Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country, moe., String Cheese Incident, Goose, Eggy Help All Good Music Festival Triumphantly Return (FESTIVAL REVIEW/PHOTOS)

Ten years after the final notes rang out over the lush greenery of Berry Hill Farm in Summit Point, West Virginia, the All Good Music Festival finally made its triumphant return. 

With humble beginnings that trace back to 1997, when All Good was a relatively intimate affair hosted at the now-defunct Wilmer’s Park in Brandywine, Maryland with a few thousand attendees, the jam band-centric festival ultimately grew into one of the nation’s premier live music events with crowds of more than twenty thousand by the time operations ceased in 2015. 

Inspired by festival founder Tim Walther’s love of The Grateful Dead, the lineup was a perennial showcase of the region’s & nation’s best jam-focused acts. From ’90s-era jam band relics such as Strangefolk, Lake Trout, Deep Banana Blackout, and Agents of Good Roots to nationally touring artists like The Allman Brothers Band, Phil Lesh and Friends, and The Flaming Lips, All Good was ground zero during the nascent years of the jam band era.

 

Fast forward to this past weekend, June 14 & 15 at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD, about 45 miles due north of the festival’s stomping grounds in Brandywine, when All Good made its long-awaited homecoming, this time with a new name, All Good Now, and perhaps its most impressive lineup yet. 

Featuring a diverse musical slate spread out between two distinctly separate, but still easily accessible stages, along with an array of art installations, a massive nighttime drone display and other inspired attractions, All Good Now is the thing jam band dreams are made of. Some of the genre’s biggest names, including Goose, The Disco Biscuits, The String Cheese Incident and Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, along with some of the hottest up-and-coming acts such as Eggy, Dogs in a Pile and Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country joined forces for a wildly successful weekend teeming with more than enough improv-laden musical excursions to send the near-capacity crowd home wholly satisfied. 

Join us as Glide takes a look at ten standout moments (in order of appearance) from this past weekend at All Good Now:

The Bridge kicks Things Off On A Bittersweet Note. Emotions were running high before the Baltimore-based sextet’s set early Saturday, as the group had recently announced that “All Good Now” would be their final performance. The Bridge were something of an annual fixture at the original All Good Music & Camping Festival, with ten performances between 2004-2015, which is no surprise given the group’s unique sound that masterfully blends together elements of blues, funk and rock into a highly accessible and entertaining package. Despite the early call time and less-than-ideal weather, the hill overlooking the scenic Chrysalis stage was filled to capacity as the funky hometown heroes opened up their last-ever set with a scorching version of “Let Me Off This Train” that featured a soulful vocal delivery and some remarkable guitar work from frontman Cris Jacobs. 

Setlist: Let Me Off This Train, Big Wheel, Chains, Shake ‘em Down, Drop the Beat, Colorado Motel, Bury My Bones, Brother Don’t

The Disco Biscuits Return To Merriweather With a “Svenghali” – Four-time All Good alumni, The Disco Biscuits, made their long-awaited return to Merriweather for the first time since the 2015 Grateful Dead-centric Dear Jerry festival. The beloved electronica quartet opened up the massive pavilion stage just before four in the afternoon under some sweltering conditions. It immediately turned up the heat with the Hot Air Balloon-era classic, “Mulberry’s Dream”. The remainder of their abbreviated hour-long set primarily focused on newer material, including a slick rendition of “Scars of the Brave” that featured some clever teases of Madonna’s “Material Girl” and Glen Frey’s “The Heat Is On”. Things suddenly took a dark & sinister turn towards the end of the set as drummer Allen Aucoin eventually shifted into a hypnotic drum-n-bass groove. Jon “The Barber” Gutwillig quickly started up “Svenghali’s” signature intro riff as the band launched into this fan-favorite and patiently led the group through a delightfully evil jam that wrapped things up. 

