Yank's Rosfest 2014

[Yanks2014]

I meant to title this "Yanks Rosfest 2014 Review". OK, not as bad as "Camples".

RoSfest 2014

I survived it all again, the endurance test known as Rosfest, so nice being back after missing 2013. This would be a different experience for me, as I would go in cold for 6 out of the 10 bands, not knowing a note of music or even the style. And the bands I knew, one I already didn’t like (Caravan), another I was not expecting much from (Collage). Poor lineup, at least that was my thoughts going in, nothing like the killer 2013 lineup I sadly missed. Well, I’m not someone afraid to admit when I’m wrong, and was I ever!

Friday

I arrived in Gettysburg exhausted, thanks to not feeling well the last few weeks, and the nearly 4 hour drive didn’t help any. And I wasn’t enthusiastic about day one. But what the hell, tickets are paid for. On to the bands…

Clepsydra

I must say, this is the first Swiss band I’ve ever heard. I guess Swiss music sounds like 80’s neo. Talk about your “neo-prog by numbers”, that describes them well. As predictable as possible, this is the sound that neo bashers refer to, and for once I have to agree with them. If you heard one song, well you have heard it all, all the same tricks in each song. The vocalist actually had one of the better voices of the weekend, had a great upper range. I couldn’t place who he sounded like, but another attendee mentioned the late Francesco Di Giacomo of Banco fame (I hate having to say “late”). This guy was less operatic, but at times the tone was not much different. I wonder how he would sound with more challenging music. No matter the album, the songs all sounded like they were from the same writing and recording session. And the band seemed to play at the edge of their capabilities, which were limited. They were polished though, can’t find fault in the performance, didn’t hear major mistakes, so they were well rehearsed. But I couldn’t take hearing yet another 3 note keyboard solo repeated over and over. The guitar work wasn’t much more complex. At one point he had the spotlight on him and played the same simple pattern for a good minute, as if he didn’t know what else to do. I’m exaggerating but not by much. They had the neo sound down pat, but really only the general framework of neo, the blueprint, and they wouldn’t dare depart from that script for even a second. We would hear more neo this weekend, but by acts that do it more justice, that prove it’s a worthy prog sub-genre. This band didn’t manage that.
Grade: C-

By the way, how about the lights and sound? Holy crap, what an upgrade, I was mesmerized by the visuals, and found the sound to be as good as any concert I’ve attended. How do they do this on the tight Rosfest budget? Oh, once again, every band started on time! What a great staff, I tip my hat to them.

Caravan

I saw a version of Caravan back at Nearfest about a decade ago. Did nothing for me, seemed like a polite English thing I just don’t have the patience for. So I was not looking forward to this set at all, I wondered why I should even bother. Well a funny thing happened, I ended up actually LIKING their set this time. Maybe it was the lineup changes, or a decade of expanding my musical horizons. Or maybe just a better performance. It did help that this time around they gave Geoffrey Richardson a lot more to do, all I really remember from the first time was the electric spoons bit, which was still fun seeing again. This guy is incredible, such a versatile and talented performer on whatever instrument he chose. I was most surprised by his lead guitar work. Definitely one of the top musicians of the weekend. The set seemed a nice mix of old and new. While the newer stuff is far less proggy, it came off well. But it was the performance of two epic, jamming tracks that really did it for me, “For Richard”, and then one of my favorite performances of the weekend, “Nine Feet Underground”. Can’t say I have real desire to pick up any Caravan albums, but I just may want to buy downloads of these two songs. Count this set as a pleasant surprise, I even got to tell that directly to Pye Hastings on Saturday.
Grade: B+

OK, now the festival is officially off to a good start. Time to sleep, I had to skip the Friday after party. A shame, I heard that Shadow Merchant was pretty good at the hotel.

