Langerado Day Two | The Swamp Tent Rules
Story by:
Marc Whitman
A big “hola” from day two of the Langerado Music Festival, where the sun continued to shine, the beer kept flowin’ like water, and the music got funky, jazzy, trancey, and definitely rocked. One thing’s for sure, the late PM sets in the Swamp Tent continue to turn the volume at this place up to eleven!
Photo round-up and commentary after the jump…
Langerado, Day Two:
(go here for my day one round-up and photos)
Day Two, started off similarly to day one, with a few minor delays on getting our sorry butts into the festival (hey, nobody said we’d catch everything. But once inside, we continued to enjoy the sun, the brew, and the never-ending tunes. We also ran into a few more interesting characters (but still no Banana Man!):
Hoola girls:
Wierd Skeleton Peeps:
Random “Head” guy:
On to the tunes…
Perpetual Groove really got things moving with some solid southern-tinged rock and upbeat (dare I say Phishy) grooves.
By the third song, the crowd was really getting into these guys and the Swamp Tent got all the more swampy and sweaty…
I really don’t know PGroove’s tunes that well, but this was a really perfect sonic backdrop to another beautiful Florida day.
On to the newly re-named J.J. Grey & Mofro. I guess putting JJ Grey up at the top of the band’s name makes sense, since their set seemed to be very focused on the band’s frontman. And for good reason: JJ’s has a really nice gritty vocal style that mixes nicely with the soulful southern grooves and full horn section.
JJ Grey & Mofro:
About halfway through the set, they dropped into a familiar “Lochloosa” — well, at least familiar to the crowd — which had folks singing along loudly. I really like Mofro’s sound…it’s definitely reminiscent of the Stax-era soul but with a lot more southern grit and growl. My only complaint is that it got a tad bit mellow for a crowd that seemed ready to dance.
So we decided to check out the opening notes of Medeski, Martin, and Wood:
Per usual, MMW layed down some deep funky grooves, with the always stellar rhythm section that is Martin and Wood:
The madman on the keys, Mr. Medeski, added his always-odd textures and layers to the rhythmic backdrop:
Something about MMW playing at dusk really brought out the wierdos during this set. Or maybe it was our spot on the side where the people go when they want space to dance, but it added a really fun element that made our day. We clowned around with some beachballs and some silly neighbors before heading back over to the Swamp Tent…
The Swamp Tent at night seems to be where the s*** really hits the fan and the energy at this festival gets turned way up. The Disco Biscuits set was definitely our highlight of the day and they perfectly got the crowd going wild by opening with their unique version of the Beastie Boys’ “Paul Revere…”
But that was really just the warm-up. Now, I am a big Biscuits fan and have seen them a ton of times going back to 2001. But I just haven’t been all that swayed by their sound since bringing on their new drummer. I’ve also consistently been bummed by sub-par festival sets, but this set completely changed both of those complaints. It’s really nice to see these guys hitting a stride and I am now firmly a fan of Allen Aucoin, tDB’s new drummer.
The Barber:
Marc Brownstein:
Lebo, who does the art for the entire festival, also did an impromptu painting on-stage while the tDB boys were playing. Looks pretty cool so far…
Bisco-Lebo:
I constantly kept hearing people yell stuff like “this is sick!” and “holy s***!” because the Biscuits really have a way to manipulate the crowd and get people into a frenzy. Tonight they really showed their stuff…
A big highlight of the set was the stretched out version (even for Bisco standards) of “Little Shimmy in a Conga Line” which eventually dropped into a really deep reggae/dub jam, during which the band brought out the Hasidic Jewish reggae dude, Matisyahu, to flow and do his thing.
After being somewhat unimpressed with recent Biscuits shows over the past year, these guys really brought their A game tonight. I think they even made a few Southern converts, because we definitely weren’t the only ones dancing our tails off. Great way end to an awesome day!
Stay tuned for day three….
umm…for the most part I think the show was a let down. I’ll stick to the northern shows from now on. Camping was a mess, the music and crowd was a little wack. I totally expected something else.
umm…for the most part I think the show was a let down. I’ll stick to the northern shows from now on. Camping was a mess, the music and crowd was a little wack. I totally expected something else.
