Hello again, hello! Summer is flyin’ by, and this wet hot American summer is not over quite yet, folks. Are you feelin’ it?? I hope so! We’re well into August and less than a couple of weeks away from the highly anticipated Adirondack Independence Music Festival (ADK)! The fest takes place in good ol’ Lake George, NY, over Labor Day weekend Aug. 30 - Sept. 1!!!!! Please excuse all of the exclamation points I make, but I have so many points to make, and how else should I convey my excitement without inflection?! Wait, I know! Y’all should just take my word for it and go ahead and reserve your hotel and/or campsite(s) now, if you can swing it. My first impression was that good. I’m telling ya to roll the dice and roll on over to ADK. Go ahead! I’ll wait. I mean it! You’re going to love it!! Like I said, last year was my first fest in Lake George and... wait... I’ll tell you in a second. Lots of great info here, and while you’re at it, buy your ticket, and then we’ll meet back here! Click it and ticket…
Aaaand we’re back, and so is the Adirondack Independence Music Festival (ADK) in beautiful upstate New York! Nested in between the southern tip of Lake George (HUGE - 32.2 miles long, 1-3 miles wide, with a depth of 187 feet), this magical musical time happens across from said lake on two adjacent stages located at The Festival Commons in Charles R. Wood Park.
Last year, ADK Music Fest easily slid right up into my top 3 favorite festivals for good reason(s). Good vibrations, good location, good vendors, good food, good music to lively up yourself = GREAT ALL AROUND!! See? Lots of good points here, but come see for yourself. Here’s this year’s musical scoop (mmmmmm ice cream) this year:
Friday 8/30
Day one is starting off so hot with some serious ROCK from One Time Weekend from 1-2PM. I haven’t seen them live, but I am prepared for some serious dance moves and rock face, because it would be difficult not to move the body and have your face melted by the sheer rock, songwriting, and that guitar shred (holy ssshhhhh). Ssstop! I mean, don’t stop! I would be cursed to miss this show to jump-start the weekend, so getting there early with ample time for bag search, etc.
I’ve also not seen Bella’s Bartok, but it’s a heck-of-a great choice from 2-3PM to warm up the other stage!
After viewing their content online, this whimsical theatrical musical brilliance of a band is hypothetically my new favorite artist discovery (besides all of the rock to my face OTW). Bella’s Bartok music makes me feel like I’m witnessing a fun “freak show,” suddenly giving me the urge to dance in circles with myself, friends, and strangers alike, laughing at the absurdity of life, respectfully! My kind of weird.
The band Lucid (not to be confused with the band The Lucid - way different vibes!) can be found on Friday from 3-4:15PM AND on YouTube if you want to feel and capture the Lucid essence before their set on Friday! I absolutely loved their video “Dirt” and look forward to seeing them live and their perfect amalgamation of instruments in action!
Action, action, we want action, and Cool Cool Cool has that non-stop dance party with that funky good time from 4:15-5:15PM. Anyone else love harmonies, funky style, and dance-tastic vibes at a live show?! Cool Cool Cool always brings out the joy, and the crowd will be cuttin’ up shapes on the grass from start to finish! Lespecial follows from 5:15-6:30PM and is also bringin’ some serious rock on day one!
Some people count sunsets at music fests, and we’ll be dancing at dusk on day one with Mihali Band from 6:30-8PM! Mihali is back at it with his live band, intertwining what he calls “reggae spirit, fluid soundscape architecture, and invigorating mantras meant to be chanted aloud in a packed venue.” His band also includes Twiddle members Zdenek Gubb and Adrian Tramontano, making this an even more exciting set. Mihali continues to evolve as an artist, and I’m excited to bask in the post-G. Love tour the band will be emanating from the stage - count me in!
And always count me in for JGB to fill my cup with the BEST SONGS EVER from our beloved Jerry Garcia during the BEST SUMMER EVER (double BSE, baby)!! What’s better than 2 sets of Melvin Seals & JGB to close out day one from 8-11PM?!?! You know what I’m talking about when I say certain artists can root you to the past, present, and future simultaneously, right? Melvin Seals & JGB do that for me - the Grateful Dead do that for me. Thanks to ADK for the perfect closer with those FEEL GOOD Jerry Garcia Band tingles that’ll take you through into the rest of your night... and if your cup is full, may it be again... on day 2!
Saturday 8/31
Let it be known (and I think I hinted at it above) that ADK has its finger on the pulse of what the people want to hear. Crooked Coast is an example of this and a perfect fit for a Saturday dance party from 12-1PM. Upon first listen, the songs instantly take me back to my teens/early 20s when I was chasing that punk rock, sweet reggae grooves, and... a lil Blink 182... what??! Can’t wait to check out this Cape Cod-based band in the Adirondacks - Massachusetts represent!
Strange Machines are not such a strange choice for this super-packed Saturday from 1-2PM. I’ve always wanted to fly inside a strange machine, albeit I’ve never seen them live! I know, how is that possible you’re thinking? Why is it you ask me why, I don’t know the answer. I am, however, seriously stoked to hear that prog rock ’n’ sweet synth with a singer who can take us to space via a rockin’ roller coaster, mmmmman.
