HOP JAM
Aug. 22
Natalie Cressman
Pappy Biondo (banjo) and Dylan Skursky of Cabinet
the four beer stations, each with two taps, as even
as possible. To do this they had to gauge the popularity of the offering with the style of beer itself, trying for example, to keep IPAs in separate lines so if
that was the style you wanted you had four lines to
choose from rather than one ridiculously long one.
People did tend to congregate at the end where
the lines formed as it was well shaded and nice and
cool which could lead to aggravations when some
realized they were standing behind a group of people that were just chatting and not waiting to be
served. Other than that there was little to complain
about. The food offered was affordable, varied, and
delicious. There was plenty of water on hand to keep
the crowd hydrated, and there were ample facilities
for the inevitable trip to the penalty box--a steady
reminder the beer is merely rented.
The music continued with some truly great acts
such as Soule Monde, a two-piece made up of keyboard and organ player Russ Lawton and drummer
Ray Packowski. The two are based out of Burling-
ton and met while playing with the Trey Anastasio
Band.
Another favorite was Natalie Cressman. Something about the energy of the band and the appeal
of Cressman was really special.
Other acts included Cabinet, The Southern
Belles, and the Mallet Brothers. DJ Paul Nice kept
the energy flowing between sets, and Ryan Montbleau and Friends, which seemed perfect for the cool
evening, closed the whole thing. The sway of the
crowd for Montbleau’s set was at half volume due
to the marathon beer drinking, which had entered
hour 10 for some.
All in all, Hop Jam 2015 seemingly went off without a hitch. For two years now Bolton Valley has
been graced by an amazingly well executed music
festival with an impeccable selection of beer that
even the most spoiled of palates would get excited
over.
Hop Jam plans to return for a third year next
summer. ■
Cabinet
The Southern Belles
Winter • 2015
cidermag.com • CIDER
MAG • 37