammed out pretty damn nicely.  In fact the central breakdown was one of the biggest and most boisterous I’ve ever seen, an absolute nod to Strings & Sol and the mountains of great energy there.  The Bruzza-led “Take Cover” which featured nice solos from both Bont and Beck was up next followed by a quick-paced “Just to Lie”.  After a supremely funky jam, this, in turn, they took directly into the dark and dusky “Train Junkie”.  Michael Bont’s banjo shone out throughout the song with Beck’s dobro complimenting.  Just love that unique GSBS musical texture!  Hot damn!  Not to mention one superbly epic mandolin solo from Mr. Paul Hoffman.  So much music in each song…wow.  Just wow.  The tender and touching “In Control” came after “Train” with the brooding “Last Winter in Copper Country” following that.  They brought the first set to a bang-snap of a close with a rocketing “Can’t Stop Now” sending shivers down spines so the feet would catch the beat, beating that sand into oblivion, dancing being the only option.  And to such incredibly good music and musical ability being showcased on the stage — each of the gents taking equal opportunity to groove away with reckless abandon on their chosen instruments.  What a set!  But wait…there’s more!!  Second set contained a monster amount of goodness as well!!  How about some Billy Joel for instance?  A couple of songs in we got a hell of a “Big Shot” from the GSBG boys.  Paul sounded fantastic on the lyrics, naturally.  Just nailing the whole feeling left and right.  Incredible jamming throughout, of course, as well.  And what fun to sing along with…thanks guys!!  And then Sam Bush came out on stage.  Oh yes.  Sam Bush plus Greensky Bluegrass.  My goodness.  Which made for a stellar “Worried About the Weather”, that fiddle sound making the rounds, Sam simply destroying his fiddle solo.  Whew!!  Sammy stayed on for the next selection, “Demons”, and was joined by Jay Cobb Anderson (Fruition), both of whom provided such wonderful augmentation to this wonderful band.  A fire hot “Broke Mountain Breakdown” was our next delicious offering, the epitome of fast pickin’.   Very notable work by Mr. Bont on banjo as well as Mr. Bruzza on guitar as well as some tasty “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” teases from Anders on dobro.  Marvelous!  They took this directly into “Don’t Lie” which featured almost superhuman musical ability from each and every band member, both in ensemble and, in turn, during their solos.  This band just continues at every turn to manage to somehow sound better and better and better.  Such remarkable musicianship!!  And then how did they close their show you might ask?  Well, like a gang of super badasses, is the only answer.  Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain”.  I’ll just let that sit there for a second.  And another.  And just one more.  Sink in yet?  Did the epic badassedness of this moment sink in?  Because it still hasn’t for me just yet.  It sounded so, so good.  The word “perfect” springs to mind.  Mike Devol’s bass solo?  Perfect.  No notes.  Just so very stellar, boys!!  Thank you for this stupendous show and thank you so much for being at S&S once again!  Can’t wait for the next set!

Greensky Bluegrass

    And then it was late night once again.  This time, the John Hartford Tribute led by Vince Herman (Leftover Salmon).  But the roster on stage consisted (at least at one time) of Larry Keel, Andy Thorn (Leftover Salmon), Alwyn Robinson (Leftover Salmon), Silas Herman (Gipsy Moon), Tim Carbone (Railroad Earth), Allie Kral (Yonder Mountain), Luke Bulla, Rob McCoury (Del McCoury Band), and Greg Garrison (Leftover Salmon).  Not too shabby, eh?  Amidst a host of incredible Hartford songs and tunes one stood out for me above the others for its pure fun content alone (plus some adult lyrics which are always a good time).  “Keep on Truckin’” was a joyous and merry ride from Andy Thorn on vocals and the assembled multitude on their various toys.  The whole of it was a fabulously amazing time and I am sure that John himself would have thoroughly enjoyed it.  Big thanks to Vince and all the musicians who joined in to make the evening so special.

John Hartford Tribute

Keep tuned in for Saturday coming up soon!!