Railroad Earth - The Intersection, Grand Rapids, MI (11.6.2010)

I had a conversation with a friend this past weekend about documenting the live music experience and how best to approach it. What do you do when you run out of words to express your cognitive response to music? Discover new ones? Create new ones? I think the question should be less about how to approach the documentation of the experience, and more about how you perceive it when it is happening. You are seeing your favorite band for the 100^th time. Are you picking up on the subtle differences that separate this show from the last, or this era from the last? Are you picking up on the subtle vibrations? The little things that make this particular experience unique? I personally have never approached it with this kind of attention to detail. Or maybe I have and just never realized it. Maybe this is the reason why music makes me feel the need to write. Which begs the question, what are you doing here? What are YOUR reasons for going to see live music? Maybe you like to dance or maybe you just like being with your friends. Maybe you like the way it sounds, or the way it feels in your body. Or maybe it runs deeper than that. Maybe without music, your life lacks substance. Whatever the reason, one thing is for certain; the music is the reason why, that on this particular evening and in this particular place, so many of us gather together… which is a powerful and beautiful thing.

Railroad Earth is one of those magical bands. They walk onto the stage and they just have this presence. This presence that says “we are going to lift you off the ground tonight”. All smiles. You could just feel the energy they were emitting from the stage. As soon as the band got going, I closed my eyes and began to soak it all in. They began with “Carrying Coal to Newcastle” which brought the Celtic sounds that Railroad fans have come to know and love. Tim Carbone has total control over his instrument. Like a wizard, Tim has this air of enlightenment to him. With long, grey hair, his violin speaks words of wisdom and experience. After the opening number, lead vocalist and guitarist Todd Schaeffer steps up and starts belting the words to “Mighty River”. Todd’s voice is difficult to explain. He sings with such charisma. His words seem to roll off his tongue with both power as well as finesse. Todd’s voice serves as a medium through which this music escapes. It is the medium through which his emotions and ideas fall upon the ears of his listeners. “River” was a pure joy and as I would come to realize after the show, it was one of the few songs that I recognized throughout the entire performance. Having just released a brand new album, most of this material was falling upon my ears for the first time.

I had limited time in the photo pit, so I snapped as many shots as I could as I moved from left to right across the front of the stage. Being that close to these musicians was amazing. Their energy was just radiating from the stage and each of them seemed so connected to each other. As John Skehan tore into the strings of his mandolin, I moved in for a closer look. John also has this air of enlightenment to him. With glasses and a long, grey pony-tail pulled back behind his head, John closes his eyes and let’s his instrument begin to take over. The mandolin has such a unique sound with all of these high-pitched notes oozing and soaring out of the instrument’s small body. As the evening progressed, I began to realize how absolutely tasteful each of these musicians were. Often times you see a jam band that has just gone off the deep end with never-ending guitar solos and an over-the-top or an in-your-face type of approach. With Railroad, who I really don’t consider to be a “jam band” by any means, less is more. This band adheres to the structure of the music and really does a great job keeping everything in perspective. Todd Schaeffer’s songwriting is the focus here… not the UNGODLY skill of each and every one of the musicians on stage. And I think that is one thing that separates them from other bands. Often times with musicians of this caliber, you can feel their eagerness to take off on some mind-blowing solo as if the band or the music revolves around them. With Railroad, instrumentation comes with timing and precision. If the song lends itself to more of an exploratory or improvisational structure, than the band lets the music evolve that way. But if the song was meant to be a series of structured sections, i.e., a collection of verses and choruses for example, than that’s as far as it will go. The result is a focused and tasteful blend of music and words that are crafted so beautifully that it makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand straight up. Sonically perfect. There isn’t much more that needs to be said about this band, about this performance. Railroad Earth gave me one of those natural music highs that have become the reason why I am unable to resist live music. Sonically perfect.

Zoogma, Papadosio - The Intersection, Grand Rapids, MI (10.20.2010)

Shows have been few and far between for me lately so when I found out that Papadosio was going to be conveniently playing The Intersection in Grand Rapids, MI (right down the street from my place of work), I was definitely pumped. I met up with a buddy of mine and we grabbed a few beers before heading over to the venue. When we got there it was pretty empty, granted we were also pretty early. The first band on the billing, whose name I somehow never caught, seemed to be jamming with quite a bit of enthusiasm. There was a guy in the middle of the stage playing a mandolin, which I found to be a little out of place for the type of Jamtronic music that was being produced.

