Due to some freakish weather, my entry into the festival was considerably delayed. I missed all of Les Claypool, which was very disappointing, but I was able to make it inside in time for Dark Star Orchestra. I have been seeing DSO for I guess nearly 10 years now. Back in the old Chicago days, I would meet Hidden Tracker Emeritus Ace Cowboy at Martyr’s for their regular Tuesday night shows and would always leave blown away. I’m not necessarily blown away by them these days, but I never fail to be thoroughly impressed with the quality of their performances. And a Thursday night headlining slot at Langerado was just about ideal for them. There was a tangible electricity in front of the wind-swept stage and DSO garnered a reception worthy of the genuine article. A long day of travel and tribulations forced me to cut their set short, but I left definitely pleased that I had a chance to have the band welcome me to the fest (with a Shakedown opener, no less).
Friday opened warily, with a bloodshot eye on the wind and rain of the previous day. I started my morning with The Dynamites, a really fun band that evokes Houseman-era Galactic. Think more Detroit than New Orleans, though, and you’ll have a feel for what they do. A tight rhythm section, funk guitar and Memphis horns set the table nicely for the entertaining Charles Walker, a consummate front man with a respectable pedigree.
I hopped from The Dynamites over to see a band I’d never heard of – Earl Greyhound. Greyhound is a power trio that is definitely doing something interesting. Fuzzy guitar work, thundering drums and attention-getting harmonies really stood out.
A quick stop back at the camp site was cut short by the serious heat that was being thrown from the Everglades Stage by Indigneous. These guys were mixing a SRV/Allmans vibe got me out of my camp chair and back into the venue for the last half of their set. Traditional blues that’s not afraid to jam – I like that.
I tried to keep the energy alive for Sam Bush but just couldn’t get into his set. The guy’s a master, no doubt, but I just wasn’t feeling him after a few songs. I listened to The Wailers from back at the camp site (and cursed myself for not being able to see the Matisyahu sit-in) and then hustled back up for a 5:30 time slot that included G. Love and Sierra Leone’s Refugee All-Stars. These were both fun sets that I enjoyed moving back and forth between during dinner. I especially liked the All-Stars, as they’re not your typical festival fare.
311 from the VIP viewing deck quickly gave way to a tough decision – The Roots or Mickey Hart Band. I know what you’re thinking…usually, this is a no-brainer. The Roots are awesome and Mickey Hart is cheesier than a box of Velveeta. I know this to be true. But these days, Weird Mickey has managed to put some real muscle in front of him – George Porter, Jr. on bass, Steve Kimock on guitar, Jen Durkin on vocals, and who I thought I recognized as Particle’s Darren Pujalet on drums. This band – I feel a little disoriented as I type this – has some real potential. Durkin is great but I’m not entirely sure her style fits the music. Even so, if they can work out some kinks, get some good material and spend some time honing their sound on the road…they have a lot going for them.
Next up, one of the primary draws of the festival for me – The Beastie Boys. I love the B-Boys and first saw them in ’92 or ’93 at Hara Arena when they were supporting Check Your Head. I will always maintain that they are one the least understood and most under-appreciated bands in history. What I love about them is they’re constantly ahead of the curve; it took the rest of the music world three years to catch up with Paul’s Boutique. The thing that struck me the most about them at Langerado is that they’ve truly shifted from a rap act that mixes in some instrumental jams to an accomplished band that throws in some levity with the rhymes. God bless ‘em for it. The set at Langerado wasn’t without its issues – sound problems seemed to plague them throughout – and I definitely felt old when Intergalactic and the new material got a bigger response than the PB/CYH stuff, but I have to put them in my top five for the weekend.
I did a lot of roaming Saturday, catching great bits and pieces from bands like The American Babies (I really dig their mellower stuff), The Wood Brothers and Citizen Cope before settling in at Pnuma Trio. I’ve been hearing about these guys for years and am glad that I got to see a big part of their set. Fun, upbeat, intense…I’d love to catch these guys in a late night tent somewhere. And then I finally got a chance to see Ben Folds. This is one of the things I really appreciated about this particular line-up: there were a number of bands there that I’ve listened to for a long time but have never seen live. Folds was great and brought the house down with his cover of Dr. Dre’s Bitches Ain’t Shit. It was kind of odd singing along and dancing behind a couple of grandmothers in their 60s during this, but hey – it’s a festival.
