Hot August Blues - Oregon Ridge Park - Cockeysville, MD - August 21, 2010

We heard about Hot August Blues a few months ago, when a friend who’s obsessed with Jackie Greene and Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears told us both were on the bill for the festival. At some point, Jackie Greene canceled, but by that time we’d had a chance to see the entire line-up, and we were pretty excited. This was the 18^th annual event, and Mama got to interview festival organizer Brad Selko earlier in the week for a story she wrote for Tri State Indie.

Oregon Ridge Park is an easy drive from York – it’s only two easy turns off I-83.

Mama: There was plenty of parking in a field adjacent to the festival. There was an area for food vendors, with an adjacent side stage, an area for non-food vendors, and a main stage at the bottom of a large hill that reminded me of a ski slope.

Carter: There was a corn-on-the-cob vendor. I didn’t try it because I was too stuffed.

Mama: I had an ear of corn with Old Bay on it for dinner. It was delicious. For lunch, I had a crepe stuffed with tomatoes, basil, and fresh mozzarella. They had the traditional, junky festival food, but also some atypical options from local businesses.

Carter: I had a sausage sandwich and some fries. They had pizza, which was also delicious. At the end, I had an ice cream cone that they dipped in chocolate and rolled in nuts when I ordered it.

Mama: It was really hot, even at night, and I didn’t want to deal with an ice cream cone, so I had a root beer float for dessert.

Carter: Now, for the actual show. The Bridge, from Baltimore, was playing when we got there, but I wasn’t really paying attention.

Mama: We caught the end of their set, but I think you were still looking around and getting acclimated to the whole vibe.

Carter: There were other good vendors that didn’t sell food. I got a cool wristband.

Mama: I liked that booth the best.

Carter: The guy was really, really nice.

Mama: He was, and his stuff was cool. He makes all the leather cuffs from repurposed belts and things.

Carter: There was a hula-hoop vendor there, too. I got to try out the hoops.

Mama: After we walked around for a little while, we headed back to the main stage to stake out a good spot for Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, since they were the act Carter was most excited to see. It was pretty easy to find a spot in front of the stage to spread out our blanket. Of course, once they started, we stood up and danced our butts off.

Carter: The day involved a lot of lemonade and water, just like at XPN Fest.

Mama: It was really, really hot. For some reason, I wasn’t expecting it to be that hot. I kept wishing we’d brought those cool packs that go around our necks that we got at XPN Fest. We used a lot of sunscreen and drank a lot of beverages.

Carter: Black Joe Lewis was awesome. They didn’t play “Get Yo Shit,” though. Mama started yelling “Get Yo Shit!” and so did most of the people around us, but they didn’t play an encore.

Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears

Mama: After that we saw Keb' Mo', who might be in the top three coolest people on the entire planet.

Carter: #1 and #2 are Chuck Norris.

Mama: [sigh] ...Anyway, he is the Real Deal. His music just feels like the South. It's blues-y, and it's warm and welcoming and lonely and familiar all at the same time. I could have listened to him for hours.

Carter: After Keb' Mo', we saw some people playing hackey-sack.

Mama: I could see you eyeing up the circle, but you were being kinda shy about walking over and joining in.

Carter: So Mama and I went together. They were really nice and everyone was giving me pointers. Mama thought I was good.

Mama: I was surprised by how quickly you picked it up and how well you took everyone’s advice on moves to try. I think you’re a hackey-sack-hippie-hustler.

Carter: It runs in the family!

Mama: I was a little rusty, but I used to hack a lot, back in high school and college. It’s a great way to meet new people.

Carter: They were very, very nice.

Mama: I think all of them were involved in one way or another with the show. One was a guitar tech…not sure what everyone else’s role was, but they were on break and I had fun talking to them while we played.

Carter: Then it got dark and I got my ice cream cone, and we watched Lyle Lovett, and I was happy, and we left.

Mama: Lyle Lovett and His Large Band were really cool. The band was definitely worthy of its name. It was a 16-piece band and they took up the whole stage. They were all really good musicians, and it just felt so cool to hear Lyle Lovett in that big open space under the stars.

Carter: I thought it was a well-organized event. I’m excited to go back next year.

Check back soon for our reviews of these live shows: Lee Harvey Osmond at Ourhouse in York, Carolina Chocolate Drops at the Capitol Theatre, Rhett Miller at the Capitol Theatre, and Spoon at The Forum in Harrisburg, PA.

Counting Crows, Augustana, and NOTAR - Wellmont Theater - Montclair, NJ - August 17, 2010

The renovated Wellmont Theater, a Bowery Presents venue, opened in October 2008, when Counting Crows was scheduled for a two-night run. Mama and her friend drove about four and a half hours in the rain, only to find out as they pulled up to the venue that the show had been canceled because Adam Duritz had the flu. While Mama was extremely disappointed, you shouldn’t feel too bad for her because she and her friend rolled with the punches, scooted over to the Meadowlands and saw Coldplay instead (Carter is the Coldplay fan in the family and didn’t speak to her for two days, but he got over it when she took him to see them for his ninth birthday).

As such, this was the first time either of us had been to the venue. Mama had plans to meet up with and interview the winner of Tri State Indie’s ticket giveaway before the show (read the story and see Brandywine Photography's great photos). We spent the afternoon road-tripping to get there with two of our nearest and dearest, and arrived early enough to meet two other friends for dinner before the show.

