[moses]

Here's a very brief review of the whole event.

FRIDAY:
THE TONY LEVIN BAND: Very cool and a lot fun. It's interesting that the songs that got the biggest response were the cover tunes, but Tony has some good songs of his own.
HATFIELD AND THE NORTH: I wasn't too familiar with them before this weekend, but they had their own unique sound (which I liked) and they played well. I particularly enjoyed Pip Pyle's drumming.

SATURDAY:
KBB: I had pretty much written off ever getting the opportunity to see these guys, given the fact that they're from Japan and don't tour all that much. I love their music however, and they did not disappoint me one bit in their performance. Excellent!
RIVERSIDE: This was their first performance in America. They put on a good show and provided a heavier show than anyone else there, while not quite going all the way over the line to "prog metal."
RICHARD LEO JOHNSON: I guess he figured with his Fingertip Ship album, the whole "solo acoustic guitar prog" thing had been done, so he moved on to some really impressive and inventive slide guitar playing, and he told us some really entertaining stories along the way.
FM: I also hadn't heard much from these guys until this weekend. I liked the unique instrumentation and they put on a spirited and entertaining performance.
OZRIC TENTACLES: I was also pretty excited to see these guys (and girl!), but I wasn't sure what to expect. They were a lot of fun, what more can I say?

SUNDAY:
GUAPO: Interesting to the fifth power. They were also the only band to use such prog staples as theremin, gong, and ebow guitar. Dark but not angry, and a captivatingly tight performance.
MICHAEL MANRING: Wow! Solo bass guitar - and I think, to be fair, he did use something like a 4-string bass ebow. Very impressive and inspirational playing.
ANGE: I had no idea what to expect from this French outfit, but we were treated to one of the most entertaining and dramatic shows of the weekend. Great playing and interesting songs, even if I couldn't understand the words.
NIACIN: Another "wow" performance. Three virtuosos in one group might seem like too much but they played really well together without anyone hogging the spotlight too much.

Unfortunately I could not stay for the Keith Emerson Band, who I'm sure was also great. But we had a 5-hour drive ahead of us and work in the morning, so we made what was probably a smart choice and went home.

One other thing I'd like to mention was the volume. It was (at least from where I sat) loud enough without being overly loud or painful. I brought earplugs and used them anyway (gotta protect those ears) but I don't think I would have been in bad shape if I hadn't.

I had a great time and wasn't disappointed by any of the performances I saw. What a weekend!