Catskill Chill Music Festival 2012 Artist Lineup:
Yonder Mountain String Band • Lotus • Conspirator • Soulive • Lettuce • EOTO • JGB with Melvin Seals • Rubblebucket • Cornmeal • Particle • Break Science • The Heavy Pets • Headtronics • Kung Fu • Zoogma • DrFameus • DJ Logic • Yarn • Yarn plays Dead set • Jennifer Hartswick Band • Dopapod • KRAZ • Wyllys • The McLovins • Caravan of Thieves • Alan Evans Trio • DAMN RIGHT! • The Indobox • Consider the Source • Jeff Bujak • On The Spot Trio • Timbre Coup • The Alchemystics • lespecial • FiKus • ShwizZ • Twiddle • Turbine • Derek VanScoten (D.V.S^*) • Horizon Wireless • Pigeons Playing Ping Pong • The Folkadelics

Nestled in the Catskill Mountains, where the beauty of nature synchronizes with the euphoric sounds of live music, this intimate lakeside event has quickly become one of the most anticipated festivals of the year. The Chill features free parking, free camping, on-site cabin rentals, three outdoor covered stages and an Open Mic stage encouraging fans to become part of the performance. Festivalgoers can also enjoy yoga, drum circles, live art, and a communal bonfire each night.

Catskill Chill Music Festival Links:
Official site: www.CatskillChill.com
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/CatskillChill
Twitter: Twitter.com/CatskillChill (#CatskillChill)

Greenhouse Lounge | Sounduo | Aquaphonics | EP3 | DuBBle James

DJ Sets by Bitch Please | Live Painting by BPaul

9pm door | 10pm-5am show | 18+

$10adv, before 11pm & for WMC Badges
$15 after 11pm | $20 for 18+
www.brownpapertickets.com/event/233572

The four-day party kicks off on Thursday (2/16) with The Resolvers, Ketchy Shuby, Fusik and DJ Haitian Hillbilly. This will be a BLP Showcase which will also serve as a pre-party for the AURA Music & Arts Festival. We will also be raising funds for Autism Speaks Miami Chapter & Team HydroBLADES. Everyone will receive a raffle ticket for a chance to win an AURA Music & Arts Festival ticket, band, Brotherly Love merchandise and much more!

On Friday (2/17), we invite you for Sound Theory Happy Hour starting at 5pm. A happy hour unlike any other in Miami with a live broadcast of WDNA 88.9 FM’s Sound Theory Live with an intimate musical set and interview with Bobby Lee Rodgers before the evenings main performance later that night. Happy hour specials from 5-8pm include 2 for 1 drinks and $2 Grolsch beer. Stick around for some great music from Bobby Lee Rodgers and The Legendary JC’s later that evening with doors officially open at 9pm for the evening’s main event.

Saturday (2/18), we bring you the Aquaphonics from Stuart, Green Sunshine from Tampa and Jimkata all the way from Ithaca, NY who will be rocking out all night long.

Finally, on Sunday (2/19), Family Style Sunday’s Jam Fest Edition will feature Miami’s Electric Piquete for a FREE fun-filled family afternoon from 2-6pm.

For the full list…

Thursday, February 16th
Brotherly Love Productions Showcase and AURA Music Festival Pre-Party
with The Resolvers, Ketchy Shuby & Fusik
The Stage
170 NE 38th St. Miami, FL 33137
305.576.9577 | www.TheStageMiami.com $10 | 9pm | 21+
*Percentage of ticket sales will be donated to Autism Speaks and Team HydroBLADES
*All paid guests will receive a raffle ticket offering a chance to win an AURA Music Festival ticket, band and BLP merch and much more!

Saturday, February 25th
Brotherly Love Productions Showcase and AURA Music Festival Pre-Party
with The Resolvers, Ketchy Shuby & aquaphonics
Skipper’s Smokehouse
910 Skipper Road, Tampa, FL 33613
813.977.6474 | www.SkippersSmokehouse.com $7 ADV | $10 DOS | 8pm | 21+
*All paid guests will receive a raffle ticket offering a chance to win an AURA Music Festival ticket, band and BLP merch and much more!

Tuesday, March 6th
AURA Music Festival Pre-Party with The Werks, Kung Fu, Brock Butler & Consider the Source
Georgia Theater
215 N. Lumpkin St, Athens, GA 30601
706.549.9918 | www.georgiatheatre.com $8 | 8pm | 18+

Wednesday, March 7th
AURA Music Festival Pre-Party with The Funky Nuggets, Psychedelphia & Jeff Lloyd (of The Heavy Pets performing a special solo acoustic set)
The Funky Biscuit $8 | 9pm | 21+
303 SE Mizner Blvd, Boca Raton, FL 33432
561.95.2929 | www.FunkyBiscuit.com 

Thursday, March 8th
AURA Music Festival Pre-Party with Psychedelphia & Jeff Lloyd (of The Heavy Pets performing a special solo acoustic set)
Dunedin Brewery
937 Douglas Avenue, Dunedin, FL 34698
727.736.0606| www.DunedinBrewery.com FREE | 8pm | 21+

