Tag: Live Music

Raid your closet for those acid wash jeans and feather your hair back because the pop culture of the ’80s has come full circle. Naturally this requires a soundtrack, so Gordon Gartrell and Cru Jones, after hearing one too many bogus covers of their favorite decade, decided they weren’t gonna take it, gathered four similarly-minded individuals, and formed The Legwarmers, quickly taking the nouveaux retro scene by storm. While everybody’s working for the weekend, they flashdance to the gnarliest years in recent memory night after night.

Friday, 10/12 $20, 7pm. The Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. 245-4980.

Prepare for temporal displacement: The Legwarmers live

The Festy Experience in Nelson County  is a three-day musical gathering curated by The Infamous Stringdusters. Two members of the band live here in Charlottesville, guitarist Andy Falco and banjo player Chris Pandolfi, and I’m happy to call them friends.

Before The Festy last week, I listened to Chris and Andy rehearse in the Pink Warehouse, Downtown, where they were practicing some new tunes for their side project, The Founding Fathers. On Thursday night, they unofficially kicked off the festival with a secret set at the High Country Basecamp, just a stonesthrow outside the Devil’s Backbone concert grounds.

Fans who arrived early to set up their tents were treated to nearly two hours of music from The Fathers, ranging from their personal acoustic tunes all the way through to electronic samples of Phoenix and Miike Snow with original blistering solos on electric guitar and a specially-outfitted electric banjo. Andy and Chris are some of the best pickers in the game, but they also have a broad musical scope, and it was a treat to see them break the seal on Festy 2012 with an energetic but intimate performance in the cool mountain air.

Anyone who missed out on The Festy this year should consider that it’s a pretty easy drive to get out to Nelson, and a picturesque one to boot. You can really make the most of this health-conscious festival by participating in the 5k or 10k trail race, yoga workshops in the mornings, or a biking challenge on the mountain trails. It’s worth it to just go for a day, but to realize the full potential energy of The Festy, you’ve got to camp out. A lot of the performing artists stick around for the weekend, which allows for collaborations on stage, in the campgrounds, and spaces in between, at all hours of the day.

During the Stringdusters Saturday night set, I ran into some old pals, Stan Marshall and Luke Wilson, and over a beer we decided to have a proper acoustic music night after the show ended. Luke, his brother Abe, and Stan came over to my campfire with their instruments, and sang harmonies on John Prine songs for an hour or two, passing the guitar and the Evan Williams around. Other camping neighbors would stop by, sit down on the grass for a while, and have a listen. Then, out of the misty air, appeared a man and his tenor guitar: local musician Nathan Moore, who had played a Festy set on Friday afternoon.

Nathan and I eventually walked over to see if the ‘Duster camping area had a session going on. We turned the corner of a carved out path to see Chris and Andy hanging out with their friends and some of the other Festy artists, including Asheville-based players, Bobby Britt playing fiddle and John Stickley on guitar. Nathan joined in, and you could tell that things were going to get good.

After a few tunes, Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter Margaret Glaspy suddenly rose up, and started to croon a really haunting number. The name of the song escapes me, but the atmosphere will stick with me. Everyone around the area slowly stopped talking, mesmerized by Margaret and the music, and for the next couple of minutes all you could hear were the crackle of the logs and her smoky vocals, paired with string accompaniment. There was a welcoming, comfortable vibe around the fire, which is another reason why The Festy is great… it’s inclusive, not exclusive. You have to seek out that creative energy flowing throughout, tucked away in the forests, but The Festy creates the environment for it to happen.

Serendipity struck again when Margaret and Nathan realized that they played back-to-back on the Main stage on Friday, and they were just then meeting for the first time late that night. She asked if Nathan knew “Wallflower,” a Bob Dylan tune he didn’t recognize at first, but they worked through the chords together, figured out the song, and sang it beautifully. The highlight of their collaboration was a duet of Dylan’s “It Ain’t Me Babe.”

