Corona Lockdown Festival featured artist: Ryley Walker

The very fine musician Ryley Walker played an acoustic concert at his home. So sit back and enjoy this amazing artist.

Ryley Walker - Home Concert



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On Stage: Ryley Walker @ THT

No too long ago Ryley Walker visited Amsterdam with his band to promote his latest record Deafman Glance. Not long after that he posted on social media he wasn't doing so well and needed professional help. He went away for a while but fortunately was able to overcome his demons and is now doing an acoustic tour all by himself.

Ryley Walker at Paradiso Tolhuistuin Amsterdam, February 12 2020

The musician certainly looks in better shape tonight than the last time. He has lost weight and seems to be in a much better place. He is cheerful on stage, chatting with the crowd, smiling and laughing a lot. Walker is a great entertainer and has no trouble pleasing the crowd tonight. In between songs he has short funny anecdotes and is cracking lots of jokes. It results in a relaxed atmosphere where Walker is the radiant centre piece.

He is an amazing song writer that is able to compose gorgeous tracks both musically and lyrically. In this acoustic setting this is even more clear and his music is perfect for it. Many songs have lovely guitar intros, intermezzos and solos where Walker is showing his impressive guitar skills. I love the way he builds up his songs around breezy finger picking parts, giving his music a light touch. With his pleasant voice tracks like 'Pimrose Green' and 'The Roundabout' wrap themselves around you. It truly is music to lose yourself and wallow in.

There are also a couple of covers tonight, John Martyn's 'Over The Hill' and Tim Hardin's 'If I Were A Carpenter'. You can leave it to Walker to do them truly justice and make them fit into his own catalogue perfectly. He is a gifted musician and I love his music. It's good to see he's doing well and hopefully he will be back soon to treat us to his lovely songs and maybe some new music too.

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On Stage: Ryley Walker @ Tolhuistuin

Ever since I got pleasantly surprised by Ryley Walker at the Into The Great Wide Open Festival a few years back, I've been wanting to visit one of his shows. I did get to see him a few times at festivals again but now I'm finally able to catch him at a full headliner show.

Ryley Walker at Paradiso Tolhuistuin Amsterdam, December 2 2018

It's the combination of well written psych rock songs and the jazzy classic rock vibe that I like about Walker's music. He brought an excellent band with him on stage again, with not one but two drummers. You never can have enough drummers of course. Walker's been a busy bee this year and released two albums: Deafman Glance and The Lillywhite Sessions, a reimagining of the long lost Dave Matthews Band album. With those new albums he adds another bunch of beauties to his catalogue and has now a lot to choose from.

It's not like he needs a lot of songs, since the way he and his band stretch out the songs, they don't need more than a dozen. Not that you will hear me complain about that, because every song ends up in a blissful jam of epic proportions with two drummers that are totally complementary and guitars that are playfully swirling around each other. Walker will lead his band into a song on top of a theme before they let it fan out into free prog rock like pieces. It never gets fiddly though or too complicated as sometimes is the case, where musicians simply are showing off. No not at all, it always is tasteful and a band effort where eventually they will return to the theme again. At the end Jaimie Branch joins the group on stage to add lovely trumpet parts to a wonderful and intense song.

Walker does spend a lot of time in between songs tuning his guitar. Or maybe it is just an excuse for him to have a little chat, mostly about the local Dutch fast food cuisine (bitterballen) or his aspirations to star in a beer commercial. Yes, Walker is quite a funny guy, although it sometimes loses the momentum in the show. But you can forgive him those long breaks, since he does connect with the audience in a relaxed way, which brings a light touch to this night. For the rest you simply can only surrender yourself to the stunning performance by these incredible musicians and the amazing talent of Ryley Walker.



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ITGWO 2017 Day 3+4

After a slow ending of the second day I'm ready for a bit of action and today promises to give us exactly that. The sun is out again so we're off to a good start.



Into The Great Wide Open 2017 Saturday September 2 2017

Ronald Snijders

There can't be a much better way to start the day than with flute player Ronald Snijders. He's a wonderful musician who brings a great band and sunny music from Africa and Surinam. Best of all, Snijders is a very cheerful person who is laughing a lot and likes to chat with the people. Needless to say that with the gorgeous weather all ingredients are in place for a tropical party led by the energetic Snijders. His flute playing skills are unmistakable and he is stealing many hearts today.

