I'm going to try this again, and keep tight-lipped on my whiny tendencies.
I am shooting more shows in my free time than I have in the past couple of years, and for the most part, I get to shoot what I like. I turned down a paying gig to shoot a local street festival so that I could drive, by myself, seven hours north to shoot a music festival for free. I think I made the right decision, even if it meant the inevitable seven hours drive south.
Here is the summary I wrote for LA Record that did not get published with my photos:
The Northern California town of Monterey saw an influx of dapper fans sporting tweed caps and jackets, as well as top hats and mustaches, both real and not. The Monterey County Fairgrounds was the last of four U.S. “Stopovers” for the Gentlemen of the Road festival curated by headliners Mumford & Sons. With the city steeped in Steinbeck, a major influence of M&S, and the venue home to the Monterey International Pop Festival in 1967, where Jimi Hendrix famously set fire to his guitar on the arena stage, the choice to have the event in a place with such rich history was no surprise.
The Monterey Stopover provided a relaxed atmosphere, alternating just eight bands on the bill between two stages so that one could potentially catch every artist’s full set. There were also lawn games, hammocks, and a fully operational carnival to also entertain the masses, the latter of which boasted rides taken from Michael Jackson’s infamous Neverland Ranch.
Mumford & Sons introduced the Stopover on the second stage and the first act of the afternoon, fellow UK group Slow Club. The Los Angeles sister trio Haim would play after, with both acts enjoying guest percussion duties from members of M&S.
The main stage, housed in the large rodeo arena, began the afternoon with Nashville’s Apache Relay, giving a chance for unofficial festival emcee Mike Harris to show off his famous guitar skills around frontman Michael Ford, Jr.’s vocals. The horn section of Mumford & Sons would later make an appearance during the set as well. San Francisco’s Two Gallants played immediately after.
The afternoon started to kick into high gear with Grouplove’s explosive set back on the second stage. Bodies were pressed tightly against the barrier, and everyone seemed to be screaming along with every word, reaching its pinnacle when the band played the raucous hit, “Tongue Tied.”
The focus then shifted back to the main stage, and the excitement could definitely be felt by all. Energetic, gypsy punkers Gogol Bordello barreled through like a tornado, and it didn’t take long for stuffed animal prizes and crowd surfers to go flying into the air. The band provided the ultimate “pirate party” before the main act of the day.
Evening finally fell upon Monterey, and it was time for the “gentlemen of the road” to take the stage. Marcus Mumford and bandmates sang from the shadows and dark in this perfectly rustic arena, starting with “Lover’s Eyes,” a new track from the anticipated new album, ‘Babel.’ Once the song’s climax was reached, the carefully placed stage lights turned on, and the band went into hit, “Little Lion Man.” The 90 minute set that combined well-loved songs and soon-to-be favorites, including new single “I Will Wait.” The set concluded with a cover of The Band’s “The Weight.”
The final act of the night, The Very Best, was now poised to close out the Monterey Stopover on the long-abandoned second stage, positioned by one of the venue’s exits. The band packed in as many high-energy songs as they could so as to not lose the momentum of their African-influenced dance party. The last song, and of the final U.S. Stopover, was Michael Jackson’s “Will You Be There.” Members of all the musical acts and working crew, including M&S, joined in to sing, dance, and celebrate their final evening together on the road.
MUMFORD AND SONS SETLIST:
Lover's Eyes
Little Lion Man
Roll Away Your Stone
White Blank Pages
Below My Feet
Timshel
I Will Wait
Lover of the Light
Thistle and Weeds
Ghosts That We Knew
Awake My Soul
Dust Bowl Dance
Encore:
Winter Winds
The Cave
The Weight (The Band cover)
There are way too many photos of this lovely day. You can view so much more on my Flickr, but here are some favorites:
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