Thursday, March 8th
AURA Music Festival Pre-Party with Nick Noyes & Spontaneous Underground
Funky Buddha Lounge & Brewery
2621 North Federal Highway, Boca Raton, FL 33431
561.368.4643 | www.thefunkybuddha.com $6 | 9pm | 18+

Thursday, March 8th
AURA Music Festival Pre-Party The Fritz & The Mantras
Mojo Kitchen BBQ Pit & Blues Bar
1500 Beach Blvd, Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250
904.247.6636 | www.mojobbq.com/mojokitchen $10 for 21+ | $12 for 18-20 | 9pm

Equally melodic and heavy, this deep collection of eight tracks showcases their progression as producers and musicians, as well as the band’s unique take on electronic dub-hop in a studio production format. It’s everything you can expect from Sounduo – future dub to glitched funkiness with heavy beats and a healthy amount of bass that showcases the studio and programmed elements of the songs. These studio tracks form the basis for their improvised dub sets which are accompanied by live instrumentation and visual representations. Released under Made in Glitch alongside bass pioneers including Bass Science, Gladkill, NastyNasty and many more, Departures reflects Sounduo’s growing respect among bass communities across the country. While the album certainly features some huge bass drops, the band aims more for creating a futuristic glowing dub atmosphere in the tracks. From the heavy syncopated basslines of “Fever” to the dancehall-drum’n bass-lovestep vibe of “Shaka” to the jazz-fusion glitch dub of ‘”8 Degrees,” the album maintains the bass driven feel of dub music while staying relevant and consistent with the electronic sounds of the future.

“Sounduo Scores In South Florida” by Adam E. Smith for Melodyisiac.com
“I Would Do Anything” Exclusive for AfroMonk.com

Depatures Tour 2012
1/31 – Gainesville, FL @ Spank
2/2 – Athens, GA @ New Earth Music Hall
2/5 – Jacksonville, FL @ TSI
2/8 – Tampa, FL @ Crowbar
2/16 – Miami, FL @ Vagabond
2/17 – Lake Worth, FL @ Speakeasy Lounge
2/18 – Boca Raton, FL @ Funky Buddha Lounge & Brewery
3/9-11 – St. Cloud, FL @ AURA Music & Art Festival

Interview by Matt Beck

Being engrained in our regional music scene through BLP and having supported the last few SoFlo PGroove shows, I’ve certainly noticed that an evolution has begun. The band recently joined Blue Mountain Management Group and has been tightening things up. How does this play into your return?

We’ve been able to come up with a structure that works for everyone, a business model that has a little more experience behind it will allow for better balance and enable us to have a lot more fun together with a lot less stress. Structure brings productivity, so we’re ready to hit things pretty hard and get the creative juices flowing again. We’re approaching everything with not only a new energy but with a lot of new ideas and a matured method of execution. We’ve been fortunate enough to have some people who have paid attention and allowed us to grow. Since the early conversations and rehearsals, it came together very naturally and quickly. We’re on the same page for the first time. Where we can say what we mean to each other without getting overly emotional and, in turn, putting the emotion into the music where it should have been this whole time. I’m very excited for the future; I think we’ve finally got a situation that will allow us to kick it into high gear.

How did this transpire with the rest of the band?

We’ve remained close friends throughout the break. I don’t even wanna think about the number of hours that Albert and I have logged on Halo together. And Adam is probably my closest friend in the world right now, and we’re living very similar lives at the moment with our young children and budding families. Adam and his family spent Thanksgiving at our house last year and this year, we’ll be going to his. Adam and I are also both football fanatics and have always gotten together for games when they weren’t on the road. A couple months ago, he invited me over for Monday Night Football during which he pulled me aside and asked if I’d ever consider coming back. After about a half hour of me giving him a hard time, bullshitting with each other like we usually do, he said “I’m being dead serious.” It wasn’t even a week later before we’d all sat down and realized that it was probably the right time. John’s a good friend, but he has his own personal things. It’s very amicable…all friends on stage. That’s why tonight (Georgia Theatre on 11/18/2011) and New Year’s will be so special. Last night, John and I played with The Heavy Pets together and had a blast. We’re a bunch of guys who not only enjoy making music together but actually enjoy each other’s company. What we’ve got here is a real rare and unique opportunity to truly be transparent and honest with the people who care to look inside the organization and see that there’s something really special happening right now. Everyone’s happy, and we’re gonna get to move forward with some plans we have musically.

You’ve mentioned in other interviews that you feel like you’ve followed in the wake of bands like Phish and the Disco Biscuits. Being the “flagship” of an agency on the rise like Nimbleslick – representing bands like The Heavy Pets, Zoogma, The Mantras and The Werks – does it interest you to mentor them potentially?

I don’t know if I’d think of it in those terms, but it is great to be a part of something where everyone has been successful as opposed to one of these flash in the pan companies or bands that’s around for a couple years and then are gone because they can’t keep their shit together. It’s not that it’s easy by any stretch of the imagination, but what’s happened is we’re all ready to take it seriously, and we have some real keys to success falling into place. It’s all working out real well right now. Yet, having the unique perspective of being on the outside for a few years and getting emails and messages from younger bands that tell me I’m a big influence is real humbling. As is the out pour of support over the last day (since the announcement of his return)…to be a part of that again, to move from a very private life to a relatively public life that people care so much about and tie so much emotion to what we do. Being an audience that wants you to be new and different gives you freedom to take risks. And that goes to the business model of Nimbleslick as well, they have a bunch of indie bands and jambands…(ensuing rant on how terrible the term “jamband” is and how it’s a disservice to the musicians and audience that ends in us agreeing that the grass is simply always greener).

