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

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings

I've spent quite a few moments dwelling on the fact that my latest promise to update 'soon,' was, in fact, a little more than long ago.  But, dear readers, I am here to remedy the situation.  Better late than never, right?

A fair amount of my time last month was spent jammed up in the car - jammed up, and jammed out, that is. Fortunately for me, I had the Gathering of the Vibes' headliner Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings to keep me company.  Their new album, 'I Learned the Hard Way,' has a classic MoTown feel that I, having not lived through the actual MoTown era, was excited to experience.

There's something about her voice.  It's rich.  It's filled with soul.  It's strong.

I have been listening to this album for about a month, and even at this point I couldn't pinpoint only one favorite song.  I continue to waver between three excellent toe-tappers: "Better Things," "Mama Don't Like My Man," and "Without A Heart."  There's a certain and individual feel to each tune.

"Better Things" has a casual, upbeat, and friendly feeling to it - until you listen to the lyrics.  The feminist in me cheers when Sharon croons about having "better things to do than remember you."

"Mama Don't Like My Man" is a simple yet incredibly catchy doo-wop tune.  The arrangement is comprised of Sharon on vocals with a few backup singers and an electric guitar that plunks out the bass line.  The stripped-down arrangement showcases some really beautiful harmonies and vocal techniques in this one that, being a vocalist myself, I can appreciate.  Sometimes I get chills listening to the stuff.

Sharon begins "Money" with an amusing rhetoric about money (and lack thereof) in modern society while guitars are strummed, saxophones are played, and keys are tickled.  Picture this:  The first word sung is, appropriately, the word 'money'.  And when I say sung, I mean more, belted... with backup vocalists yelling the same word at the same time.  It sounds weird, but it creates an effect that fits in nicely with the mood of the song.  She laments: "I'm hungry and I'm tired but my money's all spent."  Horns pop in, out, and around her vocal phrasing tastefully.  It's quite a scene.

Considering my only previous experience with MoTown is the fact that I have seen Dreamgirls and heard the Jackson 5,  I am not overly familiar with genre.  With that said, I have to admit: this album is user-friendly.  It seems to span a few different subdivisions of the genre.  None of the songs sound too much like each other, which I find impressive.

So without further ado, I give 'I Learned the Hard Way' my official seal of approval.  I can't wait to see them at the Vibes this summer!

peace, love, and sunny beaches.
Elizabeth