Pile Jam and Arm Chair Evaluation

I'd first want to thank all the individuals at Mountain Jam for letting people who could not be there, for one reason or yet another, the capability to encounter Mountain Jam from the comfort of our own houses via the web. The caliber of the broadcast was remarkable! Hill Jam is on Hunter Mountain among the rolling green Catskill mountains in upstate New York. Rolling Stone Magazine has named Mountain Jam one of the top 8 festivals in the country and this years', the 7th, didn't disappoint.The celebration involves the two principal levels, the East Stage and the West Stage, that are positioned next to one another, so that the music rotates non-stop, with no over-lapping. An inside point and the Awareness Village may also be featured. The attention Village functions an Music Stage, Kids' Entertainment Area with music and online fun, a beer and wine garden, not-for-profit exhibitor tables in addition to performance and sculpture art.The celebration actually started Thursday evening, however for this review we shall focus on Saturday and Sunday.12:30 East Stage - Ryan Montblaeau became a great early act beginning at 12:30. Ryan, a Massachusetts Native and his group brought some clean traditional funk.1:15 West Stage - Zach Deputy, self-described "Island implanted Drum 'd Bass Gospel Ninja Soul" show left nobody guessing. He is the great time one man band. Sitting behind a small grouping of microphones with his, dark framed glasses, total beard, truckers fashion baseball hat and brown t-shirt he infused the crowd with some early evening power. Zach pulled out an odd Magic Carpet Ride into James Browns' Sex Machine into Parliament Funkadelic's (Tear the Roof off/ We Want the Funk) that would make George Clinton pleased. The audience responded with shouts of "one more song." The first encore at 2:00 PM - the beginning of an excellent day.2:15 East Stage - Mavis Staples and her straight 3 piece band (drums, bass, guitar) plus three background performers opened with some lovely gospel band, all dressed in dark the band soon went to The Weight - can anybody do The Weight like she can nowadays? After giving respect to The Band she went in to her hottest release, produced by Wilco's Jeff Tweedy. Soon after we heard Freedom's Highway. Her band and Mavis looked and sounded great. I'll Take You There clearly was excellent with exceptional crowd participation - however so great 40 years later.3:30 West Stage - Portugal, the Person, a high energy item (2 guitar drums bass, keyboard) from Oregon and Alaska, started it up a degree with some high energy psychedelic rock and roll. I found them to be much more high energy than psychedelic and found them to be fun to be controlled by and easy to follow for not knowing any one of their music.4:30 East Stage- The Avett Brothers arrived on the scene to enthusiastic applause and gave it all right back with a energy Tin Man. Robert Difliglia (sp) was standing in on bass and a drummer was added by them for some songs. Soon they certainly were into Shame, And it Spread, Paranoia, January Wedding, an a duet on "Down to the River to Pray."and an exciting Headful of Doubt. Heart Like a Kick Drum, Go to I and Sleep and Love and You ended the collection causing the audience to play the past point - I and love and You. The crowd demanded an from the Avett Brothers who replied;"We could have one or two more in us." The encore began with a from Simon Felice of the Felice Brothers on Dylan's "Just Like A Woman." The Avett's owned Sunday - until Mule got out.5:45 West Period - North Mississippi Allstars Couple. No Chew, only Cody and Luther who have been opening up for Robert Plant's Band of Joy. The Dickinson siblings went directly into Shake em' on Down, Poor Black Maddie and Skinny Women. They both appeared wonderful, Luther had his cigar box fall and Cody also had his guitar and washboard time. The Dickinson brothers also played Move What Your Mama Gave You, Jelly Rollin Over ecstasy, Goin' Down South and Mean ol' Wind Died Down. Great mixture of previous and new.6:45 East Stage - Michael Franti and Spearhead. George Carlin's brother launched the band and individuals were immediately leaping together performing "Everyone warrants Music Sweet Music" and that's the way the set went - a high power open exchange between band and audience.9:00 East Stage - Government Mule. Completely Amazing! This may be the only time they will be playing as Mule this summer and they managed to get count.Highlights included the Who's Won't Get Fooled Again and Black Sabbath's "War Pigs." The 2nd set started with Pink Floyd's Money and Have A Cigar. Hook Carrera, Cody and Luther Dickinson, and Ralph Holloway joined the others of the group for an extended rendition of 32-20 Blues, Steve Lennon's Performing Course Hero, Who Do You Like, Full Lotta Love, Norwegian Wood Jam and Thank You Fa Lettin' Me Be Rats Elf...again. WOW!Sunday12:00 West Stage - Wiyos, a 5 item with great harmonies great hats, nice lap aluminum, harmonics, stand up bass and harmonica - off we go.12:45 East Stage - Civil Twilight, a group from South Africa is nice three-piece who demonstrates a solid U2 influence.1:30 West Stage - Dawes comes off just as clear and approachable as their CD. Great instrumentation and clean sound. These guys are only going to get better and better.2:30 East Stage - Who would like to perform a tune now? The Bohemian 9 item Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes started with an incredible "new song" offering the lead lines of Jade with harmonies by the rest of the group. They often seemed a bit unorganized but the group presents great harmonies and good contributions from most of the nine people. Can it be just me or are they just far too happy. Get the hand painted erect piano!4:00 West Stage Preservation Jazz Hall group - skipped them - my apologies kratom pills. I have seen various incarnations of the Preservation Jazz Hall Band and I've love all of them. A great musical mix was provided by them to the afternoon.5:15 East Stage - Grace Potter, in a super short gown and super high heel shoes with her 5 bit group whipped the crowd up fast madness. The highlight of the set was Warren Haynes sitting in for a song. The best was the gal privately signing (no perhaps not performing - signing - for the deaf) and dance to the crowd.7:30 East Stage - My Morning Jacket closing the present as only they can.Beautiful Week-end.