Hot August Music Festival, just celebrated it's 22nd year of music at Oregon Ridge Park in Cockeysville, MD. on August 16, 2014. With three stages, the family-friendly event will included three stages of live music
and performance artists including Old Crow Medicine Show, Dr. Dog and Nickle Creek.
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| Photo by Jeff Coon |
Recap by contributors: Marye Isaacs & Jeff Coon
The Solicitors
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| The Solicitors - Photo by Marye Isaacs |
The Solicitors started off the festival, playing the PayPal Stage welcoming fans to Hot August Music Festival with their gritty, rock and roll based songs combined with some fiddle for instant country cred. The lead singer,
Jim Hickey, had a growly but melodic voice - I could see him fronting almost any style of band. The crowd was calm, since it was early, but they got livelier and more appreciative getting to know The Solicitors. Some were excited to hear "Incommunicado", which has been played on
WTMD (89.7 Towson, MD) lately, while others seemed to feed off their surprising energy. Their general vibe is kind of intense/angry and reminded me a teeny bit of certain
Dave Matthews Band songs and a teeny bit of the
Charlie Daniels Band - obviously the fiddle makes a big impression! (
M.I.)
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| Jim Hickey - The Solictors - photo by Jeff Coon |
The Jordan August Band
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| Jordan August - Photo by Jeff Coon |
Local favorite, and co-founder of the
Charm City Folk & Bluegrass Festival,
Jordan August took the stage early and was greeted by an enthusiastic crowd of fans. His mix of folk and blues and some progressive licks gave them a truly enjoyable set. The band is full of deep talent and they broke into a groove that even moved the passing crowd at the entrance, which was located right behind the Professional Vision Stage. They put on a set that flowed together so well, that it almost felt like they could use a 4hr set just to jam - and the crowd would be right there with them every moment. The
Jordan August Band can often be caught locally in Baltimore at
The 8x10, and are so worth the time to swing in.
(
J.C.)
Bosley
Bosley is a full old fashioned deliberately campy big band, with the guys in suits and fedoras and the backup girls in little black dresses, but a few sneakers and baseball caps thrown in. Their sound matches their look; I'd call the whole thing "rat pack slacker." They do the whole choreographed swaying and gyrating thing which is fun to watch. Their lead singer is super energetic even when sitting down to let loose on the keyboard. He & the backup girls definitely steal the show while the rest of the band plays it cool, but everyone grooves in their own way - no one is "checked out." I've seen them play at parties and fundraisers before and can see why they're such a "go-to" crowd pleasing choice.(
M.I.)
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| Bosley - Photo by Marye Isaacs |
ELM
ELM (The Electric Love Machine) is a local Baltimore band that more people need to know about. Listening to E.L.M. is like listening to
Phish - if Phish was younger, groovier, edgier, and worked harder for their fans. Their official bio states that “ELM (Electric Love Machine) is a Baltimore based quartet that combines Electronica, Dance, Rock, Soul, and Funk into an incomparable, high energy live music experience.” This band was the perfect fit for the PayPal Stage. the stage is tucked away next to a pavilion with a decent sized grassy area in front of the stage. Halfway into their set, the area was packed and a serious groove descended on the crowd. There wasn’t a whole lot of shouting, but there was a whole lot of moving. The set was so thoroughly enjoyable, that there was a tangible sense of sadness as the band packed up. ELM’s Facebook page used to state that they would do anything to make the crowd happy. The did so, and did it well.
(
J.C.)
Ursula Ricks
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| Ursula Ricks - Photo by Jeff Coon |
Ursula Ricks said she was inspired by her mother to sing the blues. That sounds awful when you first hear it, but as she told the story you realized her mother inspired her love of the the style at a young age and encouraged her constantly. Ursula is a wonderful storyteller and brought the styles of funk, soul, and blues together in a harmonious sound that, despite its roots, wasn't at all melancholy; and that is the mark of a true bluesman.. or blueswoman. Ursula’s voice is deep and sultry, and her performance has shades of
James Brown laced through it. She grew up in Baltimore and has been performing since 1964. That kind of seasoning and experience is the
only thing that can give you show this good. (
J.C.)
