By Don McGurrin:
The stage and the vibes were all and ready to go at The Silo in Reading Pa this NYE. The friendly folks at JZ Productions and Bears Picnic know how to throw a party. With 4 bands and 2 stages it allows for the music to never stop.
Dakini one of the two Pa. bands to be playing tonight started around 7:45. bring sounds from Rock 'n' Roll to country, Add some bluegrass, funk and jazz and you have a sound that gets you up and moving.
New Riders of the Purple Sage with guest Mookie Siegel sitting in all night rocked the house. Opening with Dead flowers and jumping into the title song of their latest CD Where I come from and then an old favorite Henry. They had the floor packed and dancing. They added
some songs from Ronnie Penque's new cd Only Road Home into the mix.
Cabinet takes the stage upstairs to keep the vibe going. This was almost a home show for the band from Wilkes-Barre. The 6 place band that has a bluegrass, jam band, Americana folk sound to them play up to almost midnight.
7 Walkers takes the stage just before midnight opening with a killer Bertha. Not long after the new year rolled in David Nelson and Buddy Cage came on to the stage for Friend of the Devil and Lay my burden Down. 7 Walkers have the sound of a New Orleans funky jazz jamband. Giving songs from The Grateful Dead a whole different twist that you should not miss. Another great song from the first set was Mr. Charlie.
A short break were the band members never really left the stage. Everyone just kinda hung around behind the drum kit while setting up the stage for Steve Kimock who joined in for the second set. They started the second setwith an unreal New Speedway Boogie into Wharf Rat. Playing some songs from their self titled 7 Walkers cd such as King Cotton Blues, New Orleans Crawl. Getting close to the end of the night they broke out a Sugaree that wont soon be forgotten. Just when you think it would be over they came up with Lovelight. For the encore the slowed things down with We bid you a good night after all it was 3:15 am.
