Music Update 3: GrassRoots 2010

I lucked into a free weekend pass to the GrassRoots Festival this year thanks to a friend, and spent a couple of days enjoying a pretty big variety of music and experiencing what was basically a five year high school reunion. Here's the more memorable acts I saw, not including ones I talked about last time.

Donna the Buffalo


These guys are pretty popular around here, and played multiple times during the festival. Pretty good folksy/country/whatever rock, although I can't say the sound stuck out terribly much from the default sound of the whole thing.

Merle Haggard


Here's a guy who took pretty much straight country and somehow made it tolerable. He seemed to be having fun with the crowd. His backup band seemed to be completely random and included what looked like either the most bored or hungriest drummer I've ever seen, but they did a good job of it. Enjoyable set.

Arrested Development


This was the show of the festival for me, easily. I guess this group used to be bigger, but they're still pretty awesome. Alternative hip hop mixing good rapping (especially by One Love) with strong rock instrumentation. They seemed to get the crowd involved with every song, doing a lot of call and return stuff and everyone was really into it. Just a really fun, feel-good show.

Giant Panda Guerrilla Dub Squad


White guys doing reggae! But they actually handled it pretty well. This show was all about the bass, and the guy playing it knew what he was doing. The organist was also a huge part of it. I still think every reggae song is basically the same thing, but it can be a pretty enjoyable thing in the right hands, and they spent a lot of time developing the sound and building to some pretty great moments. Plus they showed appreciation for the acts that came before them (and would come after them at this very festival).

Ayurveda


I thought this band was pretty decent, but their progressive rock sound didn't really fit the general mood of the festival that well. They were kind of weird too, wrapping up with a twenty minute opus that was about man's evolution from homo sapiens into "homo luminous". They seemed to be pretty good at what they were doing, I just wasn't really into it.

The Black Seeds


Another mostly white reggae group, although these guys were from New Zealand (and the lead singer definitely sounded like it when he talked between songs. I didn't enjoy it as much as Giant Panda, although I was sitting much farther from the stage so that probably played into it. Another group that seemed confident but didn't blow me away.

Sim Redmond Band


Another rock band that used a ton of different influences from around America, and does a decent job with all of them. It featured both male and female vocals heavily, and the interplay between them and all of the different instruments produced a varied yet consistent sound. Pretty fun show.

Rusted Root


This is a fan favorite at GrassRoots. They've been coming since before they made it big, and they still generate a crowd whenever they play. They're sort of bluegrass with a really strong rhythm element, with drumming evocative of many different cultures from around the world. Another show I was pretty far away from, but a good one.

John Brown's Body


And the final group I saw was another reggae act, although with a stronger funk element than the others. Honestly I don't remember much about this one at this point, other than the crowd was into it and everyone seemed to have a good time. Which characterizes GrassRoots in general, one of the more enjoyable ways I've found to see people I haven't in a while. I hope my next visit is a bit sooner than another three years later.

Music Update 2: GrassRoots 2007

Every year at my town there's a four-day music festival called GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance featuring mostly local acts, though usually with at least one performer well-known elsewhere. They donate profits to fund AIDS research and other worthy causes, and it's a nice way to come together and hear some good music. I hadn't actually gone before, but I decided to check out a day of it this year. Here are the acts I saw.

Bubba George Stringband


If you've heard one stringband, you pretty much know what it's all about. They play various stringed instruments proficiently and entertainingly for a while, you enjoy it a bit, and then you move on. They were definitely good at their jobs and it was pretty entertaining for a while, though it wasn't really memorable. They're actually a pretty good act for a secondary stage at a music festival, they keep the audience necessary while leaving them free to see something they actually came for if they want to.

John & Mary


Or John & Mary & The Valkyries, as they were with the people they performed with. They were pretty good folksy-rock with nice female vocals. The drummer was pretty damn good, although he took forever to get everything set right. The lead guitar was also quite nice, and they were a nice warm-up for one of the acts I actually came to see.

The Sutras


They performed at a smaller stage at GrassRoots a couple years ago and a friend raved about it, giving them an A+. I was looking forward to seeing them, and they didn't disappoint. They're pretty awesome indie rock, with a variety of sounds. The rhythm section kicked ass, both bass and drums rocking it the whole time. Their two guitarists had their own styles, but both did well keeping the music going. The vocalist played a variety of instruments, trumpet, keyboard, trumpet and keys at the same time (awesome), guitar, and this weird thing that made differently pitched whistles the closer his hand got to it. I have no idea what it was, but it added a nice, strange sound to some songs, and he even played it with his face at one point. It didn't matter what he played, they always sounded unique and great while maintaining the cohesion a good band should. They did an encore with a David Bowie song (he does sound kind of like him), and it was a wrap on a really amazing show.

Bearfoot


I only caught the end of their set, which featured a similar sound to Bubba George with some harmonized female singing. It was pretty well played and inoffensive for the about ten minutes I heard before they wrapped up.

Thousands of One


Another great show. They had about ten guys on stage who all worked together to create a nice dancing environment, perfect for the Dance Tent venue. I'm not sure how good the bassist actually was but I've never seen one more crucial to setting the tone for the rest of the act. He laid down great lines like it was nothing. They were kind of like funk hip-hop. The main vocalist was quite proficient at both rapping and singing, and he had good backup. The saxophonist was awesome, and the guitarists and percussionists helped fill out the sound. It was a lot of fun without getting too chaotic, and they got into really great jams that could last forever. The crowd really loved it, and it was a fun, energizing performance.

MC Lars


Along with MC Chris, Lars is one of the biggest names in the nerdcore rap scene, so it was really cool to see him come to my home town. The crowd was really into it and it was an entertaining show. Lars isn't the most amazing technical rapper, but he's definitely adequate and he's enjoyable more for his intelligent, comical lyrics and good beats. Between songs he regaled the audience with funny segways before getting back to the music. He had a drummer and guitarist with him, and they provided a nice real touch to accompany the sound coming from his famous laptop on stage. He did a good job getting the audience to particpate, and after the show he stayed around, selling shirts and CDs, and took the time to shake hands and talk with everyone who came up, even if they didn't buy anything. He seemed like a genuinely nice guy who really appreciates anyone who would bother to see him perform. A terrific finish to a really fun day with friends and music.