Bunbury Music Festival 2018 – Day 2 Coverage

Our coverage of Bunbury 2018 Day 2!

Click on a band name to check out our review of the performance and photo’s!

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Incubus

Photo Credit: Shawn Wiseman and Nikki Forte

Foster the People

By Megan Randall

Photo Credit: Nikki Forte

Foster the People rocked the Sawyer Point stage at “Day 2” of the Bunbury Music Festival. Hitting the stage at dusk, the band’s pulsing backdrop perfectly complimented their opening song, “Pay the Man.” The twang of the guitar, provided by the talented Sean Cimino, perfectly paired with vocalist Mark Foster’s earnestly sung lyrics.

The songs definitely had a throw-back vibe with synthesizers in use and a trippy feel for most, and the best were saved for last. Fans toughing it out in the massive crowd were treated to the band’s biggest hits, “Pumped Up Kicks” and “Loyal Like Sid & Nancy.” The latter song had a definitely EDM-feel and was the perfect finale to a diverse set.

Although Foster the People’s “Sit Next to Me” urges listeners “it’s over,” this band is far from finished this season. The band is currently on tour with dates across the nation.

GRIZ

By Ricky Veeneman

Photo Credit: Shawn Wiseman and Nikki Forte

A hugely talented fixture in the live electronic music scene, GRiZ (Grant Kwiecinski) performed an interesting, high energy set at Bunbury Festival on Saturday. His beats where solid and live instumental improvisations (saxaphone and guitar) where on point. He had a great visual set up as well that all together made the experience incredibly enjoyable to hear and watch. However, I do wish performers like this had a better way to control their digital tracks than from a laptop on a table. I felt he spent a lot of time kinda of tucked away behind the screen than engaging the audience (at least for the first half of the set. He is still on tour performing at various music festivals through Fall. His music can be found steaming on Spotify or for purchase on his website.

Connect with GRIZ online:
http://www.mynameisgriz.com/
http://www.mynameisgriz.com/music/
https://www.facebook.com/mynameisGRiZ/
https://twitter.com/griz

A R I Z O N A

By Megan Randall

You could tell the wildly popular A R I Z O N A was next up at the CVG River Stage at the Bunbury Music Festival even if you didn’t check the schedule. Fans slid in on the concrete seats and crammed into the pit area an hour in advance so they wouldn’t miss this crowd-pleasing electropop trio.

Zach Hanna (vocals), Nate Esquite (guitar), and David Labuguen (keyboard) produce a unique summery sound that’s perfect for music festivals. Their numbers embody the blend of alternative, electronic, and dance that make Bunbury artists appeal to massive audiences. Much to the enjoyment of the enthusiastic audience, the trio ended their set with their well-known hit, “Cross My Mind.”

Did you miss the experience? You can catch A R I Z O N A on tour now, opening for Panic! At the Disco’s Pray for the Wicked tour.

Andrew McMahon and The Wilderness

By Ricky Veeneman

Photo Credit: Nikki Forte

Singer, songwriter and pianist Andrew McMahon (known for his hit singles, (“Cecilia and the Satellite” in 2014 and “Fire Escape” in 2017) gave an electrifying performance at Bunbury Festival on Saturday afternoon. He goes from one end of the spectrum playing with delicate and elegant precision, to raw ferocity and passion. At one point he jumped up and stood atop the keys of his piano (covered in stickers and looks as though it’s seen better days). The set was fun, high energy and entertaining. He has a new singe “OHIO” (available on Spotify, Google Play and iTunes).

Connect with Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness online:

https://www.facebook.com/andrewmcmahonmusic/

https://twitter.com/andrewmcmahon

https://www.andrewmcmahon.com/

**McMahon is a 10 year survivor of leukemia and founder of the Dear Jack Foundation, one of the first Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) specific cancer foundations which advocates for and supports initiatives that benefit AYAs diagnosed with cancer.

Third Eye Blind

By Katie Morton

Photo Credit: Shawn Wiseman and Nikki Forte

Third Eye Blind is an American Rock Band hailing from San Francisco, CA. Current band members include front-man Stephan Jenkins (lead singer, guitar), Kryz Reid (guitar, vocals), Brad Hargreaves (percussion), Alex Kopp (keys), and Alex LeCavalier (bass).

Third Eye Blind stormed the stage early evening Saturday and launched into “Graduate” from the cult classic movie “Can’t Hardly Wait.” As a child of the 90’s and a kid who graduated in the class of 1998, I was transported back to high school before the end of the first chorus. And from the response of the crowd, I wasn’t the only one.

