WinterWonderGrass CO 2016 - Sunday

WinterWonderGrass CO 2016

Festival Experience Archive

for The Lot Scene by Parker

Sunday Highlights

Paul Hoffman - The Dustbowl Revival - Greensky Bluegrass

    And so we’d all made it to the last day of the festival.  Good on us, every one.  Still, there was so much music left as the hours counted down to the end.  Thank goodness we could stave off the inevitable with heaps more entertainment and merriment.  Heaps, I tell you.  Heaps.  So, let’s get to it shall well?  We shall…

    Our first musical offering of the day was Mr. Paul Hoffman of Greensky Bluegrass performing a solo set on the Soap Box Stage.  And on guitar, too!  Always cool to see a musician’s breadth in a live format.  As you might expect, his repertoire for the set consisted primarily of GSBG songs.  And we all just loved that fact.  All of us, as in the tons and tons of folks crammed into the tent for this show.  And could you blame us?  “Reverend” was his first choice for the day, immediately showcasing both his guitar skills and that magnificent voice of his.  Instant crowd-pleaser.  He was in very fine voice and form to be sure making us all anxious to hear what he’d play next.  Which turned out to be “Merely Avoiding” as it were.  Boy, can this man croon and sing!  So much organic and gentle fervor and heart supported by a considerable power beneath.  And he was certainly going for it, too.  We managed, even in those crowded conditions, to grab a video of part of Paul’s performance — presenting to you “Beauty and Pain”.  Hope you enjoy!

We were lucky enough to squeeze into the Soap Box Stage tent for Paul Hoffman's solo set on Sunday of WinterWonderGrass CO 2016. And boy can that man croon!! Here is Greensky Bluegrass's "Beauty and Pain" as performed by the Phoff.

Riveting, no?  Wow.  Just wow.  This man certainly knows his craft very well.  And shares it so freely with his audiences…much to our gratitude of course.  That strange, dark, and catchy cautionary tale “What Happened to Jim” followed “Beauty and Pain”.  As ever it was weird and weirdly wonderful and a huge hit with the crowded tent folk.  Interesting to hear these songs a la balladeer style with such a focused texture.  Really made the lyrics stand out for one thing.  Also made Paul’s voice stand out that much more as well.  Great to have the opportunity to experience both at once.  Then it was time for a soulful and sorrowful selection in the form of “Lose My Way”.  You could really hear the sadness and wistfulness written into the lyrics emanating from that small stage.    A brand new song was next in line for us, I am happy to report.  “While We’re Waiting” is a sweet one which, no doubt, will become a strong addition to the GSBG catalogue.  Really liked this one — it has, for lack of a better way of putting it, a rather pretty chorus.  Gorgeous stuff.  Thanks, Phoff!!  He played us a mighty fine “Fixin’ to Ruin” next followed by his set closer, “Someone Will”.  While some of the lyrics of this one might seem lighthearted don't let that fool you:  there is some serious humanity going on in this song.  And Paul told the story with such aplomb.  What a bomb ass set!!  Truly.  It was excellent on so many levels and a testament to the overall musicality of Paul Hoffman.  Bravo, Phoff, and my thanks for a truly special time!

Paul Hoffman plays to a packed house

    The Dustbowl Revival took the main stage by storm on Sunday afternoon, the large eight-member ensemble commanding quite the presence up there in front of us.  This was my first time seeing them live and so I was pumped at the opportunity.  Unfortunately, I missed some parts of their set and so will report on what I heard for it needs to be told.  The Dustbowl Revival are energy personified.  They bring so much of it to the stage both personally and musically and it makes for an intensely gratifying performance.  We entered on “John the Revelator” which was a stupendously horn-laden New Orleans-style wall of sound pouring down over the crowd.  Really got into Zach Lupetin’s voice from the very get to.  He definitely brings a lot to the table when it comes to both musicianship and showmanship.  And those horns!  I’m very much into horn sections, especially when used to their utmost potential as with Dustbowl.  They really help to evoke a particular sound or genre, in this case one of The Big Easy.  I could’ve listened to it all day long.  “Cherokee Shuffle” came next down the line and we managed to capture it for you to watch right this minute: 

The Dustbowl Revival came and blew the doors off of Sunday at WinterWonderGrass CO 2016. So much energy and so much fun. This is "Cherokee Shuffle" from early in their set. Please enjoy!!

Worth it?  You bet it was worth it!  I was definitely learning to love Liz Beebe’s voice, too.  Some really fine harmonies between those two.  So far so awesome.  Truly.  I couldn’t discern the name of the next song, but it was a lively number filled with a positive message.  “Let the ocean waters flow from my eyes, at least I’ll be smiling on the day that I die.”  Great fiddle in this one from Conor Vance — really interesting timbres to put together, fiddle and horns.  But it works really well in the Dustbowl setting.  Extremely well in fact.  Big shout out to Matt Rubin (trumpet) and Ulf Bjorlin (trombone) for holding down that horn section all set.  Massively great stuff there, fellows, bravi.  Some Johnny Cash came our way next as the familiar strains of “Folsom Prison Blues” rang out into the afternoon air above the fest.  A nice rocked up version, this one sped along as the massive texture of these many assembled instruments let loose in harmonic accord.  What a powerhouse of energy, this band!  And they brought it 100% to each and every song.  Impressive to say the very least.  And entertainingly fun in all regards.  Later on down the set they gave us a sassy and soulful “Midnight Special” which is a perfect cover for this band.  With a slower, almost parade-like pace, this one set a superb striding shuffle for all of us to sway to…which we did.  As well as took the opportunity to sing along.  Sad that I missed so much of their set but grateful for what I got to see, I knew that I’d be looking very much forward to my next Dustbowl Revival show.  I definitely was thankful for my first experience with them, no doubt about it.  

The Dustbowl Revival

    And just like that it was time for another healthy helping of those boys from Kalamazoo, Greensky Bluegrass.  After the showing on Saturday night, Sunday promised to be just as good if not better.  Never miss a Sunday show, right?  You damn right.  They opened with a song Paul Hoffman had played earlier and told us just might pop up again that day.  Well, he was right, of course, and they lit into “Fixin’ to Ruin” with that iconic GSBG sound instantly in play.  It was cool to have heard Paul play this solo and then, with that so fresh in my mind, hear the group play it on the main stage.  It’s almost like a different song altogether with so many extra moving parts.  Nothing like the introduction of the dobro the change the timbre of a song completely.  Completely for the better, too, if you ask me.  And, of course, Anders Beck treated us all to some tasty, tasty dobro licks and kicks throughout the song.  Mike Bont traded off some lines with him, banjo to dobro and back again.  Really great stuff.  Mike Devol’s bass solo was appropriately funky as he rather artfully took over the reigns of the melody for a few measures.  What a great start already…only one song in and the momentum was building.  This was going to be a special show.  “Jaywalking” came next and opened with its familiar vocal harmonies giving way to Anders with his big dobro intro.  Anders continued to jam his riffs along to the end of the song, making his instrument sing contrapuntally to the vocal lines.  Another one nailed to the wall by Greensky.  And now it’s time for another show and tell.  This time, we have some great footage of “Windshield” for you to immerse yourself in.  Hope you dig it, friends! 

