{"id":25427,"date":"2016-01-26T16:15:47","date_gmt":"2016-01-27T00:15:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/?p=25427"},"modified":"2016-02-11T08:27:16","modified_gmt":"2016-02-11T16:27:16","slug":"the-todos-santos-music-festival-peter-bucks-philanthropic-rock-fest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/2016-01\/the-todos-santos-music-festival-peter-bucks-philanthropic-rock-fest\/","title":{"rendered":"The Todos Santos Music Festival–Peter Buck’s Philanthropic Rock-Fest"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The fifth annual Todos Santos Music Festival<\/strong>\u00a0<\/a>culminated last weekend in southern Baja<\/strong>, and thankfully we were there to witness this feel-good rock-fest in all its glory. \u00a0TSMF<\/strong> is the post-REM<\/strong> philanthropic project of Peter Buck<\/strong> (and his wife, Chloe Johnson<\/strong>) that was begun\u00a0by the couple to help support local charities\/efforts in their new-home beach community of Todos Santos<\/strong>. This year’s TSMF<\/strong> raised money for the Palapa Society<\/a><\/strong>. \u00a0Run over the course of two weekends (1\/14-16 and 1-21-23), the TSMF<\/strong> format is to shuffle the lineup each of the three nights of the respective weekends, and have the spotlighted bands supported by a revolving door of spectacular supporters and cross-pollinators from other bands (see below).<\/p>\n

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We unfortunately missed the first weekend of TSMF<\/strong>, which featured (for the first time) Jeff Tweedy\u00a0(Wilco). \u00a0<\/strong>With\u00a0the assistance of Wilco’s Pat Sansone<\/strong> and John Stirrat<\/strong> (separately performing as The\u00a0Autumn Defense<\/strong>), Buck<\/strong> and a host of other TSFM<\/strong> luminaries, Tweedy<\/strong> managed to play 44 different songs<\/strong> (no repeaters*<\/strong>) over the three nights of TSMF’s<\/strong> first weekend. \u00a0Tweedy’s<\/strong> sets naturally included\u00a0Wilco, Uncle Tupelo, Golden Smog<\/strong> and solo songs, but also homages to the late, great David Bowie (All The Young Dudes<\/em>)<\/strong> and covers of Neil Young (Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere<\/em>)\u00a0<\/strong>and Bob Dylan (Simple Twist of Fate<\/em>)<\/strong>. \u00a0The first weekend also featured, among others, the Old 97’s, Mark Eitzel<\/strong> and a host of Buck’s<\/strong> hand-picked supporting friends (the multi-talented lads John Paul Jones <\/strong>(you may have heard, Led Zeppelin), Josh Kantor, Kev’n Kinney (Drivin’ N Cryin’)<\/strong>,\u00a0Scott McCaughey (Minus 5, Baseball Project),\u00a0Mike Mills (REM), Chuck Prophet (Green on Red), Steve Wynn (Dream Syndicate, Baseball Project)\u00a0<\/strong>and Joseph Arthur<\/strong>, and lasses Linda Pitmon (Baseball Project, Minus 5),<\/strong>\u00a0Corin Tucker (Sleater-Kinney) <\/strong>and Chloe Johnson<\/strong> (with the Jayhawks<\/strong>). \u00a0In short, the line-ups’ bands are supported by a ridiculousness of rock riches.<\/p>\n

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Having never before attended TSMF<\/strong>, our intro couldn’t have been any better. \u00a0We came over a rise in the desert on Thursday afternoon and dropped in to the patchwork beach community along the Baja coast and shortly thereafter walked into the hosting Hotel California<\/strong>\u00a0to find the fantastic Lefort-fave\u00a0Chuck Prophet<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0sound-checking with Kev’n Kinney<\/strong>. \u00a0Beauty to our ears.<\/p>\n

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As the show kicked off that night, we first caught the unannounced Baseball Project<\/a><\/strong> (McCaughey, Wynn, Pitmon<\/strong> as supported by Mike Mills<\/strong> and Buck<\/strong>) singing their winsome odes to baseball’s wallopers and weirdos (lots of ’em Atlanta Braves).\u00a0Next up was the most pleasant surprise of the festival for us: \u00a0Kev’n Kinney<\/a><\/strong>. \u00a0While we were aware of Kinney’s<\/strong> much-lauded band Drivin’ N Cryin’<\/strong>, we had lost track of Kinney<\/strong> (who has gone on to release critically-acclaimed albums, both solo and with Golden Palominos<\/strong>). The much-loved\u00a0Kinney<\/strong> would be joined throughout the festival by various stalwart supporters (Prophet, Mills, Buck<\/strong>, Pitmon<\/strong>,\u00a0Jayhawks’<\/strong> fiddler, etc.) during his sets, but it was his songwriting (Trail of Seasons<\/strong><\/em> and A Good Country Mile<\/strong> <\/em>in particular) and emotive delivery that carried the nights. \u00a0Kinney<\/strong> started off a tad tinny vocally, but gathered strength throughout the first night’s set and especially vocally, winning over the crowd with his anthem Straight to Hell<\/strong><\/em> and closing out his set with an emphatically long-held high note. Next up was Joseph Arthur<\/strong>, one of our faves, who was a bit off his game this night but still enjoyable.<\/p>\n

