Orgōne is a pillar of West Coast soul music, maintaining an unmissable touring presence for more than a decade. The group’s arresting intensity, impeccable playing style, and undeniable, irresistible chemistry
The lineup for the fifth installment of “anti-festival” Equifunk has been announced.
I made a point of getting up early on Saturday morning of the 15th Annual All Good Music Festival to catch some of the local talent at the Grassroots Stage. Having been told by numerous local media sources that they were a hot ticket, I made a point of seeing a bit of Fletcher’s Grove from nearby Morgantown. As usual, I was not as quick making the trek as I’d hoped and arrived about halfway through the fledgling jamband’s first set, just as they were finishing a very strong cover of Buddy Holly’s classic Not Fade Away.
The next few songs in the quintet’s inaugural All Good set proved once again that festivals are a great place to check out fresh talent. See more about Fletcher’s Grove in the All Good New Artist Spotlight below. As local favorites, Fletcher’s Grove brought a sizable audience to the campground stage that quckly cleared after their set. I waited around to see a bit of Chicago’s Lubriphonic whose funk and horns also proved danceable and fun, although it was a shame there wasn’t a larger audience.
Opening the main stage on Saturday was self-contained band Zach Deputy whose soulful vocals and looping guitar and beat lines made for a more relaxed set under the West Virginia hills’ intense mid-day sun. After Deputy, I caught only the first couple of songs by The Werks (which the audience seemed to enjoy) and headed back to the Grassroots Stage to see Michigan’s Greensky Bluegrass, where they performed only bluegrass covers of rock songs including Traffic’s Light Up or Leave Me Alone, Talking Heads’ Road to Nowhere, Arcade Fire’s City With No Children and Prince’s When Doves Cry.
READ ON for more thoughts and photos from Saturday at All Good…
Jam Cruise 10 sets sail from Ft. Lauderdale, FL on January 9 aboard the MSC Poesia and will visit Labadee, Haiti and Falmouth, Jamaica before returning to Ft. Lauderdale on January 14. Over the first nine Jam Cruises a number of artists have proven themselves to be ideal performers for the community-oriented vibe of the trip. Jam Cruise 10’s lineup brings nearly all of those acts back to the open seas including HT faves Umphrey’s McGee, Galactic, Soulive, Perpetual Groove, The New Mastersounds, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe and Railroad Earth.
Other acts set to perform on Jam Cruise 10 will be Keller & The Keels, Bruce Hornsby & the Noisemakers, Ozomatli, 7 Walkers (w/ Steve Kimock), Orgone, EOTO, Toots and the Maytals, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Toubab Krewe, Shpongle (DJ Set), Break Science w/ Chali 2na, George Porter and the Runnin’ Pardners, Dr. Klaw, Surprise Me Mr. Davis, Dead Kenny G.’s, The Heavy Pets, DJ Logic, DJ Kraz, Paper Diamond, Everyone Orchestra and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. The New Deal returns to Jam Cruise this January for what will likely be the band’s last-ever performance before going their separate ways. One group we’re particularly interested in seeing is billed as A Tribute to Sly Stone and the Family Stone featuring Ivan Neville, Eric Krasno, Nick Daniels, Adam Deitch, Ian Neville and Nigel Hall. Best part? You know each of those guys will sit in with plenty of bands and in the Jam Room, a venue where Jam Cruise musicians congregate to improv each night.
Speaking of sit-ins, bringing aboard special guests to perform with the bands on the boat is a Jam Cruise tradition and for JC10 the event’s organizers have tapped Anders Osborne, Steve Kimock, Chali 2na, Col. Bruce Hampton, Big Sam, Jessica Lurie and Kyle Hollingsworth to fill those spots. Cabins go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, May 24 at Noon EDT. Those who already pre-booked will be able to pick a room according to their assigned booking time starting on May 11. Visit JamCruise.com for more details about one of the best vacations possible.
READ ON for the full Jam Cruise 10 lineup and more details…
moe.down 11 @ Gelston Castle, September 3 – 5
While some things have changed this year at the 11th annual moe.down, some things will always remain the same. From the mayor of moe.ville to Al.nouncements, it sometimes seems like the past ten years blended together, but this year the move an hour down the road to Gelston Castle in Mohawk, NY shook things up for even the most seasoned moe.ron. From amazing sound magnified by the natural amphitheater to the light show on stage enhanced by beautifully glowing lanterns and spectacular firework show, the entire weekend played off of the beautiful surroundings of the Mohawk Valley. While the castle itself was a bit smaller than expected and all but in ruins, this site surely had many things going for it.
[All photos by Jeremy Gordon]
Musically, the weekend followed the standard moe.down set up with the host band’s handpicked favorites. With the new site this year, one of the biggest changes was a true second stage – named the Buzz Stage – which replaced the Beer Tent. As in past years, a few up and coming bands were given the opportunity to play multiple sets on the second stage which gave fans more than just a short taste of these stellar acts.
The Macpodz started things up for fans by keeping the funky jazz flowing on Friday, while Turbine – who also played a 5am stealth set among the RVs – took over during the day Saturday. Monkey Wrench, former tour mates of moe., had fun onstage playing to covers like Yellow Submarine and Escape (the Pina Colada song). Orgone, who was still unknown to most fans, took everyone by surprise with Fanny Franklin just bursting at the seams with enough energy to keep everyone moving and staying warm as the evening winds whipped up the hill.
READ ON for more of Carla’s thoughts and Jeremy’s photos from last weekend’s moe.down 11 at Gelston Castle in Mohawk, NY…
With MGMT’s much buzzed about sophomore album Congratulations hitting stores today, the Brooklyn-based act has revealed their summer touring plans. Andrew VanWyngarden & Ben Goldwasser, who kicked off a sold
