At a time where new festivals are springing up everywhere around the country, each trying to raise the bar with over-the-top lineups and enticing entertainment extras, Ohio’s homegrown heroes Ekoostik Hookah and their "Hookahville" franchise have steadily and consistently delivered the real deal to truly become a Midwest Memorial and Labor Day institution. This year’s event, the 19th Hookahville and the 7th to be held at the Hookah-owned beautiful Frontier Ranch Music center in Kirkersville, Ohio, brought a world-class lineup to thousands of fans in typical Hookahville style — exceptional performances and a spirit of "no hassles or bad attitudes." This year’s extraordinary lineup included New Orleans legends the Neville Brothers, the bluegrass picking of the incomparable Old and in the Gray, the monstrous rock of Blue Oyster Cult, slow-cooked southern soul courtesy of Derek Trucks Band, Particle’s West Coast electronic groove assault, the keyboard based funk of Robert Walter’s 20th Congress (opened by a special set by drummer Joe Russo and Marco Benevento), and 2 nights of hosts Ekoostik Hookah — truly an eclectic and expansive lineup. Each Hookahville gets better production-wise and in terms of talent, and this year’s event was certainly no exception. But the true beauty of this bi-annual festival lies in the fact that it has grown from such uncalculated and humble roots that, in a present market congested with literally hundreds of formulated summer festivals, Hookahville is one event that always feels like it delivers what it promises — a unique and fun-filled weekend full of amazing people and music.
Particle started things off with a high-energy set that had many declaring it was hands-down the most impressive performance of the first day. They eased into things with the appropriately titled opener "1st Base" and keyboardist Steve Molitz demonstrated his hyperactive performing style — always electric and always in your face. He was clearly psyched to open up the festival. "We love to play at night, but it’s also great to get a chance to open up a festival. I didn’t know too much about Hookahville before I got here, so its amazing to have our first impression of it be the vibe we create through our set" he told me in a short post set wrap-up. "The sun came out when we started to play and I think that set the mood. Today, we knew a bit of what we wanted to lay down, but shot a few songs off the cuff. It felt great and we would love to perform for the Hookahville crowd again some day". After a killer version of "Launchpad" and "The Banker" it was obvious today was a day that
guitarist Charlie Hitchcock was going to run free and show the rock side of Particle to the sun soaked Ohio audience. "Axel F" (best known as the 80’s trademark sounding theme song to Beverly Hills Cop Axel Foley’s cinematic exploits) followed and had the crowd shaking, twisting, and getting down. The set finished on a high note, with bassist Eric Gould and drummer Darren Pujalet hammering out the foundation for Hitchcock and Molitz’s lofty and flowing layers of sound to explore and run free. Particle has just finished their groundbreaking debut studio album, as yet untitled, which was produced by Tom Rothrock (whose previous projects include albums with Badly Drawn Boy, the Foo Fighters, and Beck). This project should set the stage for an increased Particle presence in the music industry and certainly in the festival scene. Hitchcock summed up the band’s satisfaction with the album by stating "It’s a gift from God." Look for Particle’s heaven sent debut this fall — don’t miss out on this one!
OK, I’ll be really honest for a second, when I saw Blue Oyster Cult’s name on the lineup, I really didn’t know what to think. Sure, I am a fan - who doesn’t love it when "Burning" or "Don’t Fear the Reaper" hits the radio on a windows-down summer drive - but the thought of these guys playing Hookahville left me a bit unsettled. Could the sound of one of the most celebrated progressive rock outfits of the 70’s and 80’s really win over this discerning audience? Could their set really compare to the high energy of Particle or the classic heritage sound of the Neville Brothers? I have to admit, I wasn’t sure they could pull it off. Well, I couldn’t have been more wrong — Blue Oyster Cult not only sounded great but they proved that they could still put on one hell of a show. "Dr. Music" and the aforementioned radio smash "Burning" opened things up, and Eric Bloom and Buck Dharma sounded great on vocals. The rest of the band was also very good, although their songs seemed to be pretty much the same versions on the records — no extended variations of "jamming" except at the end of the show. The set was a journey through the highlights of their back catalog, and closed with a mammoth "Godzilla" and a "Don’t Fear the Reaper" that was stellar. Overall, I thought BOC was impressive and the gamble of adding them to a more conventional-sounding Hookahville lineup paid off. As Johnny Starrcatt, Ekoostik Hookah’s drummer put it, "We like to invite bands that we want to play with — this is the only time out of the year we get to throw a big old party and invite bands we admire and want to play with. Blue Oyster Cult is one of those bands."
