Nahko and Medicine for the People energize Grand Rapids’ Founders Fest (Review, photos, video)

Several thousand music and beer fans once again jammed streets outside Founders Brewing on Saturday for sets by Nahko, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Gringo Star, Elephant Revival, Billy Strings & Don Julin, Devin & The Dead Frets, Organissimo and those lovable FBC All-Stars.

 

SCROLL DOWN FOR FULL PHOTO GALLERY, VIDEO

The charismatic Nahko Bear of Nahko & Medicine for the People may have summarized it perfectly as he prepared to launch an audience-electrifying set Saturday night during 2015’s Founders Fest in downtown Grand Rapids.

“What a beautiful day to come together for music and community, and a lot of beer,” he gushed, breaking into a broad grin as he surveyed the multitude of adoring, almost euphoric fans, some of whom waited more than four hours in line just to see Nahko and his band.

What followed was an almost indescribable melange of love-infused pop, reggae, rock and world music led by the Oregon native of Apache, Puerto Rican and Filipino descent. The singer and multi-instrumentalist inspires an emotional, familial connection with fans who sing along to all of his music, which integrates and melds so many styles (and covers) it makes your head spin — in a good way.

Indeed, these devotees gathered in front of Founders Fest’s second stage long before his set began, chanting “Nahko, Nahko, Nahko,” even as Atlanta garage/psychedelic rockers Gringo Star fired up an impressive performance on the other stage — churning out their own bracing indie-rock as well as muscular covers of Creedence Clearwater Revival and Gene Vincent.

It was just one turn of the beer barrel spigot in a Founders Fest filled with highlights, ending with New Orleans’ Dirty Dozen Brass Band on the main stage as darkness fell and all of it clearly pleasing organizers Mark Dorich, Joey Basch and others from the Founders family:

• Traverse City’s Billy Strings & Don Julin, along with upright bassist Kevin Gills, had plenty of jaws dropped and eyes popped during their rollicking bluegrass set, with many fans getting their first look at this Michigan group that has become a national phenomenon, thanks in part to Strings’ effortless-yet-lightning-quick solos on acoustic guitar enhanced by Julin’s equally deft mandolin work. That sparked a lineup of fans immediately afterward, buying CDs and snagging autographs from Strings as temperature hit the low 80s in the late afternoon sun.

• Always a festival favorite, the FBC All-Stars featuring Founders employees may have outdone themselves this year with their faithful, pumped-up recreations of classics, including Billy Idol, Joan Jett, Devo, Huey Lewis, Pink Floyd, and finally, a rousing set-ending rendition of Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World” for an ebullient bunch. And Nicholas James Thomasma played his Billy Idol role to a tee.

• Colorado folk group Elephant Revival – Bonnie Paine, Sage Cook, Dango Rose, Daniel Rodriguez and Bridget Law – took a more laid-back approach during their performance, though their set still found favor with an audience appreciative of the band’s acoustic-propelled country, bluegrass, folk, reggae and indie-rock.

FOUNDERS FEST 2015: PHOTO GALLERY BY ANTHONY NORKUS AND ANNA SINK

VIDEO: FOUNDERS FEST 2015

Copyright 2015, Spins on Music LLC