So, what can we expect from PGroove that will be “new and different?”

Pretty soon, we’ll start having a guitar on my side of the stage and incorporating that a little more. We’ve got some new songs already on the cooker that will be these two guitar rock tunes. Not everybody gets to do that.

You also referred to your return to the public eye. You were always the more politically outspoken member of the band, having your blog “The Soapbox” where you provided some commentary and insight into our last presidential election. Do you look forward to having that voice again?

Definitely not, that’s one thing that will definitely change. That’s something I learned four years ago that, in my opinion, were huge errors that I made. There is enough divisive material in the world that, unless activism is your thing, music and musicians should do all they can to create an experience where people can get together despite their differences. There are a few subjects that you should only speak to your wife about and those are politics, religion, sex and money. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. In the red & blue and black & white world that is being built up around us by the powers that be, I want to be more private. Not to mention that since returning to the real world from rock n roll camp a few years ago, a lot of my opinions have changed. My soapbox has been knocked out from under me…by myself.

How about musically? You’ve picked up the guitar before, for Rage Against the Machine tunes in particular, and Brock has jumped to the front of the stage…

That’s all more about Brock rapping. Let’s face it; a tall redhead rapping is NEVER not funny.

Having run out of time due to my inability to properly dial into a conference call and Matt’s need to get a haircut, we picked the conversation up a month or so later, between PGroove’s grand return to the Georgia Theatre that burned down on the night they (and The Heavy Pets) were due to play in June of 2009 and prior to their two night New Year’s run at Center Stage in Atlanta that would not only mark the end of another year and the promise of the next but also that of John Hruby’s tenure and of a re-energized McDonald in the band…

So, how did it feel to return to Perpetual Groove after a three and a half year break? Was it like jumping on the proverbial bicycle or did you find there to be fresh nuances to navigate?

Obviously, it feels great. It was a little of both old bike and new trick, I suppose. Back in May of this year, some very close friends of ours got married here in Athens, GA, and all four of us ended up being at the reception. Some of our best friends, Under the Porch, were playing the reception and were kind enough to let us take the helm for a few songs. It was the first time in three years that just the four of us played together. I’ve done some shows with Brock and Albert here and there and sat in with PGroove several times over the course of the past three years, but it was the first time that it was the 2.0 lineup playing together since Amberland ’08. It was, in a word, incredible. I don’t think any of us planned on having the emotions that we did when we walked off that stage. We immediately fell back, for lack of a better word, in the groove. After saying thanks to friends and congrats to the newlyweds, we all took a corner in the club and collectively said “whoa.” We knew that it was time for the four of us to play together again. At the time, we thought it would be something different, a new band if you will.  This was shortly after that crazy guy said the rapture was coming, so our name for the new project was going to be The Post-Rapture Survivalists. We were all very excited about having a new project together, and one that would be for fun and more of a local Athens/Atlanta thing. Obviously, when John said he needed a break, it was clear to everyone that the side project was just going to be a new era of PGroove. The great thing about playing again with the guys is that we have all grown as friends, people and musicians. So yes, there are lots of “fresh nuances” to navigate. We have all said many times now that this is an evolution of PGroove. We intend on showing everyone that very quickly.

How was that experience affected by that show being PGroove’s grand return to the rebuilt Georgia Theatre?

It was an incredibly emotional night. Not only was the news of my return announced just the day before, but it was the new Theatre and the ushering in of this next era of PGroove. The show was sold out; at set break, we all got these cool medallions that have the GATH marquee on it with the words “Sold Out Club.” The emotion of the night was palpable in the air. John and I were having an absolute blast playing together, the sing along at the end of “Sweet Oblivious Antidote” was a first and gave everyone in the room chills, having Adam’s brother Damien show up last minute was amazing, and of course Karolyn Troupe from Venice is Sinking playing with us on the encore was quite a treat as well. Everyone in the room was there for us, that was an incredibly humbling and amazing feeling. Anyone that may have speculated that there was any behind the scenes drama with the band could clearly see that all five of us are very close friends, now more than ever.

During this transition time with John Hruby, have you picked up any tricks or methods that he’s instituted in the band that will influence your approach?

It’s funny because John and I have been good friends for years. Three years ago, John and I spoke a couple of times about certain songs and what it was that I did musically regarding execution of the tune, and now I’ve had some of the same conversations with him, but with the shoe on the other foot. “Cairo” stands out most; he really did an excellent job of composing a new and unique sound on that tune. I intend on sticking true to his approach on that one, because it’s clearly just the right “part” for the song. I’ve enjoyed listening to some of the more recent live recordings of songs and hearing John’s approach, it has definitely given me some new ideas…so yes, I definitely will be applying some of John’s hat tricks to my arsenal.

