Earthdance | 09.25 – 09.27

Words by: Zachary Sampsel | Images by: Michael Buchanan

Earthdance 2009 :: 09.25.09 – 09.27.09 :: Black Oak Ranch :: Laytonville, CA

Earthdance 2009

Although daytime temperatures soared into the upper-90s most of the weekend, Northern California’s Earthdance 2009 marked the end of the summer festival season with three days of fellowship, celebration and late night fun for fans of all genres and styles of music and art.

For the past 12 years, Earthdance has brought together hundreds of thousands of people across the globe in a simultaneous celebration of peace and humanitarian efforts as part of the International Day of Peace. From New York to Brazil, more than 350 cities combine efforts each year as part of the global initiative.

Friday, 09.25

BLVD with MC Souleye :: 8:45 – 10:00 p.m. :: Main Stage

Hailing from San Francisco, BLVD and Souleye played to the night sky and the crowd’s desires with a set that blended the worlds of electronica and hip hop in a clean package. Often led by guitarist Curtis Sloane, BLVD whipped the crowd into a hypnotic frenzy as wordsmith Souleye spit his patented brand of Earth-conscious lyrics, which were a nice fit for the event. Playing last year on the Arlo Forest Stage to a much smaller crowd, BLVD upped the level of sound and playing for the Main Stage as they delivered a strong set of live electronica. A few songs in, Souleye took a breather while Sloane, drummer Dylan McIntosh and keyboardist/bassist Tripp Bains showcased the roots of BLVD. Building up to an infectious, heavily layered groove within moments, BLVD began firing on all cylinders. And then came the lasers. Amidst the heavy smoke and fog, BLVD’s laser show had many fans looking to the sky, chasing green lines with bugged out eyes. While the lasers were blowing minds, the band quickly synced into a groove and it was hard to tell where one song stopped and another started, which proved to be the perfect approach for a crowd full of dancers ready to go all night.

Ana Sia :: 9:00 – 10:30 p.m. :: Taj Mahal Dome

BLVD :: Earthdance 2009

Also hailing from San Francisco, the energetic Ana Sia already had the crowd frenzied with her typical mix of seductive, bass heavy tracks when I entered the Taj Mahal Dome. For the past five years, Ana Sia has been getting crowds sweaty across the nation with her masterful blend of dubstep and glitch hop tracks, and this set was no different. Merging a pop culture sensibility and a never ending catalog of tracks, Ana Sia impressed the crowd and had knees bending and booties shaking with a wobble-filled remix of Soul II Soul’s “Back To Life,” which is where her set began to reach full speed. If the “Back To Life” remix helped her set gain momentum, then the Nadsroic track “Room Mist” sent it into ludicrous speed and had everyone “looking so dumb” as they swayed back and forth to her sensual sounds.

Pnuma Trio :: 10:15 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. :: Arlo Forest Stage

It’s been almost six years since I first heard the Pnuma Trio at Bonnaroo 2004, and a lot has changed since then. For starters, members Alex Botwin, Lane Shaw and Ben Hazelgrove have grown immensely in popularity, playing Red Rocks and numerous festivals across the nation, including Wakarusa and Rothbury. But the attendance isn’t the only thing that has changed. In this short time, Pnuma Trio have grown as musicians and producers, with one of the highlights being that Botwin and Hazelgrove recently teamed up to produce a track for Virginia rappers The Clipse, and it shows. Although technical difficulties delayed Pnuma’s set, no intensity was lost. The trio came out of the gates swinging and those who waited around for the start were rewarded. As Shaw pounded out the beat and Botwin and Hazelgrove padded the edges, an intricate and layered sound emerged and the band didn’t look back. Keeping the intensity high, Pnuma played tracks with elements of drum & bass that had the crowd basking in its ethereal soundscapes. While everything was strong, the treat of the set came in the form of new track “Spain” (you can download a version of the song for free here).

Rastatronics and Knowa Knowone :: 12:00 – 3:00 a.m. :: Taj Mahal Dome

While most of the other stages shut down, the Taj Mahal Dome kept shaking through the night as DJ sets from Santa Cruz’s Rastatronics and S.F.’s Knowa Knowone kept ears ringing until the early hours of Saturday morning. Playing mostly dubstep tracks with reggae-inspired a cappellas over the top, Rastatronics had attendants stomping their feet and raising their fists to his brand of monstrous bass. And Knowa Knowone was no stranger to the squishy low end as his set picked up right where Rastatronics left off. A heavy duty remix of Drake’s “Forever” had the late night crowd in a flurry as the sounds of Burning Man and the Bay Area club scene came pounding through the speakers like a diesel engine.

