The inaugural Merryland Music Fest took over Merriweather Post Pavilion on Saturday, July 9 and Sunday, July 10. The festival, put on by All Good Presents, featured funk, folk, rock, bluegrass, jam and reggae from an eclectic list of performers including national acts Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals and The String Cheese Incident to local acts ELM, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong and the Cris Jacobs Band. Check out photos from the weekend:
(Click here to read a Q&A with All Good Presents founder Tim Walther).
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Ben Harper and The Innocent Criminals closed out the festival Sunday night with poignant songs from their new album “Call It What It Is” as well as classics “Steal My Kisses” and “Burn One Down.”
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Grace Potter rocked out on Sunday night.
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Paul Hoffman and Greensky Bluegrass were a crowd favorite. The band kicked off its set with a cover of The Talking Heads’ “Road to Nowhere.”
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Shakey Graves played with both a full band and solo, providing percussion with his feet to back up his guitar playing and vocals.
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Langhorne Slim kicked off his set by singing from the crowd.
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Nahko Bear of Nahko and the Medicine for the People sported a hat that said “Make America Native Again.”
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Hometown heroes Pigeons Playing Ping Pong brought their brand of jammy, psychedelic funk (and masks) to Merryland.
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Brooklyn funk ensemble Turkuaz got Sunday off to a funky start as the second act of the day.
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Baltimore’s own Cris Jacobs opened Merryland’s Sunday festivities.
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Members of The String Cheese Incident (from left: Kyle Hollingsworth, Keith Mosesly and Michael Kang) treated VIP attendees to a Q&A session Saturday afternoon in which they talked about band chemistry, funny stories from the road, other musicians they admire and more.
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Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe brought a heavy dose of funk to Saturday’s festivities.
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Plenty of Merryland attendees enjoyed the music from the lawn.
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Jamaican reggae singer Protoje brought heavy grooves to Saturday afternoon.
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Baltimore’s ELM (Electric Love Machine) kicked out the festival on Saturday with their electro-rock sounds.
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About THE BEAT: Marc Shapiro, a lifelong musician and concert-goer, writes about regional and national musicians, concerts, festivals and the music industry. He is managing editor at the Baltimore Jewish Times, a sister publication of Baltimore Style. More of his photos can be viewed on his Facebook page, and he can be reached at [email protected].