After being somewhat under-whelmed by the first band, it was Zoogma’s turn to take the stage. I’m not so sure that The Intersection was entirely prepared for the musical machine that is Zoogma. With seemingly never-ending instrumental sections, these guys took the term Jamtronica to a whole new level. Waves of sonic fusion bombarded my ears and penetrated my head with a heavy, rhythmic foundation and a highly infectious and danceable blend of synth, guitar, and bass lines. It was difficult to determine where these “songs” started and finished but I am pretty confident that offering their listeners some sort of structured “song” was not the focus of these 5 musicians. The aim of this music was to send you deep into a hypnotic, mesmerizing trance that was impossible to pull yourself out of. Aiding in these efforts was an absolutely mind-blowing light show. Shades of every color in the rainbow came spinning out of these perfectly placed light sources that seemed to transition incredibly with the sounds of the band. It really set the tone for both the intensity as well as the energy level of the music that was playing at any given moment. Armed with a plethora of digital tools and computers, each one of these Zoogmites were highly skilled musicians in their own right. Noticeable standouts in my mind were guitarists Justin Hastings, who seemed to be in charge of a good portion of the improvisational guitar work, as well as Brock Bowling who only served to compliment the flighty sound of his incredibly talented band mate. Preston Boutot was another key player who offered an incredible span of keyboard and synth textures that really seemed to control the mood of this jam-infused sound. Abound with highs and lows, Zoogma delivered a roller-coaster ride of electronically oriented jam music that flooded my body with a range of different feelings. One minute I would be lost in a heavy trance and the next, my head spinning out of control with some spaced out, psychedelic improvisation. When it was all said and done, I was thoroughly exhausted. These guys absolutely tore it up and although it often seemed as if they were about to overheat, they always gravitated back down to a comfortable and acoustically pleasing level.

When Papadosio finally hit the stage around 12:30am, the majority of the crowd seemed to have filtered in. My only prior exposure to this Asheville based band was this past summer at the Summer Camp Festival. It was the middle of the day on the worst stage at the festival and I remember thinking how stellar of a night show this band would have delivered on one of the bigger stages. Well The Intersection definitely had bigger stage accommodations, a bigger crowd, and a suitable environment for a quality light show. I was somewhat annoyed with how late this headlining band was taking the stage. Listening to music like this can sometimes be a bit overwhelming and I could already sense that I didn’t have the endurance to ride this one out to the end. Sporting his signature dreads and facial hair, guitarists/keyboardist/mad scientist Anthony Thogmartin began pumping out the jams that seemed to send this googoly-eyed crowd into a dance frenzy. At times, this band had a bit of a more textured and ambient sound than Zoogma and I was able to pick up on the subtle differences that separated these two groups, even though each of them were both obviously adhering to a very specific brand of music. For the next hour or so that we choose to remain at The Intersection, Papadosio brought the heat. Sometimes it was dialed down to a simmer, only to be cranked up to the highest possible setting so that the coils were glowing a furious red. I was thoroughly enjoying this music… this jam style of electronic music that was just pulsating with these deep, vibratory waves of sound. Had I stuck this show out until the end, I might feel differently about this next statement, but I honestly think Zoogma was on a heat-seeking mission to upstage the headliner on this particular night. Both impressed the hell out of me, but the Zoogma machine and its assault of high-powered improvisational guitar work had me hooked. When it was all said and done, I walked away from The Intersection with a minor headache, a tired mind, and a more than satisfactory live music fix. I for one, loved it. But these bands, this genre... they are for pure, open-minded music fans only. Not for the faint of heart.

Atmosphere - The Intersection, Grand Rapids, MI (9.12.2010)

It’s been three weeks since I went to see Atmosphere at The Intersection in Grand Rapids so I will keep this succinct. I don’t like to let that much time pass between experiencing a show and then writing about it… I like to write when it’s fresh. But trying to balance a job in the restaurant industry with finding the time to go to shows (much less write about them) is not always easy… the two of them sort of slide against the grain. Regardless, I had gotten my morning shift out of the way the day that Atmosphere was coming to town so I met up with my sister and my brother-in-law downtown and we headed towards the venue. Naturally, we were sucked in by the vacuum-like force that is Founder’s Brewery so we decided not to fight it and stopped in for a couple of tasty ales.

When we finally made it to The Intersection, the lights had dropped and Sean ‘Slug’ Daley was taking the stage. I couldn’t believe how packed this place was. I can honestly say that in all of the years that I have been going to The Intersection (since High School!), I have never seen it that crowded. Rumor has it the show was sold out. Apparently, despite having listened to Sean for probably 6 years now, I have been asleep while the Atmosphere name has been absolutely blowing up. I’m glad for Sean, though, he definitely deserves the recognition. With his faithful DJ, Ant, behind the turntables as well as a keyboardist and guitarist, Daley began rhyming with the graceful, smooth, and confident style that Atmosphere fans have come to know and love.

A few songs in, Sean broke into a raucous version of “Trying to Find a Balance” that had the entire crowd bouncing up and down to the beat and throwing back their hands. I was impressed with the number of people in attendance that seemed to be keen to his older material. Not only that, but I was equally impressed with Sean’s attitude towards performing his old material. He had sort of a I’m going to sing this shit whether you like it or not because this is where I came from and this is who I am sort of an attitude. Keeping in mind that I haven’t been to very many hip-hop shows, I did notice that Sean wasn’t using any tricks or gimmicks to make himself sound any different than exactly what he sounds like. Often times rappers use backing tracks when they perform live so that they are able to fall back on recorded vocals if they need to take a breather or can’t keep up. Not Sean. And in my honest opinion, if you are writing a song that has lines in it that are too long to spit in one breath, than you shouldn’t have written it in the first place. None of this backing track garbage. Sean steps up and murders his vocals (in the best possible way) and raps so spot on to Ant’s beats that it blows me away. With speed and fluidity, Daley rhymed to classic tunes like “God Loves Ugly” as well as some of his newer and even newest material off of the double EP release “To All My Friends, Blood Makes the Blade Holy”. Sean is back at it with his latest release, rapping heartfelt and honest songs about women, his ongoing struggle with drugs and alcohol, and about… well, women mostly. With “Always Coming Back home to You” towards the end of the set, I was officially psyched about this Atmosphere show. Sporting a Minnesota baseball cap, Sean was never shy about his allegiance to the Midwest and the sold out Grand Rapids crowd was just eating it up. By the time he was finished, I was eating it up too. The band had been spot on and Atmosphere means serious, serious business.

