WHAT: Third-annual Backwoods Pondfest.
WHEN: Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
WHERE: Twin Ponds Campground, 208 Fuller Road, Peru.
SCHEDULE:
FRIDAY
11 a.m. Gates open.
3 p.m. Capital Zen.
4:15 p.m. Shameless Strangers.
5:30 p.m. The Grift.
7 p.m. U-Melt.
9 p.m. Lucid.
11 p.m. South Catherine Street Jug Band.
1 a.m. The Breakfast.
SATURDAY
Noon. Elephant Bear.
1:15 p.m. Waylon Speed.
2:30 p.m. Hot Day at the Zoo.
3:45 p.m. Greyspoke.
5 p.m. Ciderhouse.
6:30 p.m. Spiritual Rez.
8:30 p.m. Ryan Montbleau Band.
10:30 p.m. Twiddle.
12:30 a.m. Lucid.
NOTE: Paul Caraher will play between sets. Lineup and times are subject to change.
TICKETS: $60 at the gate. Tickets include tent camping for the weekend. $20 additional fee for RVs. $40 for Saturday only, available at the show at 8 a.m. $10 for dogs. Children under 5 are free; under 12 cost $30.
WEB SITE: www.backwoodspondfest.com
PHONE: 534-0868.
PERU — Shout out to all former Jug Heads! The South Catherine Street Jug Band. Pondfest. Friday. Repeat. SCSJB. Pondfest. Friday.
"They haven't played together in years and years," said Lowell Wurster, Lucid percussionist and fest organizer with Kate Bazzano and Chris Boyer. "I heard earlier in the year that they were going to do a few reunion shows. I called up Suave and said, 'You have to come here to the festival.'"
It's a homecoming of sorts for the Jug Band, which was a huge draw to the Twin Pond Campsite back in the Pondstock days.
"They're headlining Friday," Wurster said. "The headliners are more local flavor but the music is no less exciting. I'm more excited about the lineup we have this year than we had last year. To have the Jug Band play and The Breakfast on Friday's lineup and Twiddle headlining Saturday is an amazing lineup of music. It's no less music. People who know the scene and look at the lineup say, 'Whoa.'"
SAME VISION
Friday's slate is Capital Zen, Shameless Strangers, The Grift, U-Melt, Lucid, the Jug Band and The Breakfast. Elephant Bear starts off Saturday's rotation that includes Waylon Speed (formerly Chuch), Hot Day at the Zoo, Greyspoke, Ciderhouse, Spiritual Rez, Ryan Montbleau Band, Twiddle and Lucid.
"We have the same vision as always," Wurster said. "We're trying to have a good time. No hassles. Good people. Good music. When you have a bunch of people there for the music and you bring them together, it's like a big family. It's a good time."
Lucid — Kevin Sabourin, Andy Deller, Ryan Trumbull, Jamie Armstrong, Chris Shacklett and Wurster — will be drawing from their new CD, "Dewdmanwah," which features special guests George Wurster, Rick Davies and Giovanina Bucci.
"We recorded in our friend Benn Erb's basement at Brookfield Manor. It was really cool doing it with him. The sound is amazing. It took us the better part of a year to record this album. We weren't paying by the hour. It was a plus and a minus. We had time to let things mold. Our music changes. Some of the music we recorded on this album, we play different live."
The eight-track disc features "Pushin'," "Lucky Dice," "Po Man's," "Ancient Incantations," Bad Habit," "Feels Good," "On My Knees" and "Spliff Blues."
"It's a little bit different than the first album," Wurster said. "We found our sound a little more. We're still very diverse — reggae to blues to jam — but this one is more rock-blues oriented. We're still waiting to get a live album out."
NICE MIXTURE
Lucid performs Friday and Saturday.
"We have special guests — Rick Davies (trombonist/composer and leader of Jazzismo) and Ray Vega, unquestionably one of the best trumpet players in the world," Wurster said.
Though Backwoods Pondfest is named for one of Lucid's tunes, fest organizers are bringing more bands from across the lake to the event.
"Twiddle was just recognized as the best unsigned band of the month in High Times. They're an amazing band. We have Hot Day at the Zoo and Spiritual Rez playing reggae ska. Ryan Montbleau is folk blues. Twiddle is progressive reggae and rock. We have a nice mixture of music in the jam band kind of collection we're shooting for."
At every festival before Pondfest, street teams have passed out flyers to generate buzz.
"Expose yourself to music you haven't heard before," Wurster said. "Being in Lucid and going around and traveling, we see all these bands. A lot of people don't know who these people are. They will come and tear it up. People are going to be blown away."
E-mail Robin Caudell at: rcaudell@pressrepublican.com
K-Stew Packs a Mean Punch
Dwarfing Around With Ray Winstone
VH1's 'Single Ladies' Launches Season 2
RPatz Swaps Cullen for Cronenberg
Stars Crowd Red Carpet for AmfAR
Knick's Anthony on NY Life, Linsanity, New Role
Zefron Gets Eroticised
Kristen Stewart 'On the Road' to Cannes
Mads Mikkelsen on 'The Hunt' in Cannes
Brad Pitt Dispels Wedding Date Rumors at Cannes
Gerard Butler: the Good, the Bad and the Cannes
ShowBiz Minute: Gibb, Billboard, Smith
Robin Gibb of Bee Gees Dies at 62
Raw Video: Will Smith Slaps Journalist
Wes Anderson Makes His Cannes Debut
Tony Nominee Josh Young on Judas Role in 'JCS'
Jaime King's Southern Belle Secrets
ShowBiz Minute: Summer, Gaga, Beckham
Fans Pay Tribute to Donna Summer
Glenn Frey on New Solo Record, Eagles
