09/05 & 09/06 @ The Irwin Family Farm, Salem

*All photos by Frankie Cavone//Mirth Films*

“Sometimes a setting just feels right for a show and the Irwin Family Farm, nestled among the rolling hills between Salem and Greenwich, fit the vibe of Eastbound Throwdown like a glove.”

The morning of Friday, September 5th, I worked my way through the obligatory camping trip check list and began my trek southeast from Queensbury for the highly anticipated, 10th edition of Eastbound Throwdown.

As the landscape transitioned to the rolling hills of the eastern New York farmland, I turned my jam-packed, four-door sedan down the dirt road leading to the Irwin Family Farm and when I pulled up to where the hand-made signs that said "Throwdown!" were directing me, I was met with the friendly face of local music aficionado, Kim Neaton. Her and the welcome-wagon crew greeted me warmly at the gate, handed me my pass and gave me instructions on where to go and where I could camp, and I began to creep through the grassy fields that would be home to a sprawling field of campers stretching across the limits of the farm. I was able to locate a good spot, with some neighbors who were kind enough to assist me with my tent, undoubtedly saving me at least an hour of work and giving me an immediate taste of the community here that I had heard so much about. With my tent assembled and staked in, the rain fly secure, and my supplies (cot, cooler, lantern, guitar) moved inside from the trunk of my car, I settled in and staked out the grounds to get ready for the night of music ahead.

Sometimes a setting just feels right for a show and the Irwin Family Farm, nestled among the rolling hills between Salem and Greenwich, fit the vibe of Eastbound Throwdown like a glove. The sun hung over the stage and began its descent, eager to hide behind the scenic hillside treeline. The parking lot was filled with campers lounging out, playing games, or setting up gear and some told me that they arrived in the morning hours before the gates officially opened. In the distance, there was one man putting on a pre-show of his own via a karaoke machine he had set up via the speakers of his SUV, to little fanfare. Home bases were established, and friendly neighbors made their introductions and broke out into clusters of song bursting from bluetooth speakers.

At last, 4:30PM arrived and Thom Powers kicked off the weekend, leading his band in some laidback Americana jams. His welcoming, relaxed presence didn’t mean he wasn’t ready to get the party started, though, and he demonstrated the ability to get funky along with his bandmates (courtesy of some excellent organ effects from the keys). It was the perfect way to get the early evening crowd moving and grooving, and set a terrific tone for the rest of the lineup to follow. Wild and carefree dancing quickly became part of the show, with some enthusiastic fans downright cutting a rug right in the middle of the cow pasture turned concert venue.

Ma’am were up next, rolling in all the way from central Pennsylvania just moments before their set was scheduled to begin. If the rush to the stage impacted them at all, it didn’t show as they absolutely brought it with all the down and dirty grit you want from country rock. The harmonica lent a certain feel to the outlaw vibes that had the crowd feeling like they were freewheeling right into a gleeful two-step; they absolutely ate it up to the tune of calling for the first encore of the weekend.

Carrie Nation and the Speakeasy made their way to the stage next, hailing all the way from Wichita, Kansas. They boasted some unique instrumentation that included accordion, trombone, and trumpet along with gritty vocals and chaotic yet fluid harmonies. Their set felt like being sucked back in time to a prohibition-era forbidden dance party; they transitioned seamlessly from laying down the groove to tracks full of longing, angst, and determination, immersing themselves and the audience in the glory of folk rock.

With that, the sunset finally came and we began the nighttime portion of the festivities. The swell of the crowd formed and became an ocean of kinetic energy as campers made their way to the stage at the foot of the big hill in greater numbers with each passing set, blankets and lawn chairs in tow. The crew were bathed by stage lights against the twilight country sky as they worked to transition the stage for the next performance: the host band themselves, Eastbound Jesus.

Launching into their first set of the weekend, they began with “Mama, I’m Coming Home”, doubling as a tribute to the recently departed Ozzy Osbourne as well as a sentimental statement on the band returning to what they say is their favorite place and time to be: Throwdown Weekend. From there, they produced a set that was tight and precise all while maintaining a loose and warm stage presence. It felt exactly like what it is: a group of friends having a ball performing in front of a community they’ve helped build over the course of the last decade. Despite the backyard party vibes, this performance was so much more—they stack up with any of the top names in bluegrass and americana.

Turf N Turf set up for an interlude set next, performing a brief but explosive batch of songs as the main stage was prepared for the Mallet Brothers Band. They were set up off to the side of the stage inside of their trademark noise cage, a truly unique contraption that adds an instantly immersive and recognizable vibe to any Turf N Turf performance. Bringing their trademark experimentation of eclectic, blues-tinged fuzz, they drew a tightly packed crowd of dedicated concert goers who were ready and willing to bring the noise right along with them. Somewhere between avant garde and blues rock, the music and energy had the allure of a unique attraction that you simply have to experience for yourself. You won’t regret it.