Cornmeal - The Blind Pig, Ann Arbor, MI (9.9.2010)

Impromptu shows are always the best. I had been scheduled to work a night shift on this Thursday evening but ended up being let out early. I struggled very little with the decision to head straight for Ann Arbor. Cornmeal was in town and I wasn’t about to let this one pass by. A quick phone call to my pal Andrew and we were good to go. He’s always down for some quality live music.

When we got to the Blind Pig, we were surprised to find it virtually empty. The dimly lit joint had a pretty decent vibe going on with pictures and memorabilia from countless years gone by. Upon discovery that there would be a band playing before Cornmeal, I was somewhat disappointed… each of us had to work in the morning so we were looking to get in as much Cornmeal as we could before we hit our self-imposed curfew. But this was nothing compared to the disappointment we were about to face. Now, keep in mind that writing a “bad” review about a band or artist that I have seen live is something that I try to avoid at all costs. In fact, as a music journalist, I find it hard to believe that you would ever put yourself in that kind of situation intentionally. Sometimes, however, it is unavoidable. I am unaware of the name of the band that opened for Cornmeal and to be quite honest, I think its better this way. To start things out, a man with some sort of bongo-like drum strapped around his neck came up to the microphone and gave a super loud, super enthusiastic countdown that made it sound like the group was going to come out guns-a-blazing. But when he hit four, this totally underwhelming, utterly spineless, trashy blend of folk rock of some sort came pouring out of the speakers. The Tom Petty-looking mandolin player and primary vocalist kept squealing and screeching out these vocals that were well outside of his range while he strummed a very simple, very repetitive and quite sloppy number on his instrument. The bass player, albeit enthusiastic, was playing the same 3 notes over and over with his index finger and that was about it. It got so bad, that Andy and I made the unanimous decision to check out the downstairs bar to avoid the rupture of our ear drums that would have surely resulted in hospitalization. We were pumped to find a pool table downstairs and even though the basement smelled like a moldy mixture of feet, armpits, and fish, we shot a drawn out game of pool and then headed back upstairs just in time for the beginning of Cornmeal.

It was so relieving to hear this sound, this Cornmeal sound. This music that is so inspiring. Being relatively new in my exposure to this band, it will be difficult for me to offer any insight on the set list or the song selection. I can, however, attempt to describe this sound and, at the very least, persuade you in any way I can to check these guys out. Cornmeal is some of the most high energy, emotionally exhilarating, and jam-centered blend of progressive bluegrass that I have ever heard. To me, this music exemplifies the term “jamgrass”. It is electrified acoustic instrumentation that cascades over such a wide variety of sounds and dips into such a range of genres that it is impossible to pin down. It begins as a slow paced exchange between banjo, fiddle, and guitar and it slowly gains momentum and transitions into this surge of futuristic experimentation that defies everything you thought you knew about acoustic instruments. With Chris Gangi laying down the foundation on this gorgeous-looking stand up bass and J.P. Nowak manning the drums with extreme tempo, timing, and technical proficiency, the stage is set for these otherworldly science experiments to begin.

When you witness a Cornmeal show, it’s easy for your attention to be drawn to fiddle player, Allie Kral. Usually sporting a pretty dress, tall boots, and a look of seduction, Allie has a stage presence that is hard to deny. But her talent on the fiddle is what really sucks you in. Allie’s fingers are a blur as they dance up and down her instrument with great speed and accuracy. As she bounces up and down to the rhythm of the music, stomping her boots to the sound of the beat, it becomes obvious how talented of a musician Allie really is. To her left stands acoustic guitarist Kris Nowak. Kris is an unbelievably adept musician with a brilliant knack for jamming. With a plethora of pedals and effects at his disposal, the range of different sounds that he achieves with the acoustic guitar makes me question why anyone would ever want to play the electric. Nowak’s improvisational ability at the peak of a heated Cornmeal jam session is something you will not forget. Kris absolutely SOARS up and down the neck of his guitar in a truly psychedelic fashion. He rips and bends and pulls and hammers down on top of his strings, exploring the sounds that come pouring into his mind and then transcribing those sounds to the strings of his instrument.With Dave Burlingame sporting a full-blown Zappa-stache and attacking his banjo with a similar enthusiasm, Cornmeal becomes a jam force to be reckoned with.


With our 1:00 curfew quickly approaching, I tapped Andy on the shoulder and gave him the signal. Everyone in the room, whether they knew it or not, was in full-blown dance mode, thrashing around uncontrollably to the sounds of Cornmeal. They had the jamgrass fever and there was no stopping them now. As we headed for the exit, we heard it… those unmistakable opening lines of a Grateful Dead cover. On this evening it was “They Love Each Other”, a song that Andy instantaneously recognized from the infamous 1977 Barton Hall show. For the next however many minutes, Cornmeal absolutely killed it and converted what had been a great show into an extraordinary one. We left the Blind Pig grinning ear to ear and not doubting for a second why we had come to Ann Arbor to see this band.

