Confessions of a High Sierra n00b

Susan and I arrived in the Railway Field staging lot around 7 PM Wednesday and I was immediately impressed with the organization of the festival.  In their 27^th year overall and 19^th in Quincy, CA they definitely had things wired tight.  We were in the sixth row of cars waiting to get in which was good, but if we arrived a few hours earlier it would have been better (n00b).  According to a High Sierra Music Festival (HSMF) veteran the staging lot was about half as full as it normally is and the minimal party scene there certainly backed that up.

6 AM Thursday is an early wakeup call before the music even starts, but like I said this obviously wasn’t their first rodeo.  We waited in line for our wristbands and then for it to be our turn to drive in parade style.  There was no rush for either as everything was timed out just about perfectly.  Once we made it to the gate we turned left and decided to gamble on finding a spot in the Hillside camp area. 

Much to our chagrin most of the good shady spots were already gone (n00b) so we drove all the way to end and eventually found a spot where we could park right next to our tent.  Since it was around 9 AM now the sun was out in full force so we put the tent right under a tree blocking the morning sun.  This turned out to be both a blessing a curse.  While we did have shade all morning that allowed us to sleep in, we also had full on super-hot afternoon sun from 2-7 PM, and that really sucked (n00b).

After camp was setup we grabbed an icy cold shower (no line) right behind the main stage, changed clothes, had a bite to eat and then it was music-o-clock and we were off.

THURSDAY

Tank and the Bangas – Vaudeville Tent – 12:00-1:15 PM

The winners of this year’s NPR Tiny Desk Concert had a nice buzz about them pre-show and they were also the first music of any kind at HSMF.  If the band had any nerves they didn’t show it as their mix of funk, soul, rock and hip-hop won the crowd over quickly.  I gave them a try and stayed for the entire set, and while it’s easy to see their appeal, they weren’t my cup of tea.

Hamish Anderson – Big Meadow Stage – 2:05-3:20 PM

We were basically front row for this Australian blues rocker and he delivered more or less what you’d expect.  He is a talented cat with chops aplenty but his brand of rock wasn’t quite exploratory enough for my taste.  That said he was a fun afternoon festival set and we left after an hour or so.

Jeff Austin Band – Grandstand Stage – 2:45-4:00 PM

For the sake of full disclosure, I was never a huge fan of Yonder Mountain String Band but I did want to see Jeff’s solo band for the first time.  I was really underwhelmed to be kind.  To my ears it sounded like basically the same music as Yonder just with less talented players.  No harm no foul though, since festivals are all about trying out new bands.

White Denim – Grandstand Stage – 4:45-6:15 PM

After a quick stop back at camp to eat and resupply we tried out the stands to the left of the stage for this Austin quartet.  I had never seen them live but I was familiar with a few of their songs from Sirius Jam_ON.  They blew me away with their versatility and musicianship.  They can rock out, slow it down, get poppy, craft a jam, you name it.  They were a highlight of the day and festival overall and luckily I had another chance to see them.

BIG Something – Big Meadow Stage – 6:00-7:30 PM

We arrived late and left early but this sextet from North Carolina did impress me in the brief time I saw them.  Their style is hard to pin down since they seemed adventurous enough to try anything.  Looking at their setlists they covered Talking Heads, Notorious B.I.G., Peter Gabriel, Beck and The Who over two days.  They earned another more intimate viewing at a later date for sure.

Galactic – Grandstand Stage – 7:00-8:45 PM

This was my 21^st Galactic show and the best set I’ve seen from them in a few years.  They were straight up fierce, with both old and new material crackling with energy.  A particular highlight was the old-school medley they threw down in the middle of the set, which had me dancing like no one was watching.  Vocalist Erica Falls was on point, trumpet player Shamarr Allen took some huge solos and both brought tons of energy.  Artist-at-large Skerik was side stage throughout the set and jumped in here and there.  Of course there was a memorable horn blowout between Shamarr, Skerik and Ben Ellman.  Walking away from the stage I was super pumped up for their late-night set the next day.