Setlist: Mulberry’s Dream, Scars Of The Brave > Country Royale > Tricycle > Svenghali

The String Cheese Incident’s Bill Nershi Runs Laps Around Merriweather – Despite hailing from Colorado, and being relative newcomers to the All Good family – the group had only performed at the festival two previous times, in 1999 & 2005 – The String Cheese Incident made themselves right at home this past weekend in Maryland. Their highly anticipated set on the Pavilion Stage featured a healthy dose of originals – “One Step Closer” and “Hi Ho No Show” – as well as some covers, including a reggae-tinged interpretation of Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone” and a fiery take on Townes Van Zant’s “White Freightliner Blues”, the latter of which featured a memorable sit in from Molly Tuttle on guitar and vocals. Guitarist Bill Nershi kicked things into high gear during a spirited version of “Jellyfish” as he suddenly dropped his acoustic axe and proceeded to sprint around the stage in circles as the rest of the band brought the jam to a feverish peak. 

Setlist: One Step Closer, Can’t Wait Another Day, Give Me The Love, Like A Rolling Stone, White Freightliner Blues*, Carnival, Hi Ho No Show, The Big Reveal, Jellyfish > Sirens > Just One Story

* with Molly Tuttle

Joe Russo’s Almost Dead Gets Political – Even if some All Good attendees were completely in-the-dark regarding the country’s current political climate, it would’ve been impossible for anyone arriving to the festival grounds early on Saturday afternoon to ignore the literal thousands of sign-waving “No Kings” protestors lining the streets for miles outside of the venue. While most of the artists this weekend refrained from directly addressing the events unfolding less than an hour away in Washington, D.C., Joe Russo’s Almost Dead employed clever setlist composition to convey their feelings indirectly. The Grateful Dead-centric quintet opened up their headlining Saturday night set on the Pavilion Stage with a blistering hour-long sequence that pulled no punches. A lively take on “New Speedway Boogie” led into “Estimated Prophet” before well-received covers of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son” and The Rolling Stones’ “Street Fighting Man” and then finally an emotionally-charged “Throwing Stones”, which was easily the Dead’s most overtly political song. “The future’s here. We are it. We are on our own.” Indeed.  

Setlist: New Speedway Boogie, Estimated Prophet, Fortunate Son, Street Fighting Man, Jack Straw, Throwing Stones, Pigs (Three Different Ones), Terrapin Station, The Other One, Fire on the Mountain, I Know You Rider

Keller Williams takes All Good Now to church – Donned in their Sunday best, affable guitarist Keller Williams led his talented octet through a glorious set of gospel-tinged Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia Band staples on the Chrysalis Stage. No stranger to the All Good festivities, this was Keller’s thirteenth overall appearance since 2001, Williams was joined by special guest John Kadlicek, who bolstered the set with his signature Garcia-esque guitar tones. Despite the cool and overcast conditions that prevailed throughout Sunday, the ensemble kept spirits high with an inspiring set that opened with an acapella take on “We Bid You Goodnight”. The ecclesiastical theme continued for the remainder of the forty-five minute performance with unique arrangements of “Run for the Roses”, “My Sisters & Brothers” and “Sampson & Delilah” before concluding with a stirring gospel-bluegrass version of the beloved Hunter/Garcia gem, “Ripple”.

Eggy Stretches Out “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” – Eggy made the most of their All Good and Merriweather debuts, delivering an hour long performance on the Chrysalis Stage that showcased the Connecticut-based quartet’s remarkably strong instrumental and songwriting skills. After opening things up with a recently debuted original, “Trixieville”, the group eventually settled on “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”. With lead guitarist Jake Brownstein hammering out the familiar opening chords, Eggy ultimately took the Stones’ classic to places that Jagger & Richards could only dream of. The groove patiently grew to a soaring peak, littered with tension-and-release fueled guitar licks from Brownstein that generated some truly goosebump-inducing moments. 

