A Geocentric View
Earth Day is tomorrow, April 22nd, but I got into the spirit of nature a little early by attending two scenic musical gatherings this weekend: Topanga Earth Day Festival in the Santa Monica Mountains and Green Apple Festival on Santa Monica Pier. The Topanga Earth Day Festival took place on both Saturday and Sunday but I opted to attend just the first day as Leon Mobley & Da Lion and Particle served up a tasty tandem of danceable beats to a friendly and relaxed crowd. The set by Da Lion had a good deal more visual flair than the latter as the percussive group invited a trio of dancers in traditional African clothing on stage to spice things up through interpretive movement and acrobatics. What Particle may have lacked in spectacle they made up for with up-tempo tunes that got devoted fans and the uninitiated alike up and boogying over a 90 minute span that began in daylight but ended in complete darkness, save a solitary string of Christmas lights and the full moon to provide sparse illumination. It was an entirely magical and memorable event that left me eager to return to the location this time next year, if not sooner.
Leon Mobley & Da Lion at Topanga Earth Day Festival 4.19.08
After yesterday afternoon’s thrilling playoff game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets, when the Lakers won 128-114 behind Pau Gasol’s near-triple double of 36 points, 16 rebounds and 8 assists, I made my way to the Santa Monica Pier for the LA version of the Green Apple Festival. Arriving a bit later than I had hoped, I found Ziggy Marley already on stage, playing acoustically to a huge audience numbering in the thousands. Following his set, the cool shoreline temperature became downright blustery as gusty winds picked up and the crowd began to thin out substantially. As I was there to see legendary headliner Taj Mahal, I dressed accordingly in a fleece, but took advantage of the exiting patrons and made my way close to the front for his hour-long show. The Taj Mahal Trio laid it down effortlessly, turning all of those who stuck around through the chilly conditions into lovers of the blues. One song I was particularly happy to hear was “Corrina,” a number I first became familiar with through the enormous live catalog of Phish, though it was a great delight to finally hear the original artist’s version. The two days of environmentally-themed activities had come to a close but Earth Day itself hadn’t even begun yet. One late-breaking show announcement for tonight is that Marc Ford plays around 10 pm this evening at The Joint on Pico for a gig that is certain to go past midnight, so come on out for a suitably unpredictable performance to properly usher in the globally-minded holiday.
Taj Mahal Trio at Green Apple Festival Santa Monica 4.20.08
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