Wakarusa Music & Camping Festival 2008 - Thursday/Friday

Festival season is a time to enjoy the company of many like-minded people in an atmosphere free from the worries of every day life. It is a time to see performances from several bands, spanning several genres, that you normally wouldn't get a chance to see otherwise. Wakarusa Music & Camping Festival, located just outside of Lawrence, KS, took place this past weekend, and served as Breakfast On Tour's jumping point for the 2008 festival season. It featured many highs and lows, but it all culminated into another unique festival experience for the BOT crew consisting of Toast and Eggs.

Keep reading "Wakarusa Music & Camping Festival 2008 - Thursday/Friday" after the jump

We don't want to brag (okay, yes we do...), but Breakfast On Tour are very experienced festival attendees. Between all of us we have hit up festivals coast to coast, and even internationally. Name a festival and we have probably been there, or know a whole lot about it. This was our second Wakarusa, with last year being our first trip to this Midwest destination. Toast and Eggs have always been intrigued by the festival since its inception in 2004, in large part due to our geographical closeness, as we were both living in Nebraska at the time. We chose Bonnaroo instead that year, but still had quite a desire to go to Wakarusa. After several relocations, Eggs finally settled in Houston. It was then that the BOT crew decided to make the trek to Wakarusa for Widespread Panic's first ever headlining appearance. A large group of our friends from Lincoln, Houston and beyond also came down to enjoy a weekend full of amazing musical experiences. It certainly left us with a strong desire to return to Lawrence for this year's edition of Wakarusa.

The line-up came out and we were all surprised to see a much more diverse set of talent than in previous years. But the biggest difference in this year's line-up was that they lacked a second headliner (or a third for that matter...). The Flaming Lips are always a good option, but other than that we had Ben Folds, Emmylou Harris, STS9, Cake, and Zappa Plays Zappa. No top-selling, hard-hitting acts. While a nice range of artists were represented, not one of them could bring the amount of people that Widespread Panic or Ben Harper brought last year. This minor detail didn't stop us from attending though because the middle tier of acts were great: Built to Spill, Arrested Development, Hot Buttered Rum, Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, Keller Williams, Leftover Salmon, Ozomatli, Mickey Hart, David Grisman, Blackalicious, Dr. Dog, Galactic, Apollo Sunshine and many more were what really convinced us to throw the money on the travel expenses. Going into the festival, we knew that we would not have the same experience that we had last year. We were more than right in several different ways.

Thursday, June 5th

We Were Ready. The Rain Came. Who's to Blame?

Eggs arrived in Kansas City early in the afternoon with a planned pick-up by Toast around 4 pm. After driving into Lawrence to get some last minute supplies we made our way to Clinton Lake State Park to join the rest of our festival-going friends at Wakarusa. With a smooth badge pick-up, we made our way to vendor/press camping and set up shop in a nice shaded area on the tree line. We were very glad to see how close we were to the main grounds as well, and were even more happy that "the hill" was not going to come into play for us this year. After getting our gear the way we wanted it, and a beer down the hatch, a white park ranger truck pulled up and started telling the campgrounds via bullhorn that in approximately 1 hour nature was going to kick our collective asses. The sound of this bullhorn continued to reverberate throughout several other camps, more than likely sending many Wakarusians scrambling in fear because generally Bullhorn=Cops=Bad. Being that we just arrived, and were yet to see any music, our mind was set on going to catch the beginning of Dirtfoot at The Porch stage. After talking to a few new friends from Charleston, we were informed the music had been stopped, and everyone was getting kicked out of the main grounds. We did not like that answer so we took the short hike up to see what was going on for ourselves. Vendors were securing their stands, stage crews were covering up all of the equipment, and we both stood there realizing that we were not going to hear any music. We walked over to the Sun Up stage to talk to our friends in Future Rock, who were standing by to find out whether or not they were going to be able to play their scheduled 2:30-4am slot. After having a beer with them, we headed back to our Charleston friends' camp, still very distraught from the recent news, to share some more conversation. The clouds were looming in the distance, while the cracks of lighting and thunder were making the campgrounds cheer.

