It doesn’t really matter
who you ask about
their experience at the last
SmileFest in 2006; by most
accounts it was an unmitigated
disaster. Transylvania
County sheriffs made every
effort to turn what was arguably
the best music festival
in North Carolina not named
MerleFest into its own
backyard fishing hole, only
they weren’t exactly netting
bluegill and walleye out of Lake Toxaway.
Sheriffs had set up a mobile command unit on
site, sending undercovers in to roust anyone
and everyone on the most minor of possession
charges. They went into tents, the crowd itself
and even backstage in search of their pound
of flesh. They posed as festival goers, looking
to sucker whoever they could into giving up a
toke in exchange for a pair of silver bracelets.
It was so prevalent that staff made announcements
from the stage warning of the presence
of undercover officers. Then the promoters
of the festival that began at the Blind Tiger
right after the death of Jerry Garcia decided
to just pull the plug rather than subject what
had become akin to a large family gathering to
such heavy-handed, out-for-blood law enforcement.
Four years later, SmileFest returned with a new home at Jomeoke Campground in Pinnacle and a brand new attitude. The verdict? It was everything one could hope for a great music festival to be — provided, that is, you could get access. Being a “family reunion” of sorts, not just anyone had the ability to buy tickets before day passes were released last week, just before the festival kicked off on Friday. From the first glance at the campgrounds and crowd in front of its two flanking stages, you might assume that the utter sparseness resulting from such a strategy denoted a monumental financial failure. Not so. Bob Robertson of SmileFest organizers Mountain Roots Management said that they had logistics in place for a maximum of 1,500 attendees, so the 1,200-plus that came out were well within expectations. For anyone who’s never been to a camping festival, that’s not a lot of people compared to some of the other behemoths in the region. There was almost always a spot open on the railing at the front of the stage no matter who was performing, something unheard of at any other successful festival. SmileFest 2010 wasn’t merely a reunion of friends and family in the guise of a music festival; it was also a revisitation of the festival by many of the artists who’ve performed in years past. Some returned in a much better place than they were before, namely headliner Michael Franti. His Friday night slot was one of the most attended of the weekend, as a fever-plagued Franti visibly struggled though his 90-minute set. Credit Franti for his effort — he did his best to keep up the outward appearances of health, even bolting around the side of the crowd to reappear above the soundboard for a song. He bounded all around the smaller stage the whole night, relentlessly pumping the show’s energy level despite having a doctor backstage there to treat him at a moment’s notice.
Franti & Spearhead was one of the rare acts of the weekend who neither borrowed performers from another act or whose members shared bands with other performers. It was a family, alright. A big, musically incestuous one, but a family nonetheless. Acclaimed drummer and Brevard native Jeff Sipe seemed to have a hand in every show of the weekend, starting with the pre-headliner Friday night jam. Sipe was joined by R&B giant Ike Stubblefield on the Hammond B3 organ, putting out some of the most cerebral funk instrumentals this side of the Mohawks. The show was billed as the SmileFest Orchestra, so guests were inevitable. Those came in the form of flautist Kofi Burbridge and diminutive soulstress Laura Reed, though the set’s 60-minute time limit kept the list short. Sipe was a regular during the course of the weekend, jamming with everyone from Darol Anger and Scott Law in a fusion of progressive bluegrass and ragtime to lending his sticks to the incredible saxophonist Jeff Coffin’s Mu’tet. (A side note: The Mu’tet featured a young man named Felix Pastorius on bass. If anyone was wondering, it is indeed Jaco’s son.) Both Coffin and Sipe joined the E. Normous Trio to close their set, which featured bassist Jay Sanders of Acoustic Syndicate, who played Friday night. Meanwhile, Sanders’ Donna the Buffalo band mate David McCracken reunited with his old band Folkswaggin’ for a one-off to close the festival on Sunday, but the Kevin Bacon-ness doesn’t end there. Keller Williams met up with old Virginia Beach jam cohorts Quiver to relive one of their classic tracks, while later, Williams shared the stage with Larry and Jenny Keel. Larry Keel was joined by David Via during his set with MaGraw Gap, and so on and so on.