Houndmouth
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Katie Toupin- Photo by Jeff Coon
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| Matt Myers - Photo by Jeff Coon |
Houndmouth gave a great throwback Appalachian rock show. After seeing them live I'd call it gospel-rock-road-trip music. You can tell they're all friends on and off stage - they smile and laugh at each other a lot while they play (they even made a joke about trying to fill a 90-minute set with only one record)! They opened with a
Mavis Staples cover "Can You Get To That" and they made it their own - a bit twangier, heavier and more rocking version with a great guitar solo. They sing their hard-luck country lyrics about poverty and oppression with smiles on their faces, but it still feels genuine - they have the musical chops to make it seem authentic. Their enthusiasm during their live show is somewhat surprising - the studio versions feel more serious and somber. Some of their songs have an almost churchy feel, but
Stevie Ray Vaughn-style electric guitar solos. They take turns on lead (all 4 of them); and the one female voice, from
Katie Toupin, blends great with any/all of the male voices and is a cross between
Duffy and
Patsy Cline. When they played one of their hits, "Penitentiary," they sounded like some good bands tend to sound after playing a song together live a few hundred times - familiar, but with the flexibility to make it fresh. The chord progressions are predictable but very satisfying, making me wish I knew the words better so I could sing along.(
M.I.)
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| Zak Appleby- photo by Jeff Coon |
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| Houndmouth - Photo by Jeff Coon |
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| Houndmouth - Photo by Jeff Coon |
Dr. Dog
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| Scott McMicken & Bosley - Photo by Jeff Coon |
Dr. Dog has a very unassuming stage presence, visually, for most of their set. They took their positions more like roadies than musicians. There were a few hiccups with
Toby Leaman's bass guitar, requiring some troubleshooting by an actual roadie, during which the guys cracked some (apparently inside-) jokes about "western scale tuning." But by the time they started in earnest with "That Old Black Hole," the music took the reins and the whole tone became comfortably upbeat. Between the keyboard and the vocal harmonies, they had almost a
Vampire Weekend bounce to their sound for the first few songs of their set.
Bosley Brown, the wacky lead singer from Bosley joined them on stage for "Ain't It Strange," sharing a mic with
Scott McMicken, and the band's reaction seemed only superficially welcoming - it's possible this was his favorite song of theirs and finagled his way into singing along for it. His hyperactive jumping and dancing was a stark contrast to the mostly stationary, reflective style of the Dr. Dog team.
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| Toby Leaman - photo by Jeff Coon |
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| Eric Slick - Photo by Jeff Coon |
The Dr. Dog repertoire is definitely diverse. They positively wailed with bona fide rocker angst on "The Beach," got the whole crowd singing along with the chorus/anthem of "Broken Heart" as if it were the end of "Hey Jude," and even borrowed from the 50's/60's doo-wop style in "Truth." Their lyrics are often esoteric and hard to understand, but they sometimes include some vividly sad/stark imagery, as in "Shadow People" which is about Philadelphia (the band's hometown). One strange component of the show was the sound effects - was that what an omnichord sounds like? - which basically inject the spaces in between songs with spooky, spacey vibrato-humming noises. This seems like a deliberately modern direction the band has been taking in the past few years, away from their garage roots, though it doesn't always neatly "fit" with the music (at least not in a live show). In general though, Dr. Dog serves up a lot of feel good music - up tempo, major chords, lyrics that are mostly cheerful or at least not overtly depressing. They're not a copy of anyone in particular but reminiscent of many talented and prolific bands. Judging by the number of exuberant fans in the audience for this tempered mid-afternoon set, they won't run out of buyers for their albums or concert tickets anytime soon.(
M.I.)
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| Frank McElroy & Zack Miller - Photo by Jeff Coon |
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| Dimitri Manos - photo by Jeff Coon |
Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds
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| Arleigh Kincheloe of Sister Sparrow - Photo by Jeff Coon |
It’s the end of the afternoon, and many festival-goers are tired
and badly in need of a boost before heading back to the main stage for the final
headliner. Enter Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds.
This group brought some serious movement and excitement to the
crowd as they squeezed their seven members (drums, bass, guitar, sax, trumpet,
harmonica, and lead vocal) onto the PayPal stage and proceeded to bring the
funk. They have a great big sound, and it’s a group effort led by Arleigh Kincheloe’s
soulful belting. The lineup put these guys up against superstars Nickel Creek,
but the crowd was definitely not composed entirely of die-hard Sister Sparrow
fans – it was obvious several new listeners were getting drawn into the grooves
as the lawn in front of the stage became a spirited dance floor. Arleigh’s
brother Jackson Kincheloe plays the perfect bluesy harmonica dude with his long hair and
aviators, and he backs up his look with some real talent. The expressive guitar
player and classically-cool horn section got their turns at solos and did not
disappoint, while the bass and drums provided the driving beat and steady
background vocals to support the more melodic freestyling of the rest of the
band. Their stage presence could be described as “euphoric,” and they seem to
dance along with their own music because they just can’t help it – and neither
can the fans. (
M.I.)
