Memorial Day weekend brought us the official start of the Memorial Meltdown Festival in Lake George, New York. The town is located four hours north of New York City. Thousands of fans, most of them local residents, spent the two-day event at Charles R. Wood Park. Looking at the ambiance, it was more than music. It was a celebration of community, creativity, and faith. A place where families and groups of friends were relaxing and enjoying great food, music, cocktails, photography sales, and more.
The festival featured an impressive lineup of artists. Names like Ed Williams, David Shaw, Zack Feinberg, Rob Ingraham, George Gekas, Andrew Campanelli, Michael Girardot from the Revivalists. Luke and Will Mallett, Nick Leen, Andrew Martelle, Chuck Gagne from the Mallett Brothers. Chadwick Stokes and Brad Corrigan from Dispatch. Rob Beaulieu, James Kirk, Drew Costa, Dave Spadaro, Pat Perkison, Chad Ploss, Sherry Jean Waite from the Beaulieu Band. James Cohen, Jason Cohen, Laurence Scudder, Matt Giannaros, Yahuda Garcia from Ryan Montbleau Band. Sean Kelly, Al Laughlin, Andy Sheldon, Charles Hambleton, Jeep MacNichol from The Samples. Ryan Dempsey, Zdenek Gubb, Brook Jordan, Adrian Tramontano, from Mihali Sevoulidis. Finally Brad Hester, Michael Lashomb, Joshua West, Chris Meier, Matt Richards, Brock Kuca, from Annie in the Water.
SATURDAY MAY 25, 2024
Day one’s entertainment was provided by The Beaulieu Band, The Mallett Brothers, Ryan Montbleau Band and The Revivalists.
Rob Beaulieu Band opened the festival. They played their best songs: Rocket Child, Ghosts, Sweet Marie, Fade Just Right, etc. The Mallett Brothers Band arrived on stage next. Although it was a short performance, the American roots-rock band formed in Portland, Maine in 2009 played a terrific show for the joy of its audience. Walk down the River, Low Down, The Irene, Colfax, Too Much Trouble, and Don’t Mind the Morning were some of the songs played by the group.
At 6:45 p.m. Ryan Montbleau Band took the stage. The music was appealing and sprawling, grappling with a modern world perpetually living on the edge of chaos. But the performances were relentlessly optimistic, insisting on hope and joy in the face of it all. I don’t want to go, Fast Car, Bridge Side, and All or Nothing were on the list of the songs executed by the band.
It was with great excitement that the public welcomed the headliners The Revivalists. The American rock band formed in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 2007, began their show with a series of songs from their album, Men Amongst Mountains, released on July 17, 2015. The set list was rich and varied: Wish I knew You, It Was a Sin, Keep Going, Soulfight, All my Friends, Good Old Days, Catching Fireflies, Next to You, Change, and How We Move. The Memorial Meltdown Festival is where The Revivalists excels, and the group has shown why it was named by Rolling Stone magazine in 2015 as one of “10 Bands You Need to Know”.
SUNDAY MAY 26, 2024
It was a clear and beautiful day. Many more people attended the festival. The public was very excited, and a happy audience applauded the first group on stage, Annie in the Water. They Started with their original songs Pleasure in Sin and River. The group then continued with Bloom, Seeds, Turnaround, Water, and Lights. All those songs are featured in their album Sun at Dawn.
The Samples, the American rock band formed in Colorado in 1987, took the stage next. The music, described as reggae influenced by rock/pop, is like a cross between The Police and the Grateful Dead. It was with great energy and creativity that the group performed its setlist. Who Am I, Nothing Lasts for Long, Streets in the Rain, We All Move On, Giants, and Take my Heart.
Mihali, the American Rock musician, found his roots in acoustic guitars. Without limits, he offered the crowd at the Memorial Meltdown Festival music traversing multiple genres of rock, funk, reggae, hip hop, and soul. Mihali Savoulidis is the founding member and front man of Twiddle. But now is the lead singer and guitarist to his new group. They received a loud welcome from the audience. Every Soul, Round Here, Janflowman, Santeria, Bundens Blooming, Breathe and Let Go were some of the songs executed by the band.
Dispatch, whose blend of folk-rock and reggae/funk, was the last group to perform at the festival. The group’s energetic and captivating live show was undeniable. Chad Urmston (vocals, guitar, bass, percussion) and Brad Corrigan (vocals, drums, guitar, percussion, harmonica) were exceptional. Skin the Rabbit, Open Up, Midnight Lorry, May We All, Passerby, Curse and Crush, Break Our Fall, So Good, Flag, and Bound by Love were some of the songs played by Dispatch.
KEEPING UP WITH MEMORIAL MELTDOWN
The Memorial Meltdown Festival was very fun for the thousands of visitors who attended the event. Perfect weather, blue sky, green mountains, and a beautiful lake. For the majority of people in the park, the two-day festival was pretty fantastic. To keep up on the latest news and announcements for next years Memorial Meltdown and other Adk Independence Music Fest events, check out the links at the bottom of the page!
MEMORIAL MELTDOWN – WEBSITE
CHARLES R. WOOD PARK – WEBSITE – FACEBOOK – X
JOANNA GLEASON – INSTAGRAM
DANCE YOUR FACE OFF – WEBSITE – INSTAGRAM – FACEBOOK – X – YOUTUBE
