Interviews

BERTHA: Grateful Drag, the world's first all-drag Grateful Dead tribute band, recently played their first festival—the 2024 Newport Folk Festival. Grateful Web had the opportunity to learn more about them.

GW: How did you come up with the idea?

From the furthest depths of the galaxy, Chicago-based funk phenomenon Hot Like Mars has been sending shockwaves across the music scene lately. Possessing a refined blend of soul, funk, and high-octane dance music, Hot Like Mars puts on a masterclass of musical patience, excellence, and enthusiasm, carefully curating their sounds into an explosive array of musical prowess.

As we navigate our way through a world filled with increasing moral ambiguity, Australia’s Xavier Rudd's work serves as a constant reminder to act with love in mind. A musician as well as a philosopher, he has been creating art that prompts existential exploration for several decades. Grateful Web got to sit down with Rudd for a few minutes before his performance at this year’s Cali Roots festival to speak with him about a range of topics.

A project that built its name on romanticizing the idiosyncratic, East Coast Alternative outfit Little Stranger has made waves as of late with their slice-of-life lyrics and charismatic presence. With an eclectic pool of influences and a mastery of all things quirky, their work is a much-needed reminder to take a beat and embrace the peculiar nature of the world.

Maine-based outfit Coyote Island has certainly taken off over the last few years with no signs of slowing down. Beginning as the solo project of singer-songwriter Mike O’Hare, it has taken flight as a full band over the years, adding a level of depth through the unique background of every musician they bring into the fold.

Few bands can claim to have had as profound an impact on the development of a genre as the reggae rock outfit Pepper. With a tenured career, the band has played stages together in four separate decades, but still manages to joke around with each other like brothers at every opportunity.

Fresh off their first album release in 15 years, California Hip-Hop supergroup Living Legends brings over a century of experience between their members to the studio and the stage with every song. As they celebrate their latest reunion, Grateful Web got to sit down with the project’s founding members The Grouch and Luckyiam to speak with them about the differences between musical generations, their opinions on AI in music, and the connection they feel between Hip-Hop and Reggae.

Cleveland locals turned national touring sensation, Tropidelic has prioritized their art and ambition above all else. An amalgamation of Reggae, Funk, Hip-Hop, and the onstage energy every artist should strive to embody, the project has become an undeniable force in the community. Grateful Web got the chance to sit down with the project’s frontmen Matthew Roads and James Begin at this year’s Cali Roots Festival to talk about their process, their evolution as artists, and even their venture into the music promotion sphere.

In a circle as tightly knit as the reggae community, word has traveled fast about the genre’s newest superstars “The Elovaters.” Since forming a few short years ago they have taken the reggae world by storm through an unrelenting series of tours and album releases, earning the respect of fans and peers alike.

A festival close to our hearts, Grateful Web has been covering Cali Roots since the mid-2010s and during this time, we have seen firsthand how many hold it in high regard. An institution many believe to be the nucleus of the reggae resurgence in America, it has both played host to and even helped create some of the biggest names in the genre. At the center of it all, festival organizer Dan Sheehan runs the show.

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