It’s not every day that I hop on an airplane to go to a music festival. As a matter if fact, this was a first.

Yet there I was at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago on October 5th, preparing to make my way to Newark, New Jersey. From there, I would be transported to Rutherford, just across the bridge from New York City, for the annual Progstock music festival. The music would unveil itself between the 6th and the 8th.

Like the Progtoberfests I’ve attended in Chicago, I was set to enjoy music from artists both familiar and unfamiliar. I must admit that I enjoy these gatherings for that very reason. As Miles Davis (or was it Robert Fripp) instructed his bands, “Start with the known and work toward the unknown.” A music festival doesn’t run exactly like that. But the principle remains the same.

The three-day lineup is nowhere near as crowded as Progtoberfest, where I saw 30 bands or more. Instead, Progstock offered music in sets of three bands on Friday, six on Saturday, and four on Sunday. It’s a good format. I could wander off for a meal and make my way back without missing any music.

This is the first time Progstock would be held in the Williams Center, a stately old building loaded with charm and history. The center has several theaters within its confines, but the festival limited itself to one stage for musical performances, while there were other rooms open for merchandise, lectures, and displays,

Needless to say, I was laser-focused on the music. Let’s get into it.

DAY ONE

Ad Astra

I saw this New York-based quartet for the first time at Progtoberfest in 2018. (Actually, they were a trio because their drummer was unable to make the show. The band played to a drum track and made it work.) I knew then they were a band I wanted to keep an eye on. They didn’t disappoint this time either, as guitarist Joe Nardulli (whom I have interviewed recently) set the tone with his solid chops and lyrical string work. The rest of the band was more than up to the moment, providing solid grooves and enjoyable interplay between them. It was a nice way to start the festival.

Travis Larson Band

I hadn’t heard of this guitar-driven trio before seeing them in front of me, and now I’m a fan. Guitarist Larson has a serious Eric Johnson/Joe Satriani thing going on! His lines — even when distorted — are remarkably clean and tasteful. The grooves laid down by bassist Jennifer Young and drummer Dale Moon give their guitarist more than enough to interact with or play over. It’s clear that each musician understands the importance of listening during a performance, which had them locked in from Note One.

The Mahavishnu Project

Speaking of guitarists, there are few of them held in the highest regard like John McLaughlin. His Mahavishnu Orchestra album Birds of Fire is celebrating its 50th anniversary, and before us now stood the Mahavishnu Project aiming to reproduce that album. I was far too young to have experienced the original band in concert, but if it was anything like this set, my mind would’ve been completely blown! But we did get the next best thing in a band that has received the blessing of John McLaughlin himself, along with the rest of the original band! And were they ever up to the task! Guitarist Robbie Mangano had his hands full, but locked himself in and carried on like he wrote the material himself. Gregg Bendian, the drummer and bandleader, kept a tight reign on his group while still allowing them to push the musical envelope. The band’s chemistry was palpable. This was a great way to complete breaking us in for the rest of the weekend.

DAY 2

Erik Nordlander

Keyboardist Erik Nordlander (Rocket Scientists) kicked things into gear on the second day with a dynamic solo performance that showed him making the most of his multi-board setup. He played the kind of grooves that would go well with a science-fiction movie. The music’s intensity matched the man playing it: intense, but in a low-key fashion. It didn’t take long to forget that Nordlander was the only musician onstage. He had everything under control.

Aziola Cry

One of the highlights of the weekend for me came from instrumental trio Aziola Cry. Ironiucally (for me), I learned this was a Chicago-based band I had yet to hear of. Thanks to Warr-guitarist Jason Blake, they made one helluva first impression. Within 30 seconds, I knew this was a band I wanted to get to know better. They were unafraid to bring metallic tendencies to the festival’s proceedings, nor were they afraid to stretch out their compositions. Even with all that, the melodies were catchy and didn’t find themselves buried within the group’s obvious chops. A couple of days after returning from the festival, I was able to interview Blake. You can find that chat here.

Randy McStine

I’ve had the pleasure of seeing the super-talented Randy McStine twice before. The first time was a solo performance to warm us up before The Pineapple Thief. The second time was as the guitarist for Porcupine Tree on their most recent tour. And yes, I have interviewed him as well. Randy played another solo set for Progstock, bringing everything he had to his looped guitars and soaring vocals. Randy played and sang from his heart, and the audience picked up on it, taking the music in with great enthusiasm.