No night is more hyped for musical mayhem, for bands and fans alike, than New Year’s Eve. Your return has certainly amplified the expectations among the Perps, especially with rumors of the return of some shelved material. What are the band’s expectations of the two-night run at Center Stage in Atlanta? What should fans expect?

I would expect something very similar to the GATH show in November. It’s not only my return, but John’s departure. We intend on showcasing and honoring both occasions. There’s gonna be time with just John and time with just me, but more importantly there’s going to be the most time with both of us playing. Regarding shelved tunes, maybe one or two, but we are saving more of that for 2.012 as it’s been dubbed. Fortunately, two nights in Asheville and Jamcruise are only a week after NYE so people won’t have to wait long to hear some reworked and even new tunes.

Since we last spoke, the two night stand at the Culture Room in March that you alluded to has been officially announced (Fri-Sat 3/2-3), and you have quite a few shows between now and then. How far along the band’s evolution do you expect to be at that point? Will your highly anticipated guitar rig be a part of production by then?

Well, I will say that I just finished the manifest for our gear on Jamcruise, and my guitar rig is definitely coming on the boat. We already have a few new tunes in the barrel, and we are hoping to have them ready for debut in Asheville, at least a couple I hope.

Do you have any other closing comments for 2011 and this more private period of your life or any aspiring words for 2012 and your return to the public realm?

I’m certain that I’ll have a lot more balance of private and public life this time around. The guys and I have set up a great plan moving forward as to help keep everyone fresh and enable all of us to spend important time with family while allowing others to peruse other interests. I never thought that this would happen for us, truly. It wasn’t something that was ever discussed the past three years, it just happened, kind of like what happens some nights on stage musically. I’m certain that we are ready, more than ever before, to do what it takes to bring PGroove to the next level.

For everything Perpetual Groove, visit www.PGroove.com

Upcoming Perpetual Groove Dates

Friday-Saturday 12/30-31
Center Stage w/ The Heavy Pets (12/30)
Atlanta, GA

Thursday-Friday 1/5-6
Asheville Music Hall
Asheville, NC

Monday-Saturday 1/9-14
Jamcruise

Friday 1/20
Crossroads
Huntsville, AL

Saturday 1/21
Rhythm & Brews
Chattanooga, TN

Wednesday 1/25
The Dixie w/ Moon Taxi
Tuscaloosa, AL

Thursday 1/26
Skybar w/ Moon Taxi
Auburn, AL

Friday 1/27
The Handlebar
Greenville, SC

Saturday 1/28
Ziggy’s
Winston-Salem, NC

Thursday 2/2
George’s Majestic Lounge
Fayetteville, AR

Saturday 2/4
Exit/In
Nasheville, TN

Thursday 2/9
Three20South w/ The Werks
Breckenridge, CO

Friday 2/10
Bluebird Theatre w/ The Werks
Denver, CO

Saturday 2/11
Fox Theatre w/ The Werks
Boulder, CO

Friday-Saturday 2/24-25
Pourhouse w/ Consider The Source + Brock Butler (solo)
Charleston, SC

Friday-Saturday 3/2-3
Culture Room
Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Saturday 3/17
The Blockley
Philadelphia, PA

Words by Matt Beck

Art For a Better World – Establishing itself during its 2010 debut as the first international art show with a unifying message, AFABW will stage its second edition at the historic Surfcomber Hotel on Miami Beach. 20+ galleries will exhibit works in the 20,000-sq-foot tented space, elegantly and innovatively designed around the hotel’s pool and cabanas, and will include special artistic projects such as Van Gogh’s Dream (dedicated to the life of Vincent Van Gogh) and exclusive forums, events and parties. www.ArtsForABetterWorld.com

Moksha Art Fair – The Moksha Family Art Collective will once again play host to the world’s leading visionary artists at 7^th Circuit Studio throughout the week. Festivities culminate on Saturday with musical performances by Steve Kimock & Roosevelt Collier with the Moksha All-Stars, Nag Champayons, Moksha Roots Collective ft. Bagga Traxx, Miami Dub Collective, Gaudi, Sounduo, Telekinetic Walrus & the Pride of Ions and TONS more as well as live painting (BPaul, etc.) and video & performance art. Come by Thursday night to participate in a panel discussion about ethnomedicine and its impact on art and culture. On Friday they host another discussion in the early afternoon and team up with Yelle at the Fillmore with a mobile art exhibit and book signing with Chris Dyer. www.MokshaFamily.org

Ricochet – With a Basel line-up that includes Nas & Thelophilus London, TV on the Radio and Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, this new spot will certainly ricochet off their Basel exposure into Miami’s ever evolving trendy club scene. Good luck getting in! www.RicochetLounge.com

Aleloop Mobile Art Installation – A caravan of 10 MINI Coopers wrapped with Aleloop’s hip, happy and playful art will be traveling through Miami in the heart of the Art Basel action, making stops at the most popular art fairs, parties, galleries and restaurants. At each stop, approximately 40 performers will pop out of the colorful cars creating a multi-sensory flash mob. Aleloop’s official reception will take place at Art Whino on Friday from 4-8pm and will include live tattooing and mural painting on 10 walls around this hot pop-up gallery. Her mobile exhibition culminates at Foodstock from 6pm-12am on Saturday where they have curated 20+ performances on stage among the 35+ Miami Food Trucks including The Resolvers (~9pm), Aquaphonics and Mike Mineo, as well as numerous comedians, jugglers, hoopers and who-knows-what-else. www.AleLoop.com