Continue reading for Saturday’s coverage of Earth Dance…

Saturday 09.26

Trillian Green :: 12:30 – 1:45 p.m. :: Main Stage

The Prayer For Peace :: Earthdance 2009

The medieval charm and old world flavors of Seattle acoustic trio Trillian Green provided a nice launch pad for the day with a high energy set on Saturday. Comprised of Christine Gunn (cello), Ben Klein (flute, “moon guitar”) and Jarrod Kaplan (djembe, anklets, percussion), Trillian Green put together a set of thought provoking and poignant tracks by smearing the sounds of Celtic and world beat into a package that was as powerful as it was enticing. Tracks like “Liquid Moon” and “Pan Parag” helped showcase what the trio was capable of while attendants began to pour in, asking their neighbors, “Whoa, what’s this?”

The Prayer For Peace :: 4:00 – 4:05 p.m. :: Main Stage

A staple of the Earthdance experience, The Prayer for Peace once again linked those in attendance to hundreds of thousands across the globe in more than 300 different cities across 60-plus nations to a common cause: Peace. Seas of golden palms were raised to the sky as those in attendance gave praise to the children and the Earth. Ultimately, the prayer took a comical turn as one of the younger attendants led those gathered in a rendition of the “Hokey Pokey.” A few laughs later, the crowd reorganized as the music resumed and The Goddess Alchemy Project began to perform.

The Goddess Alchemy Project :: 4:15 – 5:15 p.m. :: Main Stage

The Goddess Alchemy Project

Perennial Earthdance favorites, The Goddess Alchemy Project took to the Main Stage for the second year in row to showcase their blend of spoken word poetry, conscious hip hop and bass heavy production to the NorCal crowd. The Goddess’ took no time to get into the groove as the group opened with their take on Digable Planets’ “Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat).” With help from Bay Area producer Mimosa and some talented dancers onstage, The Goddess Alchemy Project brought some much-needed energy back to the stage as the sweat-drenched crowd battled the heat of the afternoon.

Blue Turtle Seduction:: 4:30 – 6:00 p.m. :: Arlo Forest Stage

Over at the Arlo Forest Stage, Lake Tahoe’s bluegrass hipsters, Blue Turtle Seduction, had their crowd shucking and jiving to their unmistakable blend of bluegrass, rock, country and folk music. Pretty much summing up the whole weekend in one line, guitarist Jay Seals chanted, “Roll down the window and blow out the Mendo.” Whether he was referring to the skunk-like scents in the air or the dust that coated everyone in attendance, the crowd was feeling it.

Big Gigantic :: 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. :: Diner Divine Stage

The past year has been a wild ride for the tandem of Dominic Lalli (The Motet) and drummer Jeremy Salken. As part of the live electronic duo Big Gigantic, Lalli and Salken have rapidly moved on from playing shows exclusively in Colorado to rocking sets across the country, and currently it seems the sky is the limit. The perfect lead into the NOLA funk of Galactic and the electronic bliss of Sound Tribe Sector 9, Big Gigantic had one of the more “chill” stages at the festival rocking like it was 1999. With Lalli on laptop and saxophone and Salken on drums, BG showcased their sexed up space jazz to fans who eagerly anticipated every note. Tracks like “Phaedo” and “Get Your RowDY On!” from the group’s free-for-download album Fire It Up (available here) highlighted Salken’s hurricane-like precision and rhythm while Lalli laid down the beats and brought the sexy with his saxophone. The set ended with Lalli dropping tracks from their forthcoming EP, which sounded as monstrous as a 747 engine and left the crowd wanting more of their crunchy dubstep.

Galactic :: 8:00 – 9:30 p.m. :: Main Stage

STS9 :: Earthdance 2009

No stranger to festivals, New Orleans’ funk pioneers Galactic came out with a bang. With just a 90-minute set, they took no time to sink into their trademark grooves and quickly brought out an array of guests including some Earthdance staff. I hadn’t seen Galactic since 2007’s From The Corner To The Block tour, which featured a handful of emcees over the top of Galactic’s bootie smackin’ beats, and this set was just as strong, if not stronger. Bassist Robert Mercurio pounded out porno beats that would have made Ron Jeremy proud, while drummer Stanton Moore kept the tracks in time. Still wanting more, the crowd cheered Galactic back onto the stage for a raucous encore that left some big shoes for headliner STS9 to fill.

