#Backwoods Music Festival

[ciaossu-imagines]

Just the thought of Bokuto at a prestigious event sounds so interesting to me. So can you do the ‘Your character has been invited to a prestigious formal event. What do they wear? What do they do when they get there?’ prompt for him?

C

Aww, this is actually such a cute scenario. I loved imagining it out, so thank you so much for sending in this request! I hope you’ll enjoy what I came up with for the owl baby 😊

So, when my mind hears prestigious event, I don’t know why but it automatically jumps into thinking it’s some kind of fancy party. I’m not imagining this big shindig that gets all loud and wild, where’s there’s all this noise and celebrating and letting loose. My mind goes instead to those black-tie affairs where there’s live classical music and it’s held in this big ballroom and there’s white-coated waiters threading through the crowds with glasses of champagne and finicky, fancy little nibbles on big silver platters. A real rich person kind of party, if you get what I mean – the kind of party where you’re not really so much there to have fun but to look good and feel superior in your richness. (Sue me guys, I come from strong backwood country hillbilly stock, even if I moved up and away from it as much as possible, and have no other ideas as to prestigious events than what I see in movies, so I have no idea how else to imagine them.)

Anyway, that’s where my head is at as to the kind of event it is. It’s something related to volleyball, naturally, because Bokuto has been invited and I cannot for the life of me figure out a reason for him to have been invited to this kind of party except as some kind of honored guest. So, spinning that out, to me, this is some really wealthy asshole who just really fucking loves volleyball and he wants to not only sponsor a team but create one himself and he’s invited all the players he’s really interested in, hoping to convince them to leave their current teams and come and play for him. Bokuto is actually an exceptionally gifted player. Though all his dramatic tendencies and over-the-top personality traits might make people forget it at times, Bokuto has serious skills, a thorough understanding of the game, a real passion for it that leads him to constantly be improving and evolving. It only makes sense for him to be invited.

He’s also the kind of guy who would hear the word party and be down for it right away. And when he gets invited to this event, he really is under the impression that it’s just some big party, right? It also really helps that some of his other friends and former rivals got invited too. Kuroo, for one, and Hinata. With his friends attending, and with the prospect of a fun party, he doesn’t even think twice about accepting the invitation.

He might have some second thoughts though, once he notices the dress code required for the event. Bokuto really does prefer more comfortable attire, stuff that’s more relaxed and casual, kind of sporty and effortless. Black tie required dress codes are so far from his thing that they might as well be in another atmosphere, to tell you the truth. He does manage to figure out an outfit – he goes with Hinata to rent tuxes. He looks fantastic, don’t get me wrong. Even though the tux isn’t custom-tailored to his body, he’s got that long, well-muscled body that just kind of looks good in most things. It’s more that Bokuto looks entirely uncomfortable in what he’s wearing the entire night. At some point early on in the festivities, because he’s been yanking at it and adjusting it so much, his tie starts to come undone and then he just kind of wears it loose. He loses his tux jacket at some point during the night because he took it off and forgets where he set it (thank god one of his friends remembered for him – he doesn’t think he’d get his deposit on the tux back if he didn’t return all of it). He rolls the sleeves of his button down up until they’re at his elbows. All this to say, he’s visibly uncomfortable in the clothing and he behaves as such, showcasing how decidedly unfancy a person he is by breaking the dress code, step by step, until he becomes a little more comfortable.

Not that anyone would have mistaken Bokuto for being someone particularly refined anyway. Right from the get-go, Bokuto is who Bokuto is. He doesn’t change his energy levels, the volume of his voice, or his personality in any way to fit in better into the environment. For starters, he isn’t even really sure of the rules of social behaviour, not in an atmosphere like the one he finds himself in. He just figures being friendly and being himself is always the best bet. Unlike on the court, Bokuto doesn’t really have the best skills when it comes to adapting on the fly in social situations.