After seeing tDB ragge the night before @ Revolution, we decided to check out MMJ. After listening to three songs, I just couldn’t help but think about what I was missing over in the Swamp Tent.
So, we decided to at least go over and check out tDB. Wow, I am SOOO glad that we did, b.c. it was fantastic!!! Just about every person within sight was dancing their asses off! I have seen tDB 6 times before (including both Haymaker shows in 02, both of which I enjoyed) but have never really been a fan until now. After the Langerado set they played, I can officially say that I am now a real tDB fan. Allen rocks!
After seeing tDB ragge the night before @ Revolution, we decided to check out MMJ. After listening to three songs, I just couldn’t help but think about what I was missing over in the Swamp Tent.
So, we decided to at least go over and check out tDB. Wow, I am SOOO glad that we did, b.c. it was fantastic!!! Just about every person within sight was dancing their asses off! I have seen tDB 6 times before (including both Haymaker shows in 02, both of which I enjoyed) but have never really been a fan until now. After the Langerado set they played, I can officially say that I am now a real tDB fan. Allen rocks!
f*** MMJ up the ass they shouldn’t even have been there
f*** MMJ up the ass they shouldn’t even have been there
After hearing about how great MMJ is, I was excited to check them out. Maybe I didn’t give them enough of a chance, but after two songs, we headed over to the Biscuits. MMJ looked and sounded like an MTV-Radio band. I was bored. It was also my first DB show. Eventhough I was the oldest guy there, I loved it! They seemed to play to the crowd. MMJ seemed like they were re-creating an MTV video. JMO
After hearing about how great MMJ is, I was excited to check them out. Maybe I didn’t give them enough of a chance, but after two songs, we headed over to the Biscuits. MMJ looked and sounded like an MTV-Radio band. I was bored. It was also my first DB show. Eventhough I was the oldest guy there, I loved it! They seemed to play to the crowd. MMJ seemed like they were re-creating an MTV video. JMO
Lots of photos and videos on my page
http://www.manzellanews.com/langerado/2007/
Lots of photos and videos on my page
http://www.manzellanews.com/langerado/2007/
The two best concerts of the weekend:
1. tDB latenight on Friday. Lordy, I’ve never seen them play better — possibly Allen’s best show. Intense, patient jamming that exploded into a volcano-like climax in House Dog. This may sound kind of creepy, but the show was like a giant mass orgasm.
2. MMJ on Saturday. First time I’d seen them, and I think they’re a strong contender for the best live band in America. Huge stage show for huge rock and roll. They definitely won me over, and I’d travel hours to see them again.
….
I caught about 30 minutes of the Biscuits on Saturday and thought they played big dumb dance music. I also didn’t want to taint the memory of one perfect concert (that lasted past 4 a.m.), so I gladly walked back to MMJ. Ain’t festy life grand?
The two best concerts of the weekend:
1. tDB latenight on Friday. Lordy, I’ve never seen them play better — possibly Allen’s best show. Intense, patient jamming that exploded into a volcano-like climax in House Dog. This may sound kind of creepy, but the show was like a giant mass orgasm.
2. MMJ on Saturday. First time I’d seen them, and I think they’re a strong contender for the best live band in America. Huge stage show for huge rock and roll. They definitely won me over, and I’d travel hours to see them again.
….
I caught about 30 minutes of the Biscuits on Saturday and thought they played big dumb dance music. I also didn’t want to taint the memory of one perfect concert (that lasted past 4 a.m.), so I gladly walked back to MMJ. Ain’t festy life grand?
best day by far in my book… bisco was amazing i wish you had more on franti and spearhead because i really enjoyed that show
best day by far in my book… bisco was amazing i wish you had more on franti and spearhead because i really enjoyed that show
Would have liked to have heard your review and seen some pics from Franti and Spearhead. As always he brought the truth and got the crowd grooving.
Haven’t read the review for day three, but if I remember well, they played the second day. If it was the third, forget everything I said.
Would have liked to have heard your review and seen some pics from Franti and Spearhead. As always he brought the truth and got the crowd grooving.
