his year’s fourth annual Bear Creek Music and Arts Festival might well be remembered as Brrrrrr Creek. There were beautiful daytime temperatures in the low to mid 70’s, but once the sun began to fall into the western sky, so did the temps, with lows in the mid to high 30’s. As always, though, the hosts, the Suwannee Music Park and festival promoter, Paul Levine, know how to put on a festival. The Suwannee folks get lots of practice though, now hosting multiple festivals throughout the year, including the Allman’s Wanee Festival, Suwannee Springfest, Magnolia Fest and this year’s new Blackwater Festival.
On May 12, politically charged alt.country troubadour Steve Earle is set to release his latest album, Townes, a 15 song tribute record honoring the work of his friend and mentor
Photos by George Weiss of the 10,000 Lakes Festival, held July 19-22, 2006 in Detroit Lakes, MN. Artists included Phil Lesh, Trey Anastasio, Mike Gordon, The Benevento-Russo Duo, String Cheese Incident, Keller Williams, Umphrey’s McGee and many more.
Photos by Norman Sands of Summer Camp, held in Three Sisters Park in Chillichote, IL May 26-28, 2006. Artists included moe., Umphrey’s McGee, RAQ, Zilla and New Monsoon.
Now in its fifth year, Bonnaroo has hit an unparalled stride. With stellar performances, numerous sit-ins and a festival setting unlike anywhere else, the annual trek to Manchester, Tennesee has become an essential summer roadtrip.
Photos by Scott Preston of Umphrey’s McGee at Bogarts, in Cincinnati, OH 4.14.05
Langerado came at just the right time this year. As the east coast was experiencing one of many late season snowstorms, the sun was shining bright in the cloudless skies of South Florida.
Layered with dreamy, waif-like harmonies and casual cinematic passages, gorjus: fighting Bockman
Music critic Benjy Eisen goes backstage with Umphrey’s McGee to investigate whether or not “America’s next big jamband” is actually a jamband. The answer is yes, but the band would rather shut up and play their guitars.
At a time when the greater rock world has become inundated with throwback sounds, quickly subtitling everything retro-this and post-that, an improvisational four-piece from Vermont is stepping out from an ominous shadow by reinventing a sound it would have otherwise never outlived.
