At first glance, the city of Bridgeport, Connecticut seems like the last place to host a festival full of jam bands honoring the legacy of the Grateful Dead. However, Bridgeport’s Seaside Park has remained the home of the Gathering for 18 years and counting. Drawing jam, funk, bluegrass, dance, and an array of other flavorful genres to the park, this music festival has flourished for a reason. Whether it was your first year going, or you are a Vibe Tribe veteran, its consistencies and heart have stayed on the surface since its birth. In true homage to the Grateful Dead- from their music, to that indescribable aura of their crowds that follow, this year’s festival set the bar incredibly high for the years to come.
This year’s Vibes was incredible, to say the least. If you missed out on Woodstock and can’t seem to stand the tutu, animal hat, neon rave scene, Vibes is your mecca. From the moment I arrived Thursday morning, amidst the waterside, gong circle, ferris wheel, and beach, my fellow VibeTribers and I just couldn’t seem to shake the seemingly larger than life headliners: two legendary nights of Phil Lesh and Friends. With that overpowering anticipation firing up, Thursday’s rain seemed almost nonexistent to everyone there.
The first act to take the smaller Green Vibes stage was New York trio Consider the Source. The white-robed band set the psychedelic mood perfectly to kickoff the weekend. Their effervescent Middle Eastern elements swept the early bird crowd into a wonderful daze as the day kept on, and their usage of the double- necked guitar made them that much more hypnotic. Up a little later on the same stage, The Nigel Hall Band pumped in just the right amount of funk to get the crowd psyched and energized. Nigel Hall’s soulful presence is always apparent at his shows, and his Vibes performance was no exception.
At the main stage in the early dusk, Strangefolk returned to Vibes with their original lineup- the first time they played together since 1996′s Gathering. They encompassed their rootsy glow and put on a spectacular set, opening with an incredible “Valhalla”. In faithful Vibes tradition, Dark Star Orchestra took the stage Thursday night, with Jim Allard on bass. Coming out confident and sturdy, DSO bursted with “Bertha” and instantly stole the night. Some of the first set highlights included an immensely moving “Peggy-O” and “Sugaree” wrap up. They came back on the second set with an endless duration: continuing through St. Stephen > Not Fade Away > Durms> St. Stephen. The Samson and Delilah encore catapulted the night from amazing to unbelievable; the free-flow spirit of the fest was planted at last.
Tucked away at the Green Vibes Stage around the corner from the Main Stage, Kung Fu exploded into their funkified fusion of electro dance tones as the rain came to a halt. The black belted crew made the first late night set seem almost unfair to the following acts. Nigel Hall and his band returned on stage to offer those who may have missed him a chance to really see them get down. Alongside the calm river and impeccable temperature, the first night of the festival was nothing but success.
On Friday, newcomers Jimkata took the Green Vibes stage and executed their diversely heavy rock music for the early afternoon crowd. Over at the Main Stage, Vibe Veteran Reid Genaver (also from Strangefolk) seized the stage with Assembly of Dust. Railroad Earth played next, opening with Elko. Their most defining moment came when they tore through a River jam into Mighty River. Watching Tim Carbone play the violin was honestly stunning and a moving experience. RRE just simply never fail to give every last inch of their soul to their audience. The Revivalists played the Green Vibes stage after, and their fellow New Orleans musicians Galactic swept the crowd away with their good old brass vibrations on the Main Stage. Revivalist singer David Shaw made a guest appearance. In celebration of Mick Jagger’s birthday, Shaw and Galactic ripped through a hyped up “Gimme Shelter.”
Over at the Green Vibes Stage after that, Lord Huron displayed some of the newest raw talent of the entire festival. In a folky, Edward Sharpe-esque style, the band graced the small stage with their perfectly natural awakening feel. They debuted most of their songs from their latest album, Lonesome Dreams, but experimented here and there with older material. Before seeing them, I grouped them under the indie genre. But after their live show, they are simply too charming, too different to simply be labeled indie. Tedeschi Trucks Band returned to the Vibes as seasoned veterans, and looked like they had a blast just being up there again.
