This was also the day I had planned to see the most music. Three of my most anticipated sets would happen on Day 3 – Railroad Earth, The Dead, and Umphrey’s McGee. One was just as much fun as I figured it would be, one blew my mind, and one was a huge disappointment. Read on to see which was which…

After waking up early to go catch a shower (necessary and refreshing), I tried to catch up on my blogging, picture uploading, video uploading, and all the other things that would normally be more difficult because of our oversaturated media Internet access. Due to a tech glitch that was own dumb fault, I realized that the pictures going into our Flickr feed were going in twice. So, I took a few minutes (well, really 2 hours) to fix that mess. You can see those pics here, if you’re so inclined.

The first show on the Day 3 docket was a trio of local boys – Four Finger Five from Muskegon, MI hit the Ranch Arena stage at 1pm. While they didn’t do a lot of traditional “jamming”, 4F5 certainly seems to have the musical talent to stretch things out if they had the time. Since this was an abbreviated festival set, I imagine they were trying to give the audience a good sampling of what they were all about, rather than wow the crowd with 3 songs weighing in at 20 minutes a piece. I’m having trouble classifying their sound. They aren’t just playing rock. They aren’t really a straight-up jazz band. They remind me a little of O.A.R., only there isn’t a lot of that reggae-bop that O.A.R. presents. Joe Sturgill’s vocals have a bit of a John Mayer tone to them, slightly more pure in fact. So glad to know that (a) they have a new record on the way and (b) they’re from West Michigan. Yay for the home team! Make sure you give this clip from their set a listen: four-finger-five

Railroad Earth rolled around a couple hours later, and I was headed back to the Ranch. Bottom line, I love listening to these guys. Day 3 was the day the temps started to turn, and things started to get hot. All the running around I had already done throughout the morning had started to take it’s toll. I was tired, on my way to being wiped out, and I knew I had a long night ahead. Railroad Earth delivered the perfect mix of folk, bluegrass and acoustic rock – it was exactly what I needed at that point in the day. Something that I could listen to without much need for concentration – grab a portabello quesadilla (my fave food at the fest), find a spot in the shade, and just close my eyes and enjoy the sounds. A guest appearance by String Cheese’s Billy Nershi didn’t hurt either. If you’ve been following this blog, you saw my love for Railroad Earth a few weeks earlier. Needless to say, they lived up to my expectations.

John Butler took the Ranch stage following Railroad Earth. John Butler Trio’s 2 records (Sunrise Over Sea and Grand National) are 2 of my favorite records over the last few years. I expected the Australian singer/songwriter to wow me once he hit the stage. Sadly, he fell a little flat. He started out solo, and 3 songs in, I needed to head back to the media area to join the photo pit for The Dead. There were drums set up on the stage, so there is a chance the set turned from a John Butler solo set to a full-on Trio show… but I have no idea.

Which brings us to The Dead. This was the most disappointing show I saw during all 4 days. I’m not sure if it was my fault or the band’s fault. I had never seen the Dead, Grateful or otherwise, so I was really hoping to see something special. You can read my full review here and see what went wrong.

The fireworks were excellent, and gave The Dead’s “U.S. Blues” a great backdrop. However, The Dead had run pretty long, and I could hear Umphrey’s ripping in to one of my favorites (”All In Time”) from the Ranch, so that’s where we headed. It was now somewhere in the realm of 1am.

The Chicago-via-South Bend prog-rock sextet was lighting up the Ranch Arena stage when we finally arrived about 20 minutes later. Both the band and the crowd were already on fire. We walked in as the band started up “Hurt Bird Bath”, a rowdy guitar jam that would build and peak over and over, whipping the crowd into a frenzy. Next up, the soaring “Hajimemashite” that would segue into the spacey end of set-opener “Mantis”. Talking Head’s cover “Making Flippy Floppy” and the guitar-funk of “40’s Theme” were next, leading up to the electronic dance of set-closing “Cemetery Walk pt. 2″. At setbreak, the crowd was treated to a surprise DJ set by Pretty Lights – he spun for about 25 minutes, befoe Umphrey’s returned. Joel Cummins on the keys blended his sound into what Pretty Lights was spinning, and as the DJ dropped out, the band kicked in with the fan-favorite jam “Wappy Sprayberry” – a great tune that goes from dance to rock and back again. “Wappy” segued abruptly into the piano intro of “Cemetery Walk” from Umphrey’s current record “Mantis”.