Sunday Funday and it was GSBG on the WWG main stage once again. And they tore it up!!! Especially since it was being broadcast live on the radio, right? Amazing show. Certainly warmed the hearts of us all dancing in the cold. And how about this "Windshield"???

Pretty haunting, no?  That one certainly made a lot of people in the crowd very happy.  It is a big favorite after all.  Dave Bruzza was up to the mic next for “Take Cover” which followed “Windshield”.  Great, rolling upward moving energy with this song.  One that got the blood and body moving.  Traffic’s “Light Up or Leave Me Alone” came after, a personal favorite of mine.  Both the original and this cover version.  Bruzza had a blistering solo on guitar which led right into Bont answering with one of his very own.  This song is most certainly big on the jams, good jams, great jams.  Badass jams.  Never mind that they took this directly into Phish’s “Tweezer Reprise” and back out again.  Never mind that it seemed like hours long.  Never mind how amazing it was…no wait, mind all that stuff!!  It was all so worth the minding!!  The sweet but sad “In Control” was up afterwards with Paul taking the mic once again, singing so serenely to every ear in the audience.  Nothing like when a particular song showcases a voice or instrument in such a profound way as this.   A powerful part of their repertoire.  “Letter to Seymour” followed “In Control” and quickened the pace once again with some hard drivin’, fast pickin’.  Bruzza motored along just as fast as the instruments with his vocals, leading this one straight into fabulous freneticism.  What astounding energy!  The subsequent “Fo Sho Uh Huh” brought its usual wackiness to the table replete with some “Easy Like Sunday Morning” teases.  Oh, that band.  What won’t they sing?  Love it.  A bit later in the set we got an almost inconceivable surprise guest spot on the Greensky stage.  During “Broke Mountain Breakdown” none other than DJ Logic joined the boys on his turntables for a bit of mayhem, DJ-style.  The band were all ripping the top off the tune and then Logic is there scratching away like a rhythm section and kicking some serious ass in the process?  Unreal.  Never thought I’d see the day.  DJ Logic just killed it, too.  Damn, did he ever.  Really speedy, funky, fresh jams from the GSBG lads, as well — they really held the line against Logic’s beats throwing down a joint collaboration of truly epic proportions.  Bont’s big, bold solo along with Logic was rather special.  Long and lovely and very well done.  This whole affair was just so damn awesome.  What a fantabulous surprise!!  Anders even threw in some “Another One Bites the Dust” teases.  Damn, son!  So very good!!  They took this directly into “What is a Booty?” and right back into finish up the “Breakdown”.  What a thrill ride, my friends!!  I mean, DJ-effing-Logic!?!?!?  Yeah, all of it’s true.  And all of it was totally radical.  A very tricky and lengthy and believable “Eyes of the World” tease started things off for the closer of the evening:  “Don’t Lie”.  Those pranksters.  A crowd pleaser of some stature everyone seemed very happy to get this selection for our last song of the set.  And the gentlemen all sounded pretty damn perfect, it must be said.  Man, do they have some stamina to make it to the end of such a huge show with so much energy left.  Some heavy Bont action in this song on his banjo friend not to mention a similar vibe on mando from Paul and on guitar from Bruzza.  Silly good jam in the mid section of “Don’t Lie” with Anders just wailing away on his dobro for all the world to hear.  Thankfully.  Just some consummately wonderful music happening.  Finally, encore time it was and Ween was the choice du jour it would seem.  This was apparently a GSBG debut as well:  “Your Party”.  Pretty cool stuff.  Always great to get a debut and an interesting one such as this cover.  A helluva way to end things for the main stage portion of WinterWonderGrass 2016.  A truly magnificent set from a truly magnificent band.  What a treat the past two nights had been with them.  They bring so much to the musical table and we take so much away.  So much positivity and joy.  So much happiness.  What a remarkable group!  Thank you fellas for a couple of incredible evenings of music.  Until we meet again.  Hopefully soon…

Greensky Bluegrass with DJ Logic

    Sadly, then, the lights were turned up and everyone began that oh-so-familiar shuffle to the gates.  The one that is easily recognizable as the last of the weekend for, once we were out, we were out for another year.  However, a year is so little to wait for such a valuable and valued experience as WWG.  Scotty and all the other folks who put on this wonderful fest most surely know what they are doing and they do it very well year after year.  In fact, if anything, this year was markedly better than last year and only because they had added things to improve upon something which was already amazing.  My hat goes off to everyone involved with WonderGrass CO this year — a better-oiled festy machine I know not of.  Smiles of gratitude and waves of thanks basking in all the magical memories from four days of musical marvel.  And only 11.25 months to go until WinterWonderGrass 2017!!  We can make it, folks.   I have faith in us.  Thanks for reading along, everyone.  I hope you enjoyed the journey as much as I enjoyed spinning it out for you!!  Until next time…

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!!

WinterWonderGrass CO 2016 - Friday

WinterWonderGrass CO 2016

Festival Experience Archive

for The Lot Scene by Parker

Friday Highlights

The Travelin’ McCoury’s - Larry Keel’s WWG All-Stars - Leftover Salmon

    Friday was nigh and so was WinterWonderGrass proper!!  Two o’clock saw the opening of the gates and free commemorative pins handed out to the first 50 folks in line.  Proud to say I got one of those pins!  The weather was practically balmy that afternoon as we walked through the archway gate for the first time.  As we entered the grounds, a lovely feeling of familiarity settled in as I looked around.  The Jamboree Tent and Pickin’ Perch were right where they were supposed to be with the main stage’s commanding presence overlooking all.  The Soap Box Stage at the back was warm and welcoming with aromas of thai soup filling the air.  The food vendors were gathered all around the Soap Box enhancing the nasal palate with essences of BBQ, grilled cheese, tacos, and more.  All delicious and filling and warming in every sense.  Despite being a bit muddy, it was nice to have a clear festival space given the amount of snow last year.  Different to be sure.  A little hard to prepare for entire day at the fest, but we all persevered.  With great music and great community to keep us warm, how could we lose?  And there was just so much amazing music in store, too.  Easy to keep one’s eyes on the prize.  Even when the sun began to set and things got a wee chillier than before.  There was no doubt looking around from face to face, grin to grin, twinkling eye to twinkling eye that the fun had already begun and that the music was only going to enhance it to the point of boiling over.  Just what we’d all come for, right?  And, speaking of music…

    The Travelin’ McCourys took the stage mid-afternoon on Friday with their gentlemanly presences ready to give one solid, solid show.  The consummate professionals, these men truly help to define the genre as well as the kind of folk who play this music.  It is always a pleasure to watch them perform, combining talent, skill, and mountains of hard effort into the perfect union of musical excellence.  And their WWG set was no exception to this whatsoever.  They opened up their set with a sizzling hot instrumental filled to the brim with lightning quick mandolin riffs care of Ronnie McCoury and riveting banjo work from his brother, Rob.  Jason Carter, of course, added his own spice to the mix with his iconic fiddle styles.  A foot-stomping good way to get the blood moving and crowd dancing and a great indication of where this set was headed:  all good places.  Ronnie stepped up to the mic for “Deeper Shade of Blue” which came next in line.  How can’t you love, Ronnie’s voice?  It is just so classically bluegrass and perfect for the genre.  And it makes perfect sense given his heritage.  Interesting stuff to be sure and fantastic in concert.  It was Mr. Carter’s turn at lead vocals next with “When It Comes to You”.  Always love hearing Jason sing as well.  And you should, too, since we scored a nice video of this one for you.  Please enjoy: 

Friday saw a mighty lineup at WinterWonderGrass CO this year. And the Travelin' McCourys certainly brought a ton to that table!! What an amazing set...always great to have the McCourys around to be sure!! Hope you enjoy...

