The
2011 Werk Out Music and Arts Festival
Written by Jimmy Cummings
We have been looking forward to the 2011 Werk Out
Music and Arts Fest for months, so when Chubby and I made our way to Zane
Shawnee Caverns on Wednesday we really didn’t care about the relentless rain we
encountered all the way there and while setting up our camp. The Werk Out
promised to be one of the best festivals of the summer with a line-up that
rivaled some of the biggest in the country. The Werks went all out for this
festival with over 60 acts from all around the globe. Some of the artist
scheduled to perform were The New Mastersounds from Leeds, England, Future Rock
from Chicago, Ganga Giri from Australia, Dark Star Orchestra, Johnny Neel, and
of course the host of the event The Werks just to name a few. The festival was
equipped with three stages, a Silent Disco, and dozens of vendors; so campers
had plenty to take in throughout the weekend. Tom Blessing (AlchemyHouse
Presents) and Pat and Mindy Harney (Funky Bean Productions) were on top of their
game and they made certain things went smooth all weekend. With a production
this big there were sure to be challenges but these guys put together a great
team that included Mike Jones (Security), Danny Sauers and Jonny Dreadlocks
managing the stages and keeping things rolling, the Werkers who did whatever
was asked of them, and of course The Werks. It was an amazing weekend, one that
I will never forget. Here are a few of the highlights.
Thursday Highlights
The festivities began on Thursday and the folks that
were fortunate enough to get off work a couple of days early were treated to a
great early bird line-up. The day was to begin with Blue Moon Soup but due to
the rain the guys were pushed back to midnight making The Main Squeeze from
Bloomington, Indiana. Corey Frye gives The Main Squeeze its soulful voice and
the band provides the funky grooves for a sound that brought out all the
funksters in the caverns. The high energy set was just what we needed to get
the party started. Magic Jackson kept the funk going with their patented hard
core funk assault. The guys from Dayton came to the caverns with one thing in
mind, to blow the roof off the joint, and that’s what they did. Ultraviolet
Hippopotamus (UV Hippo) from Grand Rapids, Michigan was on my radar for this
show. I’ve heard a lot about the band but this was my first time to see them
live. The guys have a wide range of influences like Frank Zappa, Phish, Tool,
and the String Cheese Incident and the band draws inspiration from each of them
for a sound that is incredible.
From Left to Right: The Main Squeeze, Magic Jackson, UV Hippo
The New Mastersounds gave early bird campers a treat
with their mix of soul, funk, and jazz. The four piece band from Leeds, England
consist of Eddie Roberts (Guitar, Vocals), Simon Allen (Drums), Pete Shand
(Bass, Vocals), and Joe Tatton (Organ, Piano). The band played tunes from their
new CD entitled Breaks from the Border like “Take What You Need” and “On the
Border.” The CD is their 8th release but the first album recorded in
the US. The Guitar and Key driven sound was a definite crowd favorite and one
of mine as well. The Werks threw campers a bone Thursday night as well with an
intense 45 minute set that made everyone forget about the mud and concentrate
at the task at hand; to party your ass off! Glostik Willy from Muncie, Indiana
was another band that caught my ear. This band is a good old, down and dirty
rock and roll machine. These guys blew me away, and for good reason; the
thumping bass and ruthless guitar riffs rocked the caverns. No one was sleeping
during their set I guarantee. The guys from Blue Moon Soup were scheduled to
open the festival earlier in the day but were pushed back to midnight which
suited the guy’s just fine. The band from Yellow Springs, Ohio seemed to be
inspired by the light show, the crowd, or something because the guys played
perhaps their best set to date. Ben Clonch (Guitar, Vocals), Robbie Marion (Fiddle,
Vocals), Jon Bauman (Stand-Up Bass, Vocals), and Brendon Moore (Mandolin,
Vocals) were tight and the vocal harmonies were amazing. One highlight of their
set was when Danny Sauers joins the guys on harmonica. Other performer from
Thurday night included Dr. Dwyer from Kalamazoo, Michigan, DJ Thunder St, Clair
from the Cleveland area, Carma/Attak from Columbus, Ohio, and Psychedelphia
hailing from Philadelphia, PA.
From Left to Right: The New Mastersounds, Blue Moon Soup
Friday
Highlights
Thursday’s rain gave way to beautiful sunshine
Friday morning as things got underway around 11am with First Street Heat from
Athens, Ohio. The band combines a six piece rhythm section and three piece horn
section for a mixture of sounds. They were the perfect wake up call for
festival goers. The Folkadelics from Brooklyn, NY was one of the bands that
caught me by surprise. I didn’t get a chance to learn much about the band prior
to the show, but as soon as the band took the stage I could tell we were in for
something special. The Folkadelics combine funk, hip-hop, reggae, and rock and
blend together a concoction of sounds that is all their own. At one point in
their set Rob Barraco from Dark Star Orchestra joined the band on keys; what a
treat!