Matt Dorsey

Singer/guitarist/songwriter Matt Dorsey came out next, offering up material that was both ultra-heavy and laid back, mixing original compositions with covers from the likes of Peter Gabriel and Rush. Randy McStine remained on stage to serve as Dorsey’s bassist and was just as tight as the remainder of the group. Dorsey even took on the challenge of becoming Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour for a run at “Comfortably Numb,” one of those tunes that must be played correctly in order to be accepted by the song’s fans. Matt pulled it off “comfortably” and to great satisfaction.

Rachel Flowers

The evening set began with the über-talented multi-instrumentalist Rachel Flowers, who chose to stick to keyboards and vocals to bring us a set that was her first live performance in quite some time. Rachel has a delicate touch that works perfectly for the jazz-laced tunes she played for us. And her singing voice is soaring and angelic. Her sounds hit me to the point where it was almost a race to the merch tables to find some of her music to take home.

Dave Kerzner

Saturday’s headliner was Dave Kerzner, whose band featured McStine, Dorsey, violinist Joe Deninzon (yep, interviewed him, too) and guitarist/bassist Fernando Perdomo. Their set was highly enjoyable, as Kerzner presented us with material from his new album Heart Land Mines (The Eye). From there, he celebrated the tenth anniversary of Dimensionaut, the album he recorded with Sounds of Contact. While it is a musical tragedy that SOC no longer exists, the musicians on stage did great justice to the album, giving it an almost Pink Floyd-like feel. Needless to say, enthusiasm was high for this performance. Prog fans know a classic album when they hear it!

DAY 3

Dave Bainbridge and Sally Minnear

They have prog rock ties, but the music of Dave Bainbridge and Sally Minnear went in a completely different direction. Multi-instrumentalist Bainbridge (who played keyboards and guitar, among other things) has played with the likes of IONA, Celestial Fire, and DBA. Minnear, who handled vocals and a wide variety of instruments, is the daughter of Kerry Minnear from Gentle Giant. Together, their music took on a folk and sometimes Gaelic feel. Minnear owns one of the finest singing voices you’ll ever hear. Her melodies went directly skyward, wrapping themselves around the rafters. Bainbridge is a remarkably talented guitarist and keyboard player. Together, the two were chemistry incarnate.

Mystery

The most pleasant surprise of the weekend for me came from Mystery, a hard charging band from Canada. They had the chops, the complexity, the rhythms, and the melodies that had us wrapped around their fingers almost instantly. They seemed to feel the energy coming from the audience, and returned it in kind, raising the level of both play and listening. Mystery is on the road behind their new album, Redemption. Based on what I was hearing, I think we have a new Canadian prog rock band to obsess over.

Patrick Moraz

What can be said about keyboard wizard Patrick Moraz (Yes, The Moody Blues, etc.) that hasn’t been said before? The man was a ball of energy from the time he entered the Williams Center on Friday to speak on behalf of Moog synthesizers. (Keyboardist Larry Fast, aka Synergy, and Michelle Moog were also on hand, but it was Patrick’s show from the moment the microphones were turned on.) There was almost nothing Patrick couldn’t refer to as “UNBELIEVABLE!!!” When he took the stage to play on Sunday (sadly, some two hours late due to technical issues), it was easy to conclude that the only way Patrick is more comfortable than when he’s speaking is when he’s playing his keyboards. His improvisations were enhanced by the occasional drop-in of some of the favorites he’s known for. The set was relatively short (no doubt due to the unplanned delay), but I’m sure many would say it was worth the wait.

Unitopia featuring Chester Thompson

Fatigue was running high in the audience, but nobody was going anywhere. There was still one more set to take in. It came from Australian band Unitopia and their special guest drummer, Chester Thompson (Genesis, Frank Zappa, Weather Report). Yet another technical glitch brought the set to a grinding halt early on, but the band recovered and regaled the audience with soaring, solemn music until well after midnight. In fact, I believe it was well after one in the morning! Thompson’s drumming was more subdued than when he played with Genesis or Zappa, but that’s what the music called for. Thompson was the calming force behind Unitopia’s subtle, but raging musical storm. Unitopia’s message of … well, unity was the perfect way to call it a night.

It wasn’t perfect (particularly since punctuality is a requirement for me, and I was not being met on my ground), but Progstock was a highly enjoyable experience. I walked away with at least three new bands to obsess over, met some very nice people (many of whom, to my surprise, already knew who I was), and saw a part of the country I had never visited before. I’m already eager to go back next year! Looks like flying is an ideal way to enjoy a music festival!

#cirdecsongs

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I’m currently at work on my new book The Wizard of WOO: The Life and Music of Bernie Worrell

Would you like to have your album reviewed? Please contact me at cirdecsongs@gmail.com