If you don’t know, now you know?  Right?  Pretty hot stuff, eh?  Exactly.  “Old Train” followed sung by bass player Alan Bartram, whose voice I also love.  Sensing a trend yet?  And when it comes to the harmonies this band can pump out like in this song?  Wowsers.  Like no other out there today.  Truly.  These gentlemen clearly have two things going for them:  a) great voices and b) the ability to hone and use them in tight harmony.  And I so appreciate both very, very much.  As much as I appreciated Jason’s long and lovely central fiddle solo.  Delightful.  Knocking it out of the park, good sirs, and please continue to do so!  (Spoiler Alert - They did just that.)  And, while we’re speaking of amazing harmonies…  “Midnight Flyer” came steaming at us all in the crowd teeming with harmonic genius.  Rob and Ronnie shared some nice interplay between their instrumental lines provided the perfect counterpoint to Jason’s rich baritone.  Some really phenomenal movement to this song, too, mimicking the motion of the namesake.  Excellent stuff.  A personal favorite was next up:  “I Live on a Battlefield”.  A sad song of tragedy and lost love, the lyrics artfully describe all these feelings in the guise of a war-torn landscape.  The song is as clever as it is sorrowful and filled with incredible musicianship helping to evoke the feelings of despair and regret.  All wrapped up in Ronnie’s beautiful, clear vocals.  It all certainly makes for a powerful experience and did that afternoon to be sure.  The spry and lively tune “Lime House Blues” followed “Battlefield” and brought the mood back up to dancing level.  We all kicked our heels up as the tune flowed forth from the stage and gents like Rob and Ronnie took up the challenge, delivering some banjo and mando goodness up for us all as if on a silver platter.  And then add Cody Kilby to the mix on guitar (that man is a complete monster when it comes to pickin’) and you’ve got quite a musical spectacle on stage.  Fast pickin’ through and through!  “Cumberland Blues” was next in line that evening, taking us all for a little walk with the Grateful Dead, among others.  Jason’s fiddle sliced through cool air like a knife as he nailed his solo down.  “I gotta get down, I gotta get down…”  You want to talk about getting down??  Done and done!!  We had it covered there at WWG — hell, we had it smothered and covered.  They took this directly into the instrumental “Cumberland Gap” led by Rob and Jason.  Hard drivin’ string music you bet your boots — so fast, so technical, so good!!  And just sizzling hot right until the last banjo note.  The next song they played I heard for the first time at Big Sky Big Grass up in Montana.  Really liked it then and really liked it this time, too.  “Back from the Borderline” has a slow, mysterious, droning, building beginning up until Ronnie sings the first verse.  That haunting feeling permeates the song as it continues, adding harmonies and a bit more instrumental texture.  So glad they’ve added this one to their roster…a very excellent addition.  They went directly from “Borderline” into a Kilby-led instrumental once again elevating the mood to a livelier place.  This one served as a complete round robin for each member of the band to showcase their unparalleled skills on their chosen instruments.  Cody threw down some simply stunning guitar work as Rob and Ronnie picked away with great acumen on banjo and mandolin all the while with Alan Bartram keeping things tied to the foundation on his bass.  The fast-paced “Southbound” followed with some more Grateful Dead close behind with “Loser”.  Loved this one by the McCourys ever since DelFest last year.  Jason Carter’s fiddle lead in melody is just perfect for this song, as is Ronnie’s voice.  A really, really great selection for this band, I am so glad they ever decided to do it.  So much heart, so much conviction from every member.  Makes for quite the performance, let me tell you.  This one most certainly pleased the crowd to no end who sang along with every word.  Wonderfully executed this time around, too.  “Why Did You Wander?” was the final selection of the set, filled with tons of white hot fast pickin’.  And I mean fast pickin’!!  They were all on fire, my friends, it’s the truth!  A flying fun whiz bang ending to a strong, strong set from the McCourys.  I always have a superb time seeing this band and so was the case on Friday of WWG.  There is just so much to love about them and their playing and their music and their ethos and their everything else.  So grateful to have had them at WinterWonderGrass this year!!  Thanks for making the trip to Colorado, fellas!!  

The Travelin' McCourys

    Larry Keel’s WinterWonderGrass All-Stars were next up on the main stage Friday afternoon.  The All-Stars lineup included Larry, Jenny Keel, Andy Thorn, Drew Emmitt, and Jay Starling.  Talk about your powerful posse of skilled stringslingers, right?  And they brought all that power to bear and then some that day for us in Avon, CO.  They started the whole shebang off with a rousing “Star of Munster” led by Andy Thorn on banjo.  Nice and familiar way to get this set really going from the very beginning.  Some expectedly nasty guitar work from Larry on this one, too.  Not to mention some of that sweet, sweet dobro from Jay and some truly mad mandolin work from Drew.  And excellent showcase of the talent and skill present on stage.  And no problems gelling together as an ensemble either — their sound was tight and practiced.  So far, so great.  And then onto a Drew lead with “Whispering Waters”, a Leftover Salmon number.  We were right up front to capture you some great video of this one which we bring to you now:  

The indomitable Larry Keel led a stellar WWG All-Stars line-up on Friday at WinterWonderGrass CO 2016 -- such incredible music!! This one is a Leftover Salmon number sung by Drew Emmitt. Please enjoy!!

