Ready for Levitate festival in Marshfield? California Honeydrops sure are

This week, let’s preview the 10th edition of the Levitate Music and Arts Festival, slated for the Marshfield Fairgrounds from July 7-9, by looking at a band making its first Levitate stop, and also by checking in with some longtime music aficionados who are loyal Levitate fans.

One of the best features of multi-act events like the Levitate Festival is the chance to discover new bands you may not have heard before. One band that seems poised to win over new fans at the 2023 Levitate Festival is the California Honeydrops, who will be making their first appearance there.

15 years in the making

Formed 15 years ago in Oakland, California, the California Honeydrops have always featured vocalist/guitarist Lech Wierzynski and drummer Ben Malament, although there has been turnover within the other members. Currently, the quintet includes "Johnny Bones" aka Yanos Lustig on saxophone, Lorenzo Loera on keyboards and Beaumont Beaulieu on bass.

From their beginnings, including early days busking on the Oakland public transit system, the band has embraced a variety of sounds, from rock to folk, but especially soul. Their easy combination of American music styles often gets them compared to New Orleans groups, and if there’s one aspect that stands out it is that the California Honeydrops engender a sort of "instant party" vibe whenever they play.

I first heard them when they opened a tour for Bonnie Raitt a few years back, and was so impressed I made sure to catch their headlining show at Brighton Music Hall. Wierzynski, who was born in Warsaw, Poland, is a talented singer with an engaging stage persona, and the group’s skill at crafting polyrhythmic dance grooves across a spectrum of hook-laden styles makes it popular with a wide range of fans of all ages.

A look back: Day one draws huge crowd at Levitate festival

'I Wanna Love' debuted June 2

On June 2, the California Honeydrops released the groovy “I Wanna Love,” the latest in a series of singles, part of their regular schedule of new releases since the pandemic ended, including last year’s “Soft Spot” album. Earlier this spring, other singles they released included “Like a Ship,” a delectable ‘70s soul groove, where they are joined by a septet of harmony vocalists, and “If There Were Two of You,” a good-timey acoustic folk romp. The California Honeydrops have also released some stellar covers, especially during the pandemic, and their recent cover of Sam Cooke’s “Good Times” is a particularly hypnotic taste of classic soul.

We caught up with Malament last week as the band took a two-week break before its extensive summer tour slate gets underway. Along with their July 7 appearance at Levitate, the California Honeydrops will also be playing in New England several more times, including July 6 at Hampton Beach Casino in New Hampshire, and July 27 at the Ossipee Valley Music Fest. The group has performed at some notable festivals, including the Portland Waterfront Blues Festival, Jazzfest in New Orleans and the Byron Bay Bluesfest in Australia.

A look back: Slimmed-down Levitate Music Festival goes off without a hitch in Marshfield

Band loves playing festivals

“We love to play festivals and we have played some great ones,” said Malament. “We have performed at that Australian one three or four times, and the Portland one is always amazing. It’s always good because it is a chance for us to see a diverse lineup of other bands too. We try to see and hear as many of the other bands as we can. In Australia, we got to hear Norah Jones up close, and Youssou N’Dour, and Jimmy Cliff. At the Portland Waterfront one, it was Toots and the Maytals – one of my absolute favorite bands ever, and there I was sitting 8 feet away on the side of the stage while they played! We really do try and see as many other bands as we can at these festival gigs, and oftentimes they become artists we love, so that’s a big advantage to playing at festivals like Levitate.”

We asked if the band’s core sound has changed or evolved much over its 15 years.

“We have had a lot of different players come through over the past 15 years,” said Malament. “When we started, I think we had a more rootsy, jugband style. We can still break it down to that sound, but as people came into the band, we were able to go more into 1970s soul, which is a major influence. We’ve also gone into more Jamaican music, and New Orleans-style second line music too. All of our musical tastes get mixed into creating our own original music, and that makes it a lot of fun.”

With a well-earned reputation for marathon club shows, how does the quintet adjust for shorter festival sets, bearing in mind also that many fans are hearing them for the first time?

“We absolutely do different sets at festivals because we easily do three-hour shows at clubs,” Malament said with a laugh. “We do two sets most nights in clubs, and fans know us for that. We never do set lists, and every night is different. But for a festival set, you want good energy from top to bottom, and also to introduce yourself to new fans, and hopefully entice them to come see us again. Believe me, we are extremely grateful to have the chance to perform as part of the Levitate Festival, for that reason.”

Levitate Festival memories

When it comes to discussing and describing the Levitate Festival, the best way is to talk with some music fans who’ve seen multiple editions of the Marshfield event. Kingston’s Joanne Cullen and Scituate’s Roger Labier are two devoted fans of music in general and Levitate in particular. Cullen, an IT project manager, is such an inveterate music fan that she and her husband sometimes stage concerts in their backyard. She’s attended every Levitate Festival since 2015.

“Every year seems better than the last,” said Cullen via email. “Bands have gotten better, and there’s always an opportunity to see new bands. I never had an issue with food, facilities, security or parking. Refillable free water is wonderful, especially on hot days.”

How would you rate the quality of bands they booked or styles they favored?

“Exceptional,” she replied. “It’s my main reason for attending. They definitely favor the ‘surf reggae’ bands, and it creates a very upbeat, positive vibe. I always get my blues fix too; GA-20 last year, Larkin and Poe and Kingfish (Ingram) this year, and always a few bands with local ties too.”