It was late in the jam of the next tune “Ringo” that I realized I was hitting the wall. It had somehow become 3am. My mind had been blown, I had lost track of time, and reality had started to invade my brain again. I knew I had work to do in the morning. I knew how much I liked sleep. I knew how much I liked my routine. So I ended a mostly fantastic Day 3 with a long walk back to my car, jamming to the sounds of Umphrey’s McGee with every step.

Saturday night’s Dead set was a lethargic trip through some great songs – songs I’ve been wanting to hear for more than a decade, and never thought I would. “Sugar Magnolia” opened the show, and showed some promise – sounded tight, vocals were as crisp as they could be, crowd was digging it. A good start. “Eyes of the World” was where the trouble began for me. The song’s tempo was so much slower than I had heard it, I couldn’t identify the song until the lyrics started. “Throwing Stones”, “One More Saturday Night” – they all seemed sluggish and dragging. Those should have been huge songs! For me, the encore was the highlight, mostly because they finally put some fire in their step as they rolled into “U.S. Blues” with fireworks as a backdrop, followed by “Not Fade Away”.

The Dead ran pretty late – both MSTRKRFT and Umphrey’s McGee had started their sets on the other stages, and as the fireworks were beginning, so was the exodus. Maybe this was an off night. Maybe this is what the whole Spring 2009 Tour sounded like. Maybe I just need to go back to 1974.

The Dead
July 4, 2009
Complete Setlist

Set 1
Jam > Sugar Magnolia, Eyes of the World > Estimated Prophet, Loose Lucy, Friend Of The Devil, Into The Mystic (Van Morrison), Help On The Way > Slipknot! > Franklin’s Tower

Set Two:
One More Saturday Night, Shakedown Street > China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider > Drums / Space > Viola Lee Blues, Morning Dew, Throwing Stones, Sunshine Daydream

Encore:
US Blues (with Fireworks) , Not Fade Away

A good portion of Day 2 was spent fixing computer glitches – slow internet, timed-out uploads and other things of that nature. But all headaches aside, Rothbury really kicked into gear on Day 2, with the first full day of music getting underway at 12:30pm with Lansing, Michigan’s Steppin’ In It.

I managed to see at least a half-dozen artists through the course of the day – some for a full set, others for only a few minutes. I also headed over to the Tripolee area to check out a panel discussion on Green Jobs, what they are, and how to get one. I learned a lot about what they were and why we need them, but there wasn’t much focus on how to get one, other than the repeated call to action and “just go out and do it” mentality. But the content was interesting, and I hope to post a recording of the entire discussion at woodtv.com.

Music-wise, I started the day with Macpodz, from Ann Arbor, MI. They had a 70’s funk sound… that would quickly turn to a latin jam, or some Jethro Tull inspired flute-work. The band was all over the board in terms of styles – an interesting complement to the overall picture of Rothbury. Take a listen to a little of The Macpodz set: the-macpodz

I sampled a lot of other acts throughout the afternoon, from Femi Kuti to Damian Marley, G. Love to Soulive. I was most impressed by the 10 minutes I got to spend with Flogging Molly. A driving, frantic, Celtic-Punk sound lit up the Ranch Arena stage. I had other places to be, I thought I was in a hurry. But these guys made me stop and forget everything else I needed to do. It was loud. It was reckless. The crowd was eating it up, and I look forward to checking them out further.

The big show of the night came on the Odeum stage. A crowd of 30,000+ gathered to see the official reunion of the String Cheese Incident. That show meant a lot of things to a lot of people, or so it seemed. You can read my thoughts and check out the setlist in my full review.

We ended the night with a little Chromeo – an electronic outfit. Our buddy Wade is the expert on this genre, so you should definitely check out his review.

I managed to make it to bed before 2am. A little embarassing, given the plethora of late-night options.. but I had an early morning (8am) date with a shower, and I didn’t want to let that shower down.

My first goal of the day was to make my way to Keller Williams over at the Ranch. You can check out that review right here, and even listen to an audio clip from the show.

We got to the stage early enough to catch the very end of Toubab Krewe. Sadly, it’s hard to tell you much about their style – the only song we caught was a full band drum and percussion jam. Don’t get me wrong, it was awesome, and the crowd was very much into it, dancing frenetically to the pulsing, tribl beats that were being laid down – I just have no idea if that is reminiscent of their “normal” sound, or if it was just a cool way to cap off their set.

Keller followed Toubab at the Ranch. His set was great, but hopefully you’ve already clicked that link above and know that. We headed back to the media tent, dealt with some frustrations there, and tried to relax a bit before heading out to the Disco Biscuits.

