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Show Review
The festivities started on Thursday night with a classic 1972 Grateful Dead show performed by the incomparable Dark Star Orchestra. DSO started the festival in fine style, bringing out their "Donna Jean Godchaux" (Lisa Mackey) to enhance such classics as "I Know You Rider" and "Bird Song". The wind was a force to be reckoned with this evening, and, during the most robust breezes, I’m sure DSO wished that Masontown was just a bit closer to the original Grateful Dead show’s location in San Antonio, TX. But the good vibes were flowing, and DSO really smoked through a strong second set highlighted by a HUGE "Dark Star" (something the band had not played yet in 2003) segued perfectly into a "Bobby McGee" that had everyone shaking to the intoxicating beat. After a beautiful "Sugar Magnolia" > "Going Down the Road Feeling Bad" > "One More Saturday Night," there was no doubting that this was truly the greatest Grateful Dead cover band in the world. John Kadlecik has a voice that is hauntingly like that of Jerry Garcia (we’re talking serious goose bumps here), and Rob Eaton really transforms into Bob Weir for a few hours every night, like some sort of secret psychedelic superhero. Dark Star Orchestra’s ability to recapture the Dead’s magic is uncanny; sometimes it seems like the notes that have been floating in space for all of thirty years have finally been conjured up to ring again. North Carolina trio Hobex closed the first night of "All Good" with a high-energy set featuring songs from their amazing latest album "U Ready Man?" as well as some earlier tunes. Singer/songwriter/guitarist Greg Humphreys and his rhythm section (Dustin Clifford on drums and Andy Ware on bass) scorched through their explosive catalog of funk, soul, and jazz inspired tunes. Highlights included the always enjoyable "Playin’ Games" which seemed to set the hilltop ablaze in an inferno of dancing bodies. Hobex wound down around 3:30 AM and the satisfied crowd retreated to their campgrounds for a night of well-deserved relaxation and mouth-watering anticipation of the incredible Friday lineup.Friday’s forecast called for non-stop rain, but the early risers were pleasantly greeted with sunshine breaking through the dense clouds. It was very windy — something that played havoc with mid-day attempts to set up tents — but the sun was truly a gift from above. After a morning and early afternoon full of workshops from Jim Donovan (drummer from Rusted Root), Wynne Paris (devotional singer), Life in Balance (crystals and energy), and Anthony Aversano (didgeridoo master), Seth Yacovone and his band were the first to take the stage. Skillfully mixing up their unique blend of blues and rock, this trio (Yacovone on guitar and lead vocals, Tommy Coggio on bass, and Steve Hadeka on drums) started Friday’s main stage music marathon with a downright gem of a performance. New listeners were amazed by Yacovone’s amazing talent - he absolutely rules his guitar and is only 22 years old. Florida-based Mofro played next and left their musical imprint on the festival in fine form. I’m a huge fan of these guys, and, although I prefer their late night escapades, this afternoon set was the early highlight of the day. Mofro’s music is a swampy soup of blues, soul, and rock and roll — Florida grown and oh-so-fresh. Band leader JJ Grey represented with his groove-based style of songwriting and his band sounded incredibly tight. Mofro really got the crowd moving, and the sun tried its best to keep the people as hot as the music.  Acoustic Syndicate followed Mofro and kept things grooving along nicely. The air was full of energy, and everyone was finally awake and about. I thought that Acoustic Syndicate played a good set — their music flowed very well at their timeslot. I took some time to wander through the vending village and take in some of the crowd. "All Good" was set up in a very well thought out manner — people had to walk from their cars to their tents, but the parking and camping were still very close together. The camping area had a trail that led down a small hill to the vending area. Food vendors, clothes dealers, and "head shops" were plentiful, all offering their wares to the community. Acoustic Syndicate finished up and left thousands of people bouncing, spinning, and waiting for more. One thing’s for sure — no one who was there to dance slowed down when the All Mighty Senators took the stage. Clearly one of the most energetic bands in music today, their sound is best described as "Prince on acid." They played some songs from their