Entertainment
CONCERT REVIEW:
Langerado Music Festival 2007 - Sunrise, Florida
Wed, Mar 14, 2007 6:08 pm
By Ric Hersh
Langerado Music Festival began five years ago when Mark Brown and Ethan Schwartz teamed up to bring an eclectic music fest to southern Florida. Not to disparage the past few years, but 2007’s festival was epic. The weather, vibe, art (LEBO added wonderful artwork to the grounds), and ambience alone would have made this experience enjoyable. However, on top of all that, the festival boasted a tremendous lineup of some of the most sought-after live acts around.
The party started Thursday night (March 8th). With the festival proper set to kick off the following day, there were several late night shows in the surrounding area vying for my attention. Trey was the hot ticket but I had a feeling that Tea Leaf Green and New Monsoon at the Culture Room in Fort Lauderdale would be the hot show.
TLG opened the show and brought the space funk. These guys are a relatively newer band on the scene but are absolute pros on stage. Their lyrics, interlaced with solid grooves, are capable of redefining the jamband genre.
New Monsoon’s live show evoked String Cheese Incident a decade ago. With organic sounds, great percussion, and a funky groove, they had the crowd moving. I was off to a good start.
DAY 1
The Heavy Pets kicked off the 2007 Langerado Music fest with a bang on the smallest of the three stages, the Swamp Tent. The Floridian group (and former HIGH TIMES Unsigned Band of the Week) received an invite to the fest after winning the Sonicbids contest.
Reid Genauer’s Assembly of Dust followed the Pets. Seeing AOD reminded me why I used to love Strangefolk so much. Sporting new tunes from their recent release, Recollection, and a variety of classics, I left the Sunset Stage with a big smile.
One of my favorite new bands, Lotus, was next on tap. A number of jam/electronica acts have hit the scene over the past few years but Lotus is second to none. Their smooth jams and energy have a worldly feel that gets you moving before you know what hit you.
Galactic brought the NOLA funk to south Florida, although I was surprised not to see any MC’s or DJ’s sit in given their recent collaboration with Gift of Gab and Ladybug. Virtuoso drummer Stanton Moore welcomed his SM Trio band mates (Brian Coogan & Will Bernard) to the stage before Galactic closed the set out with a rocking cover of Zeppelin's “Immigrant Song.”
moe. followed Béla Fleck and the Flecktones opening a killer set with “Crab Eyes.” moe. was loud and proud, delivering one of the best sets of the weekend.
Trey Anastasio was in the primetime slot of the opening day. A solid set, though, I’m glad I passed on the late night Trey show as he performed nearly the same set list to close out the first night of Langerado. This seems to be a theme (Vegoose 2006).
DAY 2
Toubab Krewe was one of the bands I was looking forward to checking out for the first time. I wasn’t disappointed as they played a superb set that brought to mind a mixture of Motet and Garaj Mahal. If you get a chance to see these guys, don’t pass on it.
Despite my being a fan of their jazzy jams for years, I saw the Greyboy All-Stars for the first time at Langerado. The crowd ate their set up with a ladle and Karl Denson obliged with all the cowbell they could handle.
Next, the plan was to catch 15 minutes of Perpetual Groove before heading over to JJ Grey & Mofro at the Sunset Stage. I hadn’t seen P Groove in 2 years and, to my surprise, the band has really grown. So much so that Perpetual Groove was undeniably one of the weekend’s highlights. When you factor in some of the luminaries of the jam scene that played the festival, that’s no small statement. The band sucked me in and I wound up missing Mofro thanks to frontman Brock Butler’s stellar vocals and monster jams.
Medeski, Martin & Wood was up next. The band can be hit or miss. At times the immense improvisational talent of MMW takes a set to the spacey nether regions. Other times they’re super funky with an acid jazz twist. Fortunately, at Langerado 2007, MMW brought the latter. Their afternoon set at the Everglades Stage proved a very memorable one.
