Last weekend marked the inaugural Tatanka Music and Arts Festival in Boulder, Colorado.  Held at the Boulder Reservoir, a public space spanning 700 acres, Tatanka offered two days of jammin’ tunes and funky displays of both fine art and craftwork.

I arrived on Sunday morning to the sounds of the The Unknown Americans, a five-piece rockabilly group hailing from Boulder.  Unfortunately, this group played for a rather thin crowd.  The band did not seem to let this fact phase them and continued to rock out (and wisely promote their show at Mountain Sun later that night).

Up next, on the “Main Stage” (which positioned itself directly next to the not-so-main-stage of equal size), was the band I came to see – Jubal.  Fronted by Boulder local Jubal – a member of several outfits – this seven-piece band blends ska and reggae rhythms with a rock sensibility.  Just when they settle into a groove, they rouse the crowd with tempo shifts and guitar solos that scream pure rock.  They called upon some talented friends, including Mohammad Alidu Bizung and Matt Wasowski from the traditional West African band The Bizung Family.  The talented performers sat in with the band through the second-half of the set, providing another cultural twist to an already solid lineup with a diverse sound.  Think Keller Williams melting into the Black Crowes, with a dash of Bruce Hornsby (which may have just been jogged in my memory by the sound of the organ).

Jubal croons lyrics that John Mayer wishes he’d written.  The accompanying harmonies of surprisingly robust-voiced Monica Colbi (she’s a petite woman) blended smoothly with the mohawked frontman.  The band played for an hour, mixing covers and originals from both Jubal and Bizung.   They covered one of my favorite songs, the David Bowie/Queen collaboration “Under Pressure,” but adding their own funky twists.  As for the originals, “The Time We Never Spent” ranks as my personal favorite.  It’s a song that doesn’t quite commits to its reggae roots but is positively jubilant in nature.

As Jubal’s set continued, a thicker crowd filtered in.  They were treated to Octopus Nebula, the bastard child of String Cheese and Rush.  That’s the best way I know how to describe their music.  I was pleasantly surprised by their unique style, as was the crowd (a blend of hippies, hoopers, ravers, and music buffs).  Next up was Boulder favorite, Rose Hill Drive.  Brothers Jacob and Daniel Sproul front this three-piece effort, with Nate Barnes kickin’ it on the drums.  They definitely represented the “rock” at Tatanka, bringing the significantly fuller crowd (and this humble reviewer as well) to their feet.

At this point, I had to leave the festival, which was becoming more crowded.  There was one act left before the night’s headliners, The Disco Biscuits.  By then the tickets were discounted as well.  In all, the acts blew up the stages – they deserved a fuller audience for the weight of their talent.  If Tatanka is to be an annual event (and a profitable one at that) it needs to do two things: 1) allow overnight camping and 2) allow outside food and water, maybe not in the concert area, but at least in a designated area.  The early start time (10am) proved too early for an audience forced to commute to the venue after an undoubtedly late Saturday.  Despite a lackluster turnout, Tatanka booked quality acts and provided a welcomed festival in the Indian Summer of Boulder.

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Check out the acts I mentioned on their websites:
The Unknown Americans

Jubal

Octopus Nebula

Rose Hill Drive

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