Phil and Friends opened their first night of Vibes with the fan favorite ‘Scarlett Begonias’. During the first set, the jams felt so light and effortless, they came close to sounding like backwards Beatles cuts, which was indescribable. Closing the first set with “Uncle John’s Band” could not have felt more universally warm. Finding a spot up front was pretty hard for Phil, but everyone managed to enjoy themselves in the packed premises. The second set came with a Shakedown> Standing on the Moon> Goin’ Down the Road Feelin’ Bad. The “Ripple” encore was both moving and an appropriate way to end the night. Late night at the Green Vibes Stage, Deep Banana Blackout honored the funk of its precedors, and kept people energized into the morning. Of course, the Silent Disco was up and running as dimed-pupils and sleepless Tribers just couldn’t sleep off their energy.
Saturday welcomed its stages to the likes of Lukas Nelson and P.O.T.R., as well as the Funky Meters. While Steve Kimock and Bernie Worrell (co-founding keyboardist of Parliament Funkadelic) jammed on the Green Vibes Stage, The Roots were welcomed on the main stage for the first time. Their hip hop fit in perfectly with the flow of the fest, and ?uestlove’s drumming is just something you need to witness in person. After the Roots, the sexy Grace Potter and the Nocturnals took the main stage for a while. They played a lot of their newest work off their latest album, The Lion The Beast The Beat. Focusing on bluesy riffs and starky vocals, Potter and her crew welcomed Warren Haynes to the stage for the middle of her set. They encored with Clapton’s ‘Cocaine’, a tribute to the song’s author, JJ Cale, who passed away the day before. Govt Mule took the main stage thereafter, and I honestly felt their most startling parts were their brave covers, such as Zeppelin’s “Since I’ve Been Loving You”, The Band’s “The Shape I’m In”, and John Lennon’s “Working Class Hero.”
Yet again, Phil and Friends swept the night away with two unbelievable sets including: Cumberland Blues, Bird Song, All Along the Watchtower > I Know You Rider. The second set’s “Dark Star” left everyone in a haze of disbelief, as did the “Box of Rain” encore. The two late night acts, consisting of DJs Rob Garzo from Theivery Corporation and then James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem drew in the largest late night crowd. Papadosio took the Green Vibes late night stage for their second year in a row, playing an unbelievably epic set until about 5 am. Even though the sun rays were inching through the trees and above the water, no one seemed to notice, or more importantly care. Their renditions of “Polygons” and “Puddles” were just the right tone for the last night… or rather, morning.
Sunday at Vibes is always bittersweet. You find people rushing all over to the incredible vendors, lucky to have made it through with some spare money to buy some intricate jewelry, Moon Mats, or dazzling clothes. As the afternoon came closer, it lightly rained on and off for the rest of the day. Blues Traveler’s untainted rockstar capabilities shined through the musty rain, as they drew in one of the largest Sunday crowd’s I’d ever seen. Jon Butler Trio came all the way from Australia to play at 4 PM. The mesmerizing acoustics of the band are a rarity to catch on this side of the pond, and the trio played their classics such as “Don’t Wanna See Your Face”, “Daniella”, and “Better Than”. The Black Crowes brought the Gathering to a close, as Chris Robinson exhibited a Buffalo Dead Tee and dabbled into “Scarlet Begonias.” Besides the obvious “Hard To Handle”, the Crowes played some of their heavy stuff, like “Jealous Again” and “Remedy”. They covered the Stones’ “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” which left the Vibe Tribe completely satisfied.
What makes Gathering of the Vibes so enticing is that sense of camaraderie: a true feeling that this public park feels like home. There’s no distinct age group here. You will find just as many teenagers as fans who’ve probably been on tour since day 1. There are as many 5 year-olds running around as there are 35 year olds. The School of Rock Stage showcases wonderful young acts who sound like they’re well on their way to landing a future slot at the Vibes. You can run through the Good Karma wash amongst paper flowers and streamers as the children dance around and celebrate the youthful enchantment of music and happiness. The harmony in the music as well as the harmony of the people all come together as one. Until next year, Vibe Tribe!