Wakarusa Boogie Blog: Day Four
Sunday, June 10, 2007

The Grand Finale...

During the night, rain had soaked the festival grounds, leaving the Sunday morning air thick and muggy. The sun hid behind the swollen gray clouds early on, but eventually made its way out, making for a hot and humid day in Lawrence, Kansas. It was the fourth and final day of Wakarusa.

Mustering up that first bit of energy on day four of a music festival, particularly one the size of the mighty Wakarusa, can prove to be quite a challenge. It generally requires a substantial amount of caffeine, plenty of water, food, and for some, a little hair of the dog that bit. Revival can also be found in sweet, wonderful music.

I spent the early part of my day chatting with a few artists in the Wakarusa Artist Village, including Chantel Mead and Derek VanScoten of 8traC and Trevor Garrod of Tea Leaf Green – I will share the goods of those conversations with you in other Wakarusa Boogie Blog postings. Needless to say, my day was off to a pretty great start. The good vibes kept flowing, as day four wound up being as close to perfect as any day could be.

That afternoon, I made my way into the crowds to check out some live music - Little Feat was already cookin’ on the main stage. Unfortunately, I did not get to see Grace Potter and the Nocturnals perform earlier that day, though my brother and partner in crime, Ronnie, said the performance was one of his favorites of the weekend. Speaking of Grace Potter and Little Feat, just wait until you see the video we have in store for you. Allow me to whet your appetite...

I then made my way up to the Campground Stage to catch The Lee Boys. This was another group I had never seen perform live prior to Wakarusa. I walked into the Campground tent and was immediately and completely hooked. I could not stop moving or smiling the entire time I was in that tent! The crowd was thinner than it should have been, which I am guessing had a lot to do with the fact that it was day four and the Campground Stage is a good hike from the other four stages down in the main area. Plus, The Lee Boys had played another set earlier that day in the Revival tent. Still, as The Lee Boys did their thing, many who were walking by were drawn in by the high-energy, soul-lifting, impassioned performance. Those guys brought the house down! Hands were flying in the air, dancing was widespread and let me tell you, it just plain felt good in there. Unfortunately, my little camera was MIA, so I wasn’t able to snap any photos to share. I will do my best to get some for you to take a peek at as soon as I can though.

8traC’s Chantel Mead joined The Lee Boys on stage for a bit and lit the place on fire with her outstanding vocals. Folks in the crowd were shaking their heads in amazement, huge grins stretched wide across their faces. Having had a downright religious experience myself, I left the tent feeling absolutely amazing, hoping I would get a chance to thank The Lee Boys before the end of the festival. As luck would have it, the opportunity did present itself later that night - I was able to meet the band, shake their hands, and share my appreciation for their work. What a fantastic group of folks – love just seems to pour out of these guys.

After The Lee Boys, I had to head back to the Wakarusa Artist Village to catch up on some writing and get ready for my video interview with Kid Beyond, an amazingly talented beatboxer, singer, and live-looper, not to mention a really fantastic person! Kid Beyond talked about things like his beginnings in music, influences, and plans for the summer. Anyone who watched the VH1 show, SuperGroup, might remember Kid Beyond from an episode where he was brought in to replace drummer Jason Bonham. Sebastian Bach (Skid Row) threw a bit of a tantrum upon finding out. During our interview, Kid Beyond was kind enough to share the details of the story with us, so stay tuned for that.

Michael Franti and Spearhead hit the main stage at 8:30 with a set that really captured the vibe of the entire weekend. Inspiring, kind-hearted, spiritual, aware, challenging, down-to-earth and beautiful…all words that came to mind while taking in the artistry of Michael Franti.

Franti also happens to have quite an impact on the ladies. One girl managed to get on stage with a “FREE HUGS” sign and was rather reluctant to leave his side.

Towards the end of the show, Franti was again joined on stage, this time by a group of topless, though beautifully painted, dancing ladies. It was quite a festive time! :)

Next up was the infamous Les Claypool. WOW. Funky, bold, fierce, intense, insanely delicious... Les Claypool is friggin’ amazing. The hard-driving energy of the show had the crowd dancing like it was only day one. Les Claypool puts on a dynamic and unusual stage show as well – he donned a couple of different looks during the set, including a pig’s head mask and a funked up Elvis looking mask. His distinct vocals and amazing bass work are a pleasure to take in live. I can’t wait to see him in action again.

Though I was unable to make the late night Avett Brothers performance, I have heard many people claim it to be the absolute highlight of the weekend. The Avett Brothers released their latest album, “Emotionalism”, back in March. It has received rave reviews from fans and critics alike - make sure that this one is in your collection. The Avett Brothers are on tour right now and will be hitting the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in a couple of weeks – check them out if you can!

Wakarusa was a remarkable experience - meeting so many good, kind, live music loving folks, getting a chance to chat with so many talented musicians, spending time with my MoBoogie family, taking in four days of continuous, AMAZING LIVE MUSIC, all at a stunningly beautiful venue…what more could a girl ask for? Thanks for sharing it with me.

Still more coming your way...

Peace,
Cyndi

Photos by Ronnie Hill