Saturday

Elephants of Scotland

More neo, but wow, what an upgrade from Clepsydra! I was surprised to learn they are from Vermont, and well, not Scotland. They seem to take a cue from Scottish band Pallas, in that it’s an edgier, more muscular form of neo. And sound textures seemed to be their thing. Some nice layers of sound, and they varied them quite a bit. Looking out onto the stage though, I see three members all decked out in blue. What was this, the Blue Man Group? And topping that was the one and only keytar! Hard to make that instrument look cool. But I was surprised to see it also used on the main keyboard rig as a standard board. Don’t matter how it looked, I was loving the great keyboard sounds used, not nearly as predictable as the first neo act, just lots of color, and as I said, textures of sound. The guitarist also used many different sound textures, just a great mix between keys and guitar. The one thing missing from their sound was that of a strong front man. The vocals were only so-so, and I thing a strong singer would take their music to the next level. Vocal duties were shared, along with solid enough backing vocals. They played songs from both of their albums, and I seemed to find a few things I liked and didn’t from each. They seem an album away from fully realizing their sound, but so far I still really like what I hear. They also showed a fun sense of humor, especially when the Viking hats came out. Each member donned one, which included horns and blonde pigtails. And they played by far their most off the wall song, aptly titled “Interstellar Immigrant Song”. Not sure how to classify this, just a wacky but quite interesting piece. The set was paced very well, as they didn’t frontload or backload their best songs, a mistake some festival bands make. The kept my attention from the beginning to end, and kicked off Saturday in fine fashion. Definitely a band to look out for in the future, especially if they find a proper vocalist. Here’s hoping.
Grade: B+

Thank you Scientist

My second time seeing them, so I knew what to expect. I simply love this band’s live show, love their energy, their oddball mix of so many sounds and styles, and the fact they are a 7 piece band but utilize every member so well. No keyboards to speak of, yet I find their sound so refreshing, and yes, quite proggy. And this coming from a total keyboard nut. However this time they had a proper stage, so they had plenty of room. And the energetic lead vocalist romped around the stage, as if it still wasn’t big enough for him. I still don’t know how to classify them, the sound is at times funky, heavy, even fusion, nearly always done at a frantic pace. I hate to admit it, there is even a punk influence, though these guys are no garage rockers, they can all play, outstanding chops. I’ve yet to hear an album of theirs, though I did pick up their debut, so it’s hard to comment on individual songs. Each member had so much to say musically. I’m not the biggest trumpet fan in rock or jazz, yet this guy really impressed me. And he and the sax player really fed off each other nicely, definitely a good team of a horn section. I guess the fusion aspect came from the violin work. But every song is rooted in a slightly raw, rocking edge. And it’s all anchored by a very confident vocalist, he seems to hold it all together, no easy task. And his voice is perfect for them. Looking forward to really listening closely to the studio versions, and getting to know this music inside and out. So much going on, this will take a while. During this performance, the band made use of rear projections to show the sci-fi animated classic “Fantastic Planet”. Had nothing to do with the songs, but it gave off a cool, surreal vibe. Still, at times I found myself following the movie story a bit too much.
So cool seeing a very young band really pushing the envelope, while still making highly entertaining music. The future of prog? Don’t know about that, but I hope for bigger things to come for this band from my home state of New Jersey. BTW, they had potential to be a polarizing band, yet they seemed to be embraced by the RF crowd. So nice to see.
Grade: A

[Yanks2014]

Part Two:

Sound of Contact
Oh, I so badly wanted to love this band. Come on, they are led by the son of rock and roll royalty, who, by the way DID NOT RUIN GENESIS! Ok, had to get that out of the way. Simon Collins is indeed a fine musician and strong front man. I just think maybe he’s trying to channel his famous dad a little too much. Yeah, he looks and even sings a bit like his dad, that can’t be helped. His drumming style is a clone of Phil, very strong, but lacking originality. I was half expecting a drum fill to sound like the dramatic bit of “In the Air Tonight”. He avoided that thankfully. I understand before Sound of Contact, his music was more rock and pop oriented. No surprise, as some songs this night had that “padded out to feel epic and proggy” thing going. Well except for the instrumental bit that opened the show, and the massive epic near the end, those were killer, and enough of a reason for me to pick up this album. More of this, please! Instead we got a bit too much of ballady material, and middle of the road rock songs, just with some decent chops thrown in. The band was strong, especially the guitarist, liked his tone a lot. Plenty of keys, and the backup drummer did a fine job imitating Phil, I mean Simon, or should I say Chester Thompson? Certainly not Bill Bruford though. They did the Genesis thing of a double drumming to good effect. So it’s not original, it’s still cool to see and hear, and Genesis is no more. I still kept thinking most of the show that something is missing, something to fill the sound up more. By the end I had figured it out, they need a second guitarist. Someone to add some rhythm work and allow some more leads, at least for a live setting. Even in the studio, it would create a more dense sound, add a nice dynamic.
I did recognize the keyboard player Bill Jenkins from his work with Enchant, and currently with Thought Chamber. He did a well enough job as a fill-in, and I would mind hearing what he could do as a full time member. Not sure what the future holds for SOC, but I imagine a follow-up album could really see them create something special. Let’s just hope they leave the pop aspirations behind. As to the crowd, I had the feeling they felt the same way as me, maybe expecting something a little better. OK, except for that annoying woman who kept running up and down the aisle, trying to act like a teenager. There is a fine line between fanatic and idiot. Want to take a guess where she ended up on that line. Oh well, really the only annoying attendee all weekend as far as I could tell. I almost forgot, the band ended their set with a cover, not terribly shocking it was a Genesis tune, or from their less proggy period. But it was “Keep It Dark”, which I do like a lot, and not a note for note cover. Wouldn’t mind a studio recording of this version.
Grade: C+

Beardfish

I first became aware of Beardfish back when they played Nearfest in 2009, as I went in cold to their show, and came out a fan. I’ve since picked up their entire catalog, they have become one of my favorites on the current prog scene. Studio, they are good, but live they really shine. I saw them a second time in 2012, so I was excited about seeing them again, and they didn’t disappoint. Instead they exceeded expectations. Leader Rikard Sjöblom is simply a musical genius, I’ll go that far. I find much of their work to be lighthearted, even goofball at times, but then there is current album “The Void”. This is much darker territory, heavier too, though not really to the level of metal. The highlight from this album is a total tear jerker, “Ludvig & Sverker”, which is about the stillbirth of twin boys. I’m not into lyrics, so it took several spins of this rather pretty song for the impact to hit me. I was nearly in tears singing along to this during the show. And of course this actually followed one of their more goofball tunes, “The Gooberville Ballroom Dancer” featuring hero Dwight of course. Rikard mentioned how this had some “naughty words” in it, and perhaps it wasn’t the best choice to open up with at their Progday gig a few years back. I don’t think he realized some Americans take issue with the good old “F” word, at least in front of families. But hey, he warned the more fragile ears this time. Fun song, it’s become one of my favorites by them. Just don’t crank this up near my Mom. One thing about Beardfish, I’m terrible remembering song titles, as many are rather bizarre themselves. I do know we got the king of Beardfish epics in “Sleeping In Traffic”, taking up more than a half hour, but feeling like it’s half that. This song has it all, covers so many moods and well, every aspect of their sound. You want to know what Beardfish sounds like? Just listen to this.
There was one point during the set where maybe that pacing issue reared its ugly head. It was a solo piece by Rikard on guitar, kind of slow and took them out of their momentum. But things picked up shortly after. Guess they needed a breather late in the set.
As to the playing itself, for me it’s all about Rikard, whether on keys –maybe the most nimble of keyboardists all weekend, or his guitar playing. Lead guitarist David Zackrisson is quite talented, but the band seems to come alive on stage when they have the twin guitar attack. David is less animated, so when Rikard is on keys, they lose a little something in terms of presentation. But I actually prefer slightly the keyboard tunes. Guess they need to clone Rikard so he can always play both. Bassist Robert Hansen is his usual ball of energy, constantly sliding across the stage in his socks, and of course he’s quite the bassist. Drums are solid, though maybe less flashy than what I’m into. But he’s no weak link. Terrific ensemble all around. To close things out, they did their heaviest tune, “Voluntary Slavery”. Why would Rikard want to do this to his voice, at the end? Glutton for punishment. I liked his joke about his head possibly exploding like at the end of horror movie “Scanners”. No, it didn’t, even with those screams at the end. Quite an exclamation point to close out the show. One of the best live acts in the prog scene today.
Grade: A+, Best of Festival

Sunday

While you could hardly claim the lineup up to this point was mellow, things sure would change on Sunday as these bands all knew how to rock out and certainly keep the bleary eyed festival crowd awake. Thank you for that George.

