2009.07.31
Dancin' Dave's FloydFest faves, and mine, too
"Dancin'" Dave Versch is a FloydFest institution, setting up his traveling tent city annually for folks who like camping without the hassles. The paper has been cool enough to put me up in a Dave tent three of the four years I've gone -- the first year, I hadn't learned about his setup.
Versch hits some of the best bluegrass and roots festivals in the country, and has heard a lot of bands. So I've made it a habit of asking him what he's liking from year to year. He stresses to me that he's just giving his opinion -- other people might like other stuff. True enough; he and I have different thoughts on some of the bands. But he has good taste, so his opinion is worth some of our ether.
I didn't have to ask him about The Belleville Outfit, because I saw him dancing at their dance stage set. And I didn't have to ask him about Holy Ghost Tent Revival, because they were playing at the beer garden, right in front of his tent, where I was his neighbor -- he was enthusiastic about the act.
Later, he told me that he had dug Boulder Acoustic Society, The Horse Flies, the Duhks, Yarn and Railroad Earth.
"And getting turned on to Grace Potter was certainly a treat!" he said in an e-mail exchange this week.
Now for my favorites -- and I won't run on about them, but be sure to check them out. And be sure to add your favorites in a comment.
Dancin' and I agree on The Belleville Outfit, Holy Ghost Tent Revival, the Duhks and Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. I didn't hear enough of Boulder Acoustic Society or The Horse Flies to form a strong opinion, but what I heard of each, I liked.
I'll say the same thing about the Duhks' Sarah Dugas that I said about Grace Potter elsewhere on this blog. She should be a major star. What a wonderful, beautiful, sexy, sultry voice. And both their bands are fantastic.
Panjea with Chris Berry and Michael Kang was phenomenal, headlining Thursday night. I have really high hopes for Thursday opener The Old Ceremony.
In fact, I could probably list about 10 more bands that I really liked. Instead, I just want to say that the one-two, Saturday night/Sunday morning punch of The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker and The Lee Boys did my heart so good. It might be my favorite night/morning of any FloydFest I've attended.
If you dig your soul, funk and R&B music, go hear one or both of those bands.
