The Shindig Music Festival kicked off on Saturday, September 27, 2014. The festival took place in Carroll Park located in a historic area of Baltimore known as “Pig Town”. A part of the city that’s known for its working class citizens and diversity, offered a fitting showground for a monumental list of local and national rock bands.
This is the second year independent concert promoter, Paul Manna of 24-7 Entertainment, has pulled off a successful gathering of such a large caliber. This year’s lineup included rock icons Jane’s Addiction and punk rock favorite’s Rise Against. Additional bands included; Gogol Bordello, Clutch, Fishbone, Halestorm, Lucero, J Roddy Walston & The Business, Larry and His Flask, The Mahones, The Bots, Charm City Devils, Bad Seed Rising and Rebel Inc.
Music started early in the day and kept fans busy with two stages situated across from each other in Carroll Park, that seemed to be timed perfectly. As soon as the last notes of a bands closing song rang out on “The Bird Stage”, the next band started up on “The Babe Stage”. The musical volley continued throughout the afternoon while fans took advantage of the Vending Village in the shaded area of Carroll Park in-between the stages which included local food, vendors, cold beer and mixed drinks.
As the sun set and the stage lights began to glow, a tangible eagerness in the crowd seemed to develop in anticipation for this year’s headlining act Jane’s Addiction. The buzz in the crowd was that the band was going to cover their first studio album released in 1988, “Nothing’s Shocking” and I had hoped this to be true.
Shortly after sunset, the stage was set and front man Perry Ferrell appeared alongside founding member of the band, Dave Navarro. The crowd erupted as the intro bass riff for Nothing’s Shocking’s “Up the Beach”, the first track of the album filled the air. The audience enjoyed a rare treat as the band played the album in its entirety including the band’s two chord anthem and fan favorite “Jane Says” named after Ferrell’s ex-housemate, Jane Bainter, who was the muse, inspiration, and the namesake of the band.