Coming in to Langerado, I had heard of Thievery Corporation before but hadn’t heard a note of their music. I knew it was a DJ project, I think I had seen them listed on a Bisco line-up maybe, didn’t really have anything on them. It turned out to be probably my favorite show of the weekend. This Thievery Corporation set was almost like a festival within the festival – world music, horns, mad beats, multiple performers…it was tough to decide whether to put your head down and dance or to keep your eyes glued to the action on the stage. I would guess they are more suited for festival appearances but if they ever come around TJ’s neighborhood, I will be there.
Matisyahu and Medeski never really lifted me up to the levels Thievery did, but REM did a nice job in the headlining slot. It kind of freaks me out to think that I’ve been listening to REM for more than 20 years, and I couldn’t help but wonder what most of the crowd thought. Was it the equivalent of me seeing, like, The Steve Miller Band or somebody back in the early 90s? I liked their approach, though – a good mix of classics and upbeat stuff from the new record. And Stipe was wearing an Obama shirt, which I thought was pretty cool.
I tried getting into Josh Ritter Sunday morning but never got hooked so I went over to catch some Martin Sexton (on the strong recommendation of my wife). Nice and mellow for a Sunday morning. These were merely appetizers for me, however – I was waiting on a belly-full from the funky Meters. The Meters are one of my all-time favorites and I never miss an opportunity to see them. This was my first show seeing Ian Neville on guitar instead of Brian Stoltz, and he definitely brings a different dynamic – more of rock edge to some of the jams. It seemed at times they were keeping him on kind of a tight leash, too. There was some rust and timing issues between George and Art, but let’s get to the point here: the Meters are feel-good music. So what if Art jumps a lead? How can you not feel like you’re in a parade when these guys are on stage?
I met my crew over at Keller and moved to Mule before catching one of the true surprises of the weekend. We randomly walked up to the Greenarado Stage just as Steel Train was getting ready to close with Fleetwood Mac’s Tusk. These guys rocked it out with a lot of energy and deserve, as the Cowboy would say, a Kudos Bar.
Blind Melon was obviously huge when Shannon Hoon was alive, and I must be the only dude that went to college in the early 90s that doesn’t foam at the mouth at the mention of these guys. I don’t know why, I just never got into them. This worked well for me on Sunday, though, because I had no frame of reference outside of the girl in the bee suit and Hoon singing backing vocals for GnR on the roof in the Don’t Cry video. This Blind Melon that I saw, it was a good freakin’ band. I don’t know (or care) how much or how little the new guy sounds like the old guy, all I know is that it got my head bobbing and everyone around me seemed to dig it too.
I hate to disparage Phil, but he and his friends sort of ended the festival on a phizzle for me. Everybody wants to step up and fellate Jackie Greene…I just don’t see it so much. To be fair, I was dehydrated and exhausted at this point but there just didn’t seem to be any life in their playing. But it’s all subjective – your friend that went may have thought it was the best show of the weekend.
So that was my Langerado. If you haven’t been, or even if you have, I recommend checking it out now that it’s at Big Cypress. They have a Bonnaroo-like line-up at a quarter of the size, a fact that shouldn’t be overlooked. You can actually see and hear the headlining bands on the main stages. You can move pretty much freely without being swept up in the unwashed masses. It’s pretty damn cool, and a festival that I’ll be checking out again.
Look for more Langerado coverage in the upcoming days
8 Responses
Jen Durkin is a bar band level screecher at best. Her style works fine in semi-funk outfits like Deep Banana Blackout, but when I saw her with Mickey over 1.5 years ago, the results ranged from decent nostalgia to unlistenable. YMWV!
Mmmmmmm…. Unwashed masses…
I, for one, would love to fellate Jackie Greene. Oh, that’s not what you meant.
Great write-up, my man. I wish we were sitting in Martyr’s for an old Dark Star Orch set tonight.
I don’t dig Jackie with Phil either. I read someone’s description calling it “Grateful Dead karaoke” and I think that fits pretty well. He’s a great musician and his solo stuff is pretty sweet, but whether it’s the voice or the hair or him reading every lyric off a tele-prompter, I don’t get what all the fellatin’ is about either. Phil’s had a lot better groups of Friends in the past. I don’t really get why this group is getting such an extended workout. How about Tim Bluhm, or Dan Lebowitz? Or both?
Ditto on Jen Durkin, thought the exact same thing about her work w/ the Rhythm Devils at Vegoose in 2006. She just didn’t fit.
Phil signed these friends to a contract, probably a three year deal. That is why they are getting the “extended workout,” because Phil is paying them for their services. This is why Trey, Warren, etc. will not be friends for a long period of time. They will not agree (or in Warren’s case, agree again) to a deal of that nature. Also, DSO at Martyrs was the best. I can’t get into paying almost $50 to see them, when I remember paying next to nothing and enjoying a Goose Island with my TLEO!