GREEN RIVER FESTIVAL
July 10 - 12
nothing says improv like inviting a bunch of aliens
that were beamed down to earth from the Rubblebucket crew on stage for a quick dance party. Yes,
that happened. Benevento even performed two encores, demanded by the crowd, which is somewhat
unheard of at today’s music festivals.
The Wood Brothers put on one of the best shows
of the weekend as the cool air finally swept over
the grounds. The trio eased everyone into the night
just before the raucous Rubblebucket took the Main
Stage and shook it to the core.
The amount of energy that Rubblebucket exudes
is staggering. Lead singer Kalmia Traver is like a
discharged bullet bouncing around a steel box. The
band presents this spaced-out jazz pop that lures
people in from all walks of life.
Winter • 2015
As the band proceeded to stun the first-timers
and dusk settled into darkness it was hard not to
notice the balloon glow and the roar of fire. A row of
hot air balloons shimmering against the night sky
left everyone, even the band, transfixed.
Sunday rolled right along with a sturdy line
up and a promising breeze, but the humidity just
wouldn’t quit. When singer/songwriter Sean Rowe,
a Troy, NY native, took to the Main Stage things got
even hotter. As a musician, Rowe uses his rhythmic
guitar and resonant vocals to round out his songs.
He has a soothingly deep voice akin to the likes of
Neil Diamond and Leonard Cohen and it plays well
into his stripped down, new album Madman. As a
naturalist, he uses his lyrics to express a slew of
emotions and subtleties. In the title track of his new
album he sings, “When the road takes me to the other side of the world/Let a walnut tree replace me/
Give my body back to the birds”.
Preservation Hall Jazz Band brought Louisiana
to Greenfield in glorious fashion and the Punch
Brothers delivered a performance that left everyone
standing in their own puddles of sweat.
The 2015 Green River concluded with HX[