Early Sunday morning on 10/2, as I began my first Facebook scroll of the day, I was floored when I saw fan video of Eddie singing Room at the Top and The Waiting with legendary Heartbreaker, Mike Campbell on guitar. It occurred to me that as a Pearl Jam fan, I have made a grave miscalculation. Given that Ohana fest is on the other side of the country and that it wouldn’t be the cheapest of excursions, have always opted for closer shows (Nashville most recently).
But after seeing Ed perform with Stevie Nicks and then Mike Campbell on the night before the 5-year anniversary of Tom’s death. It hit me like a lightning bolt, special moments like this may only happen once in a lifetime. Those who were lucky enough to witness “Tom Fest” in person have been given something priceless.
Jazz Fest Comparison
I could see aspects of this festival becoming similar to New Orleans Jazz Fest. If you haven’t been, I highly recommend experiencing it at least once. It is a daytime festival which combines the best of New Orleans culture with music from all over the world and top tier headliners like The Rolling Stones, Dave Matthews Band, The Who, The Red Hot Chili Peppers and hundreds more. But those in the know, understand that the real action is at night. At legendary music venues, like Tipitina’s, you can find various members of the bands on the bill mixing with local acts for incredible, one-off jam sessions. On any given night of the two-weekend festival, you may see something like local Jazz musicians jamming with Adam Duritz from the Counting Crows or Stefan Lessard from the Dave Matthews Band.
It is this type of impromptu magic that makes the Ohana Festival so important. Ed seems to have taken the torch from Neil Young’s Bridge School benefit and provided a unique opportunity for amazing artists to play together.
This is the 6th Ohana Festival and it feels like it is gaining momentum. Ideally, Pearl Jam would play it every year but even if they don’t, Ed has enough legendary friends to keep it interesting for decades to come.
