Sweetwater 420 Festival (Day Two) - Candler Park, Atlanta, GA (4.18.2010)

Listen while you read...

The Packway Handle Band, Live at The Fox Theatre, Boulder, CO (7.27.2006)

or...

The Stanton Moore Trio, Live at The Jewish Mother, Virginia Beach, VA (5.22.2006)


But definitely not both... that might get a little confusing.

It was Sunday morning when we decided to head back to Candler Park for another afternoon of 420 festivities. We had so much fun on Saturday that it just seemed to be the most logical decision. Minimal traffic and accessible parking made the trip to Candler a much smoother one and as soon as we got inside the gates, it was clear that the festival grounds were much less crowded than the day before (which was fine by me). The Sunday music lime-up sounded like another solid billing with George Porter Jr. filling the main slot and the Stanton Moore Trio featuring Anders Osborne warming up the early evening set. We strategically made our way around to the art booths early in the afternoon while a less-than-exciting Donna Hopkins Duo sang some folk music in the background. The vendors at 420 Festival had some really captivating work on display. There seemed to be a recurring trend that focused on the use of recycled art which I thought was pretty cool. But as it usually happens when you attend a shindig like this, most of the goods were overpriced and we walked away empty-handed.

After the Donna Hopkins Duo wrapped things up a local group, dubbed the Jamie McLean Band after their talented guitarist and lead singer, took to the stage. Jamie spent a number of years playing funk guitar for the Saturday night headliners, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, before exploring the possibilities of a solo career. This classic example of a power trio sounded fairly good but I felt like their music could have used one or two additional personnel. Jamie’s knack for songwriting was definitely recognizable as the trio laid down a fairly straightforward blend of swampy, southern rock ‘n’ roll. It was bluesy and it was catchy, but at the same time, it was somewhat repetitive and we were ready for a change.

As the changeover was taking place, I noticed a man walking an enormous instrument case onto the stage that I knew could only be an upright bass. After him, 4 more musicians came walking out wielding various stringed instruments and I knew that we were about to be treated with some bluegrass music. The Packway Handle Band, as they call themselves, hail from Athens, GA and have been making waves on the bluegrass scene ever since their formation in 2001. The band began receiving national recognition after becoming finalists at the 2002 and 2003 Telluride Bluegrass Festival. They took 2nd place in 2004. From reading up a little bit about their background, I get the sense that none of these musicians have a real extensive history of performing bluegrass music. Drawing from a diverse set of influences such as Bela Fleck and building off nothing more than an interest in the bluegrass genre, the band has developed a style that is fresh, innovative, and anything but “traditional” in the bluegrass sense. This approach has allowed them to conduct this ongoing learning process and establish their own unique ideas about what can be accomplished in the realm of “newgrass” music.

Two tightly spaced condenser microphones were set up in the center of the stage – a traditional approach to amplification that I’m not sure I have ever seen at a bluegrass show before. These days, you tend to see each individual instrument with its own personal mic rigging, but I really liked the idea of this “gather round the microphone” set-up. It not only gave the band a very cohesive and playful facade, but it allowed them complete control over the volume and intensity of each individual instrument. If one musician was taking a solo, he would step close to the microphone and let his presence be known while the others backed off a bit and gave him the spotlight. Right from the start, The Packway Handle Band played with a cheerful exuberance that reflected just how much they enjoyed performing. Their on-stage antics and facial expressions contributed to an almost theatrical interpretation of the stories they were telling through their music. The lyrics were playful and original and the band broke out these 4 part harmonies that were almost humorous to listen to. Of course, a couple of whiskey drinking songs and one or two traditional bluegrass tunes came out throughout the course of the afternoon. For without these, some might not even consider them to be a “true” bluegrass band! But that wasn’t all. About halfway through their set, PHB busted out an outrageous cover of The Pixies’ “Where Is My Mind”. Although most only recognize this song because of its appearance at the end of the movie “Fight Club”, the crowd was really into it and I truly think there is nothing more fun than a bluegrass interpretation of a song that was never meant to be a bluegrass song.

