Another Fabulous Weekend at North Beach Music Festival
GMP Live and Mother Nature once again provided festival-goers with three spectacular days of music at Miami Beach Bandshell at the third iteration of North Beach Music Festival, a chance to embrace the glorious vibes and friends old and new.
It looked a bit different this year, as “negotiations” with neighbors and neighboring businesses prevented the erection of the garden stage in the yard just south of the bandshell. Instead, a serviceable small second stage was constructed at the back of the bandshell enclosure opposite the bandshell stage. It wasn’t perfect, but GMP Live, crew, bandshell staff, and musicians made it work seamlessly.
Kudos to all involved for getting every set kicked off on time — what a treat! And the sound mixes were outstanding. It was a bit loud at times but not overwhelming.
The lineup featured some headliners, some skyrocketing up-and-comers, and a nice mix of Florida talent, with The Disco Biscuits closing nights one and two and Cory Wong blowing it ALL out to shut down the festival Sunday night.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1
St. Petersburg funk-fusion-prog rockers Ajeva got to show off their wares for a mostly new audience, and they dazzled! Bassist Taylor Gilchrist and guest drummer Tucker Sody laid down a nasty, deep platform, and everybody rocked it. The set featured tunes from brand new album You Can Too, and that title track was the highlight of the set. Michael Givens is a monster guitarist, and frontman Reed Skahill worked the stage to perfection. (Listen to the set on bandcamp here.)
[Ajeva: Make a Difference, Roshambo, Let It Go, You Can Too, Truthfish, Try to Release, New Shiz]
We’ve seen Mark Farina spin his deep house and mushroom jazz, and he is great in context, and we will always check him out. This set, however, just didn’t seem to fit the mood of the afternoon, and it was overloud as well.
And then it was time for The Disco Biscuits. Set one was simply outrageous, from the beginning of “Munchkin Invasion” into “Falling” and an all-too-quick “Orch Theme” and back to a WTAF close to “Munchkin Invasion.” Barber continues to be one of the greatest guitarists in the business, and Aron Magner was on fire all night, especially on piano and the synth washes.
Set two blasted out with “Little Shimmy in a Conga Line,” and as the set headed toward its close a welcome “Aceetobee (Prefume style)” rolled into a magnificent “I-Man,” including an awesome “Conga” jam (Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine: “Come on, shake your body baby, do the conga, I know you can’t control yourself any longer’). OH HELL YES!
[tDB: ONE: Munchkin Invasion → Falling → Orch Theme → Munchkin Invasion, Space Train → One Chance to Save the World; TWO: Little Shimmy in a Conga Line → Tempest → Little Shimmy in a Conga Line, Buy The Time → Aceetobee* → I-Man]
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2
Great music from South Florida began Saturday’s festivities courtesy of The Heavy Pets, opening with a great exploratory jam in “Swiss Bob”before diving into their disco funk, keyboard wizard Jim Wuest on vocals and amazing faces. “Higher (Since I Met You)” provided danceable reggae grooves, Mike Garulli and Jeff Lloyd killing on guitars and vocals. They closed it down with a nod to Hendrix in “Castles Made of Sand” and a “Chalkdust Torture” tease. Excellent way to start the day!
[Pets: Swiss Bob > This Side Up, Shared Skies, Higher, Black Ice, Giant Birds, Ibis, Castles Made Of Sand]
Most patrons had no idea what was about to explode on the second stage: an absolute master class in jazz funk fusion with Brad Miller, Oz Noy, and Thomas Pridgen. And, to up the ante, Nick Hetko on keyboards was a late addition. Miller is a monster bassist, and Pridgen was incredible to watch on kit. But the secret weapon was Oz Noy, a guitarist of astonishing skills. Miller gave him the nod opening with two of Noy’s compositions and giving him plenty of space to create.
Fortunately, Jake Funkmayor of FunkCity.net recorded this (and three other sets). Last question: how did Miller end up on crutches Sunday? Also: Brad, no singing!
