All Good Review
(Marco Benevento)
(Toubab Krew)
With a flawless, diverse line up, All Good offered something for everyone. You wouldn’t think that ‘exhausting’ would find its place as a positive description in a festival write up, but it has. All Good was exhausting; with a jam-packed line-up it seemed impossible to push ones self to see and do it all. Adding to that, when driving into All Good you are surrounded by a literally breathtaking landscape. Not only is it beautifully mountainous, green, wooded, etc., but getting from the campsite to stage was a workout. One of the biggest mistakes an All Good attendee could make was to bring the wrong pair of shoes.
Aside from all of that, All Good performed a wonderful balancing act of musical legends such as Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, and Les Claypool; the established such as Moe, Marco Benevento, and Beats Antique; the up-and-coming Green Skye Blue Grass, Zach Deputy, and These Unites States. The line-up was so juicy you could see the satisfaction of a quenched musical craving on the face of every passing individual.
There was a plethora of extra activities for all ages, from crafts and djembe lessons to yoga. The gem of the weekend had to be the Grassroots Stage, which offered intimate Q & A sessions with musicians, workshops, unique collaborations, performances by up-and-coming artists and more. For instance, on Friday drummer Joe Russo (who played with Further that night) gave a talk on everything from his musical style to how he ended up where he is today. The stage also magically blended up an extra-special collaboration between Keller Williams, members of Umphrey’s McGee, and Toubab Krewe. The intimacy of the stage added a special vibe that you do not find at other larger festivals like All Good.
As the saying goes, things get better with age, and All Good was no exception to the rule in its 15th year. With an exceptional musical lineup, friendly atmosphere, clean grounds and enthusiastic crowds, it was one of the highlights of the summer’s festival season. Capping it all off with a fireworks display following Dark Star Orchestra’s customary final song of “We Bid You Goodnight” was the icing on the cake. Any fan of the festival scene, or anyone curious about what it has to offer owes it to him or herself to check out All Good next year. Its 16th year is certain to outshine even this one!
-Gabriella Thurman