The Mallet Brothers Band closed out night one, coming all the way from Maine and making their eighth Throwdown appearance. Similarly to EBJ, their longstanding relationship with this festival and its returning regulars was palpable throughout their performance. It all felt like a big family reunion, and the massively successful festival just so happens to be occurring in the background. With almost everyone singing along to the original music of The Mallet Brothers Band with the fire pit ready to be lit off to the side of the crowd, it was a late-summer/early fall night’s dream. Rounding out the set with a rowdy rendition of George Thorogood’s “Born to Be Wild”, they returned for an encore of “Take Me Home, Country Roads” that had everyone singing along and swaying with their dance partners, ready to let the vibes carry them through the night and into Saturday morning.

When I woke up for day two after an eventful yet peaceful night of camping, what had once been a very ominous forecast calling for passing storms had softened to only a passing shower during the afternoon. After a couple of kickstart coffees and campsite jamming with a few fellow local musicians who made the trip, I was locked in and ready for another full day of music. Dan Johnson was batting leadoff for Saturday, playing a solo set to reignite the party. “I’m gonna keep it fairly casual,” he said. “The band usually keeps me on track, so I hope you’re ready for things to get a little weird.” Another returning act who has performed in some form at every Throwdown, his rapport with those assembled was naturally comfortable as if he were just picking his guitar around the fire with them. He even announced he’d be taking a request or two, taking us through songs he’d recorded with old bands of his as well as tunes so new they still require naming, and even a cover of James Taylor’s “Fire and Rain”.

Following him were The AMs, hailing from Troy and clad in matching black and gold honky tonk suits, delivering enthusiastic down-home grooves despite the rain beginning to fall throughout their set. The band brought a classic country sound and sprinkled in some soul and psychedelic vibes, matching the energy of the rain gear-adorned crowd who were determined to weather the storm and do what we all came here to do: throw down. That’s exactly what happened; as the skies grew darker and the rain intensified, so too did the rhythmic stomping and clapping and hooting and hollering of those who braved the elements to get up close and personal with the infectious tunes.

Zan and the Winter Folk made their way to the stage next, performing an excellent mix including songs off of their Album of the Year-winning LP, New Morse Code. The rainfall only intensified throughout the set, but the audience continued to persevere. The band had such chemistry with their stage presence and performance, and it imbued their songs with a certain kind of mysticism. The magic of their music was exemplified when Zan, ever the spellbinding songstress, implored that, “A singalong would be fun, and it would make the rain go away,” before she instructed the sea of ponchos and windbreakers that lay at her feet on how to sing the outro of “Whenever I Can”; of course, she was proven right when the rain let up for good during the song. They closed their set with a raucous rendition of the Allman Brothers Band’s “Whipping Post” that imbued the crowd with the necessary energy to carry on through the rest of the post-precitation evening.

The next several acts combined to carry the torch of the weekend with some excellent sets of americana, folk, blues and outlaw country. There was Treesap, a trio without a percussionist featuring members of the band Cabinet. There was Forest Station, making their Throwdown debut. There was Tigerman Woah! whose grit and gruff solidified the outlaw energy. After all of that, it was time for Eastbound Jesus’ second set of the weekend, and the crowd once more swelled to potentially its biggest size of the weekend in anticipation of the hosts. They delivered another cathartic and nostalgic performance, complete with two sets – the first of which ended with a medley that served as a blend of Pink Floyd’s “Fearless” and their original tune, “Ghost Town”. They ended their perming duties for the weekend rounding out their encore with “Grappling Greg”, an ode to local legend and festival organizing partner Greg Bell (who of course was in attendance all weekend).

At last, it was time for Saranac Lake’s own Blind Owl Band to close out the weekend and they delivered in epic fashion. Another artist who is no stranger to the event, watching the crowd sway to the rhythm and blues of their bluegrass-based tunes was almost a hypnotic experience. Their trek through the fluidity of genres like folk, blues, americana, and roots was the perfect culmination of a weekend of music that had contained all of the above, and by the end of their set the audience was ready to ruminate on the good vibrations under the light of the moon.

Having been immersed in the communal nature of a two day long music festival in the middle of a sprawling cow pasture, the crowd was left with their hunger for music and community satiated for at least another year. Of course, Eastbound Throwdown lived up to the billing it gets as one of the most enjoyable local events of the summer but it was much more than that. It delivered on the full festival experience, complete with a level of musicianship and entertainment that matches anything offered by the corporate overlords at LiveNation. So as I look back on the experience of the 10th annual Eastbound Throwdown, I only have one question for you: Will I see you next year?