Thursday, June 16, 2016
The inaugural LaureLive was last weekend in Geauga County, and the list of take-aways from the music festival has to start with how smoothly it was run.
A lot can go wrong at such a massive gathering – especially with no on-site parking – but I didn’t detect a glitch.
The beautiful grounds of the Laurel School’s Butler campus in Russell Township were manicured with flowers, for pete’s sake, and there were more than enough portable toilets, children’s activities (it was family-friendly, especially in the afternoon hours), and food and drink vendors – although beer and drinks were a tad pricey, even for a rock fest.
About 5,000 showed up Saturday, and maybe 7,000 Sunday, and all had to park at designated off-site lots within a five-mile radius. It turned out to be even better than if there was parking at the private high school. A fleet of buses was deployed, with trips at least every 10 minutes to and from the site. Zero traffic jams, and parking and the shuttle were free.
Congrats to the Cleveland-based Elevation Group, which put LaureLive together, for a flawless first outing. Although Saturday was oppressively hot and humid, even that got corrected Sunday, which was an absolutely gorgeous day.
The musical lineup that Elevation assembled was designed to appeal to everyone from high-schoolers to grandmas, and featured three major acts: O.A.R., Grace Potter and Michael Franti.
It would’ve been hard to find a better pick than Franti on Sunday, whose positive vibes matched the pleasant day. The sunny rocker’s show, which approached two hours, was the most memorable one I’ve seen all year.
Franti’s message is one of love for all people, and he lived it by performing half of the show in the middle of the throng.
His lovefest got started on a somber note, with a moment of silence for the victims of the tragedy in Orlando, Fla., the night before. Again, Franti was the right man for the moment.
His set also included tributes to some fallen greats, including David Bowie, Muhammad Ali and Prince, with a reggae version of “Purple Rain.”
Franti has known his share of troubles with his own health and now his son’s. But his positivity was inspiring, and his songs got thousands of people to bounce in euphoria.
Franti wasn’t the only highlight of LaureLive.
Festivals are about sampling bands you’ve never seen before. For me, that included O.A.R., as I finally got to see why this band is so beloved by its big fanbase. At the end of a delirious set Saturday night, Frontman Marc Roberge gave a shout-out to the sole member of the band who isn’t from Maryland: “From Youngstown, Ohio, Jerry DePizzo!”
I didn’t catch Grace Potter’s set Sunday night – I had seen her before, and I needed to find a television to watch the Penguins win the Stanley Cup.
But some other acts (who weren’t targeting teens) also left an impression:
Ra Ra Riot set the tone early Saturday with its two-woman string section that was like musical catnip. The act opened with the galloping bass line of “Boy,” and later, singer Wes Miles and violinist Rebecca Zeller traded lines on “Dance With Me.”
Two women might have rocked the hardest at the grounds of the all-girls Laurel School.
ZZ Ward, a petite blonde in a black hat, was a riveting performer with a bluesy band and a voice that could rival Amy Winehouse.
And Elle King (“Exes and Ohs”), the rising star from southern Ohio, has a big personality that came across rather quickly. With some bad tattoos, blue hair and a Bud Light ball cap, she’s definitely not America’s sweetheart. But that’s part of the package of this likable small-town hell raiser.
Also, keep an eye on Welshly Arms, a Cleveland band with Jack White swagger; and Judah and the Lion, a Nashville act with the aura of a young Avett Brothers.