Out Of My Mind Episode #13: Moon Hoochin' Out Of My Mind Episode #13:Moon Hoochin’ is up on YouTube now! I’ve been working hard to try and change a few things about the vlogs and make them more of a live review. Let me know what you think and thanks for watching! This episode features Moon Hooch at Bright Box in Winchester, Virginia.
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Considering All Sources (Acoustically and Electrically)
SpunJ Album and Single Release -('Sanity')- Short Review
I have been following up and coming Pacific Northwestern band SpunJ or Spun Jelly for a few years now but when I first pulled up their single "Sanity" I had no idea what I was getting myself into. This band has an explosive and impressive sound. The crisp quality of the recording only adds to the impressive musicianship. And this was in the first few seconds. "Sanity" takes the listener on a funky-danceable journey back from the reaches of insanity. The easy transitions and vocal melodies shine through the mix, which is filled with: amazing keys, guitar, and blasting drums. I was willed by some unearthly musical power to pull up their entire SpunJ catalog and give all the songs a listen. I wish I had time to write a full review on this album but I promise we will come back to Spun Jelly soon. Until then much more to come! JBP Dopapod Releases Single "Grow" Dopapod has released a new song “Grow” and it immediately gives me those “Mucho” vibes. The songwriting is strong and the band is always tight. The lyrics are poignant and I would love to review this new album once it is released. I have been seeing Dopapod for 8 years now and they never disappoint. While some bands in the jam scene cannot make an album to save their life, Dopapod is one of the few that can release a track like “Grow” and sound like their live performances. It’s always a pleasure to review and share their music with you here at www.jambandpurist.com You can check out “Grow” and more from Dopapod on all platforms and check out my VLOG Episode #10 featuring Dopapod! Below... Here are a few things I've written in the past: "Dopapod is on the cutting edge of Jam/Prog Rock mastery. Encompassing sounds from Disco Biscuits, moe. Pink Floyd and even the Grateful Dead, they are the perfect blend of light and dark, soft and heavy. Just when you think they can't go any deeper, they go in again and add another layer of musical intensity. "Dopapod has the lightness of YES and the dark intensity of moe. The build-up and crescendo work is sparkling with raw unattainable energy that every band wishes they could have. You can hear the classically trained elements within the songwriting techniques themselves. " "I took some friends with me and I think they were impressed remarking, “Once they get going, they are actually really good." FloydFest 2022- The Heart Beat Of Virginia What can I say about Floydfest that my readers haven't heard yet? That its one of the best festivals in Virginia if not the country? Or that the spirit of Floyd Virginia and its musical roots are alive and well at Floydfest? How about Floydfest is the heartbeat of the Virginia musical community!? I cannot wait to get back on the mountain again this year. It was a privilege to record my very first VLOG episode of Out Of My Mind and I am now on #11! In the past few years, Floydfest has become Jam Band Purist festival home and I am looking forward to 2022. Readers let me know if you want some interviews with some of the artists. See you back on the mountain!
Introducing Crap Artist- The Real JR Williams Story (A Music Mockumentary) As a music fan and movie lover, I love it when these two worlds combine. Some of my favorite movies are, in fact, music mockumentaries: Spinal Tap, Electric Apricot, and Walk Hard come to mind. I can recite almost the entire script of the latter forward and backward.
