(Lotus at The Peach Music Festival 2019)
Article and photos by Scott Williams
The Peach Music Festival was a high energy weekend filled with amazing music, perfect weather, a water park to cool off in, striking mountaintop views and tons of happy, spirited attendees. While being such a giant festival with a rumored 45,000 passing through it’s gates over the course of the weekend, it maintained an intimate and familial feel.
The enormous venue Montage Mountain Resort is a ski lodge set in the gorgeous Pocono Mountains just outside of Scranton, PA and provided the perfect mountainous landscape for the event. There were three unique music stages as well as an additional VIP stage with special private performances throughout the weekend. Boasting 5 water slides, a wave pool and a lazy river, patrons could swim and frolic in the water while listening to some of their favorite bands rock the mountainside. There was also a zip-line on which festival goers could zoom over the event to get an exhilarating adrenaline rush if they pleased.
Thursday afternoon, Aqueous opened The Peach Stage (the main stage) with their technically advanced and high energy jams. Soon after, amazing guitarist and bluegrass artist Billy Strings crooned fans with his edgy, poignant and heartfelt hop. Strings played a notable pick scraping solo which showcased his distinct ability to blur the lines of classic bluegrass by incorporating sounds reminiscent of both a washboard solo and a DJ scratching on vinyl. After a long day of waiting in lines and hauling gear up the mountainside, Strings left the crowd refreshed and rejuvenated for the weekend which lay ahead.
After a quick stage changeover Pigeons Playing Ping Pong took the main stage for their first set of the evening. These guys immediately cranked up the crowd’s energy with their tight, clean and lockstep brand of jam-funk-rock. Polished and precise jam veterans The String Cheese Incident then debuted their first set of the weekend; wowing patrons with their mood setting rock, bluegrass and EDM combination of sounds. For the last set of night one, Pigeons once again graced The Peach Stage. Their infectious vocals and guitar melodies took the energy up another notch. Arguably providing one of the best dance-disco beats in the business, drummer Alex Petropulos was the MVP of this set. This was the largest crowd and venue the band had ever played and they did it with grace, gratitude and aplomb. Pigeons Playing Ping Pong transmits joy loud and clear and tore the house down with a raging second set to close out night one.
(Pigeons Playing Ping Pong at The Peach Music Festival 2019)
As the crowd trekked back to the campgrounds for the evening, it was evident what high spirits the music had imparted upon them. Camps were filled with joy, laughter and a great measure of drumming and jamming. Festival campers had the choice of camping in either the woods or grassy areas along ski slopes. Shuttles and wagons helped shlep gear to and from attendees vehicles. Smooth operations and organization ensured that patrons encountered little difficulty in getting inside the campgrounds and easily had their gear transported up the mountain. There were also VIP camping and “glamping” areas with tents and gear provided in addition to RV sites for attendees requiring more of the comforts of home. Ski lifts transported “glampers” up to exclusive mountain top areas designated just for them.
Day two kicked off with a peaceful poolside yoga session led on The Mushroom Stage. The tranquil vibes soon departed once Andy Frasco & The UN split the stage wide open with their freakish and zany style of soul-funk. Frasco utilized blow up props provided by the audience to augment his set and became increasingly scantily clad as the set went on, eventually donning purple sequined bikini bottoms also provided by his fans. Frasco had a drum-off featuring sit-ins from Tikyra Jackson from Southern Avenue as well as Neal “Fro” Evans from Dopapod.
The Infamous String Dusters enlivened The Peach Stage with their beautifully sonorous music. A classic bluegrass act, they use old school techniques. Upright bass player Travis Book would move behind whomever was currently soloing to provide more oomph for that lead player. They would also rearrange themselves into a circle to mimic the older days when bluegrass bands gathered around a single microphone and used distance to mix themselves on stage. Soon thereafter, Corey Wong hipped up The Mushroom Stage. Spritely, chunky and pure, he and his band certainly brought the energy. A true master of his instrument, Wong is the Hendrix of Funk.
(Corey Wong at The Peach Music Festival 2019)
With a quick journey over to The Peach Stage concert goers had the opportunity to catch Blues Traveler. After a lengthy funk-driven intro John Popper finally appeared and gave the crowd the “Run-Around.” He mentioned that he was having vocal issues and had to take some extra time to warm-up with a technique that Greg Allman had taught him and raised a glass in his honor. His melodious and virtuous harmonica cut through the mix prolifically. His vocal issues were non-evident as the raw power of Popper’s voice blazed above his band. Chuck Garvey from moe. was featured with a sit in.