STS9 – Grandstand Stage – 9:30-11:30 PM

We had to hit camp again to change into our sparkle attire and then it was time for my 38^th STS9 show.  It had been a year-and-a-half since I had seen them last and I hadn’t seen most their new album live yet.  They took care of that right away and kept it going during their entire set.  I felt like the show was more spacey/jammy than I remember them being.  They may have been playing to the crowd or maybe it was my state of mind.  Mixed in with all the newer tunes was a ferocious “Ramone & Emiglio” and a very welcome “From Now On.”  They closed their set with four big time dance numbers and sent the crowd off to the late-nights happy.  It’s also worth mentioning that this was the first show I had seen since Lighting Director Saxton Waller left the band.  I think Tiberius Benson has kept Saxton’s vibe going without missing a beat.

The Werks – Funk’n Jam House – 12:00-1:15 AM

We decided to wander a bit and got to this one a little late.  When we walked in Rob Compa from Dopapod was sitting in on guitar and exchanging licks with Chris Houser on “Drop.”  That was a nice little treat and then they tore into a “Moonset” that seemed to go on forever before closing things out with Edgar Winter’s “Frankenstein.”  It was a nice show that kept you moving but nothing next level.

Dopapod – Funk’n Jam House – 1:45-3:45 AM

Coming off doing their entire 3-show Pacific Northwest run I was super pumped up for this one, but unfortunately bassist Chuck Jones had a family emergency and couldn’t make it.  Subbing in for Chuck was Jake Goldberg of The Werks.  Eli Winderman and Rob tried really hard, giving what seemed like extra effort in every jam.  Especially the opening 31-minute “Jam > FABA” sequence, but it just wasn’t the Dopapod I know and love.  You can’t reproduce years of chemistry in a few days.  They did however play “Hot Lanta” by the Allman Brothers, which I think they’ve only done once before.

FRIDAY

Fruition – Grandstand Stage – 12:30-2:00 PM

As you can imagine this day started out a little slowly with us eating breakfast and showering during their set.  This was my third Fruition show and their brand of Americana isn’t really my bag.  However, I did discover a key feature of HSMF during their set, you can listen to music from your camp (n00b)!

The Music of Doc Watson – High Sierra Music Hall – 1:15-2:15 PM

Due to our slow start, we got here for only the last four songs and I immediately regretted it.  For a 20-something Billy Strings sure was able to conjure up a soulful vocal rendition of Doc Watson.  His playing is something to behold as he is just a super talented acoustic guitarist.  He closed with “Gonna Lay Down My Old Guitar” which was stuck in my head on a loop for days after I got home.  I wish I had attended one of his proper sets but that just didn’t work out for me.

Con Brio – Vaudeville Tent – 1:15-2:30 PM

We caught the very end of this set and were both unimpressed.  Something about front man Ziek McCarter’s stage presence was a little off putting to both of us.  I know this band was big hit at HSMF but different strokes for different folks.

The Travelin’ McCourys – Grandstand Stage – 2:45-4:15 PM

I was psyched up to see Del’s boys again since it had been over 10 years since my last chance.  They didn’t disappoint and were easily the best bluegrass band I saw all weekend.  Watching them from the stands in the heat of the day with a beer in my hand was a real treat.  As was their cover of The Grateful Dead’s “Loser.”

White Denim – Big Meadow Stage – 3:45-5:00 PM

I originally didn’t plan to leave the McCourys early but after White Denim’s powerhouse set on Thursday I couldn’t miss them.  And they delivered, again.  I wish I knew more about their songs so I could go more in depth.  Suffice it to say that this was the band I walked away from HSMF needing to do a deeper dive on and see a few more times.

Hard Working Americans – Grandstand Stage – 5:00-6:30 PM

I was a little bummed that lead guitarist Neal Casal had to part ways with the band due his commitments with Chris Robinson Brotherhood, but HWA still brought it and did what they do with aplomb.  The only down side to their set was that the heat was just oppressive, even in the shaded stand area.  Still, I was really impressed with their live show.  I had listened to a few of their shows on archive.org since they debuted in 2013 and the recordings don’t do them justice at all.  This is a real live rock and roll band with enough swagger to spare.

