Two days on the road, endless music and the Spirit of 'Roo...

This year a group of my good friends and I decided to man up, shell out a fairly hefty chunk of change and take an RV down to the mecca of all music festivals: Bonnaroo. It began as a fleeting dream back in winter; a seemingly unattainable goal that would only come to fruition if the planets aligned or hell froze over. Despite a bounty of planes, trains and automobiles, Tennessee seemed hopelessly out of reach. However, after months of careful consideration our minds were made up. Destination: Manchester, TN.

The days passed slowly... really slowly. I was convinced June would never come. But, it eventually did, and the excitement was palpable. Clothes, food, beer, a homemade flagpole, a cheap pair of sunglasses, a straw hat and OH MY GOD DID I REMEMBER MY WRISTBAND?! Whew, thank God it didn't get up and walk away in the 20 minutes since I last checked to make sure it was there for the 15th time.

We drove from Kenvil, NJ to Manchester, TN. 821 miles. It's a long way but if I had the opportunity to fly I would turn it down without a doubt in my mind. The experience of Bonnaroo extends beyond the Farm. Driving down Interstate 81 with great friends, the windows down and the warm sun on your face has an intoxicating and profound effect on you. I'll admit I'm pretty sure it will, even if only in a small way, stick with me for a very long time to come.

The drive there went down without a hitch (except for when we left the cargo door of the RV open and almost lost a ton of stuff). About 19 hours and 100-plus games of pusoy dos later we made it safe and sound and set up camp, a Scranton flag serving as our signpost. Not many things can easily erase the wear and tear that an RV drive of that length has on your mind, but the lure of endless music and activities sure does help you muster up the strength to soldier on even in the face of no sleep.

So at about 1PM I slipped on my sandals, threw on some sunblock, filled my backpack with Clif bars and trekked off. It was about a 10 minute walk to Centeroo from our campsite and one of the best walks you'll ever take in your life. Seeing all the different people that congregate for the weekend is staggering and comforting at the same time. Its a little (is 80,000 little?) community of people who want to do nothing other than have a good time. It is a lot of fun to watch the campsites change as the days go on. A group near us brought a blank, tan teepee and by the end of the weekend it was covered in glyphs, witty remarks and humorous graffiti. Another sight to see is the stark orange wall separating the campsites from Centeroo. Over the course of the weekend, patrons are allowed and encouraged to paint artwork onto the wall, and some of the murals are out of this world.

I arrived at the gate, got my bag checked, scanned my wristband and walked through. The energy is awesome. People shuffling to and fro, stages and tents as far as the eye can see, dust (adds a surreal aura to Centeroo when the sun starts to set) and music. Finally, the reason I took the grueling trip to Tennessee was upon me! In the next few days I'd be traveling from (in order of size) What Stage, Which Stage, This Tent, That Tent and The Other Tent seeing some of the best music acts I've ever laid eyes on. I like to think that when a band plays Bonnaroo they pull out all the stops and, it seems to me at least, that every band I watched put on the best show possible.

The first band I saw was Hayes Carll and The Poor Decisions at The Other Tent. They are a "Texas country" band from Austin, TX and they certainly don't disappoint. Songs about playing seedy bars, drinking whiskey and scribbling down philosophical mumbo-jumbo fit in perfectly with the warm Tennessee afternoon and the crowd supported the band with all their might. Being the first relatively main act of the weekend, Carll sauntered up to the microphone and proclaimed "Bonnaroo." The place erupted. "BONNAROO!" the crowd joyously yelled back. It was one of the greatest moments of the weekend.

Later on that evening I saw a spectacular show courtesy of the Band of Skulls. Now, I had never listened to any of their music before (except for the I wanna see you in the mornin' song on some car commercial) but as soon as I got back home I bought their album. Their opening song (watch it here, its so worth it) blew me away and I was grinning ear to ear for the rest of their set. I tried catching some of Sleigh Bells later that night but I'm not a huge fan and the exhaustion of 19 hours on the road finally caught up to me. I fell asleep in the cool grass and dreamt of break lights and card games.

Friday morning at Bonnaroo is a great day. You're a little more comfortable with your surroundings and you still have 3 full days of music ahead of you. I'm currently on a My Morning Jacket binge thanks to their show on Friday night. It was indescribable but I'll do my best a little later. First up on Friday was Bela Fleck & the Flecktones. A truly talented group of musicians playing jazzy bluegrass instrumentals for the soul. If you haven't heard the song Big Country yet then I highly recommend it... its enough to pull at the heartstrings of the coldest of individuals. Between the harmonica, banjo and Vic Wooten's bass, my ears were overwhelmed in the best possible way.

I missed most of Warren Haynes Band because I was on a journey to the "Food Truck Oasis" for lunch. Florence & the Machine was good. Very energetic, and the crowd adored them. When they ended I took the long walk from This Tent to What Stage to catch a band that I tried desperately to become a fan of in the months before Bonnaroo; "My Morning Jacket." I had heard so many good things about this band, energetic, psychedelic, jammy, rocky, you name it. Its like they possess all of the qualities I like in a band. But, for whatever reason I could not for the life of me get into their music. I tried. I tried so hard but all I came away with was a love for "One Big Holiday" and "Easy Morning Rebel." They began playing before I had made my way across Centeroo and I heard Jim James' big, reverby voice from afar. I knew that their live show would be different than their albums so I had hope.