Bokuto’s very much a people person. He has zero issues with talking to new people, assuming most people are just friends he hasn’t met yet. Despite him being an owl, haha, he gives me strong ‘dog’ energy that way. The strongest ‘good boy’ energy outside of an actual dog, that’s what Bokuto has. So he definitely does try to socialize, to get to know people. He’s not sure why a lot of people seem to be looking at him a little taken aback and why they excuse themselves after just a bit. Bokuto’s enthusiasm, his loud laughter and bright smile, his complete and utter lack of restraint in how he lives just isn’t clicking with the upper crust, who are utterly confused by someone so unrefined.

However, his host is definitely striking up conversations with Bokuto as much as he can. He starts getting frustrated throughout the evening though, because his conversations with Bokuto tend to wander off. They start talking about volleyball and then things go off onto tangents that Bokuto starts on and while the talk isn’t unpleasant, the host can’t seem to get Bokuto to start seriously talking about, or even considering, switching teams.

He also hasn’t made too much progress with many of the others. And the others definitely do talk about it. Bokuto, who has, of course, been checking in with his friends often throughout the night, just kind of doesn’t seem to get what they’re talking about. He’s all very much ‘what…wait, what? What are you guys talking about? I was never given that offer? It wasn’t even mentioned to me. This is the first I’ve heard about it…” even though it’s actually probably about the twentieth time he’s heard it that night, it’s just always been that his attention has been taken by something else throughout the night the other times it has come up.

What can I say? I love the boy but he has a very one-track mind at times.

[welcometogrouchland]

Sips juice box. I like to think the hexsquad start a garage band (goreage band on the boiling isles) briefly post-canon.

Raine taught all of them how to play (Amity on bass and usually vocals, Luz and Hunter on lead and rhythm guitar respectively, Gus on keys/synths and Willow on drums) and shows up to all their practices and the small shows they get to do (things like classmates' birthdays, big festivals/town parties celebrating Belos and the Collector's defeats after the fact, left-hand relief effort fundraisers and dubiously legal music festivals held in the backwoods of latissa).

Raine hypes each and every one of them the FUCK up and spends hours giving them all pointers on their individual instruments and how to play as a unit and, like, listen. Raine is not a parental figure to any of them, really. They just don't have that kind of connection to anyone but King as their step son. But the kids all think Raine is cool as fuck and they crave positive encouragement in their lives. They love Raine. They'd die for Raine. Kill for Raine. Try new tunings and time signatures for Raine (VERY scary). They like being in a band cause it's an excuse to goof off together, express themselves and experiment with a different type of magic, but most of all, they love being in a band bc the middle aged political dissident fucking their friend's adoptive mom is just really goddamn supportive of them.

Nothing particularly noteworthy comes from the band (you guys can suggest fun names for them that are more creative than "the hexsquad"). It truly is just a thing on the side they do for fun and they all have individual careers and hobbies they're far more interested in (Gus is a teaching assistant at Eda's school (qualified to be full time but not allowed to bc of his age, has to wait a few more years), Amity is a field researcher and budding archeologist, Willow is going pro with sports, Hunter is carving and Luz is pursuing higher education).

The most that happens with it is they record a low quality CD (or magic CD equivalent) of demos and covers they put together (Luz and Willow are the main song writers for the group. Both had a lot of angsty pre-teen poetry they work shopped and repurposed for lyrics) that ended up being sold out of the back of Steve's motorcycle (his main career besides burger flipping and baby sitting, all of which makes him infinitely more happy than the emperor's coven ever did).

Raine not only bought a copy of the CD (despite having already heard them play every song before and having been the one to help them record it in the first place) they purchase a copy for ALL of their parents/extended family (Eda, King, Perry, the Parks, Darius, Camila, Gwen and Dell- everyone). Years after the band unofficially dissolves (re: the kids got actual jobs and started having to deal w/ life as adults), Raine still listens to that CD bc they're just so damn proud of their kids.

