2009

While we all know God Street Wine guitarist Lo Faber is fluent in a number of musical styles, did you know he’s got some  bossa nova chops in his arsenal?

In their third year back at Indian Lookout Country Club outside of Albany, Bisco fans were treated to 3+ stages, 50+ bands and countless hours of music that raged until almost the very end (seems the plug was finally pulled around 7AM on Sunday morning). With over 7,000 fans in attendance Camp Bisco showed the multifaceted side of its host and an inside look at some of the influences, interests, and good friends of the Disco Biscuits.

[All photos by Jeremy Gordon]

If you were dedicated enough to wait in line all night long and set up early you might have caught a taste of Beautiful Small Machines, who played the tent stage early on Thursday to a light but enthusiastic crowd. After a quick break for Mother Nature’s own light show and thunderstorms, Kid Cudi brought everyone back out of hiding with a positive message and talk of his new iTunes videos with Kanye West.

Asher Roth hit the main stage next and became the talk of the day – apparently his frat boy style raps didn’t mesh with the scene as well as hoped though he did try to work the crowd a bit and threw in some Bisco references during his hit I Love College as well as inviting quite a few scantily clad girls up on stage to dance along. Back at the tent stage Chronicle of the Land Squid went on, despite rumors that a band member missed his flight. Luckily things worked out and despite the river running through the center of the tent, the dance party had begun.

READ ON for more of Carla’s thoughts and Jeremy’s images from Camp…

Shortly before taking the stage at the State Theatre in Kalamazoo, Michigan on June 19, 1994, the four members of Phish sat for an interview that aired on a local

For the past 13 years, music fans in the northeast have always looked forward to the one weekend of the year when they can totally let their freak flag fly. While other festivals have come and gone Gathering of the Vibes is still going strong and this year is no exception! Since 1996, Ken Hays has been working hard to get together the finest collection of bands keeping the spirit of the Grateful Dead alive. While times have changed and many attendees today never saw Jerry perform live (or Brent, or Keith, or Pigpen) this festival continues to bring out the best in attendees.

However, along with the typical jamband fare – Strangefolk, Deep Banana Blackout and Assembly of the Dust to name a few; GOTV always brings in one special act you may not see anywhere else. This year, the legendary Crosby Stills and Nash grace the stage on Sunday proving that you don’t need to wear tie-dye to have fun at the Vibes. With increasing attention on family, Vibes has an outstanding Kids’ Corner as well as separate Teen Scene for those who want to show their kids that mom and dad still know how to have some fun. Another new addition this year is the GreenVibes Stage which will run partially on solar power and “trash talkers” who will be helping attendees to recycle and properly dispose of waste.

On a personal note, I have been a GOTV attendee since the farm at Red Hook in 2001, in fact the Vibes was my very first festival! I was young and stupid and didn’t know anything about how to pack for a festival. I brought way too much stuff that I didn’t need and way too little of things that I did (duct tape and ponchos anyone?) I know lots of people out there have similar stories…so let’s hear them! What was your first Vibes experience and which bands are you excited to see this year? Take a look at our list below and offer your favorites! – Carla Danca

READ ON for a band to look out for each day of the Vibes…

Phish’s first album in five years, Joy, was set for release on July 28th but the band pushed out that date without really telling anybody. Of course if you read

Last week we pointed you in the direction of a blog post made by former Grace Potter & The Nocturnals bass player Bryan Dondero where he ripped into Potter for her actions before, during and after his tenure in the band. We wanted to give an update on things that have happened since.

[Photos by John Schulze]

First, Dondero took the entry off of his website that same day. Perhaps he felt bad, perhaps he realized you win more bees with honey or perhaps his lawyer told him not to air his grievances publicly. Regardless of the reason, the only evidence of Dondero’s rant is the parts we quoted in our article.

GPN responded to Dondero’s diss through a statement by their management to Brent Hallenbeck of the Burlington Free Press…

“Many of the statements made by Bryan Dondero about the facts surrounding his leaving the band are inaccurate. Since Bryan left the band, we have accommodated many of his requests for additional compensation which go above and beyond the original contract he, and all band members, signed upon joining GPN. That original contract clearly states all compensation any departing band member will be entitled to upon leaving the band. The additional compensation that we are offering him goes beyond any contractual obligations we have with him and we offered this in the hopes of continuing a positive relationship with someone that we have great respect for. We are surprised and saddened by Bryan’s recent show of public disdain for us, particularly since we believed that an understanding had been reached that was acceptable to everyone. Despite Bryan’s response, we wish him only the best in his future endeavors.” [via Burlington Free Press]

A classy response to say the least. As we mentioned in our original post, there’s two sides to each story and the truth generally lies in the middle so we may never know what really happened between the two parties. In any case, we’ve got a gallery of stunning GPN photos from John Schulze that he took at Rothbury. READ ON to check ’em out…