Pot of Gold Music Festival in Chandler 2018

Jason Keil | Special for the Republic

Jim Louvau/Special for The Republic

The Pot Of Gold Festival’s second day was an easygoing mix of soul, jam-rock and country.

Despite the announcement that one of the headliners, Sturgill Simpson, would not be performing, fans at Rawhide Event Center were treated to a beautiful day that ended with the legendary Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh playing two sets with the Terrapin Family Band.

St. Paul and The Broken Bones stole the show

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Vocalist Paul Janeway of St. Paul and The Broken Bones almost became a preacher before choosing the musician life, but he must have made a deal with the devil to sing blue-eyed soul music in the exceptional way he does.

The ghost of Otis Redding somehow possessed Janeway’s vocal cords and never let go.

The eight-piece outfit from Birmingham, Alabama hearkened back to a time when Al Green mixed his gospel beliefs with rhythm and blues. Janeway shuffled his feet over the stage and blinded the audience with both his passion and shiny, encrusted shoes.

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Two-thirds of the way through his set, Janeway must have felt something otherworldly from below start to take hold of him. He removed his gleaming footwear and threw them behind the stage as hard as he could. Guitarist Browan Lollar shot Janeway a smile.

They knew from that moment, the audience was theirs. He converted everyone in attendance, making them raise their hands in witness to the truth he had shared.

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Big Head Todd and The Monsters work through it all

Festival sets can be tough for a band like Big Head Todd and the Monsters.

Guitarist Todd Park Mohr announced the Monsters were celebrating their third decade together with their 13th studio album, 2017’s "New World Arisin’."

The Colorado blues-jam hybrid did their best to strike a balance between new material (“Detanator”), hits like the early-90s classic “Bittersweet,” and jams (which included a musical segue into Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On”) that have made them such a draw on the live circuit for so long.

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It was hard to tell if they were having any fun during what was an effective but ultimately uninspired show.

Mohr crooned tenderly with a smile that reflected the beautiful sunset taking place. He would end almost every number with a “thank you” spoken in an Elvis-like twang.

Even when his guitar amp went out in the middle of the set, Mohr and the band soldiered on unfazed.

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Like a runner who sees the finish line in sight, the group recovered and picked up steam at the end, swinging into a rendition of the Jimi Hendrix classic “Hey Joe.”

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Cody Jinks brings Texas to the desert

Cody Jinks must have hated starting out his career in a metal band; the Texas musician sings with an authenticity that qualifies him to be a country star.

Singing to the crowd that was killing time between Big Head Todd and The Monsters and Phil Lesh, Jinks belted out songs about loving, living and drinking. These are subjects that fit comfortably in the wheelhouse of his chosen genre.

Then there is “Vampires,” a thoughtful single that references Holden Caulfield and "The Catcher In The Rye," sung with a directness that caught the attention of the literary-minded in the audience.

Jim Louvau/Special for The Republic

The music began to match Rawhide’s old west surroundings when Jinks introduced “Can’t Quit Enough,” a rollicking number from his upcoming album about not being able to overcome your vices.

Jinks won over the crowd with his finale, the anthem “Hippies and Cowboys” from his album "Less Wise." It is a musical manifesto for those who will never give up their tie-dye and ten-gallon hats, and it calls out hipsters who follow trends instead of what’s real.

If you think that the best country music is being made in Nashville, then you aren’t looking hard enough. The bearded singer proved that The Lone Star State has something to say, too.

Phil Lesh makes music a family affair

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The co-founder of The Grateful Dead took the stage with the Terrapin Family Band. The group has roots in shows at the bassist’s performance venue Terrapin Crossroads in San Rafael, California.

One of their guitarists is Phil’s son Grahame, whose own band, Midnight North, played earlier that day, covering the Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young classic “Carry On.”

Vocalist Elliott Peck (filling the role of Dead vocalist Donna Jean Godchaux) sang in both groups.

Keyboardist Jason Crosby and guitarist Ross James would get into some transcendent jams during “Friend Of The Devil” and “Scarlet Begonias.” Drummer Alex Koford, a friend of the Lesh family, often performed vocals from behind his kit.

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Their musical collaboration seemed effortless. Father Lesh played bass behind the band, smiling as he watched the youth go to work.

Grahame's knack for harmonies came in handy when the band covered the Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young classic protest song “Ohio.”

The hardcore Deadheads might be able to remark on the subtle differences between Phil Lesh’s former bandmate Bob Weir’s Dead and Company project and Lesh’s new familial interpretation of the folk-rock music they have played for over 50 years.

Judging by the captivated audience on this Irish holiday, no one really seemed to notice.

The band opened the first of their two sets with “The Music Never Stopped,” which was a telling choice for the 78-year-old bassist who has survived a multitude of health issues, including cancer and a liver transplant.

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Lesh announced with a cough before the show’s encore that he had been battling the flu for six days, later giving an impassioned plea to the audience to consider organ donation.

Talking with some fans during the show, you could pick up on the paternal feeling the elder Lesh brought to the proceedings.

The legendary musician has absolutely nothing to prove by coming to a festival. He is simply spending his time pursuing his passion with the people he loves.

In a time when the world is in desperate need of some kindness, performances like this are a beautiful gift to share this with fans.

Phil Lesh and The Terrapin Family Band Setlist

“Music Never Stopped”

“Bertha”

“Mr. Charlie”

“Loser”

“Scarlet Begonias”

“New Minglewood Blues”

“Born Cross-Eyed”

“Cream Puff War”

“Shakedown Street”

“Get Off Your Ass and Jam”

“Playing in the Band”

“Ohio”

“The Wheel”

“Lady With a Fan”

“Terrapin Station”

“Playing in the Band” (Reprise)

Encore

“Love The One You’re With”