Through their legendary closing performances at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, the Neville Brothers have become the most prominent May festival band in the entire country. They rarely play in Ohio, let alone at such an intimate event attended by so many music lovers. It was a true treat to have them come to Hookahville this year, and they seemed to enjoy dishing up a healthy serving of "bon temps" beats. They opened up with a great version of "Hey Pockey Way" which flowed into Dr. John’s Nightcrawling classic "Voodoo" AKA "I walk on Guilded Splinters." The cheerful "People Say" had the crowd enjoying the classic New Orleans vibe and really letting loose. The Neville brothers make music that is intended to help the worries of life disappear and the good times roll. This set had the audience, both Neville brother veterans and first-timers, intently focused on the blend of laid-back harmony the Nawrlins legends flawlessly perform. Cyril Neville played his congas with impeccable skill and added some great vocals, while Aaron’s indescribably golden voice floated through the mix. The last time I saw the Nevilles was at NO Jazzfest 2001, and the show was great but Aaron played some of his slower adult contemporary hits (like the duet with Linda Ronstat); well, today the Nevilles were playing all the crowd favorites with none of the softer filler. The set progressed into more funky numbers, like "Tipitina", which found key player extraordinaire and Funky Meter Art Neville displaying his talents on the ivories. "Iko" was a big hit with the crowd, as was "Fever" and "Midnight Rider." The Neville’s have a big band backing them, all talented musicians and all adding their spices to the final recipe. The Neville Brothers brought the real New Orleans vibe and had me wishing I was in the crescent city, watching a parade turn the corner by the river on Canal while feasting on a Mothers smothered ham po’ boy. This was a truly enjoyable experience, and it was a great call by Ekoostik Hookah to bring New Orleans own famous foursome and their band to Hookahville. For me, their set was the best of the festival because it felt like I was back home.
Three great bands had got the crowd going, and now it was Ekoostik Hookah’s time to take the stage. Hookah started things off with "Utopia" and the crowd began an hour-long flurry of dancing, singing, and celebrating another homecoming. Guitarist Steve Sweeny cracked an uncharacteristic wide-mouthed grin and began to work his magic. Sweeny knows how to bend the strings just a bit more than other guitarists, and consequently, his solos tend to go one step beyond where you think they’ll peak. The rest of the band was starting to get in the groove when they decided to bring out some new friends from the "Big Easy". After just two songs, the Neville Brothers Cyril and Charles came out and sat in for a smoking version of "Music" complete with Neville-style sax and percussion. This really showed how Ekoostik Hookah’s music is inviting to other musicians and can provide for some wonderful collaboration. The crowd sent off Charles and Cyril with a huge ovation, and Hookah got back to the business of sharing their originals with their fans. The debut of "Yumalaella" was nice, and the beautiful Lesley Snyder and Beth McGee came out to add vocals on "Kid Fears" and really succeeded at taking the song to a beautiful harmonic place. The first set closed with a "Keepin’ Time" sandwich that really kicked things into high gear. According to drummer Johnny "Starrcatt" Polansky, "(Hookah) really tries to make these shows something special for the fans. We get excited each year about improving the facilities and running a better event, but it all comes back to the fact that these are the biggest shows we play every year. This year we have Bonnaroo to play, and that’s gonna be a nice experience, but Hookahville is home and we always play our asses off for theses shows." The first set had that magical Hookah energy to it, and the second set was also a treat — "Spiders" and "Dragonfly" were particularly potent this evening. To increase the visual impact of their performance, Ekoostik Hookah flew in none other than Chris Kuroda, the genius behind Phish’s lighting design, programming, and performance. It was amazing to see how quickly Kuroda became locked into the grooves that Hookah would switch between, and the lights looked great! Dave Katz’s sing along anthem "Loner" was a treat, and the audience seemed to love hugging their friends and shouting "they’ll be there in the end" with every ounce as much passion as the band. "Loner" was extended and split up with the song "Grass" with great results, then the set was over. Every Hookahville encore gets more outlandish than the one before, and this was no exception. "Viper > Wild Side > Viper" was not the best stuff I’ve ever heard the band do, but the crowd seemed to dig Starrcatt’s vocals and the song did get the place moving. This show didn’t have the voracity of recent Hookahville first nights, but it satiated the crowd and left them with something to look forward to.