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Arthur<\/strong> was followed by one of the best live performers extant, Chuck Prophet<\/a><\/strong>. \u00a0Though without his Mission Express<\/strong> and Stephanie Finch<\/strong>, Prophet<\/strong> nonetheless gave his usual superb\u00a0and\u00a0crowd-pleasing set featuring songs Wish Me Luck, You Did<\/strong><\/em>! (backed by Kinney<\/strong>), The Museum of Broken Dreams<\/strong><\/em>, and Willie Mays Is Up At Bat<\/strong> <\/em>(with its euphoria-inducing crowd-singalong). \u00a0The Jayhawks<\/a><\/strong> were up next and gave one of the best sets of the night, aided and abetted by Gary Louris’s<\/strong> sinewy vocals, dexterous playing by the band and the harmonies of members and guests. \u00a0As to the latter, the always-grinning\u00a0Mike Mills\u00a0<\/strong>was the MVP<\/strong> of Thursday night, jumping up on stage throughout the night to add bass and jubilantly-emphatic vocals to the various sets, but especially during the Jayhawks’<\/strong> performance and during their closing homage to David Bowie<\/strong> via his Starman<\/strong><\/em>. \u00a0The Starman had to have been smiling down on the uplifting performance.<\/p>\n

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Not to be outdone, the\u00a0Drive-By Truckers<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0were up next. \u00a0The DBTs<\/strong> never fail to impress and especially this evening. Patterson Hood<\/strong> and Mike Cooley<\/strong> traded off on crowd-favorite songs (Lookout Mountain, Three Dimes Down\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>and\u00a0Sink Hole<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0stood out, as usual) and new songs and won us over completely with their never-say-die rocking and big-hearted ways. Admirably assisted by their other outstanding band members, Hood<\/strong> and Cooley<\/strong> play with unbridled verve, and Hood<\/strong> simply has one of the biggest souls in the business. \u00a0Hood<\/strong> introduced an apropos new song (What It Means<\/i><\/b>[?]) confronting racial injustice in America and throughout the night interacted empathically with the crowd, regaling with stories and repartee (“you folks should build a wall around this beautiful place to keep Donald Trump and his ilk out!<\/strong>“). \u00a0They closed out their set with a rousing version of Bowie’s Heroes<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0as sung (appropriately) by Hood<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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First-time TSMF<\/strong> participants,\u00a0Death Cab for Cutie<\/a>,\u00a0<\/strong>closed out the night with a mesmerizing set of new and old songs that showcased the strength of their songwriting (old and new) but also their new-found, post-Walla\u00a0<\/b>energy, with newcomers Dave Depper<\/strong>\u00a0(guitar) and Zac Rae<\/strong> (keys) adding immensely to one of the best rhythm sections in rock ‘n roll, Nick Harmer<\/strong> and Jason McGerr<\/strong>. And of course Ben Gibbard<\/strong> seized the festival’s proximity to California to lambaste Californians in song (Grapevine Fires<\/strong><\/em>, among them). \u00a0All in good fun, Ben<\/strong>, all in good fun. DCFC<\/strong> would add their own “obscure” Bowie<\/strong> cover,\u00a0Valentine’s Day<\/strong><\/em>. While DCFC<\/strong> would close out the first night with aplomb, their best was still to come (their sound not being completely dialed in the first night).<\/p>\n

