As I sit on the bed of my bed at the Brandt House, a beautiful bed and breakfast in Greenfield, I can hear Buddy Guy finishing his set a few miles away at the Green River Festival.
It was the most glorious weather day I've experienced at a festival which I always consider the mark of the hottest day of the year.
Rani Arbo and daisy mayhem were uplifting with their agnostic gospel music. Erin McKeown has proven herself to be a charismatic and consummate stage pro, handily taming a guitar that is almost as big as she is. Southern Culture on the Skids led the crowd through the back roads of the South, and Neko Case was magnificent.
After a meal at the People's Pint, sleep will be welcome.
1 comment:
It was a great festival again this year. Besides the headliners, this laid back venue never fails to attract great artists that I never would have heard anywhere else, either because they're just starting out, or because they're under appreciated gems.
This year, the local talent really stood out in the form of The Primate Fiasco (new to me, but a fantastic band) and Rani Arbo and daisy mayhem. Erin McKeown gave a fine, cool-as-a-cucumber performance. And Neko Case's creative music was mesmerizing -- once I was able to block out the self-conscious banter with the crowd that preceded each song.
The Friday night line up was as strong as Saturday's. Andrew Jones & Spirithouse was a welcome surprise, and the subdudes were as good live as I hoped they'd be. The double surprise of the night, though, has to be when Terrence Simien & The Zydeco Experience sang a slightly modified (substituting Louisiana?) version of Bob Dylan's "Mississippi", from 2001's Love and Theft. While it was interesting to hear a Dylan tune from this good-time band, it was truly amazing to hear how well their interpretation fit the Katrina tragedy. Their version of that song also inspired me to dig out the CD again and appreciate it more. (Though I respected this CD from the start, I've been slow to warm up to it fully. My bad.)
It was a fun time from start to finish. One of these years we may actually work up the courage to take one of those hot air balloon rides.
--Peter T.
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