Previous Next Index Thread
Previous Next Index Thread
Intended for rec.music.reggae newsgroup.
No publishing or use of this writing without permission.
(c) Russell Gerlach
Review
3rd Annual Sierra Nevada World Music Festival
Riverfront Park Amphitheater - Marysville, California
June 21 - 23, 1996
With thoughts of possible 100+ degree weather on my mind from
accounts of last year's festival, I made my way to Marysville, CA last
weekend to the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival. After seeing a few of
the artists (Heartbeat tour twice and Toots/Justin Hinds) in So.
California during the week prior to the festival, I knew Marysville had a
musical treat in store for them. After a short 40 minute trip north from
Sacramento's Metro airport, a buddy from Portland and I arrived in
Marysville (10,000 pop.) and proceeded to the festival grounds at a large
recreational area adjacent to the Feather River. My buddy was camping so
I dropped him off at the grounds which were about 300 - 400 yards from the
main gate of the concert. The grounds were ideal for camping for the
weekend, and were level and grassy with plenty of shade. The day's temp
got up to 85 degrees, and it was very comfortable at night too. I do
admit I opted for the comforts of a motel myself, and popped over the
bridge to Yuba City (Marysville's larger sister city across the river to
the west - 30,000 pop.) to check in and catch some rest before the night's
ska line-up.
Friday
Friday night's show started as twilight approached with one of the
area's local bands, the Mudsharks, who played a highly energetic set of
ska. After their set, I checked out the vendors who were lined up around
the perimeter of the bowl area of the concert area about 30 feet higher
than the stage level all around in a "U" shape with a gentle grassy slope
towards the flat middle of the bowl. The food vendors were represented
with all types of tastes and styles from Ital to Indian, and the arts and
crafts booths were plentiful with many types of items and many with the
ites - red, gold, and green.
A favorite vendor to see at festivals, Elliot and Renee from Trade
Roots in San Diego were there, as well as many other familiar faces
selling their goods. I even got to take a close up look at the quarter
moon in the sky through a beautiful handmade wood telescope that a guy set
up for all to look through. Next, from Fresno, CA, the popular Let's Go
Bowling played an hour set, that had the growing crowd of skankers kick up
a little dust in the area in front of the stage, as well as the Skeletones
after them from the Riverside, CA area. Closing out the nights show was
another local favorite, Mumbo Gumbo. They're music was as their name
implied with their world beat sounds being influenced from the four
corners of the globe. They show ended at midnight (a curfew set for live
music in Marysville) and the stage was set for the next two full days of
the festival.
Saturday
Saturday's show started near the 1:00 pm showtime with the weather
equally as warm as the day before with blue skies above. Cosmo, from the
Bay Area, were the show openers, and I found out this band's line-up of
musicians are made up of doctors! There set was tight, and their roots
reggae sounds greeted the arriving crowd that ended up near 3,000 by the
end of the day (Sunday too). The emcee for the weekend was Bay Area radio
dj, Tony Moses. He did a great job keeping the shows vibe up during set
changes, and has the makings of being one reggae's top emcee's.
LA's own, Boom Shaka, on their Freedom Now tour, which is the name of
their new CD also, played a one hour set, as Trevi, Lesterfari, Binghi I,
and Wadi Gad had the audience taking notice of these veterans. They also
played a few tracks from their Best Defenses CD that came to a few years