[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgvZGdKyPqs[/youtube]
Last weekend was the Orange County Music Festival at Irvine Lakes in Orange, CA. Two days of camping and music from LA’s premier Grateful Dead Experience, Cubensis, Pink Floyd Tribute, Which One’s Pink, Quactus, Hempstring Orchestra, Pabulum, Gospel Swamp Blues Band, etc. For my money, Two nights of Cubensis mixed in with Quactus and Which One’s Pink and it’s worth it. Add in some amazing So. Cal talent like Gospel Swamp Blues Band and Pabulum and I’m there. I love a smaller local festival just as much as the big Bonaroo’s and High Sierra’s and my wallet agrees. Fifty bucks got you two nights of camping and two days of music. A deal.
Irvine Lakes is a killer spot for a music festival. Concert promoter, planner, organizer and general overseer of everything, Ted Tesoriero has brought to So. Cal a regular event that brings the best of the LA & OC jamband scene into one place for 48 hours of music and good times. The place is a giant reservoir with a large grass field where the Lake Stage and the Cafe Stage sit. When music begins for the day, it doesn’t stop all day long.
Cubensis, as always, blew away the crowd both nights. Their “Dead On” interpritation of the Grateful Dead has lasted for 25 plus years now and it’s obvious why. Quactus filled the Cubensis set break on Saturday with a killer 45 min set on the Cafe Stage. I really like their Phish-like sound. Looking impatiently toward the release of their “A Sense of We” album in July, I was happy to catch a Quactus set. Hempstring Orchestra, feat. Tesoriero, kicked off Saturday waking everyone up with a mix of Dead, Jerry Garcia, The Band and other familiar covers. A nice way to slide into a day of music. Which One’s Pink? closed out Saturday night with a great mix of Pink Floyd music mixing Sid Barrett years Floyd with stuff off The Wall and Dark Side of the Moon. A great Floyd cover band, indeed!
So many bands, so little memory. As Jerry said, “All the years combined, they melt into a dream.” The next “party by the pond” is going to be July 30, 31 and August 1st for the “Jerry Jam” a celebration of Jerry Garcia’s birthday. Cubensis is set to headline the weekend. Keep your eyes open here at Shakedown News for more information as soon as I get it, I’ll put it up.
Fortunately for all of us, friend of Shakedown News, Grunzy, shot the whole weekend on video. Check out more videos of the OC Music Festival at Grunzy Channel.
For some more killer pictures, check out Morris Caraway’s pictures.