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The second night of TSMF<\/strong>\u00a0at the Hotel California<\/strong> was (thankfully) more of the same (re-ordered, as is its wont), and with the addition of The Minus 5<\/a><\/strong>. \u00a0 One of the best, albeit-too-brief, sets on Friday was put on by Chuck Prophet<\/strong> who opened and had his ardent followers (and new fans) fully-engaged and singing\/laughing along to his every word. \u00a0You never fail to walk away from a Prophet-able<\/strong> performance fully-entertained. \u00a0Next up were The Minus 5<\/a><\/strong> and friends who gave a raving set that started off slowly with a cover of Glenn Frey’s\/Jackson Browne’s Take It Easy<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0(thankfully the first and last\u00a0Eagles<\/strong>-related material of TSMF<\/strong>), but accelerated from there. They capped off their set with riveting, careening performances of Medicine Show<\/strong><\/em> and Days of Wine and Roses<\/strong><\/em> (the latter in tribute to revered Rolling Stone<\/strong> writer-in-attendance David Fricke<\/strong>). \u00a0Kev’n Kinney <\/strong>then regaled with another sterling set featuring his memorable songs Summertime Days<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0and the evocative\u00a0A Good Country Mile. \u00a0<\/strong><\/em>On the latter we noticed plenty of tear-streaked faces in the crowd, and then Kinney<\/strong> himself got a bit misty and glass-eyed, which made the moment that much more affecting (and after which Kinney<\/strong> received a large bear-hug from Mike Mills<\/strong>). \u00a0It’s moments like these that shed true light on the humans up on stage giving their songs and audience their all, and it was heartily appreciated. \u00a0Afterwards,\u00a0Mills<\/strong> and Peter Buck<\/strong>\u00a0assisted Joseph Arthur<\/strong> on his short set, which closed strongly.<\/p>\n

The Jayhawks<\/strong>\u00a0again gave the crowd a superb performance of their well-wrought old and new songs. Death Cab for Cutie<\/strong>\u00a0then gave the performance of the night, if not the entire festival. \u00a0DCFC<\/strong> seemed to be on a mission to impress (both the audience and their fellow musicians). \u00a0Mission accomplished! \u00a0DCFC<\/strong> were en fuego<\/em> from note one, putting out a rhythmic, walloping wall-of-sound (which was perfect this night) that propelled their songs to such great heights. \u00a0Only on the heart-wrenching Black Sun<\/strong> <\/em>did the band back off the beat and let emotion take its toll. \u00a0They were quickly back to blasting business and wowed to the end with their chemistry and drive. \u00a0Drive-By Truckers<\/strong> closed with yet another electrifying set, the highlight of which was Hood’s World of Hurt<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0on which he encouraged the crowd to fully appreciate the full moon above and how great it is to be alive. \u00a0The DBT’s<\/strong> ended the night with a scorching finale on which they gave their all and gradually left the stage, one-by-one until it was over. It was indeed great to be alive.<\/p>\n

The final night of TSMF<\/strong> is always held in the Todos Santos Town Square<\/strong> for free so that all of the citizenry (and, apparently, others from Cabo San Lucas and elsewhere) can join in the music enjoyment. \u00a0It was another impressive night of music, with Prophet’s<\/strong> opening set again being a highlight. \u00a0Steve Wynn’s<\/strong> set was also enthralling, with Prophet<\/strong> and all the Minus 5<\/strong> members and others slamming on Dream Syndicate’s Medicine Show<\/em><\/strong> and closing with a powerful, rocking take on Wynn’s Amphetamine<\/em><\/strong>. Other highlights of the last night included Drive-By Truckers’<\/strong>\u00a0(with Prophet, Buck<\/strong>, others) set-closing cover of Jim Carroll’s<\/strong> season-perfect People Who Died<\/strong><\/em>, and two REM<\/strong> covers ((Don’t Go Back To)\u00a0<\/strong>Rockville<\/strong><\/em> by Steve Wynn <\/strong>and crew, with Mike Mills<\/strong> taking a capable turn as Michael Stipe<\/strong>, and our own REM<\/strong>-favorite,\u00a0Fall On Me<\/strong>,\u00a0<\/em>by DCFC<\/strong>). \u00a0La Santa Cecilia<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0(with the assistance of John Paul Jones<\/strong>) also added setting-perfect musical color and accent to the evening. \u00a0It was an entertaining closing night to a truly memorable music festival, and we can’t wait to return.<\/p>\n

*<\/strong>Other artists should take note and follow suit–you’ve all got a treasure trove of material, so don’t sell yourselves short by playing the same songs all three nights! \u00a0Just sayin’.<\/p>\n

To get a feel for TSMF<\/strong>, check out the fan videos below, and go HERE<\/a><\/strong> to the TSMF<\/strong> Facebook<\/strong> page to see more video vignettes.<\/p>\n

Mike Mills, Peter Buck, Scott McCaughey, Steve Wynn, Linda Pitmon, <\/strong>and Patterson Hood<\/strong>\u00a0performing REM’s<\/strong> (Don’t Go Back To)\u00a0<\/strong>Rockville:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n