The O-town Scene - Oneonta, NY
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/31419
Continued from Page 16 Deep into the night, as the cold got wicked, Slammin’ Doris took the stage. Slammin’ Doris lists their mission state- ment as “To not be a jam band.” I remembered reading this on the group’s website and chuckled as I woke up to them shouting, “Wake up, hippies!” Waking up to hail and rain Saturday morning didn’t bother me. A music festival isn’t complete without some kind of awful weather. The rain threatened to come back for most of the afternoon, but the ominous grey clouds that formed passed with only a whimper of precipitation. Volunteers were still manning their posts, having erected tents and donned rain jackets. Those working at the parking lot wound up covered in mud from helping push cars out of the marsh that portions of the lot had become. Throughout the afternoon more bands played that I couldn’t tell apart, so I began referring to them all as the same name. I believe it was “Afro Cuban Beat- box Squad.” None of the bands were bad; it was good music for drinking and dancing. But it was forgettable. The best bands were local groups or groups with local roots _ Krisco Fist, the Mothers of Intention, Northern Water Snake, Mike Lovesick. The last band to play Saturday night was Dirty Paris. In preparation of their set, they constructed an Eiffel Tower out of 2 by 4s covered in metallic ribbon, hammering it together at the back of the audience ... all afternoon ... while other bands were playing. The festival certainly has a future. The Blowdown, the site they used this year, is beautiful and the layout works brilliantly to accommodate parking, camping, food and beer sales and vending. The security presence was noticeable, and security guards were helpful, not overbearing. The festival gave me a sense of pride that the Oneonta area has such a deep pool of musical talent and venues for those artists to be showcased. The local bands that played at the earliest and latest times cut their sets short and vol- unteered to work when they weren’t on stage. The boys at liveLIVE! have massive support from local artists, which could translate into an even better festival next year. If their hard work and sacrifice isn’t de- meaned by jam bands that lack respect for the other artists on stage. Oh, and thank God it’s not called Headyfest anymore. _ Ned Brower May 12, 2011 O-Town Scene 17 Vendor Kathy Jackson works on Scrabble piece accessories. Blue Mountain Bustdown performs Friday night with a light show. Belly dancers sway to music by the Horseshow Lounge Playboys. Darcy Gibson (left) and Madeleine Jayson of Mothers of Intention perform. Kevin Gargoyle wears a tie-dye blan- ket and layers to keep warm.