Counterpoint Music Festival 2015
May 22-24, 2015 • Kingston Downs, GA
By Nico Bryan
Counterpoint saw a dramatic shift in its overall lineup for 2015. With the prior years lineup featuring premier artists in the genres of EDM, Indie, Rap, and Hip-hop, this year was a reigning in of a new era of music festivals for the Kingston Downs area. Overlapping schedules created a dichotomous music festival experience, quenching the jam band enthusiasts thirst with funk and improvisational jams and satisfying the electronic music dancing raver with melodic house and bass drops. Though Counterpoints logo graced the festival grounds, the atmosphere as a result of widely differing musical tastes created the illusion of two musical festivals in one.
Friday got the weekend started in the right direction for jam band enthusiasts with performances by Jerry on the Moon, TAUK, Earphunk, and Voodoo Visionary. As festival goers eagerly unpacked their cars and set up their campsites, the allure of smaller and more up-and-coming jam and funk bands pulled them into the festival gates, packing them around the wide open fields that lay before the various stages. With Friday starting off at 5PM, it didn’t take too long for the sun to settle and for the night to bring what would be hands down, one of the best performances of the entire weekend.
With 2015 welcoming in the Grateful Dead’s 50th year celebration, it was only fitting to have arguably the best musicians currently playing the Dead songbook grace the Underground stage. The Underground stage was by far the best stage at Counterpoint, offering the most intimate setting to view live acts. The stage sits between a gorgeous and overgrown tree that provided shade and a comfortable place to sit while listening to music, and a giant hill that gave great leverage to see the stage if you were one of the vertically challenged individuals at Counterpoint. After countless times of seeing and listening to Almost Dead, it is to be expected that they will bring an unforgettable performance. After touring with Further, Joe Russo has gone from student to teacher, helping his four other band members to learn the Grateful Dead song catalog. Though learning this massive catalog is a continuous effort, the band has brought new life to the music of the Grateful Dead and reinvigorated it with a new and inventive style.
Opening with an incredible jam that touched on Black Throated Wind and I Know You Rider teases, the crowd anxiously danced, awaiting the first sign of Almost Dead’s opening song. The familiarly smooth and melodic guitar riffs played by Scott Metzger and Tommy Hamilton led the crowd into a tight and energetic musical journey into the quintet singing the warming and popular “Not Fade Away” lyrics, “You know my love not fade away…” As the band drilled through these lyrics, emulating those beloved Jerry riffs, the crowd couldn’t help but feel that exact sentiment towards Almost Dead’s carefully crafted rendition of this Buddy Holly classic, a song that came to be a staple in the Dead songbook.
“Brown Eyed Woman,” is the perfect song choice to showcase Marco Benevento’s true talent on the piano. The song begins with steady drumming by Joe Russo as Metzger’s incredibly silk-like voice takes over this classic Dead sing-along. “Brown Eyed Women” captures the symbiotic relationship between calm and chaotic, showcasing the relaxed and melodic guitar playing of Hamilton against the more raucous guitar playing of Metzger. As the crowd happily sang the lyrics of this familiar song and danced about merrily, Almost Dead moved into a rowdy cover of “Truckin”, a song that typically would be met with eye-rolls and pouting by Dead Heads, is met with grins and dancing as the song is taken to new heights through these five men. Russo slams on the drums helping this get-down go under way with red-hot cymbal-smacking while Benevento slides across the keys, creating the perfect opening segment for this classic song. Hamilton takes charge on the vocals, blending his voice with Metzger’s guitar plucks.
This quintet was just getting the night started, taking hardly a breath in between songs. They fell into the next segment of their set, a jaw-dropping “Terrapin Suite” which ate at about 45-50 minutes of their entire set. The soft drumming and silky piano playing led the audience right into the sheer aesthetic of this complicated piece that started with “Terrapin Station” with opening lyrics from “Lady With A Fan”. A song comprised of sheer melodic genius, is carried into the classic lyrics that incorporate their namesake. As Dave Drewitz carries the bass into swinging harmony with Hamilton and Metzger’s guitar sweeps, the crowd is whisked away into the true beauty that is Grateful Dead songs and the true ingenuity that is Almost Dead’s interpretation of those songs.