Shortly after that tune, a couple raindrops began to fall, and gradually we broke away from the hang.  I had found the magic I was looking for. Sometimes you have to stay awake until the early morning hours to discover it. Surrounded by the natural beauty of the mountains and the enchanting musical encounters in the groves, The Festy is a true Virginia event not to be missed, and one I hope to return to for many years. –Andrew Greeley

Nathan Moore playing a new tune at The Festy below…

Charlottesville has impressive music credentials. Huge international acts squeeze themselves into our little town so often that it’s easy to become a bit blasé about it. But the savvy chamber music connoisseur clears their calendar when the Tuesday Evening Concert Series kicks off in the fall. The series exists as one of the premier venues for chamber music worldwide, and its prodigious age hasn’t slowed it down a bit.

The classical series got its start in 1948, wisely housing itself in UVA’s Old Cabell Hall. Internationally lauded as one of the genre’s finest performance spaces for its acoustics and intimacy, one could argue it as the source of the series’ power, but then one would be selling TECS too short: the artists come for the venue, but they stay for the management.

Karen Pellón, executive director since 1991, honors a history of devoted stewards and has built a legacy on developing the trust of classical patrons. Pellón, along with her team, vets each and every performer taking the stage, exacting a highly discriminating standard for every season and every individual performance. But more than keeping the seat warm, Pellón rises to the challenge of contextualizing the music for the newer generations, making experimental and progressive inroads into the predominately conservative art form.  The new season begins on October 9 and a complete list of performances is available at tecs.org.

Tuesday 10/9 Cabell Hall Auditorium, University of Virginia 8pm

Ryu Goto, violin & Eri Kang, piano

The once upon a time indie art rock darling MUTEMATH has moved from obscurity to hawking Hondas and iPods. Still, it remains a truly worthy band, adept at navigating occupational circumstances, from label battles to member loss, and holding the ground necessary to outlast the onslaught of today’s 15-minute hitmakers. The New Orleans-based group is not only surviving but flourishing behind its third studio release, Odd Soul.

Monday 10/8 $20-25, 8pm. Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. 245-4980.

It’s been a big year for Brooklyn’s Rubblebucket, with an appearance at Bonnaroo, collaborations with Foster the People, tUnE-yArDs and ?love, and the release of a new EP, Oversaturated earlier this month. The “post-genre” octet makes a stop along a comprehensive American tour to share its inventive, unpredictable sound. During the live show everything is fair game: danceable indie-pop, afro-beat world music, and off-kilter, DIY arrangements packaged as a celebration of good-natured absurdity.

Saturday 10/6 $29-199, 7:45pm. The Festy Main Stage, 200 Mosby’s Run, Roseland. 361-1001.

It’s Floydfest, June 2003.  The evening is thick and balmy, draping the rolling Floyd County landscape in shimmery violets and blues. Along the festival’s arterial corridor, despite main stage bands kicking into their second sets, an exodus was underway. I remember it distinctly: the wild-eyed shirtless young man materializing, catching hold of the girl dancing along just before me, jabbering into her ear—that startled expression lighting up her face as he rushed her promptly away.

Under a spell of curiosity, I tailed them. Snaking along through the crowd, moments later I found myself at a tiny stage—the sort of cutesy venue reserved for folksy, singer-songwriters. Defying reason, across the humble bandstand, an array of bluegrass musicians were picking away. Some of them instantly recognizable— Daryl Anger and Vassar Clements, for example.

The music was soft, dark, palpable as smoke. I was mesmerized. I felt entranced, unable to resist, wooed by the soundtrack of some gypsy ritual. Then up stepped the guitar man.

Hiply spectacled, eyes squeezed shut, lips pursed—a portrait of intensity. Like an alchemist, chasing down the voodoo, hovering before the condenser mic, his notes came on darkly. Flashing this wild prankster grin, the man leaned over his guitar, gave a nod, and the band kicked into high gear with something joyous, raucous, galloping.

And presto, voila, abra-cadabra: the night exploded. The crowd—by now so large that the festival’s two main-stages had literally shut down—erupted in a mania of jig-dancing. “My god,” I cried, clasping, vigorously shaking the shoulders of a nearby elderly dancer, “who the hell is this guy?” The man ceased his dancing and bent closer. “That’s Keel,” he hissed, adding, in a conspiratorial tone, “Larry Keel.” Then, squinting, fixing his gaze he said, “You done got yourself experienced.”

The problem with attempting to profile a musician of Larry Keel’s caliber is that his art—the depth of its effect—lies largely beyond the scope of concrete description. It is sensual, metaphysical, a thing to be experienced in the moment. Like all the truly great improvisers, sure, you can spout some high critical jargon, but the fact remains. Without marching your ass to a show and experiencing the music itself, you may as well be staring at a cat and calling it a giraffe.