Carter: The Wellmont felt like a really big Capitol Theater, without seats.

Mama: I’d agree with that description. It was a pretty cool place. The Capitol, in some ways, is a little better preserved.

Carter: There were nets on the ceiling to catch debris, which made me scared.

Mama: The nets were so you didn’t have to be scared. If anything would have fallen, the net would have caught it.

Carter: The show was awesome.

Mama: It was really good. Counting Crows played “Anna Begins," which I’ve only heard live a few times, and guitarist Dan Vickrey sang lead on a song – something I don't ever remember seeing. I really liked Augustana’s newest songs, like “Steal Your Heart Away,” during which all the members of Counting Crows joined them onstage. It was also fun to see NOTAR perform so close to home. He had some friends and family that came out to show him some love, and it seemed like he was having an especially good time.

Carter: I wore my Toy Soldiers T-shirt and I got about 15 stains on it at dinner, so I got a NOTAR shirt and put it on over my dirty one.

Mama: So you were totally THAT GUY.

Carter: No, I wasn’t! I think that rule doesn’t count if you have the dirtiest shirt ever.

Mama: I think it was all a big trick to get me to buy you a NOTAR T-shirt.

Carter: You would have bought me one anyway.

Mama: Yeah…that’s probably true.

Adam Duritz, NOTAR, and Jason Gallagher

Carter: After the show, Mama went to talk to the lady who won the tickets, and I was in the parking lot with our friends. The backstage area was right by the parking lot and a crew member gave me a setlist. So I ran out front and found NOTAR and his bandmates. He was getting a picture taken with someone else and when he saw me, he remembered me from the Musikfest show and said, “Hey bud, where’s your mom? Have you been practicing your trumpet?” I got everybody to sign my setlist and we framed it.

Carter with Jason Gallagher from the band Leroy Justice. He's been touring with NOTAR.

Mama: When I was walking out of the show, the two kids walking behind me were talking about how much they liked NOTAR. I’m really excited to see what happens after his album comes out (EP drops September 14!).

Carter: I love NOTAR’s song “Matador,” and in the car ride home, I was singing “minotaur” instead.

Mama: We were a little delirious on the way home. Next time we go to a show that far away, we really need to make plans to stay overnight. It was so late when we got back home.

Carter: It was totally worth it.

Mama: It was another great adventure in live music.

Check back soon for our reviews of these live shows: Hot August Blues in Cockeysville, MD, featuring Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, Keb Mo, and Lyle Lovett & His Large Band, Lee Harvey Osmond at Ourhouse in York, Carolina Chocolate Drops at the Capitol Theatre, Rhett Miller at the Capitol Theatre, and Spoon at The Forum in Harrisburg, PA.

Deer Tick with Mountain Man - Capitol Theatre - York, PA - August 12, 2010

So we’ve seen Delta Spirit. We’ve seen Dawes. But we had yet to see their friends from Deer Tick. They played in York last winter, but it was at First Capital, and since Carter’s 21^st birthday is still 11 years away, we didn’t get to see them. We listen to them quite a bit (there are several excellent Daytrotter sessions with Deer Tick), and have heard what a great live act they are, so we were really looking forward to this show.

Mama: The CapLive show was the last night that Mountain Man would be opening for Deer Tick. The only thing I knew about Mountain Man before that night was that it was a group of girls. I had no idea what kind of music they played.

Carter: It was three girls singing a capella. They were awesome.

Mama: We talked to a lot of people who, like us, hadn’t known what to expect, but the crowd was very receptive to them. They sounded beautiful in that room. My favorite was when one of the girls, Amelia Meath, did a solo a capella cover of Tom Waits’ “Green Grass” similar to the version recorded by singer Cibelle, but slower and about 100 times more melancholy. I actually cried. I tweeted about that song and got a reply from Amelia’s mother before their set was even over.

Carter: I didn’t. You know why I didn’t? Because Mama won’t let me have a Twitter page. They said very funny things, too.

Mama: The girls came out into the audience during Deer Tick’s set. They were singing along, dancing, and having a great time.

Carter with Amelia Meath of Mountain Man.

Carter: Deer Tick was awesome. The music was an all-out rock type of thing, which I enjoyed.

Mama: I really liked them, too. They’re such great musicians and the show was nice and loud.

Carter: Mountain Man went back up and sang a song with them. It was pretty good.

Mama: My favorite Deer Tick song is “These Old Shoes,” so I especially enjoyed when they played that.

Carter: The guy from Deer Tick sounds a little like the guy from Delta Spirit.

Mama: Yeah, they do sound a little bit similar. But his voice has a grittier kind of thing going on. It’s very distinct. His name is John McCauley, and he has a side project called MG&V with Matthew Vasquez of Delta Spirit and Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith of Dawes. The song that Mountain Man sang with Deer Tick that night is an MG&V song called “Daydreaming.” It’s a really great song.

Carter: I saw my band director at the show. Hi, Dr. Moyer!

Mama: I wonder how he liked it?

Carter: I’ll bet you he did.

Mama: I know I did.

Carter: I did too.

Check back soon for our reviews of these live shows: The Traveling Circus & Medicine Show at the Wellmont Theater, Hot August Blues in Cockeysville, MD, featuring Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, Keb Mo, and Lyle Lovett & His Large Band, and Lee Harvey Osmond at Ourhouse in York, PA. Next week's a big week, too: Carolina Chocolate Drops, Rhett Miller, and Spoon! How's that for variety?