Go on, Drew!!  No doubt!  Just excellent in so many ways.  Jason Carter (The Travelin’ McCourys) came out to join them for the next song, “Pioneers”.  It was a spritely selection that tells the story of the exploration and hardship found along the wild ranges of the pre-colonized American frontier.  This is one that Larry played with Natural Bridge.  Some great guitar parts in here care of Mr. Keel.  Not to mention some tasty banjo bits thanks to Andy.  And all the while, Jason’s fiddle floating over it all like a beautiful bird of music.  The next surprise was Peter Rowan coming out to join in the shenanigans with these fine folks on stage.  A lengthy and driving and building intro whipped us all into a frenzy and eventually turned into “Sally Goodin” blowing our minds completely.  Jason and Andy really dominated that frenetic intro section with Jay and Larry holding their own alongside.  By the time Peter began to sing we were all going nuts in the crowd.  That’s what really, really good music will do to you, right?  Mr. Rowan even led us all singing along with him.  And why not?  Such an incredible ensemble sound!  So many legendary musicians on one stage!  Damn was I loving this!  “Pulling the Devil by the Tail” was the next selection in store for us that day, another Rowan lead.  Dobro and fiddle soaring, guitar and bass keeping precious time, banjo and mandolin filling in each precious gap.  Domination.  Truly wonderful music.  Dave Carroll and Dave Simonett from Trampled by Turtles as Jason Carter departed the stage for a single number with Peter Rowan and the All-Stars.  Sadly, I couldn’t discern the name of this one after the fact.  However, having Dave and Dave made it an instant crowd pleaser.  The two guest gents took the lead on the vocals singing a very nice and lamenting duet.  The Daves then took their bows and their leave once finished to a hail of cheering from the crowd.  Afterwards the Wood Brothers came out for what was my favorite part of the set:  “Ophelia”.  This one was rocking good and truly awesome.  Great fun from start to finish.  Really great combination of talent for this one assembled in one place.  The Wood Brothers definitely kicked things up a notch with their brand of musicianship.  Oliver and Chris Wood sounded really superb on lead vocals and Jano Rix harmonized like a demon.  Chris even played Jenny’s bass at one point leaving Larry a bit flummoxed.  Not to mention the monster dobro solo from Jay Starling.  That man is a beast on his instrument.  Just so damn good!!  Their final song of the set I didn’t catch the name of as well, but Mimi Naja (Fruition) joined in to lend her mando to the mix.  Incredible mandolin from Drew and Mimi as you could imagine.  Nothing like watching those two play together.  Drew took the vocals for this one and crooned in his iconic style.  A fitting end to a very fine set from some amazing musicians.  Many thanks to all the All-Stars and to Larry and to their guests and friends for concocting such a special time for all of us.  Cheers to one and all!! 

Larry Keel's WWG All-Stars and The Wood Brothers

    Headlining the main stage on Friday were none other than Colorado’s very own Leftover Salmon.  And, it should be stated here well in advance, I am a huge Salmon fan.  I mean big time.  So, when I say that their set was pretty stupendous all round, I’d like to think I know what I’m talking about.  A least a tad.  And in such good ways, my friends.  Such good!  All bundled up now that the sun had set, we were ready for some of that very special kind of music that is Leftover Salmon.  And they came ready to deliver, let me tell you.  Their first selection of the night, John Hartford’s “Up on the Hill Where They Do the Boogie”, is one of my absolute favorite songs, especially the way that Salmon plays it.  So much exciting and rocket-like energy bursting from every note, every verse.  A positively premium time to be had by all.  This song is always a supremely intense missile of happy and joy and the perfect way to get a show going…damn!  Adored the sound of Jay Starling with them all night long, too.  Let’s hope this is something permanent for the future?  Salmon + dobro?  Forget about it!!  What a Leftover Salmon roster addition that would be, eh?  Massive explosive ending to this one, too!  Boom!!  What a ride!  Later in the set they continued with T. Rex’s “Bang a Gong” with Vince on lead vocals.  And they rocked it out, too.  Really dirty with Drew on electric mando and just nasty rockin’ fun any way you slice it.  Always love it when they get down and dirty like that — rock’n’roll!!  Festivaaaaaaaaaal!!  Alwyn Robinson was really banging those drums, too.  Just tearing it up to give us all that driving beat.  Helluva cover for them!   Next up was Andy on some amazing banjo and with lead vocals for “Colorado Mountains Evermore”.  Caught them playing this one down at Strings & Sol this past year and they did just the same awesome justice to it at WonderGrass.  This one really shines a light on Andy Thorn and his incredible banjo stylings.  And it’s another killer song about Colorado.  So, win/win, right?  Right.  This was followed by Drew on lead vocals for “River’s Rising” — a clear crowd favorite, they played this one at a quick clip, perfect for dancing.  The ending of this one was a freight rain jamming through the night — so much energy and force and enjoyment.  Another favorite of mine, “Sing Up to the Moon” was next…just love hearing Papa Vince sing out to us.  His unique musical aura is so special and palpable.  And what a moon it was!  Almost full that night shining over our heads.  Perfection.  Later still in the set Peter Rowan and Larry Keel came out to have a bit of a good time with Salmon with some “Free Mexican Air Force” care of Mr. Rowan on vocals.  Really special combo on stage…really special.  Nothing like watching a few generations of amazing musicians on stage all at once.  Something truly powerful and special about that kind of situation.  Rowan and Keel stayed out for the next song, “Soul Shakedown Party”, which was a groovy adventure through music and space and mellow vibes thanks to the musicians assembled in front of us.  As you could expect, each one of them took a chance to strut their stuff on their instrument.  Really fine musicianship all around.  Bravi to everyone!  They took this directly into “Hot Corn Cold Corn” clearly enjoying straying into silly territory together.  And then they wrapped it up.  Just like that.  Plain as day.  A very quick “I Know You Rider” served as a very satisfactory and enjoyable encore with Vince leading.  Who doesn’t love a bit more Dead in their life, right?  And when Salmon and Peter Rowan and Larry Keel play it?  Holy crap!  Face melting!!  And I am sure that mine was completely melted after such a wonderful day of music!!  

Leftover Salmon & Friends

    So many thanks to all the musicians and staff that made Friday such a success on all fronts!  I know for a fact how much fun everyone had logged in by that point and I was beyond excited that we had not one, but two days left of the exact same thing.  Talk about your positive anxiety!  So many good times already and with so many more to come, it was off to late night at Agave’s for some more of the Travelin’ McCourys…what fun that promised to be!  How couldn’t it?

Saturday and Sunday still inbound, friends!!

WinterWonderGrass CO 2016 - Thursday

WinterWonderGrass CO 2016

Festival Experience Archive

for The Lot Scene by Parker

Thursday

Mandolin Orange - Fruition - Fruition & Friends

    We began our second dance with the Colorado WinterWonderGrass Festival at the annual Kick-Off Party at the Vilar Performing Arts Center located up the mountain from Avon town, the location of the festival proper.  It was so very nice to be back in that gorgeous venue, with its warm woodwork and inviting atmosphere the Vilar PAC is an excellent place to hear music of any sort and certainly proved so once again on Thursday evening.  Taking our time getting to our spots we caught up with myriad friends in the lobby as well as taking in all the photography up for auction.  The place was abuzz with energy and anticipation of what was to come.  And then it was time to take our seats for the first act of this big evening of excellent music, Mandolin Orange.