Electric Pickle – Wynwood hotspot, Electric Pickle, hosts some of the hottest music of the week including Awesome New Republic on Wednesday, YACHT on Thursday, Wolf+Lamb vs Soul Clap w/ Dubtribe Soundsystem on Friday and Miami Horror w/ DJ Harvey on Saturday…all under one of the largest disco balls we’ve ever seen. You KNOW that inspires one helluva dance party! www.ElectricPickleMiami.com

MultiVersal – The best at showcasing up-and-coming local talent alongside artists from around the world, MultiVersal has a new and unique one-of-a-kind arts experience planned. Featured artists include MarcPaperScissor, Kazilla, Dekal, A Squid Called Sebastian (Holland) and Stuntkid. Providing live entertainment from noon to midnight Thursday through Sunday, MultiVersal is more than a gallery! www.MultiVersalMiami.com

Pop-Up Piano – Presented by Steinway Piano Gallery of Miami, Pop-Up Piano is one of the most talked about happenings of this year’s Basel. 10 pianos are being placed around town for anyone who happens by to play. They will be painted by top local artists including Lebo and Ahol Sniffs Glue and will be accompanied by performances with some of SoFlo’s hottest bands including Suenalo, Elastic Bond, Jacob Jeffries, Brenden O’Hara, Juke, Afrobeta, Raffa & Rainer and more. At the end of the exhibition, the pianos will then be donated to local public schools. Check out the map and schedule at: www.PopUpPianoMia.com

The Stage – Check out all the sick events The Stage Miami has planned for Art Basel including Big Sam’s Funky Nation & Spam Allstars on Thursday (throwing down while DJ Le Spam has his VW bus painted in the courtyard), soul-slayer Cody Chestnutt on Friday and the-one-and-only GZA performing all of Liquid Swords on Saturday! www.TheStageMiami.com

Also check out South Florida Music Obsessed’s Art Basel 2011 Music Guide for up-to-the-minute musical happenings and Melodysiac for inspired insight

It is hard to believe that it’s already the 5^th year of the autumnal Bear Creek Music & Arts Festival, but time flies when you’re gettin’ funky. Seems like yesterday when the inaugural year was announced and then moved last minute to the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park, laying the ground work for what has become the funkiest way to close out festy season.

Of course, there are BC mainstays making their annual appearance(s) like Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, the boys from across the pond, The New Mastersounds, NOLA elite Galactic and Dumpstaphunk, Royal Family’s Soulive and Lettuce (RAGE!), Royal Potato’s Skerik and Mike D and the Bear himself, Zach Deputy; but the BIG buzz this year involves the red-haired man behind the glasses and a lil band known as the Phish, Trey Anastasio, as he brings his rock septet to our hallowed ground. But I want to take this opportunity to point out some rarities and up-and-comers that you should think twice about before walking by as well as some of the special features of this year’s event.

Words by Matt Beck

SCHEDULE & MAP

First things first, here’s the schedule link with printable pdf at the bottom, and here’s the map link.

CHARITY OPPORTUNITIES

Food Drive for Suwannee Valley Food Bank – Bring 5 or more nonperishable food items to the festival office and receive a commemorative 2011 Stanley Mouse (longtime Grateful Dead image designer) designed festival poster.

Zach Deputy Charity Disc Golf Tournament – Join Zach Deputy as he hosts a charitable disc golf tournament on the fantastic 18-hole Magnolia Disc Golf Course on Saturday at 10am, and your $25 entry fee will benefit the Spirit of the Suwannee Kids Music Camp. For your $25 entry fee, you will be entered into the event and receive a commemorative Bear Creek disc. The 1st hole is right behind the General Store.

BLP TENT

We will once again be set up somewhere central and convenient, most likely by the Campground Stage, providing you with sanitizer, sunscreen, bug spray, earplugs, good vibes and the best damn info around. So, keep an eye out and consider throwing your name on the email list (legibly please) if you’re not already on it. We will also be helping to coordinate the brand new camp ground recycledelic initiative…so pick up a bag and bring us all your sorted recyclable trash and make a huge difference in the impact by picking up while you party down!

WEDNESDAY PRE-PARTY NOTES

Siblings Thomas and Olivia Wynn backed by Tim Turner, Matt Lapham and Rion Smith (who also comprise Orlando’s jazz-fusion outfit Shak Nasti) comprise one of the hottest rock bands outta Central Florida, Thomas Wynn & The Believers.

funkUs, led by venerable guitarist Dave Mann, have long been in the forefront of everything jam coming outta Orlando…including the semi-regular concert series, Jambando.

With a description like “high energy, live electro-funk and disco booty-jams, Boulder’s Juno What? Seems worth checking out. Here is a FREE copy of their album Shameless.

