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Mid-Atlantic Report

Edited by Anthony Coloneri - ester8@mindspring.com

Fans Gather for Annual Autumn Equinox Festival
By Chuck Schneider

Five thousands music fans descended upon the quiet town of Brandywine, MD to witness the third annual Autumn Equinox Festival at Wilmer's Park. Lured by two days of music, camping, good food and a carefree environment, fans came from all points north and south to groove to some of the best bands around. The festival featured everything from the bluegrass inspired Smokin' Grass and Gordon Stone Band to the funky jazz of Charlie Hunter and Karl Denson's Sidecar Project. The first night was headlined by jamband icons Leftover Salmon, who had everyone dancing until 1:00 in the morning! The second night featured the juggernaut Scofield, Medeski, Wood & Stubblefield, and an "all-star" jam. More on that later.

My first thoughts on the festival as we were driving out there from DC Friday evening were that it's farther out than I thought, but at least we're making good time. That optimism came to an abrupt end when we hit the backed up traffic on the long and winding road which led to Wilmer's Farm. Having spent 50 minutes cruising on the highway, we spent another 30 inching our way to the entrance. Once inside the gates, my impatience festered as we agonizingly crept along the dirt path leading to the parking lot, where security men in buzz cuts and red shirts were checking every trunk & SUV for, I assume, nitrous and dogs (which, along with bottles, were the only contraband). Having neither nitrous or a dog, we passed the checkpoint, and were directed to a parking lot by a much friendlier security person wearing Birkenstocks. As more people than expected arrived, they ran out of parking, and had to ask permission to park cars on adjoining property. This was one of the only glitches of the two day affair. Unfortunately, consensus was that if next year was as chaotic, a lot of folks wouldn't return.

With all the angst out of the way, the rest of the festival was a sort of musical, hippie utopia. The stage faced west, and a ring of vendors formed a viewing area which seemed to hold the "capacity" crowd perfectly. There was ample food and good quality taboot. One of the vendors couldn't keep up with the demand for their beans & rice, which was superb, and I saw John Medeski and Chris Wood savoring soup from one another. There were also the ubiquitous vendors of various glass & hemp products.

Perhaps keeping the crowd well fed was the secret to keeping them in line, because everyone I saw was well behaved. Few seemed to be there just to party, a great relief after hearing so many horror stories from the Lemonwheel. And despite general homogeny (mostly the folks you'd find at a Phish show these days), different folks were partial to different acts. So the crowd was in a constant state of flux, which felt somewhat like being in an ant colony.

The point of the whole thing though was the music, and even if the environment had been lacking, the variety of music wasn't. While there were no true DC acts, our neighbors up 95, Lake Trout, provided one of the highlights of the festival. Hailing from Baltimore, MD, Lake Trout is one of the "third generation" of jambands that tears up the stage. Eschewing the simple guitar, bass & drums lineup, Lake Trout throws a saxophone into the mix, making all the difference in their sound. Friday, they delivered a funky, jazzy "urban" sound that really had the crowd dancing. If you live in the Washington/Baltimore metro area, make it a point to catch them. Stay tuned to this site for local dates.

After two days of bands that simply didn't let up, a tired crowd gathered itself for a finale of virtuosity. First came Charlie Hunter & Pound for Pound. Charlie created magic on his eight-string guitar, bantering with the crowd up front and getting everyone's attention (except for the golden retriever that wandered on stage during his set). He didn't want to leave the stage, nor did we want to see him go. When he did finish up, he got a rousing ovation. Little did we know that he'd be back.

