Ryan Montbleau Band Review.....

The Ryan Montbleau Band is a hard working band, traveling from east to west, north to south, and all along the way thrilling audiences, and making them forget their worries, if only for a few hours.

This past Saturday night (05-02-09) at the B-Side Lounge in Boulder was no exception to the standard the band has set for themselves. The crowd filtered in prior to the show and as the band took the stage the room was almost filled! The beginning of the set started off a bit mellow, but slowly began to build as the crowd's energy reciprocated the band's playing.

"Maybe Today" which is definitely one of the band's catchiest tunes, began to build on the show's momentum and brought the energy up to the next level. An interesting reggae version of "Boat Song" was well received and "Eggs" got the entire crowd bouncing around and singing along. Without a doubt, the energy continued o grow throughout the show and came to a nice
close with a great version of "Draw The Line."

I did wish they would have been able to play two sets, but I guess that's what keeps folks like us coming back for more.

For more information about the Ryan Montbleau Band check out: http://www.ryanmontbleauband.com/

Review by Dave Halchak
Photos by Britt Nemeth

Follow Up Interveiw with Harry from Green Vibes

Gathering of the Vibes is doing their part to save the world one stage and compostable utensil at a time. Here is an update from Harry on all of the things Gathering of the Vibes has accomplished on the green front.

HH- Any new progress with the solar stage? Did you find a rig that can support all of the solar stage's energy needs?

Harry- We weren't able to find a rig that can handle all of our energy needs strictly with solar power. It is really hard because we are getting bigger bands on the Green Vibes Stage and they have larger lighting and energy demands. We also added late night acts. The Machine is playing from 1:30-3:30 one night and they have a tremendous light show which requires a ton of energy. We want them and all the other bands to look their best for the fans.

HH- What percentage of the power will be solar?

Harry- We don't have an exact percentage as of yet, but it will be a large one.

HH- Have your found a farm to take all of the compostable cups, utensils, and plates?

Harry- Yes! The New Milford Farm will be taking all of our compostables. This is a huge development and we are so happy and grateful to them.

HH- They are going to have compost for years!

Harry- Yes. They know the magnitude of our event and the amount of compost that Vibes is going to produce and they are ready.

HH- Have you been able to find a company that will rent you generators that run on bio-diesel?

Harry- Yes! The company we are renting our generators from is On Site Energy. We are getting our bio-diesel from Suma Energy. We are hoping that by running our generators on bio-diesel that people will become more educated on bio-diesel and learn about all the truths and myths about it.

HH- Gathering of the Vibes will be an inspiration on this front. Thank you. Are you able to bring in water tanks so people can refill their water bottles?

Harry- That is one thing that we weren't able to do this year. The logistics for that to happen are so big. Each year we do more than the year before so this is something that is on our radar and we hope to do in the future because we think it is important.

HH- Anything new and good with Clean Vibes?

Harry- They will have great signage this year so it is clear where to throw your trash. There will be signs for composting, recycling, and regular trash. Their will be people called "Trash Talkers" that will educate the festival goers. We are setting up a "Trading Post" where people can bring recyclables to and in exchange they will receive prizes that our sponsors have donated.

HH- Would we be able to donate a Healthy Hippie Magazine to each person who brings the "Trading Post" recyclables?

Harry- Yes, we would love that!

HH- Thank you and I am so impressed with all that you have accomplished since the last time we spoke. Gathering of the Vibes is really onto something and I hope that you inspire other festivals to follow.

Harry- We hope that too. Thank you and see you on July 23rd in Bridgeport, CT!

Some Kind of Jam 4

SOME KIND OF JAM 4

Festival season ’09 is in full swing and it feels great!! I kicked it off with Some Kind of Jam 4, presented by JibberJazz Productions in Kempton, Pennsylvania. Allow me to preface this with a little anecdote. While at the grocery store, picking up supplies for the weekend, the gentleman in line at the check-out counter ahead of me was waiting to purchase five (five) cans of Axe body spray. This guy was clearly ready to party. I took it as a sign that this was going to be a weekend for getting down! And boy did that prophecy come to fruition! Attendees of the festival were greeted by the first summer-like weekend of the year, a diverse repertoire of music, fire shows, activities for the kiddies, yoga, hooping, bonfires, late-night music, great vendors, a dog-friendly environment, flush toilets and much much more.

Kempton Community Center is a beautiful 50+ acre campground located in the green, rolling hills of Pennsylvania, not far from the Appalachian Trail and only about 6 miles from the highway, which makes this little treasure very quick and easy to access. The park features two stages (one indoor banquet hall and one outdoor pavilion) which are both protected from whatever Mother Nature had to throw at us. Luckily, it was well into the 80’s during the days, so instead of providing shelter from the storm, the cover supplied plenty of cool shade. “We are extremely pleased with how well Some Kind Of Jam 4 turned out!” stated Todd Troutman of JibberJazz Productions, “with near-perfect weather, respectful attendees, and an incredible assortment of live music, it is no surprise that attendance was higher than projected and everyone on the grounds had a blast that weekend. Not only do we take great pride in the variety of musical styles presented at our festivals, but we also love introducing listeners to lesser-known artists that, we believe, bring something special to the table. Our festival-goers are always able to enjoy a hassle-free environment that is also safe and family friendly. Somehow, were able to do all of this while keeping things running rather smoothly with a very affordable ticket price.”

The music lineup was top-notch. Every band was so talented and so different from one another. The wide variety of bands sure kept things interesting and it was such a treat to check out some bands for the first time that instantly converted me into a big fan. There was a great blending of highly talented local/regional bands like Dakini, Wandering Root, Splintered Sunlight, Cabinet, Post Junction, Jimkata, The Big Dirty and Turtle Soup (each bringing their own unique flavor of rock, jazz and the deep, ugly funk) with bands from outside of the area, like Chicago Afrobeat Project and The Breakfast (which blows the brains out the back of my skull every time I see them). I found myself at one point in the midst of a great dilemma, trying to decide if I should stay inside the hall and get down to some hip-hop from The Hustle or dance like a wild woman to the sounds of New Orleans with The Hoppin’ John Orchestra (which began their set with a parade around the pavilion). Tough call! There was percussion, there were saxophones, and banjos and upright basses. There was even at one point a glockenspiel, I believe. Whatever tickles your fancy, SKOJ had what you were looking for.

JibberJazz Productions is currently working on their next project, Meeting of the Minds II, taking place September 11-13, in Wind Gap, PA. The festival will feature 15 bands, solo-artists, family activities, fire performances, a beautiful backdrop for camping and everything we have come to know and appreciate from their events. Presale tickets are just $30, which can be purchased from their website Anything event by JibberJazz puts on comes highly recommended -- sure to be a blast! Many thanks to the staff and crew for their hard work and tremendous effort to give us a booty-shakin’ great time!

Here are just a few of my favorite photos from the event. The rest can be found on my photo website

By Jess Reis