{"id":192,"date":"2018-08-27T14:26:24","date_gmt":"2018-08-27T14:26:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bolachas.org\/testes\/?p=192"},"modified":"2020-02-01T23:17:38","modified_gmt":"2020-02-01T23:17:38","slug":"review-once-in-a-blue-moon-festival-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bolachas.org\/?p=192","title":{"rendered":"Review: Once in a Blue Moon Festival 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo by Charles Batenburg<\/a>\/OIABM<\/i><\/p>\n

Not a lot of festivals can boast they sold out their very first edition. It happened last Saturday with\u00a0Once in a Blue Moon<\/a><\/b>, the newest Dutch Americana festival that took place in the Amsterdamse Bos just outside of Amsterdam and a short car ride from the Schiphol airport. But, except for the sometimes gargantuan queues at a fries stand – they must have fried some really nice potatoes in there – it never felt like you were in a sold out festival. The small, but functional festival grounds was as accommodating for its 5000+ attendees as it could possibly be, especially on a day punctuated by regular heavy showers that marked the end of an exceptionally warm and dry Dutch summer.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Erin Rae. Photo by Paul Barendregt<\/a>\/OIABM<\/i> <\/i><\/i><\/p>\n

The first big one occurred just a couple of minutes before a rushing Erin Rae<\/b> took to the stage with her four piece band. The first Nashville songwriter of the day (more to come!) had half an hour to present her new album Putting on Airs<\/i> and she damn sure made the most of it: \u201cGrand Scheme\u201d, title track \u201cPutting on Airs\u201d and \u201cCan\u2019t Cut Loose\u201d go straight to an ark containing 2018\u2032s finest in songwriting. Add a couple of nods back to her first record with the Meanwhiles, Soon Enough<\/i>, and the thirty minutes have just flown by. We need a club tour pretty soon.<\/p>\n

Straight after Rae\u2019s set we moved over to the nearby Honky Tonk stage (a half barn\/half greenhouse structure turned into a stage, complete with a bar, like it should). Carl Anderson<\/b>, another Nashville songwriter with a guitar strap handmade by Jonny Fritz (we didn\u2019t ask either Erin or Carl about it, but they\u2019re pretty recognisable and fucking badass) and a voice reminiscent of Deer Tick\u2019s John McCauley was about to start the last show of his first European tour that took him to the UK and Germany opening for Sons of Bill<\/b>. In between playful banter about how Erin\u2019s his\u00a0\u201cNashville crush\u201d and the quality (or the lack of) the shirts he had for sale, Anderson and his electric guitar player convinced us to stay until the end of his set with their spotless vocal harmonies and our biggest discovery of the festival:\u00a0\u201cHeavy<\/a>\u201d, a gem of a chorus out of his debut Risk of Loss<\/i>. Sorry, Tim Knol, we were too mesmerized to do the 50\/50 we wanted to.<\/p>\n

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Carl Anderson. Photo by Paul Barendregt<\/a>\/OIABM<\/i>\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

Short stop at the Blue Moon stage for a bit of an energetic The Dawn Brothers<\/b> show before one of the most awaited moments of the day. Hiss Golden Messenger<\/b>, this time composed by frontman MC Taylor and the one and only Phil Cook. In this short tour in between records, HGM focused on shorter, acoustic versions of older favorites (\u201cRed Rose Nantahala\u201d, \u201cBiloxi\u201d,\u00a0\u201cI\u2019m a Raven\u201d) and trying a handful of new songs that will be soon recorded, including the soon-to-be-hit \u201cI Need a Teacher\u201d. Making sure his daughter is not jealous of her older brother because he sings songs about him while on tour, MC is committed to playing, every evening, the song he wrote for her fifth birthday. (According to MC, the kid was not impressed by that song.). At parts, we missed the full band and some of the Hallelujah Anyhow<\/i>\u00a0songs we never witnessed live, but all is good as soon as\u00a0\u201cSouthern Grammar\u201d starts.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Hiss Golden Messenger. Photo by Willem Schalekamp<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n