latest album "Music Is Big Business", and brought a unique Parliament-meets-Frank Zappa vibe that was not to be ignored. They totally threw the crowd for a loop mid-set and launched into a rousing "Burning Ring of Fire," dedicated it to the memory of June Carter Cash, who had passed away the day before. Hot off a nationwide tour with the Pretenders, the All Mighty Senators proved that a party band can deliver any time of the day. Next up was the Northern Mississippi All Stars. These guys have come a long way in the past few years. Their unique style of southern rock is a true pleasure to witness. They ripped through a set of favorites and a few new tunes, all of which proved how deep the talent runs in this band. Bassist Chris Chew was infallible all set long - he and drummer Cody Dickenson provide the solid foundation the NMAS sound is build upon. Duwayne Burnside and Luther Dickenson added the spark on guitar and shredded through such groove-based numbers as "Sugartown" and "Po Black Maddie." Luther even treated the crowd to a washboard solo — something not to be missed. Its absolutely incredible that such a seemingly primitive instrument can make such wild noises! After the show, Chew told me he was very happy with the response — according to him, the All Stars "totally loved the crowd." Judging by the huge round of applause Chew and company received when they finished, I’m sure the feeling was mutual.  After the All Stars wrapped their hour and a half groove session, the resplendent Joules Graves played a short set but managed to quickly gain the audience’s undivided attention. Based out of Bellingham, WA, her magnetic blend of harmonies and her grassroots song structures set the stage for her personality to shine through every guitar chord, drum beat, and lyric she delivered. Joules has a sound that is both familiar and fresh — certainly derived from a female’s experience but approached from a universal perspective. Her message is even more beautiful than her demeanor, if you can believe that — this is one seriously talented woman on a mission to impact the world through her vision of equality and love. Perhaps the most amazing thing about this emerging talent is her ability to make her listeners feel content, inspired, and empowered at the same time. From the playful "I Like You" to the infectious chant of "People of the Earth Tribe" (which Keller Williams was inspired to cover in his following set), Graves’ storytelling brought even more depth to her deceptively straightforward song lyrics. She told some captivating stories about her family’s roots in the area and her intentionally technology-lacking lifestyle. Then she told a fascinating story about the roots of the traditional song "Amazing Grace" that struck a deep chord with many in attendance, followed by a deeply heartfelt rendition that showcased the impeccable timber of Graves’ voice. Leaving the stage to the chants of "Earth, wind, fire, air...we are everywhere," Graves took yet another step towards uniting the people of Earth in a communal song of hope for increased consciousness and desire for better days. Now that the crowd was really unified and ready to groove, All Good Music Festival veteran Keller Williams took control as only he can. The most unbelievable thing that Keller brings to his live show is his ability to make even the most wide-open and impersonal venue feel warm and intimate through his one-man-band style of acoustic eclecticism. It wasn’t long before Marvin’s Mountaintop was swaying to his recherché musings like he was playing a private show for each and every person in the audience. After easing his way in to the groove with a brand new instrumental song coupled with the Marley favorite "Trenchtown Rock," Keller had his hand at a fun cover of Joules Graves’ "People of the Earth Tribe" — this really emphasized the freeform nature of his performances. Staying in the spirit of creative spontaneity, Keller originals "Keep it Simple" and "Freeker by the Speaker" had new energy this evening. He normally delivers a stellar show, but Keller seemed to really feel every note he was playing for this special performance. With a smile on his face, Keller began the first notes of the Dead’s classic "Standing on the Moon" and was immediately overwhelmed by cheering voices and smiling faces. So what if we weren’t in San Francisco and it wasn’t July — there was still no place we would rather be. The playful "Dogs > Boob Job > Novelty Song" followed and the audience was under Keller’s control, entranced by the way Keller creates such intricate song structure on the fly. Keller