Hearing is believing: NEVER MISS OZ NOY.
[Miller/Noy: Which Way is Up?! (Noy), Schizophrenic (Noy), Dreams (FMac, arr. Miller), Get Off the Internet (Miller), Kim’s Request (Kim Burrell), Supreme (Miller), Get Dis Money (Slum Village)]
Few in attendance knew about Say She She before they hit the bandshell stage; we guarantee everybody knows who they are now. The three outstanding vocalists and incredibly tight band rocked a set largely drawn from the band’s new album Silver, stunning both musically and visually. They are Piya Malik, Sabrina Mileo Cunningham, and Nya Gazelle Brown. Everything about them was perfection: their singing, their dance moves, and their stunning outfits. At once they remind of Chic, Swing Out Sister, Jungle, and others.
The four-man band clapped as the ladies took the stage, and they opened “C’est Is Bon.” Throughout the set we were treated to tracks from new smash album Silver, including “Reeling,” “Astral Plane,” and “Questions.” How do you manage a costume change mid-set? Have the fellas play an instrumental. But not just any instrumental! No! The quartet, all from Orgōne, blew up a stunning version of “Melting Pot” by Booker T & the MGs! Kudos, Dale Jennings, Sergio Rios, Dan Hastie, and Sam Halterman!
As good fortune would have it, this was our fourth Electric Kif sighting in the past three months. They have all been great, but this set was definitive. The South Florida prog funk fusion machine cranked out a superb set, kicking off with two of their best compositions, “Sonar” and “Labrats.” Frankly, every tune rocked. Digo Rodriguez and Armando Lopez were dynamic on bass and drums, with help from percussionist Brian Potts.
Guitarist Eric EZ E Escanes celebrated his 40th revolution around the planet in style. Percussionist Adam Deitch (Lettuce) sat in on the Weather Report “Elegant People,” and Cory Wong guested on “Square Grouper.” Keyboard master Jason Matthews had a fine outing and would perform again Sunday with band TWYN.
[EKif: Sonar, Labrats, Asking For Trouble, The Tumble, Rain Mantra, Elegant People (Weather Report), EZ E 40th Birthday Shoutout, Actual Proof (Herbie Hancock) (with Adam Deitch), Square Grouper (with Cory Wong), Anthem]
SunSquabi courteously sat for interviews earlier in the afternoon. While drummer Chris Anderson is out for some family time, the band pulled in a hired gun in the form of Scotty Zwang, whose resume is incredible. Also, kudos to all of the musicians on our scene who work so hard to blend in seamlessly when needed.
They walked
on to the “Flashlight” refrain and proceeded to tear that place apart! The crowd’s reaction was immediate, dancing and bouncing and digging into the band’s wild livetronic mix, which careened delightfully from funk to metal and all around. Kevin Donohue [guitar, keys, production] and Josh Fairman [bass, synth] were dancing harder than the crowd and playing incredible music, with Zwang perfectly tucked into the groove. There was a wonderful “Eminence Front”-like jam mid-set! Pandemonium on the dance floor!
[SunSquabi: Panther, Just a Little, Reptile, Cinnamon, Anytime, Milkshake > No Friction, Chrysalis (jam), Tequila, Pablito > Jam > Reprise, Deluxe, Scorpion]
The aforementioned Adam Deitch had a producer set on the back stage. He had all his DJ equipment and an army of his percussion toys, and he put on a fine set. In the midst of it, he was joined on trumpet by Ashlin Parker, who was filling in for Benny Bloom.
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The Disco Biscuits then hit the stage for night two, and once again they rocked it hard. Allen Aucoin is a beast on kit, and he and Brownie were absolutely unstoppable. They charged right in with a massive “Spaga’s Last Stand” with “Tricycle” sandwiched in the middle. “Mindless Dribble” led to an astonishing half-hour of madness in “Confrontation.” It began with a Latin vibe. Minutes later, Jake Funkmayor called “Jingo.” That was followed by a jaw-dropping all-out heavy metal trance dance bombardment, finally finishing with some jazzy notes from Barber. Deitch sat in on percussion. Brownie explained that this was the first Biscuits show with Aucoin on kit.