Mike Gordon – Grandstand Stage – 7:15-8:45 PM

This was my 9^th time seeing Mike’s solo band and I’ve always loved them, especially since the additions of Robert Walter and John Kimock in 2015.  They wasted no time getting right down to business with “Say Something.”  The special thing about this set was that it featured four debuts; “Whirlwind,” “Marissa,” “Up and Down” and “Victim 3D.”  I loved the “Victim” closer and two of the other three (c’mon taper!).  I can’t wait to hear his new album OGOGO in September.  There were some other treats too with Scott Murawski’s take on the Talking Heads’ “Cities” and a late set “Meat.”  The guys in the band, and especially Mike, were having a blast throughout with huge smiles all around and it came across in their performance.

Dopapod – Vaudeville Tent – 9:30-10:45 PM

Going up against Ween and Earth, Wind & Power the tent was practically empty allowing us to ride the rail once more.  Jake Goldberg was still on bass but this show was a little better than their late-night set.  Or maybe it was my lowered expectations.  Whatever the case, I’m glad Chuck is back now.

Earth, Wind & Power – Big Meadow Stage – 9:30-11:30 PM

The Meadow was packed by the time we got there as people were clearly looking forward to The Nth Power and friends doing Earth, Wind & Fire tunes.  I wasn’t all that familiar with Earth, Wind & Fire beyond their hits but that didn’t stop me from getting down to this dance party.  People were boogieing all over the place and this was the perfect way to head off into the late-night hours.

Deer Tick – Vaudeville Tent – 11:30-1:30 AM

Since I had been hearing about this band for years, but never had a chance to see them, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to check them out for a bit.  They were as advertised, indie-folk-punk-rock with a wild stage presence.  I knew next to nothing about their music but enjoyed the half hour I spent with them.

Afrolicious – High Sierra Music Hall – 12:00-1:15 AM

We were slowing down a touch by now but still had a little bit of energy left in us.  Good thing too because these genre benders from San Francisco kept the dance party going.  A mix of funk and electronics they were a pleasant surprise and we had plenty of space to groove.  Unfortunately we ran out of steam about a half hour in and called it a night.  Yes, this means I didn’t make Galactic’s late-night set, but at my age you can’t win ‘em all anymore.

SATURDAY

Punk vs. Funk – High Sierra Music Hall – 12:00-1:00 PM

After a good night’s sleep we were all bright eyed and bushy tailed and ready for a new day.  What better way to start it off than with Eric McFadden, Skerik, Jerry Joseph and friends doing punk and funk ditties from the 1970’s?  Now I will admit I was hoping for a little more funk than punk but I was probably alone in that thinking.  It was fun watching the crowd get all “punk” with their dance moves as the show went on, plus the Music Hall had AC!

The Brothers Comatose – Grandstand Stage – 12:45-2:15 PM

We decided to head back to camp to chill out listen this San Francisco bluegrass quintet in the dying moments of our shade.  I had seen them once before and they were pleasant but not really anything unique.  If memory serves I believe Keller Williams sat in with them which brought huge applause.

The Suffers – Big Meadow Stage – 2:15-3:30 PM

I’m sure I would make lead singer Kam Franklin proud since I remember that they are from Houston and play Gulf Coast soul music.  I had never seen them before but I really enjoyed the 45 minutes or so I saw of their set.  I’m not sure you could ask for anything more from an afternoon festival set than what they brought to the table.

The Greyboy Allstars – Grandstand Stage – 3:00-5:00 PM

This was the one and only set where we braved full on sun for the entire time.  For me the music was so good that I kind of didn’t notice how smoking hot it was.  Susan had a bit of harder time but still soldiered on through the entire two hours.  I had just an awesome time at this show and thought the band was on fire.  When Karl, Elgin and Robert are all on the same stage they are a true force of nature.  To top it off they played “Pigeons Under Water” which I had requested on their Facebook page.  They saved a bunch of their heaviest hitting numbers for their late-night, which was a-ok with me.

Keller Williams – Big Meadow Stage – 4:10-5:25 PM

We caught the final 20 minutes or so of Keller doing his thing, including “Doobie in My Pocket.”  It was uneventful Keller being Keller.

Polyrhythmics – Vaudeville Tent – 5:30-6:45 PM

This funk octet from Seattle had tons of energy and got people up and moving and kept them there.  They were fun, no doubt, but they fall into the “generi-funk” category for me, or as Susan says, “white boy funk.”  I preferred what Afrolicious did more compared to them so a half-an-hour was enough.

