4/1 Camp Barefoot 5 Hangover Relief Party: DJ Williams Projekt and The Mantras @ The Pour House, Raleigh, NC

     The next day after Papadosio in Greensboro, I peeled myself out of bed and began the couple-hour trek towards Raleigh and The Pour House for the Camp Barefoot Hangover Relief Party.  Camp Barefoot is an annual throw-down music and arts festival in Bartow, WV that features nationally touring acts in the jamscene as well as the best of the regional bands currently tearing through the east coast and mid-atlantic. Their "Hangover Relief Party" is an ongoing series of shows that continue the excitement of Camp Barefoot in the interim between festivals. They also showcase some of the bands that will be taking the stage at this year's festival!
     This night's party started with DJ Williams Projekt from Richmond, VA. I first crossed paths with "The Projekt" in 2007 at Camp Barefoot 2 in my early days of concert photography, and they continue to be a welcome show on the schedule.  They are soul, funk, jazz, and rock executed by uber-talented musicians.  And as always, I'm a ham for a good horns. You can check out live audio here from an earlier Hangover Relief Party in February at The Pour House! Be sure to give a listen to their cover of Curtis Mayfield's "Move On Up."

djwilliamsmusic.com
DJ Williams – Guitar & Vocals
Gordon Jones- Sax & Vocals
Dusty Simmons- Drums
Todd Herrington- Bass
Mark Ingraham- Trumpet & Vocals
Joey Ciucci- Keyboards

     With the party already in full swing, The Mantras took to the stage to continue the rage properly.  They bring ultra-high-energy progressive funk rock along with a loyal fan base in NC. First set highlights include a Mantras original "Soft News" that jammed in and out of "Tom Sawyer" by Rush. Also, a guest stage appearance by Bon Lozaga (GONGzilla, Tony Boxes) on guitar for "The Word" really set the crowd in motion. Lozaga would rejoin The Mantras during the encore, a 30+ minute melt-fest: "Pointing the Finger"> "Crosseyed and Painless" (Talking Heads)> "Jaberwocky"> "5 Roads". And in true Mantras fashion, they came back for a double encore of "Magillacuddy" that teased in and out of Peanuts-esque "Linus and Lucy" phrases (and a little "Cat Scratch Fever" too!); I'm sure Vince Guaraldi would be proud.  Be sure to listen to the audio here.
     With both the DJ Williams Projekt and The Mantras signed up to perform, Camp Barefoot 5 will live up to years past and go well beyond.  These phenomenal artists are just the "tip of the iceberg" in an incredible line-up. Get your tickets today, and I'll see you there!

PS. I need to give a huge shout out and thanks to Bear for his amazing lighting displays including this one.  You are an incredible artist sir, and without you the live experience and these photos would certainly be nowhere near the same. Thank You!

LIVE AUDIO

FULL PHOTO GALLERY