Fright Pig

Thanks to my lack of energy, we ended up late for this set, such a shame. I missed a good 25 minutes of it, and what I heard when I got there would have been a great wake up call. An 8 piece lineup, yes, that’s not a typo! Seeing such a crowded stage reminded me of when Phideaux played a few years ago. But I felt this lineup was better utilized. Musically I’d describe them as a more proggy and heavy Trans-Siberian Orchestra, the same over the top, exaggerated, excessive rock and roll theater. And this is not a criticism, as in a slightly schlocky way, they pulled off the difficult task of making a prog concert a fun, yet still musically fulfilling experience. The playing was top notch all around, especially the keys and a brilliant young guitarist. The leader, and his keyboard playing assistant both hail from New York, the bassist from Florida, the singer from nearby Reading, PA. Yes, nothing exotic there. But the classical guitarist is from Quebec, the 2nd guitarist from Mexico, the lead guitarist from Serbia, the drummer from Belgium. Not sure how the heck they got this lineup together, and I understand it was just for touring. Crazy, but I guess not surprising in the prog world. I wish I could comment on their album, but I missed too much of the set. But the songs were heavy, but always with a classical feel on keys –funny seeing two guys playing on the same keyboard rig, sometimes the same keyboard. They made it work too. Vocals were close to hair metal territory, but the guy had a good tone and was a solid front man. I did manage to catch a song where the classical guitar had a nice, prominent role. Terrific player, this song had a more serious vibe to it. After the final album song, they played some covers, including a very surprising choice, “Building the Church” by Steve Vai. If you know the tune, it’s Vai at his shredding best, can’t think of many guitarists who could pull this off. This guy managed to, giving Vai a run for his money. He was the star of the show by far, including some nice and rather heavy work on the 7 string guitar. They also played two Deep Purple songs, Perfect Strangers –one of my favorites, and a scorching version of Burn. Add to that a keyboard tribute to the biggest names in prog, and you have a complete and very entertaining show. I sure hope this was filmed, I want to see what I missed!
Grade: Incomplete -From what I saw, B+, leaning towards an A-

[Yanks2014]

And finally:

Red Sand

OK, what was the deal with the big red chair on stage? Seems they stole the chair from the Collage album cover for “Moonshine”. I sure wish the music was similar. This was by far the most theatrical band, with the vocalist using every chance to act out whatever delusions he was having, including the chair bit, and prisoner outfit, and some other oddities I’m forgetting. He Reminded me a bit of Peter Nichols from IQ, complete with an equally irritating voice. Actually Nichols varies his tone more. This guy was always in the upper register, it was like a splitting headache that would not go away. I know others liked his singing, but I found it grating the entire time. Their sound was a mix of symphonic and hard rock, always about building the drama. Trouble is, it always took forever to get there, and then the payoff wasn’t all that special. It became horrible dull after a while, waiting for something big, but they wouldn’t deliver. What did I like, the work of the bass player, both with his custom double neck (doesn’t that just scream PROG every time?) and his other bass. He could really play, and had a great tone. I didn’t find the playing of anyone else all that special, though there was nothing wrong with their performance. I just felt bored by it all, I just wasn’t moved, by the sound, the theatrics or the songs in general.
Grade: D+

Subsignal

This is an offshoot of sorts from well known German prog-metal act Sieges Even. I once owned an album of theirs, and early 90’s release, and I had to sell it due to the horrid vocals. I steered clear of them because of that experience. Little did I know a later incarnation of the band would have such a great singer in Arno Menses. Well he helped form Subsignal, a rather melodic prog-metal act and really anchors the band with his great vocal tone and personable stage presence. He ended up being my favorite vocalist of the weekend. While the backing vocals were strong, they did sound processed, or even possibly piped in. I hope they were not faking that aspect. No matter, still a very strong show overall. Personally I found the pacing of the set to be somewhat poor, they did front load the heavier tunes, and the second half of the set was far more radio friendly material. But they were still good songs. It’s just that I wanted more of the crunching guitars. Each member was very strong, they were such a well rehearsed band that you could tell have more than enough touring under their belt, total pros. They managed to mix in a Sieges Even tune as well, even had us singing along to it. I hate audience participation, but this was actually enjoyable. Guess I’ll be looking into later period Sieges Even to see what I missed out on. Despite my issues with set pacing, I really found a lot to enjoy from Subsignal, definitely another band on my radar, and I will pick up at least their debut.
Grade: A-