Speaking of being transported to space through the music, I’m so ready for The Frank White Experience: A Live Tribute to The Notorious B.I.G. to take me back to the 90s from 2-3PM. You remember the 90s. That space in time when hip-hop was just so. damn. good. The best. Don’t get me wrong, there is still good hip-hop out there, but nothing compares to the 90s. When you hear it, that sweet nostalgia just washes over you, putting you in the best kind of headspace.
Talk about a headspace! Raise your hand if you remember psychedelic prog rock quartet RAQ! I see you longtime New England jam band fans enthusiastically raising your hands and I’m waving, too! When I saw RAQ listed on the lineup from 3-4PM, I re-listened, and I was transported to my first (ish?) moe.down (’05-ish) when I discovered this band for the first time under a white tent near the ski lodge. Thank goodness they’re back to remind me of how amazing RAQ chops taste when they’re spreading those funky ’n' fun jam slams!
If Moon Hooch doesn’t sound like a good time, I don’t know what will do it for you. Make sure you’re there from 4-5PM during the golden hour because I’m curious, is there any other horn-and-percussion trio doing what these guys are doing? Show me other sax players using traffic cones on their horns to manipulate their sound, making it look and sound so natural. The spark began for Moon Hooch in the tunnels of the NY Subway, and they’ve taken off ever since. This is a unique band on an eco-centric mission with two saxes, one drummer, BIG SOUND, and some serious chops! YUM.
Seriously, if you had to choose only one band’s music to take with you on a safe and fun deserted island for the rest of your life (no worries - all your favorite people can be there to boogie with you, of course), who would you choose? I’m going to go ahead and pick Pink Talking Fish because, hear me out, they do Pink Floyd, Talking Heads, and Phish justice... and then some. Pink Talking Fish has it all and then some. They pay perfect tribute to these legendary bands we know all of the words to all of the songs, resulting in the inevitable sing-a-along! It’s been years since I’ve seen this band, and I am ecstatic that I get to experience the goodness that is PTF once again!
“If I don’t promise you the answers, would you go? Do you want me to make a daisy chain for you?”
-Gilmore
You could rock a daisy chain at any show. I strongly suggest you wear it to a Sublime tribute show > a jam band show. Would you look at that, folks, ADK has it covered!! Not only are you highly likely to find a handmade flower crown on the premises, but Badfish: A Tribute to Sublime and moe. will be rockin’ ’n’ rollin’ the same day, and that flower crown will be perfect for all of the shows. I can barely contain my excitement thinking about the non-stop dance party & sublime Sublime sing-along that will ensue during sunset #2 from 6:15-7:30PM! After seeing Sublime with Bradley Nowell’s son (Jakob Nowell) as frontman at the Levitate Music and Arts Festival, I knew I needed more Sublime-love in my life. Then, just like that, Adirondack Music Fest provided! Badfish has been the band, playing tribute to Sublime for years, and I’m beyond excited to finally see them perform!
moe., y’all, moe.! This band is still totally rockin’ and rollin’ and evolvin’. Now, a few years into touring with the official 6th member of the band, Nate Wilson (keys, flute, harmonies, and major mustache vibes), the band is on fire. Wilson has played/recorded with moe. for years, and it has been a treat to witness the evolution of the band and the palpable musical chemistry on stage in this new era of moe.; it’s recreational! Recreational Chemistry that’s the game plan! I digress. The game plan for this moe.ron and her friends is to boogie down barefoot until we just can’t boogie no moe. (in our neon attire). That’s the game plan!
Sunday 9/1
At first glance, Kendall Street Company give me shiny happy people vibes, and I mean this in the best way ever. A perfect way to kick off that last day from 12-1PM! At first listen, I can only say “woohooooo FUN! I like it!” Then copy and paste from their “about page” where they perfectly define who they are: “The genre-fluid, eclectic rock ensemble has drawn varied comparisons to the dynamic jams of Umphrey's McGee and Widespread Panic, songwriting prowess of John Prine, experimental psychedelia of Pink Floyd, progressive jazz-infused rock of Frank Zappa, and off-color humor of Ween and They Might Be Giants.” YEAH, let’s say I’m excited for the “elements of crowd participation, off-the-cuff comedic bits, haphazard choreography, musical improvisation” and whatever else they have in store! Virginia is for lovers... and solid rock bands, apparently!
And Sunday is for Jazz. I mean it! I mean, every day is for jazz, but I do associate it with my Papa’s vinyl collection and jazz brunch at Johnny D’s in Somerville, MA; lots of Sundays spent with both. So, since it’s Sunday, I better be ready with a breakfast plan because jazz is like Pavlov and I’ll be hungry for brunch from about 1-2pm. I would pass on the yam on any breakfast menu, but I will not be passing on the Yam Yam at exactly that time! I will be sure to bring my brunch and buddies to this Jazz Funk Soul Jam band’s show. Hoping the music will move me sunny side up and flip me over easy; easy like Sunday mornin’(ish).