Back in the main stage, we managed to see a bit of I\u2019m With Her<\/b>\u2019s exquisite set, with Sarah Jarosz, Sara Watkins and Aoife O\u2019Donovan trading voice duties around a solo old school microphone, performing an almost unrecognisable cover of Vampire Weekend\u2019s \u201cHannah Hunt\u201d full of gorgeous harmonies and Jarosz\u2019s mandolin, before being joined by David Crosby himself<\/a> to sing their beautiful \u201cOverland\u201d. Meanwhile, Steve Smyth<\/b> and Songs of Bill<\/b> performed in a completely packed Honky Tonk barn. Here\u2019s to hoping that venue is a big larger next year.<\/p>\n

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I\u2019m With Her. Photo by Paul Barendregt<\/a>\/OIABM<\/i><\/p>\n

Bombino<\/b> was up next at the Sugar Mountain<\/a> stage. Presenting his new album Deran<\/i>, the well-seasoned songwriter from Agadez and his band proved once again why they\u2019re amongst the most sought after African musicians outside the world music circuit. Their stage presence was a highlight too, with his guitar player even attempting a few words of Dutch in between songs. An oasis of rhythm in a festival not particularly made for dancing.<\/p>\n

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Bombino. Photo by Paul Barendregt<\/a>\/OIABM<\/i><\/p>\n

Old favorite Sam Outlaw<\/b>\u00a0was up next at the main stage with a six piece band that included his sidekick Molly Parden and – finally! – a pedal steel guitar. Outlaw strolled with ease through Angeleno <\/i>and Tenderheart<\/i>, dedicating the title track of the first record to Ry Cooder,\u00a0\u201ca real American cowboy\u201d. The pedal steel solos over a railroad beat of\u00a0\u201cIt Might Kill Me\u201d eventually led to a couple of songs where Parden, who opened for him on his European tour, took the spotlight, singing a cover of Judy Collins\u2019\u00a0\u201cSomeday Soon\u201d. The band returned for two new yet unnamed songs and an upbeat finish with\u00a0\u201cKeep It Interesting\u201d and closer\u00a0\u201cTrouble\u201d from his latest album. It\u2019s always a pleasure.<\/p>\n

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Sam Outlaw.\u00a0Photo by Paul Barendregt<\/a>\/OIABM<\/i><\/p>\n

Courtney Marie Andrews<\/b> was up next and we\u2019re always short on words to describe how her voice makes us feel, especially on the two standout tracks from her latest album May Your Kindness Remain<\/i>: the title track – an apt show closer – and the marvelous slow burner \u201cI\u2019ve Hurt Worse\u201d. There was also time for a few throwbacks (Leuven Letters<\/i>\u2019\u00a0\u201cNear You\u201d, Honest Life\u2019<\/i>s absolute hit \u201cHow Quickly Your Heart Mends\u201d or the outtake \u201cSea Town\u201d) and for a Aretha Franklin cover (\u201cChain of Fools\u201d) that would make the Queen of Soul proud. Another solid display from the Phoenix songwriter.<\/p>\n

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Courtney Marie Andrews. Photo by Willem Schalekamp<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n

David Crosby<\/b>\u2019s concert was probably the most awaited show of the day for most of the festival goers, and it showed: the tent on which the main stage was built on was completely packed. Unfortunately, some of the folks at the farther end of the tent were mostly there to avoid the rain and seemed fine with having caf\u00e9-like conversations like the legend in front of them was just some old punk nobody invited to the party.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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David Crosby. Photo by Paul Barendregt<\/a>\/OIABM<\/i><\/p>\n

It goes without saying that a (sometimes) too chatty audience was the worst aspect of the festival – we want to believe it was a consequence of the weather. We still managed to get great advice from Crosby:\u00a0don\u2019t cut your own hair<\/a>. No, he didn\u2019t play that song, but we were still treated to some CSN and CSNY songs such as \u201cGuinnevere\u201d,\u00a0\u201cD\u00e9j\u00e0 Vu\u201d, \u201cWooden Ships\u201d, or \u201cOhio\u201d.<\/p>\n

