Take Root Festival
De Oosterpoort, Groningen (NL)
October 6th, 2007
Story by Johanna J. Bodde
Pics by Edgar Heckmann or Tamara
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TAKE ROOT FESTIVAL De Oosterpoort, Groningen (NL)
October 6th, 2007 When I close the frontdoor, I see Max -my
neighbor's big orange tomcat- sleeping in the frontyard, between the purple
flowers. This is his favorite spot, ever since his best buddy was hit and killed
by a speeding car a few weeks ago. They were right in the middle of their daily
boxing match in front of the building. Poor Max, he made a narrow escape but he
hasn't really been the same... And cats can't even turn to music for
comfort!
We, people, are so lucky! The tenth edition, the big anniversary of the Take Root Festival takes place today. Not in Assen, they moved the whole festival to De Oosterpoort, a huge theatre with several rooms, in Groningen. That is sooo good for me, I just need to take the express bus to Groningen's big bus & train station, from there it's less than ten minutes walking. I can't appreciate this enough, that it's made real easy for music lovers travelling by public transportation! The line-up looks glorious too, celebrating "Past, present and upcoming American music". I've rarely seen such a super selection of great roots musicians being put together in one list... It's still early, but out in the hall we represent already three music websites and retired DJ Jan Donkers with partner are carrying a big carton box. They complain about the weather being ten degrees colder here than in Amsterdam. What's with that box? I see, Jan writes books these days and probably expects to sell a lot of copies today. The guestlist window opens up, even my name is easy to find. (Thanks for putting me on the list, Johan and thanks for putting in a good word, Bernie!) Everything rolls so smoothly... Ah, there's a bump in the road: mean security! Last time I was here at De Oosterpoort, they gave my friend a hard time about a..... gun? No, a cigarette case!! It's so easy, security people: there's supposed to be a lady to search ladies purses, tell what exactly you're looking for and neverrr throw anything out or even threaten to do that: just label it & lock it away. Oh, and drop the "I'm in power" attitude, please!! --- Hello, friends!! Good to see everybody again! Even friends from the Rotterdam area took this long trip and we're discussing expectantly the time table and what type of music likely to be played by whom. Lots of space here. It's a non-smoking building, I think the smokers have to go out on a terrace. The festival market draws visitors immediately, looking for a good deal on CD's. There's also a little bit of the trademark Mexican touch: the food, some decorations in the cafetaria, but no funny statues like in Assen. Time for music: kicking off in the Foyer, THE .357 STRING BAND from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Isn't this string band named after a gun? I bet the security doesn't know that... All jokes aside, this is a cool act, playing uptempo on upright bass (covered with stickers), acoustic guitar, mandolin and banjo, with a rock&roll attitude. I'm sure comparisons will be made with The Hackensaw Boys, they introduced unpolished bluegrass to the big audience, but this is slightly different. These boys call their music "street grass", bluegrass with street credibility. They have thought about their looks too, apparently: the hardrocker and the intellectual type and the rockabilly cat with tattoos, not sure about the fourth player: a farm boy? "Pickin' up the steam...", yes, that means they can do it even faster! Third song is a Woody Guthrie cover, the banjo player singing leadvocals. This is fun, I would have liked to stay longer, as it promises to get much wilder towards the end, but... I want to be on time in the Small Room. ---  The Spoolies For... THE SPOOLIES. A group, brought together for one tour only, I guess. RAMSAY MIDWOOD, never heard of before, sorry! Favorite TONY GILKYSON. Favorite KIP BOARDMAN. We just kept playing their (second) records on Alt.Country Cooking! As for MIKE NICOLAI, there's some connection with The Gourds. I don't believe it, they've put tables (with colorful tableclothes) and chairs in front of the stage! Jan Donkers is the MC here, announcing the acts. I promised myself not to say anything bad about Jan this time. He tells something about Arlington, Virginia. Maybe Ramsay grew up there? And then he claims: "I thought they had only a graveyard there..." Jan apparently never looked around very well, while