Headstash

Headstash On The Road: All Good 2012 Day 1

Photo Credit: Jordan August

For years, All Good has been a midsummer staple for many of this regions jam-heads. At it’s former home atop Marvin’s Mountaintop at the scenic albeit remote) Masontown, WV, All Good Festival appreciated 9 years of musical bliss with one hell of a view.

As All Good 2011 came and went, so did its tenure in Masontown, as political concerns and logistical issues pressured the festival's management to find a new home.

For many, the questions going into this year’s festival were largely based on the festival grounds. Although new to All Good, Thornville, Ohio’s Legend Valley is no stranger to big-time musical events. The venue has a rich history of concerts including Grateful Dead shows decades ago, Hookahvilles and Werk Out Fests more recently.

Photo Credit: Jordan August

The site is a logistical dream, maybe at the cost of being slightly less romantic. The vibe in the grounds is less “escape” than Marvin’s was.

The entire site runs parallel to I-70. As I’m typing this from my campsite, I can hear trucks cruising to destinations unknown and the occasional burp of a semi cruising at high speed.

There’s a moderately trafficked state route that runs right through the site, separating the lion’s share of the campground from the concert area. My phone tells me this is Jacksonville Road. Festivalgoers on the way to the concert area have to wait to cross the street in groups, as traffic controllers alternate between the local drivers and festival patrons.

Additionally, new for All Good, a crowd divider runs the length from stage to soundboard, splitting the seas between the main “Dragon” stage and the side “Crane” stage.

All this makes one thing clear – this is not the same All Good. Although from a production and promotion side plenty has carried over, the general feel and vibe of the campgrounds and concert area is new.

Happily, branding elements such as the three-pagoda entrance and Junipa’s beloved stage decorations remain. The famed “Welcome To All Good” sign now greets festivalgoers on the hill walking down towards the main area.

Photo Credit: Jordan August

Arriving late Thursday night, I caught the end of The Werks. The crowd was massive and loving every bit of the set. On the way to the side-stage (which this year is to the left of the Main Stage) we discovered the crowd divider, and opted to stay in for Phil Lesh and Friends.

Phil Lesh and Friends

The last time I saw Phil Lesh and Friends was Bonnaroo 2006, when a riveting Joan Osborne stole the hearts and minds of tens of thousands during their Sunday night headline set. There are concert memories that will stick with you forever and that one from a summer six years ago is one of them. Thus, I held high expectations going in. The general excitement for the entire weekend also poured in.

This set was to include Phil along with his sons Brian and Grahame Lesh, Larry Campbell, Teresa Williams, Jackie Greene and Joe Russo. Maybe it was just my All Good nerves, but Phil and Friends kind of snuck on stage with little fanfare. They started with an unassuming noodle – nothing to indicate it was more than a tuning-jam. Next thing we knew they were knee-deep in rock and roll.

The jam segued seamlessly into “Truckin’” and the crowd was off. “Big River” was an early highlight, with wailing guitars dueling it out for the lead.

Photo Credit: Jordan August

Phil favors his intensely soulful singers. The 2006 showing was something else, with Joan Osborne’s soaring vocals on a massive “Gimme Shelter” cover easily atop that year’s Bonnaroo highlights. Teresa Williams did not disappoint on Thursday night. Her lead with Peggy-O was beautiful. Dripping with emotion, she had the crowd in the palm of her hand.

The set had some post-Grateful Dead, Phil Lesh originals sprinkled throughout. After one original, a crowd-pleasing rendition of the GD classic “Mississippi Half-Step” got the crowd going again.

Somewhere out there, a bleeding Phil fan that knows all the words was lip-syncing along in pure joy, listening with a satisfied, serene observance. But for the majority of us, it’s Dead staples that get the raucous reception.

During “New Speedway Boogie,” a light sprinkle dropped down. As the crowd sang along, “One way or another . . . one way or another . . .,” a refreshing rain cooled us off.

Once the drizzle subsided, the “New Speedway” gave rise to a string of classics. The familiar intro to “Casey Jones” was received with an uproar. Thousands poured in to join in the sing-along, complete with illicit references and warnings to our protagonist.

Photo Credit: Jordan August

Almost too perfectly, “Sugaree” brought the rain back. As the verse chimed, “Well in spite of all you gained/you still had to stand out in the pouring rain,” the crowd cheered in recognition of the irony.

After a brief encore break, a fitting “And We Bid You Goodnight” brought Phil and Friends to a close (15 minutes behind schedule at 1:30a.m,). Just to their left, Shpongle’s impressive stage set-up loomed full of potential energy, waiting to be unleashed.

Shpongle

Shpongle is loved in festivals and clubs around the world – and for good reason. Their psy-trance sound is truly original, and whether or not you’re a fan the sub-genre or electronic music in general, one can’t help but be blown away by the level of production in the music, the exorbitance of the stage visuals and the passion invoked in their fans.

We had high expectations and Shpongle did not disappoint. Though Raja was nowhere to be seen, Simon Posford donned the pyramid complete with feathered hat and treated the crowd to danceable bliss. The intro crept in with a spooky psychedelic music-box feel and we were off.

Photo Credit: Jordan August

The Egyptian-style backdrop received projections from the soundboard with an incredible visual effect that was reminiscent (though not equal to) Pretty Light’s towers from All Good 2011.

The crowd was treated to heavy, driving bass layered deeply with largely consistent tempo. Exotic vocals tickled the high end, painting beautiful melodies on top the deep, intricate bass lines.

Highlights included the “Dorcet Perception” and “Levitation Nation.” Though the rest of the set was largely unrecognized by name, several songs from Shpongle’s 2005 release, “Nothing Lasts, But Nothing Is Lost” were sprinkled in and created an eerie psychedelic dance party.

The show ebbed and flowed until 3:30 a.m., when Posford stepped off to cheers. Back on the mic, he explained that though he’d love play more, time had expired.

Recognizing the end of the first night and thankful for it’s gifts, my friends and I parted, exhausted but excited for the days to come.

Photo Credit: Jordan August

Photo Credit: Jordan August

Photo Credit: Jordan August

Photo Credit: Jordan August

Photo Credit: Jordan August

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Day 2 is the first full day of the event with The Flaming Lips, Galactic, Yonder Mountain String Band, Papadosio, G. Love and Special Sauce, Rubblebucket  and more slated to perform.

Stay tuned for more coverage from Thornville, OH all weekend long and be sure to check out our live Instagram pictures. Check out All Good's official website for more information.