The “Terrapin Transit / At A Siding / Terrapin Flyer” remind the audience of Benevento’s aptness for soloing and of the connection between his fingers and the keys of the piano. A manic piano solo sinks into Russo’s lush vocals, as he carefully matches the tune of his voice with the tune of his drumming. A segment of the night that brought the audience into a madhouse of improvisational sensations was led to a close and Almost Dead gave the festivalgoers a good dose of “Sugar Magnolia”. A frenzy of guitar riffs whirled from the stage and the crowd danced about, giving a perfect transition from the tantalizing “Terrapin Suite”. As the clock struck 1:01AM, the power was cut, forcing Almost Dead to continue on without any assistance from the soundboard. Powerful drumming and a five-man sing-a-long took place on the stage, showing that nothing can stop Almost Dead. The crowd was disappointed that city noise ordinances got in the way of Almost Dead’s set closer. However, nothing could take away from the heater of a show Almost Dead just threw down.
The sun was out in full force Saturday, making it the most brutal of the entire weekend. Counterpoint provided very minimal shade opportunities, with a total of 2 trees dispersed amongst the entire venue and only a few tents. Despite the blistering heat, the musicians hit the stage with full ferocity and the festivalgoers raged on, equipping themselves with water, hats, and LOTS of sunscreen. Galactic brought the funk early on in the day, playing a set that saw an absence of Macy Gray, despite her and the bands recent partnership. Regardless of Gray not being there, the band carried on in their usual hard-hitting funk fashion, playing classic hits and crowd favorites. The Underground Stage created the perfect intimate atmosphere for Emancipator Ensemble, whisking the crowd away from the heat into harmonious violin swells by the talented Ilya Goldberg. As the sun went down, festivalgoer’s excitement did not. Jam band enthusiasts eagerly awaited to see what Widespread Panic had in store after their rowdy show at the Wharf in Orange Beach, AL the night before.
While the crowd packed in around the Point Stage, Panic settled into their first song of the night, the bluesy rock-infused “Henry Parsons Died” Hard and infectious guitar riffs by Jimmy Herring, paired with the soulful southern vocals of John Bell let the crowd know they were in for a very good night. Following a stretch of solid numbers including crowd favorites, “Greta,” “Pigeons,” and “Steven’s Cat” Panic brought out Carter Herring, son of Jimmy Herring, to add a youthful touch to the next two songs in the set, which turned out to be incredible highlights of the night. Carter, who played lead guitar throughout as the rest of the band created rhythmic support, spearheaded one of Panic’s funkier cover songs, “Sell, Sell”. Carter’s time on stage was not over yet, as the band moved into a sizzling cover of the late-great JJ Cale’s “Ride Me High”. With an extended improvisation, Carter proved his abilities to jam with seasoned professionals. It was a very special moment between son and father and a real treat for the audience to be a part of.
Duane Trucks took the lead towards the end of this spectacular cover, as the band moved into “Drums”, showcasing Duane’s technical precision and sheer ability to tear up a drum set. With special emphasis on percussion, Duane led the rest of the band into “Cease-Fire” a sexy track that made its debut earlier this year. “Cease-Fire” along with “Jamais Vu” gave the crowd a taste of what is to come from their forthcoming album due out in September 2015. After firing out two new tracks, the band had yet another couple of hot numbers left in their arsenal.
Panic delivered a beautiful transition into the smooth “Driving Song” giving the crowd exactly what they had been wanting. Climbing guitar sweeps soared through the ears of the crowd culminating into a mini dance party, as Panic moved into “Papa’s Home” the crowd continued to frolic and prance about. As JB sang the lyrics “Papa’s comin’ home” the crowd celebrated at those joyous words while the rest of the band unleashed ferocious drumming by Duane and hard guitar licks by Herring. Panic gave the crowd a break with an impressive solo by Domingo “Sunny” Ortiz. The crowd mimicked the fast-paced drumming with primal dance moves and loud cheers, as this drum break shifted back into a brilliant end to “Papa’s Home”. Impressive guitar sweeps rang through the ears of the audience again, bringing them back to the familiar “Driving Song” which felt like a sensational dream-like sequence. The boys roared through till the end of this song, putting the finishing touches on one of the tastiest Panic sandwiches of the night.