El Ten Eleven – Big Meadow Stage – 6:05-7:25 PM

I’ve had several opportunities to see this Los Angeles duo but have always passed for some reason.  It’s an interesting instrumental mix with a double neck guitar/bass, drums and lots of looping.  I was expecting more of an electronica sound, but instead it was more crunchy indie post-rock. While it wasn’t really my thing I was glad I gave them a try.

Trey Anastasio Band – Grandstand Stage – 8:00-11:30 PM

TAB came out of the gates blazing with “Mozambique” and their momentum didn’t stop until they encored with “Push On ‘Til the Day.”  This was up there with the best shows I saw all weekend, and maybe that’s because it was a full two set show with an encore.  There were highlights throughout, but some particular treats were “Liquid Time,” “Plasma” and Bob Marley’s “Soul Rebel.”  It had been four years since my last TAB show and the band sounded tighter than ever.  The crowd ate it up the entire time and the band looked like they were enjoying the heck out of the atmosphere too.  I’d say Big Red’s first trip to HSMF was a smashing success.

Cory Henry & the Funk Apostles – Vaudeville Tent – 11:30-1:30 AM

A whole bunch of people had the same idea after TAB because when we arrived the tent was almost at overflow capacity already.  I knew Cory was part of the Snarky Puppy family but not much else.  His band was tight and brought the dance party right from the jump.  I could have stayed there all night but we didn’t have late-night tickets so we wanted to explore the grounds. 

We stopped off at the Mineral Building to check out a Troubadour Session and were immediately shocked by the attentive silence in the room.  We watched Paul Kamm from Achilles Wheel do one tune and then we headed to the lawn to catch some of the fire performance.  If the group of Troubadour performers was right I would for sure sit down and watch a Session, but you must be in a quiet frame of mind to really dig it. 

The fire performers were entertaining for sure and watching the Silent Disco folks getting down also made for some good people watching.  We had a big day planned Sunday so it off to sleep and reenergize.

SUNDAY

Carolyn Wonderland – Big Meadow Stage – 11:45-1:15 PM

After our final awesome hot camp breakfast thanks to Susan and another icy shower we headed off a little late to this one.  Judging by what I’ve read post-festival Carolyn is akin to HSMF royalty.  I also read that she was suffering from overheating during this set.  I thought she was ok, but her brand of blues wasn’t my thing.  

The Lil’ Smokies – Grandstand Stage – 12:30-1:45 PM

This Montana bluegrass quintet has played Eugene a bunch of times but I’ve never went out to see them.  We settled in on “The Lawn” area to check them out in the shade of the trees.  I thought their vocal harmonies were fantastic, and they almost sounded like James Taylor’s voice when harmonizing.  However, their playing sounded a little generic string bandy to me, but I still enjoyed what I heard.

Skerik’s Improv Lab – High Sierra Music Hall – 1:30-2:30 PM

I was really pumped up for this one since I figured saxophonics master Skerik would have something special in store for us.  The stage setup was more horns than you could count, drums, a guitar, a bass and eventually some keys.  It seemed like Skerik had an idea how he wanted things to go down, but it took probably more than half of their allotted time for things to get cooking.  Karl Denson showed up for the last little bit and straight killed it.  This set wasn’t quite what I expected, but that’s why expectations are a dangerous thing when seeing live music.

Grupo Fantasma – Grandstand Stage – 2:15-3:45 PM

We made our way to the stands to check out this nine-piece Latin-funk outfit from Austin.  WOW is all I can say.  They blew me away with their brand of Latin fusion as they were way more than just funk.  In retrospect we should have stayed with them until the end of their set, but if they ever come up to the Pacific Northwest I’m there! 

Deep Funk Revival – High Sierra Music Hall – 3:15-4:30 PM

I didn’t really know what to expect here, but I was psyched to see what Skerik and Karl D could cook up under these circumstances.  Well, instead of being the leaders they were more like special guests to Polyrhythmics.  It didn’t matter though as the Poly boys started their funk tribute with two Greyboy Allstars songs with Karl and Skerik sitting in on both.  They left after that but Polyrhythmics did a real nice job with the rest of the set on their own.