"It's still not finished yet, I'm hearing more aboriginal percussionists and I want an army of didgeridoos fifty thousand didgeridoos." Dewey Cox Music mockumentaries have become a great source of relief and I think the world needs more of them. It's my pleasure to introduce to my readers "Crap Artist" featuring the one and only Oteil Burbridge and starring J. R. Williams. The film is about a struggling musician who is sued for not finishing a song live. "Crap Artist" is meant to honor the jam band tradition and features prominent members of the musical community. I have always wanted to do movie/TV reviews, now Is my chance. As a writer and video content creator, it has always been my dream to work on films and movies. I think “Crap Artist” is a great place to start. More as the mockumentary is released. Just Another Wednesday Night With Kendall Street CompanyI haven’t seen Kendall Street company since LOCKN’ Music Festival, a couple of years ago. They opened up right before Umphrey’s McGee and I thought they did a great job keeping the audience's attention before such a big act. And that was a few years ago. They have since grown into a fullfledged touring band deserving of an entire review here at www.jambandpurist.com It was just another Wednesday night in Harrisonburg, Virginia; my hometown. Not a lot of music seems to come through here. When it does, I feel lucky to be able to see a show five minutes away from my house. Oh, the luxury of actually having a somewhat decent venue that is getting some music near you. I wasn’t expecting the crowd that attended for a Wednesday night show and I was glad to see the turnout. There were a lot of college kids and some older folks. Kendall Street Company seem to have a diverse fanbase. I had previously been in contact with some of the band members trying to get them on my website and YouTube VLOG. Finally, things worked out and here it is. Kendall Street Company have some major hype and a big management company to boot. There is a reason why they are billed as, "Virginia's Breakout Jamband.” And why have been getting some major attention on this upcoming tour. Kendall Street Co has what it takes to take their sound to the next level. Skipping right past most bands of their caliber. I have been seeing live Jam band music for 17 years now… wow just saying that makes me feel really old. Anyway, I’ve been seeing this kind of music for almost two decades and I have reviewed hundreds of bands. Kendall Street Co are already up there with some of the bigger acts in the scene. With a little honing of technique and constant practice/performance all they need now is for you to hear them. It was a fairly straightforward setlist, covers were thrown in with the originals but what made this performance stand out was the creativity in which the covers were performed. While they had a simple, easy take on "Bertha" they switched things up with "Lowrider" making it more of a "Slowrider": funky and slower in tempo. I enjoyed this change of pace and sometimes, covers need to be flipped on their head to become something more than what they were before. I was excited to hear "Oye Como Va" done with a nice groove and solid articulation but I was not expecting them to go into "Groove Is In The Heart" by Deee-lite and then back into "Oye Como Va". This was surprising and fun. This is exactly what being a Jam band is all about; taking the music away from bar covers with actual musical segues and changes. Kendall Street Co's originals are also fun, danceable, and party anthems. Their musical abilities combine well together to create something more. (Lead Singer) Louis Smith's energy is infectious; his constant smile represents the feeling of this band. Brian Roy (bassist) brings the style to Kendall Street & Co, kicking off those fancy slippers and dropping the bass bombs. (Drummer) Ryan Wood is perhaps the most skilled musician of them all and truly plays to the heart of this band. Ben Laderberg on guitar is a melodic wildcard, never knowing exactly when he is about to take off on a tangential solo. Jake Vanaman (Sax) is the solo captain, always bringing the notes. I think there was another keyboardist but I can't find anything online! I hate to leave him out because it certainly added another element and let Jake's sax go to work. I talked with many of the concert-goers and all of them loved the band and wanted to see more. This says a lot about a small local show on a freakin' Wednesday! I haven’t decided if I am catching the next Sunday show but I would definitely like to see Kendall Street company again. I would certainly listen if they were playing at a festival this summer. Here’s to another wild and crazy Wednesday night! JBP P.S.