Now, I will make my confession right here – I have never been into the Disco Biscuits. I have sampled their studio records, made the attempt to really listen, and have been mostly unimpressed. Thursday night (Friday morning, really) my mind was changed. These guys are first and foremost a live band. I’m sure any fan of tDB could have told me that, but I was never interested in listening. Sorry about that.

They started with solid rock. Electric guitars blazing, drums hitting hard – the crowd was into it. But I learned that the more the tempo picks up and the more the songs turn from rock into dance into electronic, the more glowing objects get thrown into the air. The more glowing things in the air, the more the crowd goes nuts. The more the crowd goes nuts, the more the band gets into it, and pushes themselves to play harder. Its keeps going on like this until the set ends or the crowd passes out.

About 45 minutes into the Disco Biscuits set, I noticed a message from the Rothbury Twitter account – there would be a secret show at the Speak EZ stage in the middle of the Sherwood Forest. We arrived around 1:30, as a Burlesque show was wrapping up on the stage – not my cup of tea, but to each their own. People filtered in slowly, in groups of 3 or 4, as word spread that something was going down in the Forest. About 2am, Dominic Lalli from Big Gigantic came to the stage for a DJ set – he mixed his own beats, and once he got a good groove going, he played sax over the tune.

To think that this would end up being a “light” day as far as things to do and see (music didn’t start until 6:00pm) was an overwhelming thought. Sleeping in my car never felt so good.

Using a series of delay effects and other looping technology, Williams is able to record a section of his jam and let it repeat as long as he needs. He may start with a drum machine, laying down his rhythm, then head over to the bass, and finally, solo over himself on guitar.

Thursday night, Keller Williams entertained a crowd that filled the field of the Ranch Arena at Rothbury. It started simply, just Keller and his acoustic guitar – his instrument of choice, and one that allows him to show off his skill. Keller started the song off on the side of the stage, tempting the crowd, who headed into full-on dance mode as the songwriter finally made his way onto the stage. He may use lots of technology to enhance his music, but in the end, it’s just that – enhancement.

His set spanned his career, with many songs getting Rothbury-themed lyric changes. A smooth segue from “Apparition” > “Doobie In My Pocket” came early in the show, with the latter’s lyrical content receiving a warm welcome from the crowd. Keller also wowed the crowd with a quick Phish cover – applause erupted as the audience realized that the hip-hop beat that had been laid down would turn into “Birds of a Feather” from the recently reunited Jam Band Icons. About two-thirds of the way in, String Cheese Incident bassist, and WMD’S member (one of Keller’s numerous side projects, who also played at Rothbury last year), joined in on bass. The two went with a little bluegrass for their duo, and the crowd roared with approval. The guests continued to arrive, with Jeff Hand joining on drums, and Kyle Hollingsworth on keys – both String Cheese Incident members). The quartet headed into older tunes “Kidney In a Cooler”, “Breathe” and “Fuel For the Road” to close the show.

I could easily say this was my highlight of the festival… but at the time, it was the only set of music I had seen. So, not really a lie, but not entirely accurate, either.

Hope you enjoy this little clip from “Birds of a Feather” – my full recording of the show will be linked here eventually, so keep checking back:
keller-williams-birds-of-a-feather

But I’ve never been here. And I’ve never seen this.

There is so much happening, all at once, in a dozen different places. I came in here wanting to be your eyes and ears – to show you and tell you about all of it. I even recruited a bunch of people to help. But I had no idea.

Everything glows. Everything is alive. I was sitting in the media tent last night and realized that there were no natural, white lights – only yellow and red. Now, I know this sounds like the  rant of some drugged out guy, enthralled by the beauty of all the “pretty lights”, but I can assure this is not the case. Although, I think I’ve met those people. They are happy to do their own thing, and I love watching them enjoy the music.

As I continue to wake up after the first of what I imagine to be many late nights (we caught Dominic from Big Gigantic doing a surprise DJ set in the middle of the forest at 1:30am), I’m going to head across the festival grounds, ride a bike that powers a blender, and earn myself a free smoothie. Because that’s just what you do here.

