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Friday at the lakes.
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The crowd loving Widepread Panic. Photo by M. Samson
Just as it had the day before, the music at 10KLF was scheduled to start at 2:00, while less known bands took to the saloon stage at 12:00. Despite hearing nothing but rave reviews coming from the bar at the top of the hill, I decided to stay back and enjoy my time in the shade while relaxing in my neighbor’s hammock. The neighbors and I had gotten to be pretty friendly at that point. There were only about 14 tents in a secluded shaded area, tucked away in the corner between the Blue Ox and Viking campgrounds. One thing that is unique about 10KLF is that they allow campers to have fires, as long as they did a pit and act responsibly. This is something that is specific to this festival, and I’d be lying if I said that it didn’t make me nervous at first. I don’t really trust a large number of inebriated individuals to handle fire responsibly, and yet everything seemed to go smoothly. Our campsite was, in most respects, the perfect place to crash. So on the third day of the festival, I took some time to relax. I even hiked across the site to Lake Sallie, which is also known as the “wild” campsite, to take a dip on the beach. What good is having a festival in Minnesota if you can’t enjoy it? The “Everyone Orchestra” was on the field stage at 2:00. This is a concept that the festival has been employing for a few years now. It’s basically an open jam, anchored by jam guitar legend Steve Kimock, which is “conducted” by an individual on stage with a small white board. He would write things like “violin” or “saxophone,” and the musicians would, in turn, respond to his commands. This is similar to ideas I’ve seen before, like the now defunct “super jam” at Bonnaroo, but their execution was definitely something that I found amusing. The crowd was heavily incorporated, as the man with the whiteboard would frequently call on the audience to provide some ambient noise. It was fun, and if nothing else, it got you psyched for Steve Kimock’s set immediately following. While I had a lot of fun at this show, it should be noted that people could not stop talking about the Cloud Cult set at barn stage. No matter where I went for the rest of the weekend, it was all anyone could talk about. When asked what they were like, people always responded with a “they’re kind of weird,” and “well I like them a lot, but I don’t know what you’re into.” That, as a band, is how you know you’ve gotten someone’s attention. Another stellar showing at the festival was Trampled by Turtles set at 6:00 on the main stage. I had never heard their music, but I was familiar with the group, as they are perennial favorites at 10K. I can certainly see why, as they play a fast and fun style of bluegrass that seems to transcend generational gaps and genre boundaries. It’s a shame that I haven’t seen too much of them outside of 10KLF, and I definitely feel that they deserved their slot on the big stage. Or at least, they certainly did their best to earn it. I got the chance to catch the tail end of The Ragbirds set at the saloon before heading back to see Widespread Panic play their second show that weekend. I definitely am walking away from this thing a fan of the group. They play traditional, American roots music with a modern twist. This is definitely a group I recommend checking out. There was no real downtime between the two groups, and I had to hurry to make it to the front of the stage for Panic. While I do feel that there was something lacking during their first showing on Wednesday night, the group certainly brought the heat on Friday. The set opened with “Heroes” from their seminal album Ain’t Life Grand. In fact, they ended up playing 6 songs from that album on this particular night. It was definitely a sign that they were out to please their longtime fans at a festival that they’ve come to call their second home. I have seen Widespread Panic many, many times throughout the years, and I honestly think that this was one of my favorite shows. The set list was absolutely perfect, a blend of old favorites and newer material. The balance between the two never felt forced, and from where I was standing I could see the band member smile to one another as they worked their way through their extended jams. John Bell, the lead singer of the group, took a moment to comment on what a lovely night it was, even going to so far as to call it “just about perfect.” The group felt good, the crowd was into it, and it was an amazing show. As for the late night shows…. There were a few options following Widespread’s set. There was Wookie Foot on the field stage, Boombox up at the barn, and the Macpodz up at the saloon. I’ve seen the Macpodz several times this summer, and so I decided to focus on the other two bands, who I didn’t know that much about. I’ll start with Wookie Foot. Throughout Widespread’s second set, I would look over my should at the gaudy stage set up being erected for Wookie Foot’s show. There were platforms being set all around the drum kit, which was enclosed in a jungle gym type of structure itself. There was an untold number of microphones, and people were busy going through their sound check. Off to the side of the stage, two men in costumes were hoisted up on stilts, the bodies made to look like giant insects. There was an unprecedented number of people mulling about backstage, which I was told was the band’s entourage. This was also the only show that would feature a video projection screen. I was definitely interested in what they had cooking up, as it seemed big. It was big. It was a spectacle. The insects would roam the crowd, terrorizing anyone that seemed to catch their attention (like me, when I was trying to take a picture of them.) On stage, there were fire breathers, hula dancers, and girls dressed like attractive gothic devils. All of this happened before the band even played a song. Then the two leaders of the group emerged from backstage, their thick dreadlocks about their heads, and they addressed the crowd. This is when I learned something about Wookie Foot, and that’s is they play a style of hippie “rap music.” I should have known when one of them was wearing goggles like Seth Green had in Can’t Hardly Wait that they content was going to go way beyond corny. If I had to make a comparison to any group, I would say that they are the hippie jam equivalent of the Insane Clown Posse. What I mean is, they seem to make up for a lack of real talent by attempting to compensate with an over the top stage show. I’ve seen bands go above and beyond this summer, and they always backed it up with a “once in a lifetime” concert. Wookie Foot was definitely going for this angle, but their problem was that they weren’t very interesting to listen to. I know people will disagree with me on this one. A vast majority of the people at the festival are from Minnesota, and the band is based out of Minneapolis. For reasons that are simply beyond me, their fan base seems more than loyal. I have to question though, if these people are able to separate the stage show from the group’s music, as most didn’t really seem to care what was going on around them. I left to see Boombox, and discovered that the beauty of festivals is their balance. While I wasn’t really into Wookie Foot, I was absolutely blown away by Boombox. The group consists of two members, a DJ and a guitarist, who improvise their way through relaxed electronic grooves. The place was packed, and everyone was dancing. When I say that, I don’t mean the “in your face” kind of dancing that makes people sweat all night. No, this was the sexy, getting to know the person next to you kind of dancing. It was a nice change of pace from the show I had just come from, and the perfect counter balance on the part of the festival organizers. My night ended over in Lake Sallie, swimming in the lake with my new friends beneath a perfectly clear Minnesota night sky. Everyone knew it had been a special night, and nobody wanted to admit that it over. So, while I was tired and my old bones weary, others refused to lay down the gaunlet, and kept laughing and talking until the sun came up and told them it was time to get some sleep. Another day down at 10KLF.
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