[plungermusic]

"And we’ll sweep out the ashes in the morning …”

Maverick Sunday is always a little bittersweet: still good music left to enjoy but only a few more hours in which to enjoy it, with a bit of a ‘morning-after-the-night-before clearing-up and putting-away’ feel to it.

Getting a lift in with one of the festival crew meant a nice early arrival, allowing us to hear the excellent Chris Murphy [below] sound-checking almost his entire set ahead of his 10.30 start, the expansive Halfway Around The World sounding highly atmospheric drifting out of the empty Barn in the unbroken sunshine. A later highlight of his set ‘proper’ was a full-crowd participation Tinder disaster ballad (who says country music isn’t bang up to date?) Done With Diane. 

Bau Cat (Abby Butler and Jim Davies of the late, lamented Goat Roper Rodeo Band) turned out a suitably chilled Sunday morning set with Carib and Latin flavours topped by a nice harmony combination of her silky tones and his gruffer vocal (not often heard in the GRRB!) And they didn’t seem at all phased at being introduced by an impromptu, but full-length, rendition of Mercedes Benz by the Moonshine’s on-duty soundman…

The only performance on The Green (as always) on a Sunday came from The Rabble Chorus, with a mix of mildly spiritual and secular choral music: no Bach or Haydn sadly, but they did ‘do’ the Hothouse Flowers! Normally unaccompanied they’d drafted in a couple of guitars on this occasion. The only quibble Plunger have is that the choir could benefit from a little amplification, to get the full experience without having to stand just a foot or two away!

Standing outside The Peacock for Drew Young [above], his set was every bit as warm as the sun on our backs, especially the mellow morning lilt of Sideways and the honeyed harmonies of Wondering Where This Will End. A darker note was struck by the haunting minor key Georgia Line, Kelly Bayfield adding the eerie counter-vocals, before taking up a tambourine to help drive the bouncy stomp of It’ll Be Soon. An upbeat finish was provided by A Couple Of Rounds Before I Go, David Booth bringing some twang on electric guitar and topped with a brief crowd-singalong-chorus finale.

Up at The Barn, The Henry Brothers, dapper (and probably bloody hot in the circumstances) in their suits, cheered everyone up with a set of upbeat Old Timey 1920s-style ballads of death, disfigurement and disaster. They were a hoot, to be honest.

LoneHollow [who we sneaked a cheeky portrait of behind the venue, above] returned to the barn for their third set of the weekend, kicking off (after Damon’s laconic “…and the crowd went wild!” observation on the slowly refilling Barn) with his excellent cover of Gregg Allman’s heartfelt Please Call Home, and there were Allmans-y touches too to I Wouldn’t Know How. Their flair for Southern Gothic drama was well represented not only in reprises of Mary Ann and Not Today but in the dark drop-D badlands sweep of Shoot To Kill, Rylie’s airy eerie vocal matched by Damon’s atmospheric slide accompaniment. The pair bade farewell to their debut Maverick with the storming upbeat southern rocker Whiskey Woman.

The closing Moonshine set from Evangeline Gentle [below] was probably as close to a spiritual Sunday experience as Plunger were going to get, her sublime voice bewitching her audience through the anthemic poppy soar of Drop My Name, and an impassioned, warm The Strongest People Have Tender Hearts. Ella Spencer joined her once again, bringing her harmonies to Evangeline’s new single Sarah, before Evangeline ended her set with a spellbinding solo a cappella rendition (in honour of her Scots forebears) of the traditional Black Is The Colour.

Heading past the peacock stage we caught a little of the Hoth Brothers (who follow the Thomson Twins rule - two guys who aren’t brothers, neither of whom are named Hoth, plus Sarah Ferrell... go figure). Some lovely backwoods Appalachian sounds with cracking banjo and fiddle playing.

