Hidden Track

We’ve always been fans of the music and art blog, so we’re excited to welcome the site’s creator, Alex Borsody, to tell us about his experience at the 2008 Bear Creek Music and Arts Festival in Live Oak…

“When I pulled up to the campground [for the 2008 Bear Creek Music and Arts Festival] it seemed like every person I saw, whether a fan or musician, was someone I knew, that’s when a festival turns out to be more like a family reunion.” This paraphrased quote was spoken by Florida native JJ Grey of Mofro, and it sums up the general sentiment at the event. Nestled in the woods of the Spirit of Suwannee Music Resort in Live Oak, Florida, the harvest moon hung high over head as the spell of the season of the witch spread throughout the campground, like the spirit of music itself.

Being a bass player I have particular respect for funk. The creative rhythms created throughout the weekend played with negative space and the length of notes, creating catchy and danceable grooves, a rare and mysterious talent in music. One of the things separating an incredible player from the virtuoso is the ability to memorize and recall different patterns and melodies on cue. The skilled funk guitarists, organ players and drummers were equally exceptional. Some of the world’s best funk bands were in full effect this weekend, including the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Lettuce, Soulive, Papa Mali, Cadillac Jones and Dumpstaphunk. That many elite funk bands in one place is truly an uncommon occurrence. The soulful music complemented the crisp, fall air, awakening primordial emotions and creating a sentimental and celebratory environment for this harvest festival.

Those who arrived for the Thursday pre-show, got to catch live electronic music by Telepath, one of the only two electronica sets of the weekend, also a face melting, power drumming, climactic jam by Perpetual Groove. The Motet played with Kyle Hollingsworth, the keyboardist for the String Cheese Incident, foreshadowing the many collaborations to come.

READ ON for more of Alex’s Bear Creek Festival review…

Just a reminder that our giveaway for two pair of tickets to catch phenoms Strange Design cover Phish’s epic performances at the Beacon from 1994 at Sullivan Hall on Friday and Saturday ends this evening ’round Midnight. You’ve got great odds if you want to go, so be sure to enter by leaving a comment […]

Well…time for more popcorn, Red Vines, Raisinettes, and a refill of that 97-ounce soda. We take a break from our regular look at obscure films with another edition of Intermission, which means another look at a cinematic chestnut that may have been lauded or groundbreaking in the past, but has since been forgotten in history’s hourglass.

The art of making films does not always require human characters. We have seen the future, and life forms come in all different shapes, all manners of tricky invention spun and tweaked through months of computer-generated exotica into various tales—action/adventure, science fiction, fantasy, and the deluge of superhero-centric films. This week’s Hidden Flick was the first feature-length animated film, a unique gem of meticulously crafted silhouettes, and we tip our hat to The Adventures of Prince Achmed.

The tale comes from a classic, time-honored source—excerpts from The Story of Prince Ahmed and the Fairy Paribanou, found within 1001 Arabian Nights, and featured in Andrew Lang’s The Blue Fairy Book. Prince Achmed, Aladdin, a flying horse and the Witch of the Fiery Mountain face-off with a formidable foe, an evil African sorcerer, in order to win the heart of Princess Peri Banu who comes from an island filled with magic.

READ ON for more of this week’s Hidden Flick…

As we approach the end of 2008, it’s time to start looking at what we can expect from the 2009 Festival Season. 2008 brought a number of new festivals, some of which were very good and others which didn’t seem to make anyone happy. What’s on tap for 2009? Let’s ponder… Langerado [March 6 – […]

We just wanted to remind you that you’ve still got time to let Umphrey’s McGee know what tracks from the vault you’d like to see released as bonus material for their new album, Mantis. Simply head over to this post and leave a comment telling them exactly what gems you want to hear.

The Chicago-based sextet just finished their last tour of 2008 in Washington D.C. this weekend, and we’ll have more on that later. After a full year of touring the band hasn’t wasted any time in announcing their first major tour of 2009. READ ON after the jump for a full list of Mantis Tour dates…

The legendary Stone Pony nightclub in Asbury Park, aka the House That Bruce Springsteen Built, has closed temporarily for roof maintenance and repair. All shows scheduled at the venue over the next month have either been postponed or canceled. The Gene Ween Band show scheduled for December 18 will take place down the block at […]

After you finish feasting on turkey this Thanksgiving, head down to the basement with your cool cousins to  watch a full day of Pink Floyd programming on VH-1 Classic. Highlights include David Gilmour – Live in Gdansk at noon, The Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett Story at 5PM, The Pink Floyd Story – Which One […]

This Mix Tape was inspired by my trip out to San Francisco this summer. SF just oozes with an energy and feel that makes you understand how the psychedelic rock movement originated and blossomed there. Anyone that has seen a show at The Fillmore can attest to that, that room’s just filled with the ghosts […]

As you may have read, the Zappa Family trust – headed by Gail and Dweezil Zappa – have waged war on Zappa cover bands. Earlier this summer some major drama unfolded in Ottawa between Dweezil and Andre Cholmondeley of Project Object. Dweezil wrote about the incident a few months ago, but legendary Zappa alum Adrian […]

After Radiohead released OK Computer the band headed off on an extensive World Tour. Filmmaker Grant Gee followed the band around the world to document what went on behind the scenes. Meeting People Is Easy [Friday – IFC 8PM] shows the highs and lows of life on the road. Friday [all times Eastern]: Best of […]