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It had been a long time since I had returned to Ohio, and I was lucky enough to escape the threshold of Washington, DC to try and capture the essence of a biannual gathering that has been in existence for nearly a decade. To connect with a band that I had seen many times, but never in their home state. My close friends Dave and Nicole, and I drove through Thursday night to take advantage of the “early bird” offered. We arrived at scenic Buckeye Lake in Thornville, OH as the sun was rising and found some nice real estate to settle on facing the stage. “The people built a peaceful town,” as the song goes and it was a town that could rival any in size and sustenance.
The festival was extremely organized and it made for a very efficient flow. Acoustic Productions had every base covered and Buckeye Lake, which had been used before for the gathering was an excellent site for the sixteenth edition of Hookahville. The lineup included a great deal of talent and genre diversity and the crowd was a very diverse mix of smiling faces consisting of friends and family from both far and near. A little rain welcomed us softening the ground and cooling things off. It subsided just in time for the All Mighty Senators from Baltimore, MD to kick things off with their unique brand of “Rock and Soul.” “Power Generator” and “Bruce Lee” were just a couple of AMS originals that funktified the growing crowd as our superheroes left Hookahville en route to their first European Festival.
As thunderstorms threatened, legendary Little Feat took the stage an opened with the classic “Dixie Chicken.” They performed and excellent rendition of the Grateful Dead’s “Tennessee Jed,” which segued back into “Dixie Chicken.” Thunder and lightning joined the party, but proved to be no match for the energy on stage, as the bright sun shone down, a trend that would continue for the duration of the festival. It was exciting to see a band that I had only read about, but never had the opportunity to enjoy live. A rich piece of history engrained with a musical purity and accomplished jam.
It was then time for Ekoostik Hookah to take the stage. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the band, Hookah is a 10 year old sextet native to Columbus, Ohio consisting of Dave Katz (guitar, keys), Ed McGee (rhythm guitar), Cliff Starbuck (bass), Johnny “Starcatt” Polansky” (percussion), Steve Sweney (lead guitar), and Eric Lanese (drums). This is a group of extremely knowledgeable and talented musicians that have created an extremely vast repertoire; complete with tight grooves, epic jams, and inspirationally moving lyrics. In my opinion, they are the most original and cohesive group of musicians around today, whose live performances exemplify their rarity.
As hoards of Hookahphiles settled in, and as the band began to perform, I started to get a great sense of unity and not just with the crowd and the band, but also with the entire atmosphere. This feeling would continue to grow as time went on. “Silver Train” took off with its very acoustic bluegrass feel and got the crowd set in a continuous motion. Katz took a break from his acoustic guitar for “Backwoods Rose,” a song where Dave displayed not only his unique and soulful voice, but also his depth, versatility and capacity on the keys. “Good Friends Past” followed with its deep felt lyrics and emotional vocalist work from Ed McGee. Ed is an extremely charismatic and energetic individual with an excellent stage presence. Later in the set the band was joined by Shaun Murphy from Little Feat for a cover of The Stones' “Give Me Shelter.” An intense performance that I witnessed as not so much of a collaboration, but more of a fusion between two generations united onstage for a common interest. More members of Little Feat joined the band to close the set with a performance of the Katz’s original “Music,” and an all out multi-generational jam session.
The second set kick started with “Lady Vanilla,” a song that to me paints a vivid picture of deprivation, but thankfulness for it. “Through Hiker” a groovy hard rocking crowd favorite graced the set and grooved itself into one of Cliff’s favorite tunes, “Boogie Chillun” from the late great John Lee Hooker. Cliff’s soulful and rich voice payed tribute to a great icon whose genre still lives on in Hookah’s music. I got the opportunity to hear one of my favorites “Spiders,” a unique and hauntingly harmonious piece that illustrates metaphorical journeys that may seem like “sweet remnants from a dream.” The Encore brought us “Dragonfly,” which contains some of the most moving lyrics I have ever heard: “I’m alive, feels good to be reminded.” Goose bumps covered my skin. An outstanding night of music as the celebration continued and good vibes were omnipresent.
Day two brought us a most advantageous weather pattern; with the sun shining bright and an optimal breeze keeping things comfortable. After some meandering and rapport building, I had the opportunity to take in some of the authenticity and aesthetics of this production. “A happy healthy party,” in which the audience, local community, production, and authorities share a very symbiotic relationship and a great sense of social responsibility. “No Hassles or Bad Attitudes,” truer words have never been spoken. This was a production that spared no detail and went to great extents to make sure everyone would be satisfied. A giant stage equipped with an excellent sound system, giant movie screens, and brilliant décor. The light shows were handled by none other than Chris Kuroda, who did a top rate job. He has an excellent gift for adding a certain magnitude to an environment and his work at Hookahville was extremely commendable.