Williams is perhaps the most intriguing artist on the modern festival music scene in that he uses such an impressive amount of technology, phrase sampling, and looping to create a totally organic sounding result. Perhaps much more than the "electronica" crossover bands currently touring, Keller Williams epitomizes how technology can be embraced to create warm, organic, and, well, real sounding music. Keller finished up by winding down his set with "Celebrate Youth" and "Life Is" before a heartfelt "Best Feeling" encore. The crowd warmly extended their thanks for such an unfeigned and invigorating set and then took a second to catch their breath — it was Galactic’s turn to throw down.  New Orleans favorite future funkateers took the stage and delivered a knockout set of Galactic standards and some uncommon crowd pleasers. Galactic’s main strength is the fact that, on any given night, any member of Galactic can really control the show and stand out. From the opening building intensity of "Tiger Roll" into the flat out funkin’ "Space Heads," it became apparent that this was a show where guitarist Jeff Raines would shine and lead some of Galactic’s more free-form moments. Much to the delight of the crowd, keyboardist and humanitarian Richard Vogel made his Moog synthesizer swirl and squeal on the whimsical "Moog Marmalade". This song has the Galactic signature all over it, and it was truly enjoyable to gaze out to the crowd and see the overjoyed fans shimmy and boogie. Vocalist Theryl deClouet, AKA the "Houseman", made his first appearance for "Vilified," sporting a casual sporty jacket in lieu of his normal funky-fresh zoot suit. This was Theryl’s night — he sounded great and really brought the crowd deeper into the set. Because the Houseman doesn’t sing on every tune, the general consensus among fans of Galactic is that it always feels like the band down-shifts gears when the Houseman comes onstage. The argument was mute tonight; this was one of the occasions where everything flowed perfectly and each member of Galactic really enhanced and pushed the groove along. The second half of the set featured the neoteric "Chicken Pox" and a great cover of the Beastie Boys instrumental "Root Down" segued into the Galactic anthem "Shibuya." The set closed with "2 Clowns" and Galactic left the stage for a minute or two as the crowd pleaded for one more song. The party wasn’t over — far from it; Galactic came back with a FOUR song encore! A massive "Hamp’s Hump" and "Bakers Dozen" got things cooking again before a rare "All Behind You Now" had many thinking it would be the last tune of the night. Well, Galactic surprised everyone by launching into the Bob Dylan penned classic "Rainy Day Women #12 &35." The crowd belted out the refrain and the mountains echoed their enthusiasm, majestically bouncing back the sentiment that "Everyone must get stoned!"Galactic had once again proven exactly why they are one of the most successful bands in modern live improvisational music with a high energy set that left many too exhausted to make the journey up the huge hill at the back of the venue to see The Slip. Those who missed their intimate and emotional performance really lost out. The communication between these three and their instruments is amazing — it really seems like these guys share one musical brain when they delve into deep jams and then break out with solid transitions. I caught as much of The Slip as I could, then made the small hike back to my tent to call it a night. The "All Good" vibe enveloped the campground, and I easily drifted off to sleep. Liz Berlin and Jenn Wertz of Rusted Root played a wonderful set to get things started on Saturday, but it looked like the rain was once again threatening. Their happy set of acoustic numbers bordered on both rock and folk song structure, and had a unique honest, down-home flavor not necessarily found in Rusted Root’s more commercial hits. Carbon Leaf followed with a set of Celtic-rock fusion - their music is much easier to enjoy than it is to describe. Their new double live disc "5 Alive" is excellent, look for it in a record store near you now. This CD perfectly captures the energy they bring to their live show — acoustic guitars, fifes, drums, mandolin and bass flow perfectly together and expand the definition of "traditionally inspired" music. The highlight of their set was the hit song "The Boxer" which intertwines experimental elements to create a musical smorgasbord of divine flavors. But their impressive set wound down to a thinning crowd and threatening skies, and the first drops of rain began to fall.
