GATHERING OF THE VIBES 2010 (Part 4 of 4) @ Seaside Park in Bridgeport, CT

The Harlem Gospel Choir: the best way to spend a Sunday morning.  Maybe because I'm a vocalist myself, and perhaps because I may have a thing for gospel music ('Hercules' has the best soundtrack out of all the Disney movies, hands down), but they're always one of my favorite acts at the Vibes.  There's nothing quite like getting shivers from good music on a hot summer day.

Check out this short video I took of their opening song:

I found my twin!

And the official title for Official Random New Find of the Vibes goes to Lubriphonic, a Chicago-based group who kind of rocks (this is where you detect the vast understatement).  Their music is sort of the rock/funk genre (whatever that means) and is super lively and fun to groove and dance to.  I could definitely picture myself going to see these guys again and having a really fun time dancing the night away.

I'm going to link to their MySpace page here where you can listen to some of their music (which I highly recommend).  Here's hoping to a full-on Lubriphonic show in my near future!

I have a bone to pick with this Martin Sexton fellow.  I just don't think he is as good as Ryan Montbleau, and it was a damn shame that he had to come in an interrupt what was otherwise a perfectly fine performance from the RMB on Sunday afternoon.  I saw him in early June and was just plain unimpressed (and totally baffled as to why everyone else was eating it up).  Let's just say I'm looking forward to seeing the Ryan Montbleau Band without Sexton very soon (hopefully doing the August 27th boat show).

'A Mainstay of the Vibes' almost became the tagline for the Ryan Montbleau Band from The Vibes People (official title? No, but good enough) this year.  If that's true, I would love to know why they couldn't squeeze in a full set for these guys.  Normally another favorite act of the Vibes, but this year not so.

We found Ryan later hanging in the Kiddie Tent, so it was chill.

Wavy Gravy MC'd the weekend's festivities and provided some quality entertainment while the Tribe waited (for an unnecessarily long time, I might add) between sets.  Remind me again why there weren't two stages this year?  

Jimmy Cliff

Although I may have complained a little too heartily in this entry, I maintain the utmost sincerity when I say that the Gathering of the Vibes is the best time of the year.

GOTV '11!  Bring it on!

Peace, love, and blue roses,

Elizabeth

GATHERING OF THE VIBES 2010 (Part 3 of 4) @ Seaside Park in Bridgeport, CT

Saturday was nicely bookended with power trios.  The McLovins shredded the Green Stage for a great afternoon set and Primus absolutely rocked the house at night.

But before we could settle down and put our listening ears on, we had some work to do...

The Thousand Hippie March was put into play!  The idea was borrowed for the Million Mom March, but we figured we would start just a little smaller.  (I'm not sure I would want to be caught up in a million hippies...)

Basically the idea was to bring attention to the fact that The McLovins should have been put on the Main Stage this year by rousing up the Main Stage crowd to head on over to the Green Stage and hear their set.

There were over two thousand faces melting!

The band played a great set - they started up, appropriately, with a jammed-out rendition of 'Dancin' In the Streets,' followed up by a crowd favorite, 'Tokyo Tea.'  I love this one because it's catchy and it's a great jam vehicle (and they jammed, alright!).  Somewhere after a song or two the group went into Phish's 'Tweezer Reprise' as a continuation of the night that all self-respecting Phans should know about by now (Read about it here!).  The faced-paced 'Virtual Circle' and The Door's 'Break on Through' were other highlights of the set as well.

I've got to give it to these guys - especially for a mid-day set, The McLovins tore the place up.  There was energy and enthusiasm in the crowd and the band that didn't happen again until the sun went down.

I was impressed with Primus, the headliner set of the night.  I wasn't sure what to expect out of them after hearing some mixed reviews.  I was immediately entranced by the music - it was totally different than what I had been listening to all day.  Maybe it was something about the heavy, repetitive basslines (hypnobass?) or the plain weirdness of the lyrics and Les Claypool himself, but for some reason... I liked it.

They play the sort of music that I know I could have a good time to.  There are definite heavy metal influences to their stuff.  Also - there was a giant glowing caterpillar!

I definitely want to catch Primus again sometime soon to experience a full-length show.  Fall tour, anyone?


Peace, love, & clown cones,
Elizabeth

GATHERING OF THE VIBES 2010 (Part 2 of 4) @ Seaside Park in Bridgeport, CT

Greetings, earthlings!  Friday was the first full day of the Vibes this year, and man, was I excited.  (I donned slightly less glitter glue this time, too.)