It was to be a very special day as I got the opportunity to speak with some of the band members and really got a good sense from the crowd about what Hookahville was about and what it meant to the state of Ohio.
“I love being part of Hookahville, because I believe that music is for sharing. Although there may be some distracting aspects, here today I feel a pure sense of that sharing.” - Ed McGee
To start Saturday’s festivities off John Bell from Widespread Panic took the stage solo, armed only with an acoustic guitar. He delivered a very solid performance with excellent crowd interaction JB played favorites like “Coconuts,” “Greta,” and a sweet rendition of “The Skinny Boy from Cleveland.” The Wailers took the stage at :20 after 4 on Saturday. There was an ever-growing sense of excitement in the crowd that was waiting to see a little piece of history. “Lively Up Yourself,” “No Woman, No Cry,” and “Stir It Up,” graced the set list. A very lively encore of “Exodus” gave me the opportunity to reflect on the awareness of past and present social issues. A band that really exemplified the strength of human spirit and longevity and made it a tangible force for our viewing pleasure.
It was time again for Hookah to take the stage as the first notes of “Godspeed” spread throughout the Ohio hills. The selection of "Schwa" was a good one, and a very symbolic song for the bands namesake. Which is derived from the upside down backwards e symbolizing the phonetic spelling of “acoustic” or the sound as it is heard, and “Hookah” meaning a communal gathering. A very fitting song, for a fitting band, in a fitting place, and an overall perfect way of everything fitting together. The song gives the advice that you must, “Learn to Live, before you can Live to Learn." We heard the aptly titled "Hookahville," which got the crowd in complete unification, or Hookahfication, as I like to call it. John Bell joined the band for “Until I Die” adding a collaboration that I was very anxious to see. To end the first set we took a little “Slipjig Through the Poppy Fields,” which really gave Steve Sweney a chance to let his Gibson Les Paul a chance to speak to us. Steve is just an overwhelmingly inspirational guitarist and perhaps the finest I have ever seen. A bold statement I know, but this is a man who writes a book every time he graces a stage and leaves me in awe each and every performance.
Hookah really has a deep-rooted connection with their home state and it is obvious how much they enjoy playing for their “Favorite People.” Ed was nice enough to wish his brother Bill a happy B-day with the entire crowd participating before the second set began. The set began appropriately with Capt. Krinklebein a song, which Bill McGee is famous for. The song segued into a very tight jam that gave Cliff and the percussion section a chance to really groove and had an excellent use of harmonics. A continued experimentation led us on a journey into “Sister Sugar.” Cliff then got another opportunity to display his genius with a classic “Rollin in My Sweet Baby’s Arms.” Hookah added some “Columbus Kick-Ass Brass” for “Bone” and another one of my favorites “Float.” A hard rocking blues sandwich that really gave the horns a chance to shine and a chance for all involved to create a brilliant synergy. Johnny and Eric really can create a collective and distinguished percussion section that is always on time. To end the second set there couldn’t have been a better selection than “Loner,” which to me is more an anthem than a song. It brought the band to the pinnacle and beyond threating to tear a hole in the sky.
The encore invited a good friend, Janet Williams (Grinders, Actual Proof), a Columbus native and very soulful individual. They performed a very prolific version of “Bell Bottom Blues” that gave Janet a chance to scream out “I don’t want to fade away!" The combination of soul, talent, energy, and will made for one of the most meaningful performances I have witnessed. The stage was then filled with friends, former drummer Shane Frye (The Shantee), the brass section, and an intriguing visitor for an all-conclusive jam that ended in a full moon percussion party. A truly masterful performance that left me wondering where I had been all these years.
The weekend came to a close and as I headed to my car I asked myself if I really did capture the essence of Hookahville. What I know to be true is that I found a connection and a unity with an environment that was new to me, but made me feel as if I had spent many moons in it. Such an excellent display of diversity, quality, kindness, and completeness is hard to put into words. So I leave you with this: If you do one thing in your life I implore to see Ekoostik Hookah and attend a Hookahville to experience the connection for yourself. You will thank me for it, as I thank everyone involved with this great celebration. I leave you with some words from Dave Katz who tells us that “Life is Good, so Keep on Jammin.” So all of you out there in jam nation, do me a favor... Go See Live Music!
Scott Rosner
JamBase at Hookahville
Go See Live Music!
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