    Hailing from North Carolina, Emily Frantz and Andrew Marlin have been on quite the rise in the musical world since the debut of their first album back in 2010.  Their unique style and warm, calm, soothing energy has, naturally, become very popular.  And this duo proved a wonderful way to get things doing for WinterWonderGrass 2016.  “Old Ties and Companions” was their first selection of the evening, with Andrew taking lead vocals and backing on mandolin, Emily on guitar.  Clearly these two have a synergistic style that truly dovetails one into the other and this was very present from the beginning, and rather so in this first song.   It is always a pleasure to observe such tuned-in playing between members of an ensemble.  A tale of hardship on the dusty range, “Missouri Borderland” came next in line for the evening.  Andrew sang this heartfelt story of the trail full of passion as Emily provided some extremely tight and lovely harmonies to accompany.  That was most definitely an aspect that would shine throughout the evening with Mandolin Orange:  their wonderful harmonies.  And, by now, most of you will know how much of a sucker I am for great harmony.  Certainly one of the reasons I love bluegrass music so much.  A wistful mandolin solo from Andrew led us into the sorrowful next song, “That Wrecking Ball”.  One thing you could palpably feel coming from the stage that night was the passion with which these two play their music.  That was obviously apparent in “That Wrecking Ball” — it just hit you in the face and then washed over you in a gentle way.  Later on down their set they gave us “Little Worlds”, set in minor and imbued with a subtle, driving energy.  Emily was on the fiddle for this one and Andrew on guitar, the two displaying their multi-instrumental skills with great aplomb.  Reconfiguring such as this enables such a breadth of style and sound for a mere duo.  And they use it to great success to be sure.  They continued with “House of Stone”, with its fiddle drone lead in from Emily.  “Churchyard auction.  A sight to see.  Where the eyes are big, and the odds are lean.”  No doubt that Andrew can write some moving lyrics!  And can sing them in his rich baritone as well!  Worthy of note in this one:  Emily’s beautiful fiddle solo in the middle.  Light and lovely and filled with emotion it was a sweet counterpoint to Andrew’s picking.  Andrew dedicated their next song, “The Turtle Dove and the Crow”, to his father back in North Carolina.  Class act.  I am sure his father would have enjoyed it.  After that came the fiddle tune, “New Five Cent Piece” which saw Andrew back on mando for this one.  Nothing like a lively dance tune to get the blood moving and the hands clapping!  “Waltz About Whiskey” put us all in 3/4 time for a song about the very water of life:  whiskey.  Peppered with more of that fantastic Mandolin Orange harmony, this one proved the perfect penultimate selection, the final one being “Train Song” which they went straight into.  This last song was filled with up energy and some classic lyrics lauding the merits of train travel and why not?  Great way to close up their set!  So, in summation, if you love great harmonies, heartfelt lyrics, soulful playing, and a welcoming energy then you will love Mandolin Orange, hands down.  A wonderful first exposure to this duo, to be sure.  Certainly made me look all the more forward more music from the next group of the evening, Portland’s own Fruition.     

Mandolin Orange

    Fruition.  My goodness how I do so love this band!  I’ve had the privilege of seeing them many times before and so knew precisely what to expect as they took the stage to continue the opening ceremony, as it were, of WinterWonderGrass 2016.  How to even describe Fruition’s sound?  Rockabillygrass?  Roadhouse string band?  Simply pure, undiluted awesomesauceness?  All of the above?  Somewhere in there you’ll get close to the mark.  But, be forewarned, once introduced to Fruition the addiction sets in…you’re going to want to listen to them nonstop ever after.  Man, does this band write some catchy songs!!  I mean, really amazing, stellar, catchy songs.  Ones that delightfully stick in your head for days…ones like “Mountain Annie” their first of the evening.  Love this song!  How can’t you?  From the familiar mandolin refrain from Mimi Naja it was clear we were in for some superb music.  And then Jay Cobb Anderson’s iconic and incredible voice lights up the lyrics like a clarion call.  And then the harmonies…oh the harmonies!  Multi-part and polished to a high gloss — just the way I love it.  And then the instrumental skills on display!  Certainly one of the reasons I gravitate towards string band music of all types:  phenomenal musical abilities in both voice and instrument arenas.  And Fruition is certainly high up in this category.  “Get out of my head.  Give me back my heart, Mountain Annie.”  What an auspicious start!  Next up was “The Wanter” with Mimi up to the mic for lead vocals.  A couple of quick and awesome solos from Mimi on mando and Jay on guitar, too.  Pretty great stuff.  Another favorite song of mine.  Poor Kellen Asebroek had a helluva time on stage that evening due to the atmospheric conditions affecting his guitar.  He broke at least four strings throughout the course of the show causing them to redo their setlist a bit on the fly.  We all really felt for him as string after string snapped.  But he motored along like a champ and professional.  Bravo, sir!  The pensive “Git Along” was next in line which featured a lengthy and lovely mandolin solo from Mimi.  Later in the set came “Labor of Love” with Jay up to the mic to provide lead vocals.  This is a perfect example of one of Fruition’s super catchy songs.  With its building energy and memorable refrain, it really sticks in the marrow of the mind lodging there in a joyful memory for all time.  Later down the line was “Little Song” featuring Kellen on keyboards and lead vocals.  Time for Mr. Asebroek to croon one for us!!  Sweet and soulful, this one was new to me and I was grateful to hear it.  Some great drum work from Tyler Thompson throughout…really granted a driving energy to the song.  Loved it.  They announced that they had a new recored coming out and that this next song, “I Don’t Mind”, is on it.  A real rock’n’roll feel to this one.  Bluesy, too.  Some of that “Roadhouse String Band” feeling to be sure — I really got into it.  And some funky bass from Jeff Leonard, too, to round things out in fine fashion.  I am really looking forward to hearing this one again.  Maybe at DelFest?  Whaddaya say, guys?  A little on down the set came another rock number with a mighty drum intro from Tyler, quick and nasty and full of electricity to get “Never Again” running at high speed.  Jay stepped up to the mic to take the lead on this as the entire band rocketed along with him through this wild, whirling, wonderful number.  Lightning quick picking and playing all throughout, this one was an instant crowd pleaser.  And why shouldn’t it be?  Incredible song played with incredible energy and passion.  My cup of tea!  And then, one of my very favorite songs was next.  And I mean very favorite.  And you want to talk catchy??  Try keeping it out of your thoughts?  Ha!!  Try keeping this one out of your dreams…  “There She Was” is Kellen’s freaky, fabulous funk odyssey inspired by a Motet show he attended (he told us one late late night at the Westin — more to come on that).  And it is awesome.  It has movement and mystery and magic.  And it is, pure and simple, just damn good music.  Bravo, Kellen, for writing one masterfully groovy song, good sir!  And many thanks for it!  A very new and soulful Mimi-led song, “I Should Be”, followed with “I Can’t Stop” (from their new EP) coming after.  Jay really nailed the vocals for “I Can’t Stop”, too.  I do so love his voice!  One impressive show for the WWG Kick-Off Party — but to be totally expected from this band.  That is just how they roll.  Their last song was to be “Lay Down Blues” and one perfect way to finish things off.  Filled with lots of rocking energy, this was a bullet train from start to finish.  What a rush!  Mimi took things home on the lead vocals for us telling us all that the “nighttime is the right time” which it so was that evening.  Doors.  Blown.  Completely.  Off.  Damn, what a great show!  And there was still more to come in the form of a Fruition & Friends set!!  What the what??