Towards the end of the set, I had my head turned talking to Heidi when all of the sudden, in the middle of a classic bluegrass song “Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss”, I heard the sounds that were once emanating from the stage speakers come to an abrupt halt. Before I could turn my head, the entire band had leapt off the stage and were a mere 20 feet away from us jumping around and dancing amidst the crowd. I quickly grabbed my camera and rushed over to join the party. I was nearly knocked over a number of times as the band was thrashing around and sprinting from one side of the crowd to the other all while jamming away on their respective instruments. The bass player, Zach McCoy, struggled to keep up as he lifted his enormous upright bass above his head and still managed to keep plucking away at his strings. Fiddle player Andrew Heaton seemed to be at the forefront of this follow-the-leader type of game the band was playing and he was shredding so hard that the strings of his fiddle bow began to fray and hang loosely off of the bow’s shaft. Josh Erwin had an enormous smile on his face as he flatpicked his guitar into a delightful bluegrass frenzy. It was clear that this was the band’s favorite part of the show. The crowd was even feeling loose and comfortable enough with the chorus to sing along to this traditional tune as the closing notes brought an uproarious applause from the entire festival.

After this engaging performance from The PHB, it was time for New Orleans native Stanton Moore to take the stage. On this occasion, it was Anders Osborne sharing the spotlight with the trio and it made for an exceptionally badass musical experience. Stanton Moore is a true professional. He has quite literally written a book about funk drumming (titled Groove Alchemy) and is one of the founding members of the veteran jamband Galactic. Moore has had an extensive solo career as well, collaborating for albums and live performances with A-list musicians such as Charlie Hunter, John Scofield, Karl Denson, Warren Haynes, John Medeski and Chris Wood… the list goes on. Not only that, but Stanton’s jazz-funk side project, Garage A Trois, is a quartet of insanely talented musicians including keyboardist Marco Benevento and the infamous saxophonist, Skerik.

Osborne, a Swedish born drifter, spent a number of years traveling through Africa and other parts of the world before ending up in New Orleans, the place he calls home. Anders came out on stage looking like a rock star with aviator sunglasses and a blonde, well-established beard that hung down past his collar bone. With a hot-fingered keyboardist to add to the mix, Stanton and Anders blew the 420 stage apart. I found it shocking that Osborne had ever lived anywhere but the Southern United States because his style was just oozing with this dirty, down-home, blues rock tone that came pouring out of his guitar amp.

Anders, with a glass slide on his pinky finger, was completely lost in his music as he stood and told the stories of his past and let this bluesy, psychedelic sound come ripping off of his strings. It was unbelievable how well this trio kept things together without the steady, rhythmic foundation offered from a bass guitarist. This, in large part, was due to Stanton’s incredible timing and spot-on chops. This was some of the tightest, most funky drumming that I had heard in a very long time. And don’t count the keyboard player out either. Taking visual cues from Osborne, he would let loose on some outstanding organ solos that really complimented the band’s overall sound.




It was another incredible afternoon at Candler Park. Jo and I once again had to pass up the main act, George Porter Jr., since we needed to get her to the airport in time for her flight home. Nevertheless, I was extremely happy about the music we got to see that afternoon. Discovering great new music is like opening gifts on Christmas morning. And discovering great new music in the LIVE setting is the bow on top.

Sweetwater 420 Festival (Day One) - Candler Park, Atlanta, GA (4.17.2010)

In celebration of the approaching Earth Day, Sweetwater Brewing Company played host to the 6th annual 420 Festival in Atlanta’s Candler Park this past weekend. A two-day music and arts festival focused on inspiring environmentally conscious action, facilitating community involvement, and of course, enjoying great beer. The sun was shinning bright on this Saturday afternoon and it was time to kick off festival season! I was mostly unfamiliar with the bands that had been scheduled to play over the course of the weekend, but that made no difference whatsoever in the decision to check out Candler Park. So Jo and I got our things together and headed towards the city. After spending a bit of time in traffic (as usual) we were circling Candler Park in The Mighty Buick, searching for a spot to park. For blocks, the narrow streets surrounding the festival grounds were lined with vehicles resting bumper to bumper, making it quite difficult to navigate the area. Eventually, we found a suitable little space and began our venture towards the entrance.