[tDB: Spaga’s Last Stand → Tricycle → Spaga’s Last Stand, Mindless Dribble → Who’s in Charge → Confrontation (inverted)^ → Tribulations (LCD Soundsystem) → Spacebirdmatingcall]
There was more music late-night as DJ Brownie was spinning at Zey Zey!
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3
You can never go wrong when the Godfather of New Orleans funk is on stage. George Porter Jr. & Runnin’ Pardners had a fine set at Hulaween, but this set was sensational. Terrence Howard kept that funky NOLA beat rolling all set. Keiko Komaki, guesting with the band, was simply magnificent on Hammond B3, clavinet, and electric piano, and Chris Adkins crushed on guitar. It was so great to hear them play the title track from Cabbage Alley, the 1972 Meters album that represented a seismic shift forward.
They also played two songs from the landmark Meters album Rejuvenation (if you don’t own it, go buy it. NOW). Porter’s wicked bass gave us the classic beginning of “Just Kissed My Baby,” Atkins had a fine guitar solo, and Komaki was all over her keyboards. Clavinet and walking bass inhabited the cautionary tale “Careful Who You Idolize,” and there was plenty of funk and rock in “I Get High (Every Time I Think About You).” And a soul-searching end to the set with the truly classic tune “It Ain’t No Use.”
[GPJr: Liver Splash, Cabbage Alley, Wanna Get Funky, Crying for Hope, Just Kissed My Baby, Careful Who You Idolize, I Get High, It Ain’t No Use]
TWYN pairs Jason Matthews (keyboard wizard for Electric Kif) with drummer Aaron Glueckauf (Lemon City Trio). I’ve had the privilege of seeing them perform several times, but this set was, to borrow the name of their new album, LYGHT YEARS ahead. It was mind-blowing, start to finish. Also noting, from the setlist, that opening tune “Dystopia” was 174 bpm. Damn! This was a brilliant set, as Matthews piled layers and layers of keyboards and synths on the platform Glueckauf was creating at kit. BRAVO!
[TWYN: Dystopia, Indigo, Mamba Nova, Ravana, Tyght Rope, Kirby, Punk Punk, LYGHT YEARS]
Daniel Donato was at North Beach last year as one of the guitar-slingers with Trouble No More, the Allman Brothers tribute group. He returned this year with Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country and a setlist of originals that remind of the country tunes of The Grateful Dead and The Allman Brothers. Take opening tune “Sunshine in the Rain,” for instance; it had a very “Cumberland Mine”-like vibe. Their bouncy grooves kept the dancers happy throughout the set.
Five of the songs were drawn from Donato’s 2023 album Reflector, including “Hi-Country,” “Rose in a Garden,” and “’Til the Daylight.” They romped on some country shitkickers, with impressive musicianship throughout. There was an instrumental tune that conjured up “Fire On the Mountain” vibes, to the crowd’s delight, and they closed with some fine jamming on “Sugar Leg Rag.”
[DDCC: Sunshine in the Rain, Hi-Country, Rose in a Garden, ’Til the Daylight, Broadside Ballad, Hangman’s Reel, Chore, Halfway (In Between), Down Bedford, Luck of the Draw, Sugar Leg Rag]
During that set (and before and after), a true whirling dervish was spinning like crazy. It might have seen to some that this was a wook high on something or other, but that was not the case. This young man had the moves of an ice skater or gymnast with an jaw-dropping sense of balance. His name is Milo Vivirito from California. He works at Cosmic Charlie’s Grateful Grill, and the other gentlemen who work the food truck also go out to dance when they have a break, but nobody but nobody dances like Milo! They all have great spirit and put a great face on their business.
