The Peach Music Festival 2023 Review: This One Goes To 11

The Peach Music Festival returned to Montage Mountain in Scranton, Pennsylvania for its 11th iteration this past weekend, spanning four jam-packed days of music across its three stages. The energy was high from the first moment to the last as thousands of people danced through crazy heat, lingering wildfire smoke and brief bouts of pouring rain to make the most of the experience.

After driving down from Toronto and getting unpacked, I headed to the festival grounds to begin my weekend with Thumpasaurus. One amazing thing about a music festival is exposure to a ton of new artists who I wouldn’t see otherwise. Thumpasaurus’ set was raucous, energetic and wild with the band members jumping around the stage while playing excellent funky grooves. One member, usually responsible for running a video display behind the band, made up for a lack of screen by making pancakes on stage during their set while singing backing vocals.

Thursday’s Peach Stage sets continued with Twiddle. As the Vermont quartet draws closer to their hiatus at the end of the year, they continue to bring a high level of energy to their shows and packed inspired improv into the six-song performance, including their most well-known song “Jamflowman.”

It was then time for the night’s headliner — two sets of Goose. Performing at Peach for the third time, the Connecticut quintet’s meteoric rise began back in 2019 with an afternoon set at the tiny Grove Stage. They returned to the festival for a late-night performance in 2022 before being invited back as the main attraction for Thursday. In keeping with their trend of 2023, the band chose to showcase many of their newer songs instead of falling back on old favourites that the festival crowd might be more familiar with. Improvisational journeys within “Rockdale” and “Butter Rum” highlighted the first set, while the second frame featured an expansive “Red Bird” ahead of incredible energy during a pairing of “Drive” and Bob Seger’s “Hollywood Nights” and the closing “Thatch.”

With the beginning of Friday came the opening of both the Mushroom and Grove stages, giving festivalgoers a wider range of musical options, but also creating some difficult decisions for those in attendance. My first set of the day was at the Grove. The young band had drawn a huge crowd already, playing with an incredibly layered sound for only three musicians. They will be a group to watch – their improvisational potential as well as catchy songwriting will no doubt capture a wider audience over time.

The all-star Allman Brothers Band cover group was up on the Peach Stage next, its three guitarists Roosevelt Collier, and Daniel Donato each continuously pushing the others to new heights across their 75-minute performance. Drummer Nikki Glaspie also blew me away with her relentless playing.

Dogs In A Pile played a set at the Mushroom Stage to a sizeable crowd — the burgeoning New Jersey-based quintet brought some serious energy to their 90-minute performance that saw keyboardist Jeremy Kaplan debut his new Fender Rhodes electric piano. The energy continued with a quick jaunt to the Peach Stage for Ripe.

Taper’s Choice, a California quartet created in 2021 with the intention of being the “jam band’s jam band,’ captured the vibe of a late-60s Grateful Dead show with deep and experimental improvisation, which was an excellent evening experience at the Mushroom Stage. Keyboardist Zach Tenorio-Miller shined during their set with his incredible work on an effects-laden Wurlitzer electric piano and Hammond B3 organ, dancing up and down both keyboards with incredible speed and precision.

Umphrey’s McGee on the Peach Stage elevated the vibe further, striking onto the stage with a clear demonstration of how they continue to be one of the tightest bands in the scene. The opening “Hurt Bird Bath” stretched its legs quickly, keyboardist Joel Cummins throwing in Herbie Hancock-like Rhodes stabs as the sextet navigated the proggy twists and turns of the song. Their set seemed to fly by as they packed dense pockets of improvisation into numerous songs.

Heading back over to the Mushroom Stage, I was able to catch the latter half of TAUK Moore’s set. My first time seeing the group live, I was captivated by vocalist Kanika Moore‘s incredible voice … but not before taking in the incredible rhythmic pocket of the band itself. Drummer Isaac Teel especially blew me away with his nonstop maximalist approach to laying down the beat while his infectious joy radiated out over the crowd.

Friday night’s headliner, Ween, was a greatly anticipated set by many. While the band is both loved and maligned by many across the jam scene, a massive crowd turned out to the pavilion for their performance. Their grimy sound was possibly the loudest set of the weekend, with guitarist Dean Ween’s thick and screaming tone at the forefront.