Each Larry Keel show is different with its own peculiar hue of magic, unique, impossible to replicate vibe. Keel is doing for bluegrass what Hendrix did for rock, what Miles did for  jazz—exploring the uncharted possibilities, defying the limitations of a deeply established musical form. Keel’s music is often so creatively innovative that it is frequently misunderstood, overlooked and underestimated. Watching him perform alongside such legendary statesmen as Tony Rice, Sam Bush, Vassar Clements, and Daryl Anger he has never failed to earn not only a tip of the hat, but also one hell of a grin and a nod. Whether you’re looking to dig what’s happening out there on the edges of the bluegrass avant-garde, or just wanting to get your buzz on to some astounding music, Larry Keel is a sure bet.—Eric J. Wallace

Larry Keel performs in Keller & The Keels at The Festy on October 5.

Every music festival has an identity of its own. Names like Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Bumbershoot, and Coachella may have been head scratchers at first, but now they’re branded destination festivals where dozens of acts spread out across multiple stages and throngs flock to make the scene and play their part against a backdrop of music, celebrity heavyweights, light shows, public art, carnival rides, holograms, overindulgence, and ’round-the-clock parties.

The Festy Experience in Nelson County has built its brand with a different approach. Home grown as an intimate artist-curated gathering, the Festy taps into a broader community of music, food, earth-conscious and wellness-minded pursuits. The festival—as its name suggests—plays it straight and simple, offering an accessible, “everyone friendly” event where families are accommodated, outdoor enthusiasts get their thrill, and people of all makes and models can cut loose.

The food options are locally sourced—curated by The Rock Barn’s chef (and French Laundry alum) Benjamin Thompson, and the beer is almost as revered as the live music. There are wellness offerings too, like morning yoga and late night campsite jams with occasional sit-ins from performing artists. The range of accommodations include reserved car camping, family camping, and quiet camping as well as the high-end Show Sherpa camping package option that includes a cell phone charging station and French press coffee makers. Local artisans bring their wares and the pastoral landscape sets the tone for a high quality good time.

“The best thing about this year’s Festy is that we finally know exactly what it is that we are doing,” said co-founder Michael Allenby. “From the conception of the idea three years ago, we have been sculpting the vision from each of the partners’ inspirations. It’s great to have the three-headed-focus of amazing music, local sustenance, and an authentic outdoor experience. Can’t wait for the fans to arrive that weekend and let the participation begin.”

Festival hosts The Infamous Stringdusters depart from conventional booking techniques to invite friends, influences, and colleagues to fill the bill on three stages. This year will see more than 25 musical acts take the stage, from industry vets like Leftover Salmon to mainstays Trampled by Turtles, Keller Williams and the locally based Sons of Bill and Carl Anderson. The Festy website, in its folksy way, notes the addition of Margaret Glaspy: “We heard Margaret at a party after a gig in Boston. She was playing solo, just her with a guitar. Everyone was mesmerized. “ Without the usual barriers between audience, promoter, and performer, the playing field gets leveled, and The Festy Experience literally becomes about playing in the field.

Check out the full music lineup here.

The Festy Experience
Friday, October 5 to Sunday, October 7
Devils Backbone Brewery (200 Mosby’s Run, Roseland)

It’s all about your approach. Literally. Wherever it is you may be coming from, once you hit Highway 151, master your anticipation. Ease off the gas, let the windows down, huff you some of that crisp mountain air, and scope the vibe.

Check the backdrop. The rolling Blue Ridge is vibrant green, idyllic, a tree line that sings. The mesmerizing quietude is a potentiate of ancient energy. Take it all in. Open yourself to it. Realize this is the sound that underlies and inspires the music you will be dancing your ass off to for the next few days and nights. That’s The Festy Experience.

The site of The Festy Experience is one of the most jaw-droppingly gorgeous backdrops I’ve ever seen. Last year, on the opening Friday night, ’round about sunset, I found myself parked in front of the main stage, taking it all in. The brewery looked so inviting, so lodge-like. The stage had a rough-hewn feel, like an erector set. The vending booths exuded a carnival-esque glow. And overhead the sun disappeared slowly behind a ring of mountains, saluting the rising moon. Stars needled through the sky, all of it backed by a soundtrack of shit-kicking, progressive bluegrass.

