Sunday - 08.03.08
By: Brian Bavosa
JACKIE GREENE
 Sam Bush :: GOTV '08 by McCullough |
Having been handpicked by Lesh to be the new face in his latest gathering of Friends, many forget that Greene is a prolific singer-songwriter in his own right. A beautiful mix of blues, rock and stirring ballads made up his Sunday afternoon set, capped off by a hint of "New Speedway Boogie" in the middle of his own "Rusty Nail" and an extremely sexy "Sugaree," with - you guessed it - Godchaux. Greene has breathed his own, unique life into "Sugaree" since he began playing it with Lesh.
SAM BUSH
Another living legend, often referred to as the "King of Newgrass," Sam Bush treated fans to a sprinkling of his bluegrass-meets-rock brand of mandolin. Saxophonist Bill Evans accompanied Bush for most of the set, which was a nice change of pace for a lazy Sunday afternoon.
Sunday - 08.03.08 - Take Two
By: Bill Clifford
DEREK TRUCKS & SUSAN TEDESCHI SOUL STEW REVIVAL
 Tedeschi & Trucks - Soul Stew Revival by McCullough |
A large contingency of fans exited Sunday morning, missing two of the festival highlights. Husband and wife Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi ended their Soul Stew Revival tour at the Vibes. They retraced blues and soul standards such as opener "Tell The Truth" and "Anyday," both written by Eric Clapton, with whom the young guitar prodigy has toured. Tedeschi took the lead vocals on the scathing Paul Butterfield blues chestnut "Get Out My Life, Woman," her bellowing, gritty rasp echoed by Trucks' searing slide playing, with a touch of added R&B courtesy of a three-piece horn section. The Beatles' "Hey Jude" encore was re-imagined here as a Memphis soul classic, with Tedeschi and Mike Mattison wailing together on vocals.
UMPHREY'S McGEE
There was a dichotomy evident between the older fans (at least those that had stayed this long) of the Soul Stew Revival and the younger audience for Umphrey's McGee, who drew the largest crowd of the day. They seemed in fine spirits considering the previous night's cancellation of an outdoor arena performance in Atlanta due to the weather.
They warmed up with "Walletsworth" and ran through eight songs, each finding more room for their trademark improvisation and tight musical collaboration. Mid-set included a slow, funky instrumental, "Jimmy Stewart," which segued into a high-energy rendition of "Plunger" with several changes in tempo. "Words" followed seamlessly, and by this point the Umphreaks were going nuts, which certainly had an effect on the band's playing.
"Gathering of the Vibes, we've heard about it, but we've never been. This is badass. Thank you for having us. It's about time we came," noted guitarist Jake Cinninger.
They closed their set with a butt-shaking take on "JaJunk." From just under the shade of the giant oak in the center of the field, it was an inspiring sight to watch a sea of fans move and sway together to the music.
THE NEVILLE BROTHERS
 The Neville Brothers :: GOTV '08 by Chapman |
Under the shade of that same giant tree, I watched as fans emptied the concert field in droves after Umphrey's McGee's set. Disappointingly, yet maybe purposely, GOTV puts on a big name as the festival closer, but not one that keeps every fan around. New Orleans' legendary Neville Brothers had the unfortunate spot in '08. They performed a moving set for a few hundred fans lingering around the concert field, one only wishes more could have experienced this lasting legacy.
A celebration of the life and music of the late Jerry Garcia and The Grateful Dead that began in 1995 in San Francisco, when Garcia passed, has found a home and a family on the East Coast. Bridgeport, Connecticut and Seaside Park gladly welcomes the Vibe Tribe with open arms. It does seem as if the sun shines a little brighter when we gather, though it also seems as if yearly somebody dumps a brief "Box of Rain" on the celebration. Regardless, the Vibe Tribe will continue to return to Seaside Park, on the land donated by circus impresario P.T. Barnum, to rejoice together and ensure that Garcia's memory and the spirit and music of the Grateful Dead will live on for years to come.
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