All Good Music Festival, the brainchild of Tim Walther, first hit the scene in 1997 and was held at Wilmers Park in Brandywine. It moved to West Virginia, Virginia and Ohio before landing back in Maryland. Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia was the site for the reintroduction of the festival with a new name: All Good Now. The production team pulled out all the stops. The weather held out, the vibes were high and All Good Now gave us a weekend we won’t forget.
Beloved band The Bridge kicked off the event, performing their very last show on Merriweather’s new Chrysalis stage. Led by front man Cris Jacobs, the band went through their catalog of classics, and quite a few tears were shed on the last song. Next up was Dogs in A Pile, who had a funky, jazz-fueled, psychedelic vibe. Neal Francis, a jam band scene veteran, followed up as the crowds continued to build. The Disco Biscuits delivered a powerful hour of some of their best tunes and got the crowd dancing with their unique style influenced by Phish and the Grateful Dead (with a mighty dose of electronica mixed in). Mollie Tuttle followed on the Chrysalis stage with a country-inspired set that made the crowd go crazy.
All of the sets from the smaller Chrysalis stage were broadcasted on the screens and speakers at the main stage, making it easy to not miss any of the music. Various art installations and performers were placed throughout the venue, including a large Buddha sculpture, giant metallic skeletons and stilt walkers with bubbles.
Next up was The String Cheese Incident, a veteran of the festival world and some of the most talented musicians to form a jam band. “It is the only job I ever had. Not bad work if you can get it,” founding member Michael Kang said in a recent interview. This set and his demeanor reinforced that sentiment. Their music is always uplifting with a message of community. Night one closed out with a simple stage setup for Joe Russo’s Almost Dead. Expecting a set of Grateful Dead, the band wowed with several covers and got a bit political at times. It was very refreshing.
Day two started with Keller Williams’ Grateful Gospel. Keller is an engaging artist and usually provides the crowd with a laugh or two. A newer band called Eggy followed. Although not familiar with their music, I found myself dancing along to their ripping guitar leads. The country feature of the day was Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country, who brought a cowboy-esque swagger to the stage. The crowd was going crazy as light drizzles fell from the sky, and the vibe continued to get higher.
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, a local Baltimore band, started the music on the main stage midafternoon and performed one of their best sets to date. The members used to go to All Good when it was a multinight camping festival a decade ago, and this was a culmination of years of hard work. Lead singer “Scrambled Greg” Ormont ended the set with a very moving speech about how much the set meant to the band. Veterans moe. followed up on the Chrysalis stage with their unique blend of hard-driving rock and jam tunes. They first played All Good in 1999, and this year marked their eighth appearance at this festival.
Next up was Lawrence, a brother-sister-led band featuring lead singer Gracie Lawrence, who was fresh off a three-month Broadway run. They brought a unique vibe that first-time listeners never would have expected. The night concluded with two sets from the heir apparent to the jam scene, Goose. Everyone sang along word for word as they closed out the festival. To go along with the fire set was a drone show. Logos and words were spelled out in the sky, including a picture of a goose and “Goose” in cursive lettering. Looking around at your friends at the end of a music festival, giving them hugs, telling them you love them and feeling all of that love is what this community is all about. Thank you to All Good Now for throwing such a game-changing event in our own backyard.
allgoodpresentslivemusic.com/all-good-now | @allgoodnowfestival
