A herd of bands at Donna the Buffalo’s Shakori fest

By Jon Butters

A nicer weekend could not have been had for the fifth annual Spring Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival in Chatham County NC--ideal temperatures, Carolina blue skies and starry nights. But as great as the weather was, the music was better. From quasi host band Donna the Buffalo (DtB) to the eclectic mix of regional bands, every act I caught on Saturday was entertaining.

Jordan Puryear, brother of DtB singer/guitarist Jeb Puryear, is one of the organizers of the Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival, which presents two weekends a year in May and October. It is the southern front of the original Grassroots Festival started more than 15 years ago in the Finger Lakes region of western New York, which runs this year July 19-22 in Trumansburg NY.

The festival has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for AIDS research and is currently mounting an effort to purchase the 75 acres of ancient oaks and rolling meadows where the festival is held. The intent is to set aside the land for cultural and community events and to preserve it in an environmentally friendly way.

Saturday got off to a rollicking start with North Carolina’s only sacred steel band, The Allen Boys, which delivered an outstanding set of hard-driving gospel music. The band, which rarely performs outside its African American Pentecostal-Holiness church in Mt. Airy NC, features a steel guitarist and generates unique religious music with an over-powering funk beat. Their set was one of the highlights of Saturday’s performances.

The Carolina Chocolate Drops, a youthful trio of African American string-band musicians, interspersed their strong set with wonderful anecdotes describing the historical significance of their songs. The threesome exhibited exquisite musicianship playing instruments that included a snare drum, fife, banjo, fiddle, bones, and jugs. It was inspiring to witness a new generation of musicians with such reverence for the quickly disappearing musical tradition of the black string band.

Big Fat Gap and Friends, hailing from nearby Chapel Hill, were a crowd favorite. Their set of energetic bluegrass originals and reworked classics such as the Band’s “The Shape I’m in” were well received.

Next up at the Grove Stage was Bluegrass Experience from down the road in Chatham County. Featuring guitar, fiddle, mandolin, banjo, upright bass with four different lead singers sharing lead vocal responsibilities, the band showed why they are local favorites.

Keith Frank and The Soileau Zydeco Band, after ironing out some sound system problems, had the crowd on their feet throughout their fluid set of Louisiana swamp boogie. Jeb Puryear, lead guitarist extraordinaire from Donna the Buffalo, sat in on the entire set. Later in the evening DtB also performed a song written by Preston Frank, father of the band’s accordion player. Keith Frank’s band is a true family affair with brother Brad on drums and sister Jennifer on bass.

Mamadou Diadate, originally from the African country of Mali but now residing in New York City, entertained festival-goers with his mastery of the kora, a 21-stringed harp. Earlier this year, Mamadou was awarded “World Musician of the Year” by the Folk Alliance. He is a member of the Mandinka West African jeli, a musical caste family that traces its lineage back seven centuries and who use music to preserve and sustain historical tradition.

Another local favorite, Chatham County Line, just back from an extended European tour, entertained the audience with their deft picking and on-spot harmonies. Using a single microphone reminiscent of the Del McCoury Band and with a gigantic North Carolina state flag hanging in the background, the foursome showed their obvious happiness at being back home with strong set of roots-grass originals. This band is destined for great things once they receive the exposure they deserve.

Donna the Buffalo attracted the largest crowd of the day and did not disappoint their herd of followers with their set of zydeco–rock with a hint of reggae. Jeb Puryear and Tara Nevins shared vocal responsibilities and the band had a crowd of youthful dancers from the audience on stage with them throughout the performance. The connection between the band and the audience was palpable.

Hobex, Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band, Unknown Tongues, and Gandalf Murphy were still to play for those making an evening of it. I imagine the party went on well after midnight. Next year I’ll bring a tent so I can spend the night.