Quantcast
Channel: Culture Cache » Deep Banana Blackout
Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 7

Gathering of the Vibes 2015: Jen Durkin, Vibe Tribe Ambassador, Watches The Vibes Grow Up

0
0

628x471

When Jen Durkin made her debut at what would eventually be dubbed the Gathering of the Vibes, she performed as a member of a singing group led by Georgia Louis, a Bridgeport voice teacher, which sang gospel covers of Grateful Dead songs.

“It was 1996, the first year of the festival, on a Sunday afternoon just like this,” Durkin, of Bridgeport, recalled. “Then, it was called Dead Head Heaven, and it was at SUNY (State University of New York) Purchase. It was awesome.”

The following year, when the festival relocated to Croton Point Park, she performed with her band, Deep Banana Blackout (DBB). They didn’t even have a stage to play on.

“We did a campsite set,” Durkin recalled. “The stage, if you could call it that, was just a string of Christmas lights hung on microphone stands. We were playing on gravel in the dark.”

Durkin—and the Gathering of the Vibes—have come a long way since then. What started as an intimate celebration of Jerry Garcia and The Grateful Dead has since evolved into one of the Northeast’s biggest and most eclectic music festivals.

As for Durkin and DBB, they have become an irreplaceable force at the Vibes, performing each year on the Main Stage to a large and loyal following of fans from all over the country.

“It’s been 20 years,” Durkin said. “Man, we’ve come such a long way.”

Durkin, the Vibes golden-haired, sultry-voiced ambassador, has appeared at the festival every year since its inception. Naturally, she has a lot of stories to tell. But her favorite moment came in 1999 when the festival moved to her hometown of Bridgeport.

“Our first year in Bridgeport, we were one of the only bands to have original music,” she said, referring to DBB. “We had all these different people from the local music scene sitting in, jamming together.”

Looking out on the Main Stage, Durkin reflected on how much the festival has changed (“A lot of pop acts are performing now. Weezer is playing in the background!”) and grown (“Did you see how many people here this year. It’s amazing!”). But one this has stayed the same: the spirit of togetherness.

“This year, we have Greg Allman, Warren Haynes—all these big stars,” she said. “But they never lost that people-getting-up-and-jamming-together vibe. That’s what makes the Vibes different.”

In addition to her vocal duties in DBB, Durkin is also the frontwoman of Jen Durkin and The Business. To learn more, go here.

 


Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 7

Latest Images

Trending Articles





Latest Images