Show Review

After a 5 hour drive down from Northeast Ohio, I arrived in Lewisburg, WV at about 3:00 on Friday July 11th, ready for anything the weekend had in store. The sun was out, and the West Virginia State Fairgrounds were full of radiant promise – the long awaited weekend of MidX was about to begin. It was obvious that, in a summer market packed with massive festivals in almost every part of the country, this lineup was better than most; 2 nights of Widespread Panic, 2 nights of moe., Medeski Martin and Wood, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Disco Biscuits, Leftover Salmon, Rusted Root, the New Deal, and a huge supporting cast promised the music would be exceptional. But the success of an event these days has as much to do with the people and the atmosphere as the acts. I was a bit skeptical that a virgin festival in West Virginia could succeed, given the low turnouts for events like Allgood and Higher Ground this year (plus the fact that the legendary “Gathering of the Vibes” festival was just 12 hours away in upstate New York). Well, the first annual Mid-Atlantic Music Experience proved to be just that – a complete EXPERIENCE that not only delivered a killer vibe, fantastic music, and phenomenal surroundings, but truly left many people uttering the well-deserved phrase “best festival of the summer.”

Because of the travel time down to WV, I missed Mood Cultivation Project, but heard their set was stellar. Also, the word around the campground was that Moonshine Still had played an incredible set and should have a new legion of fans because of their top-notch performance. Rusted Root was the first act I caught and they sounded very upbeat (nothing unusual for these veteran groovers from Pittsburgh), basking in the sunshine and running through such crowd favorites as “Ecstasy” and “Send Me On My Way” with pure delight. I know they’re not exactly breaking new ground musically anymore, but the passion that this band has is evident in the smiles on their faces as they pour their hearts into their performances. I had a chance to chat with bassist Patrick Norman and he was really happy with the set and the crowd’s reaction to the earthy gems Rusted Root dished out. If it’s true that success has as much to do with attitude as aptitude, its no wonder Rusted Root is one of the most highly revered veteran bands on the current festival circuit – they are all such a joy to interact with.

Medeski, Martin, and Wood were, well, typically MMW. Nothing irks me more than musicians with so much talent who pursue dissonance and pseudo-intellectual intricacy in their music for the sake of complexity itself. I enjoy their studio albums tremendously, as I have an extensive background in avant-garde electronic music and jazz, but I feel they just don’t deliver the same crowd-pleasing grooves live as they used to in the mid 90’s. In my very humble opinion, I feel people come out to festivals and shows to dance, not to be educated. MMW seems fixated on expanding minds through offbeat cacophony – a noble cause but a poor execution on a sunny afternoon. I’m going to stop before I get myself in trouble and never get to see or photograph these guys again, but I could go the rest of my life without hearing another Billy Martin “nails on the chalkboard ‘percussion’ solo”. John Medeski was a bit more restrained than normal, and Chris Wood was solid as titanium on the low end, but only a quarter of the crowd was left by the time MMW finished. However, many returned for the first of two shows from jamband favorite moe.

After a heartfelt introduction by John Manchester (the mayor of Lewisberg whose own son, an avid moe. fan, had been killed tragically in a car accident a few years ago), moe. took the stage and opened up with some of the best material I have ever heard them play. Judging by the smiles all around, the band was in one of those blissful moods where anything can happen. “Seat Of My Pants”, “Spaz Medicine”, and “Hi and Lo” were amazing – the best openers I have heard any band come out with all year. A super special, first-time cover of Neil Young’s “Powderfinger” followed in the set and had my full attention. Every time I see moe. they step up their game more and more. This night, they sounded spectacular. “Kyle's Song> Kids> Water” was just amazing – the band was functioning as one cohesive unit - changing tempos, bridging harmonies, and reaching musical peaks effortlessly. And, to further their reputation as one of the most intense but light-hearted and pleasant bunch of musicians in the scene today, guitarist Al Schnier and bassist Rob Derhak joked about a flubbed note at the end of the anthem “Plane Crash”. Moe.’s set got everyone in the swing of things and winded down with “Spine of a Dog” as the encore. MidX was now officially cooking and Karl “Diesel” Denson was about to bring his hip-pimp-trip to West Virginia to turn up the heat on some late night fun.

