Belle and Sebastian visit this side of the Atlantic plus more tour date announcements from the past week
On their third full length album Swim Out Past the Sun, Fort Lauderdale’s The Heavy Pets return to their acoustic roots as THP's guitar duo set aside their electric axes for a more organic approach.
We keep our eyes peeled for new tour dates announcements each week and compile them on Tuesdays for this handy column… While still remaining active over the last few years,
Longtime HT faves the Felice Brothers have announced the details for the first round of 2011 tour dates. The upstate New York-based act will kick things off with a high
For a first time festival site, Predaine in Freehold, NJ was a welcome oasis for the fans at PetZoo Festival 2010. From easy entry allowing cars to drop off their camping gear – though they couldn’t car camp – to a cheap air-conditioned bar on site and a grassy amphitheater, it seemed that festival goers comfort was given the utmost attention. And with many having taken the long drive up from Florida to join the Heavy Pets at their annual party, it’s easy to understand why!
[All Photos by Jeremy Gordon]
PetZoo rewarded fans, from near and far with a few special treats. Starting with Zac Lasher of U-Melt sitting in with Newton Crosby for a full set on Hammond B3 organ (if you missed this set you can check them out at The Gig in the Sky) . Later in the evening The Brew kept things going with covers of Zepplin’s No Quarter with Dave Drouin on vocals and the Allman Brothers’ Blue Sky. U-Melt showed renewed energy and excitement in one of their final New Jersey appearances with blistering guitar solos on Clear Light and a wink to the neighborhood with Bruce Springsteen’s, Atlantic City. Friday evening was closed by none other than The Heavy Pets who showed everyone exactly whose festival it was, coming out hard and strong.
Saturday was just as exciting with the day starting out with an adorable performance by a local children’s dance squad. Local favorites, Bearin’ Peace’s set was perfect for waking up the crowd with an Island feel to it and Spontaneous Underground still managed to sneak in a great cover of The Beatles’ Tomorrow Never Knows into their short set. As the afternoon continued, The Heavy Pets surprised the 21+ crowd with an impromptu set in the bar between Long Miles and Cabinet. Toubab Krewe’s two hour set was welcomed by the fans and the amazing Funtown hoopers and fire dancers who used the African beats to entrance the crowd. As The Heavy Pets took the stage for the final set however, a bit of trouble ensued as the main stage was temporarily shut down due to noise complaints but luckily with organizers to the rescue, things were settled quickly and the show went on into the early morning hours without a hitch.
READ ON for more on the PetZoo Festival…
While Yo La Tengo is taking the year off from their regular run of Hannukah shows, New Yorkers will still be able to celebrate the holiday with music as Matisyahu
John Coleman spent Labor Day Weekend at moe. down & filed this report…
Warm days and cool nights illuminated by a harvest moon meant plenty of good vibes floating around moe. down 10 at Snow Ridge Ski Resort, in Turin, N.Y. The rustic locale is located just outside the southwestern boundary of the Adirondack Park, rising up among sleepy towns and farms.
Similar to the Mountain Jam stage setup at Hunter Mountain in the Catskills, the main stage faces up a ski slope that provides a great perch for those who chose to challenge its increasingly steep pitch while second stage is located on a flat area near the main lodge, among vendor booths and picnic tables.
Although much was made of the lack of star power when sized up to previous moe. downs, with a mix of veteran acts like Sam Bush, Ani Difranco, Ominous Seapods, Lynch and Cake, and emerging bands like The New Mastersounds, The Heavy Pets and The Nate Wilson group, who could complain? The late addition of Umphrey’s McGee was enough to get those sitting on the fence to spring for the affordable weekend pass.
There were many moe. down highlights, too many to list. But here’s a taste…
1. Bushwhacked!: To cap off moe.’s first set of Day 2, the “Godfather of new-grass,” Sam Bush, joined moe. on fiddle during the instrumental, Meat. The crowd loved it and evidently the band did too, as the sit-in clocked in at just under 24 minutes. Bush also sat in on Mexico earlier in the day.
READ ON for more of John’s moe. down 10 highlights…
