Northlands Music & Arts Festival returned to Swanzey, NH over the weekend for its second-annual installment. With headliners The String Cheese Incident and Twiddle, the two-day fest at the former site of pandemic-era pod concerts kept fans dancing in the rain and laying out in the sunshine.
After a Thursday pre-party featuring performances by JATOBA, Escaper, and Zach Nugent’s Dead Set, as well as a silent disco led by Drunken Doja Monkey (lespecial bassist Luke Bemand), the festival began in earnest on Friday with a stream of up-and-comers, beginning with ebullient bassist Karina Rykman as well as firebrand Nashville guitarist Daniel Donato and his gang of Cosmic Country desperados. Northlands audiences also witnessed a rare performance by Super Sonic Shorties, the all-star supergroup of funky ladies Nikki Glaspie (The Nth Power), Katty Rodriguez (Beyoncé), Tonya Sweets (Lizzo), Jennifer Hartswick (Trey Anastasio Band), Ella Feingold (Silk Sonic), Amy Bellamy (G.Love), Marcie Chapa (Beyoncé), and Kanika Moore (Doom Flamingo).
There was no shortage of stylistic diversity on day one of Northlands, jumping from the funk supergroup to jamgrass powerhouse Kitchen Dwellers, then switching gears once again for charismatic party-starters Andy Frasco & The U.N. Though he wasn’t due to report for duty until the Mihali & Friends set on Saturday, Dopapod guitarist Rob Compa swung by Northlands a day early, joining in for the Frasco to trade throttling rock licks with Shawn Eckels.
Andy Frasco & The U.N., Rob Compa – Northlands Music & Arts Festival – Swanzey, NH – 6/16/23– Partial Video
[Video: Beats & Streams]
Phish bassist Mike Gordon made Northlands the second stop on his nascent summer tour before Twiddle played a climactic two-set finale to polish off day one. Currently in the midst of a farewell tour ahead of an indefinite hiatus, Friday’s show currently stands as Twiddle’s…
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