leaving Dulles International Airport! There are the four, no, five guys. The one with the hat backwards on must be Ramsay. He looks like somebody I would like to have an interesting conversation about music with. He starts off on leadvocals, a somewhat gritty voice, playing his big acoustic guitar in a bluesy alt.country style with a touch of swamprock. Sounds great. And there's Tony for the second song. Wow... He's such an incredibly talented guitarplayer! Yes, he's Eliza's brother, younger brother I think. I saw him for the first time in Berkeley, California where he played as Amy Rigby's leadguitarist. What a fun show that was! Amy recommended Tony's first album, but unfortunately I had barely enough money for my subway ticket... Mike plays bassguitar, his song is country-ish, while the energetic drummer provides good harmony vocals. And then there's Kip, I recognize him from the pictures: very skinny, eyeglasses, he wears his hair very long and he plays keyboards. "Waterfall", that's from his first album (that I don't have either, shit!). I just love his gorgeous rather high voice. And so it goes on & on: the four gentlemen take turns on leadvocals and showcase four different approaches to alt.country. They don't talk inbetween songs, only Tony makes a few remarks. He tells that this is the fourth Spoolies show. I swear, they sound like they played already four years together! The song Tony's father wrote in 1948, "Man About Town" is performed. The nameless versatile drummer (later I will learn his name is Brien Lilja) whistles on the intro into a slow jazzy song, Kip singing great harmonies, Tony playing a wonderful long solo on electric guitar. Funny, when he sings, he bends his knees a little, standing behind the microphone, just like Hank Williams Sr. did, remember those old pictures? Kip's songs are all beautiful: poppy "Losing Streak" and breathtakingly pretty piano ballad "Upon The Stars". Ramsay's countryblues just urge me to buy his records... The timing of the set is a bit off, they end the show with Mike -who also ventured into bluesrock earlier- singing some sort of protest song against the pope, not such a good choice. So let's pretend they end with Tony's rhythmic rocker "Tear It Down" (that came along two songs ago). Dutch musician Jan the Lazyman appears on stage as a guest musician and plays the washboard, very cool! The Spoolies: definitely a Take Root highlight!! ---  The Brandos Photo by Edgar Heckmann (Bluerose Records) There's a little time window to check out THE BRANDOS in the Big Room. Although it's the only act playing at the moment, I don't have trouble entering the room. The volume is slightly deafening down here, but that's what they invented earplugs for. Professionally tight playing rootsrockers, wearing impeccable suits, they sing effortlessly very nice three part harmonies. Just too bad Frank Giordano isn't in the band anymore, I've seen him in a solo setting a couple of years back, he actually married a girl from my current hometown! But this "new" guy Ziga Stanonik is a killer guitarplayer too. They totally surprise us by playing an Irish dance tune, Dave Kincaid on an acoustic instrument that looks like a mandolin with a big belly. "Merrily Kissed The Quaker / The New York Volunteer", that's from their latest album. Then they play "the single" and then I have to leave again, unfortunately. ---
As I do want to see the WILLARD GRANT CONSPIRACY in the Small Room. Robert Fisher, the one-of-a-kind singer-songwriter and his ever changing collective of musicians. I attended their shows at a church in San Francisco, in a Belgian theatre, in a club on the Rotterdam waterfront and a few more places. I always end up being totally fascinated! Jan Donkers messes up his announcement completely, confusing everybody about the group's name. And it's so simple, I heard Robert explain it in a radio interview: Willard Grant was the name of the street, where he once lived and where the band rehearsed in the early beginnings. Robert doesn't have a beard anymore, he picked up a guitarplayer and a ladysinger when he began his tour in Scotland and Dutch musician Erik van Loo plays the upright bass. First song is "Ghost Of The Girl In The Well". That pretty much sets the mood. Robert is in a very good mood himself actually, I know he only gets upset for two reasons: not enough people in the room and technical trouble. His impressive Johnny Cash-like deep voice is better than ever and his little stories are wry and funny at the same time. Old favorites pass by, the snake handling minister who painted