2000-07-16 - 0:56
J.J. rocks
Fresh Festival, Day Two. Today was my two-pronged attack at the Fresh Festival. I went in for 1:00, so I could catch Elwood's set, took a break at home, and then bussed back for Sloan. Although it would've been more fun if the other guys hadn't bailed on me, it was still a cool day.
My only previous exposure to Elwood was the single "Sundown." That track caught my attention the two times that I saw the video; and I wanted to hear the rest of Elwood's material. Luckily, I got my chance at Fresh Fest; and I'm very glad that I did.
On Friday night, I caught the tail end of Elwood's set on the side stage, after Parliament wrapped up. Today, Elwood opened the main stage at 1:00, which meant that the crowd was rather sparse (but those who were there were fairly enthusiastic). Behind those of us lining the railing were only a few scattered groups of people. That was okay, though, because Elwood made the best of it. "If I close my eyes and you all scream, it sounds like the place is full." Heheh.
Actually, as the 45-minute set progressed, more people did make their way to the front. The intimate setting was cool, though. In how many concerts can you feel like the band is actually noticing you personally? Hell, Elwood took the time to wish the girl beside me a happy 16th birthday.
The band, including a three-piece horn section, was great. Elwood put on a fantastic performance of songs from his debut CD, The Parlance of Our Time. I'm not sure exactly how to categorize the music; but I can testify to its great groove and say that the live show was a lot of fun.
In fact, I was impressed enough to buy the CD after the show; and I even got it autographed :) If I had a scanner, I'd put up a picture; but here's what Elwood wrote:
Jeremy, Wuz up! One day you'll see the whole shit!
I also got the signatures of two other band members.
It's just a different feeling to relate to the music on that level. The show was intimate enough that Elwood was able to say that he saw me while he was playing, which was cool.
I must have made it obvious by now that I was very happy with Elwood's performance. I gave the CD a couple of whirls when I got home, too; and it rocks. Read more at the official (and well-designed) web site.
I took a break at home after Elwood's set and went back tonight for Sloan. The other boys were supposed to catch up to me; but they were scared by the rain. (Once again, though, the weather looked menacing, but held out during the concert).
I guess it's funny that, despite the fact that Sloan is comprised of fellow Haligonians, I had never seen the band before. I'm not a huge fan of Sloan (they're a decent band); but with a three-day concert pass, it was easily worth the cost of bus fare to see them.
I'd have to rank Sloan's performance as solid. The boys are pretty funny. At one point, bassist/singer Chris Murphy called The Flashing Lights, who were simultaneously playing on the side stage, in an attempt to start a jam session across two stages. After some fumbling around with "Wipeout," Chris admitted defeat, noting, "That was a momentum killer."
Heheh. You gotta like a band that delivers a fun show and isn't afraid to laugh at itself. The setlist served up many of Sloan's big hits; and the crowd, despite being passive at times, enjoyed what they heard, as did I. Although I'm not Sloan's biggest fan, I certainly had more at fun at their show than I would've had sitting around at home.
So, the Fresh Fest was all that was on the go today. Two days down, one to go, and I've undoubtedly already gotten my money's worth.
J.
P.S. Go listen to Elwood :)