It’s about that time of year when Binge Media visits its home away from home in Columbia, Missouri (Visit Columbia, MO) to cover the Roots N Blues N BBQ festival. The festival has changed ownership and while that may have provoked some questions regarding talent acquisition and the efficiency of how the festival runs, I’m happy to say that festival, as always, went off without a hitch. Except for the rain. You can’t do much about the rain.
As always I’m joined by Chris Prunckle, my old buddy from Wannabe The Comic, in recapping each day of this year’s festivities and highlighting some of our favorite artists.
In what has become a yearly tradition, Binge Media was invited to Columbia, Missouri (Visit Columbia, MO) to cover the Roots N Blues N BBQ festival. The festival has quickly become one of my favorites. From the amazing food, to the amazing bands and musicians, to that good ol’ Midwestern hospitality, RNBNBBQ is the chillest festival I’ve ever been to.
Chris Prunckle, my old buddy from Wannabe The Comic, joins me in recapping each day of this year’s festivities, including our highlights and who we thought won this year’s festival.
The Roots N Blues N BBQ festival in Columbia, Missouri (Visit Columbia, MO) came to a resounding close on Sunday and the natural high of seeing many of my favorite musicians and living legends still has me buzzing. As we did last year, Chris Prunckle from Wannabe The Comic joins me in recapping the three day festival, highlighting who we think won the day and what our favorite moments of the day were. We both had amazing access to see the artists up close but given Chris’ access to the photo pit, he provides unique insight into being even closer to the action.
Here are some other highlights:
Biggest Surprise
My favorite thing about music is discovering something new to listen to. Even if it’s an artist that has been around, old becomes new for me. Last year at the Roots N Blues Fest, my biggest surprises were discovering Southern Culture on the Skids and Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, two groups I follow religiously now. This year, two stood out for me.
I was only able to catch a couple of songs from The Suffers but I was immediately hooked by the power, passion and range in frontwoman Kam Franklin’s vocals. I’ve been listening to their full length, self-titled debut and dancing regularly ever since.
I was introduced to Nikki Lane by a coworker who plays a haunting rendition of “You Can’t Talk to Me Like That” at open mic nights at my bar. And though that song was my intro, and it’s of course a great song, once I delved into Highway Queen, I soon realized why she deserves the moniker “Hurricane Lane”. Her performance was outstanding, her band rocking, and the banter in between songs is what I expected from someone who says “it’s always the right time to do the wrong thing”.
Best Moment
Though we discuss our favorite moments in this show, I have to underscore that by far the single best moment for me was listening to John Prine play “Sam Stone”. The crowd was so respectful, hanging onto every lyric, and when Prine played that final note, there wasn’t a dry eye in the venue. Niagara Falls, Frankie Angel.
Best Stage Setup
Not that I expect a huge, dramatic and elaborate stage setup for roots and Americana artists, but it’s hard not to pick pick Ryan Adams stage as the best. Unfortunately, Adams, who delivered above and beyond what I expected, suffers from Meniere’s Disease, so no flash photography was allowed. This is the best pic I have of his TV stage set up. In this podcast, Chris and I detail just how cool it was to see. Also, tons of smoke.
Best Food
Goddamit. We never got a pic of our favorite food from the year, which was a pulled pork sandwich on a glazed doughnut bun. Sound gross? You’re wrong, it was delicious.
Best Performance
I hate this category considering I had my face blown off by so many amazing performances. Lee Fields & the Expressions was like going to church. Booker T’s Stax Revue played Green Onions and it blew everyone away. Ryan Adams was intensely great. Band of Horses showed up with so much positive energy I still get goosebumps thinking of it. Pokey Lafarge had the crowd in the palm of his hand and treated them well. Leon Bridges made everyone dance. And John Prine made me immediately want to pick up a guitar and learn every single song he’s ever written.
However, no one blew my face off like Gary Clark Jr. While I won’t say it wasn’t a close race, Gary just added that certain “kill” factor that only the greatest live performers can deliver. He attacked the stage. He was cool. He was composed. And his guitar work was unparalleled. Not to mention his superb backup band, notably his other guitarist who Gary let take solos at times too. The man was all class, tearing it up, coming back for an encore and bowing like the Southern gentleman he is.
This past weekend I was asked by a good friend of mine to tag along for a music fest in Columbia, Missouri. My first thought was, Columbia, Missouri? Really? After looking at the lineup, I shot off a “yes!” reply without even checking if I was available. Thing was, due to the lineup, I was going to make myself available. There were at least a handful of bands that I definitely wanted to see, and a couple of others that I wouldn’t mind seeing. No biggie, right?
By the time we arrived on site, I was given press credentials. A total surprise. I’ve attended a ton of music and film festivals, working as either press or spectator. Whatever the case, I was going to write about this on Binge or for my own personal journals. The addition of the press pass gave us access to a sectioned off VIP section at the front of the stage and way in the back of the festival grounds. Back there, you had hay stacks and chairs and sofas to sit on with a pretty unobstructive view of the stage. Not to mention the food that came with it. Make no mistake, Columbia, Missouri gets down on food.
But the VIP section, immediately behind the photog pit, was only about 15 feet from the stage. And that’s the kind of thing that makes you question your objectivity. Because you’re so close to the action, does that make you forgive a bad set? Does it make you love the set more solely because you’re that close?
Well, that’s what we get into on this day by day snapshot of the Roots N Blues N BBQ Fest. There were of course some highs and lows but for the most part, the festival delivered in many different ways. But ultimately, it delivered in the way of a goddamn chicken biscuit sandwich with a fried egg smothered in southern gravy. Now THAT is where I become biased.
Chris Prunckle from the Wannabe Music Blog (http://www.wannabethecomic.com/) and I discuss each day, each performance that we saw and fight on the things that we don’t agree on (not many).
Hope you guys enjoy.
*Thanks to The Reverend Peyton Big Damn Band, Southern Culture on the Skids and Shovels and Rope for the use of their music.
I was only able to catch a couple of songs from The Suffers but I was immediately hooked by the power, passion and range in frontwoman Kam Franklin’s vocals. I’ve been listening to their full length, self-titled debut and dancing regularly ever since.
I was introduced to Nikki Lane by a coworker who plays a haunting rendition of “You Can’t Talk to Me Like That” at open mic nights at my bar. And though that song was my intro, and it’s of course a great song, once I delved into Highway Queen, I soon realized why she deserves the moniker “Hurricane Lane”. Her performance was outstanding, her band rocking, and the banter in between songs is what I expected from someone who says “it’s always the right time to do the wrong thing”.