Hoxeyville Music Festival 2010 (8.22.2010)

With a bit of a foggy mind, I awoke to the warmth of the Sunday morning sun. Saturday night had been one for the memory books… the quintessence night for a fan of jam music. A Greensky Bluegrass collaboration with the Grateful Dead rhythm section, The Great American Taxi Jam-a-thon of 2010 and then of course, how can we forget, The Rhythm Devils. This very easily could have ranked as one of the top five best nights of music I have ever seen. And when you have a night like that, the next day can be a little hard to get into. Nonetheless, with coffee in hand, the Rachael Davis Band began to sooth our souls. Joined by a couple of the Steppin’ In It men, this music was exactly what I needed. Apparently Rachael had experienced a particularly raucous Saturday evening, but sounded as beautiful as ever as I closed my eyes to let her notes sink in. Joshua Davis was jamming on the keyboards while Dominic John kept the bass steadfast. Half asleep in my lawn chair to the sweet sound of Rachael’s voice, all I remember about this set was feeling revived. To keep with that theme, a few of us decided to head up to the Pine River for a dip. It was damn cold, but it was cleansing. Rejuvenation. Rebirth.

Steppin’ In It

We had to miss Jen Sygit’s set for our swim in the Pine, but by the time we got back to the festival grounds, Steppin’ In It was in full swing. I once heard a man at the Green Door (the band’s permanent residency in Lansing) say “If you can sit here and listen to Steppin’ In It play music, and NOT get up and dance…” he paused for a second as he searched for his words, “than you must be DEAD!” What an amazing statement. This is hands down one of Michigan’s most talented group of musicians. Andy Wilson is currently getting his PhD in Jazz Studies from Michigan State University and writing a book about playing the harmonica. He’s that good. John Cassidy has some of the tightest, most spot-on and tasteful chops that I have heard in a long time. His timing, along with his hi-hat foot, is relentless and flows in perfect unison with Dominic’s unwaveringly solid bass playing. With The Reverend Mike Lynch controlling all things keys, the electric sextet is complete and Steppin’ In It is transformed into an absolute musical giant. Complex and freewheeling solos come spinning off of Joe Wilson’s steel guitar before his brother Andy takes over on the harmonica. With Mike hammering away on the organ, and Josh Davis moving smoothly up and down the scales of his electric guitar, tunes that were once simple in their foundation become fresh and new again. This band jams in the sense that someone, somewhere is always throwing in something unexpected that leaves the rest of the gang smiling and laughing, looking at each other like “did you just hear that?” Joshua is the unmistakable voice of Michigan roots music and his gift for songwriting is something special. Our state should know about this band, about the sounds they create, and about some of the most down-to-earth musicians that I have yet to have the privilege of meeting.

Strange Arrangement

Next up on the Cadillac stage would be the Chicago based quartet, Strange Arrangement, a band that I had never heard before. My buddy Frazier had been raving about these guys and their “happy funk” music for quite some time so I figured it would be wise to catch this set. As soon as I heard the wildly diverse notes coming off of that stage, I knew these guys could jam. “Happy funk” doesn’t even begin to describe this band’s musical styling as I heard bits and pieces of funk, jazz, jam, progressive and psychedelic rock all come screaming off the stage within minutes of my arrival. Although vocals never seemed to be at the center of this band’s focus, each of the four members took their turn behind the microphone, offering up a whimsical sort of style that seemed to compliment their sound quite well. I immediately took note of keyboard player Joe Hettinga and his outstanding ability to jam. His style seemed to offer a real jazzy feel to this bodacious blend of rock music. But he never retracted from the sounds of his equally talented band mates; Jim Conry was absolutely shredding on his Gibson guitar while Kevin Barry brought some heavy, heavy heat on the seven string bass. I always enjoy watching a talented bassist play the seven string. There just seems to be that much greater of a range of sounds emanating from the guitar. In the meantime, drummer Bob Parlier attacks the skins in an aggressive and controlled manner, seemingly conducting the wide variety of stops, starts, and time changes that are taking place simultaneously within Strange’s music. This was easily one of the most impressive sets I witnessed from a band that I previously knew nothing about. With endorsements from Chicago jam legends, Umphrey’s McGee, there is no disputing the fact that these guys are up and coming. Go see Strange Arrangement.

Seth & May

After the strangeness, it was Michigan sweethearts Seth Bernard and May Erlewine’s turn to do their thing. I don’t remember much about this set as far as songs go, but I assure you they were good. With their usual personnel (Mike Shimmin on the drums, etc.), Seth and May traded tunes back and forth, bringing serenity upon the Hoxeyville crowd. May has an absolutely PHENOMENAL voice. One that is recognizable by anyone who follows the Michigan folk scene. Always dressed to impress, May ran through a range of songs both new and old that had a smile plastered on everyone’s face. Often times toting a violin, her stage presence is undeniable. Seth, albeit a bit more reserved than his Airborne performance, played with the confidence and finesse that he almost always exhibits. Songs like “Zeke” came pouring out of the speakers with passion and exuberance. Towards the end of their set, May took the microphone off of it’s stand and came walking to the center of the stage for a dance-loaded rendition of a Michael Jackson song who’s title I cannot recall. It had been an amazing show from one of Michigan’s most coveted duos.

