LOOK-BACK Second Annual Clearfork Music Festival

Review by: Taylor Prater
Photos by: Rhombi Survivor, Taylor Parter & Jaren Lorenz

We live in funkytown, y’all, and we have the fests to prove it. Clearfork 2014, summed up in a word: funky.

Transplanted to Panther Island Pavilion this year, Clearfork 2014 welcomed the crowd with yet another beautiful backdrop of the city with three stages throughout the wide, hilly space. It was hot, and I mean hot, but between constant movement between the sets, a massive blue tent and cool-off tent in the center, nothing we all couldn’t handle.

The first set we got the chance to check out was Andy Frasco and his horde of feature artists getting the feet moving from the start. Frasco brought with him a classic drumline, Superman shredding on the guitar, saxophones, keyboards, the full monty, transporting the crowd back in time with a modern funky twist.

Over on the solar powered stage (“fuck you, sun!” the guys at Son of Stan graciously shouted later in the day), a smorgasbord of artists delighted people of all ages and walks of life. Jetta in the Ghost Tree gave us that old school, Queens of the Stone Age-esque groove with a delicious kick of keyboard flowing throughout the set. Johnny Cooper Trio lifted everyone’s spirits with three wonderfully talented funk artists giving the genre a punky spin and loving the heck out of every moment they spent together on stage.

GoodBAMMSho veterans We’rewolves returned for Clearfork this year and although we’ve seen them at least six times in the last year, they proved yet again why they’re one of the city’s best new artists. Honestly, I still have “Kindly Left Behind” in my head and I’m not quite sure it’s left sine we caught them at the Double Wide in January.

Hometown loves Animal Spirit drew probably the most dedicated crowd straight up to the front, including the saxophonists from The Effinays and the dudes from We’rewolves (diggin’ the local love which was ultra present that day). Son of Stan brought the party back and left everyone clearly in awe of the detail that goes into mega hits like “Noxeema” and “Corsica” which fit in perfectly with the end of summer and back-to-school.

Speaking of which, curse the TCU opening game for likely contributing for the lacking crowd numbers. At least we won.

The Main Stage gave us the folk with Lincoln Durham kicking up the attitude, all while working around a broken guitar string and improvising quite while, if you ask us. Wild Child fulfilled every modern hippy’s desires with a set that made you want to kick of your shoes and dance with a loved one, or even a stranger. Even on the KTL Stage, Holy Moly left everyone laughing and kicking back with a wonderfully personal set.

And yet again The Effinays brought back that same energy from last year’s Clearfork to this year’s, tossing frisbies around and amping up the crowd interaction with a dance party and members running around frantically, breaking out the harmonica and serving up some excellent solos.

Check out more great shots from the night including headliners TheBright Light Social Hour and The Black Angels exclusively on our facebook page!
https://www.facebook.com/goodbammsho

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