Festival fallout

Ninigret packs 'em in, but should Escoheag pack it up?

by Bob Gulla

Link Wray

All the stages and scaffolding have been takendown, the dance floors packed up, the uneaten crawfish and crabs iced and on their way South, and all the campers have laid their mildewy tents out to dry. The massive parking lot's empty over at Ninigret, left to the mosquitoes who so seem to love that place. Down at Stepping Stone, the grills are cool and the beer taps dry. Festival weekend's come and gone and the hullabaloo -- or should I say fais do do? -- concerning the competing gatherings is now behind us. In its wake, then, what have we learned? Anything? You bet.

1) We've learned that everybody loses. Ninigret, as expected, may have enjoyed the bigger crowds over the weekend -- Saturday they drew upwards of 4400, while Snap Bean at Stepping Stone on Sunday drew less than 500 -- but they certainly didn't have a lock on the best music. Not that Ninigret's line-up, with C.J. Chenier, Big Sandy, Bois Sec Ardoin, Boozoo Chavis, and Corey Harris lacked impressive talent. But performers like Leroy Thomas and the "Queen of Cajun Music" Sheryl Cormier, both booked at Stepping Stone, were world-class zydeco performers and deserved to be seen by an audience at least the size of the one found at Ninigret. Thomas fused the irresistible danceability of traditional Cajun music with the soulful power of Muscle Shoals R&B in creating the weekend's biggest revelation for this embarrassingly non-Cajun Caucasian.

2) We learned that no festival venue in Rhode Island can match the Stepping Stone Ranch in Eschoheag for character and personality. From the horse barns as you enter to the dilapidated old chicken coop that serves as a retreat from the rain and a haven for late-night dancers, the hilly scape has the kind of history and flavor that only the most seasoned venues can provide. When it's overflowing with dancers and partiers and kids -- like it was last year at this time -- the feelgood spirit elevates the entire experience to the sublime. When it's sparsely attended like it was this weekend, it doesn't matter how much character it has; it's lost on a group of hardcore folks that knows full well the Ranch has seen better days. What sound does a parade make when no one's watching?

3) We learned that Ninigret settled into its new space like a foot into the perfect-sized shoe, from the main festival grounds to the charming, tucked-away workshop stage, from the convenient swimming area to the children's playscape. The dance stages to the left and right of the main event were conveniently located downwind from each bank of amps, providing ample, tempo-keeping noise, while the dance tent in a remote parking lot was far enough away so as not to interfere with the main attraction. The grass was comfortable, the breeze cool and the sight-lines, though not as unobstruction as the too-empty fields of the Ranch, were decent enough. There was even ample room towards the back of the main area for interludes of football, soccer, and whiffle ball. The only drawback to this superb natural location is that it hasn't got a whiff of personality. Where can you buy some of that there "character," Chuck?

4) We learned that Stepping Stone, provided it weathers this setback, has to get its act together and fast. Many people I spoke with at Ninigret on Saturday regret not attending the Ranch last weekend, but a quick look at the line-ups made it clear: there was no choice to be made. Aside from offering a talent roster with widely known national acts, Rhythm & Roots had the bylines of proven producers Chuck Wentworth and Mary Doub. Hastily assembled -- albeit admirably so by Steve McKay, Brian Bishop, Laurie Spry, and the Ranch folks -- Snap Bean couldn't stay in the ring with Rhythm & Roots, the reigning heavyweight. Changes need to be made so that all those folks who missed the Ranch like a family picnic can get their two-stepping asses back to where the air smells like manure, the place feels like great music, and a major Rhode Island festival still belongs.

WANDERING EYE. Now that the co-eds are back, here's hoping the clubs start to fill up again -- outside of those abhorrent dance parties they seem to like so much. The entertainment dockets at local saloons seem to be filling out nicely, with some good national bills as well as local ones. Seems like Link Wray for free down at the Hot Club Waterfront Festival on Saturday is one no-brainer. Wray's legendary git'ar rumbles should shake the place up good. It's also time to reacquaint yourself with AS220's Pork Chop Lounge every Sunday from here to next summer. Don't miss Jeremy Toback at Lupo's on Tuesday. OK, so he went to Princeton. That still doesn't prevent him from writing some darn interesting pop songs. Better Than Ezra headlines, but what have they done for you lately, besides tour their jackboots smooth? Anyway, be there for the sparks when the maulers in Shed show up at the Met on Wednesday. The bill says, "Shed and Friends." And you were so sure they didn't have any . . . .

Hope the guys in Jimmy Jack Stark, that is James Erik and the boys, had a good time at their record release party last week at the Living Room. If you have a minute and a few extra bucks, check out the band's full-length CD Power Tools and Pop Music out on their own Aaronaut label (aaronautrecordings@home.com). It's quite good, falling somewhere between the glam-guitar pop of mid-period Bowie and the monotone-grumblings of early Lou Reed.

Got some points of interest? Contact b_gulla@yahoo.com