Haven’t read the review for day three, but if I remember well, they played the second day. If it was the third, forget everything I said.
yeah, i hear the lighting guys from the two bands threw down later that night backstage
tDB’s guys said heulled the sickest s*** and MMJ’s guy claimes to have rawked his cans harder
it later got ugly when brownstein came
head-bobbibg into the mix and jim james repelled him with some crouching tiger hidden dragon hair-rock-leap s***
major music is a competition tension backstage throwdowns at langerado
i don’t want to even talk about the s*** going down between cat power and explosions in the sky
ugly stuff
yeah, i hear the lighting guys from the two bands threw down later that night backstage
tDB’s guys said heulled the sickest s*** and MMJ’s guy claimes to have rawked his cans harder
it later got ugly when brownstein came
head-bobbibg into the mix and jim james repelled him with some crouching tiger hidden dragon hair-rock-leap s***
major music is a competition tension backstage throwdowns at langerado
i don’t want to even talk about the s*** going down between cat power and explosions in the sky
ugly stuff
disco biscuits over mmj anyday of the week of course its all opinion but none of you seem to get that
disco biscuits over mmj anyday of the week of course its all opinion but none of you seem to get that
MMJ was THE performance of the weekened hands down. I have never seen so many people literlally throwing thesmelves around as a result of all the enegy coming off stage.
With the lights in full effect – mixed in w/ the smoke, Jimmy Jame’s voice – just and AMAZING vibe…
As I enjoyed the pics of the Disco Bisquits and review – I defintely feel that for all those peeps that missed the MMJ show for the DB – ouch!
MMJ was THE performance of the weekened hands down. I have never seen so many people literlally throwing thesmelves around as a result of all the enegy coming off stage.
With the lights in full effect – mixed in w/ the smoke, Jimmy Jame’s voice – just and AMAZING vibe…
As I enjoyed the pics of the Disco Bisquits and review – I defintely feel that for all those peeps that missed the MMJ show for the DB – ouch!
Hey John, I appreciate the response. Actually, I REALLY appreciate that you made the effort to come back and post another comment.
I understand. You were prob. just super excited for similar pics of MMJ and surprised I didn’t make it over for that set. Believe me, if they’d staggered it like they did for WSP and the other bands last night, I would’ve seen both! But once I got into tDB, I couldn’t pry myself or my dancing companion away. It was too much fun!
Also, these were really meant to be a “visual reviews” and not a full run-down (I started adding commentary on day one and felt compiled to do the same for days two and three).
At these big festivals, it sucks, but you’re always going to miss something. Add to that the pressure of trying to “cover” it all, and it makes it tough to really do just that thoroughly and also enjoy it fully. I struggled with that quite a bit this weekend, esp. since this trip is also supposed to be a bit of a vacation for me and my lady. Also, I’m not sure if I’d really file this under “beat reporting”…we strive to be professional here at LMB, but we are still just a blog and a small operation.
Either way, we’re always open for other interpretations, especially for festivals. So if you want to submit a run-down of your experience, we’re all ears.
Hey John, I appreciate the response. Actually, I REALLY appreciate that you made the effort to come back and post another comment.
I understand. You were prob. just super excited for similar pics of MMJ and surprised I didn’t make it over for that set. Believe me, if they’d staggered it like they did for WSP and the other bands last night, I would’ve seen both! But once I got into tDB, I couldn’t pry myself or my dancing companion away. It was too much fun!
Also, these were really meant to be a “visual reviews” and not a full run-down (I started adding commentary on day one and felt compiled to do the same for days two and three).
At these big festivals, it sucks, but you’re always going to miss something. Add to that the pressure of trying to “cover” it all, and it makes it tough to really do just that thoroughly and also enjoy it fully. I struggled with that quite a bit this weekend, esp. since this trip is also supposed to be a bit of a vacation for me and my lady. Also, I’m not sure if I’d really file this under “beat reporting”…we strive to be professional here at LMB, but we are still just a blog and a small operation.
Either way, we’re always open for other interpretations, especially for festivals. So if you want to submit a run-down of your experience, we’re all ears.
