Preview: Friday at Mulberry Mountain Harvest Music Festival

Friday, September 12, the second day of the Mulberry Mountain Harvest Music Festival, promises to build on the already solid first day of music. There will be twice as many performances on Friday than there were on Thursday, but the schedule is so well laid-out that you can easily catch every single band if you want to (and we do!). The Campground Stage and Main Stage will be open for business, offering up a plethora of performers to help you get your groove on.

Musicians slated to appear on the Main Stage on Friday are Oakhurst, Great American Taxi, New Monsoon, Split Lip Rayfield, The Avett Brothers, and Leftover Salmon.

Heating up the Campground Stage will be Shannon Wurst with 3 Penny Acre, Elephant Revival Concept, Speakeasy, Family Groove Company, and Blue Turtle Seduction.

Closing things out with a late-night set on the Harvest Tent Stage will be BoomBox.

Read more info and see videos of each band after the jump!

Shannon Wurst with 3 Penny Acre: 11:00am - 12:15pm, Campground Stage

Waking up the festival grounds on Thursday morning will be Shannon Wurst with 3 Penny Acre. These Fayetteville, AR-based Americana/bluegrass musicians will open the Campground Stage with a set starting at 11am. The band (in addition to her solo work, Wurst serves as a guitarist and vocalist for 3 Penny Acre) plays a balmy blend of bluegrass and folk that's sure to help you start your day off just right. Who needs coffee when you have music to shake the sleep out of your system?

Oakhurst: 12:00pm - 1:30pm, Main Stage

Oakhurst are a fivesome from Denver who are helping to further solidify the excellent reputation of Coloradan bluegrass bands. AP Hill (guitar/lead vocals), Adam Smith (mandolin/guitar), Johnny James Qualley (bass), and Chris Budin (drums/percussion) all play and sing their way through often boisterous, always pleasant songs that showcase their talents. Their rapid-fire picking skills are both impressive and ear-tickling, and it's almost impossible to remain seated during one of their shows. So make sure you stop by the Main Stage to shake your grass with Oakhurst!

Elephant Revival Concept: 12:30pm - 1:45pm, Campground Stage

There certainly isn't a lack of musical talent in Elephant Revival Concept's hometown - the band hails from Nederland, CO, home of newgrass aces (and Obama supporters) Yonder Mountain String Band. Vince Herman's Great American Taxi and Bill Nershi of String Cheese Incident fame also call Nederland home. Elephant Revival Concept formed in 2006, and since then the band has been working toward carving out its own niche in the Rockies and beyond. Their folk/Americana sound smoothly blends influences drawn from bluegrass, jazz, and roots reggae. All five Elephants contribute vocally as well as through a diverse array of instruments, with Daniel Rodriguez on guitar, Bridget Law on fiddle and mandolin, Dango Rose on upright bass and mandolin, Sage T. Cook on electric banjo, guitar and mandolin, and Bonnie Paine on washboard, djembe and cello. Fun fact: Elephant Revival Concept are in the process of converting their tour bus to run on vegetable oil.

Speakeasy: 2:00pm - 3:15pm, Campground Stage

The guys of Speakeasy want you to party. One of their primary goals at every show they play is to get the audience moving - so why wouldn't you want to stroll over to the Campground Stage to check them out? This four-piece from Springfield, MO spices up the usual guitar-bass-drums lineup with the addition of organ, harmonicas, and trumpets, creating a multi-layered sound that's sure to fuel the fire under your feet. The band dabbled in metal and hip-hop funk in their earlier years, but they describe their sound today as "groove-oriented progressive rock." Bring your raging shoes for this one.

Great American Taxi: 2:00pm - 3:30pm, Main Stage

Great American Taxi's mid-afternoon set will be guitarist Vince Herman's first of two Main Stage performances on Friday - he will, of course, be returning for headlining duties with Leftover Salmon later in the evening. But first, he'll churn out electric folk alongside GAT. The musical project, which was conceived in the spring of 2005, features original songwriting by guitarist/vocalist Jefferson Hamer and keyboardist/vocalist Chad Staehly. Rounding out the roster are drummer/vocalist Jake Coffin and bassist Edwin Hurwitz. Their sound veers more toward country than bluegrass, but they're not afraid to incorporate diverse influences. Elements of rock, reggae, and funk are easily discernible in their music, with engaging story-telling and improvisational stretches thrown in for good measure.

Family Groove Company: 3:30pm - 4:45pm, Campground Stage

If Medeski, Martin & Wood collaborated with the Beatles, the result would sound something like Chicago's Family Groove Company. This four-piece jam/funk/jazz outfit balances its knack for improvisation with solid songwriting, producing a mellifluous signature sound. Their rigorous touring schedule has earned them an ever-expanding fanbase, and they've garnered notice with their performances at many Midwestern jam festivals. Make your way to the Campground Stage on Friday to be treated to FGC's unique sound.