The late night arena was a large metal building resembling an airplane hangar with poor circulation but a wonderfully sweaty vibe. KDTU played a tight set including some favorites like “Chance with You” and “Bag of Funk”. These guys are great musicians, and left everybody smiling with their slick horn riffs and even some side-stepping line dancing. Guitarist Brian Jordan and trumpet player Chris Littlefield were exquisite and helped the silky-smooth sounds of the Tiny Universe slip along. As good as KDTU was, their set was nothing extra special – they seem to play many of their songs the same each time and, although they are exceptional musicians playing freeform-sounding music, sometimes I feel they are holding back from venturing into unchartered territory. In my opinion, the real superheroes of the late night theater were the New Deal. Darren Shearer, New Deal drummer extraordinaire, had told me earlier in the day that they would be playing a bunch of new material that night. If their set was any indication, their next album is going to catapult these guys to the level of late night legends. Their blend of breaks, San Francisco house, and psychedelic melodies left no one standing still. The New Deal play music that demands to be danced to and their set at MidX was one of the highlights of the weekend. Winding down at 3:30 AM, the satiated crowd left the “MidX Theater” and a lucky few turned their heads to the Southwestern skies to see a small meteor shower which served as magical end to a great Friday of music.

The MidX crowd was a bit slow in rising on Saturday, but those who made it out to the earlier performances witnessed great sets by Waylandsphere, Topaz, and Tishamingo. Echo was a true treat – Joy Askew’s sultry female vocals soared over some abstract grooves and sounded much like downbeat UK neo-soul. I took some time to stroll around the grounds and check out the layout and amenities of the festival. There was a wonderful down-home State Fair vibe, complete with food stands and the most delicious frozen lemonade that I have ever tasted. The layout of the grounds was interesting; the second stage was a grandstand and sheds and barns throughout the grounds sported signs like “Livestock Showing Area”. There was an “emerging artists stage” out in the campgrounds, and tons of craft and food vending. Bathrooms and beer stands were everywhere – there were even showers in the camping area. There was a “Gonzo Film Festival” during the daytime in the theater featuring some of Hunter S. Thompson’s work and music documentaries such as “The Earth Will Swallow You” by the Hanson Brothers. With so much to see and do, the only complaint I heard was that the campground was so far from the music - about a half mile across a pedestrian overpass and a large field. But all in all, the unique location of this event made it perfect for something different than the many wilderness camping festivals I have attended this summer. And, perhaps the best thing about MidX was the way the music was scheduled: there were no overlapping shows, so it was possible to see everything, unlike festivals like Bonnaroo where, at best, one can catch a quarter of the music. Things really got going again with Steel Pulse, and, although their sound is more main stream that some people favor, they put on a great show full of Rasta-soaked grooves. I’m not too familiar with their extensive repertoire of material, but they had me moving and were very gracious and talkative when I ran into them by their bus. The Hackensaw boys were one of my favorite acts at Bonnaroo this year, and they continued their bluegrass onslaught with a solid set that brightened the day despite the looming clouds. A brief downpour cleansed the grounds and seemed to refresh the crowd for another set of moe.

Moe. once again played their hearts out to the Lewisburg crowd. Although their set lacked the voracity of the previous night, it was still very impressive. The aptly titled “Not Coming Down” set the mood for the set and segued wonderfully into “Wormwood” with some intricate exchanges between Al Schnier and Chuck Garvey. The highlight of the set for me was “Moth” which showed how moe. has the ability to sink in and take control of the crowd. Even the few lingering drops of rain couldn’t cool down these boys, as they left their fans without an encore but truly satisfied. I was happy to see so many moe. and Widespread Panic fans being introduced to each others favorite bands. Needless to say, the good vibes were flowing and I had the opportunity to say hi to Al, who I hadn’t seen since Bonnaroo. He was in a great mood and was hyped to catch a bit of Panic. In between moe. and Widespread, WV heroes “The Recipe” played a solid set of good-vibe bluegrass. Vocalist Julie Edlow looked and sounded even more beautiful than the last time I had the pleasure to dance to her soulful delivery. Founding members Joe Prichard, Tom Whelan and Gregg Lowley are such tight musicians and really help catapult their sound into the slam grass stratosphere. Although the turnout for their set was just a medium sized crowd, The Recipe played like it was a “make it or break it gig” and their enthusiasm was warmly received.