Keller Williams’ Grateful Gospel – Grandstand Stage – 4:30-6:30 PM

Back at camp for this one we finally wised up and moved our chairs away from our easy-up oven to some nearby shade (n00b).  This was a really pleasant way to take in Keller and Stu Allen doing their best Bob and Jerry impressions.  With cold beers in hand we caught about an hour of this and heard a nice “Eyes of the World > Franklin’s Tower.”

SunSquabi – Vaudeville Tent – 5:30-6:45 PM

We made our way to this one based on a recommendation from Susan’s friend, and he was right. This electronica trio from Colorado created some really dancey grooves and the tent was all smiles.  Guitarist/keyboardist Kevin Donohue is what really makes them go.  He’ll start playing on one instrument, loop something and then jump on to the other.  We stayed for their whole set and then said goodbye to the Vaudeville Tent, but we weren’t done with them yet.

Snarky Puppy – Grandstand Stage – 7:15-8:45 PM

After some chill time at camp we made our way back to the field to check out the jazz collective from “New York City via Austin.”  I’m not sure how many people were on stage or who they were, but these dudes can really play.  I’m not very familiar with their music but had listened to a few shows.  Like all great bands you have to see them live to really appreciate what they are capable of.  We probably should have stayed until the end of their time slot, but I had gone the entire festival without any Lebo and that’s just not allowed at HSMF.

Lebo & Friends – Big Meadow Stage – 7:50-9:20 PM

I’m huge fan of all the guys in ALO and Lebo is no exception.  With his “friends” being Melvin Seals, Bobby Vega, Jay Lane and Lesley Grant I figured it would probably be a bunch of Dead covers, but I was dead wrong.  Over the 45 minutes or so we saw I don’t think they played any Dead tunes instead opting for other covers.  The meadow was packed and people were getting their groove on big time.

Gov’t Mule – Grandstand Stage – 9:30-11:30 PM

We caught the first bit of this set at camp as we got dressed for the night and were in the field around “Thorazine Shuffle.”  The Mule has never really done it for me but this was actually my 9^th time seeing them.  I thought they played really well and had some nice song selections too.  I enjoyed the four tunes from their new album but we were done at “Come & Go Blues.”  Unfortunately we missed the Eric McFadden Allman Brothers throw down that closed this set.

BoomBox – Big Meadow Stage – 10:00-11:30 PM

We caught about the last hour or so of Keith and Donna Godchaux’s son Zion’s electronica “duo.”  I say “duo” because while Zion plays guitar and sings Heath Bennet just stands there and presses buttons.  I’m not really a big fan of DJ music because I prefer people playing instruments.  That said BoomBox revved our energy back up after The Mule kinda sapped it.

Polyrhythmics – High Sierra Music Hall – 12:00-1:15 AM

We had tickets to this one but didn’t stick around for more than a song or two.  We were pretty much done with them since it was our third time seeing them in two days.

SunSquabi – Funk’n Jam House – 12:00-1:15 AM

Instead we went and stood outside by the back fence at the Jam House.  You can see the stage straight on and hear the music just fine.  At this point in the evening we needed some untzy dance music and these boys delivered again.

Greyboy Allstars – High Sierra Music Hall – 1:45-3:45 AM

The whole reason we were still up and kicking was to see the jazz-funk pioneers from San Diego one last time.  It’s so rare that they play anymore (only my 9^th show) that yes, staying up until 1:45 AM just for their set to start was well worth it.  I was a little surprised that the place wasn’t packed, even on Sunday night.  We had plenty of room to boogie until Susan started failing.  I could have made it until the end but past 3 AM with a seven-hour drive staring us in the face seemed like the right time to call it quits.

Overall I’d say HSMF would likely be the best festival in the land if it were held over Memorial Day weekend when it’s cooler.  Even if it was held in early June I might be a regular.  I know there is zero chance of them moving off the July 4^th weekend but I will be back again if the lineup is as strong as 2017.  (Side note: I didn’t get all the people complaining about the lineup this year at ALL?)  My main piece of advice to any other n00bs thinking of attending is the key to HSMF is where you camp.  That’s it.  If you have a camp with shade you are all set, even if it’s 115 degrees.