Fruition

    The one and only Mr. Peter Rowan was the first friend to join Fruition on the Vilar PAC stage.  And what a friend, right?  That venerable gentleman brings so very much to the stage — it was such a treat to see him being supported by Fruition.  A truly remarkable sound.  Peter provided the guitar lead-in for their first collaboration:  that old favorite of so many of us, “Panama Red”.  Mr. Rowan sounded wonderful on the lead vocals…as wonderful as ever.  And this was the first of many sing-a-longs for the audience as well.  A couple of great solos from Mimi (mando) and Kellen (keys) in this one to boot.  A mighty fine beginning to the set!  A David Grisman song was next on the docket for us in the form of “Old and in the Way” back from Peter and David’s days of playing with Jerry Garcia.  Jay Starling (Love Cannon) and Andy Thorn (Leftover Salmon) joined in the fun on stage furthering the powerhouse of talent and skill already present there.   What a supergroup!  The next song Peter Rowan wrote with Bill Monroe stranded on the highway in Kentucky on the way to Bean Blossom, IN.  “The Walls of Time” is a mellow, yet intense journey through some very soulful vocals and some lovely harmonies.  Jay Cobb was on the mouth harp for this one adding that much more soul to the mix.  A stalwart standard of the bluegrass catalogue, “Midnight Moonlight” followed and was, no doubt, a huge crowd favorite for the evening with everyone singing along to the chorus with great gusto.  Always a great song to hear from the man, himself.  And Fruition sounded just excellent alongside Mr. Rowan.  Not to mention that oh so stupendous dobro playing of Jay Starling all throughout.  A huge sound from a mighty group of musicians.  And an enormous thanks to Mr. Rowan as he exited the stage.  What a gift that was.  But then Vince Herman and Drew Emmitt of Leftover Salmon came out to add their own brand of madness to the show.  Some more Bill Monroe for us?  Sure!!  “Rocky Road Blues” was a marvelously mando-heavy Drew-led steamroller of a good time.  A rollicking fun frolic, this one.  And more of that delicious dobro from Jay?  You bet!  So good!  Not to mention Vince and Andy, both mad-pickin’ away of their own accord.  Such a huge sound!  Vince was up to the mic lead the next song, “Y’all Come” which had us all shouting along with the band.  So much fun.  What a stellar combination of musicians on stage all at once!  Scotty Stoughton, the mover and shaker behind WWG and of Bonfire Dub, came out for the first encore which was a Bonfire Dub song.  A little reggae in the mountains, right?  Really cool to see him playing alongside some of the musicians from the festival.  Organizer and talent all in one.  Sweet.  Finally, as a way to close the evening, Mandolin Orange joined in the fun for “Meet Me on the Mountain” from Fruition’s EP with The Grant Farm.  Talk about your harmonies!  So many great voices all at once in colorful combination and joyous musicality.  And so much freakin’ soul!  Damn!  Can’t ever get tired of this one to be sure.  Such good music all around, all set long.  Wowsers.  So many thanks to Fruition and all those friends that joined them for such a memorable evening of music and fun!

Fruition with Peter Rowan and Jay Starling

    It would appear that this evening’s excellence just whetted our appetites for all these bands and more in the coming weekend.   Bravo to all the bands and performers and those that had a hand in making this event come to light.  If this was any indication of how the weekend was to proceed then I was sure we all had nothing to fear.  We were in for a weekend chocked full of the best bluegrass and string band music the world has to off at present and were appropriately stoked by that fact.  Thursday night?  A rousing success.  Off to the remainder of the weekend!!!

Fruition & Friends

Friday through Sunday on their way my friends…stay tuned!!

10th Annual Big Sky Big Grass - Big Sky, MT - Saturday/Sunday

10th Annual Big Sky Big Grass

Festival Experience Archive

for The Lot Scene by Parker

Saturday

The David Grisman Bluegrass Experience - Sam Bush Band

    Late night Friday was a sea of pickin’ parties, libations, and great conversations.  Those wee hours of the morning really breakdown all the remaining barriers between musicians and festival goers to create something truly unique and special.  And tiring after a couple of nights in a row…sleep is always at a premium at Big Sky Big Grass.  But, hey, we’ve plenty of time to sleep in our graves, right?  After catching a few important hours of sleep and pulling ourselves together for another evening of music, it was time for Saturday to get going in full swing.  And, trust me, with the likes of David Grisman and Sam Bush in the mix, it promised to be quite an evening.      

    Sadly, I have to report that there were some severe sound issues for David Grisman’s set.  In the fact that the audience couldn’t really hear much of anything.  I am not sure if there were mic issues or soundboard issues, however, the point remains that if I cannot hear the music, I cannot report on it.  What we did hear of favorites like “Walkin’ the Dog” sounded potentially wonderful.  However, the technical gods were against us that night, it seemed.  A real tragedy for such a bluegrass legend as Grisman.

David Grisman Bluegrass Experience

    Luckily the techs fixed the sound for the next act, the Sam Bush Band.  And thank goodness for that!  Sammy and crew came tearing out of the gate with a fiddle tune care of Mr. Bush.  This one turned dirty good by tune’s end, nice and gritty with a driving bass line from Todd Parks.  Really quite a baller way to get things all riled up in the Missouri Ballroom that night.  “This Heart of Mine” followed with Sam back on mandolin and featuring some really tight vocal harmonies and some truly fine guitar work from Stephen Mougin.  This, in turn, led to an excellent “One More Love Song” with Sam getting tender in the lyrics all the while absolutely jamming out on mandolin.  “I wanna sing you one more love song…why leave it this way?”  Why leave it that way, indeed, right Sammy?  Really liked that one.  The next one in line that night was the instrumental “By Stealth” which was a riveting run through some serious hard drivin’ fast pickin’ with each musician stepping up to show their skills.  Simply sizzling solo from Scott Vestal on banjo — definitely of note.  This kind of tune is precisely the perfect space to observe some intense musicianship in action.  And the Sam Bush Band did not disappoint on this front whatsoever.   This led to the foot-stomping good time that is “East Virginia Blues” with Sam, of course, on the vocals and mando.  Incredible guitar stylings from Stephen Mougin in this one — they really kept the drive of the song going full force.  Then Sam and company took us for a ride on “The Bluegrass Train”.  Nothing like a good train song, right?  And nothing like hopping on the train that is the Sam Bush Band for one helluva musical ride.  And what a ride it was, too!!  Nasty, nasty excellent mando solo from Sam here, just amazing.  Thanks for that one, Sammy, fellas!  Later on in the set came the touching and soulful “Circles Around Me” (“High in Telluride…”) and later still came a little Jerry Lee Lewis with some “Great Balls of Fire”.  And what fire there was, let me tell you!!  Grassing up a version of this one was definitely the right move — it was fast, fun, and full of up energy for everyone.  Especially that incredibly hot banjo solo from Scott.  Damn can that man play!  So quick!!   Another great cover came after in the form of Bob Marley’s “Is This Love” which instantly had the crowd tuned in and singing along.  A lengthy and lovely “Same Ol’ River” clocking in at 16:01 followed — talk about something you can really sink your musical teeth into!  What a journey!   Later on in the show, they closed with another fiddle tune, care of Sam.  Rollicking and rolling this one was a great way to end things for the evening.  But wait, they weren’t done yet!  There was a multi-song encore set on its was with lots of special guests!  The cast of characters you ask?  In addition to Sam and band we have Cody Kilby (The Travelin’ McCourys), David Grisman, Ronnie McCoury (The Travelin’ McCourys), Bela Fleck, amongst a few others gathered for some encore fun.  The first song up was “Little Girl of Tennessee” with Sam up on the vocals.  So much star power on one stage — how couldn’t it sound pretty damn amazing?  Which it did, of course.  Such great music.  And just stunning, stunning playing from everyone.  After two (yes two) more numbers it was time for the really big finish with “Bluegrass Breakdown”, a heart-palpitatingly quick race through some severely impressive fast pickin’.  One and all these gents threw down in superbly fine fashion bringing the main stage of the Missouri to a whiz-bang of a close for the night.  So very many thanks to Sam, his band, and their guests on stage that evening.  What a ride, what a rush!  Certainly only whetted the appetite for more bluegrass joy to follow on Sunday!!