The Mississippi Delta’s next generation of groove is brought to you by Gravity A who mixes true New Orleans funk, tight drum n’ bass breaks and intoxicating trance. They also offer their new EP Renegade Masters for FREE here.

Born from the womb of Katrina in the foreign land of San Francisco, Honey Island Swamp Band focuses on great songs performed as a roots rock powerhouse from New Orleans creating unique Bayou Americana.

NEW COMERS – OR THE “CUBS”

Breakestra is a band I’ve been dying to see for years but rarely leaves their native Los Angeles. Started as the house band for legendary L.A. lounge, The Breaks, by  Breakestra is an 8-piece funk orchestra that drops the serious breakbeats and has a two part mix tape out covering hip-hop beats. Catch them Friday at 9pm and Saturday at 11:30am on Uncle Charlie’s Porch Stage.

Yeah, Chali 2’na performed a highlight set from the mini side-stage perch last year, but I’m real excited for the Chali 2’na Band’s first appearance. I can’t find any info on who his band will be but given his history with the Royal Family, I’m sure they’ll be funky! Catch the Fish at 4:45pm on the Purple Hat Stage.

The Coup featuring Boots Riley is another hip-hop act but with a much harder twist. You jamsters and funkateers probably know Boots from his work with Galactic, but he’s been fronting this CA bay area powerhouse for nearly two decades. They don’t make east often so make sure to catch at least one of their two sets at 5:15pm on the Purple Hat Stage Thursday or 9:30pm in the SOS Music Hall on Friday.

Obviously Eric Krasno knows his way around SOS, but this is the first time his alter-ego KRAZ makes an appearance as he spends a DJ set in the Grooveshark Silent Disco at 11:30pm Friday.  His mix tape Funky President has been very well received, and you can download it for FREE here.

Dr. Lonnie Smith is “an authentic Master of the Hammond B3 organ. For over five decades he has furthered the sound of Jazz Organ, created a worldwide fan-base and revealed his musical talents on over seventy albums.” ‘Nuff said…catch the legend at 6:30pm on Thursday is the SOS Music Hall.

Zongo Junction and Turkuaz are Brooklyn’s hottest up-and-coming afro-beat funk bands. Nestled in the breeding ground that Daptone Records (Antibalas, Budos Band, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings) has established, ya gotta figure there’s some players ripe for the national scene.

ARTISTS –AT-LARGE

Bear Creek is well known for its wandering artists-at-large that spice up just about every set, but the sheer volume of this year’s roving circus is almost overwhelming. Check it out:

Guitarists Andrew Block (Russell Batiste, Mia Borders), Billy Iuso (Restless Natives), Will Bernard, Jamie McLean (formerly Dirty Dozen Brass Band) and last year’s MVP Roosevelt Collier (The Lee Boys);  organista Robert Walter (Greyboy Allstars, 20^th Congress); Freekbass on da freaky bass; drummers Johnny Vidacovich (NOLA drum legend), Nikki Glaspie, Scott Messersmith (The Motet); sax legend Pee Wee Ellis (JBs, etc.), Shady Horns: Sam Kininger & Ryan Zoidis (Lettuce), sax monsters Skerik & Topaz and Jonathan Lloyd on trombone (Cadillac Jones); and vocalist Michelle Sarah.

MISSED LAST YEAR BUT WILL NOT MISS AGAIN…NO!

I personally missed Rubblebucket last year but caught them over multiple sets at this year’s moe.down, and I couldn’t believe how serious this band is. Do yourself a favor.

Another band I found at moe.down was Orgone. They got the multiple set Saturday slot the year prior and, having never even heard of them, they blew me away. Very original dynamic high-energy yet soulful funk.

Not for nothing, but my musician friends couldn’t stop raving about Snarky Puppy’s performances last year. And, ya know, it takes one to know one.

BLP FAVES

Papadosio have the killer Thursday late-night set in the SOS Music Hall. Come by at midnight to find out why these guys are headlining their 3^rd AURA Music Festival in March.

What the fuck is Zoogma you ask? Find out what all the kids are raving about at 5:30pm on the Purple Hat Stage!

Dopapod also performed last year, albeit semi-underground sets adjacent to Wormtown Trading Co.’s set-up; but the funktronic foursome make their official BC debut this year immediately following Trey…midnight on Saturday in the SOS Music Hall.

Cypress has been around for quite some time, including the current line-up’s solid three years together. They’ve had some very well received sets in the last year, including a rager at this year’s Orange Blossom Jamboree and are just starting to take off. The timing of their BC debut is spot on as they’re raring to perform for bigger and broader audiences. Catch them at Saturday at 11:30am on the Campground Stage.

Cope closes out the Campground Stage on Saturday night (5:30pm) this year and has a slew of guests lined up. In addition to a George Porter Jr. appearance, they are taking full advantage of the Artists-at-Large also having Mr. Pee Wee Ellis, Freekbass and Jonathan Lloyd join in the fun.

DJ, producer, remixer and longtime AURA cohort Craig Heneveld makes his BC debut in the Grooveshark Silent Disco on Friday Night at 1am, immediately following KRAZ.