Classic Bluegrass outfit The Kitchen Dwellers provided a stirring supper time set on The Live For Live Music Stage that had patrons hopping along to a soulful gallop. Southern Avenue wowed music lovers at The Mushroom Stage with their soulful and energetic southern power funk. This band brings the heat. Lead singer Tierinii Jackson has a powerful set of pipes and bounds around the stage like a gazelle. Guitarist Ori Naftaly was right at home at Peach with his bluesy Duane Allman-esque riffs and tones, hollow-body Gibson Les Paul and 68’ Fender Deluxe Amplifier. Soon after, the Peach Stage fans were graced with featured musical artists “moe.” This was a dance worthy set that featured funky rocking jams with fanciful and freeing lyrics along with fiery guitar shredding.
(The Kitchen Dwellers at The Peach Music Festival 2019)
(Southern Avenue at The Peach Music Festival 2019)
(moe. with the ASL interpreter at The Peach Music Festival 2019)
Dopapod delivered a dance party of a sunset set on The Mushroom Stage. Had there been a roof over the venue, they would have blown it clean off. These guys are masters of their craft and are continuing to evolve. After playing a masterpiece of a set, Dopapod have truly placed themselves into a genre of their own.
(Dopapod at The Peach Music Festival 2019)
The String Cheese Incident were Friday night’s headliners on The Peach Stage and presented two sets of relaxed earthy vibes. They were calm, cool, and peacefully energetic. This was a walk in the park for these jam veterans. They held festival attendees, as well as the world, at their feet with a free live stream provided by nugs.net. Nugs provided free streams all weekend of select sets and are available for viewing on YouTube.
(The String Cheese Incident at The Peach Music Festival 2019)
Cycles played The Live for Live Music Stage and were a fan favorite of the weekend for those lucky enough to catch their set. This band is a trio of master musicians that play their instruments with extreme prowess. They gave an entire set of deep Type II improvisational jams. They certainly had their moments of playing rehearsed sections of original material but they seemed to deliver the majority of their set off the cuff.
Allman Betts Band gathered a large crowd at The Mushroom Stage. These fellows are keeping The Peach tradition alive representing their roots in a beautiful way. They wooed crowds with Allman Brother’s classics, and their sound is subtle and smooth — evoking memories of cherished musicians now passed. More than a tribute, these men are a mainstay of this festival and represent everything it stands for: peace, love, and music.
Lotus brought their distinct brand of hip-electro funk and rocked down the Peach Stage. Their set was a pure, high energy dance party. Magic Beans closed down The Live For Live Music Stage on Friday night with their smooth synths and funky clavinet led jams. They delivered energetic, straight forward funk for the masses.
Another morning yoga session set the mood for Saturday, day three of The Peach Music Festival. Kat Wright started things out right with her sultry voice and soulful band on The Mushroom Stage while Star Kitchen serenaded The Peach Stage.
(Kat Wright at The Peach Music Festival 2019)
Ghost Light played jams of truth, love, and freedom on the Mushroom Stage. They sang beautiful and melodic vocals with harmony. Their songwriting is poignant and their tunes develop in a way that continue to build momentum into a wonderful and musical peak. Holly Bowling provided lush and vibrant piano and organ as well as a super funky clavinet. Tom Hamilton provided his signature crisp and tasteful licks on guitar.
(Ghost Light at The Peach Music Festival 2019)
(Holly Bowling, Steve Lyons and Scotty Zwang of Ghost Light at The Peach Music Festival 2019 pictured left to right)
The Michigan Rattlers took over the Live For Live Music Stage Saturday afternoon and emitted great vibes with classic Americana songwriting. Their sound is reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen and has just a touch of twang and a rocking bluegrass feel. The four piece was characterized by its buttery upright bass and working man’s lyrics.
(The Michigan Rattlers at The Peach Music Festival 2019)
Lettuce brought the funk to the Peach Stage with their brilliant cascading horns, funky bass lines and tasteful guitar melodies. Amazing vibes were being shared with the crowd while literal chunks of lettuce were tossed around the amphitheater. Lettuce was just as pumped for the crowd as the crowd was for them.
(Lettuce at The Peach Music Festival 2019)
Fruition took to the Mushroom Stage and shared their delightful fusion of Americana, reggae, rock and bluegrass that did not disappoint. This band proved they can certainly sing after showcasing their beautiful soaring vocal melodies and harmonies.
Another crowd favorite was Goose, who played a late afternoon set on the Live For Live Music Stage. The quartet enlightened the crowd with its blend of upbeat infectious grooves, soaring guitar melodies, quirky vocals, and mind melting progressive sections. These mustached gentleman have unmistakable passion; the crowd soaked it up and gave it right back.
(Goose at The Peach Music Festival 2019)
Crooners Greensky Bluegrass brought their unique brand of classic bluegrass blended with what can only be described as futuristic space-jam-grass to the main stage and featured a sit in from headliner Trey Anastasio. They worked the crowd into an absolute frenzy.
A wonderful feature of The Peach Stage was an on-stage American Sign Language interpreter, who provided a lovely mix of signing and instrument specific dance interpretations of the jamming throughout the weekend for the hearing impaired. Between songs and sets she could be seen engaging in enthusiastic signed conversations with members of the audience.
