Camp Keewanee Greenfield MA SEP 12 2025
Friday morning bloomed sunny and bright as the first full day of the Wormtown festival was upon us. Many folks were already in the night prior taking advantage of the early bird night, and new folks were streaming in by the car load.
First on the stage was the new band by Wormtown veteran Anders Warringer, DERS. Anders has played Worm events for years as a part of Llama Lasagne and the Rage Against the Machine tribute, Bombtrack. This band has Anders as the centerpiece and features other good players from the valley. It will be fun to watch this band develop with new material and their original take on cover songs.
FULL SET AUDIO:
Following DERS on the main stage was rice an American Band. Consisting of Christopher Ellis on drums, Mike ‘Woody’ Wood (also of Rebel Alliance) on bass and vocals, Brian DiMartino on guitar, Phil Simon on guitar and vocals, and recent additions Kami Lahoski on sax and vocals and Michael Wingate (also of Rebel Alliance) on keyboards, rice fired through a set consisting entirely of originals.
Up from coastal Connecticut, Jeremiah Hazed was next on the main stage. This trio consists of bass, drums, and keyboards and is a spirited jam band full of energy and good vibes.
Worm veterans the Guess Method came next. Hailing from Rhode Island, this quintet came ready to party. Their ten song set showcased their diverse influences. I especially dug their cover of Ween’s “Roses Are Free.”
Boston Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia tribute band Bearly Dead performed next and brought their high energy take on the songbook that everyone knows and loves so well.
Setlist: Cumberland Blues Gomorrah Picasso Moon Althea Touch of Grey Corrina New Speedway Boogie Rhapsody in Red
Bearly Dead seem to revel in the performance of lesser known Dead material. I can’t imagine anyone else is covering either Picasso Moon or Corrina. A Cumberland Blues opener is a novel approach, to be sure. The band is a fan favorite and I admire their desire to go against the grain and feature material that others do not see fit to perform.
After dark things got a bit more weird and wild with Lespecial. This band is doing their best to climb in general from the middle of the lineup slots at festivals to being closer to a headliner. Their sound mixes elements of jam and electronic music, all with a bit of a heavier edge. In the past I feel that they were more of an in the woods, Riverworm band, so this post sundown slot was a newer turn for them. They took full advantage and the combination of lights and sound, music and movement, all delivered with an edginess that is definitively beyond the normal jamband aesthetic limitations.
The Wormtown folks have done a good job of curating a schedule that not only is reflective of their history and the many bands who play nearly every year. Over the last few events they have also brought in new bands from around the country that are not ‘the same ol band.’ Some of the examples that come to mind include Spafford, Dirtwire, Ghost Note, and this year’s Friday night headliners Moontricks.
The band is different than your normal jamband standard. Moontricks features Nathan Gurley and Sean Rodman build soundscapes as much as songs. They utilize beats and layering of tracks while adding live harmonica, banjo, keys, vocals, and hype. Rodman has a very pleasant and melodic voice which he utilizes quite effectively. They are truly great at ‘building a vibe’ out of their set and the Wormtown crowd, who must consider the band new to their scene, found it easy to dig Moontricks. They delivered just what the Worms seemed to want and need on this Friday night.
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