YAM YAM performed next at the Mushroom Stage and wowed the crowd with locked-in grooves and unique cover choices — what other band performs Herbie Hancock’s “Watermelon Man” and Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” in the same set? This band’s foot was to the floor through their entire performance, not letting the energy abate for even a second.

Another rising star in the community, Daniel Donato, brought his Cosmic Country (or “Cosmic Peach,” as it was billed) to the late-night slot. Infusing his country and bluegrass sensibilities with acidic psychedelia and wild rock tones, his quartet was the perfect choice to keep the party going until the wee hours.

LP Giobbi was the night’s other late set, bringing her unique “Dead House” to the Peach Stage. Blending a variety of songs from across the Grateful Dead catalogue with dance beats, her audience was on their feet and dancing. Still waiting on an official release of her remix of Goose’s “Arrow” …

Saturday began with a unique slot for instrumental groove machine Circles Around The Sun. Fresh off of a performance at California’s High Sierra Music Festival just two days earlier, the group’s positioning in the early afternoon was very different from their usual late-night slot but worked exceptionally well. Keyboardist Adam MacDougall’s sharp Minimoog tones butted beautifully against other synthesizer effects from bassist Dan Horne and guitarist John Lee Shannon.

Saturday was the day of the vibe — and there’s no better person to fit that bill than bassist Karina Rykman. Having just released the lead single for her upcoming debut album Joyride, one of the most energetic musicians in the community was up next on the Peach Stage. With her longtime trio bandmates of guitarist Adam November and drummer Chris Corsico, the all-friends experience of the afternoon kicked off in earnest during her set. With nonstop shredding and energy, the three musicians sported huge smiles throughout as the massive crowd danced their asses off. Mike Gordon drummer even jumped on stage for an unplanned sit-in during “City Kids,” elevating Rykman’s joy even further. This was the point in the day where it felt like everyone imaginable was watching her set — eagle-eyed fans could spot Mike Gordon, Les Claypool, members of Andy Frasco‘s band, and more standing side-stage and taking in the wild energy of Karina Rykman.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-eB5GkBd_U&ab_channel=Gladiator

It wouldn’t be Peach without Andy Frasco & The U.N., a staple of nearly every festival in the scene — but especially a staple of Peach. A longtime performer on the Mushroom Stage, Frasco’s first time in the main pavilion might have been the highlight of the entire weekend — it was certainly the most energetic. The man himself has become notorious for crowd-surfing into the wave pool nearby to the Mushroom. Unable to do that this year, he instead performed the bold undertaking of crowd-surfing from the stage all the way up to the venue’s lawn while his band held down the craziness musically. Another trademark of a Frasco set is a high volume of sit-ins. All five members of Dogs in a Pile began the collaborations, as Frasco conducted each through a solo. Les Claypool percussionist Mike Dillon added to the madness during the wild jam before Twiddle guitarist Mihali added his flavour to the next tune. Vocalist Damn Skippy improvised a rap about Peach and Rykman made a return to the stage before vocalist Veronica Stewart-Frommer and guitarist Marlo Shankweiler of Melt added to the finale.

Mountain Grass Unit, a young jamgrass trio, played at the Grove Stage and drew a chunk of the Frasco crowd for their inspired music. I was lucky enough to catch their cover of Goose’s “Arcadia,” shouting out the band for their Grove set in 2019.

Phish bassist Mike Gordon took the Peach Stage next. Coming at the tail end of his first solo tour since early 2020, Gordon’s band sounded excellent and performed a variety of material, highlighting the recently-released Flying Games album. Keyboardist Rachel Eckroth, on her first tour with this band, was the clear standout as she added incredible layers to the band’s sound.

Over at the Mushroom Stage, Melt brought the heat in a compact 75-minute set. Hot off of their earlier sit-in with Andy Frasco, vocalist Veronica Stewart-Frommer and guitarist Marlo Shankweiler were on FIRE throughout, singing and playing their hearts out. “Fade Into You” into “Duh Duh,” the jammy part of the band’s set, saw incendiary solos from Shankweiler, drummer Andres Valbuena and bassist Lucas Saur as the crowd went absolutely wild for the music. A young NYC-based band, they are rapidly gaining popularity across the country for their well-written songs and high-level musicianship.

Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade, with a concise 75-minute set, unleashed their incredible full cover of Pinky Floyd’s iconic Animals album plus a handful of Claypool/Primus songs. The Frog Brigade’s keyboard chair is currently held down by Harry Waters, son of Floyd bassist Roger Waters – whose vocals on “Dogs” sound eerily similar to his father’s. This band is on tour extensively through the rest of this year – do NOT miss!

Saturday’s headliner was My Morning Jacket, who took the stage for a two-hour set beginning at 9:30. From the first note to the last, their psychedelic sound was met with rapt attention. Frontman and multi-instrumentalist Jim James led the show, singing with an amazing amount of emotion in every song while moving around the stage.

took the stage at midnight and followed Claypool’s earlier set with a full cover of Dark Side of the Moon. A touring act for over 30 years, they have the Pink Floyd sound down to a science and nailed every section of the legendary album.

The final day of the festival started off with Ghost Light first (and only) show of 2023. The band took the first half of the year off after the departure of keyboardist Holly Bowling at the end of 2022, but came back reinvigorated and tore up their Peach set. Fronted by guitarists Tom Hamilton and Raina Mullen along with bassist Taylor Shell and drummer Scotty Zwang, the band was augmented by longtime Hamilton collaborator Tom McKee on keys. Performing material from Best Kept Secret and The Healing, the set was highlighted by some seriously crazed tension-and-release jamming within the opening “Don’t Come Apart Just Yet, My Dear.”

Legendary funk band Lettuce threw down on the main stage as the hot Sunday afternoon got hotter. Drummer Adam Deitch and keyboardist Nigel Hall led the group through a power-hour of funk and incredible energy — there was nary a seated audience member to be seen by this reporter.

Joe Russo’s Almost Dead took the Peach Stage by storm for two hours, as the hot and sticky July weather reached its apex. Some technical difficulties delayed the start of their set, but drummer Joe Russo pushed through and began a jam that eventually landed into a fiery “Foolish Heart” into “Shakedown Street,” and we were off to the races. Other highlights of the set included an amazing “Brown-Eyed Women,” whose lyrics referencing rain were perfectly timed as it began pouring outside.

While Ziggy Marley played in the main pavilion among the increasingly heavy rain, Duane Betts‘ Mushroom Stage set was postponed for nearly an hour due to the inclement weather. Festival attendees were instructed to pack underneath the shelter of the pavilion’s tented roof or in a nearby building during the downpour. Betts was undeterred by the weather delay and his band fittingly chose The Allman Brothers Band classic “Blue Sky” to open as the rain cleared at last.

The final act of the festival was the 12-piece blues-rock group Tedeschi Trucks Band. Over the course of two hours, they demonstrated the remarkable clarity in sound achieved by two guitars, two drummers, a bassist, a keyboardist, three horns, and three backing vocalists. Susan Tedeschi‘s powerful lyrics rang out overtop of Derek Trucks‘ impeccable and searing guitar tone in each song. Vocalist Mike Mattison also had a standout performance, fronting the band on multiple songs and going toe-to-toe with Tedeschi on multiple occasions throughout. One cool moment during the show was during their cover of “Dreams” by the Allmans, when Trucks broke a string mid-solo and handed the musical baton to keyboardist Gabe Dixon while he re-strung his guitar on stage before finishing the solo. Incredible musicianship to close out an incredible weekend in Scranton.

Thousands of people left the Peach on Sunday night with ear-to-ear smiles and high spirits after four high-quality days of music from across the spectrum. From the first notes of Thursday to the last of Sunday, it felt as though Peach ran professionally and smoothly, maximizing the time spent with each artist and making it as easy as possible to move around and take in the music.

A HUGE thank you to the festival organizers and especially the crew, who stood in the heat, smoke and rain all weekend to bring a massive crowd of people the joy of live music. Until next time … see you in 2024!