It was astounding. Fantastic. Extraordinary! The third annual Melonfest brought students and parents, across campus, over to the Java Venue. Several acts graced two stages over the course of a cloudy Saturday afternoon, that merged into a warm fall night.
Ryl, Cantina Ramblers, and The Pyros began the evening. On the venue stage, as well on the Jambulance, each group performed for a packed crowd of rowdy SLU parents and cautious students, for some reason on their best behavior.
Surrounding the acts as they played was quite the impressive collection of art from various students. The paintings, sketches, and prints impressed parent and child alike, proving the astounding ability of SLU’s artists to cross generational lines.
For some, the sounds and sights were overwhelming, creating an insatiable hunger, an issue Jerry Blossom’s BBQ truck solved with ease, arriving with delicious, smoked pulled pork and homemade barbeque. The rainy, cloudy day did little to dampen the spirits at Melonfest!
As the night grew dark, and parents complained of aging and the need for sleep at 10 p.m. on a Saturday (unbelievable, I know), Blues for Breakfast began their set. And…wow. The Grateful Dead cover band was electrifying, and more than advertised. On guitar, Seth Yoconvone was unequivocally electric, gliding through the Dead’s repertoire with ease and comfort. His long, curly hair fell halfway down his back, frizzled and wild. JD Tolstoi was unstoppable on keys, unflinching in his performance. His fingers flayed across the board, barely visible to most viewers. Tolstoi’s performance inspired several amateur air piano players throughout the audience (thank goodness they weren’t plugged in). Ed Grasmeyer was on bass, blending the intricate beats of this blues-based music, then suddenly jumping on top of the sound, inspiring gyrating dance move after gyrating dance move.
Trevor Ainsworth, on drums, led the rhythm of the band. The drummer seemed to fly down on the top hat with perfectly timed ferocity. And of course, Charlie Frazier was on vocals, singing along with us, his band, and as always, the Dead. His aged, slightly coarse, voice complemented the frenzied music of the band behind him, perfectly. As always, he took pictures of the wild crowd. If you would like to see if you made it onto his camera roll, they are on the Java Barn Facebook page. As always, Blues for Breakfast band was kind and considerate to the staff. Much appreciated from us Beans!
This past Thursday, October 3, Cliff Notez with Forte stopped by the Java Barn to raise the venue roof, so to speak (not to be confused with raze, @theoc). No bags! No Booze! No Problem! Hope to see all of you at the next show!