The keys-heavy hitter, “Blackout Blues” was the perfect song to showcase John “JoJo” Hermann’s explosive ability to combine soulful piano playing with southern rock and blues tradition. As the song came to an end, the night of Panic playing certainly did not. Schools grabbed the microphone and let the crowd know, “All right folks, make believe encore time. They’re dropping the bass over there, so we’re just gonna stay over here with y’all” and suddenly everyone went wild. No one would have been able to guess what they were going to play next, but it left the crowd speechless, and Panic fans around the United States smiling with envy. With the recent debacle that was Dear Jerry, Panic treated fans in their home state to a special song they were robbed of – a heart-warming and skin-tingling “Ramble on Rose”. The crowd joined arms, danced, cried, drank merrily, and sang their hearts out. It was an incredibly remarkable moment. This is the kind of song that feels as though Panic has been playing it for years. JB’s voice eases into these familiar lyrics with such frightening familiarity, one could only hope this becomes a staple in future Panic shows. As the warm and joyous cover came to an end, a fun and explosive “Love Tractor” concluded the night, giving the crowd the perfect tune to dance this set away. (Video by User Troy Goode)
Feeling full of love and happiness after an incredible Panic set, the fuzzy feelings subsided, and festivalgoers realized that the Papadosio set had already started over on the Underground Stage. As the crowd moved in, Papadosio laid out their brand of electronic infused space jams. Singer Anthony Thogmartin gave the crowd their first dose of good vibes with the song “Cue” which features a steady and uplifting guitar hook laid atop gorgeous synth and keyboard by the ultimate duo, brothers Sam and Billy Brouse. Dosio moved into one of their crowd favorite tracks, “If It Wasn’t For You” which gave the audience a taste for how the band can craft together a song that interplays electronic simplicity and a heart-thumping bass-line by Rob McConnell.
Dosio has this very special way of making their crowd feel as though they are in the exact right place at the exact right time. Moving into “All I Knew”, the audience could feel the surging bass-line move through their bodies into Thogmartin’s soft vocals and Mike Healy’s steady and unshakeable drum-line, giving the audience the perfect song to bob their heads and shake their shoulders to. Smiles from cheek to cheek graced the audiences faces as Dosio moved into “Snorkel” a track that joins Healy and the Brouse brothers into an electro-percussion symphony that showed their ability to hit a different plane of music making, one that speaks to their deeper side and highlights their darker undertones.
Dosio moved the direction of their set away from “Snorkel”, into a Bionic- Oracle jam, a real thrill for hardcore fans and new listeners alike. The keys in this jam-stretch emphasize Dosio’s ability to create a space for abstract interpretation and thought. The mystifying “Oracle Theme” feels like a genie in a bottle, rising from the smoke of the plunging electro-fused atmosphere of this song, giving the audience their wishes and desires. As Dosio moved into “The Garden” the audience felt those sultry waves of energy present in both the lyrics of this song but also within the keys which dance through the guitar plucking, creating a sensual garden of delight for the audience to play in as their minds wander and their bodies move about. The second night of Counterpoint came to a close as the night ended with “Polygons” arousing the crowd into a boogying affair.
Sunday was met with overcast skies and a slight breeze, leaving the festivalgoers convinced that their prayers to the festival Gods had been answered. Lettuce got the day going in the right direction, bringing the crowd to church with their usual dose of old-school funk. Festivalgoers could hardly refuse a heaping helping of Erick E.D. Coomes or as his loyal fans call him, “Jesus”, punching bass. However, despite the excitement around what old-school funk Lettuce was going to bring, it paled in comparison to the anticipation of what The Roots had planned to hit Counterpoint with.
As they hit the Point Stage, they offered no mercy to the crowd with “Table of Contents Part I & II”, a song that gives the audience a true introduction to what they were to expect. Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter and Malik B. spit these classic verses with confident bravado, dizzying the crowd into a whirlwind of truth and neo-soul. They moved into “Next Movement” which features a jazzy and reflective back track, showcasing their eclectic approach to hip-hop. It was fitting for The Roots to start the audience’s lesson off with two tracks from their album, “Things Fall Apart” a monumental success that launched them into their position as hip-hop’s first band.
