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Innings Fest rounds second base with flying colors

2019 Innings Festival
Tempe Beach Park & Arts Park
Tempe, AZ
March 2-3, 2019
St. Paul and the Broken Bones
St. Paul and the Broken Bones
Eddie Vedder
Eddie Vedder
Shakey Graves
Shakey Graves

Review and photos by Frances Sealy

The Innings Festival's sophomore event was an overwhelming success in Tempe, Arizona. Who knew that blending music and baseball's spring training would be so wildly accepted? Evidently the producers of Lollapalooza did know. The event had two stages dedicated to music performances and one stage dedicated to baseball demonstrations. The weather was a perfect 80 degrees for the weekend. The food was superb. Everything provided a great experience for the fans.

Major league baseball legends like Roger Clemens, Ryan Dempster, Jake Peavy, Jim Thorpe, Shawn Estes and many more were there to meet the passionate baseball fans. They gave interviews and unique performances. Festival headliner, Eddie Vedder, made a surprise appearance on Sunday afternoon.

The musical lineup was stellar. ConcertLiveWire discovered some new talent as well as some legendary performers during the weekend. Here's a rundown of what we saw.

Dorothy aka Dorothy Martin and her band opened the musical festivities on the Right Field stage. Dorothy is a rocker with a magnetic stage presence and a diva attitude. Rolling Stone has deemed them as 'a band you need to know.' She gave a powerful performance and was quite the looker. The California band has all the makings for a future supergroup.

Speaking of a supergroup, across the park on the 'Home Plate' stage, The Baseball Project, started their set. The band is composed of Peter Buck, Scott McCaughey, Linda Pitmon, Steve Wynn, and Mike Mills. McCaughey, Buck, and Wynn are former members of R.E.M. Collectively, the band is together to play and sing about baseball stories that steal defeat from the jaws of victory. They celebrate and truly love the game. They have released three albums about baseball. Although you don't have to be obsessed with baseball to enjoy their transcendent music.

Incubus was the headlining act on Saturday and a set worthy of a stadium. Their 16 song set was adorned with "Wish You Were Here," "Drive," "A Crow Left of the Murder," and Ginuwine's "Pony." Jon Theodore of Queens of the Stone Age played drums for the band since their usual drummer was out with an injured wrist. The band focused on their most successful album Make Yourself.

Highlights from the second day of Innings Festival include Eddie Vedder's closing set. Vedder managed to transform a ball field into an intimate room with thousands of fans. It was a solo show with Vedder playing guitar, banjo, and the ukulele while sitting on a stool on the stage. There was a nostalgic vibe added by the screens on each side of the stage by projecting his image in black and white.

Vedder has one of the most unique and commanding voices in rock music. The set was pure magic as the fans sang along to all of the songs they knew.

Vedder is one of the most personable performers around. The show was much like being a friend in Vedder's living room. He forgot some of the lyrics to "I Am Mine" and said, "Oh I can't believe I fucked up. I haven't even smoked any pot today."

Vedder covered Jason Isbell's "Maybe It's Time" from A Star is Born, U2's "In Gods Country," Tom Petty's "Wildflowers," Warren Zevon's "Keep Me In Your heart," and The Beatles' "Something" and "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away." To say the set was superb is simply an understatement.

Earlier in the day, Chicago rocker, Liz Phair, kept the baseball vibe going when she performed a song she had written, "God Loves Baseball." Phair set the tone with "Supernova," "Johnny Feelgood." And "Exile in Guyville."

G. Love & Special Sauce gave a fun set that included the Beatle's question "Why Don't We Do It in the Road?"

Shakey Graves gave one if his most energetic and captivating sets. The singer/songwriter raised his red solo cup to a toast the Innings crowd and he gave fans a taste of "Dining Alone," "Mansion Door," "Pansey Waltz", and set opener "Roll the Bones."

St. Paul and the Broken Bones gave the Sunday crowd a taste of a Southern revival meeting as he transformed into a possessed preacher. His character included everything from the robe, the rolling eyes, and his body stance. One had to love his portrayal. One also had to love his kick ass band in the background. The horn and the rhythm sections are as good as they get.

Innings Festival gave fans everything they promised and we can't wait until next year's offerings.

Related articles:

Innings Festival 2018 - Concert review - Tempe, AZ - March 2018

Eddie Vedder
Eddie Vedder
Eddie Vedder
Eddie Vedder
Eddie Vedder
Eddie Vedder
Eddie Vedder
Eddie Vedder
Shakey Graves
Shakey Graves
Shakey Graves
Shakey Graves
St. Paul and the Broken Bones
St. Paul and the Broken Bones
St. Paul and the Broken Bones
St. Paul and the Broken Bones
St. Paul and the Broken Bones
St. Paul and the Broken Bones
Liz Phair
Liz Phair
Liz Phair
Liz Phair
Dorothy
Dorothy
Dorothy
Dorothy
Dorothy
Dorothy
Band of Horses
Band of Horses
Band of Horses
Band of Horses
Band of Horses
Band of Horses
G. Love & Special Sauce
G. Love & Special Sauce
The Baseball Project
The Baseball Project
The Baseball Project
The Baseball Project
The Baseball Project
The Baseball Project

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