The first day of Hookahville went off without any problems — the bands sounded great, the crowd had a blast, and the weather somehow cooperated. But the forecast for Saturday looked like rain, and I was nervous when I first peeked outside of my tent to see what the skies held in store. Luckily, there were some glimpses of sunlight early in the morning, and it looked like we might get lucky and avoid any showers. I took the morning to walk around Frontier Ranch and check out the whole setup and the scene. Hookahville has been held at Frontier a few times before, but this was the best layout yet. There was a new fence around the music area to ensure only ticket holders could get to the stage (there have been problems in the past with people cutting fences and sneaking onto the grounds). This border created a clear separation between the music and vending areas, and made the flow of everything seem much more professional and fan-friendly. As I wondered around, one thing struck me in particular — there was a clear emphasis on making Hookahville a family friendly event. From family camping to the moon-bounce and playground, there was a lot of thought put into making this an appropriate destination for music lovers with little ones. The vending areas were stocked with everything from glass blowers to seamstresses to tasty food. Overall, there were probably 100 tents with vendors. The ranch catered itself to a great venue for such an event and there was excitement in the air for another fantastic day.
The duo of Marko Benevento and Joe Russo started off the second day of music with a short but high energy set as "Organ and Drums." Russo, who also drums in Robert Walters 20th Congress, is a very talented performer and has amazing chemistry with Benevento. Russo is best known for his role in the band Fat Mama; he and Benevento are childhood friends and they seem to be close enough to anticipate each others every musical move. They blazed through a cover of Nirvana’s "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and some more traditionally funky sounding numbers without loosing their edgy intricacy and their magnificent sense of intertwining harmony and rhythm. I thought that a duo of an organ and drums would sound a bit thin, but Benevento has a great ability to make his thick harmonies churn with bass, highs, and midrange. Their weekly gig in New York City has been called the "hippest thing in NYC" and they have just released a debut album. Organ and Drums are looking to make several trips around the US in the next year, so catch them whenever you can!
The sun was shining, and it was time for Robert Walter’s 20th Congress to take the stage. The setup time was nonexistent because Benevento had been playing Walter’s organ and Russo is the drummer for both projects, so the San Diego hip shakers took to the stage without a long break in the action. These guys bring the real funk everywhere they play and this set was a shining example of the energy and cohesiveness that the 20th Congress commands. I had the opportunity to discuss the band’s approach to
songwriting with Robert Walter. "Usually, the songs come in as a rough idea, like somebody brings in a melody then everyone brings in little pieces — that’s how we build a song from the ground up. I used to think about things like what the drums would do, or the bass lines, but with Joe Russo and these guys, it’s way better for them to create their part because it’s always better than something I could have thought of." This version of the 20th congress is perhaps its most talented yet - in addition to veteran Congress member Cochemea Gastelum on sax, and Robert Walter himself, the lineup featured Russo on drums, bassist Mike Fratantuno, and special guest Will Bernard on guitar. Mike Fratantuno is a permanent member of the funktastic hip-hop ensemble The Black Eyed Peas and Will Bernard frequently performs with his own band Motherbug - both are stellar musicians. The 20th Congress has a sound is really refined and classy, a bit less in-your-face than bands like
Galactic and Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe but every ounce as funky. Walters was particularly happy with the concept of Hookahville and was really happy about his set. When I asked him about his impressions of the crowd and vibe, he told me, "Some festivals seem like they exist to pack in people, but Hookahville seems to have a lot of quality control. It’s an event I would be satisfied with if I had paid to attend. And even though there isn’t a theme to the bands who play here, it’s a cohesive event and we had a blast playing here this year." The 20th Congress wasn’t the only ones having a blast — their set was warmly received by the crowd, and there was no sign of rain yet — something that everyone hoped would continue.