Ultraviolet Hippopotamus

After lunch we headed over to the Cadillac stage for a highly anticipated set from the Grand Rapids based band, Ultraviolet Hippopotamus. Bass player Brian Samuels let it be known that Hoxey is one of their favorite festivals to play. Kicking things off with “Square Pegs, Round Holes” > “Run Rabbit Run”, the Hippo wasted no time getting into the jams. The large turnout for this show began dancing and grooving around with smiles on their faces. One thing I have noticed since I started following this band is the dedication and appreciation that UV fans have for this music. I see the same faces everywhere… always dancing and always smiling. UVH is well aware of this dedicated fan base and seem to do a wonderful job of exhibiting their own mutual appreciation for these individuals. Hoxeyville was one of the more jam-packed Hippo sets that I have seen in quite some time. The vocals were few and far between as Sanders and Co. began bringing the heat. Extended instrumentation was the theme of the afternoon and I certainly had no complaints. Russell and Sam were at it again with their finger-taping, face-melting, fire-breathing guitar playing and I especially took note of the flawless performance from drummer Joe Phillion. Keeping time and tempo for a band like UVH is no small feat and I feel as if every time I see these guys play, Joe does a better and better job. He works his ASS off behind that kit. Casey Jones does a great job on percussion to compliment Joe’s drumming and I am realizing now more than ever how prominent this rhythm section really is. The skin on my face had long slid off of my skeleton by the time UV wrapped up their set, so I pushed it back into position and headed off towards the Hoxeyville stage.

Greensky Bluegrass

By the time I made it over to Greensky Bluegrass, Karl Denson had joined them on stage and was lacing hard into a flute solo on one of my favorite GSBG songs, “Train Junkie”. He remained on stage for another song or two and added an element to the Greensky sound that I can honestly say I have never heard before. Denson was JAMMING and trying really hard to persuade me to stay through Sunday night and catch all of his band Tiny Universe. After Karl left the stage, the Greensky boys announced that they would be bringing “all of their friends” up on stage throughout the course of the afternoon. The set had a super relaxed feel to it and you could tell that the band really felt at home here at the Hoxeyville festival. It was, after all, fellow Kalamazooian Jake Robinson who helped put this thing on. After Denson, it was Rachael Davis taking the stage for another one of my favorite Greensky Songs, “Sweetwater Sea”. Rachael only added to the beauty of this already amazing song before she traded places with Seth Bernard. Seth had proven to be one of my favorite guitarists of the weekend and surely did not disappoint as he sat in with Greensky for an intense 15-minute jam session. To close things out, Steppin’ In It front-man Joshua Davis came out sporting an incredibly slick looking guitar for an outstanding cover of his song “Last Winter in the Copper Country”. It had been a stellar set, rich with Michigan collaborations that capped off what had been an unbelievable weekend of music.

As we broke down camp and began packing up, I could hear the sounds of Moonalice coming off of the Cadillac Stage. I cringed every time I heard these psychedelic outbursts come screaming off of pedal steel guitarist Barry Sless’s instrument. With John Molo behind the drums, I couldn’t believe I was missing out on this set. It sounded like some of the most jam centered, psychedelic music that I had heard all weekend and it was just barely out of reach. Nonetheless, the weekend had taken its toll and it was time to head home. Hoxeyville had been full of amazing moments, memories, and music shared with the best of friends and all I could do as we left the festival grounds that evening was think about this time next year. Because I assure you, we will be back.

Hoxeyville Music Festival 2010 (8.21.2010)

Paul Hoffman vs. Seth Bernard

As Saturday morning began to gaze down over Hoxeyville, I peeled back our air mattress to check on our saturation status… dry as could be. I guess all that time I spent sealing our tent seams and rain-proofing the ceiling really paid off. With a bit of coffee, we were up and at em’ and down at the main stage in no time to catch Paul Hoffman (mandolin, Greensky Bluegrass) and Seth Bernard sharing the stage for a little early morning duet. Seth and Paul are good friends and for years now have made it a point to jam together at the annual Hoxeyville festival. But this year, as Paul explains, was the first year they decided to do it on stage. The thing I love about Michigan roots music is that these artists feed off of one another. There is this whole network of musicians and songwriters that fuel this beautiful collection of creative ideas that is much larger than any one individual. So when you experience a performance like this one with Seth and Paul, it’s almost like you are experiencing the sum of so many different Michigan musicians and songwriters… the collective ideas of countless contributors such as Joshua Davis and May Erlewine who have developed the very sounds that I have come to associate with the state of Michigan. Paul brings this notion to life as he and Seth strum a couple of Joshua Davis tunes including “Break of Day”. Just then, the clouds began to separate and rays of sunshine come pouring down on the rain-soaked grounds of Hoxeyville for the first time in about 15 hours. The crowd erupts in cheers, laughter and smiles. It was noon and it was going to be a phenomenal day.