The storm hit. It was quite intense for about an hour. We kept in contact with Future Rock throughout that time, as they were parked immediately next to the stage and could see what was going on. We were to receive a message from them as soon as they had official word whether they were to play or not. It looked promising as the hard part of the storm was long over. After another 20 minutes or so, we received the final message from FR saying that the Sheriff made the official call that there was too much water on the tents, and they were canceling the rest of the night's sets. We were cooped up into a car when we should have been watching Buckethead. We were missing a chance to see Future Rock, a BOT-friendly band that we've never been able to catch live. We were missing Lotus, who have come very highly recommended by many music lovers. We were missing the Everyone Orchestra, who had proved to be one of our favorite sets of last year's festival. It seemed as if the weekend had come to an abrupt halt before it had even begun.

After another 30 minutes we headed back to our camp to get some wet weather clothing and beer. We then headed out on a journey that took us all the way to upgraded campground one, where a host of new and old friends were partying under a giant tarp canopy. After a couple hours of partaking, we were ready to take the long hike back to camp. This proved to be the only time that we walked "the hill". Yes!

Thursday turned out to be a fun night, filled with meeting new people, sharing stories, and getting excited for the three full days of music that were in store, but it did not compare to what would have musically turned out to be one of the best nights of the festival. We are still quite unhappy that they cancelled every single set after 8pm. In our past festival experiences, we've certainly experienced major rain delays (Bonnaroo 2004 comes to mind) but not one has ever cancelled an act due to rain. Not one.

Friday, June 6

We Were Ready. The Day Was Bright. Music Was in Sight.

We woke up, drove down to upgraded campground one to pay a visit to our friends from the forum at the second annual Chompdown. We were ready to get as much music in as possible, and with the addition of Grazgrove and Dirtfoot to the Friday morning breakfast menu, we could not be happier. Last year's Chompdown was run very well, but this year seemed to be even more organized and larger to boot. The crowds showed up in hordes to take advantage of this non-official event which, among your standard breakfast items like bacon, eggs and toast, also featured unique foods such as fried Oreos, rum melons, and vodka tomatoes. We could not stay for too long as we had preparations to make before the start of the day's shows, but we're glad that we were able to experience this wonderful event that hopefully will continue on for several years to come!

Bacon!!!

The Chompdown line

Finally music. The main reason Eggs made the 760 mile trip from Houston, and Toast drove down from Lincoln to Wakarusa. The main reason we attend any festival. The thing that was lacking from the festival the night before. We were so ready to hear something, anything. We arrived at the Revival Tent halfway through Back Door Slam's set and walked into the photo pit with no problems. The brand of blues music was familiar, but the sound was coming out of an unexpected source. Three white British youths were making sounds once reserved for the most storied of bluesmen. Lead guitarist and vocalist Davy Knowles used his Black Keys-ish riffs to lead this three-piece through some very heavy blues. We were very impressed with the short amount of time we saw them, and are looking forward to their set at Austin City Limits Festival in the fall.

Davy Knowles - Back Door Slam

After catching the end of Family Groove Company's set, which featured our first "Hey, I know that song!" moment of the weekend with "The Charmer", we made it over to the main stage just in time for Apollo Sunshine's Sun Down Stage (main stage) performance. We had a nice collection of Apollo Sunshine from previous music-buying binges, but had never really absorbed them as much as we should have. This was a brilliant set featuring many antics including a "guest" vocal on the song "Panther" from the pink short-shorts-wearing band member Oli, who was spotted throughout the festival grounds over the course of the weekend. Apollo Sunshine quickly showed that even if their sound veers more towards the indie-rock realm, they still can jam with the best of them. Towards the end of the show, bassist Jesse Gallagher and guitarist Sam Cohen joined drummer Jeremy Black on an extended drum jam that led into set closer "Today Is The Day".

