As the sun sets on the remaining dates in the Twiddle ledger, the band continues to put on inspiring shows, starting with the first night of the Levitt Pavilion in Westport, CT on July 21, 2023. This cozy, lush environment fostered the perfect place for the quintet to perform their magic. Both Mihali and Friends and Kung Fu opened, giving a definite festival vibe. Guests were plenty and covers ran deep.
The show was part of a two-night run at the Levitt Pavilion. On this night, the band partnered with the White Light Foundation to donate $1 from every ticket sold to Friends of the Levitt Pavilion. The Levitt Pavilion produces what is now one of the longest-running free outdoor festivals in the nation and remains one of the few independent venues. Adding a social cause to support this truly stunning venue, which sits on the water in the center of Westport, was a nice touch.
The festivities began with Mihali and Friends, which features a rotating lineup of outstanding musicians along with Twiddle guitarist Mihali Savoulidis. Today's crew started with keyboardist Scott Hannay, drummer Adrian Tramontano, saxophonist Michael Oehmen, trumpeter Michael Bafundo, as well as a guitarist and bassist. The horns added a jazzy touch to this afternoon set. The septet covered "41" by the Dave Matthews Band.
Kung Fu followed and continued the jazzy vibes into the later afternoon. This well-known Constitution State quintet featured guitarist Tim Palmeri, bassist Chris DeAngelis, keyboardist Beau Sasser, drummer Adrian Tramontano, and saxophonist Robert Somerville. They unfurled copious exploratory jams that were a mix of jazz, blues, and psychedelic rock with dance-friendly undertones.
As the sun began to fall into the horizon, Twiddle took the stage and delivered a high-energy first set that ended with a beautiful sunset. Keyboardist Ryan Dempsey started the set with a huge smile on his face. Setlist staples "Jamflowman" > "Frankenfoote" created the stand-out jam for this set, as Mihali melted many faces with his guitar licks.
The guests started flowing in set two. Horn specialists Oehmen and Bafundo as well as Kung Fu's Somerville and Sasser joined the party for a lively cover of Rick James' "Mary Jane." This jam went long and segued into "Mildew Man." Chris DeAngelis of Kung Fu stepped in during funk favorite "Brown Chicken Brown Cow." He and bassist Zdenek Gubb had an intense bass exchange and solo, much to the crowd's delight.
Palmeri traded guitar chords with Mihali during the set-closing "Milk." This was by far the jam of the night, as both talented guitarists played off of each other. The band stepped off stage and returned to an energized crowd who clearly wanted more. The band obliged with a fast-paced cover of Los Lobos' "La Bamba."
Twiddle always seems to put on a raging show that fills the soul, and is full of the best people one can possibly meet at a live music event. They are back in action at the Catskill Chill, which runs August 10-13. Hop on over to their tour page for more details.
Check out more photos from the show!
Set 1: The Caterpillar, Honeyburste, Subconscious Prelude, Grandpa Fox, Jamflowman -> Frankenfoote
Set 2: Orlando’s Polluted Beauty, Mary Jane12 -> Mildew Man, White Light -> Classical Gas -> Brown Chicken Brown Cow3, Milk4
Encore: La Bamba5
Notes:
1. Rick James
2. With Beau Sasser (keys) and Robert Somerville (sax) of Kung Fu; with Michael Oehmen (sax) and Michael Bafundo (trumpet)
3. With Chris DeAngelis (bass) of Kung Fu
4. With Tim Palmieri (guitar) of Kung Fu/Lotus
5. Los Lobos