Collage

Finally, the end! And I almost didn’t see this set thanks to some unfortunate minor chest pains. Thank goodness they went away quick. Now I know the story of Satellite and their ill fated Rosfest gig several years back. Considering much of the lineup is the same, many of us were worried that Collage too was really just a good studio act. Ok, considering the classic status of their “Moonshine” album, a great studio act. Well, I will tell you what, they sure learned from that experience, as they totally brought their “A” game. Each member showed off their chops while still working as a fine ensemble. Guitarist Mirek Gil was not only in fine form, but full of energy, and showed he could even shred, not just the soaring neo-prog leads he is known for. The band covered all their albums, including polish language debut “Basnie”. I only picked up that album a couple months back, and find it’s a very fine effort, and the language barrier is not a problem. I was very happy with the two selections from it. Of course the highlight of the set was the “Moonshine” material. I spoke briefly to the drummer, explaining how this album is neo done right. Anyone who takes issue with this sub-genre owes themselves a chance to listen to this. He strongly disagreed with my description of them as neo, but was happy with my enthusiasm for the album. It’s a 90’s classic if there ever was one. But sorry Wojtek Szadkowski, your band is indeed a neo-prog group, don’t take that as a negative, you are masters of that sound. The soaring, clean lead guitar lines, the symphonic keys and the accessible, singable melodies, and the hard rock undercurrent, it’s all there, but done right. As for the vocals, I was surprised to hear the voice, as he’s also the current singer of Collage offshoot Believe. I love his voice with them, and think he fits in with Collage even better. And he has quite a great stage presence, really a strong personality and a ton of energy. Early on he did some hopping in synch with the bass player, clearly they were having fun. Later even Mirek Gil joined in on the fun. The longer the show went on, the more energy the band seemed to have. I’d say they fed off the crowd, but really, after 15 or so hours of music, we are all beat! Still, the crowd reaction was strong, they gave us the energy for sure. My only possible complaint was early on, where I wasn’t crazy about the distorted guitar tone. Minor complaint, as the sound remained clear throughout most of the set, and distorted guitar is not a big part of their sound. Proving how incredibly tired I was, I kind of thought the encore was never ending, I just needed to get some sleep, but the damn band had to keep playing. And playing well of course. Really a surprisingly strong ending to a fest I was not expecting to get so much out of.
Grade: A

Another great weekend of music, at this point it’s expected at Rosfest, certainly from me. Best news of all, it will be back in 2015. And I won’t be second guessing the lineup as this year sure proved me wrong. See you all then.

[Garden Dreamer]

Another great recap, as usual!

[battema]

I almost forgot, the band ended their set with a cover, not terribly shocking it was a Genesis tune, or from their less proggy period. But it was “Keep It Dark”, which I do like a lot, and not a note for note cover. Wouldn’t mind a studio recording of this version.

Ask and ye shall.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJ2oDlbfQ_A (gotta ignore the absurdly stupid number of popup thingies though).

Actually fairly well agree with you on all of this. One bit to call out though is Collage...after the 'meh' set from Satellite a few years ago, I was genuinely amazed and impressed with how strong Collage was. Very cool to see

[Yanks2014]

Ask and ye shall.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJ2oDlbfQ_A (gotta ignore the absurdly stupid number of popup thingies though).

Actually fairly well agree with you on all of this. One bit to call out though is Collage...after the 'meh' set from Satellite a few years ago, I was genuinely amazed and impressed with how strong Collage was. Very cool to see

Like I said, they really brought their "A" game. I know some folks found the singer's stage antics annoying. I didn't, he brought so much positive energy to the stage. And eventually the other memebers fed off it. Mirek Gil seems to be the last musician you'd expect to be hopping up and down on stage.