Sam Bush Band & Friends

Sunday

Billy Strings - Drew Emmitt Band - Jeff Austin Band - Keller Williams with The Travelin’ McCourys

    Sunday had found us once again but were still fresh and frosty and ready for a monster of a great time care of some premium bluegrass music.  It had been a long and luxuriant weekend as we basked in bluegrass clear up to our grinning faces.  And the best part about Sundays, my friends?  More music!!  That’s right.  More of that specific brand of awesomeness that we all thrive upon, that we yearn for.  The surprise TBD set ended up going to Mr. Billy Strings and we were all glad that it did.  Due to the Superbowl, the place was empty.  And I mean criminally empty — but, whatever.  Roll with it, right?  Private show?  You bet!  Billy started out solo crooning some songs and pickin’ tune for us.  He began with Doc Watson’s “Nashville Blues”, a perfect selection to show off the great balance between Billy’s amazing guitar playing and his lovely baritone singing.  Fantastic fast pickin’ and classic bluegrass singing.  What more could you ask for?  Continuing in that theme, we got a mighty fine “Brown’s Ferry Blues” care of Mr. Strings.  Sure didn’t seem like Billy had the blues to me, but, hey, you’ve gotta go with something on your setlist, right?  Plus he simply killed the first two songs.  Which made us eager to hear the minor and slightly morose “Wild Bill Jones” which was next on the docket.  A cautionary tale doled out in a gentle but powerful singing voice and counterpointed always by the ever-moving fingers of this young man’s magical hands as they fly over strings and fretboard.  A light and lively guitar tune medley followed comprised of “Give the Fiddler a Dram” and “Whistling Rufus” and “Ragtime Annie”, highlighting for one and all that skill plus talent plus hard work that is the musical might that is Billy Strings.  Billy credited Doc Watson for the inspiration for this medley.  Continuing with some more Watson, he next played a superb version of “Hold the Woodpile Down” which featured some blistering, blistering guitar action.  Not that we were surprised.  Just in awe as always.  Tyler Grant (The Grant Farm) came out and joined Billy for what he termed “guitarmageddon”.  Love it.  “Lost Indian”, a fiddle tune, was to be their first number.  And my goodness…two guitar greats such as these pickin’ away at the same time, on the same stage??  Forget about it!  Seriously.  It was mind-meltingly excellent all the way around.  So many incredible guest spots and collaborations at this fest!  I love it!  And then it was time for a vocal duet…sweet.  Another Doc Watson selection (am I sensing a theme?) and this time “Way Downtown”.  Super fine harmonies from the get-go — really great blend between the two gents on stage.  And the seemingly effortless intertwining of their guitar lines was just beautiful to behold.  Most certainly a great pairing here.  Would love to see more of this very act in the future.  Such good guitar work from both fellas.  So good!  A little later in the set the two of them gave us a a rousing “Gonna Lay Down My Old Guitar” especially given the guys singing this very song.  The thought of either of them laying down their guitars is almost anathema.  Listening back to my notes all I hear is just how much guitar is present at every point throughout these songs.  So many notes played with such skills and acumen.  It is so impressive — just makes me so very grateful that there are those of us out there who can and do play as such for all the rest of us to so thoroughly enjoy.  “My Rose of Old Kentucky” that stalwart standard and favorite came after, all of us still being treated to the joy of those double guitars.  This certainly was a Watson-heavy affair.  And I couldn’t have been happier.  Finally, as an encore, these two fine gentlemen played us an energetic and moving instrumental tune which had the growing crowd dancing and hopping to the rapid beat.  A truly lovely way to end a lovely set.  Bravo to Billy for all that he is and does!!  Bravo to Tyler for providing the perfect duo companion to share the stage with Billy!!  Bravi to them both for such exquisite music and a fabulous show!!

Billy Strings & Tyler Grant

    And then it was time some Drew Emmitt Band all up in our lives.  Hells yeah.  Joining in on the fun were Sam Bush on fiddle, Tyler Grant on guitar, and Robbie McCoury on banjo.  Not a bad lineup.  Not a bad lineup whatsoever, my friends.  It appeared that we were in for a real treat.  And that treat got started off with a personal favorite John Hartford song:  “Steam Powered Aereoplane”.  I’m not sure that I’ve ever heard it better, to be quite honest.  Tyler Grant had a really excellent solo early on in this one…man do I just love his playing.  And what an incredible version of this song.  So happy to have gotten this one.  And as an opener, too.  The ensemble rocked out to a Leftover Salmon fave next with “Breakin’ Thru”, Drew leading the whole energetic gathering threw with his strong, distinctive voice.  And such a great ensemble sound coming from the stage already.  Just a testament to the utter professionalism and intensive skills of these musicians.  Not to mention the beast of an ending breakdown, Sam Bush tearing his fiddle bow apart as we all howled our appreciation and enjoyment from below the stage.  Such an electric finish!   However, it would seem I experienced some technical difficulties with my voice recorder (and best concert friend) for a few songs of Drew’s set.  Corrupted data, garbled playback, etc.  So, my apologies to you in that I cannot report on much of this show.  However, we trudge on, right?  Sorry Drew!  Sorry Drew band!  “Crossroads” by Cream provided the encore selection for the evening which saw Drew on electric guitar.  Sam Bush had an important fiddle solo smack in the middle of this one.  And it all sounded of pure excellence.  Rob McCoury flexed his banjo chops something fierce in this one as well.  A really awesome and fun set from the Drew Emmitt Band and Friends.  A perfect Sunday Funday band if I’ve ever seen one.  Thanks, gentlemen!!