With the end of the festival rapidly approaching campers and acts who’d already finished were making their way home so there was a certain amount of leave taking that meant we didn’t catch as much of Suzie Ungerlieder’s barn closing set as we ought, but her sweet, cool vox and some melodic guitar work in an emotional Summerbaby and the atmospheric jangling reverie of Walked All The Way Home (from back when she went under the moniker Oh Susanna) were a fittingly mellow way to come down from our Maverick high.

Another cracking weekend of Americana, country and more in highly picturesque surroundings (even if the weather didn’t always play ball), well fed by the wide range of vendors, and watered (well, ‘beered’, if that’s a word) in company with a largely chilled set of like-minded individuals… hands-down the best festival Plunger know.

It’s no wonder it feels a bit like leaving home when it all comes to an end…

[musicarenagh]

RAGS AND RICHES Inspire with Uplifting New Single 'Wisdom' Kentucky based act, RAGS AND RICHES has released a new single, ‘Wisdom,’ an uplifting alt-pop anthem that acts as a call to arms for anyone with a dream. Tanner and Peyton, the Whitt brothers, have done it again and demonstrate their abilities to provide a musical boost for listeners. In this context, “Wisdom” is a light and positive song that encourages people to use their inner power and fight for a better life. The music and the singer’s voice immediately make you listen to the piece, and the energy that surges through the track does not allow you to stay indifferent to the performance. With passion, the Whitt brothers’ share their simple inspiring message, their encouraging lyrics are wrapped in complex harmonies, elaborate melodies, and electronic sounds. The song is also modern, although there are intentional references to classic pop/rock which gives the song timeless character. With a gentle piano and strings introduction, “Wisdom” starts with a contemplative mood that increases to a passionate sound with chorus based on empowering lyrics. The audio recording is professionally done, giving the appropriate level of acoustic backdrop for the brothers’ touching vocals. Every verse echoes the themes of the fight and victory, and that is something that Tanner and Peyton masterfully handle in the show. The meaning of the lyrics is explicit, but they have an uplifting message for people who feel lost and require a light at the end of the tunnel. [caption id="attachment_55609" align="alignnone" width="1470"] Every verse echoes the themes of the fight and victory, and that is something that Tanner and Peyton masterfully handle in the show.[/caption] Tanner explained that they recorded some of the music for the track over and over and over until they finally felt they had it right. This dedication along with the natural ability and sheer hard work is evident in every note and every word they sing. In addition, the liveliness and positive vibe of the song clearly mark it as an amazing addition to the discography of the band/artist. RAGS AND RICHES currently has over five million streams to their credit, as well as impressive video views which show that they are one of the most up-and-coming alt-pop acts currently. Their first song released in 2019, Speed of Sound, received almost a million plays and they have played over 300 gigs across 40 states. With a Josie Music Award for Pop Artist of the year in their portfolio, and future concert at Lovin Life and Backwoods festivals, the duo is expected to achieve more milestones in 2024. In this song, RAGS AND RICHES clearly and straightforwardly offer hope by singing ‘Wisdom’. It is one of the most touching songs which helps the listeners remember that despite the difficult life situations, the human spirit is limitless and able to overcome all the obstacles. This is not just any ordinary song; it is an artist’s rendition of the Whitt brothers’ journey and their dreams of being musicians all in one track, so anyone feeling uninspired should definitely give this a listen. Listen to Wisdom below https://open.spotify.com/track/6x6QGVsJMSNThYaBWVdHzP Follow RAGS AND RICHES on Twitter Spotify Youtube Instagram Tiktok

[maximuswolf]

Backwoods Festival Calls-Off 2024 Event Amid Post-Covid Economics

Backwoods Festival Calls-Off 2024 Event Amid Post-Covid Economics https://ift.tt/H4cbdZq Submitted April 29, 2024 at 09:08AM by _ticketnews https://ift.tt/UeVrza8 via /r/Music

[independentartistbuzz]

Songstress Carmel Mikol Releases New Single “Trying Not to Hurt You” from Forthcoming Fifth Album

Carmel Mikol is a singer-songwriter from two worlds: she was raised half in the Canadian backwoods and half in the suburbs of Chicago. Solitude and rootlessness are equally present in her songwriting as a result. Her songs feel like they’re written on the interstates somewhere between these two places. 

