MORNING SPRING RAIN
6/20-21/2002
THE HOG FARM
LAYTONVILLE, CA.
The evolution of a name, growth, and rebirth in the city by the bay is as inevitable as morning spring rain. Morning spring rain...what the f*#* is that, sounds like something a sixties couple would have named their kid, poor kid probably changed his name as soon as he could. Sounds hip enough to be the name of a great band though, if these hippie kids all grown up could just agree on an electric level. Acoustically they might kn2ow where to go, but give them electric instruments and they all head in different directions. Better end it right here, if your not confused, you probably kn2ow the whole story already. If you get confused, listen to the music play. The evolution of a name continues, where do suppose the bus is off to now. Too much... magic bus. The bus is going to a festival, the hippies are throwing a party. You're either on the bus or you're off the bus. I suppose if you got an invite then you are on the bus. What, you were invited but didn't go...oh pity the fool that had a chance to enjoy the summer solstice the way chemistry intended. This could happen again, do not despair. The evolution of a name continues to reveal a plan... could be an annual event. Ya kn2ow, there are two solstices and two equinox every year. But, it can indeed take a year to plan a really good party, an event seen in the mind's eye that materializes into a reality. This was the time of your life, and you missed it. Talk to those that went to the show and you too will kn2ow where to go next time. Morning spring rain is going to plummet from the sky as sure as the sun will come shining through it, revealing all the delicious colors of the rainbow.Camping with a few hundred of your good old friends from way back in the day, enjoying all the kindest refreshments that nature has to offer and just having a gas of a time for two days with no worries, no hassles, and no man. This event was fantastic, it needed a little more planning I think, but it went off with a bang. The event only lacked two things, vending and vending. The posters were great and the T-shirts were awesome and available to buy, but there was no vending shops to pick up your latest hippie wares. Much needed hole to fill, not too mention there was only one food vendor and the selection was very limited. I think most people expected this so everyone was well fed while at the festival, but it would have been nice to have a few organic restaurant stands at the festival. We were camped right next to the crick and it was fun for the whole family. Listening to the music just below the stage while swimming with my wife and daughter was like the best way to enjoy the last day of spring. The first day of summer we drove out of the festival as the music was just starting and drove ourselves up the road to find a big river, well we saw the swim and jumped right in not to mention the floating toys. The whole weekend was just stoning us to our souls as we drove back to the festival all cooled off and ready to groove.
The music was right on the money folks, with Jorma Kaukonen headlining the first night with a slew of bands throughout the day. Particle, a new up and coming jam band opened the festival at around 12:30 thursday afternoon, these guys are gonna be around more and more, but they need to dump the cover of G 'n' R's "Sweet Child O' Mine" from their set. Their original jams are improvisational, provocative and endless like no other band I've ever seen, they need not play cover tunes. Jorma ripped up the stage in a tried and true manner that pleased all that came to see him. This performance lacked some of the zeal that lies in the chemistry between Jorma and Michael Farazono, being that Jorma is touring without any members of Hot Tuna and has a small handful of session musicians with him. Jorma's performance was, of course, flawless as he played the blues like nobody's business, kicking out some rare blues songs like "Bread line Blues" and "Red River Blues." The session musicians made some minor mistakes, but Jorma compensated well enough with his double picking fingers flying over the guitar and laying down those patented vocal sounds.
The second day was really a splendid way to ring in the first day of summer, the lineup was full of surprises as the headliner of the evening was the unknown shining star of the event. The day was laid out in particular fashion with the heavies at the end of the day and playing well into the night, Melvin Seals Melting Pot, David Nelson Band, and Project Objekt. Melvin Seals, notorious keyboard/organ player from the Jerry Garcia Band has a whole new band and they are out to make some bright new impressions. They did a mixture of some old fav's and some great new original tunes that sing plainly of the direction this band is headed. Melvin is breaking away from the formula of the JGB and mixing in some new songs that have evolved from the formation of this new band. It has all the soul that Melvin has always put into his music with some flair and pizzazz from two phenomenal guitarists that have hooked up with him. The fresh new players have the fluid ability to compliment Melvin in the style to which he is accustomed, but without the redundancy of trying to sound like JGB. All in all, I was very impressed with Melvin's new band the Melting Pot and feel it is more than your pleasure to support them in their musical endeavors.
David Nelson Band gave a stunning performance as lead guitarist Barry sat in with the Zen Tricksters for their whole set and then took a nice long break before playing where he really fits. The David Nelson Band is always out there giving it their all, and receiving not much for the caliber of band they are. I was quite pleased with the repertoire that David and the band chose, as they mixed it up with full on acoustic versions of "Rosalie McFall" and "Cumberland Blues." The rest of the set was musical ecstasy also as Barry sat down on the pedal steel guitar to mesmerize even those who have seen him many times before. An evening of pure musical delight was not even near over as the sun set on five hundred blazing hippies, half of them drinking all the organic beer they could drink for two days for just twenty dollars. The weekend was one of abundance and drinking to good health as the burritos were pre-rolled. Bring your lawnchair into the show, it's your party!! What a nice thing to hear when you just want to have a good time. All of my friends did come to see me and we were having a high time living the good life. Sometimes you feel ike a nut, and sometimes you look like one too. Do whatever you want as long as nobody gets hurt, that was the attitude, you should have been there.
Project Objekt gave the family a new take on music as their Zappa influenced songs began to take the shape of a psychedelic mushroom cloud exploding in your face. The electric guitar sending string vibrations reverberating through the crowd that screamed with passion and expression. The music was old , but new, but old, but good, but weird, but good, no butts, just good. The sound of "PSSSHHHHHHH" coming from the back of the venue as balloonheads rolled to the stage in the comfort of their melting minds. Warping brains, the music seemed surreal as the people were gently reeling to and fro in a cartoon reality. Zappa dementia took control of the rest of the evening as the hippies grooved into something that can only be experienced by the open mind. The whole weekend was free from the hustle and bustle of the city, or the shakedown street. It was a laidback good old time, you knew with one trip around the campground where all of your friends were camped. Kids were welcome, even the adult ones. We're all still here, let's make the best of it. Thanks for reading, and we'll see ya at the next Morning Spring Rain.
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