Michael Franti and Spearhead then led the revelers into the night at Sunset Stage. Although Franti could hardly have squeezed in another “How you feeling?” the high energy set was excellent. Spearhead busted out Sublime’s “What I got” with a Sesame Street theme vocal jam. (“Sunny Days” and “C is for Cookie”). The crowd went crazy and Franti commented, “Langerado smokes pot.” The dance party went on with all the freaky people.
My Morning Jacket and Disco Biscuits closed out day two. I ended up in the rave-like atmosphere the Biscuits created with spaced out wookies dancing holes in the ground. Matisyahu joined in on the action to the crowd’s delight. Is playing music on a Saturday night breaking Sabbath? All and all, a very tight set.
Day 3
Band of Horses wasn’t good, enough said.
Pepper reminded me of a hard rock version of 311 trying to be The Clash.
Taj Mahal was next on the Sunset Stage. The 65 year old blues man offered up one of the best sets of the weekend. A blend of blues, roots, and jazz, the band had the crowd shaking their collective booty in the scorching south Florida heat.
The sunny, laid back atmosphere anticipated the quintessential reggae band and Toots and the Maytals obliged with some gutsy reggae and dance beats.
Following Toots was Matishyahu. The Hasidic reggae rocker left the crowd dancing and smiling. He even took a trip up to the VIP area during a jam produced by his most impressive backing band.
Widespread Panic closed out the festival with a bang Sunday night on the Everglades Stage. I’ve been seeing Panic for years and was really excited to hear Jimmy Herring play. The set started out a little slow but picked up with Diner, Love Tractor> Jam> Drums >Jam> Driving Song> Surprise Valley> Driving Song, Walkin'. Unfortunately Panic got stopped exactly at 10 PM with no encore. I needed more music.
Perpetual Groove was playing a sold out late night show over at the Culture Room. I got lucky and scored tickets on my way back to the lot. As mentioned before, P Groove was the shining star of Langerado. That night they played two long, energetic sets featuring songs off of their new album “LIVELOVEDIE” as well as some older tunes. Highlights were, “It Starts Where It Ends” and a cover of the Butthole Surfers' “Pepper.”
What a way to end of a wonderful weekend of music.
CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THE EVENT GALLERY
Langerado Music Festival began five years ago when Mark Brown and Ethan Schwartz teamed up to bring an eclectic music fest to southern Florida. Not to disparage the past few years, but 2007’s festival was epic. The weather, vibe, art (LEBO added wonderful artwork to the grounds), and ambience alone would have made this experience enjoyable. However, on top of all that, the festival boasted a tremendous lineup of some of the most sought-after live acts around.
The party started Thursday night (March 8th). With the festival proper set to kick off the following day, there were several late night shows in the surrounding area vying for my attention. Trey was the hot ticket but I had a feeling that Tea Leaf Green and New Monsoon at the Culture Room in Fort Lauderdale would be the hot show.
TLG opened the show and brought the space funk. These guys are a relatively newer band on the scene but are absolute pros on stage. Their lyrics, interlaced with solid grooves, are capable of redefining the jamband genre.
New Monsoon’s live show evoked String Cheese Incident a decade ago. With organic sounds, great percussion, and a funky groove, they had the crowd moving. I was off to a good start.
DAY 1
The Heavy Pets kicked off the 2007 Langerado Music fest with a bang on the smallest of the three stages, the Swamp Tent. The Floridian group (and former HIGH TIMES Unsigned Band of the Week) received an invite to the fest after winning the Sonicbids contest.
Reid Genauer’s Assembly of Dust followed the Pets. Seeing AOD reminded me why I used to love Strangefolk so much. Sporting new tunes from their recent release, Recollection, and a variety of classics, I left the Sunset Stage with a big smile.
One of my favorite new bands, Lotus, was next on tap. A number of jam/electronica acts have hit the scene over the past few years but Lotus is second to none. Their smooth jams and energy have a worldly feel that gets you moving before you know what hit you.
Galactic brought the NOLA funk to south Florida, although I was surprised not to see any MC’s or DJ’s sit in given their recent collaboration with Gift of Gab and Ladybug. Virtuoso drummer Stanton Moore welcomed his SM Trio band mates (Brian Coogan & Will Bernard) to the stage before Galactic closed the set out with a rocking cover of Zeppelin's “Immigrant Song.”
moe. followed Béla Fleck and the Flecktones opening a killer set with “Crab Eyes.” moe. was loud and proud, delivering one of the best sets of the weekend.