messages on top of the barns "Welcome to Earth". The gym teacher from Seattle. He makes a statement about "scary lullabies", before singing "Day is Passed And Gone". And he jokes about the photographers, with "lenses this big and there were more!" He had played in a club that was a former strip joint and there was a huge pole, covered in mirrors, right in front of him. He had asked to have it covered! "Fare Thee Well". The field holler "Another Man Is Gone". His companions sing one of their own Celtic songs and the lady singer covers Big Brother and The Holding Company. Of course there are songs played from the new album. Robert tells a very funny story about "Flying Low". He was on-line at the same time as Steve Wynn, so they started writing a song, four lines each, back and forth. After four or five minutes (according to Robert) there it was: a complete song. When Robert played it live for the first time, Steve was in the audience and had this blank look on his face, that scared Robert. But afterwards he complimented Robert on the song, that it was a good one he wrote. Robert replied: "It better be, you wrote half of it!" Turned out, that Steve didn't remember that!! But it definitely bears his signature, "I dreamed I saw angels flying low...", a highlight in the set. "Dance With Me", beautifully building up after a long intro and towards the end of the concert epic "Let It Roll". Today Robert himself plays the acoustic guitar and some harmonica, his guitarplayer changes constantly between electric guitar, mandolin and acoustic, also playing with the slide. Erik sometimes uses a bow on his bass. This is such an excellent show! The audience raises for a standing ovation and Robert walks away between all of us, thanking his fans and shaking hands. ---
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Appearing in the Big Room: CHUCK PROPHET & THE MISSION EXPRESS. Another big favorite of mine, Chuck. I've seen him also from San Francisco to Rotterdam and various other places. Real special was his contribution to the Neil Fest at the Justice League in 1999! The sound is probably better upstairs, while I'm climbing the MC here -Jeroen Wielaert- manages to annoy everybody by claiming that we, lovers of rootsmusic, are all divorced at least once and aren't doing the work anymore that we studied for. Excuse me?? He should have announced the musicians a little better instead, now the names of the current Mission Express members get lost completely. And in all the confusion Chuck doesn't even do one of his own fun announcements. I never forget that one time in Tilburg, when he called out all the downtown San Francisco stations of the BART (subway)! "Let's do something wrong, let's do something stupid", all-right!! He still plays his white Fender guitar, his "lucky" guitar and he has his two microphones -one for the effects- and his whole battery of effect pedals on the floor, although I can't see that from this distance. Drummer, bassist and an extra guitarist. No pedal steel player, no multi-instrumentalist, no Tom Heyman, no Max Butler. That means only one thing: Chuck has a rockshow on his mind! And of course there's Chuck's lady, Stephanie Finch, playing keyboards and singing. She deserves her place in the spotlights! Yep, that's Chuck the funky rocker: doing all the rock&roll poses, the dramatic faces, climbing the drum platform, turning around in a circle, kicking yet another effect pedal. We just love him for it! "Baby Just To See You Smile", he ends up on his knees and dedicates the next one "to all the ladies in the audience", just like Nick Lowe would say that. "I Bow Down And Pray To Every Woman I See". He thanks us for sticking with him: "There are seventeen venues in this compound where you can hear music now and you choose to spend an hour with us..." And he recalls that one of the musicians in Nashville, where he recorded, told him this particular rocksong sounded like the Golden Earring. Chuck announces that he started writing "Would You Love Me", when he watched Mel Gibson in "the porn movie Passion Of The Christ" ("They're dragging Jesus down the street, it doesn't look good to me") and finished it when he heard about Anna Nicole Smith's untimely death. Wow, it's definitely a fascinating song... Stephanie plays her accordion, slowly approaching Chuck who's playing his intricate solos in the meantime. Looks like she's tempting him... I admire them, still love birds after all these -often difficult- years in the music bizz. Another unforgettable picture from that show in Tilburg: Chuck and Stephanie singing into