By Hali Neal It was warm out at SunFest on Friday night, but much of the sweat was on stage, with powerful performances by Incubus and Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats. Incubus, whose best-known songs include “Drive,” “Megalomaniac” and “Pardon Me,” played a set marked by strong harmonies, vocal prowess, and extended intros to some of their most well-known … [Read more...]
SunFest, Day 1: Fun from Sir Sly, some weirdness with Logic
By Hali Neal The first day of SunFest on Thursday saw some 1980s flair with an appearance by Living Colour (of “Cult of Personality” fame). Guitarist Vernon Reid had what appeared to be a solid gold guitar and lead singer Corey Glover’s hair was purple, his leather pants had a gold tint, and he wore blindingly white shoes that he’d probably bought for this occasion. Their … [Read more...]
Guitarist Herring key to Widespread Panic’s impressive maturity
California may be the heavyweight champion of propelling prominent American bands and artists into popular music history (Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, Santana, Jefferson Airplane, Little Feat, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Fishbone, N.W.A., Joni Mitchell, The Doors, the Grateful Dead, Tower of Power, Rage Against the Machine, War, Stone Temple Pilots, Los … [Read more...]
Ben Harper’s powerful songs of protest, fine band make for memorable SunFest show
Most modern musical artists who also qualify as civil rights activists come from the hip-hop world, but Ben Harper has weaved humanitarian ideals into his complex web of blues, reggae, rock, gospel, folk and funk since starting his solo recording career nearly 25 years ago. And the 47-year-old California native, for the most part, let the music do the talking during a memorable … [Read more...]
Alabama Shakes outshines the fireworks at SunFest
SunFest 2016 offered an unpredictable mix of something old (Duran Duran on the Ford main stage) and something new (Meghan Trainor on the Tire Kingdom stage at the Meyer Ampitheater) with its April 27 opening night’s national acts, and continued the trend throughout its five days. Gifted area singer/songwriter Mike Mineo rocked the main stage before Train eventually … [Read more...]
SunFest adapts, survives for changing times
SunFest is a little younger than Saturday Night Live, but bears similarities to the iconic TV series that recently celebrated its 40th anniversary. Starting out small and grass-roots in 1983, the sprawling West Palm Beach event, set for April 29-May 3, now calls itself “Florida’s largest waterfront music and art festival.” And as is the case with SNL, some people prefer the … [Read more...]