Derek Trucks had the biggest "buzz" amongst the fans going into this year’s Hookahville. It seemed everyone I talked to was excited to see the Allman’s prodigy guitarist bring his talented band to the festival. This band brings a huge variety of influences, from Indian world music to rock, blues, Latin, and jazz. Derek Trucks is a master of the guitar at only 24 years old, skillfully blending and punctuating his techniques on the strings to enhance and lead the flow of the band. But this is no normal "backing band" by any extent - the talent in this band runs very deep. Kofi Burbridge was just amazing on keyboards, flute, and vocals. Todd Smallie provided perfect bass lines and looked like he was having a blast. Yonrico Scott grinned his way through a perfectly played set on drums — this guy just makes me happy to be hearing live music. Mike Mattison sang lead vocals on several tracks and seemed to be embracing the Hookahville crowd with his soulful delivery. Highlights of the band’s mystical set included the audience favorite "For my Brother" and "Everything is Everything" as well as the hypnotically intricate "Cheesecake." Overall, the Derek Trucks band played an enjoyable set that seemed to spotlight Trucks a bit less than I expected. This was a good thing on this particular day, though, because although Derek played a bit more restrained than he is known to at times, the end result was a palatable concoction oozing with originality and laid-back soul. This was anything but the "over-the-top guitar throw down" that many had expected — but the upbeat "Joyful Noise" closed their set with a wonderful groove that was warmly received by the crowd. The band wrapped their set and left the stage just as the bus for the legendary Old and in The Gray pulled into the venue.
Old and in the Gray was a real treat; not only do these performers rarely play these days, but this was one of a small handful of summer festival appearances they will agree to play at. The current lineup is made up of original Old and in the Way members Vassar Clements on fiddle, David Grisman on
Mandolin and Peter Rowan on guitar as well as the beautiful Bryn Bright playing in original bassist John Kahn’s spot and talented picker Herb Pedersen filling Jerry Garcia’s shoes on the banjo. The sheer level of
musicianship these players possess is incredible, and Peter Rowan kept the crowd tantalized with his storytelling and tales of such bluegrass luminaries as Bill Monroe. Clements had celebrated a birthday recently, and the band took time out to sing him their well wishes for many more good years. His ear to ear grin was something that really spoke volumes about how someone can still feel such intense passion for music even after so many successful years in the business. An early "Midnight Moonlight" got the crowd into the zone and they never left — the group played a slew of legendary bluegrass classics, many introduced by a fascinating Peter Rowan story. Bryn Bright had an incredible bass solo that had many in the crowd in awe. I even saw a young awestruck female fan nudge her boyfriend and say "I told you girls can play bass too!" Many of the non-bluegrass fanatics in attendance were only familiar with David Grisman from his collaborations with the late Jerry Garcia in the early 90’s, so it was an opportunity for him to show the traditional avenues that brought the music to that point. Old and in the Gray finished to a huge display of appreciation from the crowd. Not only had they put on a wonderful show, their upbeat set had helped to chase away the last of the threatening rain clouds. Things were looking good for Hookah’s
headlining slot, and spirits were high all around Frontier Ranch. The house speakers blasted out the classic Dark Side of the Moon, and "Time" was almost meant as a calling to anyone who hadn’t made it to the stage yet.
