Welcome to day number two of the Peach Music Festival. The first band up today will be a band called Tauk. I have heard of them before. I am pretty sure, they are a jam band. Might cover some bands today and not others. Will need to see how things go if the stream holds up.
The current band onstage is called J.D. & The Straight Shot, playing "Rag Mama Rag" by The Band, likely as a tribute to Levon Helm. On the next song, one of the band members is playing harmonica. It is the keyboard player. The lead singer for this roots music band is also a basketball player or coach. One of the percussionists is also playing a washboard on this song about basketball and the New York Knicks. It's called "Fix The Knicks". The keyboardist/harmonica player also plays accordion. The song just finished by this band is another one called "Don't Waste My Time" and the finale is the title track to their new record called, "Midnight Run" with more harp in it as well as banjo.
OK. J.D. & The Straight Shot finishes their set. Watching a show from the other stage, earlier on in the day by the band, Tauk. These guys are an ethereal, jam band/fusion type band. I've heard the name before. I think they play instrumentals for the most part. Their songs have a real good groove and a sense of space in the music. This band is definitely more about the listening experience, blending the sounds of the drums, guitar, and keyboards together into a soundscape and about the musicianship and skill of the players. This is music that I am definitely drawn to just because of the sound. Great set! This band, Tauk, from New York, has a bright future ahead.
Rebelution is the next band up. They are another reggae band that has a pop edge with a saxophonist in the band. Their opening number is called "You Can't Get Me Down". Just listening to Rebelution more than anything. Probably won't worry about set lists until more familiar bands come up later in the day or in the evening. The guitarist is using an oscillating effect on one of the jams. Sounds like an echo unit or something. The sax player has also switched to an EWI (electronic wind instrument) for the end of one of the tracks.
Now, an acoustic number. Chris Royal (their saxophonist) does a memorable EWI solo. In one of their songs, Rebelution name checks one of their fellow bands on the bill (O.A.R.: Of A Revolution). Another tune has a positive message and could very well be titled "Look On The Bright Side of Life". This band does well alternating between electric and acoustic numbers in terms of the pace of their show. The fans seem to really be digging it. Rebelution is playing a longer set. Their set has gotten me thinking, maybe I should look deeper into reggae music.
I may switch over channels to see Jaimoe's Jassz Band when they come on, simply because he is known as a jazz drummer and I haven't heard him with a group outside of the Allman Brothers. It depends on what we're given in the stream. The second jam camera is in commission right now. Chris Royal on saxophone and EWI is a New Orleans based musician. The band is finishing their set with a song about having respect for others no matter what and being compassionate. The ending lyric is "we're bringing only good vibes."
There is one more song that starts with an instrumental intro and talks about music being connected to the environment. It could also have a message about wanting to legalize marijuana or something. There is a cool moment in this last song though where the guitarist and the EWI player play in unison.
More ethereal music coming your way. I have to find out which band this is. But, they definitely have a groove going. The band here is called Grimace Federation. They're playing some pretty frantic, uptempo lines, and, they're well syncopated, too. There is an automated voice backing the band that is asking if you as a person are moving fast enough. Then, the guitar distorts and they kick into a tune. It goes to show, you never know what will happen with live music. It's spontaneous, always. Again, not much to say. It's just worth listening to because you never know what your ear might pick up.
The guitarist is using some wild, swirling, screaming delay effects to give the songs space and this is backed by keyboards and thrashing drums. This band could be alternative rock. That's what it sounds like to me, anyway. Not really one to put labels on music. But, just a guess. The songs are punctuated with the swirling delay and someone randomly saying things through a distorted microphone or talk box. It's interesting just to listen to what is going on, and soak it in.
The drummer starts off on a groove of some sort. Where will this lead? Hmmm. Synthesizers and more synthesizers. Well, that was short lived. More about them in another post later on.
Right now, the focus is on O.A.R.! They start their set with a tune that has a horn intro. The band members in O.A.R. are Marc Roberge on vocals & guitar, Chris Culos on drums & percussion, Richard On, on guitar & vocals, Benj Gershman on bass, and Jerry DiPizzo on saxophone, guitar, and backing vocals. I have heard of this band, and I think songwriting more than just actual instrumental jamming and improvisation is their calling card, even though, until now, I've heard very little of their music. Well, I'll learn after this set.
Some of their first hit tracks spread only by word of mouth, proving that is a HUGE part of determining a band's success when they first start out. They have a very powerful lead singer and those horns really enhance the songs. Just listening to familiarize myself with some of the tunes. If I come up with finding set lists for some of these bands, they will be posted in the course of the next few days, but after the conclusion of the festival.
The next song they play is razzing the mainstream radio stations that don't play important music, preferring to play just top 40 songs. One of the lines is "program director on my radio won't play my records and I call and tell him so." The songwriting is very good and the lyrics are based on situations people can relate to. No wonder they have such a following. They've played a mix of ballads and uptempo songs in their set thus far and I am just soaking in the experience as a listener.