From Left to Right: The First Street Heat, The Folkadelics
The Mantras from Greensboro, NC came to the caverns
armed with their unique, mind blowing jams. The guys bring to the stage a lot
of energy and their funk/rock/fusion is really something you have to witness
for yourself. Jones for Revival was one of those bands that I felt should have
made the main stage; actually as I think about it, all the acts were main stage
worthy. Jones for Revival from Youngstown, Ohio was one of the most polished
bands of the festival; Jim DeCapua and the guys gave the audience a show that
was talked about all weekend. EOTO was a group I couldn’t wait to see; Michael
Travis and Jason Hann of The String Cheese Incident make up this amazing two
piece band. Their set is 100% improvisational making each show different from
the last. I was standing on stage taking pics thinking, “How can two guys
create such an enormous sound?” EOTO is one of the most unique musical
experiences you will ever witness.
From Left to Right: The Mantras, Jones For Revival, EOTO
The Werks came out Friday night and the venue area
was packed out when Houser and the rest of the guys took the stage. The vendors
were back about 50 feet further than usual and it’s a good thing because the crowd
was massive. I’m not going to speculate on numbers, all I can say is that from
on top of the hill it looked like a sea of Werks fans. The night had a Mardi
Gras feel with performances from Zoot Theater, Nocturnal Arts, Soul Fire Tribe,
The Flow Fairies, and Traveling Sirkus Dayz. It was a photographers dream or
nightmare depending on how you look at it. I mean there was so much going on
that I’m sure I missed something. But I didn’t miss it when Johnny Neel took
the stage with The Werks. I love watching Johnny and Norm play keys together.
You can tell the two musicians have a mutual respect for one another and their
performance it is special to watch.
Perhaps the most fun of the evening was provided by
The Everyone Orchestra; The Everyone Orchestra is the brain child of conductor
Matt Butler. Butler takes members from various groups at festivals and brings
them together for an improvisational jam that is unique to say the least.
Tonight’s Everyone Orchestra had to be one of the best ever with Chris Houser
and Aaron Armstrong (The Werks), Kyle Hollingsworth, and Michael Kang (String
Cheese), Jason Hann and Michael Travis (EOTO, String Cheese), Danny Sauers
(Romeo Champagne), and Jamie Janover. I get goose bumps just thinking about
that line-up. It was amazing watching as Butler guided the group though a one
of a kind musical journey. Matt would write down a word on his board, or give a
hand gesture and members would follow every move with unbelievable precision. Other
performer on the Friday line-up included; The Show (Yellow Springs, OH), Sport
Fishing USA (Yellow Springs, OH), Oh Kee Pa (Dayton, OH), Higher Organix (Great
Barrington, MA), Kyle Hollingsworth (Boulder, CO), Jamie Janover (Oakland, CA),
Headstash (Lexington, KY), Sweet Earth (Pittsburg, PA), and Apretrio
(Knoxville, TN). Not sure how you top a day like that, but I couldn’t wait to
see if it could be done. The Wuhnurth Stage had performances from Dan
Dickerson’s Harp Condition, Moon Pig, Catch Curtis, and Tyrohill.
The Everyone Orchestra
Saturday Highlights
Friday’s line-up was incredible and with less than
two hours sleep there was barley time to catch your breath, but Saturday
promised to be the best day yet. So I consumed as much caffeine as I could,
took a big breath, and headed for the stage. There were so many great acts who
performed Saturday it’s hard to narrow them down, so grab your favorite
beverage, sit back, and get ready for one of the best festival days of my life.
The Fiddleworms from Florence, Alabama came to Ohio with a southern flair that
charmed the caverns. These guys describe their music as American Indie-Cana
Southern Psychedelic Folkster Rock. All I know is that The Fiddleworms have a
unique and original southern sound that freakin ROCKED. Following the
Fiddleworms was one of my favorite bands, Wheels. Wheels (Yellow Springs, OH)
have been tearing up the summer festival scene and it seems that everyone is
taking notice. Even Donna Jean Godchaux of Grateful Dead fame came out to see
the band perform. It was cool watching as Donna Jean took in the sounds of this
talented quartet. Early in their set Jamie Scott (Vocals, Percussion, Guitar, and
Harmonica) was having trouble with his microphone but the young man handled it
like a pro and kept the show rollin until the problem was fixed. The guys
sounded better than ever as they played tunes from their debut CD Fields of
Fire.
