Wuhnurth Music Festival: Sunday

Words By J-man
Photos By Greg Molitor

... Again I opened my eyes. I was out of it. I needed breakfast, as well as some time to space out. I wandered over to the vending/concession area to purchase a couple of bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches and a soda. I sat on the grass and did a little bit of writing as well as taking in the environment around me. Folks were excited and colorful. The weekend drew a great crowd! Folks were calm, respectful and happy. It was one of the better festival crowds that I have seen in some time.

I wandered by the morning yoga workshop in front of the second stage. It was peaceful and the vibe was extremely mellow. I reflected on the weekend and felt good about what I had experienced. Unlike most festivals, I looked forward to Sunday's musical Line-up.


Ali Baba's Tahini

ABT is Jake Cinninger's (Umphrey's Mcgee) side project. I sat and listened while they sound checked. They began their set and the band to me seemed very similar to Umphrey's in their song structure and sound. It was clear that the feature of the band was Jake. His playing was fluid and effortless when it needed to be and extremely choppy and destructive when the music called for it. All around he is one of the best guitar players on our scene. The band however was not up to par with what I had hoped.

Mikail Robertson

I sat with Mikail and chatted backstage on the artist deck. He was kind and we joked. At one point we watched the video of the girl from the previous night, writing on her face. He told me to check out his set, and that I did. His guitar plating was unique, percussive and somewhat intricate. He had a hand drummer with him who fit in well with Mikail's style. Overall it sounded good for a side stage set.


That 1 Guy

I have seen Mike a few time. I appreciate what he does, but for me a whole set of his percussive contraption seems to lose my interest. Wuhnurth was no different. Initially, I was smiling along with everyone else. I was excited about the wacky nonsense, but eventually I needed more. He smiled and made goofy faces as he tapped and turned his metal, tube-like device. I notice as the set went on, folks began to talk and interest seemed to fade. I wondered if he would ever expand his show/set beyond the realm of what I consider to be a gimmick.


Cornmeal

I was looking forward to seeing Cornmeal after seeing them recently in Ann Arbor, MI. I have never really been into Cornmeal, but as of recently I have been drawn in closer. The band is performing really well currently.

They took the stage late on Sunday to an impressive crowd given the lateness of the weekend. They came out with some of the highest energy that I had felt that weekend. I was impressed with how far Cornmeal had come in the past few years. Chris sounded great on the base. His playing had become more adventurous as of late. Allie, per usual sounded vibrant and colorful. She adds such a wonderful dynamic to that band. Most notably though, was Kris on the acoustic guitar. His utilization of effects is something that I really enjoyed. He seems to have stepped forward to the forefront more recently.


Cornmeal is a band that you should not pass up. I was happy that Wuhnurth booked them and I think it was a solid strategy to keep folks around and satisfied. Cornmeal has continued it's rise on the scene. I am confident that this trend will continue.

Looking back at Wuhnurth, the weekend was a success. Folks seemed to have had a blast, there were no noticeable issues, and we were able to check out a lot of new music with good friends. I hope to return to Wuhnurth next year and I would encourage everyone to do the same. It's centrally located in the mid-west and extremely affordable.

Go to Wuhnurth...

www.wuhnurth.com