Are we also all in agreement Sunday is for rock? If your life was saved by rock ’n’ roll, like me, every rock band you surrender to will “take you to church,” so to speak. Turns out Wild Adriatic has Sunday rock ’n’ roll covered from 2-3PM. Upon first listen, I’m pretty sure I felt my gypsy soul being rocked. Need I say more? I’m all into those gritty guitar riffs and music that give me Gary Clark Jr. vibes. So, yes. Take me to church and rock on!
Speaking of going to church, Hayley Jane Band will take you to the cosmos, then root you back to the earth all in one set. Just give her an hour (precisely from 3-4PM)! HJB is the epic creative continuation of Hayley Jane’s musical evolution from the Primates to following the ever-evolving right path towards truth, beauty, love, and freedom! So boho and naturally so, yo. This New England adopted & Cali born music makin’ mama has been gracing us with her presence for well over a decade, performing her heart out while wearing it on her sleeve. If you’re familiar with the New England music festival scene, you may have caught her act and/or sitting in with an act or two or the headliner at a festival (i.e. moe. It happens. Just sayin’).
Oh my oh my soul was so excited to see Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country on that Sunday lineup from 4-5PM. I assume this show is going to be exactly what my soul needs. After seeing them for the first time at Levitate Fest in Marshfield, MA, over 4th of July weekend, I knew I needed more of that and to gather my crew who would appreciate the magic happening before our very eyeballs and earholes for the next one. And just like that, just like magic, ADK booked him and my crew were already planning on coming to ADK ✅ ✅ The humans on stage don’t need a light show to captivate their audience, they’ll be glowing during that golden hour playing nothin’ but gold!
Still captivating audiences, Spafford (a favorite on the scene) is bound for a synth-tastic dance party from 5-6:15PM with their jammin’ jimmy jams & prog rock into funky twists! Spafford sounds a bit Phishy, but when I say that I always mean it as a compliment. When artists’ influences are easy to hear, it makes me appreciate how much talent is out there and how much they influence each other while carving out something unique for themselves! Whether you hear Phish in Spafford in Eggy in Pigeons in Goose in Neighbor in all-in-all it’s all goooooooooooood, folks. It’s gravy, baby! Why the need for a competitive comparison if it’s all delicious? There’s plenty for us all, and most of us are here for the jams and to be taken away in the dance. Spafford’s ready for it Sunday!
Y’all ready to get loosey goosey with Yonder Mountain String Band at 6:15-7:30PM for a final sunset set? I have been enjoying YMSB for a quarter of a century now, but something about bluegrass on a Sunday makes this extra sweeter! I’ve been to a-many festivals and I have caught a handful of bluegrass bands on the final day and, somehow, it feels just like church, too. I always feel refreshed and recharged after barefootin’ to the good ol’ pickin’. Give me some banjo and free my soul! I want to get lost in a fiddle roll and drift away… ok, I can’t help myself. Their latest album Get Yourself Outside (2022), made me want to do just that; get outside and bask in that bodacious bluegrass, baby!
I know you know this, or perhaps some of you are not aware, but the rumor is to never miss a Sunday show. However, a moe. Sunday show (7:30-11PM) to close out an epic weekend of some serious BSE (Best Summer Ever) vibes is... how do I put it?... a f#%@in rockin’ time to be had!!! Look at this lineup again. There are lots of opportunities for potential collaborations throughout the weekend. The crystal ball in my brain tells me to be there for it all.
If you haven’t been to a moe.down and always wanted to, come to ADK and get a taste of what was. Similar vibes have been creatively curated here and, I kid you not, I felt the feeling I forgot!! From the vendors to familiar faces on this east coast music scene, ADK feels like an extension of moe.down. For almost a decade now, Adirondack Independence Music Festival has consistently booked stellar acts and this year is no exception (thank you, Jarrett Hartstone)!
Choosing what to do on 1 of the 6(ish) precious 3-day weekends we have on our US calendar can be a tough decision. For those of you who Phish, you may find yourself at Dick’s in CO on Labor Day, or perhaps you couch tour every year and make a thing of it! Last year, I found myself not in Colorado over Labor Day or at a BBQ, but in a time warp back in Lake George, NY; right back in that ol’ familiar place again. It’s an ineffable feeling, but I’ll be sure to give you the best recap a gal can give after the fest next weekend. I’m tellin’ ya, if you BBQ every year and feel like bringing that big BBQ energy to a music fest in Lake George instead of hosting, I’m going to encourage you to BUY YOUR TICKET right meow!
If I haven’t convinced you to buy your tickets yet, I do have to say that I’m prettay prettay prettay sure you won’t be regretting the hypothetical smart decision you’ll make to grace ADK with your presence and to enjoy all The Village of Lake George has to offer! It’s all so easy breezy. Need to frolic back to the hotel for a quick rinse and refresh? No problem! It’s all so close. The list of locations the fest offers on their festival lodging page is super helpful, and I really don’t think you can go wrong with ADK’s many convenient sleepy time recommendations. If you can’t make it this year, you’ll be missed. Check back in post-Adirondack Independence Music Festival here on Grateful Web for a full recap, and just keep truckin’ on!
