Friday - 08.01.08
By: Brian Bavosa
 Porter & Stoltz - PBS :: GOTV '08 by Chapman |
PORTER-BATISTE-STOLTZ
During a delay (I heard traffic) that caused PBS to run a bit behind, Assembly of Dust frontman Reid Genauer played a solo, acoustic version of "Speculator," a song I remember seeing him play on this very stage almost a decade ago with his former band, Strangefolk (whose new incarnation played the following day). If PBS was late, they sure made up for it upon hitting the stage, even if their set seemed abbreviated. Bringing their dose of New Orleans' flavored funk, the concert field seemed jarred loose from the melodic, sticky goodness. This set was an all out ass-shaker that showcased some of the most prolific musicians of our time in George Porter Jr., Russell Batiste and Brian Stoltz.
ASSEMBLY OF DUST
In many ways, I enjoy the GOTV more than any other festival. Besides the location and lineup, the organizers of this fest - more so than many others - are fans themselves. In short: they get it. One thing that has always represented this fact is where they place the acts and the time slots they give them. AOD was a picture perfect example.
Genauer's acoustic sound, soaring, heartfelt vocals, along with Nate Wilson's keys paint a perfect mood for the late afternoon hours when the sun begins to fade, the sweat subsides from your brow and your buzz begins to brighten up your smile. In particular, "Westerly," another song I vividly remember hearing at the '00 Vibes, transported me back in time to my younger days when responsibilities were fewer and reminded me to "settle down." Donna Jean joined AOD for her first reading in almost 35 years of "You Ain't Woman Enough (To Take My Man)," a Loretta Lynn number that she sang often with The Dead, most notably in 1973.
ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA
 Dweezil Zappa :: GOTV '08 by Chapman |
Easily the most impressive act of Friday was Dweezil Zappa channeling the spirit of his father Frank with Zappa Plays Zappa. With a set sharper than a switchblade, Dweezil led Aaron Arntz, Scheila Gonzalez, Pete Griffin, Joe Travers and Billy Hulting through some choice cuts. Ray White, vocalist for Frank's band, was also on hand and most notably made his presence felt during a set closing "Cosmik Debris" that really stood out. White also contributed to "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow," another zany example of Frank's brilliance AND words we all should try to live by.
DEEP BANANA BLACKOUT
Another tradition of most Vibes, especially in Bridgeport, has been to reserve a semi-headlining slot for hometown heroes, Deep Banana Blackout. Last year, DBB teamed up with George Clinton & P-Funk for an all-star funk tribute to James Brown. This year, the band focused on mostly their own material, with original frontwoman Jen Durkin. "This is the best gig of the year," she said. When I asked her about the hometown connection, she replied that the Vibes are unique because "the people around here are so sophisticated because of NYC and the whole world music scene that comes out of there. Bridgeport is like 'Come to my 'hood and see how cool it is here!' The people make it."
Spanning their catalogue with old chestnuts like "Breakfast at Volo's," "Tug" and "Bump & Sway," DBB looked comfortable as only locals can and funked long into the night, led by the horn section of Rob Somerville and Rob Volo, and were even joined by Karl Perazzo (Santana) on percussion. Also worth noting, before the start of their set DBB served as the backing band for eight-year old guitar whiz Yuto Miyazawa for Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train" and "Mr. Crowley," securing his lore as the youngest professional guitarist, an honor he received from The Guinness Book of World Records several days later.
Friday - 08.01.08 - Take Two
By: Bill Clifford
KING FOR A DAY
 Tom Hamilton - American Babies
GOTV '08 by McCullough |
King For A Day opened the main stages on Friday. Fittingly, in 1996, guitarist and Fairfield, CT native Dan Labich played the first notes at the first related event, then located on the SUNY Purchase campus in upstate New York and called "Deadhead Heaven: A Gathering of the Tribe." This band also includes bassist Benji LeFevre of Deep Banana Blackout fame. Unfortunately, KFAD's slow, bluesy, wailing rock failed to impress, at least this critic, and I rode off before the end of its set.