Anyway, I wanted to take a quick moment and just introduce the 4 of us who will be up north (or down south, depending on where you live) this weekend. Hopefully, we can build some street cred… Except for Jason and Michelle’s first concerts – we probably lose 2 points each for those…

Here’s a quick look at our crew:

Jason Woods
Age: 31
Twitter: TheRothblog
Musical Taste: Jam Bands, Roots Rockers, Singer-Songwriters… and Jimmy Buffett. My iPod definitely has a lot of variation. Since it’s summertime, I do a lot more Grateful Dead, Phish, and DMB type of stuff. When winter comes along, I get some of my teenage angst back, and head for the Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, and Nine Inch Nails.
First Concert: New Kids on the Block, circa 1989. I am sorry. I was trying to get the neighbor girl to like me. It didn’t work.
My Rothbury “Must See” Acts: Guster, Keller Williams, Umphrey’s McGee

Michelle Ortlieb
Age: 22
Twitter: michelleortlieb
Musical Taste: I listen to old music. Sometimes I think I was supposed to be born in the ’60s. Favorite band of all time is The Beatles. Here are some of my more current favorites: The Raconteurs, Brendan Benson, Ben Folds, Ben Kweller, Ryan Adams, Counting Crows, Damien Rice, Jurassic 5, Atmosphere. I’m up for almost anything (except country).
First Concert: Spice Girls — yes, I know. Totally embarrassing. But at the time, I loved it.
My Rothbury “Must See” Acts: Keller Williams, The Black Crowes, Ani Difranco

Dave Bisson
Age: 27
Twitter: davebisson
Musical Taste: Varies greatly — reggae, ska, pop, rock, mashups, techno, blues, jazz, folk, bluegrass, rap et al. Current artists heavy in my CD rotation are Soulwax, Justice, MF Doom, Rebelution, 311, UV Hippo, Greensky Bluegrass, and the Cowboy Bebop soundtracks.
First Concert: moe. – 2002 — A late bloomer, I know, but moe was an amazing first concert experience. State Theatre, Ann Arbor, MI. Truly an excellent place for a show.
My Rothbury “Must See” Acts: Umphrey’s McGee, MSTRKRFT, The Glitch Mob

Wade Shields
Age: Wade is an ageless enigma. Mostly because he hasn’t sent back his little questionnaire because he’s too busy interning with 24 Hour News 8. And working at Starbucks. But I know he likes the electronic stuff, so you’ll probably see him more at night.
Twitter: shielw

We also want you to be a part of our crew. We are combing Twitter for mentions of Rothbury, and will be feeding those Tweets to our site. We also want to see what you’re seeing – send your pictures to rothbury@woodtv.com. Those pictures will be almost instantly viewable in the Rothbury section of Posted as well as on your mobile phone with Live8.com. Sorry to sound like a promotional guy – still have to do my day job until Rothbury starts… ; )

>> Full Rothbury Coverage

With that in mind, I have no idea what to pack. I’ve been through the list at the festival website, and thus far I have procured one (1) item – a water bottle. Now, I understand that water can get you through many things, when all other supplies have been depleted, but I also like to eat. Not just for the life-sustaining nourishment it provides, but I actually like to do it. What are my food options going to be like? Should I plan to pack food for most of my meals? What kind of suggestions do you have?

Also, I go back and forth as I contemplate footwear. My metrosexual tendencies just keep surprising you, I’m sure. Tennis shoes, Birks, or Barefoot? Or a combination? I am going to be doing work while I’m there, which means plenty of running around, so the tennis shoes are a good plan. But when it’s break time, and I am enjoying some music, I want to be barefoot. But there’s been rain in the forecast off and on, so…

Lest, I forget, we’ve got our Rothbury section set up now at woodtv.com. We’re hoping to give you a good feel of what’s going on all over the festival grounds, and not just musically. So if you can’t make it, or you want to see what you’re missing, this is the place you’ll want to be.

Anyway, share your tips. Lord knows I need them. And feel free to say hi. I’ll typically be hanging back by the soundboard, likely easy to spot – just look for the tired, malnourished, barefoot guy holding his tennis shoes.

Back in the day (the day being the mid-90’s), I was introduced to the Dave Matthews Band. Early 1995 to be exact. I consumed as much of their music as I could – live, studio, whatever… Eventually, my fanaticism spilled into the still-emerging-Internet world – joining email listserves and discussion boards. It was in one of these interactive fan environments that I learned of an up-and-coming Roots Rock outfit from New Jersey. They called themselves From Good Homes. With a similar instrument lineup to DMB, the thing that caught my attention the most was the unique vocals of singer-songwriter Todd Sheaffer. Again, much like the vocals coming from the mid-90’s version of Dave Matthews, Todd Sheaffer has what I consider a very polarizing sound – he’s either gonna turn you off or blow your mind. I sit firmly entrenched in the “blown mind” camp.

1999 saw the end of From Good Homes, with a final blowout concert in early August. Shaeffer would move on to put out a solo record before hopping on the train to join Railroad Earth. The Pollstar article above picks it up from here, history-wise, so go enjoy the read. Then I’ll see you in a couple weeks at Rothbury for Railroad Earth!