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Photographs by Laura Carbone

Back by popular demand and having survived the hiccups of Covid 19, Rhythm and Roots, one of our favorite festivals (for a slew of reasons—read on), was off to a good start today with Veronica Lewis, a New Hampshire keyboard player with the soul of a NOLA native. A possible heir to Marcia Ball, Lewis’ own songs have a lot going for them, including “Born of the Bayou,” which owes absolutely nothing to Creedence Clearwater Revival.

John Hiatt, in his first appearance at R&R, stood solo with an acoustic guitar and captivated the SRO audience with his gravel-voiced set. Early on, he promised to do “Something old, something new, something borrowed and certainly something very blue.” Making good on his word, the man ran through many of his own songs, almost all of which have been “borrowed” by such diverse artists as Joe Cocker, Bon Jovi, Jewel, Three Dog Night, Carl Perkins, Ricky Nelson, Johnny Cash, B.B. King and Eric Clapton. With a catalogue as deep as his, Hiatt had no trouble finding a tune fit for any occasion, and he referenced both New Orleans’ and New York’s hurricane tragedies before launching into his heartfelt “Crossing Muddy Waters, and prefaced “Slow Turning” by saying “This one is for Charlie;” a double reference, with these lines in the song:

Slow learnin’
But you learn to sway
A slow turnin’ baby
Not fade away

Now I’m in my car
I got the radio on
I’m yellin’ at the kids in the back seat
‘Cause they’re bangin’ like Charlie Watts

After Hiatt’s memorable performance, a number of people packed up and went home, but the smart set stayed for Trigger Hippy, two years old in its current lineup (Joan Osborne was one of the previous members). Out of Nashville, but not of country, Trigger Hippy embodies the best parts of jam bands without any of those annoying side effects. With Ed Jurdi on guitar, vocals and harmonica, Amber Woodhouse (vocals), bassist Nick Govrik and former Black Crowes drummer Steve Gorman, the band cooks up rock and roll, adds spice and a few side dishes, but never seems to get caught up in the long, jammy tangents that remind audience members that there’s a beer tent or half-smoked doobie needing attention. All their tunes were new to me, but “Dry County” stood out as a good example of clever lyrics, head-bobbing, let’s-dance rhythms from Gorman, inventive guitar and bass, and terrific synergy between (in this case) lead vocalist Jurdi and (in this case) Woodhouse on harmony. Nearest comparisons would be the Allmans and Little Feat, but these folks have their own thing going, and it’s good.

But Rhythm and Roots doesn’t curate only the music. The food at R&R is consistently among the best in the world of festivals. We had Mexican street-style corn on the cob that was to die for (cilantro, chili powder, parmesan cheese, grilled). I’m a former chef and, by chance, made jambalaya last week, yet the same dish that came off a truck at R&R today was better. Thai, muffins, corn chowder, you could go to this festival just to eat, and it’s not killer expensive, either. The vendors, likewise, have goods you won’t find at any high-school parking-lot craft fair. One woman makes lovely, delicate jewelry out of plates—and if you have grandma’s old, cracked teacup, she’ll turn that into a necklace or broach for you, too. More on this later, but start planning for Labor Day weekend 2022 now. Ninigret State Park, and Rhythm and Roots fills up fast.

—Suzanne Cadgene