- I did end up going to the next Wednesday show and it was even better than the one I reviewed here. They were tighter and even more improvisationally sound. I am glad I returned for another round of KSC and I did not have to review it. It felt nice to just enjoy the show and dance. Thanks, Kendall Street for the great times. Out Of My Mind #10: Dopapod & Eggy: Make Music History (Written Review) It was a cold, frigid evening as I traveled up the highway to Winchester, Virginia. This small quaint town is filled with history; mostly from the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. Many monuments, museums, and plaques are displayed throughout the downtown area where the Bright Box is located. History was certainly made that night, not some war history, but musical history. The one-of-a-kind Prog-Jam-Rock band, Dopapod, may have laid a set down for the ages in the intimately situated venue. I have been to the Bright Box before but this time, there was no stage: The band was on the floor, eye to eye with the audience and almost completely surrounded by people. At one point, Neal "Fro" Evans, the drummer, even had someone from the audience help him on drums. That is how intimate this was. I situated myself as close as I could and really got to watch this band work as a unit. Dopapod is prodigious, raw, and tight. They work together as one, as a family. Bringing something entirely new and creative to every performance. You honestly never know what you will get with these guys. Case in point, they covered an amazingly funky version of Rammstein's "Du Hast." This was absolutely hilarious and unexpected. I did not think I would be dancing to "Du Hast" when I arrived at this show. This is another instance of Dopapod taking chances and having fun. Oh yeah, before I forget! The opener Eggy was also impressive and fun. I wasn't able to catch the entire show but what I did see was high-energy and thought-out material. This band also works well together and seems to be pushing each other to play better and better. Opening up for Dopapod is also a great experience learning firsthand how to create jam transitions and keep the audience in the palm of your hand. I would check out Eggy again for a full review. Back to Dopapod; Rob Compa is a wizard on the guitar. His playing is diverse and melodic: sometimes preferring the groove over the solo, which takes a lot of willpower with that nasty rhythm section. Bassist, Chuck Jones always with a smile on his face. Eli Winderman has seemed to allow the other guys to grow and pursue their own sounds. At times, I think of Eli as the bandleader but now it seems everyone is on equal musical terms, and it's amazing to watch this band grow together and separately. This pandemic has changed a lot for everyone especially musicians but I could tell Dopapod was having so much fun on stage, laughing, dancing, and talking shit into the mics to one another. The audience was fully committed and hooked to the music. There wasn’t one person there that was standing still. This truly felt like a house party show. Like you just say went over to your buddy, Benjamin Bumblebees, house to see some new band formed in the basement. But it’s actually a top-tier Jam band playing for themselves and loving it. Dopapod isn’t afraid to try new things, mess up, or completely flub because that’s what creating improvisational music is all about; taking chances. And Dopapod takes more chances than them all, combining every genre into a magical soup, boiling it down into a potion, and serving it spoonful by spoonful, tasty jam after tasty jam; until you are filled to the brim and it all explodes inside you! Ok, did I get carried away? I had to add the setlist here just for posterity purposes. This show truly was one for the history books. I: Trickery, Garbage Man, Trapper Keeper^, Onion Head > Du Haast* > Onion Head > Hi Doggie, Picture in Picture+ II: Cloud World, Vol. 3 #86 -> Fannie -> Vol. 3 #86, Best Friends, 8 Years Ended -> Velcro, Piazole ^contained Landmines *Rammstein cover +W/ Jake Brownstein from Eggy on guitar Check out Dan and The Fam's Newest Music Video "Stratus" I hope to join Richmond's newest Jam Sensation sometime soon onstage! Jam Band Purist Full Halloween 2021 Review and Vlog: "Witches, Horrors, Bears, and Cults" Oh My While the Jam world looks to Phish and their Halloween spectacular in Vegas, I was stuck in Virginia trying to make the best of my Halloween weekend. Halloween for me is a palpable holiday unlike many ie: the 4th of July, Memorial Day, Easter. Halloween is real and can be manifested in many different ways. I have always taken it upon myself to find something to do during this All Hallows’ Eve, Samhain, or whatever pagan ritual it’s descended from. Music, movies, books, entertainment, and ghosts stories all fill this season to the brim with consciousness, making it more alive than most other holidays. So in the spirit of Halloween, in the spirit of being ALIVE, I got out and did something, anything. Even if it killed me...