Trey Anastasio was in the primetime slot of the opening day. A solid set, though, I’m glad I passed on the late night Trey show as he performed nearly the same set list to close out the first night of Langerado. This seems to be a theme (Vegoose 2006).
DAY 2
Toubab Krewe was one of the bands I was looking forward to checking out for the first time. I wasn’t disappointed as they played a superb set that brought to mind a mixture of Motet and Garaj Mahal. If you get a chance to see these guys, don’t pass on it.
Despite my being a fan of their jazzy jams for years, I saw the Greyboy All-Stars for the first time at Langerado. The crowd ate their set up with a ladle and Karl Denson obliged with all the cowbell they could handle.
Next, the plan was to catch 15 minutes of Perpetual Groove before heading over to JJ Grey & Mofro at the Sunset Stage. I hadn’t seen P Groove in 2 years and, to my surprise, the band has really grown. So much so that Perpetual Groove was undeniably one of the weekend’s highlights. When you factor in some of the luminaries of the jam scene that played the festival, that’s no small statement. The band sucked me in and I wound up missing Mofro thanks to frontman Brock Butler’s stellar vocals and monster jams.
Medeski, Martin & Wood was up next. The band can be hit or miss. At times the immense improvisational talent of MMW takes a set to the spacey nether regions. Other times they’re super funky with an acid jazz twist. Fortunately, at Langerado 2007, MMW brought the latter. Their afternoon set at the Everglades Stage proved a very memorable one.
Michael Franti and Spearhead then led the revelers into the night at Sunset Stage. Although Franti could hardly have squeezed in another “How you feeling?” the high energy set was excellent. Spearhead busted out Sublime’s “What I got” with a Sesame Street theme vocal jam. (“Sunny Days” and “C is for Cookie”). The crowd went crazy and Franti commented, “Langerado smokes pot.” The dance party went on with all the freaky people.
My Morning Jacket and Disco Biscuits closed out day two. I ended up in the rave-like atmosphere the Biscuits created with spaced out wookies dancing holes in the ground. Matisyahu joined in on the action to the crowd’s delight. Is playing music on a Saturday night breaking Sabbath? All and all, a very tight set.
Day 3
Band of Horses wasn’t good, enough said.
Pepper reminded me of a hard rock version of 311 trying to be The Clash.
Taj Mahal was next on the Sunset Stage. The 65 year old blues man offered up one of the best sets of the weekend. A blend of blues, roots, and jazz, the band had the crowd shaking their collective booty in the scorching south Florida heat.
The sunny, laid back atmosphere anticipated the quintessential reggae band and Toots and the Maytals obliged with some gutsy reggae and dance beats.
Following Toots was Matishyahu. The Hasidic reggae rocker left the crowd dancing and smiling. He even took a trip up to the VIP area during a jam produced by his most impressive backing band.
Widespread Panic closed out the festival with a bang Sunday night on the Everglades Stage. I’ve been seeing Panic for years and was really excited to hear Jimmy Herring play. The set started out a little slow but picked up with Diner, Love Tractor> Jam> Drums >Jam> Driving Song> Surprise Valley> Driving Song, Walkin'. Unfortunately Panic got stopped exactly at 10 PM with no encore. I needed more music.
Perpetual Groove was playing a sold out late night show over at the Culture Room. I got lucky and scored tickets on my way back to the lot. As mentioned before, P Groove was the shining star of Langerado. That night they played two long, energetic sets featuring songs off of their new album “LIVELOVEDIE” as well as some older tunes. Highlights were, “It Starts Where It Ends” and a cover of the Butthole Surfers' “Pepper.”
What a way to end of a wonderful weekend of music.
CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THE EVENT GALLERY
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cousin dave
Apr 9 2007, 12:42 pm
Rufus
Apr 6 2007, 7:39 pm
Brandon
Mar 15 2007, 7:36 pm
-show
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