Airborne or Aquatic?

Back at camp, we slowly began to get our bearings back as the eggs and sausage cooked through. Upon completion of this vital Saturday morning meal, it was time for Airborne or Aquatic. I have seen Airborne a number of different times under a number of different conditions and this show, I must say, was above and beyond anything I have yet to experience. With Greensky guitarist Dave Bruzza joining forces with Mike Shimmin on the dueling drum sets, the beautiful and talented miss May Erlewine offering up her services in the violin, vocal, and harmonica departments, and The Macpodz’s own Jesse Clayton manning the keys, I knew we would be in for a treat. Hell, even Jake Robinson himself was there, electric guitar in hand. With Glen Brown manning this crazy synth set up that looked like an air traffic control booth, Airborne broke into a version of “Keep Up the Quest” that you are unlikely to hear anywhere but Hoxeyville. Seth really seems to find his comfort zone when he is jamming with AOA. His style remains tasteful yet powerful, explosive and unquestionably more exploratory than his other projects. With a suitcase full of pedals (quite literally) he pumps his foot up and down, initiating a range of different celestial sounds all while twisting and bending the strings on his beautiful cherry red Gibson guitar. He falls to his knees at one point with his eyes closed and his long hair swaying back and forth. Perfectly timed notes come screaming off his electric guitar before he brings it down and lets the song itself come back into focus. In between classic Airborne jams like “Overhaul” and “Mooseman”, Seth takes the crowd on a subterranean submarine voyage as he speaks with echo-effected words about Michigan’s rivers and lakes. It was a story, and it was hands down one of the weekend’s most honest, heartfelt, and spectacular performances. No offense to fans of That 1 Guy (performing on the main stage during AOA), but I would give up seeing that dude’s act for the rest of my entire life just to hear one Airborne or Aquatic performance like this. This is pure music.

Todd Snider > The Ragbirds > Greensky Bluegrass

Todd Snider got started an hour or so after Airborne and I was definitely excited to hear his tunes. I saw Todd play an incredible show this past April in Atlanta and this would be my second time seeing him at Hoxeyville in the last two years. Full of political satire, humor, and pure honesty, it is in the delivery of his lyrics where Todd finds success. His tunes remain simple at their core but when fused with his lyrical wit and hilarious transitional stories, this man dishes out what is a truly entertaining form of talking blues. With Vince Herman and his mandolin taking the stage early on during Todd’s set, I stuck around long enough to hear the two of them jam a few of my favorites, including the sarcastic “This Land is Our Land” before heading over to the Cadillac Stage to catch the end of The Ragbirds. This world-infused blend of Celtic folk has been a Michigan favorite for a number of years now. There is no doubt that The Ragbirds can jam. Erin Zindle is a fiddling force to be reckoned with and her band of brothers play a percussion driven style of music that is sure to send you into a fiery trance at one point or another. On this evening, however, something was amiss. I wish I could shed more light on this performance but all I remember was feeling a disconnect. I think I have witnessed The Ragbirds playing with so much more vigor in the past that this performance just seemed to be lackluster.

Up next on the Hoxeyville Stage was Greensky Bluegrass whom, because of the magnitude of their Sunday afternoon set, I promise to talk more about in the next edition of my Hoxeyville coverage. They were, however, joined onstage by none other than Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart of The Rhythm Devils… Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart of The Grateful fucking Dead. I believe Anders Beck said something along the lines of “You can chalk this up on the list of introductions I never thought I’d make”. The Greensky boys were absolutely gleaming as they moved into a bone-chilling version of “China Cat Sunflower” and eventually “I Know You Rider”. As a music fanatic, this was one collaboration that I will never, ever forget. With the conclusion of Greensky came what was surely a deliciously funky performance from The Pimps of Joytime that I regretfully missed out on in order to feed myself. The Saturday night headliners awaited.

Keller Williams > Great American Jam Session

Keller always has the greatest set-up. It’s a musician’s dream world… an instrumental playground of guitars and loop pedals and mixing boards and drum pads and synthesizers. I honestly believe that Keller Williams loves playing music more than anyone I have ever witnessed. The thing about Keller is that even in the absence of a crowd, no matter how big or small, he would still be doing the same sort of shit because it’s what makes him happy. He would be jamming alone in his basement, that same goofy smile plastered on his face, just totally screwing off. KW’s sound, along with his carefree attitude, is infectious. By the time the Grateful Dead classic “Brown Eyed Women” rolled around towards the end of his set, K-Whopper had invited every single member of The Rhythm Devils on stage and the gang continued to completely fry my brain. With the Grateful Dead rhythm section on drums, Tim Bluhm (The Mother Hips) on guitar and vocals, Andy Hess on bass, and the 23-year-old phenom Davy Knowles on guitar, what had slowly become The Rhythm Devils ripped into a “Scarlet Begonias” that left me with shivers. The anticipatory feelings I was having for The Devil’s set later that night were profound.