one microphone. Now the show is a bit more routine, but yet bubbling with energy. "Summertime Thing", screeching guitars in the finale. "You Did (Bomp Shooby Dooby Bomp)". I should go and see Chip Taylor & Carrie Rodriguez, but I can't pull myself away here... --- Anyway, I hope I never again have to make the choice between PF Sloan and Chip Taylor! I decide to go and see PF SLOAN in the Inner Room. It might be the only chance I get to ever see him live. Besides that, I'm a big fan of Duane Jarvis, the ultimate "musician's musician" and he is PF's (Phil for his friends) sideman on this tour. When I enter the room, there's a man sitting on stage, playing some blues standards on an acoustic guitar. Is that PF Sloan? I thought he would look older... When I get closer, I recognize him from the pictures. O.K., he dyed his hair auburn, but he looks good for his age! This is apparently still the soundcheck, Duane joins him on the stage with his black electric guitar and the audience is already very quiet. More people are coming in, when the concert officially starts. PF has an impressive voice and he plays his just as impressive songs as folkblues, different from his more dressed up album "Sailover", but this works even better. He promotes the album though, playing some songs off it and promising he will sign autographs after the show. "Sins Of A Family", he tells that this song was banned in 1965 until Radio Caroline -a pirate station on a ship off the English coast- picked it up and it became a big hit. Yes, I do remember those "pirates" from my early teenage years, that was such an exciting time! "Violence", then a song with a beautiful melody that's not on the CD, Duane plays with the slide, he's so damned talented! "How are you all doing?", PF Sloan asks and the reply from the audience is: "Sloan for President!!" He nods: "I'll take that job!" Yes, "Eve Of Destruction", the big hitsong he wrote for Barry McGuire. All the old hippies among us sing along. Duane can do one of his own songs too, "Coulda Woulda Shoulda". Catchy. He asks us to put our hands together for Yvonne and Paul, who booked the tour. The result is a very meagre applause. The complete story goes like this: Yvonne had won a backstage pass in a contest, for the Liberation Festival in Haarlem, a few years back. Duane Jarvis was the sideman of Ellis Hooks there, so I suggested Yvonne should go and check them out. There she was, waving Duane's second CD in front of the stage... And that's how their contact started! The set goes on, "From A Distance", "Hollywood Moon", "Love Is 4Giving". Some songs are bluesy, some are more rocking, with great guitarwork by Duane. While PF Sloan makes the protest songs sound just as urgent as they were in the sixties! One song as an encore to end this special show... Even Robert Fisher is waiting in line to say "hello" to Duane Jarvis. Or is he waiting until PF Sloan himself comes out again? ---  Jeffrey Foucault Photo by Edgar Heckmann (Bluerose Records) I won't know, I'm going on my way to see Son Volt. First I stop by in the Foyer to see JEFFREY FOUCAULT and his band. Their last song is a nice little bluesrocker, definitely good enough to keep Jeffrey's name in mind. I want to hear a full live show by him, someday.  Son Volt Photo by Edgar Heckmann (Bluerose Records) SON VOLT, in the big room with the too big sound, have to do their thing without a drummer! Jay Farrar explains that the poor guy had a bicycle accident and broke his collarbone. This is their only show on the continent and they definitely try to do the best they can! They play very well, Jay on acoustic and electric guitars, his bassplayer who is good enough to keep the band afloat when it comes to the rhythm, the keyboardplayer also contributes to keeping everything in balance and then there's the leadguitarplayer. I can imagine, that this approach sounds strange to fans who know how every note is supposed to sound -from the albums- but I don't know that, so it's really not bothering me! I like to consider myself a Farrar-fan though, I actually saw him here for the first time in the same building, during the Rhythm & Blues Night some years back, where he played with one sideman. Now I just want to enjoy his gorgeous voice, the captivating atmospheric soundscapes -I even spot Native American influences- and also the sturdy rockers. I try to see -from this distance upstairs- what the keys man is actually doing, he has a lapsteel on his other side, I love lapsteel... Jay changes guitars a couple of times, keeping the guitartech who brings them on stage, busy. Once