Donato and Eggy both had their sets extended 15 minutes. This was because New Orleans songstress Erica Falls was unable to attend. The cancel of one other show on her tour made it unfeasible to get to Miami. We look forward to seeing her on next year’s lineup!
Eggy has been touring everywhere recently, it seems, and they were a welcome sight in Miami! Also, this doubled the number of Brownsteins at North Beach, with Marc of The Disco Biscuits and now Jake Brownstein on guitar and vocals. The set began with pop-ish tune “Between You and Me” before they entered jam territory with “Here and Now.” Dani Battat stood out on keyboards during “Shadow,” and the jams continued with “Solid Ground.”
Then the set exploded as they embarked on a 22-minute excursion through Little Feat’s “All That You Dream.” WOW! They jammed, went to space, gave Brownstein a spin on guitar and Battat on keyboards. They never let up as drummer Alex Bailey and Mike Goodman on bass led them through a solid jam on “Boom or Bust” and a huge funky “Smile” — a 50-minute throwdown! (Listen to Eggy on archive.org here!)
[Eggy: Between You and Me, Here and Now, Shadow, Solid Ground, All That You Dream > Boom or Bust > Smile]
Adam Deitch can go in any direction he wants: DJ set, Break Science, Lettuce, and more. The set by Adam Deitch Quartet was amazing, wonderful jazz, from straight no chaser to funky goodness. Lettuce bandmate Ryan Zoidis joined in on alto sax; since Benny Bloom was not available, Ashlin Parker again accompanied Deitch on trumpet. The secret sauce was provided by Hammond B3 king Will Blades. I assure you that he captivated many that evening. The set began with the first of three songs from the 2019 quartet album Egyptian Secrets (the title track).
From the first note, the synergy of the band was paramount. Deitch was at his Elvin Jones polyrhythmic best.
“Mushroom Gravy” and “Roll The Tape” were both from the brand new quartet album Roll the Tape, and then they went old school with Stanley Turrentine’s classic “Sister Sanctified.” It was mesmerizing seeing a band play this music in such an intimate setting (it really was). Set closer? Jimmy Smith’s “Root Down”! This is the way!
[Deitch4: Egyptian Secrets, Mushroom Gravy, Roll The Tape, Sister Sanctified (Stanley Turrentine), Dot Org, Summer Is Here, Art Bar, Root Down (Jimmy Smith)]
There were people rolling in… for the last set! Well, as Mark McGraw succinctly put it: “If Cory Wong is there, I’m showing up.” FACT. I know the mantra is: “Never miss a Sunday set.” New mantra: NEVER MISS CORY WONG!
This was an animated big band extravaganza, blistering tempo, over-the-top antics by Wong and his bandmates, and incredible musicianship. The nine members played as a unit, tighter than tight. They walked on to some reggae hip hop, then tore into the 20th Century Fox Fanfare, and it was off to the races.
They took their collective feet off the pedal a little bit on occasion, but for the most part the drummer (with that crazy-ass cymbal behind his head) and bassist kept it floored. Wong’s gyrations are almost not human, so rubbery and expressive. My favorite move of his: walking up to the mic as if to speak and then twisting away. He spoke little: didn’t need to. Did I mention he is one badass guitarist? No? Well, he IS!
What a fabulous way to close down a fabulous festival! Bravo to GMP Live and all who helped make NBMF so special. We were especially impressed with the Miami Beach Bandshell staff, who made this event a delight. We wish to highlight head of security Carlos, whose warm, calm demeanor was reflected by the staff. They handled a variety of situations with care and grace.
Thanks to Zach Smith and the festival staff for all of the photographs, and thanks to Jake Funkmayor of FunkCity.net and to chEEsEhEAd prOdUctIOns for videos.
We know those Plotnickis are already cooking up something special for next year in addition to all that they do on the regular.