Jesse Gallagher - Apollo Sunshine

We made a trip up to the Revival Tent just in time for the start of PAW's set. PAW, from Lawrence, gained some popularity in the 90's with their grunge sound. After several rocky years which included getting the boot from their record label, they decided to call it quits. Wakarusa provided the launching point of a full-on reunion of the original members of PAW. We stayed only for a short time, with them spending most of that time talking and reminiscing. BOT cannot give them a legit review because we only heard about half a song. We can honestly say though that we wouldn't make another effort to go see them. It just didn't sound like our type of music. People did seem quite excited for their set, including Split Lip Rayfield's banjoist Eric Mardis, who stood front row center with a wide smile on his face.

Jason Magierowski - PAW

We made it over to the Sun Up Stage in time to catch Trombone Shorty's funky brass attack. Trombone Shorty, or Troy Andrews, got us going quickly with his catchy mixture of jazz, blues, hip-hop and rock. Andrews hail from none other than New Orleans, LA. He and his band did an excellent job of keeping the audience involved by asking them to join in, and at several points made trips through the crowd while still performing. The BOT crew is always down for a little bit of New Orleans soul, and Andrews surely provided that for all, erupting the small Sun Up Stage into an instant epicenter of groove. Trombone Shorty's set left the BOT crew craving more, but unfortunately his Thursday set went on as we were still in transit.

Trombone Shorty

It was hard to walk away as Trombone Shorty was delivering the single best version of "When The Saints Go Marching In" we have ever heard, but Mates of State were set to take the stage, and BOT were still yet to catch them live. They had a very nice, mellow sound that was highlighted by Kori Gardner's vocals and keyboard work. We both were hoping for more out of this Lawrence-bred duo, which also features drummer Jason Hammel, but walked away telling each other that we have heard the same thing by better bands. They were good, but not great. Built To Spill frontman Doug Martsch seemed to get a kick out of Mates of State though, as he spent a majority of the show looking on from stage left. His presence only made us even more excited for the forthcoming BTS show that was next on the same stage. We had to leave about a half an hour into Mates of State's set to get up to the Revival Tent in time for the start of Del Tha Funkee Homosapien's performance.

Mates Of State fans

Del started the set with his brand of humor-based hip-hop, but soon showed that his vocal prowess was no joke. Ice Cube's cousin flowed through many favorites including an A Tribe Called Quest cover as well as material from several other projects, including his solo work, Deltron 3030, Hieroglyphics, and a spirited free-form take on his rap from the Gorillaz song "Clint Eastwood". We've seen many hip-hop shows, and we can now say with authority that this show belongs in our favorite two or three of all time. With more energy than people are supposed to have on a Friday afternoon, we made it to the Sun Down stage just in time for the start of Built To Spill's set, which went on about 15 minutes earlier than planned.

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien

Going into the weekend, Built To Spill were both Toast and Eggs' choice for most anticipated band on the whole line-up. After seeing them several months ago in Houston, Eggs quickly became a huge fan and proceeded to collect all of their studio material. Toast became a fan when a young gentleman let him borrow their album Ancient Melodies of the Future, which soon became one of the most played albums in his collection. Their mid-afternoon set started out a little shaky with noise problems, but half way through Doug Martsch and the rest of BTS found their stride. "Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss" seemed to be the turning point, while it remained a toss up between "Stop The Show" and "Strange" for the title of crowd favorite. Towards the end of their set, with Wayne Coyne watching on the side of the stage, Guitarist Brett Netson gushed about how big of an influence the Flaming Lips were to him in the 90's. With smiles and a thank you from Wayne, BTS finished their set. Since they started early, they also ended early, which gave us the opportunity to catch a bigger chunk of Blackalicious.