A full-time indie recording and touring artist for almost a decade, Mikol has performed across North America and in Europe, from intimate stages to legendary festivals like Canada’s Mariposa Folk Festival and the 30A Songwriters Festival in the US. Her previous albums earned three East Coast Music Award nominations and several songwriting honours.

As part of continued emotional growth for Mikol after being the victim of past abuse, “Trying Not to Hurt You,” comes from a place of accepting the full realm of life's emotion. As she states: This song, and the whole album it’s part of, is about facing up to the painful “ands” of life: I love you AND we aren’t healthy together; I’m trying to stay with you AND I need to leave. Sometimes we just need to break our own hearts a little bit to make the hard decision.

I Used to Know, Mikol’s forthcoming fifth album, is stripped to its essentials. The microphones are close and the room is quiet. The lyrics cut to the bone and Mikol's voice is imperfect, wiser, more honest than ever before. Layered guitars and strings come in at the last possible moment, and only when necessary. But for a record that's more subtle and less "produced" than any of her previous efforts, it's somehow bigger and more universal. These songs feel like late night conversations between exes or long-time friends who can't pretend to have secrets anymore. They're conversations we've all had before… or will have as soon as we’re ready to be that vulnerable.

[thedailyfrequency]

Backwoods Music Festival Delivers Stunning 2024 Lineup

Get ready to immerse yourself in the psychedelic sounds of the Backwoods Music Festival. Taking place from June 6-9,  at the infamous Mulberry Mountain Campgrounds in Ozark, Arkansas, Backwoods is a wondrous celebration of music, art, and community you won’t want to miss.  Announced on Thursday, March 7, the 2024 Backwoods lineup is filled with some of the biggest names in EDM as organizers look…

[big-cat-safari]

Creating Timeless Memories: Unforgettable Jim Corbett Weddings

Jim Corbett National Park has become more than just a wildlife sanctuary; it has transformed into a wonderful purpose for weddings that mix together adventure and romance. Jim Corbett weddings present an exclusive fusion of love, luxury, and the undomesticated beauty of the backwoods.

Surroundings the phase:

Envisage exchange vows under the covering of lush Sal trees, with the harmonious cheeping of birds as your release. Jim Corbett, with its extensive landscape, roundabout rivers, and the regal background of the Himalayas, sets a charming stage for the festivity of love. The charming settings provide a ghostly atmosphere that makes weddings here truthfully supernatural.

Venues:

Jim Corbett offers a diversity of venues that provide to different tastes and preference. From elegant resorts with contemporary facilities to rustic and delightful wilderness lodges, couple can choose a setting that resonates with their vision of the perfect wedding. Whether you favor a riverside ceremony, a garden festivity, or a cozy affair amidst the wilds, Jim Corbett has the perfect venue for you.

Wildlife Encounters:

For couples looking for a touch of exciting activity and exceptionality, Jim Corbett weddings offer the opening for wildlife encounters. Imagine the thrill of a pre-wedding safari, where you and your visitors can observer the varied flora and fauna of the national park. Elephants, deer, and even the indefinable Bengal tiger may become unforeseen guests, create memorable reminiscences that last a natural life.

Luxurious Accommodations:

To harmonize the accepted beauty of the environment, Jim Corbett boasts a range of comfortable accommodation. From wealthy suites with panoramic views to comfortable cottages that mix together flawlessly with natural world, the accommodation here improve the overall wedding experience. Spoil yourself and your guests with the best in welcome, ensure comfort and recreation all the way through the festivity.