The weekend began on Friday with a small show from the band, Litz. There are very few shows that come around my small Virginia hometown and I try and support these small shows as much as I can. The Golden Pony, like many of the downtown bars and small venues, has been going through hard times due to covid restrictions and unemployment. It’s sad to see these great small bands only get a handful of patrons when there is a huge college community. Either way, there was more room to dance and space to move around. There were no costumes to be seen except for a solitary Witch that sat in the corner practicing some sort of divination or casting spells on us all. Litz exceeded my expectations and put on a quality show. Each musician seemed familiar with the music, their instruments, and each other. I brought along some family members since it was a local show and they thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Litz is solid, in-sync, and fun. By the end of the night, the crowd would gather in the center of the dance floor and boogie. While it may have been a smaller show, Litz played like it was sold out and that, in itself, is a success. I highly recommend checking this Electro-Jam-Funk band out anytime you can. Saturday's big plan was to see the Rocky Horror Picture show live presented by James Madison University students. I have always loved Rocky Horror even as a child I can remember dressing up and singing like a "Sweet Transvestite," or doing the "Time Warp" again. The show was an unrestrained good time and my first time seeing it with performers. While I enjoy the music, the rock & roll vibe, and the lyrics, I wasn’t much for the yelling and distractions from the storyline itself. Still, this is quite the experience that every red-blooded American should have before they kick the great bucket. Halloween night my friends and I would gather together to see Andy Frasco and The UN in Charlottesville Virginia at The Southern. I adorned my Grumpy Bear onesie and we caught the opening act, Nick Gerlachs Cult Conference. It was danceable and fun to gather with friends and talk about whatever Halloween things people talk about. Witches? Ghosts? Goblins? The overall atmosphere changed drastically when Andy and The U.N. got onstage and the onslaught began. While this wasn’t the most high-energy or wild show I’ve seen from this band, something was growing beyond all the antics. Perhaps an air of maturity? Andy did not crowd surf but The Southern is a small venue and it was far from capacity. It was more like a low-key evening with the band than anything. I kept to the corner and tried to observe, record, and write as much as possible. The crowd was entranced and enthralled in the musical rapture that is the mystery cult of Frasco. What he says goes, he is Simon. He is the creepy Korean kid statue yelling, "Redlight, Greenlight." He is the leader. He is the ONE. He will transcend the JAM and into pop culture. God Speed. It’s just his world and we are living in it for the night. I will always see Frasco in my mind's eye, aboard my very first Jam Cruise, literally smoking dabs taking mushrooms, and crowd surfing across the entire venue. Pink boxing outfit, ready for battle. Andy, you are a treasure to this community and this world. Stay original. After the show, we would catch a few songs from Seleus, a local Virginia band that played some Classic Rock songs mixed with their unique jam style. I wish I could have stayed longer but my group started to feel under the weather. We all came down with the dreaded covid. This is the main reason for this review and the accompanying VLOG is so late. It has taken all of a month to start to feel normal and I have also been very busy starting my Tik-Tok channel! Yea yea, I get it. Tik-Tok but I am using my musical knowledge to spread fun music facts and music trivia. It has already been a wild start with nearly 500k views on my first video. Please join me on Tik-Tok at jambandpurist for more. I’d love to have my readers on this platform as well. Although I always feel as though my website is our little secret and the best way to get in my head. Thank you for sticking around and much more to come even if no one is reading. Jam on! I have been working on the Travel Vlog for awhile now and finally just published episode #1 on YouTube. Check it out and hit subscribe! Phish Tour 2021: A New Past, A New Perspective Let me start by saying, no band on planet earth can do it like Phish, the highest highs, the lowest lows; transfusing dark riffs with whimsical merriment. I have said a lot about this band in previous reviews and I always try and find a different angle or something new to say about their performances. In the past, I have reviewed the sets, song by song, but good lord that’s tedious and after a while redundant. It’s best I stick with the hits and talk about the best parts of these shows instead of nit-picking and going, full journalist mode. I have always wanted to travel to Deer Creek Amphitheater (now Rouff) the venue made infamous by the Grateful Dead and the gate-crashing incident. The drive north was worse than expected and I honestly