Green River Festival 2017 is one for the history books. As always, this year’s festival was chock full of new discoveries, as well as fantastic performances from seasoned veterans and returning favorites. There was some rain Friday night, but the weekend weather was perfect. There was great food and crafts — and so much music. With three stages, there was more music than one could possibly take in. Oh, and dancing, I should mention there was lots and lots of dancing.
Read on for some of my favorite moments of Green River Festival 2017.
New additions
There were some new additions to this year’s festival, and two that I hope will become permanent fixtures. The first was the Pre-Fest Fest that was held at the Energy Park in Greenfield on the eve of the festival. This event was presented by The Progress Partnership Inc. of Greenfield, which did an excellent job of presenting a well-organized, fun event. Local bands, Trailer Park, Colorway and The Fawns were the perfect choice to get the party started.
The other new addition this year was the Next Wave Stage on Friday night. Five bands, who had members who were under the age of 18, had the chance to rock out in front of a packed crowd that included many of their peers, and Signature Sounds made admission to the festival free on Friday night for anyone under the age of 18. The amount of talent on that small stage was impressive, and provided a glimpse into the future of our local music scene.
New discoveries
The band I was most looking forward to hearing at the year’s festival was the New Orleans-based Tank and the Bangas. The band has received an incredible amount of attention since winning 2017 National Public Radio’s Tiny Desk Concert Contest. I wondered if they would live up to the hype. They did!
The band’s set was an energetic one that included soul, rock, hip-hop and some spoken word. Tank (Tarriona Ball) is a sassy, commanding front woman who trades lines with singer Jelly Joseph at a rapid-fire pace, making for an exciting live show.
Chicano Batman, from Los Angeles, Calif., is another band that was one of my favorites. The quartet has a distinct, complex sound that is a soulful funky psychedelic mix with traces of Latin music. There’s a 1970s sound to their music — and their look. The band dressed in matching tuxedos, complete with ruffled shirts, making them look like groomsmen from a bad wedding, circa 1974. They might have been the best dressed band at the festival.
And, I also have to give a mention to Amadou and Mariam. I knew absolutely nothing about this married couple from Mali before they took to the Green River Stage on Saturday afternoon, but was immediately won over by their powerful band and the uplifting rhythmic, highly danceable Malian music and Afro-pop they created.
Returning
favorites
Many of us here in the Valley remember Lake Street Dive — when we used to see them play on small stages, including their debut performance at the Green River Festival in 2010.
It’s been great to watch them ascend in the music world, and it was equally great watching them deliver such a polished, seamless headlining set on the Green River Stage Saturday night.
The band was at the top of its game as it tore through songs like, “Bad Self Portraits” and “Call Off Your Dogs.” As a bonus, the four members of Lake Street Dive brought their side projects to the smaller Parlor Room stage on Sunday. I especially enjoyed the set by the band’s lead singer Rachel Price and vocalist Vilray. The pair sang old jazz songs, as well as some excellent compositions by Vilray, who also played guitar. Theirs was some of the most beautiful music I heard at the festival.
The Suitcase Junket (Matt Lorenz) of Amherst shined on the Green River Stage on Saturday. It’s always enjoyable watching Lorenz create music by playing an old guitar and using his feet to bang away on a bunch of junk, but it was his songwriting and excellent new songs like “Beta Star,” that made this set a high point.
Overall, Green River Festival 2017 was a great year for local musicians, from young rockers Court Etiquette, who rocked hard on the Next Wave stage, to bassist Paul Kochanski, who backed Al Anderson on Friday night, and the Sweetback Sisters, who showcased some of the material off their new album, “King of Killing Time.” There were so many reminders of all the amazing talent among us.
Dancing on the lawn
The Green River Festival always brings a touch of New Orleans (La.) to the festival, and this year the New Orleans musicians, like the aforementioned Tank & the Bangas ruled. But it wasn’t just about the newcomers — this year the legendary Funky Meters graced the Green River Stage on Sunday.
The band, which features Art Neville on keyboards, had the crowd on their feet in a way that only a band from New Orleans can do. This show benefited from the addition of the Neville family members, who live here in western Massachusetts — sax player Charles and his son Khalif on keyboards. The Funky Meters was a great addition to the festival, bringing a sense of musical history, as well as enough blues, funk and dance grooves to create a party atmosphere. But if were talking about funky sounds from New Orleans, we have to talk about Big Sam’s Funky Nation. The band, fronted by the charismatic Sam Williams, played the festival in 2016 and was such a hit that the festival welcomed the band back this year.
On Saturday afternoon, Big Sam transformed the area in front of the Four Rivers Stage into a sweaty sea of moving bodies as he and his capable band showed the crowd what being a member of the funky nation was all about.
And when Sam ordered the crowd to “shake their funky donkey,” they did just that. I think they should bring Big Sam’s Funky Nation back every year.
So there you have it — some of my favorites from a festival full of fantastic music. I’m always interested to hear about your festival favorites, so email me.
Sheryl Hunter is a music writer who lives in Easthampton. Her work has appeared in various regional and national magazines. You can contact her at soundslocal@yahoo.com