It wasn’t until late afternoon when we finally got in line for our wristbands. It was $5 for the privilege of drinking Sweetwater beer all afternoon, a portion of which goes back to the Candler Park community for allowing this festival to happen every year. The other part covers the brewery’s operating expenses (even though they probably make a killing on the thousands and thousands of beers they sell at $5 apiece). The wristbands weren’t required though. As we would soon find out, this was a rather family-oriented festival that played host to an enormous variety of people of all ages. Young kids, old kids, new parents, parents of parents... Even the dogs were out en masse. The website clearly states no pets allowed. But I have a feeling the owners of this particular brewery would probably say something along the lines of “No pets. Except for dogs… dogs are cool.” Needless to say, there were plenty of hounds, pups, panting pooches, and one particularly quirky Parrot to keep us on our toes. As we waited in line, a few festival-goers pointed out how many Beatles covers they kept hearing off in the distance. I had done my homework and I knew what they were hearing was The Mystery Trip – an authentic Beatles tribute band. Unfortunately for all of us still in line, The Mystery Trip would be closing out their set just as we were getting inside the gates.

It seemed as if we arrived at 420 Fest amidst a rush of people and I could feel the grounds getting more and more crowded by the minute. We walked past a number of jewelry and recycled art vendors and quickly jumped in the beer line and got our paws on a couple of cold ones before conducting our search for a lawn spot. If you have ever been to Sweetwater before, you know that most of their beers have two distinct qualities; the first being phenomenal taste, and the second being a strangely unique name. “Motor Boat”, the seasonal “Road Trip” ale, “Happy Ending”, “Sch’Wheat”, and the festival titled “420” extra pale ale are just a few of the beers on tap this weekend. Jo and I took a brief look around the park for a bit and ended up popping a squat in the shade while the next band, Deep Blue Sun, began setting up. The main stage lay in a perfect position amidst this gradual, wrap-around hill that provided everyone in the park a view of the stage. We noticed the venue, slowly but surely, getting increasingly crowded so we hopped up and found a decent sized plot of land right up next to the stage. In all honesty, I was entirely unprepared for the musical storm that was about to hit me right square in the face.

Right from the opening notes, I knew this band was going to throw down. Deep Blue Sun had that screaming, psychedelic jam-band sound that I couldn’t help but compare to The Allman Brothers Band. In fact, at this particular performance, Yonrico Scott (of The Derek Trucks Band) sat in on drums and provided a link between these two veteran Georgian jam-bands. After a decade of performances, DBS has crafted a truly powerful blend of funk, rock, blues, and pure psychedelic improvisation that leaves fans pulling their hair back in attempt to keep their faces from melting away. Keyboardist John Marsh hops around behind his instrument, commanding an impressive display of soulful vocals and funky organ riffs while his wife, Katie, compliments him with a sweet, feminine singing voice and a steady rhythm guitar. Bassist Ben Hernandez even jumps in behind the microphone with an infectious, high energy demeanor. Some of the bass lines that he was throwing down that afternoon were the type of sounds that lift you up off your feet and have you bouncing around before you even know what hit you. With Yonrico holding it down in the back, the rhythm section duo was spot-on the entire night. He absolutely loves playing with this band and has even been quoted saying that Deep Blue Sun is “the best kept secret in the jam-band world”. In addition, DBS had a guest saxophonist who added some real flavor to the mix. But the highlight of this show in my opinion was the lead guitarist whose name I am not entirely sure of. On the DBS website, the lead position is accredited to Matt Lynn, who is vastly different in appearance to the guitarist that took the stage at 420 Fest. I know this band has a history of numerous line-up changes, but whatever his name might be, one thing is for sure… he could PLAY! With emotion written all over his face, this guy was laying down what I can only describe as the definition of southern, improvisational jam guitar. It had a touch of blues and a truckload of psychedelia. Needless to say, I was thoroughly impressed and couldn’t seem to pull my eyes away from his fingers as I got close to the stage for some photo opportunities. After an hour of shredding, dancing, and partying with Deep Blue Sun, I was sad to see them start breaking their stuff down. But fortunately for 420-goers, The Pimps of Joytime (following a short, mediocre set from the band “The Sundogs”) would be up soon.