With very little overlap, it was off to the Cadillac Stage for Great American Taxi. I hadn’t had much exposure to this band prior to the Hoxey fest so I was curious to see what they had in store. Holy smokes. Do these guys ever PLAY! As soon as I was within earshot of that stage, I was grinning from ear to ear, bobbing my head up and down with that scrunched up look on my face that says, “These guys are REALLY JAMMING!” Guitar guru, mandolin madman and Leftover Salmon founder Vince Herman as well as keys player Chad Staehly were clear standouts. In addition to the regulars, Barry Sless of the band Moonalice sat in and started absolutely WAILING on the pedal steel guitar. His fingers were a blur as Taxi released this swampy blend of progressive bluegrass, swing induced honky tonk, and pure rock ‘n’ roll that had everyone in the crowd flailing around and dancing in this unbelievable delight. Barry and Chad had some of the most blistering solos I had heard all weekend and I couldn’t even register how much fun I was having. Then, as if things hadn’t gotten heavy enough… enter Greensky’s own Paul Hoffman on mandolin and Anders Beck on dobro. Did I mention that Anders was dressed head to toe in a full gorilla suit and that Todd Snider would come walking out shortly thereafter. What followed was an absolute auditory assault of the highest degree. Great American Taxi is known for these impromptu jam sessions that keep it’s members on their toes and gives you the feeling that anything might happen. Paul and Vince were going totally nuts on their respective instruments while Barry, Chad, the gorilla, and everyone else involved kept the heat coming for the remainder of the set. Wow. Great American Jam Session, to be sure. Hoxeyville was heating up.

The Rhythm Devils

These are the times where I find it difficult to put things into words. This music, this experience… sometimes it’s beyond description. When The Rhythm Devils came out, I really had no idea what to expect. I knew what Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann were capable of, considering their history. These are two of the finest drummers in the business. As if it needs to be said… these guys spent 30 years with the damn Grateful Dead. 30 years. I knew little of bassist Andy Hess, knew nothing about front man Tim Bluhm or his band, The Mother Hips, and had only heard the name Davy Knowles before. That was it. Seeing these guys jam with Keller earlier that evening was nothing more than a tease for what we are about to witness. At six foot, five inches tall, Bluhm stands in the center of the stage, towering over his bandmates. His voice is confident, harmonic, and rings out in graceful contrast to that of Knowles who stands to his left. Wasting no time getting to Dead songs, The Devil’s moved right from the opening song, “Hey Bo Diddley” into “Cold Rain and Snow” and by the time “Cumberland Blues” and “Uncle John’s Band” came around, I began to realize how phenomenal and extremely Jerry-like Bluhm’s voice really was. I began to have flashbacks of the infamous Furthur show I witnessed at the beginning of this year. This epic performance was part of the reason I felt compelled to start writing about music and documenting these experiences I was having. In my lengthy review of that performance, I speak of John Kadlecik and his vocal range that is eerily similar to that of Jerry Garcia’s. Well, Bluhm’s might be just as scary. The Rhythm Devils, having taken a four-year hiatus since their 2006 tour, are back with a vengeance. Their timing, in large part due to the telepathically communicating rhythm section, was spot on and Hess was as solid as can be. But it was Davy Knowles who really caught me off guard. 23-year-old Knowles looked nothing but comfortable and confident in sharing the stage with such legends. This kid is some sort of prodigy. He took off on some absolutely soaring guitar work full of psychadelia that had me wondering what sort of Grateful Dead train I had been hit by. The baby-faced Knowles seems to be strangely well suited for his role as lead guitarist within The Rhythm Devils, despite having any real history of playing jam-related music. It’s exciting to hear a kid like that play, and know that they have their entire life ahead of them to grow and develop and improve. It sort of scares you to think about how good they could become. With a couple of freewheeling, head-spinning versions of “New Speedway Boogie” and “Fire on the Mountain” as well as an appearance from Keller Williams for the last couple of songs, it had been confirmed… this had been the greatest show I had seen since Furthur. The Rhythm Devils, amidst the intimate grounds of Hoxeyville Music Festival, had blown me away and reminded me what this Live.Music.Life is all about.

Hoxeyville Music Festival 2010 (8.20.2010)

Friday, August 20th

As we pulled into Hoxeyville on Friday morning, I became flooded with emotion. This would be my 2nd year at this coveted Michigan festival and the line-up itself was enough to leave me wondering how it could possibly fall short of the experience I had in 2009. Galactic, EOTO, Buddy Guy… it had been epic in every way. But now this? Now you take every single one of our favorite Michigan bands and throw them into the mix with names like Keller Williams, Great American Taxi, and Steve Kimock? My goodness. Oh, and why don’t we throw in a little taste of The Rhythm Devils while we’re at it… just for good measure? Jake Robinson, Bear Yovino and whoever else has been involved in the organization of the Hoxeyville music festival have gotten this down to a science. Not only do they exhibit the operational smoothness of a robotic assembly line, but this group of people understands Michigan music. They are fully aware of the scene, of the sounds that drive this scene, and of the vibes that create it.

