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The Sunday Night Get Down

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The Sunday Night Get Down - The Motet

Photos by: Molly Buckiewicz (https://www.mojophotography.org/)

Listen to the Motet's Latest album:

Concert Review

Writing by: Greg Powell

Hailing from Colorado, The Motet has gathered a cult following over the last few years and doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. I remember seeing them for the first time at their annual, Halloween mountain show and having it be the highlight of my year. I felt like I was in a time warp back to the funk era. It was refreshing to hear such a passionate tribute to old school funk, performed with such energy and raw musicianship. It was obvious at the time that they were in a league of their own, demanding a larger stage and much-deserved recognition. Since then they have released several albums, built a devoted fan base and worked their way up to be Red Rocks headliners.

Sunday’s show at the Midtown Ballroom in Bend, OR was one for the books. The venue was packed early with excited fans ready for a night of shameless dancing. The opener, John Medeski’s Mad Skillet, got things warmed up quickly with their jazz-influenced jams. Medeski was a master on the keyboards and the use of a Sousaphone as their bass instrument really added another element to the performance.

By the time The Motet took the stage the whole crowd was ready to move. They eased into their set with the lights turned low and an instrumental jam. Lead singer Lyle Divinsky jumped on stage and the band dropped into a hard-hitting single from their new album. People of all ages and backgrounds crowded the front, ready to let loose. The band built more energy the longer they played and were able to streamline their set, with minimal downtime between songs. There are not many groups that can start a party with the opening song and keep the crowd dancing hard through their encore.

Their latest release, Death or Devotion, is a 10-track studio album, released via their own music label. It is a well-rounded compilation of catchy singles and badass funk tunes. Make sure to give it a listen and stay up to date on The Motet’s upcoming tour dates, most notably July 12th when they will be back at Red Rocks with Galactic for another rowdy night of music and good times.

For more check out our podcast episode with Dave Watts, the founder of the Motet.

Arise 2018 – Photo Recap

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2 © Freio Music_Arise Music Festival 2018-61

Arise Music Festival in Loveland, Colorado 2018 - Photo Recap

Another orbit around the sun and another opportunity to shoot at Arise Music Festival.  Here are some of my favorite moments and photos from the event.  Huge shout out to all of the artists who made this festival possible.

Photos by Michael Morahan

Sonic Bloom Photo Recap 2018

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Sonic Bloom 2018 Photo Recap

This year at Sonic Bloom the music was on fire as usual.  Three main stages running until 2am and one stage running until sun-rise with music until 6am.  The workshops begin at 8 am so there is really only two hours of 'off-time' per day all four days of the festival.  The music and grooves transitioned seamlessly as different artists plugged in while others finished out their set.  The main stage has a 'tween' stage, which if you are not familiar with the term is a small stage right next to the main stage and features short usually under 30min performances while the main stage undergoes a set change.  This is the optimal way to transition on a large stage while maintaining the audience's attention and attendance.

With thee stages going simultaneously for 8 hours (with three stages that is actually 24 hours of live performances compressed in time and space within walking distance), which provides an opportunity for more musicians to be heard and benefit from the cross-pollination of musical audiences.   The river ran dry but the music and shaded hammocks at the hummingbird stage provided a welcome mid day napping location.  There is no shortage of amazing talent and the careful curation of musical acts that preform ensure a high threshold and a healthy diversity while still being true to the festivals electronic roots.

Photos will never capture sound so seek out good listen to new music.  Click here to listen to live tracks from Sonic Bloom 2018.

Some more music the official Sonic Bloom Playlist on Spotify:

Arise Festival 2014 in Photos

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