Before their set began, I had the chance to get a word in with Hookah front man Ed McGee, who explained a bit of his songwriting process using the song "Surround" as his example. It was fresh on his mind, so it was only natural that they would open up with the tune - McGee’s ode to springtime window insulation removal. The "Alexander" suite ("Alexander" > "Alexander II") was a crowd favorite, although this is one Hookah tune that seems to have a tendency to get too light and loose focus, just drift along without any Hookah-signature peaks and valleys. Things picked up for the remainder of the set, and "Abdega Gaga" was a great closer. The fans took the set break to relax and gather up their energy for what promised to be an epic second set. Earlier in the day, Johnny "Starrcatt" had explained the importance of tonight’s set to the band. "This is one of the best shows we get to play, all of our friends and much of our family is here — we get so excited all day anticipating it. We’re going to go out there tonight full speed. I can’t tell you what we’re going to play, but its going to be awesome." The second set definitely started off strong, with "Sugar Sister" and "Thief" leading up to a great version of "Indica &Sativa" that had the crowd shaking. During the break in between "Ecstacy" and "Only Falling", Dave Katz announced that next year’s Hookahville lineup will consist of George Clinton and Parliament/Funkadelic, Steve Kimock Band, Dark Star Orchestra Railroad Earth and CJ Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band, something the crowd seemed to like. "Life is good" was the highlight of the second set for me — this weekend had been so much fun and the shows were culminating in a blissful vibe represented in the smiles of people all over Hookahville. Life was good, indeed! The encore was a straight-up over-the-top display of the fun and funky side of Ekoostik Hookah. Its Hookahville tradition for Eric Lanese to sing the lead on the second night’s encore, and "Life During Wartime" was a great choice. Lanese appeared in a "90210" shirt (many speculated this was a "trade" with Luke Perry, Lanese’s good friend, who wore an Ekoostik Hookah shirt on the 90201 reunion show) and wore a huge head, playing respect to the Talking Heads and their stage exploits. The backup singers from the first night returned and added to the harmonies on the song — most of the fans were too busy dancing to notice that the mask wasn’t the easiest thing for Lanese to annunciate his words through. "Feelin’ that way > Anytime" closed the show on a high note and the fans slowly cleared the concert area with satisfied smiles on their faces.
After a night of celebrations, campfires, high spirits, and good friends, the Hookahville masses retired to catch a few hours of sleep before leaving. The scene was peaceful Sunday morning, as thousands of satisfied attendees disassembled their tents, gathered their trash, and packed up their cars to return home. Hookahville had once again delivered everything it had promised, and the crowd slowly trickled out of Frontier Ranch ready to do it all again this Labor Day.
(Hookahville’s 20th anniversary is August 29th — September 1st and features two nights of Ekoostik Hookah, George Clinton and Parliament/Funkadelic, Steve Kimock Band, Dark Star Orchestra, Railroad Earth, and CJ Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band. For more details and ticket information, visit www.hookahville.com)
Setlists
ParticleI: 1st Base, Launchpad, The Banker, Axel F, Triple Threat
Blue Oyster Cult
1: Dr. Music, Burning, Buck's Boogie, Shark, Last Days, Godzilla > Bass Solo > Drum Solo > Godzilla, Don't Fear the Reaper
Neville BrothersHey Pockey Way > Voodoo (I walk on Guilded Splinters), People Say, Fiyo, War Horse, Summertime, Tipitina, Charlie, Iko, Yellow Moon, Unchain my Heart, Wild Flower, Fever, Midnight Rider, Cyril*, Cyril*, Cyril*
(* as labeled on band's list, visible in a photo taken from side of stage - may be incomplete)
Ekoostik Hookah5/23/20031:Utopia, Lax, Music**, Anthony's Song, Yumalaella*, Another You, Raging River, Kid Fears*^, Keepin' Time-> Rhythm Session-> Keepin' Time
2:Spiders, Schwa, John Henry, Back Seat, Dragonfly, Deal With It, Loner-> Grass-> Loner
E: The Viper's Drag-> Walk on the Wild Side*^^ -> The Viper's Drag
*denotes 1st time played
** w/ members of the Neville Brothers (Charles and Cyril)
^ w/ Lesley Snyder &Beth McGee on backup vocals
^^Johnny Polansky on vocals
Ekoostik Hookah
5/24/2003
1:Surround, Good Time (Merry-Go-Round), The Giant, Coming Back to Me, Alexander-> Alexander II, Arctic Song, Silver Train, Highway 61 Revisted, Bone, Abdega Gaga
2:Sugar Jam-> Sister Sugar, Thief, Madeline^, Pass the Cider, Pass the Rum, Indica &Sativa-> Bottle of Wine-> Indica &Sativa-> Ecstasy, Only Falling, Life is Good
E: Couldn't Stand the Weather, Life During Wartime*^, Feelin' That Way**^-> Anytime**^
^denotes 1st time played
*w/ Shane Frye on Drums, Eric on vocals
** w/ Chris Davis on backup vocals