The pavilion and lawn of The Peach Stage were packed to capacity for the Trey Anastasio Band’s two set show. They brought their soaring jams of peace and light to everyone in attendance. Trey is a veteran musician in the scene and this fest showcased his ability to unify an audience, evoking their raw emotion and transforming their energy into sound and pure love. The band wowed with its tight grooves, crisp horn parts, and clear vocal harmonies.
Mungion destroyed the Live For Live Music Stage with its weirdness and prolifically progressive shredding. Surely the staff is still cleaning the mung that was splattered all over the stage by their virtuosity. Dopapod guitarist Rob Compa sat in for the debut of the brand new Mungion tune “Hideaway.”
Rumors murmured throughout the day that Joe Russo would be unable to join his group Joe Russo’s Almost Dead for their set to close out the evening on the main stage due to the unexpected early arrival of his new baby daughter. The band proved that indeed the show must go on as Russo’s drum tech Evan Roque along with Ben Perowsky filled his role. Imagine getting the call, “Oh by the way, we need you to play with JRAD tonight in front of roughly 30,000 people.” These fill-ins did not disappoint. Tom Hamilton is an incredibly aware human. He studies the crowd intently, constantly seeking new energy to inject into the music. This creates a beautiful feedback-loop where the audience is literally fueling what is happening on stage and vice-versa. JRAD are masters of their craft, and even without Joe they were still RAD!
Saturday night the campgrounds were an absolute rage-fest. High energy was highlighted by the annual Peach Wagon Race, where homemade “racing wagons” were piloted down the mountainside at alarming speeds careening into each turn of the slope. Luckily, no one was injured and a winner was declared… the only racer to complete the entire course. The celebration carried on well past dawn, and eventually it was time to make way back to the stages for more music.
Sunday’s music started off with a bang as The Inaugural Peach Guitar Pull took place in which musical director Scott Sharrad led guitar virtuosos Jake Cinninger (Umphrey’s McGee), Samantha Fish, Rob Compa (Dopapod), Stanley Jordan and Steve Kimock in a shred-tastic medley of guitar driven tunes.
(The Inaugural Guitar Pull at The Peach Music Festival 2019)
Leah Blevins slowed down the pace on The Live For Live Music Stage Sunday afternoon for a relaxing set led by solely her and her guitar. Her original lyrics are filled with melancholic wisdom about finding light through the darkness. Her unique voice is striking and evokes thoughts of old-school country music star Dolly Parton.
Warren Haynes & Grace Potter also invoked a down tempo set on The Peach Stage that was full of beautiful, heart wrenching melodies and harmonies with just enough vocal grit. Haynes played his signature electric while Potter switched between acoustic guitar and a Hammond organ. She puts her entire being into her voice and fills the space with passion. “Shout it Out” was debuted and will be featured on Potter’s forthcoming album which is yet to be recorded. The duo also covered a stirring rendition of Led Zeppelin’s “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You.”
The closer for The Live for Live Music Stage for the weekend was 16 year old guitar master Brandon “Taz” Niederauer. Taz is the past, present and future of this scene. Taz somehow exists in all time and space when he is on stage and plays with incredible focus. May the divine bless the person who gave this kid a guitar. He wowed his audience on all fronts and his band fits tightly into the funk and soul pocket. His encore was a furious rendition of Hendrix’s “Fire” and effortlessly conjured the spirit of none other than master Jimi himself.
(Brandon “Taz” Niederauer at The Peach Music Festival 2019)
The perfect choice for a final act of the weekend to round out this incredible line-up was none other than Phil Lesh and Friends. Warren Haynes, John Scofield, and Grahame Lesh fulfilled the duties of guitar while Holly Bowling held down the keys. Phil was also joined by female vocalist Elliot Peck and drummer John Molo. Vibes were high as they took the stage for the first set and got things going with Cream’s “Sunshine of Your Love.” They played a beautiful rendition of “Bird Song” bringing to mind the rich history this group’s leader and bassist has taken part in throughout the years. The only threatening weather of the weekend came as the band was leaving the stage after their first set and the show’s concluding set was placed under a weather delay. Much of the crowd hurried to batten down their campsites, but magically the intense storm split around the mountain and only a few drops of rain fell from the sky. Soon after the weather delay was lifted the band took the stage for set two. They led off with a raging “Playing In the Band” and a notably blissful “St. Stephen.”
The Peach Festival 2019 was an unbelievable success and will undoubtedly be bringing back many of its patrons again in the future. The organization was impressive. There are clearly so many moving parts to this operation and they seem to have developed this festival into a well oiled machine. The venue, the staff, the production team, and volunteers all came together to create an incredible weekend of unforgettable memories for all in attendance. Life indeed was a peach at The Peach Music Festival, and you can eat it too.
(The Peach Stage at The Peach Music Festival 2019 During Trey Anastasio Band)
Life is a Peach at The Peach Music Festival