Widespread Panic is such a class act, and it’s hard to ignore the pristine tradition of their live performances. I was happy to see this show with a first timer who was very impressed by their mastery of straight-up and improvisational Southern-Fried rock. The first set included highlights like their cover of the Talking Heads “Risky Business” anthem “Swamp” and the return of “Visiting Day” after a few months of absence from the rotation. “Meeting of the Waters” sounded really good this night – this song is starting to grow on me and is certainly one of my favorites form the new album, “Ball”. An exceptional rendition of my favorite Panic song in the whole wide world, “Pleas”, came next, followed by a rousing “Flat Foot Floozy” complete with Bassist Dave Schools cocking his head to the side and belting out the line “Floozy was a woozy on a Saturday night!” “Floozy” closed the first set and there was no doubt that Widespread Panic came out of the gate firing on all cylinders, and the second set promised to be something truly special. The lights went down and it was time to get down to business as John Bell crooned the lyrics to the Vic Chestnut gem “LGDTB”. Since George McConnell has replaced the late Michael Houser on guitar, Widespread Panic has been slowly reintroducing classic material, much to the delight of fans. Well, nothing could have prepared the crowd for the phenomenal rendition of “Ribs and Whiskey” that was delivered. Tom Waits’ classic “Goin’ Out West” was a great post-drums anthem, and the encore was exceptional – Neil Young’s “Mr. Soul” followed by yet another Talking Heads cover, “City of Dreams”. As John Bell and the crowd chanted “remember this, our favorite town”, it seemed that Lewisburg was being serenaded by thousands of appreciative voices, content with the day’s shows but still hungry for some late night exploits. Well, the Disco Biscuits aren’t going to get any more than 3 sentences in this review, not for their music (they were the highlight of the festival for many), but for the piss poor actions of their management. I would like to take the opportunity to inform them (thanks for reading, guys!) that their stage manager not only threatened a fellow photographer with physical removal from the arena for doing his job, but got up on his high horse and informed the media that we could cover the band “when he said we can”. Too bad, guys, I would love to run some pictures but I wasn’t allowed in the photo pit even with all the proper credentials, so I guess you don’t need the exposure (no love lost, though!).

Jerry Joseph started things up on Sunday morning with one of the best sets I’ve heard him play. His show at Bonnaroo had left a bad taste in my mouth, but this performance washed it away – just like those commercials for “Orbit” gum, it was gritty and dirty but still felt oh-so-clean. I was very impressed and spoke with Jerry for a brief moment where he expressed his satisfaction with the festival as a whole with very little visible angst. Particle was the next act I saw and they were in great spirits for their tour closer. Opening up with such favorites as “Elevator” and “The Banker” and covers like “Axel F” (better known as the “Beverly Hills Cop Theme Song”), Steve Molitz and Charlie Hitchcock built their psychedelic grooves on the sturdy foundation of Eric Gould’s Bass and Darren Pujalet’s super-tight drumming. Particle had the whole grandstand bumping to their beats, and I couldn’t help breaking from my typical restrained form and getting down and dirty. This was the second time I had seen Particle in a week (the previous time was in a small bar in Columbus, OH) and I must say that I now believe one of their biggest strengths as a unit is their ability to tailor their sets to fit the audience and the venue. Who would have thought Particle could do so much dance floor damage at 1 in the afternoon. Another great performance from the Particle boys!

Leftover Salmon and Cracker were booked together, and, even though I have the album “Oh Cracker, Where Art Thou?” (a pleasant but strange project which found Leftover covering Cracker songs) I thought this was going to be a very hit-or-miss collaboration. Well, it wasn’t as much of a group effort as I envisioned, as Leftover played a short set highlighted by a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Dazed and Confused” then left so that Cracker could play for a bit. Cracker was impressive and launched into a cover of “Victoria” by the Kinks, which was probably the highlight of their set for me. The set closed with both bands trading off licks and creating a very enjoyable blend of rock and bluegrass. This show was a hit – there was no denying. After they wrapped things up, the All Mighty Senators began their excursion into off-the-wall funk on the grandstand stage. This “Rock and Soul” quintet from Baltimore, MD is best described as “Prince on 10 hits of acid” and always gets the crowd moving. This was my second time seeing them and they once again impressed me. “Rocky Top” was a definite highlight, as they somehow made a back-woods anthem into a funk-flavored smorgasbord of horns, guitar, and drums.

I left their set a few minutes early to get ready for Les Claypool’s Flying Frog Brigade. Now here is one eccentric group of amazing musicians, and let me make this perfectly clear - Les rules the world on bass. Starting off with “Highball with the Devil” and dropping a “Rappers Delight” and “Hair” tease, Les commanded everyone’s attention. He told some of the funniest stories I have ever heard about hangovers and Scotch whiskey, and took a bit of time to make fun of some hoopers who were flailing around with their asexualities all exposed. His dialogues, when intelligible, were pure unadulterated comedy. The stage show was over the top! Sometimes I can’t even believe what I’m seeing or hearing when I witness the Frog Brigade – opera solos, nonsensical chanting, dancing, costumes, they’re all an integral part of the freak show that Les proudly conducts. The biggest highlight of his set for me was the “Cosmic Highway” > “Winona Tease” > “Cosmic Highway,” being a huge Primus fan and all. In fact, after the show, Les announced to a fellow reporter that Primus will be touring again in support of a live album (sorry Les, had to let the cat out of the bag). Clutch dropped their heavy grooves on the grandstand stage, but I only caught a few minutes, as I was running around getting ready for the first of Widespread Panic’s two sets.

