After a one-year hiatus, a cozier Cowpie uncorked 15 regional bands on a single stage on the cattle farm in southern Kent County, and fans loved every minute. And it’ll be back in 2015. (Photo gallery, video)
Cowpie Party: The Legal Immigrants closed out this year’s festival for an enthused crowd. (Photo/Anna Sink)
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By John Sinkevics
LocalSpins.com
Cowpie will be back in 2015.
One Stage, One Devoted Crowd: Cowpie 2014 was blessed with perfect weather.
That was the prediction of a happy John “Farmer John” Crissman late Saturday night as the latest edition of the festival he’s long organized on his Shagbark Farm wound down with crowd-revving performances by The Legal Immigrants and Buddy Twist, with special guest Jimmie Stagger on mandolin.
All of that followed two days of bracing regional music in the down-to-earth setting on a working cattle farm near Caledonia.
This week’s Cowpie was a pared-back “re-start” of sorts for the festival which took a one-year hiatus after a disappointingly low turnout in a rain-plagued 2012 event led to financial shortfalls.
While the cozier, laid-back affair — with 15 local and regional acts playing a single stage — attracted a modest crowd of 1,500 to 2,000, there was clear evidence of hardcore devotion to the Cowpie cause weaving its way through the weekend, from the classic Cowpie T-shirts donned by longtime fans who’ve attended the rural event for more than a decade to the ebullient performers who donated their time to keep this tradition going.
Early Evening Charm: Nicholas James and Clouds.
Performer Tony LaJoye, who booked the bands and helped with event organizing, told Local Spins that everything ran remarkably smoothly throughout the weekend.
And if inclement conditions have been an issue at times in the past, that certainly wasn’t the case at Cowpie 2014 with glorious, sunny-but-not-to-hot weather propelling the outdoor festival, which features on-site camping.
“This is unbelievable property and we’re blessed to be here,” gushed Grand Rapids singer-songwriter Nicholas James Thomasma, who performed an engaging, early evening set of folk, country and roots music as a duo with Clouds on fiddle. “We feel right at home here at Cowpie. … It’s been a great honor to be the soundtrack to your sunset.”
And after a day of fine stage performances by the likes of Luke Warm and The Not So Hots, Big Dudee Roo, Moxieville, Grand River Big Band, Guinness Brothers and the Tony LaJoye Trio, sunset brought a more festive, party-styled vibe to Cowpie with the fun-loving antics of the Buddy Twist cover band and, finally, the charismatic, garage-fired energy of The Legal Immigrants, who have quickly established themselves as one of the region’s premier rock bands. (On Saturday, they were joined by guitarist Trevor Reidsma’s dad, drummer Ted Reidsma from Buddy Twist, giving the band’s set a rollicking two-drummer assault.)
Guest Star: Buddy Twist bassist Bill Lamphiere with Jimmie Stagger.
The event even inspired one young fan to propose to his girlfriend on stage as The Legal Immigrants set up their equipment for Cowpie’s finale. (And, of course, she said, “Yes,” to roars of approval from festival-goers.)
Crissman was nearly overcome by the enthusiasm displayed for his event, thanking volunteers and concertgoers from the stage and tearfully reading off a list of friends and relatives lost since the last Cowpie. “I love you all so much,” he told the crowd.
And, in classic Cowpie fashion, they loved him right back.
COWPIE 2014 (SATURDAY): THE LOCAL SPINS PHOTO GALLERY
Photos by Anna Sink
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Email John Sinkevics at john@localspins.com.
Copyright 2014, Spins on Music
So glad the verdict on 2015 is YES! 2014 was wonderful – great music, wonderful weather, well organized, fun camping. I wish the Grand Rapids Press had given a little publicity to such a home grown event.
It was a great weekend all te way around. The vendors, food booths-shout out to Whip for whipping up fresh omelets and breakfast burritos. Pizza was great as was the Angus burgers donated by the Shagbark Fark being cooked up by Caledonia Fire members. Everyone for volunteering.
BIG shout out to the Boy Scouts and the Girl Scouts that walked around the entire area that was opened for the Happy Campers and stage grounds.
A Great Time for all – can’t wait to do it again next year. I am a little biased on the music – anytime Buddy Twist is around, especially when Jimmie Stagger is joining them….Great Things Happy. Loved the stage prop for Buddy Twist!! Just an Awesome show and the music on Friday the last band; Afro Zuma what can I say, play it and they will come. I wouldn’t be surprised if they sold every last CD they had. Thank You Farmer John for putting on a great time!
Thanks to all, had a great time!!