Live Review
Heart, Spirit & Groove Festival 2000
Ben Lomond, California
August 26, 2000
by Mark Halverson
Photography copyright © 2000 by Tom Asp, all rights reserved.
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1999 KBA Award Winner Achievement for Blues on the Internet Presented by the Blues Foundation
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I had not set out to review this event, as it was not even primarily a blues festival (Michelle Shocked was the finale act and assorted "drumming circles" seemed to be of great interest). Hence, I did not keep the kind of detailed notes and set lists some of you might hope to find in a festival review. However, after contemplating the event for a week, I think it does merit mention -- given Elvin Bishop's appearance. What follows is essentially an out take from my "Blues Playlist Email Report" which I circulate on a weekly basis, more or less, listing for the industry the records played on my blues radio broadcast and otherwise pontificating about area blues events and other miscellaneous matters. If any readers of this are interested in such trivia, you can subscribe to the email report simply by sending a message headed "subscribe" to: KMSUBLUES@AOL.COM
I saw Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Cha's and Elvin Bishop (along with some non-bluesy acts) at the Heart, Spirit and Groove Music Festival at Ben Lomond, California on August 26. This took place at Highlands Park, an idyllic location set in a valley in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The weather was perfect. A crowd of a few hundred was on hand. This was not a blues festival per se, but more of a lifestyle festival. This was truly a "California Chic" sort of event, complete with exclusively organic concessions (beer is organic), a presence by just about every fringe "new wave" political, health (aroma therapy and medical marijuana -- just struck down by the US Supreme Court a couple days ago coincidentally) or social organization you can find (like "goat rescue" -- an organization that finds good homes for orphaned and/or displaced goats), complete with an occasional topless female milling around the crowd. One of the last bastions of "hippiedom," perhaps. It was all quite entertaining. After all, this is very close to the epicenter of "the sixties" (as well as the 1989 earth quake), and that lifestyle is alive and well and flourishing -- as well as politically potent.
I was particularly impressed with the set Elvin Bishop did. He had a six piece band (the same personnel are on the new Alligator CD "That's My Partner" sans Smokey Smothers plus an addition or two on selected cuts, I think) and really tore the place up. He played many of his "trademark" tunes (many of them on the new live CD) and made an extended walk through the crowd while he was playing. His set was about an hour and a half. long.
What made this appearance particular notable to me was the fact Elvin had to be experiencing much personal pain. His daughter, her mother, mother's current boyfriend (I don't know the status or history of these relationships as they now concern Elvin) and even the daughter's maternal grandparents have all apparently been murdered (but most certainly have been killed) earlier in August as part of a lame-brained extortion plot.. Some of the bodies (including Elvin's daughter's) were found dismembered and stuffed in duffel bags floating near the mouth of the Sacramento River. Elvin's daughter wasn't part of the scheme, but was killed when she got wise to it (so the story goes). Court activity kept this unfolding story in the headlines nearly every day. Elvin's name had been mentioned in these reports all week. With all this going on, there was some doubt as to whether Elvin would even care to play. He did show up and after stating:
"As you all know, we've been experiencing some real bad luck. We're not going to take it out on you, though. Fortunately, there is music designed to soothe these kind of bad feelings, and that's the blues..."
launched into one hell of a set. You're a real trooper, Elvin. Condolences & best wishes....
This review and pictures are copyright © 2000 by Mark Halverson, and Blues On Stage, all rights reserved. Copy, duplication or download prohibited without written permission. For permission to use this review please send an E-mail to Ray Stiles.
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