Music Blog

Updated on 6/21/13 to remove a potentially offensive phrase.

The East End was buzzing Friday night as it took a step back to an earlier time when the East End Festival was about the music and not an outdoor meat market. It was the excellent music line-up that made the night.

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• PHOTO BY FRANK DE BLASE
• Amanda Lee Peers and the Driftwood Sailors played the 2013 East End Festival on Friday, June 14.

• PHOTO BY FRANK DE BLASE
• The JJ Lang Band played the 2013 East End Festival on Friday, June 14.

I started out with Amanda Lee Peers and The Driftwood Sailors, who have officially transitioned from dreamy acoustic mysticism to full-out rock. I kind of miss the minor melancholy but dug the bluesy attack a la "Houses of the Holy." Next it was the JJ Lang Band as it kissed the sky with its big engine chugging beneath Lang's vocal arrows. The Natalie B Band stomped through some bluesy boogie as the sun sank behind. It brought to mind some Big Joe Turner lyrics to mind (call me at the office and I'll sing 'em to you).

• PHOTO BY FRANK DE BLASE
• The Natalie B Band played the 2013 East End Festival on Friday, June 14.

Blackened Blues broke out the hip-hop-rock hybrid with some Roots Collider in its ranks and the kids couldn't sit still. Same went for Audio Influx as the band burned the groovy soul well into the evening for the beer- and sun-soaked crowd.