Setlist: Trixieville, A Moment’s Notice, Jumpin’ Jack Flash, Shadow > Beaming

Daniel Donato Bookends All Good Debut With Pair Of Heaters – One of the most talented and refreshing artists of this generation, Daniel Donato, along with his genre-defying group, Cosmic Country, did not disappoint during their All Good & Merriweather debuts. Opening things up on the Chrysalis Stage with “Lose Your Mind”, from Donato’s most recent LP, Reflector, the prodigious guitarist, along with the remainder of his talented quartet, wasted no time showcasing their truly mesmerizing instrumental chops. Keyboardist Nathan “Sugarleg” Aronowitz deftly chased Donato’s blistering guitar licks throughout the hour-long mid-afternoon set, delivering the wildly unique brand of countrified psychedelia that only Donato and his cohorts can conjure up. The musical fireworks continued for the entire set, with nary a moment for the capacity crowd to catch their collective breath before coming to a thunderous conclusion with a modern take on the traditional fiddle tune, “Hangman’s Reel”.= 

Setlist: Lose Your Mind >  Waymore’s Blues >  Mystery Train , Down Bedford, Luck Of The Draw >  Sugar Leg Rag, Blame The Train, Broadside Ballad >  Hangman’s Reel 

moe. Releases The Hounds – Following a hilariously over-the-top WWE-style stage intro, jam band veterans moe. seemed to immediately find their comfort zone on the Chrysalis Stage for what was the six-piece’s eighth All Good appearance since 1999. The moe. classic “St. Augustine” opened up their late-afternoon set and was imbued with plenty of Al Schneir’s typically impressive slide-guitar presence. The rest of the sixty-five minute performance was dotted with some entertaining stories about previous All Good experiences before a jaw-dropping canine-themed sequence of “Downward Facing Dog” and “Spine of a Dog > Buster” wrapped things up on a high note. 

Setlist: St. Augustine, All Roads Lead to Home, Giants, Blonde Hair Blue Eyes, Downward Facing Dog, Spine of a Dog > Buster 

Lawrence Welcomes All Good Now To The Family Business – When the All Good Now lineup was originally released earlier this year, most jam band fans had one question:  “Who the hell is Lawrence?” That query was emphatically answered on Sunday with what was easily the surprise performance of the entire weekend. This powerful NYC-based funk ensemble, led by the brother & sister duo of Gracie & Clyde Lawrence, delivered a legendary set on the Pavilion Stage. Incorporating elements of their most recent LP, Family Business, Lawrence transformed the massive stage into a generic office setting, complete with briefcases, laptops and filing boxes adorning the areas in between band members.

Helmed by the infectious stage presence, and goosebump-inducing vocal abilities of remarkably talented lead singer Gracie Lawrence – the Tony Award nominated actress took a night off from a co-starring role in the Broadway production Just In Time to perform at All Good Now – Lawrence stunned the wholly unfamiliar audience with their captivating blend of pop, funk and R&B. And while their hour-long performance may have been devoid of almost any improv, their tightly choreographed sound acted as a welcomed musical palette-cleanser amidst an afternoon of guitar fireworks and extended jams.

Goose Transforms Merriweather Into a “Factory” – Arguably the most highly anticipated performance of the weekend, Goose proved once again why they are currently the genre’s hottest act. Riding a creative peak that has come with the relatively recent addition of drummer Cotter Ellis and the ensuing solidification into a four-piece unit, Goose made the most of their All Good and Merriweather debuts with a galvanizing three hour headlining performance on the Pavilion Stage. The only band to be given a two-set slot this weekend, Goose mixed in a well-curated blend of newer material, including a few tracks from their latest studio effort, Everything Must Go, along with some older songs, such as a (partially) instrumental take on “Same Old Shenanigans” and the tear-jerker Rick Mitarotonda-penned ballad, “This Old Sea.” The highlight of the set, however, and perhaps the entire weekend, came courtesy of a furious sequence that saw “fast:slow:” and Bob Seger’s “Hollywood Nights” sandwiched in between a dark & brooding take on the beloved Goose original, “Factory Fiction.” 

Setlist:   SALT, Your Direction -> Same Old Shenanigans, Red Bird -> Dustin Hoffman -> Running Up That Hill

Dripfield > This Old Sea > Factory Fiction -> Hollywood Nights > fast:slow -> Factory Fiction

Photos by Mallory Petty