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Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival
Donna The Buffalo
The Duhks
Hugh Masekela
Katherine Whalen/Hooverville
Sonny Landreth
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Shakori Hills
Chatham County, NC
4/20/2006 - 4/23/2006
By: David Strickler
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"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, commited
individuals can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing
that ever has.
-Margaret Mead
"The world is a wonderous puzzle
everyone a piece and every piece fits
every piece is alive making energy
energy pulls the pieces together
into a round ball
and there is love
it's a round ball
and there is love."
-Tara Nevins
There's an old saying that states "you can't go home again."
For the fourth spring in a row, the kind souls at Shakori Hills
Grassroots Festival have proven that adage false. Upon
entering the mostly wooded track of land in central North
Carolina, one feels right at home with family - and not in a
dysfunctional way.
Thursday, the beginning of the four-day festival, saw Sarah
Hawker, after maneuvering through a few broken strings,
perform real country music, something most suits in
Nashville have long since forgotten. Chapel Hill's Sweet By
And By, an all female bluegrass quartet, was up next and
wooed the appreciative crowd with beautiful three-part
harmonies on mostly original material. Afterwards, The
Never, the youngest love child of The Ramones and
Barenaked Ladies, had most of the audience up and dancing
to their rocking set featuring crowd pleasers "I Love You"
and "20th Century Boy."
A too brief set by Idahoan Eilen Jewell featuring "Boundary
County" and "Blow It All Away" truly proved why she is an
artist not to miss. Festival hosts and crowd faves Donna The
Buffalo kicked off the prime-time slot of 8:00-to-12:00-ish
with their infectious blend of Zydeco, causing the already
stoked masses to dance harder, and essentially forcing a
friend to consume mass quantities of ibuprofen to keep her
knees in shape for the rest of the weekend.
Ex-Squirrel Nut Zipper Katherine Whalen and local country
band Hooverville teamed for a follow-up to the DTB set.
Whalen's set lists, style and songs seem to change with
every performance, keeping not only her, but her fans as
well, always evolving with her music. Hobex, born from the
now defunct Dillon Fence, capped off the main stage musical
festivities with a set often described afterwards with just a
single word..."damn!"
Friday morning, Amy Glicklich soothed the still groggy crowd
back to life with a nice folk-tinged set culminating in "Ring
The Belltower." The song was written just prior to the Iraq
War and penned backstage before her debut at the very first
Shakori Hills fest, four years ago. Constant touring has
honed the Emma Gibbs Band's southern-rock down to a
science, and afterwards on the main stage, they did not
disappoint. If you're one of the small minority that has yet to
see them live, do your ears a favor. They'll appreciate
it.
After threatening skies all day, chairman of the alt.country
board Jim Lauderdale and Donna The Buffalo took to the
Grove stage with a glorious, sun-filled, late afternoon sky.
Playing mostly cuts from their collaborative Wait 'Til
Spring, it's hard not to be wowed when these two
forces unite. Afterwards, slide-guitar legend and Louisiana
native Sonny Landreth took to the main stage and does what
he does best, makes the strings sing. Allman Brothers Band
bassist Oteil Burbridge followed Landreth with his band The
Peacemakers, laying down jazz-funk with utter
abandon.
To cap the night off and put your senses in a place they
never thought they'd be, Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band took
the stage sometime in the wee hours of Saturday morning.
Possessing one of the most unique stage presences since
Parliament Funkadelic, their sound is a mix of funk, Hip-Hop
and blues-rock. They're truly a visual and auditory
delight.
Saturday was Earth Day, and to celebrate it's own special
day, it rained. But mostly the music went on, and with only a
couple of cancellations the party resumed in the expectedly
full Cabaret and Dance Tents. Pattie and Jack LeSueur
played Union Station-type bluegrass, Barefoot Manner kept
the small turnout entertained with their free-form jam, and
Mamadou Diabate played the best set I've personally seen.
Hailing from the West African country of Mali, Diabate was
backed by a five-piece band playing mainly traditional
African instruments.
Dance Tent stalwarts Keith Frank & The Soileau Zydeco Band
had the sweat rolling with a sound described by a friend as
"cool, iceberg lettuce," in other words, clean and crisp.
Parking lot guru Randy Whitt owned the Cabaret Tent stage
with his band The Grits, playing a set a little more tonky than
honky and further wowing the crowd with an impromptu jam
session featuring a young man, a saxophone and an on
stage invitation.
The sacred steel sound of The Lee Boys followed, with their
opening number, "Let's Celebrate," briefly parting the clouds
- at least temporarily. The Avett Brothers played in the rain.
Brazilian percussionist Cyro Baptista played in the rain. The
Duhks began their set in the rain, but finished in a cool,
misty aura. Afterwards, Donna The Buffalo, then Keith Frank,
kept the music flowing and the vibe, well,
beautiful.
Sunday saw the return of Keith Secola And His Wild Band Of
Indians. Secola thrives on audience participation and his
anthemic "Frybread" moves not only your arms and legs, but
also your heart and soul. The Duhks, Mamadou Diabate and
Sarah Hawker all graced the stage with repeat performances
until South African headliner Hugh Masekela mesmerized the
crowd with his trumpet and unique jazz stylings.
This year's festival saw a few changes materialize. Most
notably were the hot showers, which garnished rave
reviews. Also, Ninth Street Bakery from Durham, NC,
sponsored a shuttle from the festival to various markets in
Durham, Chapel Hill and Carrboro. The fare was minimal and
the bus powered by environment-friendly Bio-diesel. In
addition to numerous children's activities, craft
demonstrations and music and dance workshops, Shakori
Hills truly dazzles your senses day and night.
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