didn’t realize Indianapolis was such a big city. Arriving in town, something just wasn't right with my stomach and I missed out on the first show, which turned out to be one of the best shows of the tour, filled with 30+ minute jams and improvisation. I have since listened to this show and I am still kicking myself for missing it but I was physically unable to attend. The next day was better after a long night's sleep but still, something inside was not right, I struggled forward in the earnest hope that the music would bring me back to life and I was excited to see what Phish could bring after this long hiatus. I had been keeping up with the setlists of the previous shows and was ready for whatever may come and boy did it! The lot scene in Indianapolis was one of the largest I had seen and my sidekick, Jack, and I were graciously accepted and welcomed. I have been traveling with Jack for over 15 years now and we have seen countless shows and even journeyed to Egypt together. Jack has cerebral palsy and I am so grateful to be his friend and to have his perspective in my life. You can check out more with Jack below on the Out Of My Mind VLOG Episodes #4-5. I just wanted to mention him here, in case anyone was wondering. After thoroughly "wookifying" ourselves we headed into the venue to await Phish. Friday was filled with monster jams, ethereal noises, and all-around spacey jams. The improvisation was on point and they always seemed to make it back to Earth before blasting off again. Needless to say, the band couldn’t keep that up all weekend and Saturday's show was more of a rock and roll experience. Not to say it didn’t have its moments where they got downright dirty and sleazy with those riffs. I knew Sunday was going to be off the charts but I was not prepared for the "Story Of Sally." What is there to say about this set? It might be one of the most creative and hilarious Phish moments since Merriweather's "Tweezerfest" for me. The band would go in and out of various songs, creating new lyrics, combining imagery, and having a lot of fun on stage. This is what Phish is all about, taking chances, taking risks, trying something that has never been done before, and can never be replicated. The "Story Of Sally" is really just the story of Phish and their inclusion of improvisational elements from all influences and their all-around passion for music. We drove the next long haul of about 9 hours to Hershey, Pennsylvania and I came down with one of the worst stomach pains I have ever experienced. I barely made it to the next hotel before I was about to tap out on the whole week. These things happen on tour and while it sucked, it’s only time and music seems to help everything. Fortunately, I pushed through to hang with all my friends at Hershey. These two shows solidified my short run and gave me most of the songs I knew I was going to see. It was a grand event filled with loved ones going backwards down the number line. I would say more about these shows but I honestly barely remember most of it because I was struggling with stomach pains, I do remember some great jams from Birds Of A Feather and Chalkdust. These two shows kind of just washed over me, I don't remember much but I do remember dancing and having fun most of the time. Have any of you ever experienced a concert while sick? How did you push through? I am glad I survived getting brown in Hershey town but I wish I could have carried on to Atlantic City. Cest la vie. Seeing Phish is like transporting myself into the past. The past me, past experiences, some past life; foggy in the haze of memory. Somehow reliving a deja vu-like dream but with new meaning, an advanced frame of mind. The pandemic has really put things into perspective and while I yearn for the past, I still look forward to what may come. Seeing Phish is like moving forward in life, not knowing what they will play, how they will play it, or how the hell they will get back down to earth. Things may be changing again quickly but one thing will never change, Phish absolutely jams and they do it like no one can. JBP PLEASE LIKE, COMMENT, AND SUBSCRIBE TO JAMBANDPURIST YOUTUBE CHANNEL! Links Below: Jam Band Purist: FloydFest 2021 (A Return Home) Full Review The Virginia backroads twist and turn into the future, traveling into a long-awaited musical journey. A return home. The past year-and-a-half have been some fevered nightmare where my bare essentials have been stripped from me, mainly live music, my lifeblood, which seems like a very unorganized religion for me. My Sunday Sabbaths are weekly or monthly musical journeys into the reaches of Improv and Rock and Roll but, this was all taken from me. With the return of FloydFest, I knew that I would be able to return to my sanctuary and rekindle the musical fire that dwells in us all. This spark was aflame as soon as I entered the venue. It’s always quite the heartwarming experience when you walk into a festival for the first time in two years and see Keller Williams on stage, a smile on his face, barefoot, and singing some nonsensical dialogue. It reminds me of simplistic times when I was 18 and carefree, the