Gathering of the Vibes Celebrates 20 Years with a Memorable Lineup

Once a year, Seaside Park in Bridgeport, Connecticut, becomes home to Gathering of the Vibes, perhaps the greatest celebration of music, culture and art I’ve ever experienced. On their 20th anniversary, Ken Hayes and the team over at GotV didn’t skimp out on the excess, assembling one of the most memorable lineups in recent history.

I was fortunate enough to join my VibeTribe brethren for another year at Seaside Park, but this time, I threw out my plans for the weekend and basked in the culture of Vibes. While two days of virtually non-stop music might make one’s head spin in disorientation, I experienced a feeling of euphoria that kept my stamina up (despite my lack of sleep).

My adventures kicked off Saturday morning as I approached the main concert field, experiencing a mix of ecstasy and nostalgia. I made it just in time to listen to Kung Fu, who kicked off the action on the main stage with the instrumental proficiency to set the bar high for the day.

One of my favorite acts came early as Deep Banana Blackout graced the stage with a performance that can only be described as pure electricity. Originally formed in Fairfield County, Connecticut, in 1995, DBB has maintained a core lineup that recently reformed in 2007. They have since performed yearly at Vibes.

Vocalist Jen Durkin captured the audience’s attention with her Joplin-influenced attitude and complex vocal prowess while guitarist James “Fuzz” San Giovanni kept fans hooked through his audacious leads that melted songs together harmoniously. For an early set, I was shocked at the turnout of VibeTribers, since most were up till 1am the previous night for The String Cheese Incident.

As far as legacy acts go, I was fortunate enough to catch Billy & The Kids, a side project of Billy Kreutzmann of the Grateful Dead. It was previously announced that there was a theme for the set, and after the band delved right into The Dead’s 1972 hit, “Ramble on Rose,” I knew they were about to attack songs that the Dead skipped over during their 50th anniversary shows in Santa Clara and Chicago.

Bassist Reed Mathis and guitarist Tom Hamilton Jr. both performed with lyrics in front of them, but when it came time for improvisation, they made the audience’s faces split open and melt with the sheer proficiency. Kreutzmann was on point (as always) and even invited Warren Haynes onstage to jam The Beatles classic “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” with The Kids.

The performance of the day for me came late as my musical heroes, Wilco, took the main stage for an over-the-top, blistering two-hour set. The band delved into their whole catalogue of music and didn’t pull any punches, from the artfully dysfunctional “Via Chicago” to an epic jam of “California Stars” with special guest, Warren Haynes.

What excited me the most about their performance at Vibes was that Jeff Tweedy and the gang decided to take a risky move by playing their  surprise album (it was announced out-of-the-blue on July 16) Star Wars, in its entirety. This maneuver paid off entirely as Tweedy went in and out of their new edition like tissue paper and provided the message that this alt-country band was more than a one-trick pony.

Other notable acts from the day included Greensky Bluegrass, a roaring bluegrass band that emitted a sound greater than the acoustic instruments they played; Trevor Hall, who is always a coffee house hit and respectable musician; and Warren Haynes with Railroad Earth, who performed songs from their new collaborative album, Ashes & Dust, as well as Allman Brothers Band covers and a cover of the Grateful Dead’s “China Cat,” featuring Billy Kreutzmann on percussions.

While I enjoyed the copious amounts of music I listened to on Saturday (over 12 hours of it), I lacked in exploring the culture and atmosphere of Seaside Park. I set out to accomplish this task the next day since I only planned to catch four musicians.

I explored all the tents and stands that Vibes had to offer. It had a similar feel to Shakedown Street, which I bore witness to during the Grateful Dead show on July 3 in Chicago. All the shop owners were thrilled to be at Vibes for the 20th anniversary, coming from as far as California to be in attendance. I shopped a bit and purchased an organically made Phish shirt before riding the ferris wheel.

The VibeTribers were just how I remembered them — peaceful, focused and of course, strange. I saw everything from a man dressed as a troll on stilts to an older gentleman who took in the music dressed as a pod of green beans. They welcomed me again as one of their own and in turn, I listened to their stories, reveling in their memories as if I had been there.

Then I took in the music with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, who shook my eardrums and spirit with their authentic New Orleans jazz and blues-infused stylings. My dad, who joined me on this epic journey, was more excited by them than I was and even began dancing (which, if you know my dad, is a rare sight).

Weezer was my highlight of the day even though their style of garage rock was far from the notorious jam-band stylings of Vibes. Nonetheless, Weezer was just as memorable as the previous times I saw them and provided a kickass show that even got the cranky, tired-out VibeTribers singing along to notable tracks such as “Undone (The Sweater Song)” and “Pork and Beans.”

My experience at this year’s Gathering of the Vibes was one for the books. Whether you’ve been attending Vibes since its inception or have never heard of it, I cannot recommend a music festival more.

Stay Vibey, my friends.