CHARLESTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Live on the Levee rolled out its forth live, outdoor concert event of the 2022 season over the weekend for FOOTMAD night.
Despite the threat of disruption due to the hours of torrential rains preceding the event, skies had cleared and the sun had taken its place high above the outdoor venue in plenty of time for opening performances.
Following the previous week’s incredibly well-received David Bowie tribute show, Friday’s performance all but promised to shake things up with a double dose of esoteric, jazz influenced adaptations of traditional styles.
Temperatures were high in Charleston, West Virginia on Friday afternoon, as has been customary as of late, and attendees had already begun to fill the street and stands prior to opening act Minor Swing’s ascent to the stage.
Vendors of various kinds lined the streets as the intoxicating aroma of cuisine that could only have been fried up on a truck traversed the boulevard by way of the occasional invigorating breeze.
Along the boulevard, aside from the array of snack and entrée options made available to attendees, there were also games and face-painting stations for the kids in attendance, as well as sizable pet cooling stations for those accompanied by their furry friends.
The banner of presenter Moses Auto Group could be seen situated high above the Schoenbaum stage, serving as a backdrop for the events of the evening.
The concrete structure of the Haddad Riverfront Park venue, which carries the air of a Roman coliseum in the style of a first quarter moon, acts as an ideal setting for such an event – with broad, descending aisles providing plenty of space for sitting, dancing, and walking, removing the taboo of departing mid-performance and allow attendees to fully explore and enjoy the many amenities offered by the event at their leisure.
Nearby indoor restrooms and playground equipment provide a respite for parents of restless children, while freedom to bring along chairs and coolers allow concert-goers to customize their environment to their own comfort level – all while soaking in scenic visions of the West Virginia foliage as vessels pass by along the Kanawha River.
The first act to take the stage was Charleston, WV based Gypsy jazz quartet Minor Swing, whose sound and name are taken from the work of Romani-French jazz guitarist and musical icon, Django Reinhardt.
The set was a delight to behold, as the group performed several originals, as well as adaptations of works from artists such as Duke Ellington and of course, Reinhardt himself.
The group’s brand of string jazz takes inspiration from the jazz of the 1930s, and is presented in stark context with just a violin, double bass, and pair of acoustic guitars conveying the message.
Grammy Award winning Charleston, SC based ensemble Ranky Tanky headlined the show, and put on an instrumental clinic with their distinct brand of jazz-infused Gullah music.
This, in spite of some initial trouble making the trip to West Virginia due to a canceled flight. The band actually revealed during the performance that, in order to make the commute, the members situated themselves in an SUV and made the trip by road.
Also opting for the full, pulsating sound of the double bass for their performance, the outfit ran through their set with an affable charm and contagious energy.
The performance was marked by several call-and-response moments between the band and the crowd, which repurposed the standing area immediately to the front of the stage as a dancefloor that would remain occupied in one capacity or another throughout the entire set.
Each member of the group took a moment to display their technical chops for individual sections, but it was drummer Quentin E. Baxter’s fiery solo – which must have persisted for three or four solid minutes – near the show’s end that continues to linger most prominently within the consciousness of this writer.
Live on the Levee will return on Friday, with The Company Stores and Remember Jones scheduled to take the stage at 6:30 and 7:45, respectively.
The full Summer 2022 lineup can be found here, and more information on the concert series can be found here at the Live on the Levee website.
FOOTMAD (or Friends of Old Time Music and Dance) Night was made possible by support from FestivALL and the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture, and History.Â