Id Rather Be at Bear Creek....

After 3 days of fun in the not so hot sun, Bear Creek has unfortunately come to an abrupt end.  Unlike the typical festivals of summer time, Fall festivals bring the horrors of Classes, Work Schedules, Moves, and all kinds of other responsibilities most of us would rather not have on what would normally be a recovery day.  Never the less, what's done is done and the weekend was a great success.  As far as I know, no serious injuries occurred...and no large lefts or robberies took place (down with the Bonnaroo thieves!)  Looking back, not much could have gone better on my first trip to The Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, FL.  

After leaving Tampa around 11:20 am, our fairly typical crowd departed on our glorious adventure.  After some minor mishaps en route, the caravan arrived in Live Oak and set up camp.  After some quick reunions and some introductions to new friends decisions were made on where to go next.   DubConscious seemed to be the logical desicion, so just like we normally do, we ended up late after excessive preperations and shenangins before wandering off into what will become our new setting for the evening.  

While wandering into the main stage area, we meandered through the commune of tents, picnic areas and parked cars and gathered our bearings for what would be home for the next few days.  A local coffee trailer was a definate plus for mornings as well as a local wood salesmen .  After some wandering through hoola hooping hippies and craft wielding wanderers we finally made it to the Purple Hatter Stage where Dub let the vibes loose at what seemed to be the unofficial open to the weekend despite the previous shows.  

After the show wrapped up, the group concluded that we should check out another stage where a favorite was playing...Toubab Krewe.  Just as they did at Bonnaroo....After a dissapointing show with Lotus, the crowd headed back to the campsite for the end of night festivities that included franzia bag slapping and dead trees being thrown into the fire.  

Day 2 brought hopes to catch some new acts as well as a favorite among our group...Perpetual Groove! After catching a group I had only heard of....Break Science, I quickly became a fan, and in the process of waiting between Break Science and Pnuma Trio I was able to catch a Zach Deptuy set....ALWAYS bringing the funk, gotta give it to Zach.  Then after loosing track of time, I was able to catch the second half of the Perpetual Groove set, only to hear I misssed a shout out directed towards the Ohio, ATL, VA crowd I have found myself traveling with the last couple months, good people.  

The weekend was great as a whole, and knowing that I will have VIP status for 2010 Bear Creek is only making me anticipate it more.  The final day wound the weekend down and as a whole the entire weekend had a few perks.  Seeing Derek Trucks come and play with Lettuce was an experiance, and in addition I managed to get my hands on another P Groove Set List.  My first experiance at Live Oak was a success, and I can't wait to get back again!

Don't Get Lost in the Pretty Lights

This past Teusday...Tampa, Florida and the Crowbar in Ybor City were perparing for something new.  Pretty Lights, an electronic/Hip-Hop duo out of Fort Collins, CO stopped by in what was told to me by their lighting man, one of the smallest venue's on their tour.  Unfortunately, he told me that due to the small size of the Venue, they were unable to bring their LED light wall that many fans have become accustomed to on their current tour.  Pretty Lights however was not alone in their overtake of Tampa.  

The party got started around 10pm when Alex Botwin from the widely toured Pnuma Trio opened up the dance floor.  All though a much smaller crowd than Pretty Lights gained, Alex B lit up the stage and got the crowd moving for what was going to be one the the more exciting times I've had in Tampa to date.  

Alex Vincent Smith, the front man of Pretty Lights, walked out onto the stage w/ his partner, Cory Eberhard right around 12am, and thats when the place really light up.  Bringing their own light system really enhanced the Crow, and the nearly sold out crowd didn't hurt either.  They continued to rock the house at a level that most cannot even comprehend, and made what could have been just another tuesday, into one of the best nights of the past semester. 

So those of you who are unfamiliar with the group, go grab their music for FREE.....LEGALLY! @ www.prettylightsmusic.com and pass the word, because this due is going to be lighting up the dance floor near you pretty soon......

Dunedin Brewery Octoberfest Celebrations!