Jaccksonville powerhouse Greenhouse Lounge makes the move to the big Purple Hat Stage this year for a 3:30pm set on Saturday. These guys have really stepped up lately and are on the verge of very big things. Make sure to come catch what will be drummer Jason Hunnicutt’s last performance with the band he helped start most of a decade ago.

Tampa area’s hippy-hop fusion band Green Sunshine gets the Full Sail Stage at 7pm on Saturday. Multiple MC’s joined with a soulful sista and backed by some of the area’s finest funk musicians, It’s no wonder why these guys have been tearing around the southeast so successfully. Can’t wait to have them rock the mic on the BLP Stage at AURA!

Shak Nasti are, more-or-less, the patriarchs of the Orlando jam scene. Rockin jazz-fusion engulfing top notch songwriting, they are the soul of that town. You may have seen them on their own or backing Bobby Lee Rodgers, Thomas Wynn or Roosevelt Collier and you can see them again at 3:15pm on Saturday in the SOS Music Hall.

FEATURED LIVE ARTIST – BPAUL

Our boy Brandon Paul, more commonly known as BPaul, will be a featured live visual artist this year. He’s overflowing with creativity and an artist that knows no bounds. He earned his live painting chops on tour with The Malah but has since rooted in South Florida’s thriving art community. Look for him painting his sexy, street-inspired art in front of the stages and check out his Blackbook Productions booth in the Art Shed that will not only feature paintings for sale but his brand new clothing line, 2611 Clothing, and embroidered hats he calls Thinking Caps.

MARC PAPER SCISSOR ART INSTALLMENT

Keep an eye out for oversized bear and his picnic basket that our good buddy Marc Paper Scissor constructed. Yeah, it’s large enough for everyone in your group to climb into the basket for some ridiculous picture opps. He also designed a signature cut paper original for the occasion that you should check out quick before it sells.

WEATHER REPORT

As of Tuesday at 5pm, the weather appears to be…amazing. The only day with a chance of rain is Thursday with a 30% likelihood, and the lowest low is Friday night’s drop to the mid 30’s. Every other day has ZERO chance of rain, highs in the mid to upper 70’s and lows in the mid 40’s.

Hope to see ya at a festival down by the river!

The rain was relentless in East Fort Lauderdale as the midnight hour approached. A line of lively youth wrapped around under a small overhang at the entrance of the Culture Room. Mostly an attempt to stay dry, but more importantly, a last minute move of haste to get inside before the band came on stage. Hours previous, the same venue played host to a metal show, and the double billing made for a level of uncertainty for when fans could find shelter from the storm inside the cozy two tiered room.

Now Conspirator, a super-group comprised of Mark Brownstien (bass) and Aaron Magner (keys/synths) of The Disco Biscuits, Chris Michetti (guitar) of Raq and Mike Greenfield (drums) of Lotus would take over and pump out an extended late night set of live electronica and guitar-infused dub movements. As I patiently waited for a resolution to a press credential debacle, all four members walked by. They were met with comments from the impatient que of fans and all smiled before hustling inside. The nontraditional approach of using the front door and walking among the crowd set the tone for a very intimate and relaxed vibe between the musicians and the audience of night owls.

The venue was comfortably full and there was no indication that it was nearly 1am  when the first notes of “So Much More” greased the wheels for what would be a nonstop two hour dance party. The Disco Biscuits’ electronic influence is noticeably present in the sound of the band but without any of the traditional jamband improvisational techniques. The beats are from a more electronic purist realm, and the breaks come harder and faster. Classic song structures are nearly non-existent and a more sporadic sequencing of up-tempo, highly sampled, synthesizer lead instrumentals are the name of the game.

The set list weaves in and out of tracks that typically built up to a plateau for Michetti to launch into a face melting guitar solo. If that didn’t happen, Magner would take over and construct a high-note synthesizer effect into breaking peak before the rhythm section bottomed out and blasted back into the original progression. The concept is nothing new, of course, but the execution and minor details such as Greenfield’s drum fills and Magner’s vocal samples are on point and very polished.

Fans of each of the three bands can still differentiate the sounds of the contributing members, but in a freshly amplified collective that aims to keep the energy high throughout the room and the dance party pulsing. To this effect, the war was won and both goals were achieved. Also noteworthy was how attentive the crowd was to what was happening on stage. Reactions to teases of familiar tracks and jumps from deep grooves into something as silly as the infrastructure of a Backstreet Boys song, were all manifested by flailing arms and shouts for more.

Shedding all stereotypes and predisposed characteristics, I could not help but be inspired by the thought that the negative attributes – usually associated with the primary bands of certain members of Conspirator, were completely lost on this crowd. Maintaining some of their self-professed law abiding citizen demeanor, the band broke away from the stage at the 2:30am curfew. The attempt at hoodwinking didn’t last long. They came back and Brownstein thanked Greenfield for sitting in with the band the same way he had done eight years ago. With that they launched into one last extended monster jam with “Fascinate” before calling it quits for real. No where near ready for the night to end just yet,  post-show parking lot shenanigans and early morning after parties kept the night rolling until the sun was clearly up. Special thanks should be given to Matt and Destiny, the entire Brotherly Love Productions Krewe that came out in large numbers, and those that were generous enough to host both before and after the show.