world ahead of me. That youthful spirit invigorates me as I sally forth into the weekend headlong with music and dance. There is no rest for the weary here. All your bones must dance until tomorrow. Become one with yourself, the mountaintop, the drops of dew, the sun, and the music. FloydFest is as a dream is. The mountaintop atmosphere lends itself to the blissful nature of the music. The music and natural surroundings seem in harmony with one another. The long-fingered ridge becomes a small town, a circus with all the fixings. There is something here for everyone, young and young at heart. Families pass by odd strangers who shimmy to the rhythm of the hypnotic tunes as though they have been doing this their whole lives, their outrageous attire eclectic and revealing. Sometimes I wonder what it's like in those kids' heads as they witness the spectacle. One day I hope they understand the absolute freedom they witnessed as youths. There is nothing like a music festival, and there is nothing like FloydFest. Leftover Salmon is a joyous, exuberant, bluegrass experience with the Oden of the jam world, Vince Herman at the helm. I watched both their sets at the Hill Holler stage and the main stage. Each set brought its own form of progressive bluegrass greatness. The banjo shredding the parts where the guitar should be, Andy Thorn cutting through the mix and right into your feet. There is no possible way to watch Leftover Salmon and not kick a foot or pound it on the ground. Vince's long holler raises the crowd's excitement level as they kick into high-notch before slowing it down for another ballad like “Southern Belle.” Saturday's performance would see a massive rainbow streak across the sky. The colors of music reacting from the heavens. Turkuaz might be the funkiest band on the planet. They create their own world of sound and lyrical landscapes. Turkuaz is the perfect band to join Jerry Harrison and Adrian Belew for a complete recreation of the Talking Heads seminal album 'Remain In The Light.' Both Jerry Harrison and Adrian Belew being prodigious parts of this record, there was an obvious excitement from the crowd. An electric halo seemed to surround us all as the recreating began. And no, this wasn’t a cover this was something else. Something even David Byrne couldn’t replicate onstage. The palpable energy source seemed to hover over the band as they lay into "Psycho Killer", "Born Under Punches,", "Life During Wartime", "The Great Curve", and "Take Me To The River." Jerry Harrison looks from underneath his shoulder-length hair, surveying us until he seems too shy to look anymore and retreats into himself. He is the leader of this group and his Byrne-like presence is less frantic and nonvolatile; more zen funk than some post-punk messiah. Adrian Belew is always waiting for his solo to gleam his Cheshire smile and whammy his guitar into some other dimension. Adrian Belew is one of the most unorthodox guitar players I have ever seen live and he has inspired me to learn the dynamics and complete creative prowess of his guitar virtuosity. I would love to interview Adrian and pick his mind about this show and his past. Now that’s a dream interview! Travers Brothership may have the best single cover from the entire weekend with "City Of Tiny Lights" by the illustrious Frank Zappa which once featured Adrian Belew, synergy there. This cover was outstanding and high-energy. I have never heard it done in such a unique but almost perfect fashion. Travers Brothership has certainly come a long way from the first time I saw them at Floydfest 2 years ago and their strong North Carolina fan base has grown. Kyle Travers guitar antics are on show here but kept respectable for this difficult arrangement. Eric Travers drumming has come a long way and the polyrhythms of this song lend well to his hard, heavy playing. The bassist, scared the shit out of me when flipping his guitar into a barrel roll in the air. I guess sometimes the Brothership truly takes liftoff. Dr. Bacon was my favorite up-and-coming act at FloydFest, their wild antics kept me hooked from the horn blast to the first shred. The characters are some motley crew of bearded ruffians who play the part of psychedelic pirate Shamans to the T. The growly roughness of the Tom Waits-like shanty shivered me timber’s but there was something beyond their outward appearance that intrigued me. In a sea of bands that sound kinda like Phish or kinda like (Pick your poison), Dr. Bacon is already coming out with a somewhat raw, but interesting, and compelling musical experience. I look forward to reviewing them further and delving into the crispy part of that bacon. I have, for many years, Considered The Source, not only of the band itself but of each musical segment they bring within their music. Seemingly taking from various cultures or world music and straight-up smashing that fucker into Prog-Fusion. There is no other band like CTS and there won’t be a band brave enough to try any time soon. But something is being explored in their music that is ancient shamanistic and they are just touching the surface of the possibilities juxtaposing modern music with the ancient. I got to talk with Jeff Mann, madman drummer, and fellow Zappaphile for a few minutes during Turkauz and he told me of his experience in college playing Zappa’s music. It’s always great to share musical tastes with bands that you admire and appreciate. Andy Frasco is fucking Batman; he is the hero we deserve, not the hero we want. I honestly wasn’t ready for the rage fest that would be the 1 am set in the Beer Garden. Having seen Frasco cause complete chaos in many situations, I had little, to no energy to get down as properly as I should have or as was needed to keep up with the band! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Andy Frasco's performance can only be compared to WWE professional wrestling or fucking GG Allen with a fro and less poop. There was no way I could create a more real raw band even if my wildest dreams. Andy Frasco and the UN tap into a primal musical narrative that flows through the veins of us all. To party and get down until we can’t anymore. This innate instinct is raptured and ushered into a new existence when Frasco and his band roar cacophonous at the dying night. Should I even write about Goose? Do you want to hear what my thoughts were? Oh yes, I stayed for the entire set, but I got my opinions! Anyway, they have more potential than any young band that I have seen yet. I think that says a lot. They have some great grooves and are vocally solid but their transitions are super sloppy and some of their songs are cheesy and derivative; that being said, they are young and have so much room to grow. I would suggest for them to dial in back and define what they want to do and do that really well! No need to explore Country and Western until you're ready. I’m just not ready for a Goose hoedown especially with so many great bluegrass bands at Floydfest. Keep it Jammin'! Keep it deep, dark, and try new things, even if it sounds like shit or you have some know-it-all journalist telling you what to do! I look forward to seeing Goose again in about 5 years. I’m not yet ready to fly south for the winter just yet. FloydFest caters to those who want to acquire new musical acts and new artists. The spotlight competition drives FloydFest each year and its family of bands further. Each year new bands get the opportunity to play for the community and many are embraced, returning the next year. Some of the newest bands I had the pleasure of checking out were: Abby Bryant And The Echoes, which brought out a slew of other performers from various bands like the Travers brothership and Andy Frasco, and The UN. (video in the vlog) Mary Heath and Her Heathens (whom I only heard for a moment but enjoyed what I did hear from their rendition of "Cortez The Killer") the Josephines and Butcher Brown are both on my vlog. I spent an entire show with Dharma Bombs in the VIP on Sunday, just relaxing and enjoying their apocalyptic bluegrass folk. (Video in the Vlog) Some of the members are from my hometown. Chupacabras again, horny, heavy, and fun! I like to get weird right along with them. They also added a great element to the Buffalo Mountain Jam and I was impressed with their horn playing abilities in keeping up with Turkauz. Hogslop String Band with a great rendition of Loudon Wainwright's "Swimming Song"(in the vlog). Very manly bluegrass but calm down a little bit with the cursing. Molly Tuttle did a beautiful rendition of "Standing On The Moon" (in Vlog) which reminded me of Jerry like it always does. I like that a new generation of singer-songwriters have latched onto hunter Garcia’s music, there is something eternally poetic about those verses. It has been 3 years attending FloydFest. Missing out on last year was hard but I gained a new respect for how difficult it can be to create an event of such magnitude. All for the love of music, which is a pure and just cause. There is nothing purer than trying to bring live music into a community. I am humbled and grateful for the opportunity to cover FloydFest and I have truly been welcomed with open arms into the family. I hope to return to this amazing festival again next year but I’ll make sure do to make it on Wednesday for the VIP camping. I hope that you all will give my VLOG (Out Of My Mind) Episodes #1-3, a view and let me know what you think! While I know it’s self-indulgent and somewhat narcissistic, I just want to share, not only my writing but my entire experience with you all. Thank you all for making my dreams come true and a special "thank you" to Sam Calhoun, Brian Swenk, and the Across-The-Way Team for always making me feel at home. See you all next year! Jam Band Purist Presents: (Out Of My Mind) Episodes #1-3-(FloydFest) Jam Band Purist Presents Episodes #1-3 of (Out Of My Mind) are up on YouTube! It’s been 5 years since I started this website and I’m happy to be stepping it up. LIKE, SHARE & FOLLOW for more! Follow Jam Band Purist as he traverses the music festival landscape in Out Of My Mind- A Music Video Podcast/Vlog. Get inside the mind of a music journalist and the daily life at Floydfest, a music festival in Virginia. |
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