Concert Review: Virgin Mobile FreeFest @ Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD- 9.10.2011

This past Saturday was the music event of the summer for local music fans.  Virgin Mobile FreeFest commenced at Merriweather Post Pavilion, just outside Baltimore.  For those not familiar with FreeFest, the majority of tickets are free with an option of donation, while limited tickets are sold.  All the proceeds go to charities assisting homeless youth.  I have to say, this year they gave/sold way more tickets than last year.  The grounds were packed solid with fans.  I took in music at each stage, and they were significantly more crowded than last year.  While crowds don't mix with my need for personal space, they must have raised a ton of money for charity.

Merriweather Post Pavilion is one of my favorite venues in he area.  The grounds are absolutely beautiful, and it produces top notch sound.  The festival is set up for three stages for the 20-plus bands.  The main stage is at the Pavilion featuring covered seating and a large lawn area.  The second stage is at the West end of the park in an open field.  The third stage, termed "The Dance Forest" lies between the two other stages.  We had a three full days of rain in the week before FreeFest.  So much so, that flooding closed schools on Thursday and Friday.  To my surprise the grounds were in relatively remarkable condition.  There was bound to be mud with the amount of rain we received, but it wasn't terrible.  The west stage definitely was in the worst shape, and the mud had a bit of a foul smell.  All in all, the staff did a great job getting everything ready.

On the the music.  The first band I had the pleasure of seeing was Alberta Cross at the West Stage.  This was one of my favorite sets on the night, partly because it was early enough that I could get close to the stage.  Their set was highly energetic, and I would definitely go back to see them.  The guitars were ablaze, as Alberta Cross performed their Southern Rock-esque tunes.  It was a great way to start the afternoon.

After catching just a bit of Bombay Bicycle Club, I returned to west stage for Two Door Cinema Club.  This was the band I was looking forward to seeing most.  Unfortunately, I have to say I was a bit disappointed.  While I enjoyed some songs, it felt like many of them sounded similar.  They are a pretty young band, however, and their second album is in the works.  Sometimes it takes a couple of releases for a band to venture out from the comfortable.  For this performance, in my opinion, it could have been better.

From their I headed to the main stage for Okkervil River.  I've always heard about this band, and while I've briefly explored their catalog, I hadn't truly delved into what they were capable of.  While Two Door Cinema Club was a disappointment, Okkervil River was a pleasant surprise.  I think I enjoyed this set the most.  The band was made of solid musicians all around.  There was a mix of raucous songs and emotional slower songs.  Lead vocalist and song writer Will Sheff was particularly impressive.

Immediately following Okkervil River on the main stage was Grace Potter and the Nocturnals.  This was another impressive performance.  I saw Grace and company open for The Avett Brothers last year and was impressed.  This performance was even more impressive.  Grace Potter has an All Star voice, and she can really rock; more than most any female in music right now.  The Okkervil River/Grace Potter block was my favorite chunk of the afternoon.

I was only able to catch the final two songs of Cut Copy, and by all accounts of those who caught the entire set, I really missed out.  This seemed to be a crowd favorite, and judging by the crowd's enthusiasm during the final two songs it seems to be an accurate assessment.  I will definitely have to try to catch them some other time.

From there my night slowed down.  One of the drawbacks of the afternoon for me, was sheer volume of people.  I'm the kind of person who enjoys things from the outskirts.  I'm not comfortable in close quarters.  Well... outskirts didn't really exist at FreeFest.  Also, while the crowd was generally well behaved, like is bound to happen at an all day music festival, there were some who went beyond their alcohol limits.

I caught some of TV On The Radio, but was underwhelmed.  I did check out Teddybears in the Dance Forest, truthfully just so I could see those bear masks.  The masks didn't disappoint.  I'm not particularly into electronic music, so I wasn't expecting Teddybears to be a highlight for me, but they were entertaining.

Black Keys were the last band of the night.  I stayed for three or four songs which were decent.  However, the crowd completely filled the lawn.  Seeing the stage was near impossible, so I called it a night.

Virgin Mobile FreeFest is a great event.  I mean... it's free!  You really can't go wrong, and they consistently bring great bands on the cusp of what's next in music.  It was slightly disappointing for me.  However, it was mostly because of my own concert preferences rather than the quality of the music or the venue.

Concert Review- DMB Caravan- Night 3 @ Bader Field, Atlantic City, NJ- 6.26.2011

After two amazing days of music, it was hard to believe that there was still a full day of music ahead of us.  We started the day by perusing some of the fine shops along the boardwalk, and counting the number of massage parlors and psychic booths.  Seriously, every block had the same exact stores.  I never understood that. We were able to find a stylish t-shirt claiming Atlantic City as the "Ultimate Paradise", so overall it was a success.

Our goal was to arrive at Bader Field in time to see Dawes at 2:00, but we arrived a little early.  So we set up shop and enjoyed the Pete Kilpatrick band who took the stage before Dawes.  I have to say that we were pleasantly surprised. Of all the new music I heard this weekend, I think the Pete Kilpatrick Band were   my favorite band I had never heard of before.  They hail from Maine and have been named best musical act four times at the Portland Best Music Awards.  Be on the watch out for another post about the Pete Kilpatrick band real soon.