While the weather didn’t exactly hold out the entire time, Johnny Law did. There was nary a law enforcement official in sight and there was also no need for one. The thin crowds engendered nothing but goodwill the entire weekend and everyone looked to be on their best behavior. You could tell because of the big smiles on their faes. !
DMB saxman Jeff Coffin jams with his Mu’tet featuring Felix Pastorius. (photo by Ryan Snyder)
Four years later, SmileFest returned with a new home at Jomeoke Campground in Pinnacle and a brand new attitude. The verdict? It was everything one could hope for a great music festival to be — provided, that is, you could get access. Being a “family reunion” of sorts, not just anyone had the ability to buy tickets before day passes were released last week, just before the festival kicked off on Friday. From the first glance at the campgrounds and crowd in front of its two flanking stages, you might assume that the utter sparseness resulting from such a strategy denoted a monumental financial failure. Not so. Bob Robertson of SmileFest organizers Mountain Roots Management said that they had logistics in place for a maximum of 1,500 attendees, so the 1,200-plus that came out were well within expectations. For anyone who’s never been to a camping festival, that’s not a lot of people compared to some of the other behemoths in the region. There was almost always a spot open on the railing at the front of the stage no matter who was performing, something unheard of at any other successful festival. SmileFest 2010 wasn’t merely a reunion of friends and family in the guise of a music festival; it was also a revisitation of the festival by many of the artists who’ve performed in years past. Some returned in a much better place than they were before, namely headliner Michael Franti. His Friday night slot was one of the most attended of the weekend, as a fever-plagued Franti visibly struggled though his 90-minute set. Credit Franti for his effort — he did his best to keep up the outward appearances of health, even bolting around the side of the crowd to reappear above the soundboard for a song. He bounded all around the smaller stage the whole night, relentlessly pumping the show’s energy level despite having a doctor backstage there to treat him at a moment’s notice.
Franti & Spearhead was one of the rare acts of the weekend who neither borrowed performers from another act or whose members shared bands with other performers. It was a family, alright. A big, musically incestuous one, but a family nonetheless. Acclaimed drummer and Brevard native Jeff Sipe seemed to have a hand in every show of the weekend, starting with the pre-headliner Friday night jam. Sipe was joined by R&B giant Ike Stubblefield on the Hammond B3 organ, putting out some of the most cerebral funk instrumentals this side of the Mohawks. The show was billed as the SmileFest Orchestra, so guests were inevitable. Those came in the form of flautist Kofi Burbridge and diminutive soulstress Laura Reed, though the set’s 60-minute time limit kept the list short. Sipe was a regular during the course of the weekend, jamming with everyone from Darol Anger and Scott Law in a fusion of progressive bluegrass and ragtime to lending his sticks to the incredible saxophonist Jeff Coffin’s Mu’tet. (A side note: The Mu’tet featured a young man named Felix Pastorius on bass. If anyone was wondering, it is indeed Jaco’s son.) Both Coffin and Sipe joined the E. Normous Trio to close their set, which featured bassist Jay Sanders of Acoustic Syndicate, who played Friday night. Meanwhile, Sanders’ Donna the Buffalo band mate David McCracken reunited with his old band Folkswaggin’ for a one-off to close the festival on Sunday, but the Kevin Bacon-ness doesn’t end there. Keller Williams met up with old Virginia Beach jam cohorts Quiver to relive one of their classic tracks, while later, Williams shared the stage with Larry and Jenny Keel. Larry Keel was joined by David Via during his set with MaGraw Gap, and so on and so on.
While the weather didn’t exactly hold out the entire time, Johnny Law did. There was nary a law enforcement official in sight and there was also no need for one. The thin crowds engendered nothing but goodwill the entire weekend and everyone looked to be on their best behavior. You could tell because of the big smiles on their faes. !
DMB saxman Jeff Coffin jams with his Mu’tet featuring Felix Pastorius. (photo by Ryan Snyder)
