Order tickets at www.hookfest2014.com/tickets.html
ALL AGES (Under 18 MUST be accompanied by parent or guardian)
Join WXGR for HOOKFEST 2014 on the lawn at the Red Hook Brewery for a full day of music, beer, food and fun. The 18th annual Hookfest. August 16th. 2pm RAIN OR SHINE. NO REFUND
LINEUP
LETTUCE
BIM SKALA BIM
KING HAMMOND
THE NTH POWER
MICHAEL BERNIER AND FREEVOLT
THE SPITTIN' VINNIES
ABOUT LETTUCE:
Celebrating their 20th anniversary as modern day rulers of old school funk, the seven-piece Brooklyn-based juggernaut Lettuce drops their third studio album Fly—a decidedly raging slab of relentless groove, hyper-charged syncopation and psychedelicized soul anthems. Having blown up stages from coast to coast last year, ranging from The Fillmore in SF to Terminal 5 in NYC, Bear Creek Music Festival to Camp Bisco and all points in-between, Lettuce entered Brooklyn recording studio The Bunker this winter with a fresh batch of road-tested material and a revitalized sound honed razor sharp by a year spent on the road.
“We’re more together and set to crush than ever before,” says drummer and chief songwriter Adam Deitch of the all-star group that he and his accomplished band-mates cut their teeth with back in their Berklee School of Music days. That much history, along with the A-list crop of projects that each member has taken on away from Lettuce, gives the group a bottomless well of musical ideas and unrivaled chemistry—in fact, referring to themselves as a band of brothers. “I was in a practice room at 16 with Kraz, Zoidis, Shmeeans and Deitch and it all clicked,” says “lead” bassist Erick “Jesus” Coomes. “We all felt rhythms in similar ways. We were all about the pocket from day one.”
Look no further than Fly’s title track, though, for what sets these guys apart. The laid-back vamp, recorded all-analog to two-inch tape, gets full Jamaican studio treatment, dubbed out with vintage reverb and delay. That sort of thing is “only something that Funkadelic might have touched on back in the day,” says Smirnoff. Meanwhile, tracks like “Madison Square” and “Ziggowatt” (Deitch’s ode to legendary Meters’ drummer Zigaboo Modeliste) sound like futuristic cuts from the Stax back catalog. “It’s somewhere between old school and new school,” Zoidis says of the sounds the band was able to achieve with engineer John Davis. Evans’ “Bowler” may be the best evidence of where this supercharged group is headed, with a tasty, stick-in-your-ear melody that continues through the track and begs to be ripped open onstage. “All these experiences as individuals have helped us grow in our own direction, be influenced by more things and have more things to bring to the table as a group,” Smirnoff says. “When you have that many variables, it’s a brand new project every time.”
Having evolved and refocused since 2008’s Rage! without ever dropping the beat, Lettuce is getting ready to take audiences to the cosmos with Fly in the trunk and a high-octane tour on the horizon. “Lettuce is like a Learjet that wasn’t getting clearance from the tower,” says Jesus. “But we’re done just rolling around on the runway.” They’re not asking for permission, so put your tray tables in their full, upright and locked position. This plane’s itching for lift off. ABOUT BIM SKALA BIM
Bim Skala Bim formed in Boston, MA as a Ska Rock band that is influenced by the bands in England’s 2 Tone movement as well as bands such as the Clash, UB40 and Bob Marley. One of the world’s longest-running independent bands with over twenty five years of touring and recording, Bim Skala Bim has released 9 highly acclaimed albums and has been the winner of 10 Boston Music Awards, 8 Boston Phoenix Reader’s Poll awards as well Boston Magazine’s “Best of Boston” twice. In March of 2013, Boston Business Journal rated Bim Skala Bim’s Bones album #19 in their “Boston Top 40 Albums of All Time” list. Bim Skala Bim reformed with all of the original members in 2009 and just finished recording a brand new album Chet’s Last Call, released to radio and press in February 2014. The album it is currently in rotation at over 100 radio stations and is #25 on the Jamband.com national radio charts.