I had seen the name before, The Pimps of Joytime, mostly because of their scheduled 2010 appearances at some major summer festivals – Wakarusa, High Seirra, and All Good to name a few, but I knew little about them. As the band got all set up to play, one thing was for certain - they had style. The lead singer and guitarist, Brian J, came out looking like a true pimp. Snazzy shoes, jewelry, an American flag-patterned waist accessory, and a slanted top hat that only served to compliment his air of confidence. In addition, the bass guitarist and commander of the moog synth, Clark Dark, came out wearing this other-worldly sort of space helmet on his head. He too, was oozing with confidence and his bright green shoes added a real quirk to his flair. The PJT’s drummer was larger than life and as soon as he took the stage he cracked an enormous smile that never left his face throughout the duration of the performance. Chauncey Yearwood on congas and Mayteana Morales on percussion and sampler were no exception to the stylish appearance put forth by this fresh looking group of musicians.

I think one of the most intriguing characteristics that makes music so unbelievable to me is its inability to be described. There are those times when you hear a band or see a performance that leaps so many boundaries and jumps so many genres that its really difficult to put your finger on what exactly it was that you just witnessed. It’s beyond explanation. But I will try my best, since… that’s what this project of mine is all about. The Pimps of Joytime play a unique blend of funk that, in contrast to the powerful, in-your-face sound of say, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, has you moving and grooving in a very sensual way. Coming from Brooklyn, it was interesting to see how geography plays such a prominent role in the development of a band’s style. Not that I am an expert on the subject or anything, but this East-Coast group had a much more smooth approach to their sound than other bands that I suppose you could say are in the same category as the PJT’s. But hold that thought. Like any good band seeking their own unique sound should do, The Pimps have spent formative years living in numerous geographic locations, most notably Los Angeles and New Orleans. In fact on their most recent album, “High Steppin”, the band collaborates with New Orleans legends Cyril and Art Neville to give their album some down right dirty funk that they otherwise might not have been able to capture.

Each instrumentalist on the festival stage that evening contributed to a very unique, very danceable brew of music that had 420 fans moving and grooving in a borderline embarrassing way. As the night went on, the beers got poured and as the beers got poured, the people got loose and as the people got loose, they began to find their groove (in large part due to the PJT’s). Unlike previous acts, a mob of people pushed their way towards the front of the stage and seemed to be having a blast as The Pimps massaged their central nervous system. I snapped a few pictures and couldn’t help but join in. Chauncy on the congas gave the PJT’s sound a real groovy afrobeat foundation. Nothing wrong with a little world flavor. In addition to Clark Dark’s funk-driven bass playing (one of the more prominent sounds amidst this group) he gave his moog synthesizer a whirlwind a few times, providing this other-worldly electronic vibe that I would have never guessed would come from this band. Even Mayteana, when she wasn’t shakin’ tambourines or adding other percussive elements that provided a certain level of Latin or salsa flair, was layering some samples into the mix that gave this music a truly unique feel to it. Smooth funk, jazz, afrobeat… call it what you want. In an interview with NPR Music, lead singer Brian J had this to say…

“When all those lines and genres get blurred, anything can be soul: rock ‘n’ roll, punk. It’s all soul to me, if it’s soulful”



Like I’ve said before, when you are exposed to music that has true soul, you know it as soon as the first notes strike you ears. I had a blast partying with Jo, the 420 festies, Deep Blue Sun, and The Pimps of Joytime and I can only hope that we encounter each other again before the summer is over. It was a fantastic way to close out day one of this cozy little beer festival and regretfully, my sister and I had to skip out on the main act, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, as we had a date with the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field… too bad The Rockies shut us out. But that’s okay… we let our allegiance be known a number of times as Heidi shouted “GO TIGS!!” for all of Turner Field to hear.