Despite no prior knowledge that Dunedin Brewery was in the middle of its Octoberfest celebrations, the evening was another grand ole' time with some good people and great music.  The Heavy Pets started the night out, playing in an awesome addition to the Dunedin Brewery, a tent outside the main Bar area with a great stage and dance area set up.  The Heavy Pet's, a Ft. Lauderdale, FL based group consists of 5 members.  They have played festivals from Langerado, to Bonnaroo and are scheduled to play the upcoming JamCruise leaving from South Florida this coming New Years!  After the great outdoor set, the crowd proceeded inside to catch a groove with a band I was unfamiliar before this.  The Trio, which I have yet to acquire a large amount of information on, is a 3 piece jam band with a female bass player that blew my.....mind, any information on the group is greatly appreciated, tried to hunt them down but couldn't find them!  All in all the show rocked, and Dunedin Brewery continues to be one of my favorite venues in the Tampa area.  Can't go wrong with great music, and a great local brewery!  Ill be posting some new videos from the show at some point so be sure to check out the eye candy frequently!!!

Not What I Expected.

My trip this past Saturday to Ford Amphitheatre did not turn out to be like I had originally expected.  On my way into the parking area, my first reaction was the lack of masses tailgating which I expected for a band who has been around since 1991, who has released numerous records and had a bunch of hit songs.  The show was not bad, however it would have been nice to have had the musicians show their talent individually a bit more.  I heard some of the songs I actually was really familiar with such as radio hits like Pardon Me, Megalomaniac, and one of my favorites from the band Circles.  Something I have not seen in a while that the band showed me was a true acoustic set from a typically amlified band.  Bongo's and all, the acoustic set gave the show an twist I haven't seen in a good amount of time.

Lawn seating was an option I would have also liked to have seen.  Even though tickets were not unreasonably priced, I expected the lawn to be open for those people looking to buy the cheap seats.  I feel more fans would have been able to attend if the lawn had an even lower price, allowing those fans that couldn't bring themselves to spend $40 on a ticket.  All and all the night was a good night, but I wouldn't spend the money a second time unless I knew I would be attending a show with much more energy.  Much love to Incubus fans, but I'll follow a different path!  

Another Dave Another Dollar...

There is not one thing that could make me ever say “don’t go to a Dave Matthews Band concert.” It is simply not part of my vocabulary.  However, as a person who considers themselves and experienced Dave attendee, I would say something like “go to the cities and see him when he plays two nights.”  I love Dave, I live for Dave, but high-ticket prices and mediocre set lists have brought me to feel quite strongly about this.  This past Nissan Pavilion show in Bristow, VA clinched it.  I always believed all Dave needed was a purpose to play a great set. I figured this being the last venue that late sax player, Leroi Moore played, he would make sure his fans had an amazing show.  Maybe some rare songs, maybe a great cover…none.  The entire show, I could not help but feel like all Mr. Matthews wanted was to get off stage.  My 14^th show to date, I feel the set list was basically the bands new album on shuffle, with a few #1 hits mixed in.  Not to say the new album is not worth purchasing, but I feel this concert was just trying to get kids to go buy it.  Now all that said, there were great parts of the evening.   A common encore of All Along the Watchtower was uniquely interrupted by a verse of Zeppelins’ Stairway to Heaven.  In addition, there were a few new songs that made the crowd go wild, and I don’t mean his newest hit, Funny the Way It Is.  2 songs from the new album got the crowd wild, Time Bomb seemed to be a hit, however, despite my lack of radio attention, Shake Like a Monkey, seems like a good bet to be the next hit among paying fans.  I will be seeing Dave again, well tomorrow in Tampa’s Ford Amphitheatre, and I would encourage friends to attend, however as a person who frequents Dave shows, I do say, its not the same…West Palm, Red Rocks, Gorge, anywhere he plays multiple nights…give the man a rest on his tour, night 2 is wonderful.  To those who have only seen Dave a few times, make the trip to one of those locations, you’ll get it.  I will continue to see Dave at every opportunity, and encourage, pay for, and tell friends how to sneak in when I can…its just not the same as it used to be….enjoy Dave, but make an effort to attend his great shows, RIP Leroi…it will never be the same.

A Different Perspective...

