Eclectic Vibes - May 2017
by Andrew Frey
Jon Wayne and the Pain at Harmony Bar in Madison, WI on 4/20 - photo by Andrew Frey
May Day has come! What kind of musical flowers are you going to plant in your listening garden this summer?
COSMIC LAUNCH
Cosmic Delights has found a new space and as of May 6 has opened it’s doors again! Now located at 2717 E. Washington Ave in Madison, Cosmic Delights is happy to have found a great new location to offer an awesome selection of crystals, gifts and goodies to the Madison masses. The space offers both a retail show room as well as classroom and session space. Look for upcoming events and sales at cosmicdelights.com and facebook.com/cosmicdelights.
420 Harvest
Musical events at the Harmony Bar in Madison sometimes fly below radar, but we were delighted to be aware of and spend our 4/20 there when People Brothers Band plus Jon Wayne and the Pain tore the place up. Showcasing several songs off their upcoming release, the funk, blues and R&B sensation Peoples Brothers Band were excellent as usual and made us long to hear their new songs again. JWATP played up their rootsy reggae and dub infused electronic dance music with invigorating results. Catch PBB at WORT Block Party on 5/21 on the 200 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and at Bonfire Festival 6/1-3 at Driftless Music Gardens. JWATP can be experienced at Revival Festival (see below) www.peoplebrothers.com www.jonwayneandthepain.com
25 BIG WUs
2017 marks the 25 Year Anniversary of the Midwest jam band sensation Big Wu! Still strutting their stuff with powerful and energizing original music, Big Wu combines strong, free flowing improv and vocal harmonies, with finely crafted songs for all tastes. Come join their celebration tour 5/19 at Majestic Theater in Madison. If you can’t get enough of them, Big Wu will be at Revival Festival (below) plus they will be headlining People Fest (along with People Brothers Band) 8/10-12 at Driftless Music Gardens. www.thebigwu.com driftlessmusicgardens.com/people-fest
BONOBO
Dubbed as one of the new downtempo pioneers, the Los Angeles based British musician, producer and DJ known as Bonobo (aka Simon Green) has enjoyed continuing and expanding success over his 15+ year career. He will be showing off his new release, Migration, which offers the most mass appeal of any of his releases to date. He will bring your ears alive on 5/19 at Turner Hall Ballroom in Milwaukee and 5/20 at Orpheum Theater in Madison, WI. www.bonobomusic.com
REVIVAL
Memorial Day weekend marks the kick off for big festival fun in my world and for me that means Revival Festival at Harmony Park in Minnesota. This year the big names are Galactic, Yonder Mountain String Band, Antibalas, The Big Wu, Turkuaz, The Main Squeeze, Dead Horses plus a bunch of others. Should be another amazing weekend of stellar entertainment under the oak trees! Come see for yourself 5/26-28. revivalfestmn.com
MICRO REVIEWS:
This Month's Rating Scale is from 1 is Vexatious thru 10 is Vitalizing
Astral Waves - Genesis
Astral Waves
Album title: Genesis
Record Label: Altar Records
Rating: 9
Astral Waves is DJ Zen (aka Gabriel D), creator of Altar Records, and one of the pioneers of the Canadian psytrance scene. Genesis is a carefully crafted psychill journey inspired by tribal drummming, world chants and nature itself, with an underlying goal of activating your inner Warrior of Light. Are you ready for your activation? Let’s begin.
(1618) Page Views
Astral Waves online:
• Website • Facebook
• Download Genesis from Amazon
Various Artists - Spiritual Alchemy
Various Artists
Album title: Spiritual Alchemy
Record Label: Visionary Shamanics Records
Rating: 10
Reaping the seeds of Spiritual Alchemy thrust forth from the Visionary Shamanics Records label, this compilation has it all! From zesty throat singing to astonishing Terrence McKenna samples and a myriad of stuff in between, this epic multicultural 20 track dubtastic tribal psybass emination presents a flowing river of transformative musical awareness from a progressive and passionate perspective.
(1515) Page Views
Various Artists online:
• Website