“Legendary Boston ska-rockers Bim Skala Bim ... back with an unexpected but brilliant new album that is as joyous as anything they’ve done before. Fast-driving, horn-stoked tempos merge with eccentric, ever-playful lyrics to put the listener in a blissful trance” — Steve Morse, 30 years Boston Globe, Berklee College of Music
“The feel-good vibes abound on the latest release from Boston ska veterans Bim Skala Bim. With the blissful bleating of the horn section, the carefree skankin’ of the guitars, the somersaulting basslines, and that plush squeal of organ, this album is buzzing with all their lighthearted Caribbean-esque rabble-rousing and devil-may-care musical shenanigans.” — Will Barry, The Noise
ABOUT KING HAMMOND
KING HAMMOND (NICK WELSH) remains one of the busiest and most prolific ska musicians on either side of the Atlantic and his resume is a mile long. He has worked with and produced A-list artists like Prince Buster, Laurel Aitken, Dave Barker, Rico Rodrigues, and Judge Dread as well as Lee 'Scratch' Perry with whom he worked on the Grammy Award winning album 'Jamaican ET'. Nick has also been the bassist and song writer in Bad Manners and The Selecter (helping to shepard both band's post 2-Tone careers - he wrote 'Skaville UK). If that wasn't enough, he also fronts his own band Skaville UK, and writes music for U.K. and U.S. television shows and video games. ABOUT MICHAEL BERNIER
A ROOTS ROCK AMERICANA JAM REGGAE POP BAND THAT WAS PLANTED IN Massachusetts IN THE SUMMER OF 2012. Since their inception 1.5 years ago they have BEEN SIGNED TO EVOLVEMENT MUSIC, received a New England music award, and HAVE BEEN SHOWCASED AT hard rock cafe boston, BOSTON GREENFEST, WACHUSETT MUSIC FEST, LOWELL FOLK FESTIVAL, BOSTON CITY HALL PLAZA, stowe mtn, lowell winterfest, WALLY'S MUSIC HALL, SURFSIDE 5, OCEAN MIST, AMESBURY SPORTS PARK AND many more. FREEVOLT'S CONTAGIOUS SOUND AND CATCHY HOOKS HAVE been heard in rotation on more than 40 stations across the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and Japan. ABOUT THE SPITTIN VINNIES
The Spittin' Vinnies are a cover band that have been a Boston mainstay for over 14 years. Performing a wide variety of songs spanning genres and timelines, they use unique instrumentation to make the songs their own. Throw in a lot of energy and they are one of the most fun bands in Boston. They play every Thursday night at the Green Dragon in Faneuil Hall, also monthly at the Burren in Somerville.
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ALLOWED:
Blankets & folding chairs. Umbrellas. Backpacks (subject to search). Sealed bottled water. NOT ALLOWED:
Food & beverage (except sealed bottled water). Illegal substances. Pets. Tents. Coolers. Underage without a parent/guardian. Note that there is NO re-entry! BEER & FOOD: All your Redhook favorites will be flowing! Beer ticket sales are final. Valid I.D. required for alcohol purchase and consumption. Food vendors on-site selling a variety of local fare. CASH sales only. BRING CASH: Though there is an ATM in the Pub, it is best to prepare in advance. This ATM is subject to sellout. Optima (walking distance from event - 20 International Dr.). Redhook reserves the right to deny entry a/o service to anyone deemed to be under the influence of alcohol a/o illegal substances. PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY and plan SAFE TRAVEL accommodations. VENDOR VILLAGE ACTIVITIES: Festival vendors & activities–dunk tank, corn hole, etc. WXGR and THE BUBBLE FM will be on-site helping to amp up the fun factor. PARKING: Limited parking is available on-site at the Brewery. Neighboring parking lots are walking distance from the event. Designated drivers, public transportation, and carpooling are strongly encouraged. TAXI: Anchor Taxi: (603) 436-1888 Portsmouth Taxi: (603) 431-6811 Pioneer Taxi: (603) 431-7600 Blue Star Taxi: (603) 436-2774
HOTELS: The Port Inn - www.portinnportsmouth.com Other lodging options, click here http://portsmouthnh.com/lodging/
