Fair Thee Well 5 Oregon Country Fair 2005
Musical Highlights
at the OCF
BY JEFF WINICOUR
A
hh ... the Oregon Country Fair. The
sights. The sounds. The smells!
Just don’t forget the music.
After navigating the maze that is the
figure eight of the fair, eating overpriced
Saturday Market food and averting your
gaze from those heathen breast barers, ’tis
time for the tunes. Here’s a quick look into
this year’s top musical offerings.
Multi-instrumentalist David Lindley
is, in a word, nuts. He is also one of the
world’s finest musicians. His long list of
cynical musical collaborators include Ry
Cooder, Jackson Browne, Bob Dylan and
Warren Zevon. Hailing from the quaint lit-
tle burg known as “La La Land,” Lindley
has an easy, laid-back feel to his music.
That is not to say he doesn’t lay into his
wide array of stringed instruments with a
passion. His combination of storytelling,
musicianship and downright awful choice
of shirts is the perfect fit for the Fair. Don’t
miss this special opportunity to see
dementia at its musical best.
Chuck Prophet is a bit of a revelation
for the OCF. More bluesy than folksy, more
intense than chill, he brings a more modern
voice to the proceedings. But anyone with
Dylan listed as their main influence (every-
body?!) has a shot at fairgoers’ ears. His lat-
est album Age of Miracles is, quite simply, a
masterpiece. He takes the old sound of folk
and is not afraid to electronicize it, wrapping
his songs in a timeless duality. Lucinda
Williams thought enough of his work that he
opened up for her on her summer tour. I am
curious of the marriage of Chuck Prophet,
the OCF and the people who will be drawn
to his shows. Will it lead the way for more
modern future entertainment for the Fair?
Will it bring frowns to the traditional folks?
Or, perhaps most importantly, how far can a
monkey with a wooden leg kick a pickle?
Wow! Joe Craven at the Fair. A very
special treat, indeed. Long time member of
the David Grisman Quintet, among many
other accomplishments, Craven is a walk-
ing percussion instrument. He’s even cool-
er than that guy from the Police Academy
movies! His skills on fiddle, rhythm and
his own body parts are beyond human nor-
malcy-probably a lot like Craven himself.
He describes himself as “a bit like Indiana
Jones; a musical archaeologist going on
wild adventures with his finds.” Bring the
kids to this one. Last time I saw him, he
sang a song directly to my then 3-year-old
son. My kid has absolutely zero recollec-
tion of the incident, but it’s a real warm
fuzzy for me. Don’t miss this one!
CrazyGrass makes its Oregon debut
with two-time California flatpicking guitar
champion and banjo player Sid Lewis
leading the pack. Think smoldering hot,
lyrical rock ala Santana or Trey from
Phish. Should be quite a show. If you can’t
wait until the Fair to hear their amazing
jams, check them out this Thursday, July
7, at Cozmic Pizza. Show starts at 9 pm
with a sliding scale cover.
The modern day equivalent of a multi-
cultural pow-wow, Alma Melodiosa
will take you far and wide. This sextet
from Northern California has enchanted
fair goers for years now. Combining belly
dancing, Spanish and English vocals, clas-
sical guitar and percussion with electric
guitar and keyboard, Alma Melodiosa is
here with a purpose. Decidedly Old World
with a fresh twist, they brew up tribal
grooves that set booties shaking. For those
staying the night at the Fair, the group’s
magic is especially potent in the darker
hours. If you’re looking for the new age of
psychadelia, forget the Dead cover bands.
Check out Alma Melodiosa.
I can’t let any overview of Fair music
go without including a jamband. The
Motet sticks its neck out way above that
label, delivering the real deal in impro-
visatory sounds (see story p. 30).
So, that’s it. Don’t forget to drink plen-
ty of water, protect yourself from the sun
and enjoy the music!
e
David Lindley
Alma Melodiosa
Joe Craven
www.peakexperience.cc
PRODUCED IN ASSOCIATION WITH PEAK EXPERIENCE PRODUCTIONS
MADISON HOUSE PRESENTS
THE
MUSIC
CAMPING
august
th
th
NO
&
RT
H PLAINS,
OR
5, 6, 7
th
doors Aug. 4th
EDUCATIONAL
WORKSHOPS
AND
PERFORMANCE MORE!
ART
HORNING’S HIDEOUT
with very special guests:
A UG
4th: ZILLA
AUG
ARTURO SANDOVAL
5th: & NEW MONSOON
AU G
6th:
A UG
RAILROAD EARTH &
7th: ANDERS OSBORNE
PLUS additional performances by That One Guy, Banana Slug String Band, El Circo Performance Troupe & DJ Lorin and much more!
T I C K E T S : www.stringcheeseincident.com
ticketswest outlets
JULY 7, 2005 13