STS9 :: 10:15 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. :: Main Stage

With the recent departure of long time lighting director Saxton Waller, many in attendance at Earthdance wondered what STS9’s lighting would be like without what some had dubbed their “sixth member.” But those fears were wiped away quickly. Utilizing LED bars and screens like the band has done most of the summer, STS9 came out with an unmistakably dark, ominous presence. Opening with a haunting version of “The Rabble,” the band locked in early and rattled everyone’s frame with supersonic highs and soul shaking lows. A freakish version of “ABCees” continued the auditory onslaught as the band founds thousands hanging on every ghoulish note. A strong version of “Ramone and Emiglio” followed as bassist David Murphy took time to show off his new white Fender bass while keyboardist David Phipps danced up and down his keys like he had four arms. New track “Lion” brought more of the same spooky vibe but failed to go anywhere until fan favorite “Rent” brought a dramatic close to the set. The pairing of “Be Nice” and “Heavy” followed as the encore gave the crowd one last chance to go crazy at the Main Stage on Saturday night.

STS9 Setlist
The Rabble, Empires; The New Soma (fakeout), Evasive Maneuvers, Hidden Hand Hidden Fist, ABCees, Ramone and Emiglio, Metameme, Beyond Right Now, Lion, Rent
E: Be Nice, Heavy

Downtempo master Bluetech played in the Taj Mahal Dome following STS9, but the highlight from Bluetech would come the next day.

Continue reading for Sunday’s coverage of Earth Dance…

Sunday 09.27

Bluetech (Live Band) :: 3:00 – 5:15 p.m. :: Arlo Forest Stage

India.Arie :: Earthdance 2009

Well-known throughout the world for his DJ sets, Hawaii resident Evan Marc, known best as Bluetech, debuted his live band Sunday at Earthdance. Comprised Marc (keys, programming and beats), Tina Malia (vocals), Katrina Blackstone (vocals), Dr. Israel (vocals), Lynx (vocals), Craig Kohland (percussion), Jason Miller (percussion), Luke Solman (horns), Russ Scott (horns) and Sivitri Delphia (dancer), the Bluetech Live Band exceeded expectations. Playing through mostly original material, Bluetech and friends created rich, lush soundscapes with ease. Each track featured different combinations of the aforementioned players, but one particular incantation involving Lynx blew everyone away. While the multi-talented Lynx took over on vocals, Bluetech’s live band captured the sincerity and emotion of his compositions in the rawest form.

The Devil Makes Three :: 3:15 – 4:30 p.m. :: Main Stage

Filter the sounds of Americana through the ears of a punk rocker, add a splash of Tom Waits and you’ve got a rootsy concoction known only as The Devil Makes Three. Made up of guitarist/frontman Pete Bernhard, stand-up bassist Lucia Turino, and guitarist Cooper McBean, The Devil Makes Three put together an impressive set for Earthdance that blended rockabilly, bluegrass, and other genres into a sound built for getting down. And that’s just what the crowd did. Within no time Bernhard, Turino and McBean were singing in three-part harmony and showcasing just how deep the sound can get without a drummer.

Sly & Robbie with Cherrie Anderson :: 6:45 – 8:00 p.m. :: Main Stage

Hailing all the way from Kingston, Jamaica, Sly & Robbie are one of the world’s most famous reggae duos, and for good reason. As the sun began to creep toward the horizon, Sly & Robbie, with a little help from Cherrie Anderson’s powerful vocals, had the Earthdance crowd shaking to the beat as thousands of fans gathered for one of the most enjoyable sets of the weekend. With a nice mix of dub and island vibes, this beach dwelling duo were just what the doctor ordered on a Sunday afternoon. The pair got their set rolling with tracks like “Jahovia” and “Talk,” and then crushed the crowd with hip hop influenced tracks like “Dirty Taxi,” which helped bring out the remaining energy left in the festival crowd.

India.Arie :: 8:45 – 10:00 p.m. :: Main Stage

Enjoying a bit of mainstream success earlier in the decade with her hit, “Video,” India.Arie is still at it almost 10 years later, producing the same invigorating, enlightening music the nation has grown to love. India.Arie was a good choice for Sunday as most of the crowd were looking for a chance to catch their breath and enjoy the subtler end of the music spectrum amidst all the dust and dancing of the weekend. With hits like the aforementioned “Video” and the Grammy Award-winning “Little Things,” Arie was able to demonstrate her amazing songwriting skills while showcasing her soft, delicate voice, which speaks to the soul.

Following India.Arie, the thumps, cracks, bells and whistles went well into the night as the Taj Mahal Dome continued to display the latest in electronica for those who still hadn’t had enough.

Continue reading for more pics from Earthdance 2009…