Drew Emmitt Band & Friends

    Jeff.  Austin.  Band.  Hells yeah.  Time for some gritty bluegrass attitude, shaken, not stirred.  A long and building instrumental opening led us to “Reuben’s Train” proper and, in no time, we were all steaming along on this mad locomotive with Jeff Austin at the wheel headed towards some seriously bonkers good music.  Hurling along with JAB down the electrified track that is one of their sets is always a rocking good time.  Seriously rocking.  And they kept right on rocking with a fast picker’s delight, “Time Ain’t Time”.  Such quick and rapid intertwining of instrument lines!  Gorgeous.  Amazing mando solo from Jeff in this one — that man plays with so much conviction.  Damn!  This was followed by an incredible solo from Ryan Cavanaugh on banjo.  A riveting ride from start to finish!  We were off to such a great start!  A mellow lead in from Jeff on mandolin to the next song provided a nice groove for us all to fall into.  “15 Steps” slowly crept up and hit us all full in the face with just that kind of song and feeling we’ve all come to expect from Jeff over the years.  Ross Martin (guitar) and Eric Thorin (bass) chose to get down and funky in the middle of this one, too.  Most certainly a groovy, groovy song.  Hard drivin’?  Fast pickin’?  You want those things huh?  Well, the “Red Haired Boy” that they gave us next was all of that and so much more.  They dedicated it to Billy Strings, too.  Isn’t that lovely of them?  Damn was this a fast one.  Blisteringly quick.  And played so well by all on stage.  Tight.  Nothing like getting an old classic like this from the Jeff Austin Band.  Cavanaugh got down and dirty in this one on banjo, really smoking that melody line.  This was answered by Ross Martin on guitar who funked things up a bit himself.  All in all, another thrilling ride on the JAB Express.  Next up on the setlist was “My Sisters and Brothers” a Charles Johnson song made famous by the Jerry Garcia Band.  Fant-freakin-tastic!  And then it was a lengthy and trippy “Ragdoll” which dominated the set.  Some serious exploratory moments wrapped in there.  It’s just good to see they’re still doing this song.  Love this one…but who doesn’t, right?  After that big entree of bluegrass dinner, dessert came in the form of a rollicking “Sideshow Blues”.  Cruising at top speed right up until end of their set, JAB pulled out all the stops that evening, including on “Sideshow”.  They came, they saw, they destroyed it.  JAB.  Incredible set, fellas…so many thanks for the music!  Very much looking forward to my next dance with the Jeff Austin Band.

Jeff Austin Band

    I cannot tell you just how excited I was to finally be seeing Keller Williams and the Travelin’ McCourys together on the same stage.  I’d been waiting quite awhile for that magic to strike me and strike me it did in full force that night.  All the boys assembled on stage surely meant some serious business from the very get go.  “I Am Elvis” is how they chose to ramp things up.  Talk about an album-quality show!!  Each song was so tight and so polished, if you closed your eyes it was hard to tell live from Memorex, so to speak (think I just dated myself there a bit haha).  “It’s all in my mind…I live inside my imagination.”  Well, it was certainly not all in my mind Saturday night at Big Sky Big Grass.  It was on the stage and it was bold, brazen, beautiful, and badass.  They took “Elvis” directly into a little Donna Summer with “Hot Stuff” and why not?  It’s not as if this group of stringslingers didn’t have the chops for this one.  Bouncing, lovely energy just cascading off the stage, Jason Carter’s fiddle lighting up the night like a beacon of pure sound, this one pulled the crowd into a merry den of musical mayhem and set us up right for the remainder of the set.  Up next was “Broken Convertible” with its tongue-in-cheek lyrics sung by none other than Keller himself.  Talk about another album-perfect one!  It really is a shame that Keller and the McCourys don’t tour more often together — this is one incredible act to see, my friends!  And with Keller changing the lyrics to reference a Sam Bush presidential bid/win, who could be disappointed?  Modest Mouse’s “Float On” came next in line for us — quite the surprise, but an excellent cover.  And Ronnie McCoury’s mandolin solo was something special to be sure.  Certainly another crowd pleaser for this tiny but voracious audience especially with the Dexys Midnight Runners “Come On Eileen” teaser thrown in for good measure.  After that, Ronnie was up to the mic to croon the vocals on “The Graveyard Shift” and he just nailed it to the wall.  Of course.  As if there could be any doubts as to that.  Simply splendid vocal harmonies in “Graveyard” to boot…always so nice to listen to.  And let us not forget Rob McCoury’s monster solo on banjo or Cody Kilby’s unequalled guitar skills throughout the song.  A stroll with the Grateful Dead followed in the form of a mellow and masterful “Candyman”.  Some Grateful Grass with the McCourys, eh Keller?  Maybe that’s the next lineup?  Maybe?  Would that it could be so.  How marvelous would that be?  An entire show of Dead songs thrown down by Keller and the McCourys??  Magnificence!  “Something Else” came on the heels of “Candyman” and was followed by Mike Doughty’s “American Car” — both of which sounded stupendous.  As you might expect.  Keller was in great voice all night, too…made for a near perfect-sounding concert.  It was Alan Bartram’s turn up at the microphone next for “Messed Up Just Right” one of my very favorite songs from the Pick album.  And Alan has such an awesome voice, too!  He really knows how to burn this song down.  Not your typical love song, but nonetheless incredible.  Tom Petty’s “You Got Lucky” was our next offering that evening…yes, you read that correctly.  Keller busted out some quality lyrics as the band really embraced this one, Jason Carter’s fiddle line capturing the melodic movement of the original.  And Rob’s driving banjo line was ever-present providing a forward motion to the whole song, grassing it up all the more.  They took this directly into a bluegrass version of Keller’s “Tweeker” which was something else to be sure.  One helluva great treatment of this song.  A whistled Andy Griffith theme song tease helped to keep us all on our toes through this string band whirlwind combined with Keller’s unique dance music.  Ronnie McCoury sure took the opportunity to slay on mando in the middle of “Tweeker” — righteous to a ’T’.  Different that’s for sure.  And fun as all hell.  A little later in the set we got the poignant and feelings-provoking “Price Tag”.  Really love this song and love the way they just own it even though it’s a cover.  Hard to believe that when faced with the gorgeous wall of musical sound that hits you like a velvet hammer.  “…we don’t need your money.  Just wanna make the world dance, forget about your price tag.”  There’s quite a lot of wisdom in those words, my friends.  Blake Shelton’s “Sangria” followed and then a rousing “Mullet Cut” came after.  What a setlist!  So much good music!  And they weren’t done yet!  And how about a little Foster the People?  Just when you thought this set couldn’t get any broader for bluegrass, a little “Pumped Up Kicks” comes along and smacks you around in all the right ways.  And Rob’s banjo solo?  Forget about it!  Just nasty!!  Not to mention his brother’s own brand of nasty on the mandolin to follow.  Talented family…no doubts there.  Sam Bush, Drew Emmitt, and Billy Strings joined the stage for the encore madness and madness it was.  The best kind.  Billy stepped up to the mic to belt out the lyrics to “Freeborn Man” for us as well all danced the night away, never stopping, never wanting to miss a beat, a note, a word…anything!  And how about that phenomenal Billy Strings guitar solo, too?  Hotness of the best kind.  Back to the Dead for a hot minute, the next encore selection was “Men Smart, Women Smarter” which featured a sizzling Sam Bush solo on mandolin.  Always a fun song, no?  Then came the final song of the evening:  a riveting and quick run through some bluegrass goodness.  This one was sung by Sam Bush and, sadly, I didn’t manage to catch the title for you.  Just know this:  it was teeming with incredible musicianship from every gent on stage, just oozing musical awesomeness at every turn.  And one amazing way to close things down on the main stage in the Missouri for the 2016 Big Sky Big Grass.  So very many thanks to Keller and the McCourys for such a superb night of music!!

Keller Williams & The Travelin' McCourys

    And then, sadly, it was all over.  The 10th Annual Big Sky Big Grass had concluded and done so in great style.  We had been welcomed over and over all weekend until we felt a part of the Big Sky family and we so grateful for the experience.  If you’re looking for a unique festival that boasts amazing music and some really cool other aspects then look no further.  Consider a jaunt up to Big Sky…make the trek.  Talk about bragging rights, huh?  Thanks for reading, everyone!!  Hope you enjoyed it!!

Late Night Pickin' Party