Doug Martsch - Built To Spill

Hip-hop has never truly been represented at Wakarusa, and judging by the size of the crowds for Friday afternoon's hip-hop shows in the Revival tent, you might wonder why. Blackalicious, which consists of DJ/producer Chief Xcel and MC Gift of Gab, brought their A-game to the festival. BOT have never seen a Blackalicious show, but Cereal and Eggs did get the opportunity to experience Gift of Gab's lyrical skill when he and Lyrics Born joined Pigeon John on stage for an impromptu freestyle at SxSW 2007. We were excited for the chance to see what he could do with Chief Xcel. When we walked in to the Revival Tent everybody was bobbing their heads as Gab and special guest Lateef the Truthspeaker were making their way through many hip-hop classics. To get the crowd into their set, Gab and Lateef proceeded to take them through a battle of the sides with chants of "Party over here, not you over there," which was repeated by each side until Blackalicious jumped off into their respective flows. Built to Spill into Blackalicious was by far the most interesting transition of the weekend, but that's what festivals are all about, right? These two groups show that outstanding lyricism comes in many different shapes and sizes. The diversity of acts at this year's festival seemed to please the crowds immensely.

Lateef The Truthspeaker & Gift Of Gab - Blackalicious

We decided to split the next hour with Buckethead and Arrested Development. We, like many other festival attendees, were planning on catching Buckethead's Thursday night show, but because of the cancellation we had to change our plans to catch at least some of both of their sets. Buckethead proved to be uninspiring, opting to be supported by his iPod rather than a full band. One fact that is true is that Buckethead can shred a guitar. Though his music at times is a bit too much for our liking, it's still clearly brimming with talent. He is definitely one of the best guitarists around these days.

Meanwhile, Arrested Development were sending their positive message through their brand of world-based hip-hop. This being our longest day of music, we decided to head back to camp in the middle of Arrested Development's set to refresh and rest up for the end of Cake and The Flaming Lips headlining show. Once arriving back to the main grounds we immediately were confused when we heard the sounds of Galactic coming from the Sun Down stage rather than Cake. We were eventually informed that Galactic and Cake had switched sets due Cake's flight being delayed, but the only reason that we managed to find that out is that we had press access. During Galactic's show we both shared the same question: "I wonder how many people in this crowd right now think this is Cake?" Unfortunately, the answer was probably many. Aside from the back-stage security guards and the press coordinator, nobody seemed to know what was going on with the switch.

Buckethead

Montsho Eshe - Arrested Development

Galactic played an impressive set filled with old standards and new hip-hop oriented material with the help of Lateef the Truthspeaker. Just for good measure, they threw in an on-point instrumental version of Led Zeppelin's "Trampled Under Foot" toward the end of their set which made the crowd dance even harder than before. If any band could fill the pre-headliner slot on a whim, and make it work, it would be Galactic. Cheers to them for giving up the coveted midnight slot in the Revival Tent when Wakarusa was in a pinch.

Galactic (Cake?) Fans

Friday had a really strong line-up which featured many acts that are not typically found inside of the jamband realm. The Flaming Lips were the perfect way to cap off a day full of the diverse and independent music that Wakarusa had to offer. You generally know what you're gonna get when Wayne Coyne, Steven Drodz, Michael Ivins, and Kliph Scurlock take the stage: balloons, confetti, crazy costumes, and the songs "Fight Test", "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Part II", "The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song", and "She Don't Use Jelly". This time they added a few surprises and tweaked their setlist to include a cover of Led Zeppelin's "The Song Remains The Same" and the rare "Mountainside". During "The Song Remains The Same" Wayne announced to the audience that "For just this one song, the producers of this festival said it would be alright if you wanted to take your clothes off." Sure enough, midway through the song, about 6 naked ladies pranced on stage and shook what their mama gave them. Our highlight of the show was "Pompeii Am Gotterdammerung" which was dedicated to Stardeath & The White Dwarfs, who opened the day on the Sun Down Stage, and feature Wayne's nephew, Dennis Coyne.

They finished the night with a confetti-filled "Do You Realize?", transporting many of the show-goers from mere happiness to a state of total euphoria. Wayne and the boys seemed thrilled to be playing at Wakarusa, and made that clear during the whole show. At times it seemed as if Wayne was even going to shed a tear because of how inspired he was. In fact, listening to him talk, it seemed like he did get choked up a time or two. This translated very well to the crowd, as everybody left the concert field with wide smiles on their faces. Wakarusa's one true headliner easily showed how it was done.

