SOUND ON SOUND MUSIC FESTIVAL – THE FIRST YEAR

Finally! A major music festival dawns on the land known as Connecticut. On September 24-25th, Founders Entertainment, Live Nation and Howard Saffan brought the Sound On Sound Music Festival to Seaside Park in Bridgeport. Founders Entertainment is co-founded by Tom Russell and Ct. raised Jordan Wolowitz. Founders is also responsible for the NYC music festival, Governors Ball.

Okay! Lets start on the line-up which was quite impressive. Whenever you have acts like Stevie Nicks, Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds and The Lumineers, you are talking top notch. Add Brandi Carlile, The National, Father John Misty and The Roots, and you are talking flavor. And for more seasoning, Gary Clark Jr., The Head And The Heart and Caamp. Plus a gaggle of newcomers like Vermont’s own Noah Kahan. The talent was impeccable but how was the experience?

Day 1, Saturday, was definitely not up to par. I don’t believe that the festival producers expected the turnout they got. There were a massive amount of people and the staff seemed overwhelmed. The lines for food and water were long and eventually ran out of supplies and to maneuver around the sight was practically impossible. There were people everywhere with no clear delineated aisles. The Wi-Fi was truly non-existent so if you walked away from your group, it was hard finding them again. I was supposed to take my nephew home and found no way to contact him. He went back with friends.

As to the music. The sound was hit or miss depending on where you were. Directly in front of the stages and in the VIP sections, the sound was fine. If you were off the beaten path, you had difficulties. The acts were utterly amazing. Caamp was great. Father john Misty was awesome. The Lumineers slayed and Stevie Nicks was on her game. I’m not a big Fleetwood Mac fan but I really enjoyed her set. Her voice was strong and the band tight. I enjoyed singing along to songs I thought I had long forgotten.

Day 2, Sunday, things seemed to improve. Granted, there were slightly less people with the threat of severe storms forecasted. The sound was considerably better. The grounds were reconfigured so there were visible walkways. I believe more staff was added in order to make the concession lines run better. On a whole, I could see that the promoters listened to the negative social media comments and did their best to rectify matters which is admirable.

The music was just as superb as the day before. Brandi Carlile’s performance was pure ecstasy. She is a consummate performer. The National’s moody music hit its mark. The Roots funked out the crowd. Gary Clark Jr. was fabulous. His bluesy guitar carries such a beautiful tone. The Head And The Heart (whom we reviewed before) were sublime. Their harmonies rang true and their songs are so choice. All in all, day two’s music was gratifying.

Even though I give Sound On Sound and the promoters Founders Entertainment a low grade for the event, I still give them a pass. I know they are no strangers to the festival scene but each new festival is a whole new animal. I don’t think the first year Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza or Burning Man started, they went on without hitches. Every new space poses its own unique headaches. For myself, I am really looking forward to next year’s festival. Russell and Wolowitz will for sure fix the broken and I know the lineup will be as stupendous as this year. I do applaud their imitative,

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