Headstash

Headstash On The Road: All Good Day 1

STS9 - Photo Credit: Katie Rabinowitz

A full moon shined down on the glow stick-adorned sea of people intensifying the already raucous atmosphere.

Our Headstash crew arrived later than expected due to some complications on the back roads of West Virginia and a search of our RV.

Upon walking into the main festival area, the atmosphere was electric. Spotlights above the entranceway and various art installations accented the grounds created an imitable spectacle only found on the grounds of a festival.

STS9 - Photo Credit: Brandon Chiat

Two crystal-clear screens displayed multiple camera angles and gave all attendees up on the hill a great vantage point from any angle.

A radiant Chinese dragon twisted its way though the crowd, enchanting the audience and inviting them to lose their inhibitions. The most notable psychedelic distraction was a Ferris wheel in the distance accentuated with LED lights in cascading swirls.

The weather was perfect – a slight breeze kept the air from getting too warm and the briskness of the night was revitalizing.  Bathed in the deep mountain moonlight the All Good festivarians were eager to start the weekend.

Nothing rivals the first night of a festival. Weary travelers reveling in completing their arduous journeys are ready to let loose.

Beats Antique’s traditional Middle Eastern rhythmic style coupled with their incendiary electro followed Hot Buttered Rum on the main stage.

STS9 - Photo Credit: Brandon Chiat

Their distinctive and eclectic influences cause their songs to blend together – but this does well to create a seamless musical experience rather than focusing on each song as an individual unit.

Zoe Jakes’ belly dancing, like Beats Antique’s music itself, is sensual and seductive allowing the band as a whole to transfix the crowd, transporting them to some exotic mentality.

At times, subtle twinges of dubstep – albeit organically created – permeated through their music and put on display their versatility.

The band has more organic elements than you might expect and their sound is much fuller than the two or three-person lineup.

Beats Antique has the unique ability to switch gears from fast to slow, heavy to light but still keep the same vibes and feel.

The band closed the set adorned in animal masks reciprocating the primal energy building in the crowd, during the first night of All Good weekend.

STS9 - Photo Credit: Brandon Chiat

The bear (David Satori) punctuated the set by smashing his violin in a truly animalistic display.

John Butler is a gifted musician – one who can transition flawlessly between headlining a European club tour and the back-mountain festival setting of All Good.

There is an honesty in Butler’s playing that strikes a chord with audiences the world over. But the purity of his playing truly shined against the full moon backdrop of Marvin’s Mountaintop.

Butler’s egoless energy is evident, even when his band mates, Nicky Bomba and Byron Luiters retired to the backstage allowing the Australian crooner to strut his solo stuff. This was evident during a gorgeous rendition of “Ocean,” which Butler dedicated to a small town Northwestern Australia currently fighting a corrupt government.

The sincerity of Butler’s heartfelt concern joined with his prowess on the 12-string guitar made “Ocean” lush with texture and emotion. John Butler’s ability to play both the rhythm and lead parts is mesmerizing and the layers in his playing, entrancing.

STS9 - Photo Credit: Katie Rabinowitz

After being separated from his “cubs and kin” for quite some time, Butler was reunited with his family on the mountain. Contributing to the overall family-friendly vibes of All Good, Butler celebrated by bringing his wife, whom he calls “Mama Kin,” on-stage to help sing “Jenni,” a sublime folk song the two collaborated on.

Bomba and Luiters returned to the stage and Butler displayed his musical virtuosity as he grabbed his banjo and ripped through a thoughtful “Ragged Mind,” a searing version of “Better Than” and a pulsating take on “Funky Tonight.”

Balancing the laidback energy of Butler’s acoustic jamming with the expectations of a weekend full of amazing music, The John Butler Trio were an excellent act for the opening night of the weekend.

Thursday’s headliner, STS9, took the stage around 1:40 a.m. to a packed crowd decked out in their festival best.

Evoking their magical Rothbury 2009 performance, the livetronica quintet opened with one of their most popular songs in “Circus.” No doubt still feeling the residual vibes of how well received it was during its “Axe The Cables” acoustic debut at Re:Generation a month before, the version was stellar.

STS9 - Photo Credit: Brandon Chiat

“Circus” showcases the band at its best – ethereal, soaring peaks where drummer Zach Velmer sets the tone and each member does their part in building the tension.

Arguably the best received song of the set followed in “When The Dust Settles.” This song has been reworked heavily in the past few months and gets better with each playing.

It was the release the crowd had been waiting for after the gorgeous, soaring opener.

The set was oddly constructed with STS9’s self-described “bangers” nestled between old school and fan favorites or thrown in unexpected spots. It didn’t flow like a normal show, but kept the audience on its toes the whole night.

The crowd roared with approval when “EHM,” a song usually relegated to a closer or encore spot, was played in the middle of the set.

STS9 - Photo Credit: Brandon Chiat

The playing was quite simply top-notch. Coming off their own Re:Generation festival, the band seemed refreshed, never once just going through the motions.

Normally relegated to the background – both literally and figuratively – under-appreciated percussionist Jeffree Lerner shined in the second half of the show taking center stage in both “Scheme” and “Rent.”

The band teased out numerous songs and their patience was no more apparent than in “Rent.” STS9 explored different avenues within the song, allowing the music to come naturally rather than forcing a peak for a cheap explosion like so many electronic artists tend to do.

The always-stellar lights were even more noticeably spectacular with Saxton Waller obviously feeling it. The band’s longtime lighting designer bobbed his head to the beat with a cigarette haphazardly dangling from his mouth.

As focused as I’ve ever seen him the usually stoic Waller showed some emotion as the set came to a close, exalting the band, the fans and his work with some smiles and fist pumps.

STS9 - Photo Credit: Brandon Chiat

The encore was an expected “The Unquestionable Supremacy Of Nature,” but the “Inspire Strikes Back” that followed was surprising in that it was different than usual. It seemed like the band didn’t want to leave the stage, improvising with the song structure a bit and switching up the buildup.

The first night of All Good had an energy that was palpable, but not over-the-top. The festival still hasn’t reached its capacity with many more attendees coming on Friday. And with the actual full moon set to be high in the sky tonight, things are bound to get even wilder.

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Friday has a full day of music on tap with Furthur, Big Gigantic, Umphrey’s McGee, Galactic, Keller Williams, The Warren Haynes Band and Toubab Krewe.

Stay tuned for more coverage from All Good 2011.

 

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For more information including the complete schedule check out All Good's website.