From Left to Right: The Fiddleworms, Wheels
Johnny Neel took the side stage Saturday afternoon
and it was an honor to be in the same campground as the legend, not to mention
being on stage with him. Johnny is one of those performers that just seems to
be able to share with his audience his passion and raw emotion of his music. As
Neel began his set I made my way behind the stage. I walked onstage and as soon
as I kneeled down to begin photographing I became well aware that I was
photographing a legend. When Johnny played his hit song “My Kind of People”
something came over me; I got cold chills and teared up to the point I had to
leave the stage. It was a moment I will never forget. If you’re not familiar
with Johnny Neel I strongly recommend getting to know this man and his music. Dark
Star Orchestra was another band that I couldn’t wait to hear. The band was
planning on playing a Jerry Garcia Band set as opposed to their usual Grateful
Dead set, plus Donna Jean was going to join the band as well. I think everyone
in the caverns was on hand for the bands tribute to the Jerry Garcia Band. I’m
may be crazy but I swear Jerry was there somehow; and if he was he witnessed
one of the best sets of the weekend.
From Left to Right" Johnny Neel, Dark Star Orchestra
I thought the day could not possibly get any better
but things were just beginning to heat up. The guy that everyone was anxious to
see was Ganga Giri from Australia. One of the most unique artists at the fest,
Ganga Giri takes the stage armed with his Didjeridu and shares the stage with Jornick
Joe Lick (Vocals / MC). The tribal beats and ancestral rhythms are intoxicating
and powerful. The duo was joined on stage by a dancer that added to the
ambiance. The place was electrified as Ganga Giri seemed to take control of the
entire crowd. I have never seen an artist connect with an audience like that
before. The energy was hard to describe and everyone was mesmerized by the man
from down under. With tunes like “Good Voodoo” and “Fire in the Belly” Ganga
Giri seemed to stir something up in this sacred place, something I’ve never
felt before. The crowd almost demanded an encore and even wanted a second. This
performance was one of the best of the festival and will be talked about for
weeks to come.
Ganga Giri
Other Saturday performances were; Canago
(Bowling Green, KY), Flecher’s Grove (Charleston, WV), Grown Folks Band
(Florence, AL), The Floorwalkers (Columbus, OH), The Twin Cats (Indianapolis,
IN), Jahman Brahman (Asheville, NC), Family Groove Company (Chicago, IL), RoeVy
(Columbus, OH), Broccoli Samurai (Cleveland, OH), Eumatk (Indiana), Aliver Hall
(Akron,OH), Jamie Janover (Oakland, CA), Brad Johnson, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong
(Baltimore, MD), and Shaggy Wonda (Bloomington, IN).
The
Werks
As The Werks took the stage for their final set of
the weekend Saturday night the crowd was still reeling from Ganga Giri but the
guys came out and reminded everyone why the festival is called The Werk Out. Chris Houser (Guitar,
Vocals), Rob Chafin (Drums, Vocals), Norman Dimitrouleas (Keyboards, Vocals),
Aaron Armstrong (Percussion), and Dino Dimitrouleas (Bass, Vocals) have come a
long way in a very short time. The Werks got their start back in 2007 playing
together wherever they could. And whether they were playing in Mike Jones’
basement or in the barn at Tree Farm, people were talking about this band
called The Werks. I remember Chubby telling me that I had to check out this
local band, they’ll blow you away; and he was right. The first time I saw the
band was at one of the Tree Farm Jams and I have been a fan ever since.
The band has Werked their way into the national
scene performing shows all around the country and they have an amazing fan base
as was evident Saturday night. Houser had to ask the crowd to back up a couple
of times and give folks room to breathe. The crowd was massive, stretching far
beyond the soundboard and into the vendor’s area. It was a fitting scene; all
the sacrifices and hard werk the band has endured has been leading up to this
moment and the guys were definitely in the moment. Saturday’s set was special
and full of surprises. Johnny Neel and Danny Saurers joined the guys on stage
which was one of my favorite moments of evening. Another was when Houser and
the rest of the Werks family took the time to take center stage and thank
everyone for a remarkable weekend and thank their fans for their continued support.