SetlistsDark Star OrchestraThursday, May 15, 2003 - Show #799 Performing 11/26/1972 Civic Auditorium, San Antonio, TX 9:00PM-1:00AM 1: Promised, Deal, Mexicali, Sugaree, B. T. Wind, Bird Song, BIODTL, China Cat> I Know You Rider, Box Of Rain, El Paso, Big RxR Blues, Around, Casey Jones 2: Playin, B. E. Women, Jack Straw, Don't Ease, Big River, Dark Star> Me and Bobby McGee, Brokedown Palace, Sugar Magnolia> GDTRFB> Saturday NightE: None Filler: H C Sunshine*One drummer (Dino) *with Rob on drums
Keller Williams E: Best Feeling #Joules Graves cover##with "Restless Wind" whistle GalacticFriday, May 16, 2003 12:00PM-2:00AM 1: Tiger Roll > Space Heads, Hangnail, Blackbird, Moog Marmalade, Go-Go, Crazy Horse, Villified, Truth is Out, Little Miss Lover, Chicken Pox, Root Down > Shibuya, 2 Clowns E:Hamps Hump, Bakers Dozen, All Behind You Now, Rainy Day Woman
Leftover Salmon
Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe *Warren Haynes gtr. Gov’t MuleSaturday, May 17, 2003 11:50PM-1:50AM 1: Pygmy Twylyte, Blind Man In The Dark, Bad Little Doggie, Lay Your Burden Down, Thorazine Shuffle, Banks of the Deep End, Effigy, No Need To Suffer, Sco-Mule* -> DJ Logic/Abts breakdown -> Sco-Mule*, Into the Mystic, Beautifully Broken, Mule E:Creep, Soulshine, Trampled Underfoot*W/ DJ Logic on Turntables
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"Somewhere in West Virginia..."
The skies had finally had enough; the rain fell slowly at first then picked up and started blowing sideways onto the stage. This would prove catastrophic for Umphrey’s McGee and Jazz Mandolin Project, as both of their sets had to be cancelled due to inclement weather. Fans headed down to camp to wait out the storm, and the main stage went silent for about 2 hours. During this time, spirits and hopes stayed high, and many of the performers spent some quality time in the hospitality tent. I couldn’t complain for a second, as I found myself at a table with Joules Graves, Jenn and Liz from Rusted Root, and Julie Edlow from The Recipe. It’s a rare treat to bask in the positive feminine energy these amazing ladies exude, and I feel fortunate to have gotten to spend some time around them. Julie was still hopeful that the Recipe would get to play, and she got her wish. After about 20 minutes of dry weather, they were welcomed to the stage around 4:00 with a warm reaction from the audience, most of whom had managed to stay dry through the downpours. They brought back all of the good vibes, and by the middle of their set, it was like it had never rained at all. I’m not familiar enough with their catalog to know what they played, but, according to their dialogue onstage, some songs they performed had not been played for years. At 4:20 PM, the Recipe stopped for a time check before launching into one of their anthems of freedom, unity, and homegrown funk. They were joined for the last few songs of the set by Fuzz, formerly the lead guitar player for the now-defunct Deep Banana Blackout. Every time I see him, Fuzz plays his heart out, and this was no exception. He added a whole new electric element to the Recipe’s Earthy acoustic sound and really helped tremendously in getting "All Good" back underway and on track.
Karl Denson is all about bringing the party with him to wherever he and his Tiny Universe happen to be playing, and their set had hips shaking and souls swinging to their smooth soul-stirring sounds. Dedicating "Chance with You" to all the Ladies in the place, Karl Denson led his troupe of string, brass, and percussion warriors into a funk attack. "Bag of Funk" and "Everything" were 
The festival was not over, however, and those who made the trek up the hillside to the night stage were treated to a stellar performance by Reid Genauer &the Assembly of Dust. This was the one band this weekend that I was not too familiar with and, let me tell you, they deliver everything you could expect. Those with the energy to groove were rewarded with a long set of intricate songs featuring Genauer’s stellar songwriting. The Strangefolk lead singer writes from such amazing perspectives — each song strikes a different internal chord with the audience. Things finally wrapped up after 4:00 AM, and the last notes of "All Good" echoed through the West Virginia Mountains and faded into the night. After a few hours of sleep, most of the crowd packed up, cleaned up, and slowly rolled back down the mountain to towards their respective cities. True, the moments of the 7th annual All Good Music Festival had come and gone - but the memories were fresh and ready to be relived again and again. Thanks to Walther Productions for their uncompromising hospitality — hopefully top-quality events like this will continue to find success through the growing support of music lovers like you!
