New Monsoon :: 11:15-1:00 a.m. :: Tuolumne Hall

When one hasn’t heard New Monsoon play in a while – and they’re off the road a lot more of late – it’s a lovely shock to hear their beautiful, wholly unique mélange. Regardless of the time between gigs, something special happens when they assemble, and that feeling was particularly strong this night. Able to be merciless or smooth, equally convincing at both, they merge carefully composed songs (with increasingly strong vocals) and genre-busting instrumentals without apology. In some ways NM asks a bit more than your average band of its listeners, but, as stunning renditions of originals like “The Other Side” or covers like Zeps’ “Poor Tom” showed, surrendering to their current always takes you somewhere cool.

New Monsoon :: 4:45-6:15 p.m. :: Terrapin Big Top Stage

In many respects, NM is the quintessential Tortugas band – stellar musicians and serious composers yet not a household name. This fest celebrates talent and drive, with a distinct slant towards working bands making music because something in them demands it AND won’t allow them to slack off in carving out their own identity, regardless of the easier, perhaps more quickly profitable paths open to them. NM exhibited a melodic flow that slipped between genres/styles in a way that bolsters the idea that there is simply music and all of it – past, present and future – longs to converse in a living conversation. Standouts this time included an expansive “On The Sun” and a gliding version of the Talking Heads’ “Slippery People” that seemed lubricated with K-Y it was so smooth.

jambase