Festival of the Sun - Old Town, Lansing (6.26.2010)

As Friday evening wore on, we finally found ourselves heading towards Old Town after what seemed like hours of waiting for a cab. It was that time of year again for the 6^th annual Festival of the Moon and we were itching to get our hands on a tasty Bell’s beer as soon as humanly possible. We jumped in line for tickets and felt a whole lot better about the $15 price when they handed us 3 drink stubs and a sleek looking little souvenir glass with the Bell’s logo on it. We had gotten there a bit late but the beer line was short and it was certainly nothing that a couple of Two Hearted Ale’s couldn’t fix. Ever since my first exposure to Bell’s beer, this particular IPA, with it’s crisp finish and incredibly refreshing aromatics, has gradually stolen my heart and become one of my favorite beers in the Bell’s catalogue. I wasn’t the only one either… almost everyone in the group poured themselves one of these copper colored ales and we headed over to the main stage to check out the music scene. The band Cartel was just getting started and it took us about 30 seconds before we made the unanimous decision to move in the opposite direction of the stage. These guys were playing some really terrible sounding pop punk music that had been turned up WAY too loud. They had the long, sweaty hair and the skin-tight jeans. I was definitely disappointed with this choice of a Friday night headliner. Lansing has a plethora of amazing local blues musicians that I’m positive would have drawn a larger and more communal crowd than this awful sounding hipster band. It was painfully bad and gave me these horrifying flashbacks of some of the music I used to listen to in my early high school days. On our way out, I spotted some kid smashing empty beer glasses on the blacktop below. We left Festival of the Moon with mixed feelings.

Saturday on the other hand had been aptly named Festival of the Sun and as soon as we arrived in Old Town, I could tell that it was a completely different atmosphere. This time around, they gave us wine glasses and there were beer and wine vendors set up all around the perimeter of the tents passing out samples of anything you would ever want. A whole slew of Michigan brewers including Founders, Bells, Dark Horse, Shorts, and Michigan Brewing Co. had booths set up with all sorts of bonus freebies being passed out. I had gotten my fill of heavy beer the night before so I stuck with the wine vendors. Unquestionably more of a beer enthusiast than a wine connoisseur, I kept walking up to the attendees and saying “Gimme something red”. It all tasted great to me.

When Steppin’ In It took the stage, I knew we were in for a real treat. Steel guitarist Joe Wilson was in town, which unfortunately has become a bit of a rarity these days. Joe completes the electric sextet – the version of this band that I personally believe to be the most supreme. If you have ever spent any time with me in the last 4 years or so, you have undoubtedly heard me ranting and raving about Steppin’ In It, about countless Monday nights spent drinking and dancing at The Green Door, or about the killer Tuesday morning headaches and the insufferable 8am classes. Without a doubt, Steppin’ In It plays some of the finest roots music that the state of Michigan has to offer and easily provides the best entertainment in the city of Lansing on a weekly basis. Each and every one of these members have become some of the most in-demand musicians in the region, offering up their talents to countless local songwriters including Michigan favorites May Erlewine, Seth Bernard, and Jen Sygit. And if you have ever heard their music or seen them play, then there is absolutely no wonder why. The band’s chief vocalist and songwriter Joshua Davis has developed a seemingly instinctive approach to creative songwriting. His voice is irresistibly comforting and his songs are catchy and heartfelt, overflowing with these beautiful Michigan undertones that ensure this music hits close to home. With a guitar in hand, his style is both simple yet powerful. With Mr. Dominic John Davis plucking away at his weathered doghouse bass and John Cassidy beating the skins off his drums, a prevailing rhythmic foundation is set for Steppin’ In It. Cassidy, toting a traditional grip on his drumsticks, plays with unwavering timing and clicks his hi-hats together in perfect stride with the steadfast sound of Dominic’s bass. Next we have The Reverend, Mike Lynch, in command of all things keys. Mike, who plays as if he could do his job in his sleep, makes something incredibly difficult appear incredibly easy. He plays with both speed and proficiency and offers Steppin’ In It a sound that is very different from the studio work that they’ve released in the past. On Josh’s right, we have multi-instrumentalist Andy Wilson. Andy blows harmonica like few I have ever heard, not only complimenting the nature of the song itself with tasteful and spot-on rhythm playing, but also letting loose on some mind-bending solo work when he’s under the spotlight. On this particular evening, his brother Joe was there to back him up, producing these deep, howling sounds with his steel guitar that growl and cut straight into your soul. Not only that, but Joe belts out these harmonious back-up vocals that give Josh’s voice a certain degree of depth that is nothing short of pleasing to the ears. But it doesn’t stop there. The Wilson brothers also comprise the horn section that has become staple to the sound of Steppin’ In It. It’s blues, funk, salsa and swing. It’s aggressive and fluid, down-home and organic. It’s folk and roots, and just plain old rock ‘n’ roll. Whatever your poison might be, you are sure to hear it in the methods of this unbelievably diverse band. Even the Tom Waits addicts will get their fix. Just this evening I’ve returned from yet another outing at The Green Door. Joe stuck around for the weekend and the sextet was in prime condition yet again. It was a celebration of sorts for the release of their latest album that was recorded live at The Door this past December. After breaking the ice on the dance floor, my friend Haley and I were approached by an older man with an enormous smile on his face. He leaned in and applauded our assertiveness and then went on to say “I tell you what… if you can sit here and listen to Steppin’ In It and NOT get up and dance, you must be DEAD!” Well said, sir. I couldn’t agree more. In fact, if you live anywhere even close to the Lansing area, and aren’t taking advantage of every available opportunity to see these musicians perform, than you must be crazy. See this band. Support their music. I promise you it will be worth your while.