the microphone stand even topples over: "We're getting really excited now!", Jay claims. The red guitar is for the rocksongs and when Chuck Prophet's drummer appears on stage for the last song, the (feedback) fireworks are about to start! --- Anything disappointing tonight, ever optimistic Johanna? Yes, RENCH was disappointing. The CD "Life In Mean Season" (countrymusic with hiphop beats) is far more fun than what we hear in the Foyer. Rench is a just o.k. singer, his band an average country cover band, that happens to have a DJ on stage. Their original song "Come Back To Brooklyn" is cool, but who is waiting for the umptiest version of "Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down"? Or worse, Hank Williams Jr. covers, like "Family Tradition"? I'm getting the impression that nobody -except some very drunk people- is enjoying this... Really too bad, as the festival paid extra money for the band's planetickets, to get them here for an exclusive show. At least Rench himself seems to have fun, he takes pictures of the audience, for his mother. In the meantime Chip Taylor walks by, is being tackled -almost- by a fan and has to sign an autograph. As the fan doesn't have any paper on him, he grabs a small flyer from the floor (!) and offers that to Chip. And the nicest person on the planet doesn't even blink... By the way, if you know Chip and you want to impress young people, just mention you know the uncle of Angelina Jolie in person! Admiring gazes guaranteed. A friend reports that the room where Tim O'Reagan & Jim Boquist play is really full. I believe him immediately, he helped me entering the small room at the Blue Highways Festival a couple of times, if he can't get inside, nobody can!  Tim O'Reagan & Jim Boquist ---So we wait for closing act SOUTHSIDE JOHNNY & THE ASHBURY JUKES in the Big Room. I want to see Southside Johnny (also known as Johnny Lyon, a good old friend of Bruce Springsteen and Little Steven) for a very long time already. At first I didn't really admit to myself why, but my late partner was a very big fan of Southside Johnny (the worn-out LP "Hearts Of Stone" is still cherished here), so I guess that's why I'm subconsciously so curious! I once heard a fan say: "Where Springsteen went commercial and cheated on his first wife, Southside Johnny always stayed for real." Wow, that's an extended line-up, filling the stage... And that's the way to handle annoying MC's!! Johnny points both index fingers at him and just yells back. He yells louder, so Jeroen is gone in two seconds."Take It Inside"! Southside Johnny can't do anything wrong anymore! The show is awesome too, a real party with the band enthusiastically bouncing all over the stage. There are four musicians playing the saxophones, trombone and trumpets, swinging, doing balancing acts, jumping, just incredible. The others: drums, bass, keys and leadguitar are also verrry good. And Johnny, what an energy and what a charisma! He sings and plays harmonica and struts around on stage, firing up his band. The music is a mix of soul, rock and blues. He knows his styles too, from Chicago to New Orleans. The songs are dating back to his early albums, "This Time Baby's Gone For Good", "Talk To Me", "The Fever" and "All Night Long". A real long version of "I Don't Want To Go Home" and then "It's All Over Now" as the encore, while the audience is dancing and applauding with the hands in the air. I can live another year after an energy boost like this!! --- The security still hangs around the entrance. Weird, that they take cameras from people while every fifth music lover today was shooting complete videos with those smart little cellphones! That's nice: we get a present from a PR-lady when we leave: a DVD of Take Root 2004. A good excuse to finally buy a player! It's foggy outside, but it gives me a good feeling that -for once- I don't have to worry about getting home. The last express bus even brings me and another lady back to the busstation, a couple of stops further than he is supposed to go on his late-night run. And Max is still outside... My neighbor, a nurse, is probably still working. He tries to persuade me to let him inside, by pityful meowing, but I remember just in time what an expert he is at breaking into refrigerators, eating everything, except the plastic wrappers. Sorry, Max! I always said that I wanted to come back in my next life as a cat, but I'm reconsidering lately. Cats don't attend music festivals! --- Written by Johanna J. Bodde for Insurgent Country,
October 11th 2007.
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