Twenty minutes or so before Panic was set to take the stage, the crew brought out two folding chairs, symbolizing the impending acoustic set – a true treat. I was so excited, as I have seen scores of Panic shows but have only seen them play acoustic twice. Well, they weren’t exactly 100% acoustic, as Dave Schools stayed on electric bass in lieu of the standup, JoJo Herman was on his normal keys, and Todd Nance and Domingo Ortiz were on their full drum kits, but with George McConnell and John Bell on acoustic guitars, the acoustic sound was there. The JJ Cale classic “Traveling Light” started things off, and the first set included a great rendition of the new “Travelin’ Man” and the reappearance of “Mercy” which hadn’t been played for a short while. Van Morrison’s “It Stoned Me” was beautiful, but the highlight of the set for me was the awesome “Wrangler” which JB belted out with all the emotion he could muster up. I’ve heard this song live 20 times, but this one was special, and JB added “Put a little whiskey in it” to the line about cold beer. What a first set – but it wasn’t over yet. The second set was eased into but finally cracked open with a huge “Low Spark of High Heel Boys” with Leftover Salmon’s Drew Emmitt on Mandolin. Although he was not up enough in the mix to add much to this song, Drew shredded “Chunk of Coal” and made it a whole new beast. The rain began to fall as “Drums” took its form, and the lightning was coming closer. "Drums" was mellow, but opened up to “Daisy May” in pristine form. A love song about a cow, who would have thought it could be so downright danceable. JoJo wailed “I’ve never seen nothing like YOU!” and the crowd was grooving. “Sometimes” followed and I thought it would be the closer but was dead wrong. A HUGE “Chilly Water” followed with the biggest water fight I’ve ever seen – since we were already soaked, it seemed no one minded a bit more. Jerry Joseph sat in on keys but really didn’t add too much from what I could tell, other than the novelty of it. “Down” and “Red Beans” were great encores and sent everyone back to camp truly satisfied. The music was over but the party kept going until the birds started their morning song, celebrating another beautiful West Virginia dawn.

The inaugural Mid Atlantic Music Festival proved to be a solid event from all aspects. As I left to drive back to Ohio with a smile on my face, I felt like this was truly the start of something special. Since the event, the mayor of the town and several residents have publicly commented that the crowd was so gracious and polite that they would love to have the MidX festival back next year. When tickets go on sale for the second annual MidX festival, I will be one of the first in line! Thanks to all involved for what was truly the most underestimated and certainly one of the most enjoyable events of the summer and thanks to all the fans for showing West Virginia what we’re really made of!

Setlists:

Moe. 07/11/03

Set 1: Seat Of My Pants, Spaz Medicine, Hi and Lo, Happy Hour Hero> Shoot First, Powderfinger*, Kyle's Song> Kids> Water, Plane Crash, E: Spine Of A Dog

* Neil Young cover, first time played

Moe. 07/12/03

Set 1: Not Coming Down> Wormwood> St. Augustine, 32 Things, Brent Black> Moth> Buster

Widespread Panic 07/12/03

1: Greta > Swamp > Imitation Leather Shoes, Visiting Day, Climb To Safety, Meeting of the Waters > Pleas > Flat Foot Flewzy

2: Let's Get Down To Business > Thin Air (Smells Like Mississippi) > Jam > Pigeons > Me And The Devil Blues, Yard of Blonde Girls, Ribs And Whiskey, Low Rider > Papa's Home > Drums* > Goin' Out West, Papa Johnny Road

E: Mr. Soul, City of Dreams

* with Steve Lopez on percussion

Disco Biscuits 07/12/03

1: Little Shimmy In A Conga Line , M.E.M.P.H.I.S. > Rock Candy , The Very Moon > 42

2: Save The Robots , Little Lai , I Remember When , 7-11 > Floes

E: Hope

Les Claypool’s Flying Frog Brigade 07/13/03

Highball with the Devil >Hair (One Verse) >Rapper's Delight Tease > Highball with the Devil, David Makalaster I >Southbound Pachyderm Tease>David Makalaster I, Long in the Tooth, Precipitation, 2000 Light Years, Cosmic Highway >Wynona's Big Brown Beaver Tease >Cosmic Highway, D's Diner, Ding Dang, Whamola

Widespread Panic 07/13/03

1: Travelin' Light, Makes Sense To Me, Travelin' Man, Mercy, Henry Parsons Died, Pilgrims, Bayou Lena, And It Stoned Me, All Time Low, Space Wrangler

2: Give, Nebulous, Love Tractor, Don't Wanna Lose You, Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys*, Chunk Of Coal* > Drums** > Daisy Mae, Sometimes, Chilly Water***

E: Down, Red Beans

* with Drew Emmitt on mandolin

** with Mike Dillon on percussion, Richard Proctor on percussion, Steve Lopez on percussion

*** with Jerry Joseph on keyboards