'The Rothburries' — the best, worst and most impressive of the 2008 Rothbury festival

Tue, Jul 8, 2008

More than 80 bands played the Rothbury festival; and while I only managed to catch 26 of them, I feel like I got a fairly decent amount of music in for four days.

The first question I get from everyone is: "Who was your favorite act?" This is an impossible question to answer. No single band was better than another. Each had its own personality and style of music.

With that in mind, I present the Rothburries, my personal picks for best-of awards throughout the weekend.

* Best use of guitar: Rodrigo y Gabriella

Rodrigo y Gabriella — Mexico City, Mexico, natives — played a mind-blowing set of classical guitar music. They needed no drummer; instead, they knocked, beat and kicked their acoustic guitars to create a beat that most modern drummers couldn't even keep up with. They managed to keep playing the strings on the guitar through that. Playing was so fast that the crowd laughed when Rodrigo jokingly started covering an Eric Clapton song. The duo played an hour and a half of blazing classical guitar.

* Best bass: Four Finger Five

Four Finger Five, a jazz band native to Muskegon, opened The Odeum on Saturday with a lively show and set the tone for the rest of the day. It was bassist Mike Phillips who truly led the band. Phillips, a Mona Shores grad, slaughtered his bass with funky slaps and groovy beats — any other band featured at Rothbury should be proud to have him as their bassist.

* Best vocals: The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker

The Dynamites, who appeared as The Dynamics on the schedule, opened the Odeum on Friday. Charles Walker sang the pants off the small crowd gathered to see him with a mix of soul and funk reminiscent of James Brown.

* Best techno: Flosstradomous

When Flosstradomous took over the Tripolee Domes early Saturday morning, a dozen or so people were waiting. By the time they had ended the set, the venue was packed and dancing to strong beats, humorous video and great samples from Beastie Boys, Survivor ("Eye of the Tiger") and Ludacris. Flosstradomous turned a few metal domes into a house party.

* Best jam: Widespread Panic

I wondered why Rothbury organizers gave Widespread Panic two sets until I saw them play. While I only saw the last half-hour of their sets, they proved to me they're deserving of this title. Guitarist Jimmy Herring led Widespread Panic in a flowing musical odyssey that led perfectly into the fireworks display.

* Most intimate: Ingrid Michaelson

Ingrid Michaelson kicked off the last day of events at Sherwood Court to 300 people at best. The result was a charming blend of artist and fan. Michaelson — known for her hit single "The Way I Am" — conversed with fans between songs, commented on structures made from water bottles and pop cans, and got the giggles mid-song. While the last example would be totally unacceptable for any other artist, her intimacy with the crowd made it simply cute.

* Most fun show: Snoop Dogg

I am pretty sure Snoop was just joking when he addressed the crowd as "East Lansing" a dozen times throughout his set. If he wasn't, it's a good enough cover. Snoop — who rolled on stage at precisely 4:20 p.m. riding a motorcycle to Orff's "O Fortuna" — preceded to make a packed Odeum bounce, raise hands and dance to his command. I don't think this was Snoop's normal audience by any means, but fans embraced him and had more fun than anywhere else. "Bouncing" to "Gin and Juice," "The Next Episode," and many of the covers he played was simply a blast.

* Worst show: Colbie Caillat

I've never seen a more uninspired show. Every song finished with lackluster applause, followed by a "thank you" which never varied in style or tone. Her monotonous approach to the audience was the polar opposite of Michaelson's. While she stood there and tried to look pretty, the band behind her played basic, boring music.

* Best show (fans' choice): Dave Matthews Band

The Dave Matthews Band finished off the night with three encores, including a track featuring Matthews on electric guitar — which is a rare sighting these days. DMB — as the band is more popularly known — started good, finished excellent, and left no one wishing they had seen more. This was my first time seeing the legendary band perform live, and I won't forget the performance anytime soon.

* Best show (intern's choice): Rodrigo y Gabriella

Say what you want about Phil Lesh, Trey Anastasio, Dave Matthews or even Snoop Dogg. Rodrigo y Gabreilla played a show unmatched to anything I've seen at any concert, let alone the festival. Who else can play a 10-minute percussion solo on an acoustic guitar? Neither guitar player spoke much English throughout the show; they filled in the boring small talk with epic guitar playing. They didn't have to say things like, "I want to see everyone's hands in the air." They simply made one motion and instantly 20,000 people in The Odeum clapped their way through a song. Unlike most shows, fan interaction actually lasted throughout an entire song, not just a few seconds. Rodrigo y Gabriella displayed the best all-around mixture of performance, audience interaction and excitement. Everyone should see them play once in their lifetime.