Note to self: don’t post after you’ve been drinking. Sorry about that Whitperson. Those were rude and uncalled for words and you really did do a good job describing what you saw. There was a lot of ground to cover and it’s hard to see it all at a large festival. I’ve been meaning to pop back in here all day and say something, you worked hard on what you did and were probably excited to see what people’s reactions would be not expecting some asshole to say something nasty. Langerado was a great fest and I’m glad to se the pix you’ve posted.
Note to self: don’t post after you’ve been drinking. Sorry about that Whitperson. Those were rude and uncalled for words and you really did do a good job describing what you saw. There was a lot of ground to cover and it’s hard to see it all at a large festival. I’ve been meaning to pop back in here all day and say something, you worked hard on what you did and were probably excited to see what people’s reactions would be not expecting some asshole to say something nasty. Langerado was a great fest and I’m glad to se the pix you’ve posted.
So it’s a “s***ass review” bc I decided to skip MMJ during a raging set by tDB? Ugh, get over it…those weren’t the only bands playing. Also, why don’t you explain “why” and “how” MMJ was so great, rather then telling us how tDB doesn’t even compare. Two very different bands doing different things. I chose the one you didn’t. So be it.
I’ve seen plenty of MMJ live. They are friggin great! But I’ve heard most of it before. Also, it was already a tough enough decision to make, I don’t need to hear about how I “should have” done this. Each person has their own take on any given festival.
Why not ADD to the review and DESCRIBE what we missed, rather than telling me that I SHOULD have seen a band I did not get to see.
So it’s a “s***ass review” bc I decided to skip MMJ during a raging set by tDB? Ugh, get over it…those weren’t the only bands playing. Also, why don’t you explain “why” and “how” MMJ was so great, rather then telling us how tDB doesn’t even compare. Two very different bands doing different things. I chose the one you didn’t. So be it.
I’ve seen plenty of MMJ live. They are friggin great! But I’ve heard most of it before. Also, it was already a tough enough decision to make, I don’t need to hear about how I “should have” done this. Each person has their own take on any given festival.
Why not ADD to the review and DESCRIBE what we missed, rather than telling me that I SHOULD have seen a band I did not get to see.
I know that I should put my money where my mouth is but, having two little ones under the age of three barely asleep at this moment I only have a minute to add something so that my last post doesn’t make me look like as much of a dick as I may really be in real life.
There is so much ground to cover and there are so many loyalties to live up to that when you reach the end of the day at one of these festivals it is hard enough to not only put things in perspective but to come to grips with how much you’ve missed.
That said, I have to crash and hopefully will have time to post a few feelings and pictures from the fest myself. I am looking forward to a few words about day three. Some hardcore s*** went down and I hope the person assigned to this beat is able to bottle it better than he did for day two.
I know that I should put my money where my mouth is but, having two little ones under the age of three barely asleep at this moment I only have a minute to add something so that my last post doesn’t make me look like as much of a dick as I may really be in real life.
There is so much ground to cover and there are so many loyalties to live up to that when you reach the end of the day at one of these festivals it is hard enough to not only put things in perspective but to come to grips with how much you’ve missed.
That said, I have to crash and hopefully will have time to post a few feelings and pictures from the fest myself. I am looking forward to a few words about day three. Some hardcore s*** went down and I hope the person assigned to this beat is able to bottle it better than he did for day two.
Nice pictures.
S*** assed review of day two though. You would have been well served to have spent a minute or so watching My Morning Jacket. They hit levels of pure rock and roll that The Disco Biscuits could only fake in their set. I saw both bands and all I can say is that if you only watched the Biscuits you blew it. Glad you went to this great festival and it’s nice to see that Justin has someone on the scene sorta.
Nice pictures.
S*** assed review of day two though. You would have been well served to have spent a minute or so watching My Morning Jacket. They hit levels of pure rock and roll that The Disco Biscuits could only fake in their set. I saw both bands and all I can say is that if you only watched the Biscuits you blew it. Glad you went to this great festival and it’s nice to see that Justin has someone on the scene sorta.
Nice pictures. Just got home from Widespread Panic, the closer.
Had a very good time.
Nice pictures. Just got home from Widespread Panic, the closer.
Had a very good time.