“Immediately following the Catskill Chill Festival, most of us headed to Philly for a few days off.  I caught up with the boys from Dopapod on Wednesday the 14th at the Blockley and was invited to sit in.  They are a smoking band and we played a raucous jam – one of the most fun sit-ins of my career.  We will be announcing a few Southeast dates with them soon.  The Pets reconvened the next evening for another throw-down at the 8X10 in Baltimore.  We have a long history with them – they gave us a chance on our very first tour (2006) and we are always pumped to get back in there.  After a particularly fiery set, we were joined by the legendary Tab Benoit and his band, who had played in town earlier that night and caught the end of our show.  They weren’t ready to stop playing for the night and neither were we, so the 8X10 graciously allowed the music to continue and kept the place open.  A mega-jam ensued, followed by a mega-hang including many drinks, and a passionate, mouthwatering discussion of New Orleans cuisine.  We drove through the night to Massachusetts, in time to get to our hotel and catch some shut-eye before our evening performance at the Wormtown Festival.  We hadn’t played the fest before and to be honest I knew little about it.  It is pretty damn big relative to what I expected – 6k people, camping and raging in the woods of Northern Mass.  We had a great time – despite a few issues.  There wasn’t enough power at our stage for our loud-ass selves, which resulted in a fried bass amp, and Mike and I needing to turn our amps up nearly all the way to hear them – a very dangerous proposition considering what would happen if there was suddenly a surge.  The main stage sounded great however, so we were lucky enough post-set to catch our boy Zach Deputy ripping it up as usual.  All in all it is a great festival in the rather uncharted territory for us of Massachusetts, so we really hope to get back there to rip it up next year without distraction.  Inspired by the previous night’s discussion with Tab, on our way out we grabbed some festival vendor Jambalaya.

“The next day we woke up, hit a diner and drove to Burlington.  Nectar’s is always a rage, with history dripping off the walls like melted cheese off of a gravy-fry.  After sound-check, we went down the street to our buddies’ German restaurant – Das Bierhaus.  It was the first day of their Oktoberfest promotion, so we had some delicious brews while listening to a German band ripping up oompa inspired versions of tunes like Funky Town.  We made our way back to Nectar’s to catch our Albany NY friends Timbre Coup (pronounced “tamber coo”) tearing it up, and followed them with one of my favorite sets of the tour.  Sunday the 18th we woke up, Jim ate some leftover chicken nuggets and we hit another diner before heading to Stowe.  The Matterhorn is a real gem -a music venue, sushi bar and pizza place.  After an endless stream of delicious mountain-top Sushi followed by two delicious pies, we played our jammiest show of the tour, with our friends 7Lbs of Pork opening.  It was a real hoot, and after a significant after-party and many delicious Long-Trail Ale’s we bounced for my hometown of Goshen, NY.  I went with my family down to the Meadowlands for the Monday Night Giants-Rams game, and enjoyed a victory followed by a few relaxing nights with the band and my family at home.

“We left late Wednesday night for the 8 hour trip to Cleveland, and pulled our usual move of check-in early and sleep until sound-check.  2 sleeps for the price of one.  The Cleveland show had some fine, fine moments – including a rare Jackie Bones opener where I tried an even rarer “slow-hand” take on the solo.  Afterwards was a trip to Denny’s and one of the band’s most epic brainstorming sessions.  We reworked some tunes while eating pancakes, and were able to unveil these changes over the next two gigs.  The next night was in Buffalo with our friends Thunderbody again.  They tore it up with a great set including a version of the Kinks “Strangers” that stole my heart.  We also had some of our Canadian fans cross the border making for quite the international rage in the old green room.  We played the best flowing set of the tour with every song seamlessly segueing into the next via a very well crafted Justin penned set-list. We hung until the bar closed at 4, even stayed a little later.  I passed out before we got out of Buffalo that night, and woke up as we were pulling into our hotel in Newark, Delaware.   Since the venue was literally next door, we loaded in and sound-checked as soon as we arrived and slept until rage time.  Jamie’s other band Spontaneous Underground was also on the bill and we packed the house – completely oversold the place.  SpUn absolutely ripped it up.  Keyboardist Dr. Jimmy Dunstan Jr. was completely on fire, tearing lightning-fast jazz lines across Tony D’Amato’s tasty bass licks.  We humbly took the stage after them and had a blast playing to a very enthusiastic crowd, which always seems to bring out the best in us. Thus followed a house party with seemingly everyone from the show, DJ Tony D spinning until sunup, fridges full of PBR and some bottles of Corralajo making the rounds.  I got to meet a ton of the peeps I saw dancing at our show, which is really a pleasure and something we don’t often get to do. I managed to get some sleep, but for most the party rolled right into the 1 o’clock football games, which we watched back at the venue with some Bloody Mary’s.  As per the usual we all split up for our 3 days off, and are preparing for the next 4 shows which begin Wednesday.  Boston, MA – Milford, CT – Albany, NY – and Wind Gap, PA for the Stir Fry Music Fest.”

Meet you back here next week.  I hope all is well, and we send our Brotherly Love from the road.
-JeLlo