Next up was the Rebirth Brass Band, who certainly had enough energy to carry an entire concert. Three trumpets, a tenor sax (maybe a baritone?), a tuba, a trombone, a snare, a bass drum, and some cymbals. They played a never-slowing medley of popular and original melodies filled with shouts, screams, and call-and-response vocals. This was one band that demanded the crowd get involved, and get involved they did, with singing and dancing all around us. By the end of their set, we were worn out just from watching and listening - and holding up a cell phone so a friend who couldn't be there could enjoy one of her personal faves almost live.

We would have liked to have seen BoDeans and Blind Boys of Alabama, but a sudden deluge struck and drove the masses indoors. While we like the Party of Five theme song and outstanding gospel renditions as much as the next person, after a full day of festival fun, we decided to pack it in and be well-rested for the next day.

Day 2

Night two of the festival was, in our opinion, the highpoint - even though the acts
we particularly wanted to see didn't have "main stage" status, they put on a terrific show.

Rhett Miller, frontman for the Old 97s, took the stage, declaring that he was out to prove that rock and roll wasn't dead - all by himself. Even without a backing band, Miller and his lone, amped-up acoustic guitar were definitely able to pull a few nails out of the coffin with a mix of Old 97s songs and Miller's solo work. Dancing about the stage, long hair tossing to-and-fro, and some serious swinging of the hips, one might have thought that Elvis hadn't yet left the building.

Standouts included a cover of X's "Dancing with Tears in My Eyes" and a duet of the Old 97s song "Four Leaf Clover" with Exene Cervenka (yes, of X). At the end of their give-and-take performance, Miller said, over tremendous applause, "I should just quit right now. That was fucking awesome!"

But quitting wasn't part of the plan, and Miller continued banging out one song after another - including a bit of Ziggy Stardust - slowing it down but once with a unique rendition of "Can't Help Falling in Love with You." Hey, look, it's Elvis!

Alternative rock favorites (from way back when "alternative rock" meant something), Camper Van Beethoven, surpassed expectations, reaching back into their catalogue and enhancing each song with extended jams and even a bit of lap-top enabled electronica (keywords being "a bit" - too much electronica is rarely a good thing and CVB got it right). David Lowery and the band played such memorable songs as "Eye of Fatima," "Pictures of Matchstick Men," and the ever-confusing, yet always classic "Take The Skinheads Bowling." Andy never thought he'd be surrounded by throngs of people who knew the words to that song, but - there they were - someone call Rod Serling.