Review by:
Todd "Fox" Johnson
Concert Photography by: David Oppenheimer
(click photos for large view)
The 14th annual All Good Festival was held on July 8-11, 2010. The festival organizers have again shown that a smaller festival can provide a high level of musical artistry with an even, balanced and down-home feel.
This beautiful Appalachian hideaway featured an ensemble including: (Further, George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, Femi Kuti and The Positive Force, Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band, Keller Williams, Dr. Didg, Bassnectar, Widespread Panic, and many others). This created an exciting array of musical opportunities for those in attendance.
We did all brave rampant heat and dust, to dance on a brilliant festival ground of massive sonic and visual implications. It was obvious All Good Festival was the kind of festival artists truly enjoy playing at, expressing their blistering summer love to a joyful crowd.
The 2010 All Good Festival was a mélange of brilliant musical groups who showed up intent on making this a standout summer spectacular, and did. Although I truly enjoyed so many acts there like: (Widespread Panic, Grace Potter and The Nocturnals, Railroad Earth, Dark Star Orchestra, Yonder Mountain String Band, Umphrey's McGee, Old Crow Medicine Show, Further); my favorite was what Keller Williams wished he would have seen.
Keller Williams and The Added Bonus (a new quartet) performing on Sunday. Keller Williams asked the crowd if they saw Further the night before. An exuberant “yes” came from many in the still sizable crowd. To which Keller Williams replied "lucky", and smiling, launched into another guitar and vocal rampage.
Further consists of: (Grateful Dead members Phil Lesh & Bob Weir), Jeff Chimenti on keyboards, Joe Russo on drums, John Kadlecik on guitar and Sunshine Becker & Jeff Pehrson on backup vocals.
Joining them superbly cocooned in a Sugar Magnolia seemingly whipped up by Jerry Garcia himself; was John Kadlecik on guitars and vocals. John Kadlecik played the Jerry role in Dark Star Orchestra; and has honed this incredibly well over the years. What was produced by Further was a landscape of exhalation that permeated everyone attending All Good Festival. Further no doubt carried us all to the highest crescendo of musical transcendence.
It must be mentioned that both Saturday and Sunday nights line-ups were aptly balanced, by Further; then Widespread Panic.
The crowds for both nights’ headliners filled the field and were treated to supremely intoxicating entertainment. Widespread Panic delivered a spellbinding foray. They induced highly delicate rhythms that were poised on a merry-go-round at a seedy blues playground.
Even though there were tremendous stage effects; at some point paper hot air balloons had been spread out through the audience. They were then lit and launched in unison, by the hundreds. This was a special spectacle that seemingly allowed us all to let the balloons carry our troubles away; serenaded to the sounds of Widespread Panic. As usual, Widespread Panic proved that they continue to evolve as a musical powerhouse which led the audience into evocative boogie-blissed fervor.
There is no guarantee at any festival things will happen the way promoters want but the 2010 All Good Festival seemed to find a magical balance of enjoyment for fans and artists alike. It melded together all the highlight reel material of a huge festival, with something entirely more intimate. It had been several years for me since attending All Good Festival, back when it was in Winchester, Virginia. It has since grown tremendously but managed to retain all the things that make it a special event to attend. All Good Music and Campout Festival (its long name) has been a standout among many summer music festivals. Like many of you, I hope to be basking in the glow next year of revelry that we know is all good!
More All Good Festival photos at Performance Impressions' concert photography archives:
Keller Williams and The Added Bonus
