Groovefest 2008: Day One
Cedar City's annual music festival kicked off another year last night at The Grind, Cedar's independent coffee house and frequent host to small touring acts. Tim Cretsinger, owner of Cedar's independent record store and frequent host to local acts, dedicated this year's Groovefest to his father, who was marking his 80th birthday that night (though not in Cedar City).
Two acts were on Thursday night's opening bill. The first was Nowhere Man & A Whiskey Girl, a keyboard/guitar Americana combo out of Willcox, Arizona. Though their repertoire consisted mostly of covers of such artists as Tori Amos, the Be Good Tanyas, and fellow Arizonians World Class Thugs, NM&AWG's distinctive style provided a fresh spin to their well-chosen selections. Singer and keyboardist Amy Ross has a sweet, surprisingly powerful voice and partner Derrick Ross' subtle guitar style complements Amy's keyboard nicely. The couple had a charming stage presence, apparently making up their set list as they went along. The band also seemed surprised by the appreciative audience--at one point, Derrick remarked that he wasn't used to people actually listening to him perform. But the attention was well earned, and the band's playful approach was as endearing as their music. Amy offered her vocal trumpet accompaniment to two numbers, passing it off as a joke, but her impromptu-like vocalizations worked to expand the band's range without becoming cutesy. While performing one of their newer songs (whose title I failed to remember), Amy took the audience by surprise by belting out a powerful chorus.
By the end of their set, the audience had expanded considerably and responded enthusiastically. The band currently has two full-length CDs available; I, for one, would like to hear much more of what these performers do in the future and hope they return to Cedar City very soon.
Nowhere Man and A Whiskey Girl have a MySpace page, a Facebook iLike app, and a page on their record label's site. This is an act well worth checking out.
The second act of the evening was John Boy's Mule, an "old-timey" five-person combo out of Park City, Utah. Consisting of guitar, upright bass, dobro, fiddle, banjo, and mandolin, John Boy's Mule offered a pleasant set of traditional country and early American folk, incorporating covers of the Carter Family, Townes van Zandt, and the Grateful Dead. I was slightly disappointed by the set--I got the sense that the band was capable of a much more rousing performance but were holding themselves back for some reason. This may have been due to the limited range of the Grind's sound system, but I was surprised that the band did not receive a more enthusiastic response from the audience. The later performance time also meant that Cedar City's teenagers became the dominant demographic of the Grind, since there are few other hangouts for them in this reserved town. Teenagers also are not known for their appreciation of fiddle bands, and though they were not especially obnoxious, the band certainly did not have their full attention. To my mind, this is as much the band's fault as that of the teenagers, as I have seen similar combos win over an audience with both a more dynamic set list and a ballsier stage presence. Still, John Boy's Mule certainly has the musical chops to offer a much more gratifying performance and perhaps they will feel more comfortable on the outdoor stage of Groovefest this afternoon.
Groovefest continues throughout the weekend. I'll try to post some more comments about the acts I catch in the next few days. You can read a "very brief history" of Groovefest here. If you're in the Cedar City area this weekend, Groovefest should not be missed. Two days of free music from a diverse range of acts from all across the country. You can't beat that with a stick.
Two acts were on Thursday night's opening bill. The first was Nowhere Man & A Whiskey Girl, a keyboard/guitar Americana combo out of Willcox, Arizona. Though their repertoire consisted mostly of covers of such artists as Tori Amos, the Be Good Tanyas, and fellow Arizonians World Class Thugs, NM&AWG's distinctive style provided a fresh spin to their well-chosen selections. Singer and keyboardist Amy Ross has a sweet, surprisingly powerful voice and partner Derrick Ross' subtle guitar style complements Amy's keyboard nicely. The couple had a charming stage presence, apparently making up their set list as they went along. The band also seemed surprised by the appreciative audience--at one point, Derrick remarked that he wasn't used to people actually listening to him perform. But the attention was well earned, and the band's playful approach was as endearing as their music. Amy offered her vocal trumpet accompaniment to two numbers, passing it off as a joke, but her impromptu-like vocalizations worked to expand the band's range without becoming cutesy. While performing one of their newer songs (whose title I failed to remember), Amy took the audience by surprise by belting out a powerful chorus.
By the end of their set, the audience had expanded considerably and responded enthusiastically. The band currently has two full-length CDs available; I, for one, would like to hear much more of what these performers do in the future and hope they return to Cedar City very soon.
Nowhere Man and A Whiskey Girl have a MySpace page, a Facebook iLike app, and a page on their record label's site. This is an act well worth checking out.
The second act of the evening was John Boy's Mule, an "old-timey" five-person combo out of Park City, Utah. Consisting of guitar, upright bass, dobro, fiddle, banjo, and mandolin, John Boy's Mule offered a pleasant set of traditional country and early American folk, incorporating covers of the Carter Family, Townes van Zandt, and the Grateful Dead. I was slightly disappointed by the set--I got the sense that the band was capable of a much more rousing performance but were holding themselves back for some reason. This may have been due to the limited range of the Grind's sound system, but I was surprised that the band did not receive a more enthusiastic response from the audience. The later performance time also meant that Cedar City's teenagers became the dominant demographic of the Grind, since there are few other hangouts for them in this reserved town. Teenagers also are not known for their appreciation of fiddle bands, and though they were not especially obnoxious, the band certainly did not have their full attention. To my mind, this is as much the band's fault as that of the teenagers, as I have seen similar combos win over an audience with both a more dynamic set list and a ballsier stage presence. Still, John Boy's Mule certainly has the musical chops to offer a much more gratifying performance and perhaps they will feel more comfortable on the outdoor stage of Groovefest this afternoon.
Groovefest continues throughout the weekend. I'll try to post some more comments about the acts I catch in the next few days. You can read a "very brief history" of Groovefest here. If you're in the Cedar City area this weekend, Groovefest should not be missed. Two days of free music from a diverse range of acts from all across the country. You can't beat that with a stick.
posted by Chazzbot at 8:23 AM
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