As I made my way back into the Northern VA, DC area, I had big plans of attending a multitude of shows.  However, I quickly came to find money was going to be an issue.  The first show on the list was one of the shows I was definitely more interested in checking out, Tool.  However, I soon found out that this would be more difficult then I had originally thought since main ticket sales had been sold out, and second hand websites had tickets starting at no less the $120.  The show seemed out of reach.  However, a friend of mines mother pulled through at the last minute in giving me an opportunity to hear the music, but not actually see the band.  I ended up working in George Masons Patriot Center selling concessions at ridiculous prices.  Although I did not get the full appreciation of what many have told me is the greatest light show around, I did however manage to hear some of my favorite Tool songs.  The main set had some of my favorites including Schicsm, however after the first set I was left hanging since I had been hoping to hear them play Lateralus all night.  This changed quickly however when they started their encore with an electrifying opening of Lateralus, quite possibly one of the loudest songs I have ever heard live.  The show as a whole however was a bit of a let down.  Although I was unable to drink, the venue ran out of beer at around 9 o'clock, just before Tool made their first appearance on stage, they were clearly unprepared.  Also, I figured a band like Tool could manage to play well into the evening, but the last song ended no later then 1120.  I know I shouldn't be greedy and ask for longer then a 2.5 hr show, but with a set break, and after some people had paid over a hundred dollars a ticket, I figured they could have done more for their fans.  Looking back, I am glad I did not pay for a ticket.  I got to listen to a show I was pretty interested in checking out, and was able to pick up a poster for the new apartment, all in all, not a loss however I feel it could have been a much better evening.

And the Winner Is...

Although the time I spent in Atlanta could not have been better.  I entered into the weekend with a single thought on my mind.  Who could play the best show through the course of the weekend?  With so much talent around, and 3 great acts to catch, who could tell which show would be the best.

Due to the long drive, my group arrived into Atlanta well after the 4pm opening of The Masquerade Music Park.  Assuming that the venue had scheduled some small openers we never thought we would miss a show if we showed up around 630 or so.  Unfortunately, we were way off...after a cab ride that still sparks conflict between the group,  we arrived well after the start of the music.  We soon learned that Bob Weir & Ratdog had already left the stage, this was not a good start.  We waited for Moe. to begin, and I made sure the missed show did not bring me down, and as soon as the music began all worries were lost.  Starting the set off just like Bonnaroo with Plane Crash got everybody in the mood, and our night was off to a start.  In my eyes however, Moe. made their presence known when they played one my personal favorites, Tailspin.  As the show continued, Moe brought the crowd back down to reality at about 11pm, which to me was a suprise considering they had played for around 6 hours at Bonnaroo.  

After the crowd dispersed from the outdoor music park, our group made our way upstairs into the Heaven floor of the indoor venue.  Perpetual Groove started out with their song life, but followed it up with a similar version of the song 3 Weeks, that they also played at Freebird Live, on our journey to Jacksonville, FL.  Their first set however was closed out with another personal favorite, Green Tea, a great song to get the crowd ready for the late night they would be playing.  

The second day, was started out making sure we were able to get to the venue with some time to explore its surroundings including lot tailgates and vendors and also making sure we were there for all the music.  Moe. once again lit the stage on fire, however unfortunately I can not say the same of Bob Weir.  Although a fan of The Grateful Dead, I do believe that this set should have been played before Moe.  with the adrenaline and excitement that Moe. had already brought to the stage, Ratdog seemed to have almost lost the crowd until they played Shakedown Street, always a classic.  However, this night was still young.

Leading into the end of the night, the question still lingered.  With Ratdog fading into the background of the weekend, would Moe. or Perpetual Groove be the band to take the weekend away?  My question was soon answered with one of the best Perpetual Groove sets I have seen.  Opening the stage with Teakwood Betz, a crowd favorite, as well as an amazing cover of A HA's- Take on Me.  While playing Take on Me, the crowd seemed to wonder if Brock could hit the high notes, and not only did he hit them, he killed them!  Long story short, although Moe put on a great show, the late night crowd, atmosphere and sheer greatness of Perpetual Groove's late night shows took the weekend away.   