Did you notice the feel or atmosphere change last year when Live Nation joined in?

“No, it was the same vibe, and great music as always,” she said.

How about favorite Levitate memories?

“Too many to list,” said Cullen. “Band-wise, J.J. Grey and Mofro, Trombone Shorty, Tedeschi Trucks Band and (Levitate) was my first time seeing Blackberry Smoke, and now I catch them whenever they come through the area. Coco the Stick Figure Dog (the companion and stage-crasher of Duxbury native Scott Woodruff and his band Stick Figure) is always memorable. Taking my kids when they were small, and now going with (daughter) Zoe as an adult. Meeting new people and running into old friends always makes fun Levitate memories.”

Scituate’s Labier is one of the region’s most talented and busiest arborists, but when off duty, he’s usually at a concert somewhere. He’s been going to Levitate since it started, and he’s noted many improvements over the years.

“Early glitches included no shade, no available free water and one stage, which meant a lot of time between bands,” Labier pointed out. “They now have three stages – one main and two smaller, typically for the lesser-known performers. They now have shade tents and free water and misting stations. Parking was limited at first but now they’ve opened up parking behind the venue, and they now offer spaces for off-site camping, with free shuttles to and from. I also love that they allow you to come and go as you wish.”

“The vibe is amazing,” Labier continued. “I have never seen an altercation, or even heard of one. The number of vendors has increased dramatically, as has the number of food vendors. One of my favorite memories is when one of the bands just jumped into the crowd and danced with us, and on top of the roofs, and just kicked (butt). They offer big boards for artists to paint, or chalk on, and some of that work is insanely good, so it is fun to just walk around and see all that.”

“I love the fact that Levitate offers a variety of music, not just one genre,” Labier said. “Thanks to them I have gotten very involved with reggae, like The Elovaters, who have Marshfield roots. I’ve loved hearing Tedeschi Trucks Band, Samantha Fish and, this year, Kingfish Ingram. They let you bring in lawn chairs and blankets, and you’re not stuck in one spot all day. We like to set up our chairs in a nice, shaded corner, but there are now also a ton of shade tents and picnic tables, so people can be comfortable. I don’t believe the founders were prepared for what this festival has come to be – it’s now an event that is talked about nationwide. Of course, it is mostly New England people attending, but I have personally met folks from Ohio and the Carolinas. It is a major regional attraction now, and there’s still a reggae theme, but so much more.”

And how about the ticket prices, which are scaled for one day, or all three days?

“I truly think that with the number of bands involved, the tickets are very reasonably priced,” Labier said. “And, they have this thing called ‘loyalty tickets,’ where you can buy them early, before any bands are even announced for that year’s festival, for, like, $150. For three days, packed with great bands, where are you going to find a better deal than that?”

The Levitate Festival is scheduled for July 7-9 at the Marshfield Fairgrounds. Tickets for one day range from $99 (Friday) and $129 (Saturday and Sunday) to $229, while three-day passes run from $229 to $569. Check levitatemusicfestival.com for more information).

Trombone Shorty, Nancy Wilson’s Heart performing locally

THURSDAY: Trombone Shorty, with Mavis Staples, lights up the Cape Cod Melody Tent. The Pixies rock MGM Music Hall, with Franz Ferdinand. The Wood Brothers get down at Roadrunner. Israeli songsmith Idan Raichel at City Winery. Rock and hip-hop with Brooklyn’s Phony Ppl at The Paradise Rock Club.

FRIDAY: Nancy Wilson’s Heart opens the season at The South Shore Music Circus, with Kimberly Nichole on vocals. Blues harmonica ace Mark Hummel at The Spire Center with guitarslinger Anson Funderburgh. Puerto Rican songwriter Jay Wheeler at The House of Blues. Comedy rules when Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hit MGM Music Hall. Texas indie-rockers Summer Salt at The Paradise. The Subflies rock The C-Note. Neo-classic pianist Riopy at City Winery. Hitch & Friends jam at Soundcheck Studios.

SATURDAY: Blues princess Shemekia Copeland heats up The Narrows Center. The provocative pop of Sophie B. Hawkins at The Spire Center. Bryan Adams sings at the TD Garden. Trombone Shorty takes over Leader Bank Pavilion. John Mellencamp’s solo show at The Wang Center. British rockers Temples at The Paradise. Country star Kip Moore at the Music Circus. The best of Foo – a tribute to Foo Fighters – at Soundcheck Studios. Boston rocker Chris Trapper at City Winery. Heartless – a Heart tribute act – at The C-Note.

SUNDAY & BEYOND: London rockers Palace headline Royale on Sunday night; TLC and Shaggy get down at Xfinity Center. Tuesday, look for songwriter Ricki Lee Jones at The Spire Center. Wednesday, the Happy Together Tour arrives at the Music Circus, with The Turtles, Gary Puckett, Classics IV and more; Brighton Music Hall welcomes the soul-funk of Surprise Chef. June 15: Martin Barre, ex-Jethro Tull guitarist, brings his Tull show to The Spire Center; Texas guitar ace Jackie Venson makes her Narrows Center debut; Wishbone Ash rocks City Winery. June 16: REO Speedwagon rocks out at the Music Circus; Steve Lacy tops a multiband bill at Suffolk Downs; and the alt-country Waco Brothers touch down at City Winery, with Pembroke's Matt York opening.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Levitate Festival set for Marshfield Fairgrounds on July 7-9