While the band jammed effortlessly, Jenkins struggled vocally through some of the high notes, admitting to the onlookers that it was a miracle he was even there, as he was suffering from walking pneumonia. But he proclaimed “I got a shot in the neck,” and via the marvels of modern medicine he was ready to rock. The fans were more than willing to compensate for his weakened vocals, belting out note after note, chorus after chorus of favorites such as “Never Let You Go,” “Semi-Charmed Life,” and “How’s it Going to Be.”

While not currently on tour with an album, Third Eye Blind treated fans to some new music they had recently written and plan to release in the near future. For limited summer and fall engagements check out the band’s website at: http://www.thirdeyeblind.com/tour.

Connect with Third Eye Blind online:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thirdeyeblind

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThirdEyeBlind/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thirdeyeblind/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/thirdeyeblind

Website: http://www.thirdeyeblind.com/

Arlo McKinley

By Megan Randall

After the heart-pumping energy of MisterWives, spectators decided to wind down for a few moments and soak in Arlo McKinley’s set tucked into the shady corner of the great lawn at the Bunbury Music Festival “Day 2.” It was a 2 for 1 set, combining the hauntingly honest tones of Arlo McKinley with David Faul’s simple yet artistic folk style.

The gruff and achingly soulful music included his better known tract “Waiting for Wild Horses.” The love song gently flowed through the audience and earned a rounding applause. Arlo McKinley and The Lonesome Sound’s next album “Die Midwestern” is expected to drop soon, although a final date hasn’t been set. You can catch the full crew live this fall when they return to the Cincinnati area.

Magic Giant

By Ricky Veeneman

Photo Credit: Shawn Wiseman and Nikki Forte

One of my favorite bands this year at Bunbury had to be LA based band Magic Giant. Their bohemian stage created an intimate and engaging atmosphere to their set. Magic Giant’s sound is genre-defying; there’s no box you can neatly place them into. It’s little funk, pop, folk and alt-rock all blended into songs that just make you feel good. You can’t help but dance and sing along. Every member of this group was impressive. They are incredibly talented musicians playing a variety of instruments (cello, viola, banjo, harmonica, keyboard, as well as several drums) while being able to harmonize beautifully, dance and keep a highly positive and upbeat energy flowing. At one point during their set Austin (lead vocals), Zambricki (viola, banjo, harmonica), and Zang (acoustic guitar, cello) left the stage to stand right in the heart of the audience and perform an acoustic version of “Great Divide” from their debut album In the Wind (available on Spotify, iTunes, Google Play and Amazon) It was an emotional experience for a lot of their fans in the audience and really set them apart from other performers at the festival. This is a group any music lover should seek out to see live. They are on tour the rest of this summer into fall. Hometown: Los Angles, CA Members: Austin (lead vocals) Zambricki (viola, banjo, harmonica) Zang (acoustic guitar, cello)

Connect with Magic Giant online:

http://www.magicgiant.com/

https://www.facebook.com/magicgiant/

https://twitter.com/magicgiant

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/in-the-wind/id1210912942?app=itunes&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

https://play.google.com/store/music/album/MAGIC_GIANT_In_The_Wind?id=Bbqjhykldaz4cteto7kfsfv6cjy

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XD4T44P?tag=magicgiant-20&_encoding=UTF8

MisterWives

By Megan Randall

MisterWives captured the spirit of the season with their summery, indie pop at Bunbury Music Festival “Day 2.” Lead singer Mandy Lee looked refreshed and ready to party despite the intense humidity and heat that bore down on the crowd surrounding the Sawyer Point stage. Lee, backed by members William Hehir, Etienne Bowler, Marc Campbell, Jesse Blum, and Mike Murphy, launched into the band’s set leading off with the poppy/reggae-ish “Machine.” Lee showed her range with the ballad “Drummer Boy.” Lee’s strong harmonizing vocals took center stage on this one during the verses and then launched into her trendy, punchy singing on the refrain. After pumping up the crowd, she chilled things out with a very respectable cover of The Cranberry’s “Zombie.”

MisterWives took down the house by ending with their big hit, “Our Own House,” leaving the screaming crowd wishing for more. Are you wishing for more MisterWives? The group is currently touring across the states while promoting their lasted album, “Connect the Dots.”