AMERICAN BABIES
Led by former Brothers Past frontman Tom Hamilton and his bassist brother Joe, and bolstered by guitarist Scott Metzger (RANA, Particle) and Duo drummer Joe Russo, this supergroup of sorts gave a pleasant performance of songs from its debut recording. The up-beat, melodic rocker "Brooklyn Bridge" with three-part vocal harmonies had many moving and singing along, and the slower, quieter "Broken English" kept the small crowd listening intently to Hamilton. When he brought the music to a rest on the lovely countrified waltz "One For The Road" you could have heard a field mouse squeak. Sadly, just a few braved the beautiful, warm afternoon sun to hear the Babies' set.
RYAN MONTBLEAU BAND
Four summers ago, the festival invited a young New England singer-songwriter into the fold, and the Ryan Montbleau Band has been invited back each year since. As the festival has grown in size and stature, so too has this band. A sea of peeps assembled in anticipation of this six-piece's set, and the band didn't disappoint. Opener "Draw The Line" and "The Boat Song" took on a ska feel courtesy of the rhythmic keys of Jason Cohen. With the blazing hot sun finally falling behind the stage, the way too funky love song "Inspired By No One" inspired a spirited Montbleau to mark the occasion, "It was Jerry's birthday, and we were dancing, dancing on stages/ I don't remember much but I know it was amazing/ All of these friends of mine, gettin' down/ gettin' down at the Vibes/ We was feelin' all right."
Later, the band was joined by DBB's horn section. With a throbbing electric bass anchoring the low end, the soulful, infectious cover of Paul McCartney's "Let 'Em In" had the crowd shuffling their feet and shaking their asses from side to side. In the bridge where Sir Paul lists names of friends to be let in, Montbleau improvised, running down a list of festival entertainers, keeping in tune with the song: "Deep Banana, Donna Jean, Dweezil Zappa and AOD. Brothers Neville, Phil & Friends, open the doorway, let 'em in." With the next band stuck in traffic on I-95, the RMB was granted a three-song encore, finally closing with their apropos original "Dancing In The Sunshine."
THE BREW
 Chris Robinson - The Black Crowes
GOTV '08 by McCullough |
Later, over at the Solar Stage, another New England rock band, The Brew, was tearing it up. This straight ahead rock quartet has been running up and down the East Coast, developing quite a stage presence and tight musical prowess. As people sauntered along Barnum Avenue by the shore, many were drawn in, and the audience grew song by song. Brothers Chris and Joe Plante have a distinct vocal harmony, especially present on "Chance Reaching." By the closing song, the classic rock sounding "Birds On A Window," they had amassed a large, appreciative crowd of new fans.
THE BLACK CROWES
Friday's closer, The Black Crowes let their freak flag fly. As if the Crowes needed to add more Southern fried blues to its soul and gospel, the addition of Luther Dickinson of North Mississippi Allstars brings just that – more rolling, bluesy swagger. Given a two-hour set time, the Crowes played the part of headliner well, including a smattering of past hits and flavoring the set with songs from their new CD, Warpaint.
They got off to a mellow but groovy start with "Thorn In My Pride," while fans both young and old filed into the concert field. The song built to a peak with a searing solo from Dickinson and thick swells of keyboards with harmonica from a rail thin Chris Robinson adding the final detail. While not normally shy, Robinson said very little between songs. The band did nod to Garcia and The Dead with an elegant cover of the traditional folk song "Cold Rain and Snow," followed by the jazzy New Orleans vibe of "Locust Street" from Warpaint.
"Wiser Time" absolutely burned the stage down with long improvised jams and Chris Robinson sauntering from one side of the stage to the other, flaunting his style, tossing his black hair behind him as he moved. The tempo slowed for another Warpaint ballad, the beautiful "Oh Josephine," and then rose again with "Remedy" and "Hard To Handle," both of which enticed the crowd to sing-along in unison, before they closed with "Wounded Bird." The Crowes addition to the lineup may have struck a negative note with some Vibes regulars but they once again proved why they're one of the great Southern rock bands of all time.
Continue reading for Saturday coverage of GOTV...
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