The Recipe Family Cookout
Sept. 6-9 Sunshine Daydream Memorial Park – Terra Alta, WV
written by Ryan Neeley
Some places have something that seems magical about them, like when everything is in line in the universe and pointing to that specific spot on the planet when certain people gather there. Those in attendance during Morgantown-born veteran roots-jam vets The Recipe’s 16th Annual Family Picnic, held the first weekend in September at Sunshine Daydream Memorial Park in the mountains of Terra Alta, WV, would argue that although the weather Gods did not cooperate, the Goddess of Music would flood the mountaintop with the blessed sounds of some of the top regional bands on the scene today.
After a few years at Nelson Ledges Quarry Park in Ohio, The Recipe Family Cookout moved back to West Virginia this year to the site of their first cookout, Sunshine Daydream Memorial Park (or SSDD, as it is affectionately called by many patrons). Like the Recipe, SSDD has been through some challenges over the years, beginning with founder Trip McClenny’s death in 2009, but driving up the mountain and turning onto the familiar rut-filled dirt road on this chilly Friday evening reminds me that I’m back home. Smiles greet our carload at the gate, we hurriedly set up camp and head to the barn.
The barn at SSDD is the Sun to the campground’s universe, with tents, fires and ponds dotting the horizon like planets oribiting around this energy-filled space. Adorned with Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, Allman Brothers and other local bands stickers and posters, the inside of the barn would become a welcome retreat from the wind and rain outdoors, and would almost catch fire with the pickin’ and stompin’ that occurred throughout the weekend.
As we made our way to the stage on Friday, we caught northern WV’s The Get Down, and their name reflected the happenings inside the barn as we stepped across the threshold and were surrounded by dreadie mommas and poppas getting down to this band’s psychedelic extended licks and familiar sound.
I made my way up the stairs to the balcony during the set break – Bearing the stuffiness along with the scents of Cali outdoor mixed with OG Kush, patchouli and a bit of BO for long enough to take some good shots of Pittsburgh area band The Weathered Road, I made my way outside for a smoke.
Next up, the band everyone had been waiting for, The Recipe took the stage. Lone original member and singer/songwriter/guitarist Joe Prichard along with beautiful vocalist Shannon Jones took the stage with great anticipation from the crowd. After relentlessly touring and doing festivals in the 90’s and into much of the first ten years of the decade, the band had taken some time off, only doing shows periodically until recently getting back together to record their new album, Stir the Pot, due out in November. If anyone thought the band would be rusty live, their notion would be put to rest immediately as the band would dive into an energetic, foot-stomping set that would keep the crowd going until almost 2am. With Mike Mitchell playing a ripping fiddle that Charlie Daniels himself would bow down to, Jon Banco’s smooth sax, and Diane Burton’s thick bass notes reverberating through the barn, with Tom Kirk driving the rhythm section on drums, Joe and Shannon would fill the barn with melodic harmonies and refreshing , jubilant lyrics that made it hard to stand still. The band would play numerous old favorites like Petticoat Junction, an I Know you Rider > Revolution that showcased Pritchard and Jones’ vocal range mixed in along with some newer material that the crowd welcomed with open arms.
The Plaid Iguana Project was the late night band, and they kept everyone on their feet with a funkified set that lasted well into the morning.
Saturday would begin with Washington, PA’s own The Rusty Haywackers – Although this band is just getting their start on the festival scene, I believe you will hear a lot more out of them in the coming year. Vocalist Sarah Keener has an original voice that captivates the room, Brian Matalik’s grizzly exterior holds a soft, emotion-filled voice, and the musical ability of the band shines through in their live performances, with multiple percussionists adding to the fullness of this relatively new group.
Saturday also brought the rain, and again I thought about how much I appreciated the fact that the music was being held in the barn, especially since I had my family with me. We got to catch another West Virginia and AJ favorite, 600 lbs of Sin! Josh Thomas and Mike Pushkin put this band together in 2009 and if the name sounds familiar, it is the line of the GD song Dire Wolf, “When I awoke, the Dire Wolf, 600 pounds of sin, was grinning at my window, all I said was come on in…” – “not their combined weight,” as Pushkin would so pointedly remark in a recent interview with Westvirginiaville magazine. Violinist Libby Eddy adds a lot of flavor to the band with her stringwork and drummer Steve Markle (of Morgantown’s Rasta Rafiki) holds down the rhythm section with snapping cymbal work.
Other highlights to the day on Saturday were The Tom Batchelor Band, Smilin’ Joe, and Emily and the Lost Cat Ramblers.
On Saturday night the Recipe again took the stage of the barn and the muddy, rain-drenched crowd let out a cheer. A few people next to me that were passed out in their chairs, their bodies finally shut down, began to stir, and the Recipe proceeded in blowing the doors off the barn with the smoking set. Pritchard and Jones busted out a surprising yet powerful Rocket Man and kept the barn shaking with favorites Mountaintop Blues, Whiskey Pickle and a rollicking Playground Bellyflop. The late night band was another West Virginia favorite, the Davisson Brothers, who closed the 14th annual Recipe Family Cookout with some old fashioned, foot-stomping new-grass early into Sunday morning.
After getting some much needed rest, I awoke early Sunday afternoon to the sun shining down on the mountains surrounding Sunshine Daydream, illuminating the pure beauty that surrounds the location, drying out the mud and warming the earth. And in speaking with phamily and phriends that were in attendance, all were in agreement that the planets aligned and the weekend could be summed up in one word – MAGICAL.
Much Love….. Ryan