Perpetual Groove

Two days of sheer greatness...my weekend with Perpetual Groove was more successful then I had ever expected. When originally coming up with a plan, I did not expect to be in Jacksonville at all for the show, but ended up sharing a hotel room walking distance from Jacksonville Beach's Freebird Live. Although we arrived a bit late due to our journey from Tampa, I was excited to see my name on the guest list for the first time in my life, thanks to Adam Neelly who is a close friend and promoter of P Groove. The venue, Freebird Live, is located footsteps from the beach, and is two stories. The first floor has a decent sized bar and ample room for dancing, and the upper level balcony looked over the stage as well as offered smokers an area to get outside and fire up. Although the entire show was a hit, the twenty plus minute song Three Weeks was a perfect close to the first set, generating energy for the second half of the evening. I chose to spend the majority of the second set overlooking from the upstairs balcony, after realizing the amount of dance space available upstairs, it wasn't a difficult decision to make. The evening was capped off with a great encore of Robot Waltz and a trip to the beach after the show.

Within 24 hours, I found myself in Ybor City's Crowbar in Tampa. Now, even as a Tampa resident it was my first trip to the Crowbar, and it quickly has become one of my favorites. The very small venue makes it easy to have a very intimate time, and the outdoor patio makes it easy to cool off from the dance floor without missing a note. Although both nights were great, I would have to say Tampa was a much better show simply because of the small and intimate size of the Crowbar, not to mention the cover of Fatboy Slims' Praise You that ended the evening. 

Long story short, if you ever have the opportunity to see Perpetual Groove in concert, do it. Not only will you have a blast at the show, but you will quickly come to find that this band is extremely dedicated to its fans. They made my weekend something I did not think it would be just days before they arrived in Jacksonville, Florida. Thanks for getting us on the list, thanks for cutting me a deal on merchandise when I was down to my last $20, and thanks for being awesome enough to be playing after Moe. and Bob Weir in Atlanta next weekend. See you in ATL!

Bonnaroo 2009!!!!

As you can see I have recently posted my videos from my recent trip to the glory that is Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival on the Eye Candy.  For those that were in attendance, the content of these videos is quite probably very recognizable.  To those who are not familiar, Bonnaroo is simply a large camp out, this year of about 100,000 of my closest friends.  During the 4 day camp out, different musical artists, craftspeople, painters, and other types of things do their best to provide many different types of entertainment for the people in attendance.  Artists that performed this year included Phish, Bruce Springsteen, Jimmy Buffett, and then some of my more personal favorites Moe, and The Mars Volta.  The posted videos give you a simple idea of how the weekend progresses as you can only imagine what 4 days of camping out and partying can do to you!!!  

This years trip was in fact my second to the festival held in Manchester, TN, my first being the summer after my high school graduation in 2005.  This years journey started with a 10 hour drive from Tampa, FL which began at about 10:15 pm.  Upon arriving into Tennessee, we were welcomed with a flat tire but we did not allow this to spoil our spirits.  We continued to get into the line for the security check points, only to end up waiting for a grand total of eleven and a half hours before setting up our campsite in the pouring rain!!!!  However, these minor details would not spoil my vacation to the 700 acre farm where the festival is held.

After getting a few hours sleep and waking up to a breakfast of dry Fruit Loops, I set out to begin my first full day at the festival.  Where many people seem to have enough time going to many of the different crafts people and vendors to see what is available at the festival, it has been my experience that I have very little time to spare with all the music that is occurring on the festivals 5 stages dedicated to all day and all night LIVE MUSIC!  Upon arriving to the uniquely named "The Other Tent," concert goers like myself came across the african styles ofToubab Krewe.  Although this was my first time seeing the group, I was somewhat familiar with their music when I approached the stage.  After a few hours of mind boggling percussion beats, I snapped back into the strange reality of Bonnaroo, and continued to proceed to the different stages for different acts including my first Phish show ever, an accomplishment I hold near since I believed they would never reunite to play together in my lifetime.  

The next two days followed similar patterns involving different bands, however I continued to find myself in my dancing void that would come shattering back into the real world when the music would stop.  Toubab would take the vote for the best show of the weekend but I could not have been happier to have the opportunity to see Phish, The Itals and Snoop Dogg!!!  Now watch the Videos and see exactly how good of a time, and hopefully we will see you at BONNAROO 2010!!!!