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Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires. Photo by Charles Batenburg<\/a>\/OIABM<\/i><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, at the Honky Tonk stage, Alabama native\u00a0Lee Bains<\/b> and his Glory Fires<\/b>\u00a0were blasting their working class brand of punk rock. The loudest and most energetic show of the whole festival, raised fists and plenty of jabs at Trump & co included. That ended up being a constant throughout the festival: American musicians from the deep south grateful and relieved for being far away from the country they love for a few weeks, for motives we\u2019re all tired of knowing by now.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Seasick Steve. Photo by Charles Batenburg<\/a>\/OIABM<\/i><\/p>\n

Seasick Steve<\/b> and his John Deere cap were up next at the main stage. By the third song you\u2019re already tired and thinking\u00a0\u201cyawn, more of the same, let\u2019s move on, eat something and sit down for a while because this lineup is too good to stop to rest\u201d but then his bass player goes and picks up a double neck guitar\/bass to play the excellent \u201cShady Tree\u201d and\u00a0\u201cYoung Blood\u201d. After an acoustic\u00a0\u201cSun On My Face\u201d as a duo, we finally gave up while a group of German girls were apparently doing a shouting competition five rows away from the stage. We know you really<\/i>\u00a0have<\/i>\u00a0to smoke weed because you\u2019re in Amsterdam but please behave next time. Jesus.<\/p>\n

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Drive-By Truckers. Photo by Willem Schalekamp<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n

Ten hours later, we finally finished one of the most stamina-challenging festivals we\u2019ve ever been to. Don\u2019t try to set up a festival with no boring bands every now and then ever again: we\u2019ve sit down for a grand total of 20 minutes between 12:30 and 22:30 because there was always something unmissable going on. Drive-By Truckers<\/b>\u00a0played the last show of the night on the second stage. The five piece led by songwriters Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley (who alternated lead singing duties) revisited their extensive discography, focusing mostly on standout records Decoration Day <\/i>(set closer \u201cHell No, I Ain\u2019t Happy\u201d,\u00a0\u201cHeathens\u201d,\u00a0\u201cMarry Me\u201d,\u00a0\u201cSink Hole\u201d) and 2001\u2032s\u00a0Southern Rock Opera<\/i>\u00a0(which included\u00a0\u201cWomen Without Whiskey\u201d and\u00a0\u201cZip City\u201d). And, as you might imagine, politics inevitably made their way via incursions through their latest album (\u201cRamon Casiano\u201d,\u00a0\u201cGuns of Umpqua\u201d, and the much celebrated \u201cSurrender Under Protest\u201d) and Hood\u2019s new song\u00a0\u201cBabies In Cages\u201d about, well, babies in cages. But the highlight of their set had to be\u00a0\u201cThe Living Bubba\u201d, their only foray into debut record Gangstabilly,<\/i>\u00a0who turned 20 this year.<\/p>\n

Ol\u2019 timey outfit\u00a0The Mavericks<\/b> were playing at a distance while we left for the shuttle bus: an eight piece band complete with an accordion, saxophone and double bass that would be the perfect finish for an eventful day, were our legs and feet in a better condition. The second edition of Once in a Blue Moon will take place at Amsterdamse Bos on Saturday, 24th August 2019.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Photo by Charles Batenburg\/OIABM Not a lot of festivals can boast they sold out their very first edition. It happened last Saturday with\u00a0Once in a Blue Moon, the newest Dutch Americana festival that took place in the Amsterdamse Bos just outside of Amsterdam and a short car ride from the Schiphol airport. But, except for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[134],"tags":[887,548,550,798,13,145,284,695,886,888,882,883,884,391,860,885],"class_list":["post-192","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-live","tag-bombino","tag-carl-anderson","tag-courtney-marie-andrews","tag-david-crosby","tag-drive-by-truckers","tag-erin-rae","tag-hiss-golden-messenger","tag-im-with-her","tag-lee-bains","tag-oiabm18","tag-once-in-a-blue-moon","tag-once-in-a-blue-moon-festival","tag-report","tag-sam-outlaw","tag-seasick-steve","tag-the-mavericks"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bolachas.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/192","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bolachas.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bolachas.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bolachas.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bolachas.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=192"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/bolachas.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/192\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1245,"href":"https:\/\/bolachas.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/192\/revisions\/1245"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bolachas.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=192"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bolachas.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=192"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bolachas.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=192"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}