Vesperteen

By Cathy Moore of Moore Rock Shots & Reviews

We all know drummers who also sing. Phil Collins. Dave Grohl. Don Henley. But how many of them do simultaneously while never even sitting down behind the drum kit? I hadn’t seen that until I saw Vesperteen perform at the 2018 Bunbury Music Festival in Cincinnati, OH on June 2.

Colin Rigsby, aka Vesperteen, from Columbus, OH drew a huge crowd to the Sawyer Point Stage at his very first appearance at the yearly festival. I have a feeling that after this performance he will be a frequent part of the Bunbury lineup. Rigsby has a non-stop energy and a genuine charm that makes it easy to see how he has already garnered over 3 million streams on Spotify and 50,000 highly engaged fans across social media platforms, all as an independent artist.

Vesperteen’s music combines elements of rock and pop and EDM to create a unique musicality. Rigsby’s vocals are fervent and fiery. He runs around the stage hyping the audience and occasionally stands behind a glowing set of drums to provide the beastly beats that add even further depth to his music.

Rigsby really knew how to work the crowd. He threw free t-shirts into the audience  (he has quite the arm by the way) and even jumped into the crowd to encourage a super sing-along session when he performed his cover of the 1987 Guns N’ Roses hit “Sweet Child O’ Mine”.

Vesperteen performed songs from the debut self-titled EP and from the latest release, The Hype Is Dead, which just came out in May of this year. With only two releases, Vesperteen has already made quite a name for himself, and I predict his popularity and presence in the music world will only continue to grow.

Vesperteen will be performing next at the Mile of Music festival in Appleton, WI, this August.

Connect with Vesperteen online:

Website: https://www.vesperteenmusic.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vesperteen/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/_VESPERTEEN_

Zoo Trippin’

By Megan Randall

Who’s a hype man? Definitely Tony Casa from Zoo Trippin’. This reviewer was hot, sweaty, dazed and confused as I was waiting on Zoo Trippin’ to hit the main stage for “Day 2” of Bunbury Music Festival. Due to some shifting in the lineup, this Columbus, Ohio, band was slightly delayed getting on stage but they didn’t waste the moment. Casa and band members Lynn Roose (guitar), Steve Hatmaker (drums), James Bourne (bass), and The Pontz Pontzer (guitar) meandered through the waiting crowd with a bullhorn promising “SHIT’S GETTING READY TO GO DOWN!!” Intrigued, attendees weathered the heat and the delay.

Taking their band’s theme to the limits, Hatmaker donned panda shorts for the set which I felt was homage to their fun nature. Seriously, these guys did not take themselves too seriously. The music, however, was seriously good. Good in a summer fun, Sublime-esque kind of way. Speaking of fun…the band kicked off the set with their (I’m calling it this, not them but I think they’d agree) theme song (??!!), “Animals.”

The guys continued their set, that included the “OH-IO” chant and the announcement Casa was elected “King of Tunnel 3” during Bunbury Monsoon 2018, to an enthusiastic crowd despite the midday heat. Casa and crew even offered to dedicate their rock-ier version of “Signed Sealed Delivered” to the “cranky VIP security guard.”

Want to see if they’ll dedicate a song to you? Step one, don’t be cranky, and step two check them out on their current tour.

Tall Heights

By Katie Morton

Photo Credit: Shawn Wiseman

Tall Heights is an neo-folk duo from Boston, MA made up of Tim Harrington (singer/guitarist) and Paul Wright (singer/cellist), with touring members Paul Dumas (percussion) and a guest keyboardist.

As the mid-afternoon sun beat down on the waiting crowd, the duo known as Tall Heights took the CVG River Stage in their dapper dress and contrasting white gym sneakers. Bassist, Paul White looked especially rakish in his fancy waistcoat and feather-capped fedora. Festival listeners lounged on the serpentine wall along the banks of the Ohio, as nearby kayakers paddled in for a chance for an afternoon serenade. The gentle breeze brought tufts of white cottonwood seeds, who floated in the air beckoning an accompaniment to their dance.

Soon the music filled the stage as the crooners played “Infared”. The tight harmonies and simple sound produced by Tall Heights could be easily underestimated by an ear trained to the cacophony of sound produced by most bands today, but the pure simplicity and cohesiveness of the melodic folk music is not to be underestimated. Other crowd favorites included “Not Like it Was” and “Spirit Cold” which wraps you in a comforting blanket and beckons you to sway.

Check out Tall Heights as they make their way across the East Coast this summer. http://www.tallheights.com/tour/

Connect with Tall Heights online:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tallheights

Facebook: https://twitter.com/tallheights

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/tallheights

Website: http://www.tallheights.com