The festival had already peaked, but we still had two full days of music to enjoy. People made their way to many different destinations, including the rescheduled Cake show in the Reveival Tent, Ozric Tentacles first of two sets in the Sun Up Stage, or back to camp like us to restock on necessary goods. On the way back to our tent, we were serenaded by Cakes' rendition of "War Pigs", the Black Sabbath staple.

Wayne Coyne - The Flaming Lips

Out of the 30 or so sets of music we saw last year, the one that most impressed us was Saturday night's Everyone Orchestra performance. If you are new to the Everyone Orchestra, it is a completely improvised event which features a different cast of musicians for each and every show. Going into this year's festival, we were very excited for the two EO sets that were scheduled to take place on both Thursday and Friday night. Thursday's show was cancelled (even though it was not raining...), so Matt Butler, conductor of the EO, invited everyone that was slated to play during both to combine into an extra large Friday night line-up. Appearing on stage with Butler were 21 other musicians, including members of Hot Buttered Rum, New Monsoon, Delta Nove, Panjea, Madahoochi, Arrested Development, The Motet, Family Groove Company, as well as sit-ins by Papa Mali and Flecktone Jeff Coffin. This clusterf*ck of musicians fit together so remarkably well that it seemed as if they had been playing together for years. At one point Butler handed off the reins to Hot Buttered Rum by simply holding up a sign that read "Follow Butter". Nat Keefe, guitarist for HBR, took control and started telling different members of the Orchestra what to play. They eventually turned it into a very impressive, fast-paced version of HBR's "Be Kind Boys". After working up a sweat for another half an hour at the Everyone Orchestra, we decided to take a tired trip over to the Sun Up Stage to see what EOTO were up to.

Everyone Orchestra

We walked into a packed tent featuring a full-on light show, with EOTO as the centerpiece. BOT have been fortunate enough to see EOTO several times since their inception following the break-up of String Cheese Incident. Since they started this project, Michael Travis and Jason Hann have matured in their sound, as well as their fanbase, as this was one of the most packed shows of the whole weekend. Besides The Flaming Lips, and That 1 Guy later in the weekend, it was the only other time we saw a stage area full. The small slice of EOTO was enough to cap the night off in good fashion. We shuffled back to camp and fell asleep to the final notes of the late night shows, which both finished at about 4:30 in the morning.

Friday provided a great first day of the festival, one that would not be beat by the following days. It should have been a great second day though. We are still quite disappointed that Thursday's shows were cancelled, as we really wanted to see several acts who were scheduled to play. We understand that they had to stop the shows during the lightning and hard rain, but the storm ceased only a short time after it started. The lack of communication between festival staff and attendees led to many confused people in the campgrounds. We even had the unfortunate job of telling about 30 people that they were not going to be able to see any music Thursday night. We saw many people walking all the way to the main grounds in hopes that there would be music played that evening, only to be turned back upon arrival at the gate. On Friday, Wakarusa did not even make an effort to clean up the festival grounds. We felt like we were going to fall and break our equipment several times because of extremely muddy conditions. Some hay or straw could have been an easy solution to what was a huge problem for most. Also, the lack of communication among the staff led to a ridiculous amount of changes in access for media people. We generally try to avoid complaining, but we do want to mention that the media and vendor camping area only had two portapotties and no showers. Also, none of the staff seemed to have a concrete idea of what permissions we were allowed, or not allowed. I have no problems with following the rules, but that involves having actual rules to follow. It's confusing to tell us we are allowed to do something, and then an hour later make us feel stupid for trying to do that same thing. To tell you the truth, we really couldn't care less if we're permitted backstage, but it would be nice to be provided a damn cup of water when we're working our asses off to promote your festival. Sorry, just had to get that off our chest.


Check out all of our other coverage of the festival:

Wakarusa 2008 Thursday/Friday Review
Wakarusa 2008 Saturday/Sunday Review
Wakarusa 2008 in Photos - Friday
Wakarusa 2008 in Photos - Saturday
Wakarusa 2008 in Photos - Sunday
Wakarusa 2008 in Videos


-Eggs & Toast