Following a bass solo by the talented Mark Kelley, they moved into “What They Do” an anthem of sorts that mocks the emerging champagne culture of the 90s and the anxiety between the haves and the have-nots. Clever lyrics and eloquent background vocals gave the audience a taste of that anxiety and mockery that resides within the track. Damon “Tuba Gooding Jr.” Bryson moved fluidly around the stage showing off his abilities as the dancing brass man while Black Thought spit the inspirational verses of “Proceed” and “The Fire”. The Roots then broke into an explosive cover of Kool & The Gang’s “Jungle Boogie” featuring tons of stimulating percussion by Quest and Frank Knuckles.
“Captain” Kirk Douglas brought the smooth guitar swells through “Mellow My Man / Break You Off” which were met with Malik B.’s melodious flow and Kelley’s relaxing and jazz-filled bass-line. Just as the crowd was calming down, The Roots blasted them with classic rock covers, “Sweet Child o’ Mine” “Bad To The Bone” and “Who Do You Love?” reminding the audience just how vast their musical capabilities truly are. Breaking into the MTV hit “The Seed 2.0” the crowd regained their dancing flow back and the hip swinging and rump shaking resumed, as the band played into the traditional structure of the song and let the passionate lyrics soar through the ears of the audience. The Roots finished strong with the hot track “Men At Work” and the audience lost it, caught in a groove of sweaty dancing and fast-paced lyrics. As these talented men left the stage, they threw out Questlove’s drumsticks, giving some lucky individuals a piece of what was truly a phenomenal show.
On the other side of the festival at the Underground Stage, which also doubled as the Summer Vibes Stage, Tipper brought his unusual brand of electronic dance music. Carefully crafted and continuously building, Tipper brings the audience into his world of mind games, loops, dead ends, wrong turns, and rich arrangements. As the sun beat down, Tipper brought the audience into another world, selecting each track and building upon those tracks with thoughtful glitches and organic textures. As Dave Tipper shredded tracks into a harmonic fusion, men and women pranced on the stage displaying their individual artistic talents, some dancing, some hooping, some break-dancing, and all adding to the aesthetic of this set. Tipper gave the audience a break from predictable drops and pre-recorded electronic tracks, bringing all the natural, acoustic, and digital worlds together through liquefied textures and distinct harmonies.
Jam band enthusiasts could enjoy a nice break in their long Sunday before progressive-rock group Umphrey’s McGee took the stage to end the festival weekend. As festivalgoers regrouped back at their campsite momentarily many Umphreaks huddled around the front of the stage, chanting for the band to grace the Summer Vibes Stage with their presence. Starting their set out strong, Umphrey’s McGee grooved into “There’s No Crying In Mexico” a song that builds into a never-ending climb. This song eventually culminated into “1348” with a soaring jam that eventually peaked , giving fans a brief opportunity to take a quick break before being rocked even harder. Umphrey’s carried fans through strong and aggressive guitar riffs from two pieces that really highlight the guitar mastery of Brendan Bayliss and Jake Cinninger on “2nd Self” and “Mad Love”.
After the multi-sectional “Nothing Too Fancy” which allowed the full band to show off their abilities, Umphrey’s went into “The Linear” a song with a funk-infused and jazzy opening, leading into the math-rock heart of the track. Ryan Stasik created an interesting space within the song through his bass-line that gave Cinninger room to rip the guitar (as usual). Umphrey’s moved back into “Nothing Too Fancy” closing the segue. Following this “umph-wich” the band played “Andy’s Last Beer”.
To end the second set of the fest, UM launched into well played renditions of “Similar Skin” into “Day Nurse”, and the fan-favorite “All In Time”. Umphrey’s came back for an encore with an exceptional cover of “In The Flesh / Another Brick In The Wall” giving their loyal devotees a taste of Pink Floyd. The set concluded with their classic track, “In The Kitchen” gracing the audience with a smooth vocal session by Bayliss met with diligent guitar riffs.
As Umphrey’s finished their encore against the lit-up “Counterpoint” sign that sat atop the hill next to the Summer Vibes Stage, it dawned on the festivalgoers that their weekend of music and fun had come to an end. It would be the sheer brilliance in musical talent and incredible sets that had been played throughout the three days that would leave these weekend warriors wanting more. Counterpoint 2015 showed that music truly is the only thing you need.
