Got some Sunday vibes

It’s Sunday.

The final day of the four-day music festival in Bridgeport’s Seaside Park came with anticipation for closing act The Black Crowes. It also came with anticipation of one pretty rainy day.

Those who are on their fourth day might welcome the overcast skies. It’s been sunny and hot weather sandwiched between cold and damp days, so when looking around the crowd at the 2013 Gathering of the Vibes it’s not much to determine who has been outside since Thursday and who has been in air conditioning since Thursday.    

Blues Traveler, one of a few groups with Connecticut connections since singer and harmonica player (not at once) John Popper is from Stamford, rolled out just as the rain started. Then it stopped, the clouds remained and the jam-like band broke into early hit “But Anyway” while coming off an extended jam instrumental.

Popper spoke after the set about the homecoming he described as “surreal and fun” because “you can’t not love your hometown.”



Puffing Popper



He’s taller and thinner than imagined, plus he smokes without apology. He was very complimentary of the Vibes atmosphere and setting as it is nestled in a Long Island Sound park in Connecticut’s biggest city, as opposed to festivals like Tennessee’s mega Bonaroo or other woodsy shows that are “in the middle of nowhere” and have like “two bathrooms for 12,000 people.”

The point was taken. This festival has spent more than half its 18 years in the Park City and has each day put about 20,000 people from points elsewhere in a reputedly depressed municipality that has hotels and restaurants and shops that could use the boost of dollars. Plus there are places in the city people can use the bathroom without manifest dysentery coming for you.

The group also did a cover of Charlie Daniels Band “Devil Went Down to Georgia,” not knowing that a fiddle made of solid gold would weigh hundreds of pounds and would sound terrible. However Popper played Charlie Daniel’s fiddle lines with his mouth harp, so that was cool.

The John Butler Trio was next and the Black Crowes finished off the festivities. In between old New Wave group Fishbone put on a spectacular over by the secondary Green Vibes stage. Believe it or not Fishbone is still active. I know, right.

Ultimately the rain stayed away, and weather vibes were good. Anyway it’s curious why Phil Lesh & Friends headlined Friday and Saturday night when The Black Crowes are enough a draw to make a desirable penultimate evening. Two nights of Phil, maybe, was overkill.

But ypu can't argue against the living Dead at jam hippy extravaganza Gathering of the Vibes.

May you gather in state at least four more years, the term of the lease contract.