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| Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds - Photo by Marye Isaacs |
Nickel Creek
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| Nickel Creek - Photo by Jeff Coon |
Its been 25 years since
Nickel Creek formed. Their first gig was in a pizza place in Carlsbad California. Oh how times have changed. From his perch on the main stage,
Chris Thile instantly remarked at how beautiful the venue was and how they couldn’t believe the size of the crowd. It was a sold out show and nearly 3 quarters of those in attendance were there, spread all the way up the ski slope that faced the stage. There was no rust in their performance, it was almost as if they never stopped playing together, and there was a playful chemistry between Chris Thile and
Sara Watkins. That said, the performance was everything I wanted it to be. They spanned their entire career, reaching all the way back to 2003 with "The Smoothie song", and including their latest tracks like "Hayloft" from their latest album
Destination. Even with their side projects, like Thile’s
other band
The Punch Brothers, there is a feeling of “home” when they perform that thrilled everyone there. Nickel Creek is more than some musicians, it’s a sound and a feeling, and it was a treat that the whole crowd enjoyed all the way through the encore.
(
J.C.)
Tab Benoit
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| Tab Benoit - Photo by Jeff Coon |
Tab Benoit arrived with little fanfare with very few people. His bassman
Corey Duplechin, his drummer
Eric Bolivar and a couple hands, and taxidermied alligator head. The area in front of the Professional Vision Stage was absolutely packed. There was no room to move, and when the Cajun bluesman mounted the stage, the crowd erupted. He stopped, raised his sunglasses and said “So you heard of me? Make sure you tell your friends what I do” and launched into a set that thrilled the crowd and spanned his 27 year, 18 album career. With the first song out of the way, he asked the crowd for suggestions and played an 90minute all request set. “I hate lists, I hate’em. I just want to play music, so you shout stuff out and I’ll play it.” What followed was enthralling and deeply heartfelt performing. Tab Benoit is the real deal. Many in the crowd remarked that he was on the wrong stage, meaning he wasn’t playing the main stage. I would say that he was absolutely right for that stage and that venue. While he could absolutely play the main stage and sweep a huge crowd off their feet, he looked as if he was at home and doing exactly what he loved, where he loved.
(
J.C.)
Old Crow Medicine Show
Old Crow Medicine Show is a show band. You can tell that they prep for every town they play in. During the set you begin to feel like part of a big weird family with all of your wierdest cousins goofing around for the family at a reunion 7,000 people strong. There really isn’t a better way to describe it.
Old Crow Medicine Show is a group of musicians as at home busking on a corner in New York City as they are in a massive amphitheater. Along the way, they put their prep to good use, only missing one Baltimore cliche, “Hon”, in their banter. They did however have “Mr. Boh”, the mascot from
National Bohemian on stage dancing at one point. Best described as raucous fun, the show was nothing short of awesome. The band told stories and jokes, played bluegrass and newgrass and something that may have been Indie Rock. They even played a new track from
Bob Dylan, called "Sweet Amarillo". the story goes that “Old Bob out there in California” was so thrilled that "Wagon Wheel" had done so well, that he sent the band another track to finish. Now Old Crow has co-written 2 songs with Dylan, without ever meeting him. Not bad gentleman. Not bad at all. Old Crow Medicine Show was definitely right for this festival. We can only hope they come back again - because that was just too much fun. It was the perfect end to a wonderful festival.
(
J.C.)
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| Old Crow Medicine Show - Photo by Jeff Coon |
Recently, in an interview with the
Decatur Review from Illinois,
Martin McCormack of the band
Switchback said “More than any other time, because we have the ability to get lost online, the need for people to come together in one space and share music is absolutely vital.” That’s the truth here really, that we need time away from devices and the solitude of our headsets. We are social creatures, and music festivals still bring us together. There is no doubt that we’re the better for it. So, many thanks are owed to the performers for their hard work and the moments they shared with us. An equal amount goes to the founders and organizers as well. The Hot August Music Festival was a sold out show and, frankly, we were lucky to be there. It was the kind of festival other festivals want to be.
about the authors:
Marye Isaacs is a long time super-fan of all things music - especially live shows, which she has a hard time passing up even for bands she's never heard of before. Her early childhood was filled with classic rock thanks to WDVE in Pittsburgh and her two older brothers. She's lived in Baltimore for 10 years but will always be a Pittsburgher at heart. She appreciates a lot of modern music and has an ironic admiration for the hipster scene (with the exception of handlebar mustaches).
Jeff Coon’s interest in
music goes a lot deeper than the music. Growing up, he was left alone to
develop his own tastes and was never discouraged from being varied is
his listening. In Upstate NY he listened to every part of the dial(AM to
FM) and occasionally dragged out a shortwave radio - growing his love
for all forms of music. His day job as a designer/graphic
artist/photographer gives him, what to some is, a slightly skewed view
of the music scene. It’s not just about the music, it’s about
the entire experience and connection between everyone, band member,
roadie, or fan.
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