A short line at the festival entrance put us inside the grounds just after the gates opened that morning. We secured our wristbands and headed for the woods. With a slightly different layout than last year, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the second main stage had moved to northeast corner of the grounds, adjacent to the woods camping. We parked our vehicle without a single complication and found the perfect spot in the loosely occupied forest just an earshot from this second stage, dubbed the “Cadillac Stage”. Our 7-person entourage would require a good amount of space so we continued to erect what we were proud to say was the finest camp we had set up to date… multiple hammocks, enough tarp to cover a small house, and food and drink to live for days. Once we were feeling secure in our new home, we sat down and let the festival begin. We made the short walk over to the Cadillac stage to catch the opening act, Detour Bluegrass. With the phenomenal fiddle player and MSU professor of Social Sciences, Dr. Peter Knupfler, rounding out the Detour sound, this conventional sextet put on an impressive display of traditional bluegrass music that had everyone in the crowd celebrating their arrival at the Hoxeyville festival.

After Detour, we headed over to catch the Cornmeal set on the main stage, aptly titled the “Hoxeyville Stage”. As a late addition to Hoxey, I was absolutely floored when I found out that this band would be joining the line-up. Cornmeal is this unbelievable jamming machine capable of redefining what it really means to play acoustical instruments. With the charismatic Allie Kral scrapping the strings off her fiddle, and the mad-scientist Kris Nowak running cosmic scales up and down his acoustic guitar, this band has an energy that is hard to come by amidst the jam circuit. Banjo wizard Dave Burlingam, bassist Chris Gangi, and drummer JP Nowak combine with Allie and Kris to form a truly explosive form of bluegrass music that dips and bends into a range of different genres that are too expansive to list here. Of course, as soon as Breathe Owl Breathe began playing about halfway through Cornmeal’s set, I was torn into half. It pained me as I waited for one of my new favorite bands to finish what had surely been one of the most exploratory jams of the evening before I sprinted over to the Cadillac stage for Breathe Owl. It had been a while since I had seen this trio, this magic, this band who I love as much as any from the mitten state. Micah Middaugh was in his usual form on stage, telling stories, soothing the crowd with his baritone vocals. Unpredictable as always, Micah sang “I wish I was swimming” with a mask and snorkel on his head, making bubble sounds while cellist player Andrea Moreno-Beals sang in beautiful contrast, her cello humming an elegant tune. At one point during the set (I believe he was having the crowd do a slow motion wave) I began to wonder whether Micah was here for our entertainment, or if we were there for his. His interaction with the crowd is unlike almost every performing act I have ever seen. With Trevor Hobbes behind the kit, Breathe Owl Breathe reminds us of the untouched beauty that is nature. They sing heartfelt and playful tunes that speak of the forest, of the plants and animals, and of the adventure. I winced every time I heard Cornmeal shredding on the other stage, but Breathe was amazing as always and only at a place like Hoxey are you forced to make such a difficult decision.

As the night wore on, the forest began to fill up with campers. The drinks were poured and before long, Steve Kimock and his band Crazy Engine took the stage and started absolutely wailing. In addition to Kimock, Melvin Seals sat perched behind his B-3 organ, adding to the complete madness of Crazy Engine. Kimock has had a rich history of Dead related projects including RatDog, Phil Lesh & Friends, and The Rhythm Devils while Seals spent an impressive 15 year stint in the Jerry Garcia Band. Talk about a couple of seasoned jam-vets. Kimock has this powerfully explosive style. His notes seem to churn and growl before gaining momentum and authority. I wish I had witnessed more of this set but at the same time, I feel lucky to have experienced what I did. Kimock and Crazy Engine know what they are doing and as a music fan, you should feel an obligation to hear this music.


With the conclusion of Crazy Engine came Ann Arbor’s favorite jazz-rock ensemble, The Macpodz. I had a lot of exposure to this talented group of Michiganders at Summer Camp Festival earlier this year. Umphrey’s McGee guitarist Jake Cinninger sat in during their Saturday set while Macpodz keyboardist Jesse Clayton returned the favor for UM’s Sunday set. They did nothing but jam at Summer Camp and Hoxeyville was no different. As the set wore one, the clouds opened up and a trickle began coming down. A trickle turned into a steady stream and before long, we were in the middle of a monsoon. The Macpodz carried on, slowly backing deeper under the cover of the stage while stagehands ran back and forth, doing what they could to keep the equipment dry. The rain was relentless and so were the Macpodz. They were blowing horns and thumping bass while rain-soaked Hoxeyvillers danced in muddy bliss. For as long as they could, the band held out but ultimately cut short what would be the final set of music that evening.

With the conclusion of the music came the beginning of a catastrophe. The corners of our main tarp had ripped out from the wind and the tension and our supplies were getting soaked. For hours, we roped, taped, and finagled our tarp back into a suitable position all the while securing our belongings and digging trenches to direct water away from our tents. First the Great Dunegrass Storm of 2010, and now this. How lucky we had been! No matter how hard it rained though, our spirits could not be drowned. A few of us headed over to check out the situation on the main stage and found the entire area under 8 inches of water. The New Deal would definitely not be playing on this night. Just then a particularly strange wookie came splashing and kicking through the water. “HAVE YOU SEEN MY PADDLE?” he was shouting. Refusing to let the weather get the best of us, we decided to head out and see what the Disc Golf course was all about. Rumor was, the entire course had been illuminated with glow sticks in preparation for nighttime disc sessions. What we found was beyond explanation… an entire extra-terrestrial glow universe reserved just for our use. The night was young, and Hoxeyville had begun.