Concert Review: 2013 East End Festival

Updated on 6/21/13 to remove a potentially offensive phrase.

The East End was buzzing Friday night as it took a step back
to an earlier time when the East End Festival was about the music
and not an outdoor meat market. It was the excellent music line-up that made the night.

I started out with Amanda Lee Peers and
The
Driftwood Sailors, who have officially transitioned from dreamy
acoustic mysticism to full-out rock. I kind of miss the minor melancholy but
dug the bluesy attack a la “Houses of the Holy.” Next it was the JJ Lang
Band as it kissed the sky with its big engine chugging beneath
Lang’s vocal arrows. The Natalie B Band stomped through some
bluesy boogie as the sun sank behind. It brought to mind some Big Joe Turner
lyrics to mind (call me at the office and I’ll sing ’em to you).

Blackened
Blues broke out the hip-hop-rock hybrid with some Roots Collider
in its ranks and the kids couldn’t sit still. Same went for Audio
Influx as the band burned the groovy soul well into the evening
for the beer- and sun-soaked crowd.

This article appears in Jun 12-18, 2013.