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Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Spafford and The Motet have been among the functions who carried out at the festival’s debut.
By Scott Bernstein Dec 16, 2021 • 8:55 am PST
South Florida has been bereft of jam-targeted audio festivals for well about a decade but that altered last weekend with the inaugural North Seashore Music Festival. The two-day occasion took place in the idyllic placing of the North Seaside Bandshell in Miami Seaside, Florida on Friday, December 10 and Saturday, December 11 that includes an wonderful lineup with sets made up of lots of otherworldly collaborations.
The North Beach front Bandshell is a wonderful venue that was just the proper dimensions for those people searching to dip their toes again into dwell music festivals practically two many years into the pandemic devoid of attending a large function. Organizers GMP Live assembled an array of bands and musicians open to improvisation and getting likelihood for the duration of their sets. While some of the collaborations have been declared in the months and months foremost up to the pageant, there was no absence of surprises.
Here’s a checklist showcasing just some of the a lot of highlights from the festival’s debut:
The Horn Area
Soon just after Turkuaz imploded, North Seashore Music Festival organizers tapped the band’s horn part, fittingly dubbed The Horn Section, as the event’s Artists-At-Huge. Josh Schwartz, Greg Sanderson and Chris Brouwers took the ball and ran with it. The Horn Section ended up a continual presence at the festival as they built appearances with The Weighty Pets, TAUK, Electrical Kif, The Motet, Pigeons Participating in Ping Pong, Aqueous and Eric Krasno throughout the weekend.
Nearly all of The Horn Section’s visitor places had been fantastic but a few in certain stood out. The trio augmented TAUK, Jennifer Hartswick and former bandmate Shira Elias on a blistering go over of Beyoncé’s 2003 smash “Crazy In Love.” Hartswick and Elias belted out the tune as The Horn Portion performed the familiar melody at the heart of the track. Another great visual appeal came all through Aqueous’ all-killer, no-filler hour-very long set. The Horn Segment added to “Weight Of The Word” in reprising the job they performed in recording the tune for the Buffalo-primarily based band’s 2018 LP Colour Wheel. In addition, the horns caught all-around to again AQ and Elias on a using tobacco “Let’s Dance” (David Bowie) address that also highlighted former Turkuaz guitarist Craig Brodhead.
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Local Flavor
North Seashore organizers gave lovers a style of the area new music scene on Friday with sets from The Hefty Pets, Tand and Electric powered Kif. Whilst The Heavy Animals exhibited why their continue to about after virtually two decades and Tand confirmed off the remarkable the latest lineup addition of The Heavy Animals guitarist Mike Garulli, it was Electric Kif that wowed. The group experienced the fantastic vibe for sunset on Friday as they focused closely on product from their 2021 album, Dreamlike.
The title observe stood out in monstrous form and the group was helped by attendees throughout like a pair of percussionists and The Horn Area. Guitarist Eric Escanes laid down groovy soundscapes when keyboardist Jason Matthews held the viewers engaged with creative stylings. Be positive to check out out Electric Kif when they appear to your town.
The Motet
Colorado-based mostly funk act The Motet were in wonderful kind for the penultimate main phase established on Friday evening. The band was joined by The String Cheese Incident percussionist Jason Hann for the 10-song efficiency which started off with keyboardist Joey Porter having the lead on “You Cannot Idiot Me.” Then, Hartswick added trumpet to “Rynodub” in advance of The Horn Segment sat-in on the earwormy “Cheap Shit.” Following, Elias designed her initially look of the set in teaming with Jennifer and The Motet on “Highly Suitable.”
Far more visitor places ended up in retail store including PPPP guitarist Jeremy Schon shining on “Nemesis” and Hartswick and Elias helping The Motet crush “Death Or Devotion” and “Get It Right” to near out the established. The band’s lineup could have changed but they have been nevertheless firing on all cylinders.
Pigeons Taking part in Ping Pong
Judging from the range of attendees wearing Pigeons Playing Ping Pong equipment on Friday, it was clear the Baltimore-based mostly quartet was one of the festival’s greatest draws. Certain, the group loaded their main stage set with killer visitor spots but it was the stay staple “Poseidon” that stood out as the ideal second of the performance. The Flock does adore their sit-ins and what was not to really like about Hann introducing to “Move Like That” and “Upfunk,” TAUK keyboardist Alric “A.C.” Carter stepping into “Sunny Day” and The Horn Portion bringing the brass to a variation of “King Kong” that integrated a protect of Stevie Wonder’ “Signed, Sealed, Delivered?” Pigeons capped the to start with day of the festival by teaming with Porter and The Horn Portion for the beloved “F.U.” and retained the horns all-around for “Doc.”
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Jennifer Hartswick & Brendan Bayliss
Though Jennifer Hartswick and Umphrey’s McGee guitarist Brendan Bayliss could be fantastic buddies their hilarious and biting banter with each and every other was almost as pleasant as their hour-very long established on Saturday afternoon. Hartswick discovered the pair’s collaboration will now be recognized as “Hartliss.” Jennifer and Brendan loaded their jukebox-type overall performance with singalong handles, like fantastic will take on these types of tracks as Paul Simon’s “Under African Skies,” Derek & The Dominos’ “Bell Bottom Blues,” John Prine’s “Angel From Montgomery” and Dolly Parton’s “Jolene.”
Hartswick and Bayliss traded vocal duties all through a established in which Brendan remained on acoustic guitar. Bayliss starred on “Can’t Locate My Way Home” even though Jennifer crushed “Creep.” A exciting moment took put while the duo was performing Cyndi Lauper’s “Time Soon after Time” as they recognized TAUK drummer Isaac Teel in the crowd and brought him up for an impromptu visitor place. The pair completed the established with a different emphasize, a place-on rendition of The Beatles’ “Don’t Let Me Down.”
Marco Benevento
Keyboardist Marco Benevento has genuinely gelled with his trio featuring bassist Karina Rykman and drummer David Butler. The 3-piece experienced festivalgoers dancing all over their otherworldly effectiveness on Saturday night. Rykman was an additional North Seashore New music Competition musician who held occupied as she also led her own band on a stellar set in the direction of the conclude of Friday’s action. Karina provides so a lot to Marco’s tunes with “Dropkick” and the anthemic “At The Show” among the the highlights from Benevento’s overall performance.
Spafford
Spafford showed they were being deserving of closing out the pageant with two unique sets. The initial was a 45-minute all-improv performance that observed the quartet check out numerous soundscapes through as they moved from evil, guitar-centered peaks to fairly blissful excursions and again yet again. They have been experience it and appeared extremely psyched to be back alongside one another after a stellar drop tour that finished unfortunately with keyboardist Andrew “Red” Johnson missing the previous a few exhibits subsequent a beneficial COVID-19 examination.
The all-improv established was followed by a superb general performance from Krasno’s new band, The Assembly, on the next phase. Spafford then returned to shut out the pageant with a stellar Spafford & Pals set. The Arizona-dependent quartet went it on your own to open up with the fitting “All My Friends” and then was joined by A.C. Carter on keys and Nate Werth on percussion for a prolonged “In The Eyes Of Intruders.” Werth stuck about and Kraz contributed to the frenetic “Backdoor Funk,” while Nate and keyboardist Marco Benevento gave a new really feel to staple “Mind’s Unchained.” An insane “Whipping Post” that includes Werth, Kraz and Brandon “Taz” Niederauer followed right before Spafford and their pals concluded a memorable weekend with “Ain’t That Improper.”
Involving the songs, the setting and the ideal temperature, the initial North Seashore Tunes Competition was a blast. Here’s hoping the occasion returns for many years to come.