They are playing a newly written tune called "Inside Out" and continuing with these uptempo songs, one of which features a trumpet solo. I am taking it in as a listener and enjoying it. The lead singer sings, "I know music is going to save my soul, 'cause a wise man told me so." The guitar and the vocals both have an echo to them for this part. Then, at the end of the show, they have a song about their own band name called "O.A.R., (Of A Revolution)" and they closes with this. What a happy, joyous, jovial band. A wonderful thing to hear.
OK. Now, the fun is going to start! Insert long bursts of joyous laughter. The Tedeschi/Trucks Band will take the stage, coming up next! In the meantime, over on the other stage, Toubab Krewe plays. They mix the music of Mali, with influences from the southern United States. One of their percussionists keeps time by rubbing a pipe with a metal stick. This is interesting to listen to because it's a melding of acoustic and electric sounds. One of the musicians is playing a sitar like instrument with earbuds in his ears.
The world music is fun to listen to. Toubab Krewe invites a fiddler to play with them. This should be sweet. It's an uptempo tune already as it's just begun. It extends into a real driving, running song that makes you feel like you're going someplace. The crowd seems to be digging it. Then, they go into a hyped up bluegrass, country, hippie hybrid song that is actually pretty cool. Bring on the twang! This song is called "My Old Hen". Quirky tune. Love it!
They play a West Virginia folk song called "John Hardy" and their last tune is a cool sounding instrumental piece. That's Toubab Krewe, from Asheville, North Carolina.
Here's the Tedeschi/Trucks Band Set list
1. Everybody's Talkin'
2. Don't Let Me Slide
3. Midnight In Harlem (backing vocalist Mike Mattison plays acoustic guitar)
4. Rollin' & Tumblin'
5. Bound For Glory (Kofi Burbridge plays a memorable B3 solo blending in Clavinet at the end)
6. Mahjoun (feat. Kofi Burbridge: flute & scatting, + horn section, & Oteil on acoustic banjo bass)
7. Shelter
8. Get What You Deserve (feat. Mike Mattison: lead vocals)
9. That Did It (Bobby "Blue" Bland cover)
10. Love Has Something Else To Say
11. Band Introduction
12. Nobody's Free
Encore:
13. Sing A Simple Song (Stevie Wonder cover) (feat. Maurice Brown: trumpet)>I Wanna Take You Higher>Sing A Simple Song
Next up, Jaimoe's Jassz Band & The Allman Brothers Band.
Paul Lieberman: tenor saxophone, percussion
Richard Bolger: trumpet/flugelhorn
Chris Jensen: baritone & soprano saxophone, vocals
Bruce Katz: keyboards
David Stoltz: bass
Jaimoe's Jassz Band Set List
1. Leavin' Trunk
2. Instrumental (title ?)
3. Ain't Wastin' Time No More (Allman Brothers cover)>Jessica (Allman Brothers cover) (tease)
More of this set will be covered when it's archived. Now, once again, time for the Allman Brothers! Bring it on!
Allman Brothers Band:
1. Don't Want You No More/It's Not My Cross To Bear
2. Trouble No More (Muddy Waters cover)
3. Come & Go Blues
4. Egypt
5. Southbound (feat. Bruce Katz: piano & The Asbury Jukes Horns)
6. Revival
7. Statesboro Blues (Blind Willie McTell cover)
8. These Days (Jackson Brown cover) *Gregg: acoustic guitar, Warren: electric guitar (Jackson & Gregg are old friends)
9. Mountain Jam
10. Blue Sky (Warren: vocals)
11. Don't Keep Me Wondering (feat. The Asbury Jukes Horns)
12. Into The Mystic (Van Morrison cover) (feat. The Asbury Jukes Horns)
13. Dreams
14. Mountain Jam (reprise) (Derek: "Joy To The World" tease)>Mountain Jam (continued)
Encore:
15. Whipping Post (Warren is the dragon slayer on this one, bringing on a huge solo that goes from sweetness to the pain and anguish of the song, in an instant). Then, Gregg delivers the finale, with the lyrics fans know all so well. Wow!
Another superb Allman Brothers Band performance, folks. But, there's more. Coming up, it's The Wailers (Bob Marley's band). Here's a link to their history after Bob Marley's passing. http://wailers.com/band/ Well, sadly, maybe their set from the Peach Festival will not be webcast. But check out the link nonetheless. There will be more music tomorrow to wrap up the festivities in the afternoon with Warren Haynes, Robert Randolph & The Family Band, and closing it out will be The Blind Boys of Alabama. No idea if these shows will be streamed. I doubt it.
But, there will be archives put up in the coming weeks. For any shows that may be archived that I've missed blogging, they will be detailed when they come up. Stay tuned for that. In the meantime, you owe it to yourself to go see live music. Good night. This is Skip, signing off for now.
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