Ecofest 20th Anniversary

ECOFEST 20TH ANNIVERSARY: SERVING SMITH, SALSA AND SPOONS ROCKS! -By George Lewis As I do every year, I spent the last Sunday in September at ECOFEST- a large New York exhibition featuring all that’s new and exciting in the “greening” of the world. This year marked ECOFEST’s 20th anniversary. While it’s always fun observing the interesting mix of exhibitors and people who attend, I am always drawn to the live performances at the band shell that dominate the exhibition area in Lincoln Center’s Damrosch Park. Noteworthy I find, the stage during the festival is Solar powered. These guys walk the walk too! This year I was pleased to discover that Al Smith of Blacksmith would be closing out the show. Event producer Nancy Callahan introduced him after reading a message from Senator Hillary Clinton and then an unexpected surprise statement (which Al brought with him) from Presidential Nominee Barack Obama. Both statements congratulated ECOFEST on 20 years of increasing environmental awareness. After that it was “show time”, Al went to work as a one-man-band, churning out his signature brand of “Country Rock Inspiration & Blues” (CRIB) music. Strumming a Godin synth guitar and backed by “live” sequenced rhythm tracks, he belted out two opening numbers “Sweet Home Chicago” and Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Goin On?” – but with a twist! Members of Dance Manhattan Studios took the stage to jump-start the party with their Salsa, Swing and free-style dancing! The party was officially on as the dancers (led by “Mad Hot Ballroom” star Rodney Lopez) channeling the Temptations, aligned themselves behind the microphones adding backing vocals with their dance moves. Smith next had us all singing along to his rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Like A Rolling Stone” and then chanting the chorus to his rock anthem “Credit Is Due!” With the energy levels rising with each song, not even Mother Nature would allow her overcast sky to keep the crowd from grooving and joining in the festivities!?The show took a surreal turn during the song “Oye Como Va” as special guest Mary Poppins (yes, Mary Poppins!) came out of nowhere, spoons in hand, and strutted towards the microphone to give an incredible (though totally unexpected) “spoons” solo! As Al sang and soloed over the vamp, I must admit Mary Poppins syncopated “spoons” added an interesting dimension to the Carlos Santana classic. Amidst the festive atmosphere, Smith slowed the pace down a bit with his original ballad of “The Artist & His Lady” a touching story about a couple’s resolve to fight against adversity. They say he’s a dreamer, but she’s a believer-The Artist & His Lady. For the finale, Smith dug deep into his bag of tricks and pulled out a classic Wilson Pickett medley of “Midnight Hour” and “Land of 1000 Dances” (the “Nah, na na na nah” song) which pushed the crowd over the edge, as Smith’s soulful yet funky delivery had them up and moving to the driving beat! He was now in a zone, as the audience lost itself in a scene of soaring guitar solos, gyrating dancers, spoon popping and phat rhythm tracks. A parade of cameramen even took to the stage to record and capture the experience partially obscuring my view. All in all, Al Smith (and friends) gave ECOFEST another exciting and memorable performance, sending the crowd home enthused, energized and anticipating his next Ecofest appearance. That’s a good thing, because if he keeps rockin’ like this, we may have to shell out the big bucks to see him elsewhere. “Happy Anniversary!” to all the good stewards of the earth. http://www.ecofest.com/