I’ve been to my share of concerts: a band or two opening for a bigger act. An all-day live show, though, is a little different than one or two bands: more music (good and bad), more friends, more sun and just an overall different, but completely enjoyable, experience.

The festivities for us started at 10 in the morning. Seven of us met in Chapel Hill and piled into our rented van to head to Walnut Creek Amphitheatre in Raleigh, usually about 30 to 40 minutes away. But with construction and concert traffic, our road trip ended up being a little more than that. Still, this was all the better, more time to hang out.

The sun beat down all day, as we laid our blankets down, rubbed the suntan lotion on and sat back for a relaxing day outside of Raleigh.

Hobex came on the main stage promptly and jumped into its funky set to kick off the day. Hobex was an appropriate way to start the festival. The group had a funky feeling to its music, similar to some of the jam sessions the Beastie Boys have done. Although Hobex didn’t seem to play long enough, looking at the schedule, its set was about the same length as everyone else’s, just more enjoyable than some of the other bands.

Then, the Connells took the main stage. Again, a great set full of a lot of upbeat music that was completely unfamiliar to me but completely fun. The band seemed to be enjoying what it was doing, and that’s a big thing that I like to see in bands live. If you’re not having a good time, get off the stage and let someone else get up there.

Seven Mary Three should have taken that advice. I was really looking forward to seeing this group, but was a lot more impressed with the two that came on before. Seven Mary Three sat on the front of the drum riser, all with acoustic instruments and without much energy. They made a comment about some "them" not wanting the band to play a loud set. But their songs came off as flat and dull without hard hitting drums or an electric guitar or two.

I figured things would get better when the band played its hit, "Cumbersome," but the group never played it. It was pretty disappointing not to get to hear something familiar, but at least the performance was consistent.

The day got more and more hazy, and hotter and hotter though I remember Athenaeum blasted out a nice set that was upbeat and sounded even better when contrasted with Seven Mary Three. Marcy Playground was pretty bland; even the hit "Sex and Candy" didn’t do much for me. I found their set to be a good time to get up and get a Coke and see if they were selling Edwin McCain T-shirts yet.

So far, it sounds like the day a complete bomb, but it definitely was the opposite. We had a blast hanging out, talking to strangers who were enduring the heat in a similar fashion. The music were like two good bookends: a great beginning and a great end. All the stuff in the middle made a decent backdrop to the day. No band was terrible.

The music came back into the forefront for me about 6:45, both on the second stage. Dag came on at 6:45 and laid down a funky combination of guitar, keyboard and vocals. The harmonies and overall backups produced by the two keyboard players, Kai Russell and Jen Gunderman, really enhanced the funky feel of Dag’s set. Those two, along with the drummer, made for a unique and intricate percussion setup. "(Our Love Would Be Much Better) If I Gave a Damn" really got the crowd moving and singing along. Seven Mary Three and Marcy Playground could’ve taken a few tips from this band, originally from Raleigh. Their faces were expressive, their bodies moved with their music and they just seemed to enjoy being on stage. Dag played for about an hour, but it went by so much quicker than other bands that graced us with their presence on the first stage.

Then the band that made the night came on-stage. No, Ben Folds Five didn’t come on for another hour or so. The real band that I’ve really become a fan of crawled onto the tiny little second stage. The drummer started the crescendo beat that opens "Grind Me in the Gears." Lead singer Edwin McCain walked onto the stage, and the double-layered guitar began.

While there was obvious talent all day at Walnut Creek, McCain overpowered them all. Billed as the final act on the second stage, the band really deserved to headline on the big stage. The tiny stage was surrounded with people, leaving few at the first stage. Because of a late start, Edwin McCain’s time cut into Ben Folds Five’s time on the first stage. But few flowed back to the first stage until the equipment started to be removed.

We climbed the big hill back to the main stage and sat down while Ben Folds Five played a unique version of the surf/beach hit made famous by "Pulp Fiction," "Miserlou." Its set was OK. The bass player was impressive, handing his four string more like a guitar than a bass. But honestly, for me, the day was over. The sun had set and Edwin McCain had already closed the show for me.

Overall, the day was really cool. A lot of the bands were disappointing or just kind of there, but it’s really hard to complain. I would have paid the $22 just to see Edwin McCain (and plan to, next time they are in North Carolina).

Festival shows are like going to a restaurant and getting a sampler plate. You’re having a good time with friends and then you get your food: Some is great, and you can’t get enough. Other stuff, you wouldn’t feed to your dog.

I got to hang out all day with friends, laugh, have a good time and get a tan. Plus, now I’ve been inspired to go out and buy a few CDs (Dag, Hobex and Edwin McCain’s debut CD) to add to my collection.

This entry was posted on Monday, August 31st, 1998 at 10:33 pm and is filed under Music, Music Reviews, Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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