Show Review: Drumstrong Rhythm & Arts Festival

Drumstrong's 24-Hour Drum Circle Kick-Off

It takes a lot for a music festival to come together, especially one of a multi-day magnitude. The lineup has to be just right, the pacing has to match the tone of the weekend, the promotion has to do its job, the festival grounds should be welcoming and easy on the eyes...you get the picture. It may seem to be as easy as throwing a stage and a handful of bands together, but it's far from that. Drumstrong knows that, they've held their day-long event for years on end now, but the 2014 installation marks the first expanded year of the event. From Friday to Sunday the Misty Meadows Farm was home to dozens of incredible acts from both locally and nationally acclaimed artists, fans gradually poured in throughout the weekend and by the end of the event it had evolved into a drum-fueled bonanza of brilliant music for an excellent cause. But the best laid plans don't always make for the best events, while Drumstrong boasted a mighty impressive lineup it seems like the festival is still getting its jitters out.

Junior Astronomers

It's hard to put a finger on what felt so out of place throughout the weekend, maybe it was the $900,000 homes across the street from the pseudo-hippy festival, maybe it was the stringent searches upon entry or perhaps it was the hard festival set limits that left acts like Marley Carroll cramming their tunes into a half-hour slot. Either way, something felt a bit off about the three-day event that persisted throughout the weekend. Upon arrival on Friday evening the farmlands seemed bare, with thirty or so people standing around haphazardly swaying to the music. However, once Junior Astronomers took the stage things gradually came to life. The boisterous post-punk crew played an even mix of newer tracks from their debut full-length Dead Nostalgia and a few from their previous EPs. Festivalgoers were somehow hooping along to the jaunty rhythms while others bounced along and shouted along to Terence Richard's throaty melodies. The night mostly followed fairly cohesive order as the more melodic but sonically similar Charlotte crew of HRVRD took the stage. Miami Dice served as a bridge between the rhythmic, melody-driven punk and the dance-based acts of the evening. Miami Dice came with stage dancers in tow, but at this point of the night it felt like the crowd had kind of clocked out. A handful of folks would rush to the barriers to grab the free PBR hats thrown out throughout the weekend, but most would swiftly retreat back to their lawn chairs or the beer garden near the stage after that. When I saw roughly twenty people slowly crowding in for the evening's headliner Marley Carroll, I questioned the vibe we'd have throughout the rest of the weekend. The sound guy got cranky and the set started around 20 minutes later than anticipated, resulting in a truncated set from the incredibly impressive Asheville-based producer. Regardless of time constraints or disappointing turnouts, Carroll was hamming it up as he remixed his dazzling productions.

Marley Carroll

Friday was an odd kick-off to say the least, and as I arrived to the farm late Saturday morning I wasn't feeling much more optimistic. A small crowd gathered near the stage for Bombadil while others were dispersed throughout the farmlands at picnic tables and community painted walls. However, as the day went on the crowd grew in numbers to the point where things finally started to get a bit more of a communal vibe. Triangle favorites like The Love Language and Lost in the Trees played sets filled with fan favorites for those that baked in the sun for their stunning sets. Halfway through the afternoon The Mantras took the stage and seemingly turned on the excitement for those in attendance. Jam-bands are frankly not my thing, but the Weddington crowd seemed enamored by the band. As a matter of fact more folks seemed to be at the festival just to see the evenings main draw Railroad Earth than any other act of the weekend. The afternoon took a rootsy turn as Futurebirds took the stage and the dusty vibes continued throughout local favorites American Aquarium and Chatham County Line. I knew Saturday would be the easy highlight of the weekend, and obviously the other attendees did as well. By the time Kopecky Family Band and The Felice Brothers took the stage, the crowd was packing in tight and gradually building in excitement. Things took a downward turn for those that don't dig the jam-vibes after the Felice Brothers though. Railroad Earth brought their contemporary twist on bluegrass with blend of expansive tunes that border between traditionalism and jam-based. Yo Moma's Big Fat Booty Band is where I drew the line though. While I love checking out new music, especially acts steeped in the funk, I'd had enough noodling for the evening and trekked back to the hotel for the evening.

The Felice Brothers

Sunday as a whole proved to be a nice low-key closing for this unique festival. Few acts on the lineup were of huge interest to me, so the crew trekked to IKEA to kill some time throughout the late morning hours. It was arguably the best and worst decision I made all weekend. However, acts like Elonzo, The New Familiars, Overmountain Men and Dom Flemons made the day all worthwhile. Sunday's bill was a bit indicative of the entire festival, there's some truly impressive acts peppered in with some that I could really do without seeing. Overall though the music throughout the weekend was pretty great, but to quote the great Kanye West..."the vibe is wrong." A three-day camping festival that's held in a city with the 3rd highest median income of North Carolina just feels odd. I literally had an event staff member tell me that "I looked out of place" as I came in amidst the sea of Range Rover driving teenagers and croakie-wearing attendees. Folks were double-taking at the VIP wristbands the press had, a few aggressively stopped and grabbed at us to make sure we were actually VIPs, and all in all the short set times made the flow of the festival feel a bit too disjointed.

But don't get me wrong, Drumstrong serves an excellent purpose and they brought a lot of excellent music to some folks that probably weren't familiar with them at all. It's an incredibly affordable festival that benefits cancer organizations, but it wasn't as warm and welcoming as the other festivals I've attended. There were no random festi-friends made, people weren't as outgoing and carefree as events like Shakori and the rules were rather extensive on the grounds. Regardless, the festival holds bukus of potential and I look forward to seeing where they go from here.

Show Preview: Drumstrong Rhythm & Arts Festival

Drumstrong Rhythm & Arts Festival takes place
in Charlotte, NC on May 16-18.

