After a beautiful night camping under the stars at Westworld, I got up eager to start the second day of live music being offered by McDowell Mountain Music Festival.
Saturday started out much warmer – although it could have just been my incredibly bad sunburn that I started the day before talking to me…yes – even in just an hour time, the AZ sun can leave a pretty good mark on you! Sunscreen is vital!!!
So, I meandered over to the stage pretty early so that I could be sure to check out the 2 local AZ acts…
Peppermint James started off to the small crowd, but quickly got everyone on their feet! Their Beatles influence was definitely evident, and they even delved into a bit of the Wailers. The Mojo Farmers came on next, and you could tell that a lot of locals were looking forward to hearing one of their favorites…and the people that traveled from far and wide to see the festival were also pleasantly surprised by them. The two guitarists, Bill Baker and Chris Losey, blew me away! I have heard their albums, which are incredible, but I have always preferred live music…and the Mojo Farmers never fail to deliver in their live performances! What a way to start off the day!
Toubab Krewe stepped in to an already pumped up crowd! And they kept the groove going! They are an instrumental band from North Carolina that performs with some of the most intriguing instruments I have ever seen! With a heavy West African influence, they provided an hour and a half of pure dance bliss! I was mesmerized and couldn’t take my eyes off the stage because I have never witnessed anything like them before! I would love to see this band back next year – maybe at a later time slot! They definitely deserve it!
I took a walk over to the campsite just to take a break from the sun and get some water. It was about a half an hour later that my neighbor came back ranting and raving about JJ Grey & MOFRO! The nice thing about the campsite at MMMF is that it’s still pretty close to the stage…for the most part, you can hear all the music clear as day right from your tent…but all you can see is the back of the stage. So, I walked back in with my friend and found out why a huge crowd had gathered at the front of the stage. JJ Grey is a remarkable singer and lyricist, and he is backed by an incredible band. If you listen and can get past the funky grooves and melodies, you will hear some of the most vivid storytelling in JJ Grey’s lyrics. It’s this combination that makes me yearn for more and I can’t wait to catch them again!
As the day finally started to cool off, and the sun was going down in the sky it was time for the Wailers to come on stage and heat things up again! Lead singer Elan Atias’s voice bore a very strong resemblance to Bob Marley! No one could ever take his place, but Elan does a fantastic job of stepping in to share the words and spirit of Bob Marley! And the audience was definitely feeling it! They played some noteworthy stuff off their new album, but the crowd was really interested in hearing the staples of the Wailers, such as “Get Up, Stand Up”, “Jamming”, and “Stir it Up”.
As night finally fell upon us, it set the perfect atmosphere for Blues Traveler to take the stage! I’m sure if you mention Blues Traveler to anyone, the song that first comes to mind is “Run-Around”. It’s a great song, but they are an established band that has been performing for many years. They deserve an immense amount of credit for what they have done for the jam scene, and more-over, the music scene in general. I cannot think of another person that can wail on the harmonica like John Popper! When I finally pull my jaw up off the ground, I can truly appreciate what he is doing on stage! At this point I had moved back in the crowd so I would have plenty of room to dance, but I could certainly still feel his energy! I don’t think these guys are going anywhere anytime soon! They have many years ahead of them to entertain us all! Go out and check out their shows! You won’t be disappointed!
And to bring this amazing, little-known festival to a close – no other than the John Butler Trio. I know a lot of people were questioning the decision to make them the headliner for Saturday night, but I think it was the perfect choice! What the guys from John Butler Trio do on stage is visually simple, but it’s a feast for the ears! It’s hard to believe that just 3 musicians make a sound that is so complex and complete…I had to keep looking up to make sure there were only 3 of them on stage…truly inspirational! They far exceed the sound on their studio albums during their live performance – and man can they jam! It’s easy to get lost in their music, as well as John Butler’s fine lyrics! I wish they could have gone on until 3 a.m., but the festival had to come to an end…
And, as we all headed out to our campsites, the wind picked up…and no one had any idea what kind of night we were in for! I think the wind held up at over 50 miles an hour for most of the night, and when I woke up around 5 to start breaking down camp, the grounds looked very similar to last year after the dust storm moved through. Many people had to poke through all of the stuff that had been blown against the fence to try to get some of their gear back…crazy indeed, but it is just another story to tell and it made it an even bigger adventure! I can’t wait for next year! Kudos to the fine folks at Wespac for putting on such a remarkable event!