After reviewing Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings' new album, "I Learned the Hard Way" in May, I was stoked to see them come to the Vibes this summer.  The Dap Kings played a warm-up tune before the "indescribable" Sharon Jones came onstage.  All of a sudden it was like yin and yang - I don't know much about traditional Motown, but it seemed strange that Sharon Jones was full on energy while her backup band was practically stoic.  The music was tight and Sharon's performance was entertaining (see the following video for a peek!) but for some reason I cannot articulate, they didn't really do it for me.  There was something about a weird mix of energy levels onstage that was sort of.. offputting.

 

Don't get me wrong, I love her music.  I couldn't stop thinking of it for weeks after the new album dropped.  And her set was definitely what I would call entertaining.  Perhaps my expectations were a little lofty...

Anyways, check out this short clip of Sharon doing her thing at the Vibes:


After Sharon's set was over, I wandered over to the Green Stage to check out the scene.  I was immediately grabbed by an interesting mix of uptempo folk and swing music.  And someone up there seemed vaguely familiar.  I had occasionally seen the lead guitarist play with the Ryan Montbleau Band at the Fairfield Theater Company.  In fact, I had seen him guest-spot about three times already, and had always idly wondered who he was....

Enlightenment!  It was the lead guitarist from the Norwalk, CT-based band, Caravan of Thieves!  I had been meaning to check these guys out for a while, and I'm totally glad I stumbled on them!  I love these guys.  Their fresh take on old music (killer cover of Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody') and unflagging energy that's channeled into their music and performance is super interesting and fun.  I definitely want to see them again!

Robert Randolph & the Family Band stole the show for me on Friday.  I hadn't heard much about their stuff other than rave reviews from friends, but they turned out to be one of the highlights of the Vibes for me!  That's the beauty of music festivals like the Vibes, though: I always manage to find a new band that I totally love without even meaning to.

Their sound is kind of like a mix of classic rock and funk with a heavy psychedelic guitar thrown in.  In other words.. it's good!  Randolph played both the pedal steel guitar and a traditional electric guitar during the set, and even called up a few people from the audience to guest-spot on electric guitar with him during one of his closing tunes.  I wonder if they were planted...

Anyways, I would call Robert Randolph & the Family Band a must-see act.  They were into the music, the audience was really into the music, and it was just good vibes all around.

Up next?  Get ready for my take on Saturday and Sunday's shows!

Peace, love, and OMGCATS,
Elizabeth

GATHERING OF THE VIBES 2010 (Part 1 of 4) @ Seaside Park in Bridgeport, CT

As I settle in to write this entry, I wonder: could there be a more perfect way to celebrate the life and legacy of Jerry Garcia than the Gathering of the Vibes?  I think not.  So long story short, I plan on returning to the Vibes for a long, long time.

My festivities kicked off with a remarkable show from Dark Star Orchestra on Thursday night.  I hadn't seen these guys since Furthur recruited John Kadlecik to tour with them and Jeff Mattson from the Zen Tricksters took his place.  I think that seeing the DSO comes closer to seeing The Grateful Dead live than Further, the spin-off band with Phil Lesh and Bob Weir.  They cover whole Grateful Dead shows from cover to cover, and occasionally play original setlists as well.  If you close your eyes and listen, it can feel organic (or so I've been told!).

Thursday night, the band did a solid cover of the 10/17/82 show from Santa Fe, NM.

I caught two tunes on video that night - Me & My Uncle > Mexicali Blues.  Feel free to ignore the peanut gallery :)



Stay tuned for three more entries about the Vibes!

Peace, love, and way too much glitter glue,

Elizabeth

Gathering of the Vibes- Part 3 of 3

Sunday will be brief, but I wanted to mention a few great sets that put the weekend to a nice end.

I arrived at the Vibes on Sunday morning with a smile on my face and a piece of gluten-free bread in my pocket. I caught the last 15 or 20 minutes of The Harlem Gospel Choir, and I honestly wish I had seen more of them. The crowd was quite a sight to see: hippies with dreds stomping their feet and clapping their hands while singing Praise the Lord! During the last number, probably thirty of them held hands and skipped around, forming the biggest random outburst of joy I've ever seen. Very cool.



If they're ever around again (they should be, they're close- only from Harlem!), I will definitely make it a point to go see them. Sometimes your soul needs some good old gospel music.