Cooking Delights:

Jim Corbett weddings not only coddle the senses with dramatic visuals but also tease taste buds with mouth-watering cuisine. Resorts and venues work together with knowledgeable chefs to curate menus that showcase local flavors while catering to diverse palates. From conventional Kumauni dishes to worldwide cuisines, the culinary contributions add a appetizing stroke to the wedding ceremony celebrations.

Local society and civilization:

Throw yourself into physically in the rich cultural wall-hanging of the region by incorporate local civilization into your marriage celebrations. From customary Kumauni music and dance performance to rituals that are a symbol of the union of two souls, Jim Corbett weddings provide a exceptional blend of contemporary romance and ancient customs, create an experience that is both significant and unforgettable.

Conclusion:

In the heart of nature’s magnificence, Jim Corbett weddings offer a work of art where love stories come to life. With its eye-catching landscapes, well-appointed accommodation, and a stroke of nature adventure, this purpose provides a beyond compare backdrop for couples seeking a wedding that transcend the common. Create everlasting memories as you go aboard on this unusual journey of feel affection for amidst the brilliance of Jim Corbett National Park.

[x----tine]

Move over Netflix. This Miami art museum is launching its own streaming service

Miami’s flagship art museum is getting into streaming.

Pérez Art Museum Miami launched PAMMTV, a “first-of-its-kind” streaming service of the museum’s collection of video art and films, with 15 works from local and international artists. The free service is available on web browsers, mobile devices and Apple TV. (Users need to create a free account to watch content.)

The museum is celebrating PAMMTV’s launch Thursday evening with a screening of South Florida films and video art featured on the platform. Visitors can enjoy free museum entry and watch the videos displayed on a 60-foot floating screen in the bay. The foray into streaming is part of PAMM’s push to engage with audiences digitally while highlighting artists, said Jay Mollica, the PAMM Director of Digital Engagement. Last year, PAMM launched “New Realities,” the museum’s virtual augmented reality gallery of commissioned artworks.

“One of the main thrusts of our strategy is to turn the museum inside out and democratize access to the collection,” said Mollica.

While the museum’s entire video art collection won’t be available on PAMMTV at once, the streaming platform will update with a smattering of video art every few months to give viewers “a slice into the collection,” Mollica said. “We’re fusing the user experience of Netflix with the intimacy of a museum gallery,” he said. Alongside selections from guest curators and film festivals, PAMMTV features work by boundary pushing artists from South Florida, the Caribbean, Latin America and the African diaspora, who are “often left out of the history books,” said program manager Lauren Monzón. The inaugural selection of video art available on PAMMTV includes pieces from the museum’s permanent collection, works from South Florida and films curated by Third Horizon Film Festival. Films include “I Saved My Belly Dancer,” directed by Youssef Nabil and starring Salma Hayek, and “Conga Irreversible” by Los Carpinteros.

The launch party event will include live music by Suzi Analogue and Adobe Deejay, activations by local poetry organization O, Miami and screenings of lauded works by South Florida artists. There’s “Reeds/Wozo: Movement Study I” by Monica Sorelle, a meditative film of women dancing, praying and working. “CARMEN” by Cristine Brache, which won the Made in Miami award at this year’s Miami Film Festival, is a haunting short film on how domestic violence affects mother-daughter relationships. And “From Fish to Moon” by Kevin Contento, a documentary film about a small supermarket in the Florida backwoods, is making a splash in the film festival circuit, Monzón said.

“I’m really excited about inverting that pilgrimage model for viewing art within the walls of museums and for people to be able to have access to worldclass video art wherever they are,” Monzón said.

Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/entertainment/visual-arts/article279113519.html#storylink=cpy

[walkonpooh]

Okay, so Bryan Smith was pitched to me as someone who is as good as it gets for replacing Richard Laymon. Richard Laymon's early work was very schlocky. Laymon expressed an affinity for movies like "I Spit on Your Grave" for instance and you can see those influences in a lot of his early work. So if Bryan Smith is like Laymon. He's like that Laymon, meets Rob Zombie's films, at least in Depraved.

