Dewey Beach Music Conference 2010

The Dewey Beach Music Conference is a signature "Dewey Beach" event. Our town enthusiastically offers up for 140 bands: 9 venues with ~ 14 stages. Thankfully the rain stopped for Friday and Saturday so all were able to crawl the venue route.

At the Bottle and Cork, ( not so at The Rudder ), I noticed that only 30% of the attendees were with beer-in-hand, signaling this as a serious Music Group.

The first thing I do is to take in the musician's fashion trend as it speaks tactically to our future mode. Gone was the 2009 look of long, long shiny hair and British Invasion. Facial hair and dreds were the exception. Gone were the girlfriends' stiletto shiny S&M heels.

This season it looked like everyone had day jobs at a bank! Clean cut looks with hair way above the collar. Preppy ruled in the most ironic-way. Purple was a favorite color.

The Fat Daddy Has Been lead singer still had his dreds but wore a striped Polo shirt! Tiva Tiva's group sported suspenders and ratted-out formal orchestra wear.

Girlfriends went back to their 2008 boots, this time nearly knee-high with a heel to match, with a decidedly glamourous and polished 1970's look.

Friday was my favorite night. My Bottle and Cork evening started with "The Little Invisibles". I tried to dismiss the music as the sound was quite muddled.... but then I concentrated and found the grooves: Pop-Gothic! A contradiction in terms, but that is what they did mixing in bouncy pop musical-lines with monster-in-the-house darker moods. Their fashion mode? Preppy Goth!

Next up was Frank Vielle & The Manhattan Project with their very city look and sound; and their smooth jazz given over to perfectly handled rock.

Crawling to the The Rusty Rudder I found on the inside stage, Club Rudder, Dynasty Electric! Jenny Electric is a Pop Queen Diva who perfects Electronica Dance and took us from Blondie to Britney. With her sequined and spangled futuristic costume, I think she could head-line for Star Trek!

My goal for the evening was to hear: Brother Joscephus & The Love Revival Revolution Orchestra! The crowd was ready to party Mardi Gras New Orleans style! This group of 12 entertains in high style N'awlins costume and sound and put forth (and threw forth a slew of Mardi Gras beads) a perfect concert in 50 minutes. The last song demonstrated their masterful musicianship taking a traditional New Orleans Jazz sound transformed to Funk to Grateful Dead Acid Rock to Trance and slowly reversed the same back again. See my October 2009 blog to read even more on their style and approach.

I walked home very happy and placed on my bedroom curtain-rod my Mardi Gras red-bead necklace.

Ta-DA!

Dewey Beach Music Conference and Brother Joscephus!

I love beyond measure The Dewey Beach Music Conference invasion!   ~ 150 bands arrive to play at ~ 7 venues, with ~ 12 stages! The music industry scouts and booking agents do daytime workshops and mentoring.  For the general public there is no cover charge to take in the performances!

Our tiny town, not even 2 miles long is utterly given over to the event.  Walk the town and live original music is found at every step.  Fun moments are easy to find.

  ~ 12 midnight at The Grotto ( pizza shop) I saw a Mississippi Delta Blues group playing...... as it was well lighted and perfect for videoing. Patrons were in adoration mode.

One of the best people watching events of the season, I adore tracking the fashion.  This year the rockstar's girlfriends gave up their hippie Boho skirts and dresses, boots...... as in-oh -so-2008, for 2009's very skinny, dark wash jeans, shiny and seductive stilettos and sky-high platforms.  For both guys and dolls, shiny, long flowing hair was the favorite accessory.  "Brittish Invasion" style was heavily favored.

I started out at the Bottle and Cork...... two stages set up...... and on the bigger stage, took in "Roman Traffic" working progressive rock with atmospheric trance rhythms. 

I give a group 30 seconds..... and if I am not entranced, then off I go to the next venue....the next group did not make the cut.... I was off to the Rusty Rudder.

Out on the deck I was WOW-WOWED by "Brother Joscephus and The Love Revival Revolution Orchestra".  This group delivered the tunes and entertained! 

Hang with me for the descriptors:  top-speed smooth jazz gone N'awlins Gospel Revival, with the 80's "Village People" gone to Mardi Gras Party down in N-e-w O-r-leans!  

The group wore only white, pink and purple, campy costumes, and were loaded down with Mardi Gras beads which of course were flung into the crowd.

The keyboard player, wearing head to toe white tails, wore a King's Crown of Purple. 

Most bizarre was that he wore white gloves...... not a trace of humanity, ( no skin ), touched the keyboard...... thus the performance was otherworldly.  No trance rhythms here but the music and visuals transported!

And oh-how-I-loved-it when Brother J announced: Ladies, if you do not have a man, then one will be provided for you!

I provide a link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzOaypb1s74

Needless to say the crowd pressed upon the stage and went half crazy when the set was over....... as the next group was up!

 A classic Dewey Beach evening!