I had never seen nor heard Grace Potter and the Nocturnals before their afternoon set at the Vibes, but I can say I will be checking them out again. Grace has got such a kick-ass voice, and it seemed to me that she was certainly the star of the show (hence the name of the band?). The Nocturnals provided a platform for her to frolic around stage between her keyboard, guitars (acoustic and electric), tambourine, and the mic. And she was hilarious while doing it! Pretty impressive, if you ask me. I happened to see her parents at the Mad River Valley 4th of July Parade this summer in Vermont. Her dad was playing the keyboard and singing while on a float! Wild. Anyways, the bottom line? She's definitely worth (ahem) checking out.





As for my favorite Green Vibes Stage artist of the day? The McLovins. Yes, the McLovins. And they're as young as their name portrays them to be! Before I go into any of the details, here is the saga of how I discovered them: Once upon a time, I was hanging out by the seashore during the Buddy Guy set, grabbing some dinner. As I was eating, I hear a very familiar tune drifting over to me: You Enjoy Myself, or lovingly referred to as YEM by Phisheads. So I said, "Oh wow, I didn't know someone would have the audacity to blast Phish out of their tent at the Gathering of the Vibes! ...I wonder if it's coming from the Green Stage?" The reply? (and this is ver batim): "No, that's too good a YEM to be coming from there." But how we were sorely mistaken. After dinner we wandered over to the stage to check out the scene, and the McLovins were up there, jamming out! I grooved to the rest of the set (unfortunately we only caught the end of it). The McLovins. Bask in the glory. And that is how they came to be.

These guys are a three-man band, with one guitar, one bass, and one drumset. And get this: the guitarist just got out of middle school! The other two members are highschoolers! These guys are prodigies, and they're going to be big news someday. So as far as that's concerned: I CALLED IT!

That's all for this espionage for now. I am in for a treat tomorrow, Ryan Montbleau is playing a solo acoustic set at the South Norwalk Arts Festival! How coincidental, I live about 20 minutes away. If anyone is looking for some entertainment tomorrow (or should I say today?) afternoon, definitely check out his act. He's playing at 2:30 on one of the stages they have set up (its the one near the Porta Potties!). Simply can't wait.

Chao, dahlings.

Crosby, Stills, and Nash:

Buddy Guy:


The Healing Shaman was walking around all weekend:

Gathering of the Vibes 2009- Part 2 of 3

Saturday. I walked into Seaside Park that morning with some high expectations for certain performers and performances. My all-time favorite, Ryan Montbleau, was scheduled to play that afternoon, so of course I bounced into the concert grounds rearing to go.

In fact, the Ryan Montbleau Band is the first band of the day that is worth commenting on. First off, he's my favorite. Plain and simple. What's great about the RMB is that there are so many facets of the band and its sound to admire. Ryan is a poet, a storyteller. The songs that he writes are always heartfelt. Raw emotion comes through his music.
The band's sound in general is hard to coin - I would describe it as some sort of a mixture between folk, bluegrass, funk, gypsy and reggae. Yeah. You've gotta check these guys out. I'm posting a link at the end of this. Click it!

Anyways, Saturday was a great day to see Ryan. There was sunshine, dancing, and great music. Is there any better way to just be? He opened up his set with a real eye-opener, his song Chariot - solo acoustic. It was beautiful, and really caught people off guard. What's this guy doing alone on a stage with just a guitar and a mic? Where's the band? Where's the funk? What a beautiful way to open it all up, and show the audience a different side of Ryan than is normally portrayed at the Vibes (which would be, as I mentioned, the funky, sunshine-loving folk/reggae).



Another noteworthy song he did (full band) was Grain of Sand. The guy put a whole poem into the song as an interlude. It was like a vocal jam session. So cool.

I had tried to describe the greatness that is the Ryan Montbleau Band to one of my friends, and I finally managed to get her to see them live this weekend! At the end of the set, she turned to me and simply said: I'm in love. Welcome to the family.

Here's the set he did at the Vibes this year, check out Chariot, Inspired By No One, and Stretch for starters.
http://www.archive.org/details/montbleau2009-07-25.sb.km184.matrix.flac16

Here's a few pictures of Ryan's set:


That's an electric viola, kids:




The other band I wanted to bring into attention is The Pimps of Joytime. Yes, The Pimps. I happened upon them while noshing on probably my fifth bag of those handy little pistachio sample packages at the Green Vibes Stage, a separate stage run completely on solar power that features lesser-known bands that are on the rise.