Now that I'm out in the Triangle, I very rarely make my way past this wonderful trifecta of musical cities. But every now and then there's an event that's just too exceptional to pass up, and next weekend Charlotte will be hosting a jam-packed festival that regional residents would be foolish to pass up. Drumstrong is a non-profit organization that has held a day-long drum-based event for the past few years, but 2014 marks the first full multi-day music festival for the organization and they truly knocked it out of the park for their first foray into the festival world.

Throughout the weekend of May 16, artists from across the state will be joined by a handful of highly revered national acts like Railroad Earth, Kopecky Family Band and The Felice Brothers for a weekend filled with eclectic tunes ranging from folk and electronic to post-punk and bluegrass. Drumstrong serves as an intersection of all things excellent about the North Carolina music scene, some of the state's most beloved artists from all genres will be convening on the small town of Weddington (just four miles south of Charlotte) to fill the Misty Meadows Farm with joyous vibes and incredible tunes.

Not only does Drumstrong bring together acts like Lost in the Trees, The Love Language, Chatham County Line and American Aquarium, but they do it all at an astoundingly low price and for an incredible cause. Tickets for the event run $50 in advance and $80 at the door, with all proceeds going towards funding for cancer organizations. This year's event combines the central themes and foundations of previous installments (like a 24-hour drum circle to get you in the festie mood) while bringing a unique twist to make things ridiculously exciting.

Unlike many modern festivals, Drumstrong doesn't feature overlapping schedules. Instead of hopping back and forth between stages and missing out on some of the weekend's finest moments, fans can post up in front of the stage and soak in the sounds of the dozen or so artists that will be performing each day. Each day follows a thematic structure, with Friday being billed as the North Carolina Music Celebration. Friday's acts include some of the most impressive up and coming acts in the state from a wide variety of genres. Many Charlotte based acts like Junior Astronomers, HRVRD and Pullman Strike will take the stage throughout the day while the evening comes to a close with the dancy rhapsodic electronic tunes of Dirty Drummer and Asheville's Marley Carroll. Friday serves as an excellent start to what's sure to be a phenomenal weekend filled with immensely talented artists.

Saturday's lineup is billed as the Main Event, and looking at the schedule gives you a solid guess as to why. Some of the festival's biggest names take the stage throughout the day, making for music marathon that festival goers can thankfully stay put for. Charlotte's Sinners & Saints will kick off the day with some catchy, simplistic folk and the rest of the day is filled with huge acts including Lost in the Trees, The Love Language, Futurebirds, Bombadil, American Aquarium, The Felice Brothers and even the jam-based sounds of Yo Momma's Big Fat Booty Band towards the end of the evening. For those looking to just peep into the festival for one day, Saturday is most definitely your day to do so. A Saturday pass costs $30 in advance and $45 at the door, an incredible deal for the massive acts you can see throughout the day.

Sunday is billed as the Family Folk 'n Fun Day, boasting a shorter lineup so that attendees can head out of the campgrounds shortly after sun-down, which is frankly one of my favorite parts of the festival. Each day is jam-packed but the music doesn't run into ungodly hours of the night, leaving you exhausted in the long-haul. The day kicks off at 11:00 and ends at 9:00 pm and throughout the day there's plenty of excitement for attendees both young and old. Games, bounce castles, arts and crafts and much more will be present for the kiddies to enjoy themselves while acts like Dom Flemmons (of Carolina Chocolate Drops), Overmountain Men, Elonzo and New Familiars will fill up the day's activities for the adults.

Overall the weekend looks to provide one of the most unique festival experiences in quite some time. While campers aren't allowed to bring their own coolers or food, the difference in pricing for attendance more than makes up for it. Drum circles will surely run late into the night, but those that don't wish to release their inner hippy for the weekend can get lodging at the myriad of hotels, motels and campgrounds in the area. You can head over to Drumstrong.com to purchase tickets, check out the full schedule or get more information on the festival. Be on the lookout for our interviews with The Felice Brothers and Marley Carroll early next week in advance of the festival!

Check out the festival's most recent Pony Danza Session with Sinners & Saints, a video series that provides a glimpse of the Misty Meadows Farm and introduces fans to some of the stellar talent on display next weekend:

Album Review: "Dead Nostalgia" by Junior Astronomers

Dead Nostalgia by Junior Astronomers was released
on July 23, 2013 on Broken Circles Records

Following a band through the release of their first full length is always a glorious occasion for a local music lover, it creates a special connection with a band that allows you to truly observe the dynamic changes a group can undergo. Sometimes members come and go, sometimes sonic changes you'd expect are never made and sometimes they never make it to that fated full length record. But all in all you feel like you're truly invested in the band, and that's the way I feel with Junior Astronomers.

They're the little band that could, they put their nose to the grindstone, work their asses off and consistently release music that evokes a visceral reaction from their listeners. Most people feel strongly about Junior Astronomers and that's because the band pours every fiber of themselves into their music. Dead Nostalgia, the long awaited full length proves this.

Dead Nostalgia has been years in the making, the recording took place last summer at Greensboro's Legit Biz and brilliantly displays the ferocity and frenzy that led the group to this record. Countless tours have taken the band throughout the country and these songs have evolved throughout their years of touring, but it's allowed the band to finely tune the intricacies that make these songs so special and unique. While Junior Astronomers' formula may seem very cut and dry to some listeners--spastic and jaunty guitar riffs that serve as bedding for Terrence Richard's guttural shouts and croons--it's a technically impressive sound that seamlessly combines the grit of a punk rock act while taking the twists and turns of math-rock. Regardless of how you label the band's sound, they're undeniably a band that thrives on raw emotionality and that's what ultimately draws in fans of this Charlotte outfit.