SCRANTON — Mother nature’s relentless barrage of roving thunderstorms delayed music three times on Saturday at the Peach Music Festival at the Pavilion at Montage Mountain, but, despite her efforts, all acts made the stage.
On the third day of the Aug. 11 through 14 celebration of sound, some of the biggest names of the weekend performed around lightening-induced intermissions. Anders Osborne played an energetic afternoon set while Claypool Lennon Delirium, Trey Anastasio Band and Umphrey’s McGee gave exuberant evening performances to a restless crowd.
Early in the day, while the sky was clear, Tom Hamilton’s American Babies, featuring Shavertown native Justin Mazer on guitar, and Twiddle entertained crowds of sun-kissed dancers at the Grove and Mushroom stages.
Joe Russo took over the main (Peach) stage under the pavilion for a good portion of the afternoon playing with two of his tribute outfits, Bustle In Your Hedgerow (Led Zeppelin) and Joe Russo’s Amost Dead (Grateful Dead).
The Dead ensemble featured the expert dual guitar work of Tom Hamilton and Scott Metzger as it delivered Dead favorites like “Cumberland Blues,” “Eyes Of The World” and “Terrapin Station.”
New Orleans folk rocker Anders Osborne gave an inspired performance that featured lyrical gems like “Fool’s Gold” and “Flower Box,” the title track to his new album, wrapped in gritty guitar rock and smooth songscapes.
The strangest and most unique act of the night came in the Claypool Lennon Delirium, featuring Beatle progeny Sean Lennon and bass guru Less Claypool of Primus and Colonel Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade.
Moving back and forth between daydreamy psych-rock and furious nightmare funk, a touring quartet played the duo’s originals with Lennon showing his prowess as an instrumentalist on electric guitar.
The band closed their set with a hair raising performance of King Crimson’s “Thela Hun Ginjeet.”
Trey Anastasio Band was held up from starting their headlining set. For the second time during the day, the crowd was asked to huddle under the pavilion to take cover from approaching electrical storms.
Allie McCord came from Philadelphia to see Railroad Earth, Cabinet and Umphrey’s McGee, but TAB was her main attraction.
“I love Phish,” McCord said. “I’m converted. I used to be solely Dead, but I saw Phish last year at the Mann (in Philadelphia), and that was it. It only took one show.”
When Anastasio did start, he was more animated and crowd engaging than he’s known to be at Phish performances. The frontman had bounce in his step, jumping up and down and dancing on stage during performances of Phish’s “Gotta Jibboo” and “Money, Love and Change.”
A soulful cover of Gorillaz song “Clint Eastwood” featured the powerful vocals of trumpet player Jennifer Hartswick, dual trombone work by father/daughter pair Jeff and Natalie Cressman, and scorching guitar work by Anastasio.
With the heavens no longer threatening, Umprhey’s McGee treated determined fans to a late-night display of progressive metal jam that ranged from complicated heavy-rock mastery to headbanger’s rave. The set featured unapologetic rockers like “Wappy Sprayberry” and euphoric compositions like “Hajimemashite” and “Glory.”
