MUSIC IS “ONE”
On August 22nd-August 25th the passion of many musicians descended upon the Pacific Amphitheater in Southern California. If you attended the whole festival, the audience got live Blues, Symphony , Indie rock, Classic rock and Electronic Music. The stars were out and the moon was set for a perfect opening night. I’m the lucky one, two of my favorite musicians kicked off the festival and I was blessed to be sitting 11th row dead center.
Opening Night-Keb Mo’ and Bonnie Raitt
Keb Mo’ took the stage to sling some down-and-dirty Blues, that always gets the groove going. Mo’s signature sound gets your feet tapping, your face smiling and his songs are great little (sometimes hilarious) stories. He is rooted in the true form the Blues like his musical Godfathers, Taj Mahal and Muddy Waters. Keb Mo’ has a vibrance and energy that simply makes you feel gooooood. He’s always great, but on this night he meant business, but in a subtle way. He’s one of the reason I got into the Blues, so it was extra special for me to attend this show for Influx Magazine.
Ms. Bonnie Raitt, whose Dad was born a few miles from the venue brought some extra “spirit” to the show, she was on fire. She really laid it down for her audience. Raitt’s solo’s were incendiary, she did a nice variety of acoustic, electric and even covered some famous songs. I walked away 100% pleased. She played my favorite song of hers, Love Letter. An excellent Blues song that came out around 2006. It’s poetic, just enough on the pop side to get regular fans, but bluesy enough for Blues fans to know what the song is really about.
*****
Night #2- Delta Spirit and The Toxic Airborne Event w/Pacific Symphony
For the opening act Delta Spirit, I got right down in the photo pit and could feel the stage rumbling. It was the most electrifying feeling to shoot photos against a stage that Aerosmith, Willie Nelson, BB King, Santana and so many others have played on. Delta Spirit had true passion and really rocked their set. They shared their passion with us and made a great connection between performer and audience.
Night #3- Bonobo and Z-Trip
I was unable to attend, but a fellow media told me it was excellent to see the DJ’s with the Symphony. One festival goer told me it was a good turn out on night three. Check out these guys out on online Bonobo and Z-Trip.
Night #4
It was another night that kicked off shooting photos from the “pit.” The opening was Windborne, an excellent Pink Floyd cover band. They invited some of the fans on stage to sing along with the infamous song Education. Once this show started we were plugged in to the musical spirits. Windborne and The Pacific Symphony would take the stage after intermission to play the entire Pink Floyd album Dark Side of the Moon. The show was (true to Pink Floyd’s legend) accompanied by a light show.
This festival was a life-changing event for me. We got to experience Blues, rock and symphony merge. I love when art forms cross-pollinate. Let me rephrase this, I love when art forms take our perception and push us past our boundaries, enabling us to see things without limits or labels.
Grade: A+
Festival Review by Paul Booth