Which brings us to our next point: the music. Like it’s highly esteemed curators, The Infamous Stringdusters, The Festy Experience’s roots lie in the old school, downhome dynamic of a traditional bluegrass jam. The event seeks to showcase the most forward looking, avant garde innovators of the genre. Which is to say: here you can experience some serious vanguard mojo; jazz is in the air. While every band gracing the ticket is well worth an evening’s drive, three groups in particular set my neck hair to prickling.

The always thrilling, envelope-pummeling hosts, The Infamous Stringdusters, have just finished recording the highly ambitious live/studio deluxe album, Silver Sky (to be released Oct. 16), and are playing the festival after pouring so much time and effort into conceiving it. They also happen to be one of the most consistently smoking bands I’ve seen.

Stated bluntly, Larry Keel is the greatest flatpicker alive. When it comes to innovation, the man is bending, deconstructing, revamping, and absolutely reimagining every last preconceived limitation of the form. Performing alongside his wife, bassist Jenny Keel, and Keller Williams—the prankster-prince of the jam scene— Keel is bound to be quirky, intriguing, and nothing short of thrilling. Remember, Keel is fresh off a stint of guitar-slinging with the Yonder Mountain String Band. And, coupling this with Mr. Williams’—not to mention the scene-at-large’s—propensity toward spontaneous collaborations, we can, quite reasonably, expect some breed of mind-bending sit-in. Leftover Salmon is a freaking legend; statesmen of the jam-grass revolution. If you miss this band you are making a grave, potentially unforgivable mistake.

Underlying all of this is the festival’s devotion to a healthy, community oriented vibe with a 5K foot-race and a mountain bike challenge—featuring trails that Travis Book, bassist for The Infamous Stringdusters, helped to cut and maintain himself—a rock-climbing wall, and morning yoga sessions.

Last, and perhaps most important to consider, there are the people. Festivals as eccentrically niched as this one attract a milieu of genuinely marvelous, diverse, and interesting characters. Add to this campground fires, the all-inclusive, extended family-esque ambience, and your late night wanderings will be rewarding: campfire jam ses-
sions abound; big-name musicians are always unexpectedly dropping in. Who knows the magic you may venture onto.   —Eric J. Wallace

Have your say. Drop a line to mailbag@c-ville.com, send a letter to 308 E. Main St., or post a comment at c-ville.com.

The Festy Experience/Concert Ground at Devils Backbone Brewing Company/October 5-7

Jack White, the rock virtuoso known for his participation in more bands than a hand can hold —The Raconteurs, The White Stripes and The Dead Weather, to name a few—released his highly anticipated debut solo album Blunderbuss back in April. Last night, his tour supporting this critically acclaimed record brought him to Charlottesville’s nTelos Wireless Pavilion for a blues-rocking good time.

Before White made his appearance, opener Shovels and Rope, the Charleston, SC duo consisting of Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst, roused the crowd with a slew of folksy rock songs with plenty of southern twang. After their lively 40-minute set and a stricture against photography and videography delivered by one of White’s stagehands, the man of the hour walked onstage to enthusiastic applause.

Drenched in the soft blues and whites of the stage lights, and backed by a charismatic five-piece band, Jack White opened by launching into “Sixteen Saltines,” a cut and recent single off of Blunderbuss.  This set the tone for the next hour and a half, during which White delivered an impressively energetic performance.

White paused only for minimal talking, opting to maintain the energy as he played songs from his solo effort alongside an array of those originally performed by his other projects, including a particularly electrifying performance of The Raconteurs’ hit “Steady, As She Goes.” Jack’s instrumental and vocal talents proved over and over the reason for his ubiquitous presence in rock music, and the audience’s enthusiasm only grew as the set continued.

The singer frequently encouraged audience participation, and surefire sing-along tunes like “I Guess I Should Go to Sleep” and “Hip (Eponymous) Poor Boy” guaranteed that everyone joined in. As he made his exit following the encore, White made amends for not having recently made a trip to Virginia, asserting that he would no longer remain such a stranger to the state. One certainly hopes he means it. —Matthew Cawthon