Saturday - 08.02.08
By: Bill Clifford
THE ALTERNATE ROUTES
 New Riders of the Purple Sage :: GOTV '08 by McCullough |
Bridgeport's own The Alternate Routes began the day at the main stage, but were literally overshadowed by an oncoming storm, which kept many campers at their sites. At just about noon, the thunder and lightning began and then the sky opened up, dumping oceans of rain and torrential winds down on Bridgeport. Concertgoers who'd spent two days seeking shade from the sweltering sun scrambled to find shelter from the storm, and the concert field became a muddy quagmire.
NEW RIDERS OF THE PURPLE SAGE
Jerry must have been smiling on some old friends, because at 4:20 p.m., the storm had passed and the power had come back on, and we welcomed the New Riders of the Purple Sage to the stage. Strangefolk, a Vermont band that plays infrequently but gets back together every summer to play the Gathering (the second band that's played every GOTV), was the only band bumped from the main stage, but played later at the Solar Stage.
SAMANTHA STOLLENWERCK
Over at the Solar Stage, Samantha Stollenwerck impressed with a short, acoustic trio set. She's a newcomer singer-songwriter based in San Francisco whose salty dog vocals and soulful pop songs remind one of Sheryl Crow or Liz Phair. While this set was entertaining, I'd welcome an opportunity to hear her songs with a full backing band.
BILL KREUTZMANN TRIO
 Mike Gordon :: GOTV '08 by Chapman |
In the late afternoon, the former Grateful Dead drummer and now bandleader, Bill Kreutzmann and his Trio followed the New Riders. The Trio includes Allman Brothers bassist and Aquarium Rescue Unit founding member Oteil Burbridge and New England's own Scott Murawski of Max Creek on guitar. "Franklin's Tower" got the crowd moving, and the familiar song drew more fans from the nearby vendors and campsites. Murawski noted they were going to try a new song that included some lyrics by Robert Hunter before a countrified jam that included the line, "I ain't afraid of my death/ I'm just waiting on a message from God." The Trio closed with an up-beat rendition of "Bertha" that, despite the mud, inspired some of the most free-spirited dancing of the whole weekend.
MIKE GORDON
Murawski took the short walk from one stage to the other, where former Phish bassist Mike Gordon was warming up his band and getting tuned as soon as the trio finished. Murawski and Gordon have been working together on one musical project or another since just about the time that Phish split, and this band is showing the rest of the country what we New Englanders have known about Murawski all along. He's certainly been one of the most under-appreciated guitarists of his time, especially considering that Max Creek has been making music for over 30 years.
They played music from Gordon's new album, The Green Sparrow. A loose warm-up improvisation found its way into "Dig Further Down," with a spry, playful smile between Murawski and Gordon and shared vocals on the chorus. The concert field had filled in quite a bit by now, and up front, younger Phish phans were glad to have the chance to catch a glimpse of the bassist up close. "Traveled Too Far" was delivered with high energy and a fast tempo, as well as Gordon's thick, rolling basslines. Murawski, plays a Languedoc guitar, like Gordon's Phish mate Trey Anastasio, which he played fluidly and gracefully, stepping up for solos when asked and always holding the rhythm tight. To the large crowd's delight, they closed their all-too-short set with Gordon's raw Phish nugget, "Meat."
Saturday - 08.02.08 - Take Two
By: Brian Bavosa
PHIL LESH & FRIENDS
 Lesh & Greene :: GOTV '08 by McCullough |
People always seem to gripe about Phil headlining every fest. Well, my answer to that is simple: how often do you get to see a living legend do his thing? And, in the case of the Vibes, he did his thing so friggin' well. The lineup consists of boy-wonder Jackie Greene, outer-space dynamo Steve Molitz, drum hurricane John Molo, veteran axe-slinger Larry Campbell and his wife, singer Teresa Williams, along with the anchor of all anchors, Lesh. They are surely gelling and experimenting with reckless abandon after more than a year on the road together. Set one included some nice nods to the overall laid-back vibe of the weekend with "Cumberland Blues," "Lose," and "Dire Wolf," but the absolute balls-to-the-wall magic that can be the beauty of live music - particularly that of The Dead - lay ahead in the second set.
"Of course I'm really excited about the chemistry in this band with Phil," said Molo. "We really like playing with each other. From the first time I saw The Grateful Dead in 1973 at American University, they always sparked an interest in me. I liked the crowd almost as much as I liked the band, and I liked their open-mindedness about what the band was doing."
Bubbling up with a patient "Scarlet Begonias" that saw the appearance of Donna Jean, Phil then led his mates into an absolutely ripping "All Along the Watchtower;" something unexpected, but certainly welcome as Campbell used to shred this number when he played in Bob Dylan's band, and it rocked - hard. Easily the most poignant moment of the weekend was "He's Gone," which brought tears to many eyes. However, the set really got cooking with a Molitz led space/funk jam that led into "Elevator," a tune Molitz played with Particle, before absolutely exploding into Phil's pile-driver monster, "The Eleven" and finally "I Know You Rider," which made me realize that something bigger than ourselves was driving the northbound train with those who have gone before us acting as the headlight. Lesh must have gotten Superman's liver, because this set flat out soared. Hands down, the best music I heard all weekend.
Continue reading for Sunday coverage of GOTV...
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