[Yanks2014]

Another great recap, as usual!

Thanks. Sorry it was so short.

[Wounded Land]

Great write-up!

You absolutely need to check out Sieges Even's The Art of Navigating by the Stars. Forget their earlier stuff: this is what you want.

[progeezer]

Great write-up!

You absolutely need to check out Sieges Even's The Art of Navigating by the Stars. Forget their earlier stuff: this is what you want.

I also think that's their best album, but imo Paramount isn't far behind (& has a song about Christ Of The Andes (a/k/a Christ the Redeemer) that towers over Rio de Janiero, Yanks!)

[jlneudorf]

I also think that's their best album, but imo Paramount isn't far behind (& has a song about Christ Of The Andes (a/k/a Christ the Redeemer) that towers over Rio de Janiero, Yanks!)

Agreed. Both albums (Paramount and Navigating) are excellent.

Regards,
Jon

[JKL2000]

I also think that's their best album, but imo Paramount isn't far behind (& has a song about Christ Of The Andes (a/k/a Christ the Redeemer) that towers over Rio de Janiero, Yanks!)

Yeah, both those albums are good. A couple of the earlier ones are worthwhile too.

[SteveSly]

Wow, fantastic review. With a few minor exceptions you and I are pretty much on the same page.

Also, I agree with checking out Sieges Even "Art Of Navagating" album. It is a great one.

[Yanks2014]

Great write-up!

You absolutely need to check out Sieges Even's The Art of Navigating by the Stars. Forget their earlier stuff: this is what you want.

I'll do just that. I remember there was quite a buzz when this album came out, but somehow never got around to checking it out. Of course these days it's far easier to hear some samples. And thanks for the kind words about the review. I usually try to take a few notes over the weekend, but didn't get around to it this time, so it was harder to write. People who do this for a living amaze me.

[Yanks2014]

I also think that's their best album, but imo Paramount isn't far behind (& has a song about Christ Of The Andes (a/k/a Christ the Redeemer) that towers over Rio de Janiero, Yanks!)

Paramount, will look into it too, thanks.

[Yanks2014]

*Bump*

In case anyone who hasn't seen this yet wants a good long read...

[Jerjo]

Well done Thomas, reminiscent of your great NF threads.

[Yanks2014]

Well done Thomas, reminiscent of your great NF threads.

Thanks, I try my best. I save all these too, which at this point is 12 Nearfest and 3 Rosfest reviews. Didn't write one for the 99 NF, wish I had.

[Digital_Man]

Great review. Nice job. Unfortunately I missed RF this year. Maybe next year.

[Firth]

Great write up

[Yanks2014]

Great review. Nice job. Unfortunately I missed RF this year. Maybe next year.

They did announce from the stage that it will be back, first weekend in May, 2015. No band announcement, though George said it would be "a few friends". Hmmm, 3 Friends maybe? George doesn't seem one to give hints lke this, but you never know...

[Digital_Man]

Yeah George isn't usually cryptic but I guess he didn't want to give anything away just yet. 3 Friends would be my guess as well and would be a great Friday night spot. Btw, how well attended was this years RF? Did it sell out? Honestly, I would find it hard to believe if it was better attended than last years or very well attended at all. Maybe having SoC helped because otherwise the 50 year old milfs who spooge at the idea of a younger Phil Collins wouldn't show up.

[Yanks2014]

Yeah George isn't usually cryptic but I guess he didn't want to give anything away just yet. 3 Friends would be my guess as well and would be a great Friday night spot. Btw, how well attended was this years RF? Did it sell out? Honestly, I would find it hard to believe if it was better attended than last years or very well attended at all. Maybe having SoC helped because otherwise the 50 year old milfs who spooge at the idea of a younger Phil Collins wouldn't show up.

No sellout, even 2013 didn't do that, and I beleive that was the record crowd for RF. But all 3 days seemed to have 500+, which is not too shabby, especially with all the music cruises going on this year. The best attended performace had to be for Caravan, seems a lot of people came out with them as their main draw.