There was sooooo much going on. Let me see if I can summerize; Hopkins Bend is a Tennessee town filled with backwoods deformed inbreds and a sinister and corrupt local police force that captures unsuspecting travelers and puts them into a city wide conspiracied sex trafficking ring. So there's like a confluence series of events going on; the first is Jessica was sexually assaulted by Hoke. She decides to take justice into her own hands and has kidnapped Hoke and plans to murder him in the woods of Hopkins Bend.

Peter and Megan are traveling to a music festival, Peter decides to take a detour that should save them an hour of their trip. They stop for gas at a local general store in Hopkins Bend. Finally, there is the Kincher clan, the severely inbred clan of locals in Hopkins Bend. There's like rival gangs in Hopkins Bend who vie to get "outsiders" for their depraved purposes. There's an upcoming festival in the town, where the assumption early on is they're going to be eating these outsiders, among other things. One of the Kincher's Abby, is having second thoughts after she witnessed her clan kill a young boy. Abby is talking with Michelle, the Kincher's "dinner" for the upcoming festival about potentially leaving the area.

And that's not even everything happening here. There's like so many plot threads, it reminds me of Laymon's The Woods Are Dark quite a bit. It's pretty much what you expect from a 90s splatterpunk book, I think I found the writing pretty generic for the most part, I think this was early in Smith's bibliography, so I'll excuse that.

I wouldn't say I "liked" the book, but it's readable in spite of the events happening in the book, because it seems so over-the-top. I think I'll try to find something Smith fans consider better and try to evaluate whether I want to read more of Smith based on that, though this is one recommended when you try to figure out what you want to read from Smith, so I don't know how to feel about that, I'll reserve judgement until I read one more book.

[moshstar]

Backwoods at Mulberry Mountain

Backwoods at Mulberry Mountain

Backwoods at Mulberry Mountain is a music festival that takes place at the Mulberry Mountain Lodging and Events in Ozark, Arkansas. The festival has featured a variety of musical acts, including country, rock, and electronic music. It is not clear if the festival has featured the band “Backwoods” or if there are any plans for them to perform at the festival in the future. It is recommended that…

[plungermusic]

“I’m goin’ where the climate suits my clothes …”

In my minds eye Maverick Festival is always bathed in scorching sunshine, and sadly I’d dressed accordingly… as it turned out, this year epitomised the classic “Best pack a brolly and a jumper… and your sun screen too” British summer. Thankfully Maverick #16 had as wide a range of stormy, breezy, sunny and hot music on offer too.

Opening The Barn stage, and definitely on the bright and breezy side, was Jon Langford’s acoustic-led barroom Americana-with-a-splash-of-Irish (yes, we know he’s Welsh!) like the boisterous fiddle-and-piano-propelled Walking On Hell’s Roof Looking At The Flowers. He certainly brought plenty of vigour to get the show rolling, but for our tastes there was maybe too much of that particularly British undercurrent of tongue in cheek, knowing ironic delivery as exemplified by a very Squeeze-like Slightly South Of The Border.

Down at The Moonshine though, Chris Murphy [below] was in deadly earnest! With an appropriately Mephistophelean look, a somewhat gravelly vocal and solo fiddle (played in a variety of ways) enhanced with loops and pedals, he mixed traditional celtic and Appalachian music with ambient and heaver elements to great effect: from Early Grave’s backwoods hoedown stomp to the highlands-threnody-meets-badlands-trainride-soundtrack of Into The Past. A particular favourite was Halfway Around The World: epic in scope, ranging from sweeping ambient soundscape to full-on ceilidh fiddle lines, harmonised and doubled-up that raised the hairs on the backs of our Scots-expat necks!

Heading back toward The Barn we caught a brief snatch of A Different Thread’s Peacock stage set: some gentle Greenwich Village coffee shop folky Americana with delicate harmonies sung into a single mic (Old Time stylee), with splashes of Dylany harmonica, upright bass (and an upright drummer!) and even a hint of N’awlins-y Dr Johnishness in a whimsical whistling song.