This was my immediate reaction upon hearing them: CAROLINE, PUT DOWN YOUR PISTACHIOS. WE'RE GROOVING. BIG TIME.

And we did.






We even bought their CD at the end of their set, we loved them so much. I would describe their sound as some sort of dance-funk (my own term!) because it's funk that just makes you want to dance your face off. So good. Here's their link: http://www.myspace.com/pimpsofjoytime

Favorites off "High Steppin" (the album I bought) include My Gold, Bonita, and Workin' all the Time. Check them out!!!

Those were definitely the highlights of the day for this vibetriber. I ended the night with a nice cuddle sesh somewhere amidst the smelly hippies. It's not too often you get to chill in Bridgeport on a Saturday night at 1 in the morning and not get killed, so take it for what it's worth.

Cheers!

oh ps. favorite hippie of the day:

Gathering of the Vibes 2009 - Part 1 of 3

Finally. After months of anticipation, the VibeTribe reunited last weeked. I had forgotten how good it is to dance like no one’s watching surrounded by an endless throng of smelly hippies!

Although the Vibes passed me by too quickly than I would have liked, I managed to pick up some new favorites and revisit some old flames..

Friday was a great day to kick off the weekend. The first set I caught was Strangefolk, and I was pleasantly surprised. My dad is a big fan, but they never particularly caught my interest. They got rained out at the Vibes last year, but this year’s set certainly made up for the void. They sound mirrors that of Assembly of Dust but in an old school type of way, with more of a rock and roll vibe. The verdict? They’re very cool. I guess Papa Bayne is on to something after all!


JJ Grey and MoFro came on next, and I spent the hour and a half jamming in the back of the concert grounds playing Frisbee with a hippie named Greg! We tossed around for maybe an hour or so, with brief interludes from other eager hippies to get in the game as well. The music was perfect for setting the tone of the afternoon- relaxed yet energetic. I ended up running into Greg again after our Frisbee session the next day, and, to my great surprise, he remembered me! It’s always good to make new friends.

Here's the view from my game!


I saw Keller Williams for the first time two weeks prior to his performance at the Vibes, and I don’t have much to say about his run this time around. What was interesting is that he was accompanied by a full band, instead of doing his usual one-man routine. My question is this: why eliminate the aspect of your music that sets you apart from everyone else? Yes, the show I saw before was a little more intimate, where he could have the freedom to do fool around on stage, laying down sick basslines and a killer acoustic guitar. But how cool would that have been at the Vibes? People need to be shaken up every now and again, and I think Keller's approach to music is it. Another thing that’s cool? I had never seen something like this before, but Keller uses a synthesizer shaped like a guitar to create horn tones. It seems like he’s jamming on the guitar, but trumpets are coming out of the speakers! Hmmm… But in all, Keller is definitely an act worth checking out, even online. His songs have an intricacy to them that seems unreal, especially because of his lyrics (note: Doobie In My Pocket is a good one!). In short, this guy is hilarious and pretty interesting.
Here's his site on the archives: http://www.archive.org/details/KellerWilliams

Donna Jean Godchaux, a member of the Grateful Dead, came out and sang with Keller halfway through his set:


I was in no way a fan of George Clinton & P-Funk’s… act. More like a circus, I would say. There was probably a sum of thirty people onstage during his set, doing everything and anything. There was dancing, acrobatics, and men in diapers. To me, having all of those distractions on stage while your music is going says something about your confidence in your music’s ability to engage an audience. To me, good musicians don’t need to have women shaking their asses or enough pyrotechnics to set a city on fire to entertain the audience. Music should be taken as it is: music. If you’re in to that, don’t call yourself a band. Call yourself a circus.

Hah. Had to put this one up.


Another source of disappointment for the night? The fact that moe., the headlining act, only played for fourty-five minutes instead of their allotted ninety. The reason? A massive thunderstorm less than mile away. I suppose a throng of twenty thousand people gathering around a huge metal structure in the middle of a severe thunderstorm isn’t the best idea… but the music! It would have been worth it. moe. was just getting started up after a great version of Mexico and St. Augustine. It would have been a great night, I can tell. A few friends of mine happened upon their show in Hampton Beach, NH the next night, and confirmed that I definitely missed out. Bummer. There’s always moe.down next month…

Some cool lighting for the moe. set:


Wow! That was Friday for you. More reports on the Saturday and Sunday sets later…

Here's a few other pics...

I think I see Aunt Bertha!


Need a karma wash? (note the boots)


Some friends, old and new:


UBridgeport is my #1!