I picked a patch of grass set pretty far back from the stage and I opened my ears and my mind to My Morning Jacket. Then it happened. They played the song that would force me to buy their latest album which would in turn make me absolutely fall in love with every single one of their songs. The song, "Outta My System" hit me like a ton of bricks (watch it here). That song, coupled with the dusty, muggy air and the green lighted "Bonnaroo" above the stage have been some of the first things that I recall when I look back on the weekend. I solemnly realized during the MMJ show that my friends and I were in the midst of forming some of the happiest memories of our lives so far. Looking back on the rest of the show, I know it was amazing but, seeing as I didn't know most of the songs, I can much more easily recall it as a whole rather than specific moments. And, although I would love to have had my affinity for MMJ that I do now back then I can confidently say that it did not detract much from the experience.


End part one. Look for part two coming in the next week or so.

Enjoy!

-Tommy

Album review: Alpha Waves - Who Goes There?

This week I had the pleasure to listen to the first EP from the band Alpha Waves. Hailing from Southern New Jersey, guitarist Frank Masciocchi and drummer Drew Tait have put together a fabulously spacey, six song album entitled "Who Goes There?" The two piece minces no words in describing their first effort as psychedelic; each song is packed full of flanging, reverb filled guitar lines, busy, tight drums and airy vocals to challenge even the most lucid of minds. There was probably more production done on this album than is done for some of the bigger garage rock bands out there.

"Who Goes There?" opens up with the raucous "Prefirst." The song begins with feedback and clanging, metal guitar sounds which give way to a melodic, repetative (in a good way) verse. Then, before you know it, the song meanders into a full on audio assault with layers upon layers of guitar, pulling your ears in every which direction. Tait really flexes some muscle on the drums in this one, leading the song all the way to its thunderous conclusion.

"Motions" is a particularily memorable saga in which Masciocchi chants haunting vocals over swirling feedback with gallons of reverb. "Sage Run" evokes thoughts of Ray Manzarek at his keyboard as swelling, harpsichord-like notes ebb and flow like waves crashing on the shore. This one is definitely Bonnaroo-inspired and an anthem for all those navigating back to camp with dewy grass under their feet,  a throbbing beat stuck in their ears and the streaky colors of the ferris wheel clouding their vision. 

Last, but most certainly not least, comes the song "Soma." The only fully instrumental number on the album, Frank and Drew call this one a tribute to Lotus. The influence is unmistakable and I bet the guys in Lotus would be happy to know this song is out there. It is very rare that a song has the power to make you completely forget everything that surrounds you and focus only on the rhythm and beat. This one does just that. Wah-ed, distorted, guitar grabs your attention while chimey synth mounts before trailing off into the ether. The musical craftsmanship that takes place next is really something else. Guitars, drums and synths bring this album to a soft, euphoric close, concluding the psychedelic journey in the happiest of ways.  

Alpha Waves have really set the bar high with their EP and I look very forward to hearing the LP once it comes out. While it doesn't feature the catchiest of songs for people to sing along to, "Who Goes There?" definitely exhibits some serious muscle in terms of musical and production ability on the part of members Frank and Drew. Give it a listen and let them know what you think!

Alpha Waves - Who Goes There?

-Tommy

Introduction

Music. It's what makes the world go 'round for some. For others, it's simply something to make their car ride a little more bearable, or to fill that void in a lightly packed bar. However, music lover or not, I've never spoken to anyone who didn't have an opinion on it. Whether you like free-form jazz or "everything but country..." you've got something to say about music. This blog will display my two cents about everything music related.

Let me first start off by saying that I am a music lover. I'm the one who always sits and listens to the guy playing acoustic at the local pub (I applaud, too). I go to concerts as often as my schedule and budget allows. I spend hours on YouTube and Palladia watching the concerts I can't go to. I even play guitar and sing in a band of my own. Music gives me something to do. It gives me a sense of purpose, and, most importantly, it makes me happy.

This blog will not serve the purpose of me trying to force you to "listen to X because of X" or "don't listen to X because, like, they just suck, man." That would make me a musical bully and I'm not about that. I'm creating this blog because I know there are other music lovers out there just like me. We share this in common and I would love to share my thoughts with you as much as I would love to hear what you have to say.

Music is constantly changing. There is so much material out there to listen to. It's literally impossible to experience or have access (legally) to it all. So, I'm going to be honest with you... I don't own a single Eminem album. I don't have any Nirvana (gasp!), Kanye, Radiohead or Zac Brown Band albums. It isn't because I dislike them. I have certain genres and bands I like and, as my musical taste and collection progresses, I find I have so much material from a band I really like that I simply don't have time to get around to the stuff I don't like as much. Do I listen to the 5 North Mississippi Allstars albums I just discovered (and thoroughly enjoy) or do I try to get through "Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends," an album I'm not as fond of? I wish I had all the time in the world to take it all in.

If you like music, you'll like this blog. I'll be writing about albums, shows I attend, music theory (yawn?), instruments, all sorts of gear and basically anything and everything having to do with the good vibes that surround us.

Disclaimer: Here's the part where some of you might start to shake your heads and direct the mouse to the little "x" in the corner of the page. For those of you that don't, then we're probably on the same wavelength.

I don't like certain bands (surprise!). I don't like Mumford & Sons. I don't like Vampire Weekend, Rascal Flatts, Arcade Fire, MGMT, The Cure and the list goes on. But, rather than badmouth them and explain why I dislike them, I'll just refrain from discussing them. If that's what you were hoping to read about then I apologize, but maybe this blog isn't for you. Nobody needs to listen to me rant and rave about how Justin Bieber is going to be the death of music as we know it. He's not. Music is here for everybody to enjoy. If you're going to see NKOTBSB, cool. If you just bought a Bela Fleck & the Flecktones album, sweet. Everyone has different tastes and who the hell am I to tell you what they should be?

With that I'll bring my introduction to a close. Thanks for reading. Hopefully you find something you can enjoy and relate to in this blog. Come back soon for more posts.

Regards,
Tommy