Tom Blessing, Pat and Mindy Harney, Jim Dewey, Mike Jones and the rest of the
team was on stage to take a well deserved bow before the guys continued their
amazing set. The band gave fans a great show each night playing favorites like
“Duck Farm,” “Guido” and “Finding Destiny” as well as a new tune the band
dedicated to Chubby called “Galactic Passport” which I think could be their
best work to date. The Werks are quickly becoming an Ohio treasure and it’s a
lot of fun to follow their success.
Sunday Highlights
After Saturday’s emotional roller coaster it was
hard to believe we had another day of great music ahead of us for Sunday. Mike
Perkins from Columbus, OH came to the Werk Out with his high energy acoustic
set and powerful lyrics. Jonny Dreadlocks finally had the day off and he was
more than ready to let loose with his band Soul Rebels (Yellow Springs, OH).
Soul Rebels take you on a musical voyage that spans such genres as Reggae,
Funk, and Soul. The guys gave the crowd one of the best shows of the day. The
Rumpke Mountain Boys from Cincinnati, OH invaded the Werk Out and with their
brand of Bluegrass and Folk music the band calls Trashgrass. No matter what you
call it the Rumpke Mountain Boys bring a lot of attitude and fun to the stage
and their music. These guys are some of the most talented musicians I know and
their music reflects their love to perform.
Danny Sauers and Romeo Champagne took the stage and
gave Danny a much needed break from managing the stage. He and Jonny D. were
two of the hardest working guys all weekend and you could tell Danny was ready
for a release. Romeo Champagne (Yellow Springs, OH) came armed with a new set
and some tunes I haven’t heard from the band. The set did include some Romeo
favorites like “Pawn Shop” and the band rocked the caverns with precision.
Boogie Matrix from Toledo, OH and Team Crush had a surprise for fans. Jason
Wolf, Ben Grouley, and Adam Copeland from The Rumpke Mountain Boys joined the guys
from Boogie for a jam or two; talk about fun. Boogie Matrix could be one of the
hottest bands in the Buckeye State and the band gave the audience a great show
even with Johnny Kuntz’ losing his voice.
From Left to Right: Romeo Champagne, Boogie Matrix Mechanism
The Ragbirds was a group people were talking about
all weekend and Sunday marked my first encounter with the band from Ann Arbor,
MI. The Ragbirds bring Folk, Rock and Celtic grooves together for a unique
sound and the band brings a world of instruments to the stage. The talented
band is led by Erin Zindle (Vocals, Fiddle, Mandolin, Accordion, Banjo), her
vocals are amazing and she is one of the most gifted ladies I've seen on stage.
Together with band mates T.J. Zindle (Guitars, Vocals), Randall Moore (Cangas,
Bongos, Percussion), and Brian Crist (Bass, Percussion) The Ragbirds should go
on your must see list. The highlight of their set was when Ganga Giri joined
the band on stage with his Didjeridu and added an even more complex sound than
before; it was amazing to watch. Freekbot from Cincinnati, OH took the second
stage took Sunday’s crowd on an electronic trip that is becoming a festival
favorite. The duo Consist of Bassist Freekbass and renowned DJ Tobotius; the
pair combines their talents for distinctive Bass driven, electronic sound that
was a favorite of the festival. The final act of the fest was a band from
Chicago, IL called Future Rock. Furtue Rock is a one of a kind Rock and Roll
show on steroids. Bassist Felix Moreno, Mickey Kellerman on Keys, and Darren
Heitz make up this high voltage rock show from the future. Other Sunday
performers included The Manifest Station (Cincinnati, OH), Nine False Suns
(Dayton, OH), The Andy Shaw Band, Fresh Hops (Indiana), and Thick as Thieves
(Saginaw, MI).
From Left to Right: The Ragbirds, Freekbot, Future Rock
There may be bigger festivals throughout the country
but I dare you to find one that is as organized and well run as The Werk Out. The
2011 Werk Out Music and Arts Festival was a huge success from the fans
perspective; I didn’t hear one negative vibe the entire weekend. This was due
in part because of the werk provided behind the scenes from people like Tom
Blessing, Pat and Mindy Harney, Mike Jones, Danny Sauers, Jonny Dreadlocks,
Lara Bauer and the entire staff at The Werk Out. Buckeye Music Magazine would
like to thank each of them for a great weekend, you guys are the best in the
business and the The Werk Out Festival was successful because of your hard werk
and dedication to excellence. We also want to thank The Werks; Chris, Rob,
Norm, Dino, and Aaron made this weekend one of the best experiences of my life.
You guys ROCK!!! Can’t wait to see how you guys top this one next year, thanks
again!
Sorry in advance if I failed to mention a band or
forgot to thank someone.
2011 Summer Festival Season 