Michael James Wheeler was just finishing up as we got to The Barn, looking and sounding the epitome of the clean-cut all-American country star, his Don Mcleanesque super-clear delivery with a hint of quavering vulnerability backed by big, chiming guitar chords.

One of the big draws this year for Plunger were Lonehollow [below], whose first ever appearance (of three over the weekend) was at The Barn. Rylie Bourne and Damon Atkins style themselves “a little bit country, a little bit rock’n’roll” respectively, and there was plenty of the latter in Damon’s gutsy vocal lead on Angel Wings and and a boogieing I Thought It’d Be Me, and of the former in Rylie’s aching Mary Ann with heartbreaking harmonies and the wistful Simple Town. Some lovely touches too of dark Nicksian menace in Lover and Stones, plus a slinky, funky road song Hard Slowin’ Down. Top notch stuff!

A Plunger favourite from previous Mavericks, Evangeline Gentle [below] brought her stunning hypnotic voice to The Moonshine. Right from the first blissful notes of You And I, a short a cappella with a traditional highland flavour, she had the crowd captivated. The enchantment continued through the  aching nostalgia of So It Goes, the hymn-like Good And Guided, and a languid cover of Simply The Best dedicated to her childhood heroine Tina Turner. Bad Girls a new song, drew on those times growing up in a small provincial town with a group of fellow ‘outcast others’. The closing ecstatic love song Sundays was as warm and abandoned as Sunday morning loving, and a formidable earworm for the rest of the weekend.

Back at The Barn, Tom Russell (storied country royalty with a pedigree including working with Johnny Cash and being the writer of the fantastic Gallo Del Cielo) [below] delivered a solo troubadoury set that drew a large devoted crowd to the barn, often singing along to his numbers like Hair Trigger Heart: it was accomplished enough but for us a little pedestrian and samey so I’m afraid to admit we wandered off…

We whiled away the remainder of the time before The Barn headliners down at The Peacock for much of Pepe Belmonte (another previous Maverick attendee we’ve always enjoyed) and his band’s set, including the louche Band-meets-McGuinness Flint lope of The Waterline with harmonica, mandolin and lovely piano accents; the Grateful Deadish boogie of (what we think was  called) The Bailiff Song, and more Dylany/Band vibes in the excellent Open Water.

By this time night (and a rather chill rain) had fallen, but the storming performance of Norfolk’s The Vagaband [above] raised the temperature and the roof with a spicy gumbo of southern roots, cowboy country, blues and more. Moody Western vibes came in Something Wicked This Way Comes with twangsome bottom-end guitar lines, great Hammond organ and some devilish fiddle, and in the rattling two-step of Not My Day To Die with its saloon piano and mandolin. Beautiful World was an easy-going, strummy country amble, while the drawled Black-Eyed Sally built slowly to a rumbustious country rocker. A high level of musicianship was evident throughout, but particularly in the slightly more out of leftfield tracks: White Noise, written in (and about) lockdown, had a sophisticated reggaeish slink to it, featuring classy electric piano, and a soully middle eight; while Wheels was a Madchester shuffle with more meaty Hammond and a storming fuzzy wah solo from Mark Howes; even the final crowd-pleasing stomp of Gabrielle was leavened by stylish fiddle and cymbal rich drums, peaking in a neat switch into Miss You-style discotastic funk. 

A very classy and steamy end to what had been a chilly evening, warming the cockles and raising the spirits ready for round two on Saturday.

[kalalalito]

have u heard of our lord and savior Space Jesus?

[schlock-luster-video]

Today in horror / zombie movie history: on June 12, 2010 The Evil Dead was screened at the 33mm Film and Music Festival.

Here's some Deadite art to mark the occasion!

[fromapixel3]

Meanwhile, in Arkansas.