Dawes took the stage next, and I have to say I was a little disappointed.  I probably hyped Dawes up too much in my mind.  I've read nothing but good things from friends and from music reviews, but their set seemed to be lacking something.  Honestly, I ended up enjoying Pete Kilpatrick Band more.  I should probably take some time to become more familiar with their catalog and give them another chance.

We left Dawes to catch the second half of Fitz & the Tantrums.  This was the band that Teresa was looking forward to hearing most.  If you're not familiar with Fitz & the Tantrums yet (I have a feeling you will be soon), they have a good bit of a 1960's soul feeling with a touch of 1980's charm.  This Los Angeles based band also knows how to get the crowd involved.  This included calling out anyone who wouldn't dance.  The entire performance for lively and energetic, but they stole the show with their first single "MoneyGrabber" off their debut album Pickin' Up the Pieces.  You'll be hearing more from this band, I'm almost sure.

After taking a break for dinner, our group had a decision to make.  David Gray was playing on the main stage, and Grace Potter & the Nocturnals were playing on the Pacific Stage.  Jan and I decided to take in David Gray, who put on a wonderful performance.  I've been a fan of David Gray since 1999's White Ladder, but hadn't seen him perform live until August of last year.  David is a great live performer!  His songs, while outstanding on the studio records, are taken to a new level live.  All I can say, is that if you're a fan of David Gray's music, you need to see him live.  Highlights from his set included "Babylon", "Please Forgive Me", "Lately", and "Nemesis".

While we were enjoying David Gray, Teresa headed over for Grace Potter & the Nocturnals.  She said they were outstanding, and I fully believe it.  Grace Patter & the Nocturnals opened for The Avett Brothers last October and put on a great show.  It was a shame their set overlapped with David Gray's.

In favor of staking out a good spot for Dave Matthews Band we missed out on Bassnectar and Michael Franti & Spearhead, but we could definitely hear Bassnectar from our spots.  However, holding out for a good spot for a good idea, because this, out of all three nights, was the best Dave Matthews Band set of the weekend!  The band opened with "Seek Up" which has been a favorite of Dave Matthews fans since the band's beginning.  It typically clocks in well past 10 minutes, and usually only appears 10-15 times throughout a summer long tour.  It's a great way to kick off a show.

Following a performance of "Warehouse" with a sweet salsa jam and "What Would You Say" came a real surprise with "Kill the King".  "Kill the King" has only been played seven times prior to Sunday, and hadn't been played since 2006.

"Dive In" and "Raven" also made appearances which can be fairly rare.  Following those songs the band broke into "So Much To Say", typically "So Much To Say" if followed by the interlude, "Anyone Seen the Bridge", however this time the band had yet another surprise in store.  Instead of "Anyone Seen the Bridge" they covered Aerosmith's "Sweet Emotion".  Seriously, it's hard not to love a band that surprises diehard fans the way Dave Matthews Band does.

To close out the regular set, Stefan Lessard began his bass solo which could only lead into "All Along the Watchtower".  The way they perform this song is nearly perfect.  The first verse is slow and haunting, and then it ramps up from there into a fury of energy and excitement.  Sunday night's performance didn't disappoint.

As if this third night of Dave Matthews Band couldn't get any better, they came out with a ridiculous encore.  First Dave Matthews performed an emotional and solo performance of "Some Devil."  Following "Some Devil" Carter Beauford began striking the snare drum, which typically leads into "Ants Marching" a usual show closer.  Not tonight, instead it was an "Ants Marching" fake into "Halloween".  "Halloween" is a pretty angry and emotional song.  It was probably my favorite song of the entire weekend.  It's amazing watching Dave Matthews scream the lyrics with such passion.  As the song ended, the band entered back into "Ants Marching".  Surely, this was the end of the weekend right?  Not quite.  Finally, they played the Sly and the Family Stone song "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)".  This included crazed dancing by Dave and the entire crowd singing "I want to thank you/For letting me/Be myself again".  It was truly awesome, and a perfect way to end the weekend.

What a great weekend!  I had a wonderful time with my brother, his girlfriend, and all my friends.  I got to enjoy a bunch of my favorite bands, and discovered new bands.  And though I've been to over 20 Dave Matthew Band shows, they blew me away again this weekend.  Including the Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds acoustic set, they played 66 different songs this weekend!  No repeats!  Simply unreal.  If you were thinking about catching one of the other Caravan events in Chicago, Governor's Island, or The Gorge, you should bite the bullet and buy the tickets.  It's definitely worth it!

Hope you enjoyed the reviews as much as I enjoyed the weekend!  Thanks for reading!

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals: If I Was A Judge I'd Break The Law

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals formed in 2002, and have been steadily growing in popularity ever since.  Their musical style is a bit refreshing in a day where few female musicians venture into the world of rock, choosing to remain in the confines of the pop world.  Ten minutes into a Grace Potter and the Nocturnals concert and it's clear that this band goes far beyond pop.

Here's Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, using some pretty inventive instruments to perform their latest single, "Paris (Ohh La La)".

For more info, take a look at the band's website.