New Monsoon: 4:00pm - 5:30pm, Main Stage

We BOTheads have been long-time fans of San Francisco's New Monsoon, and it's been interesting to see them evolve over the years. Their roster has undergone many renovations over the past decade, but they've still managed to solidify their position as a staple of the jam scene. After the departure of percussionists Rajiv Parikh and Brian Carey, we felt that there was a certain sparkle missing from their live shows and were a bit apprehensive about their future direction. When we caught them this past March, however, we were delighted to find that the band's dynamics seemed to have been rejuvenated by the addition of bassist Marshall Harrell and drummer Sean Hutchinson. New Monsoon consistently deliver deliciously danceable, kinetically charged performances that are perfect for grooving, people watching, hooping, and/or mind-melting.

Blue Turtle Seduction: 5:00pm - 6:30pm, Campground Stage

It's difficult to classify the music of South Lake Tahoe-based quintet Blue Turtle Seduction. Their compositions include elements of Americana, rock, roots, jam, bluegrass, mountain reggae, hip-hop and gypsy rock - a dance-ready blend that is positively unique. Their shows are injected with an ample dose of energy and fun, which has been steadily earning them more and more fans since the band's inception in 2001. Check them out on the Campground Stage - you'll likely count yourself among Blue Turtle Seduction's supporters after catching them live.

Split Lip Rayfield: 6:00pm - 7:30pm, Main Stage

When news of the death of Kirk Rundstrom, co-founding member and guitarist of Split Lip Rayfield, spread in early 2007, many wondered what the band's future would be. Would the group splinter after such a loss? If they stayed together, would their direction remain the same? Fortunately for their fans - and music in general - SLR chose to honor Rundstrom's spirit by continuing their musical journey. Their metal-grass concoctions thrive on punk energy, and their often rambunctious audiences can't get enough of their high-octane shows. If Friday evening finds you fiending for a trip to rowdy town, SLR's set is the place to be.

The Avett Brothers: 8:00pm - 10:00pm, Main Stage

Folk rockers The Avett Brothers sure have done some blowing up over the past year. Formed in 2000, the group hovered in relative obscurity until shortly after the May 2007 release of their album Emotionalism. Since then, they've been busy racking up awards and selling out venues, spreading their non-traditional acoustic sound to rapt audiences nation-wide. The Avett Brothers - guitarist Seth Avett, banjoist Scott Avett, and bassist Bob Crawford - are reluctant to place a label on the style of music that they play, but others have certainly tried. "Indie roots," "grungegrass," and "folk-punk" have all been used to describe their singular sound, which incorporates diverse influences such as southern rock, honky tonk, pop, punk, ragtime and old-timey country. Catch 'em before they get even bigger and your friends start bragging about seeing them way back when.

Leftover Salmon: 10:30pm - 1:30am, Main Stage

Friday night's main attraction is Boulder-based "polyethnic Cajun slamgrass" group Leftover Salmon. Formed in 1989, the band spent a decade and a half building a strong following in the jam world before going on hiatus in 2005. Their reunion in 2007 was met with excitement and relief from many, including BOT's own Eggs and Toast - Leftover Salmon was the very first jam band they ever saw perform live. Several side projects have emerged from members of the group, but they still manage to play several fan-pleasing shows each year as Salmon. Their sound - a mixture of bluegrass, country, Zydeco, and rock - will undoubtedly make for a can't-miss set on Friday at the Mountain.

BoomBox: 1:30am - 3:00am, Harvest Tent Stage

I caught the end of BoomBox's Rothbury set from outside the main entrance - I was hurrying back to my campsite to replenish some supplies, and I heard some music that forced me to stop walking. Whipping out my schedule, I saw that it was BoomBox...and then the set ended. One of my only Rothbury regrets was not catching these guys, so I'm ecstatic that I'll have the opportunity to experience their mind-melting grooves at Mulberry Mountain. Their intense brand of psych-disco rock has been setting off dance parties since the project's inception; with every show, they leave their mark as a band that makes music perfectly suited to losing your mind. The DJ and guitar/vocals duo is sure to be an incredible way to top off a great day of music.

Also check out our Mulberry Mountain Thursday and Saturday previews.

Mulberry Mountain Harvest Music Festival will take place Thursday, September 11-13, 2008 near Ozark, Arkansas. Two-day ($95) and three-day ($120) passes can be purchased here.

See you on the Mountain!

--Cereal