Full Shows Audio & Video: Strangefolk Plays 6 Sets At 2017 Garden Of Eden

Veteran jam act Strangefolk held the 2017 installment of their Garden Of Eden music festival at Jay Peak Resort in Jay, Vermont this past weekend. Strangefolk played a total of six sets over the course of Friday and Saturday including a pair of acoustic sets and a reunion with one-time drummer Russ Lawton.

Guitarist Reid Genauer led the band through the traditional “Dreadful Wind & Rain” to open Friday’s first set. The rest of Friday’s acoustic opening stanza featured a mix of originals such as “Hildegard,” “Crest Of My Wing” and “Otis” with a cover of Neil Young’s “Comes A Time.” Strangefolk kicked off the second set with “What Say You” off 2000’s A Great Long While and continued on with “New Glock II,” “Elixir,” “Furnace” and a version of “All The Same” that featured a take on Elvis Presley’s “A Little Less Conversation” within. A run of “Valhalla,” “Whatever” and “Poland” brought Friday’s second set to a close.

Strangefolk kicked off Friday’s third set with a cover of the Grateful Dead’s “Feel Like A Stranger” and continued on with the familiar “Folka Polka” > “Alaska” pairing. The rest of the set included originals “About 80,” “Round,” “Songbeard,” “Neighbor” and “Roads” along with a cover of the Allman Brothers Band’s “Midnight Rider.” Later in the night Genauer contributed to the Gracia Project’s covers of “Midnight Moonlight” and “Deal.”

The quartet’s unplugged performance on Saturday saw Strangefolk mix their own “Sweet Libation,” “Come On Down,” “Far From Yourself,” “California Luck,” “In Deep” and “Sometimes” with covers of John Prine’s “Angel From Montgomery,” Pure Prairie League’s “Amie,” the traditional “Will The Circle Be Unbroken” and Elvis Presley’s “Viva Las Vegas.” Strangefolk’s fifth set of the week was highlighted by an extended “So Far Gone” that nearly hit the 20-minute mark and a gorgeous cover of “Morning Dew.” The weekend came to a close with a final set on Saturday that saw the group joined by former drummer Russ Lawton on “Harrower,” “Faces,” “Reuben’s Place” and a “Westerly” encore.

Friday, August 11

Audio (Taped by Mark Van Blunk)

Video & Setlist

Set One (Acoustic): Dreadful Wind & The Rain, Hildegard, Answer, Comes A Time, Crest Of My Wing, Anchor, I Tell Myself, Otis, Speculator

Set Two: What Say You, New Glock II, Elixir, Furnance, All The Same > A Little Less Conversation > All The Same, Valhalla, Whatever, Poland

Set Three: Feel Like A Stranger, Folka Polka, Alaska, About 80, Round, Songbeard, Neighbor, Roads, Midnight Rider

Saturday, August 12

Audio (Taped by Brandon Smith)

Video & Setlist

Set One (Acoustic): Sweet Libation, Angel From Montgomery, Come On Down, Amie, Far From Yourself, California Luck, In Deep, Will The Circle Be Unbroken, Viva Las Vegas, Sometimes

Set Two: …As, Like You Anyway, Stouthearted Man, So Far Gone, Fountain, Mama > Morning Dew

Set Three: Rather Go Fishin’, Cabin John > All Apologies chorus, Harrower*, Faces*, Drum Duet* > Reuben’s Place* > Sanford & Son Theme* > Reuben’s Place* > You Lay The Dust* > Reuben’s Place*

Encore: Westerly*

* w/ Russ Lawton on second drum kit