By this time, everyone was a little weary, but far too excited to show it. Up front, we had the feeling that "this is what we've been waiting for." As we saw them set up extra mics and a monitor for what they called the "all-star" jam, we knew we were in for a treat. High fives were exchanged, and as John Scofield, John Medeski, Chris Wood and Clyde Stubblefield came on stage at 11:30, 5,000 fans erupted. Playing selections from A Go Go, as well as some Medeski material, they were simply incredible. In the middle of a tour of mid-sized clubs, they were clearly glad to be playing under the stars. Looking out into the crowd, Scofield worked his guitar and his scowl like he wouldn't have rather been anywhere alse on earth. Medeski was relaxed, and noodled a lot with the rhythm while not having to play as much lead as with the MMW lineup. Chris Wood was Chris Wood. Few solos, but solid. And still able to coax his regular bandmate into a couple of great solos. Throwing Stubblefield into that mix gave them so much energy, and he's such a pro that he never missed a beat. Great chemistry among them all. Then came the "all-star" jam. Out came Charlie Hunter, Jon Gutwillig (from the Disco Biscuits), Karl Denson and the percussionist from Foxtrot Zulu (who had performed earlier that night). They jammed out A Go Go, and it was one for the ages. Not a weak link among them, playing their hearts out at 1:30 am under the stars. They were having so much fun out there they looked like they could have played all night. Alas, it came to an end. But not before everyone in the crowd was treated to a weekend of music they'll never forget.

My search for local JamBands is going slowly. We're looking forward to some good bands visiting our capital city in the next month, though. Keep your eyes open for The Crawdads, who should be returning to Old Glory in a month or two. They are a promising soulful, bluesy and from the Boston area, who make the trek down here every month or two. They've got some great tunes of their own, and give their own sound to covers such as Robert Palmer's Sailing Shoes>Hey Julia>Sneakin' Sally and Don't Let Me Down by the Beatles. If you want more info on The Crawdads, or if you want or have info on any other good bands (either local or visiting), drop me a line at . Have a good month of music- hope everyone can make it to Widespread Panic in November.

Saturday, October 3rd, Manic Mule played at the Art Institute of Philadelphia. The show was incredibly energetic with great grooves and eclectic jams. I had a great time with the band and shared a very spiritual experience with them. There was a connection between my mind and their instruments that is only present on special occasions.

Manic Mule, originally from Philadelphia, PA, consists of Daniel bliss (percussion), Michael Borowski (keyboards/vocals), Jason Ganis (bass/vocals) and Michael Philbrick (guitar/vocals). They have just released an 8-song CD that can be purchased through their website, www.manicmule.com.

Manic Mule is the type of band where one becomes addicted to the music. You just can't get enough of them in a single show. I highly suggest seeing them play next weekend at the Harvest Fest in Brandywine, MD and Friday, October 16th at Name That Bar, located at 3rd and South St., Philadelphia, PA. They are an incredible band and will be uprising soon with their great groove!!

Hailing from the Western Massachusetts area, Electric Blue and Kozmik Truth (EBKT) has played over 200 times since the summer of 1996 and have built quite a local following. EBKT consists of Callie Katsounakis (vocals), Gary Phelps (lead guitar), Orion Palmer (drums), Keith DaSilva (percussionist), Bryan Gould (guitarist), Jason Matthews (drums). For the past year they have been using different bass players and have not settled on one in particular.

Their original music has roots in blues, funk, reggae, jazz, bluegrass, psychedelia and rock & roll while their covers range from blues standards by Robert Johnson and Willie Dixon to the Jeffersons TV show theme song, "Movin' On Up." EBKT is currently dedicated to building its reputation throughout New England and New York before moving on to different regions. Below is a list of tour dates for EBKT in October, courtesy of Jerry Camerota, the publicist for EBKT. Check out their website at www.ebkt.com for even more information. So, if you ever find yourself yearning for a fresh, jamming sound on a cold October night in New York, do not hesitate to check out the grooves laid down by Electric Blue and the Kozmik Truth.

October 20
Broadway Joe's, 11 pm
Buffalo, NY

October 22
Rongovian Embassy, 9:30 pm
Trumansburg, NY

October 23
Waterhole #3, 10 pm
Saranac Lake, NY