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Kikagaku Moyo

I saw this Japanese psyck rock band a few years ago at the Eindhoven Pysch Lab where they played a good show but didn't really convince me. At that festival the dark venue should have been perfect contrary to today where they are playing in the sunny forest. This time however the band have no trouble to impress with an eclectic mix of sixties and psych rock. It is a versatile show where the musicians are playing very focused. They tell us it is the last show of their European tour but it sounds as if they had a good rest with refreshing music. The hypnotic music works very well here between the trees where a good crowd is watching in awe.

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MY BABY

We head back to the main stage where MY BABY have already started their dance party. I saw them here for the first time a few years ago and things have moved fast for them. The threesome played every festival humanly possible and managed to leave a good impression judging from the many sold out club shows. And what's not to like when you can dance to the hypnotic catchy blues and tribal grooves in the warm sun? The band has no trouble adding another victory to their long list and give the people just what they want.

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Don Bryant

A true soul legend is playing today, although not many may know him (including me). This 75 year old soul singer has been around for a long time and helped writing many songs most famously 'I Can't Stand The Rain' that he's also playing today. The charismatic veteran wins everyone's heart within no time. Bryant, who is still very energetic, has an amazing voice and his songs come from the heart. Slow and swinging songs alternate and Bryant is the radiant centre of the show surrounded by his very tight band. He definitely won me over and I hope to see and hear more of him, like his new LP 'Don't Give Up On Love'.

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Khruangbin

Thai funk and 60s's rock and surf sounds good to me and that is how Texan band Khruangbin are described. However it turns out to be very mellow and it is clear that the duo with their wigs aren't too serious. Singer Mark Speer has a funny way of chatting to the audience. But it gets a but too cheesy for me. We do make it to the end but it isn't really appealing to me. The guitar melodies have a nice ring though and with the steady bass grooves it could be good. But it sounds too much alike a lot and could use more (Thai?) seasoning.

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Belle & Sebastian

I head back to the main stage where Nick Mulvey is playing but I know I don't really like it. I join my friends for Belle and Sebastian, the highly anticipated headliner for today. I know I also don't like them too much either. They are praised for their great light pop tunes, but it is too weary for me. Today is no different and together with the bad sound it doesn't impress me for a bit. Singer Stuart Murdoch sounds out of tune once and a while and this is simply not my cup of tea. Many people seem to be enjoying it a lot, but I head for Indonesian sate instead which is a lot better.



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Today started out great but ended a bit on the slow side. This is a festival that has many folk artists and singer songwriters and that can lack some fire now and then. That's no problem, there's still plenty to enjoy and there's a new day coming up.

All Pictures Day 3

Into The Great Wide Open 2017 Sunday September 3 2017

Ryley Walker

A few years ago Ryley Walker played this festival as well, but I wasn't planning on going to see him then, since I thought I wouldn't really like it. Of course the good thing about festivals is that plans usually don't work out, so I ended up seeing him anyway and loved it. His last album 'Golden Sings That Have Been Sung' simply is an absolute gem and I sure wasn't going to pass on him this time. He's off to a good start with his usual humorous chats and music that is so rich. But then the power goes out and the band leaves the stage. Fortunately a few seconds later the power goes back on and the band can continue. Events like this can be disastrous for a performance when the band is interrupted from their flow, but this group simply continuous where they left off. The power outage does seem to have killed something of the bass player's equipment (who looks a lot like Bruce Willis by the way) who is not able to use his standing bass while the crew tries to repair it. It doesn't get anyone in the band down at all and they play an amazing set. It's a mix of folk, jazz and rock with dazzling parts by all musicians with Walker's soothing voice on top. Again my mind is blown.

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Jens Lekman

We stick around the stage and enjoy the sun, getting ready for Jens Lekman. The Swedish musician writes melancholic lyrics but his music is a blend of calypso, samba and disco with lots of samples. This way it never sounds sad but it actually has a positive vibe. Still it is not enough for me to stick around as his songs simply don't do it for me. More importantly, Millionaire are playing at the main stage.

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Millionaire

At the Best Kept Secret Festival where many Belgian visitors go to as well, the show of Belgian band Millionaire was exploding. They were in great shape and the tent was packed with people celebrating the return of the rock band who disappeared for a while. Today only a handful of people show up at the main stage which is a shame. Frontman Tim Vanhamel is cracking a few jokes about the turn up, but doesn't seem affected by it for a bit. He's clowning around the stage like always and is leading the band into an explosive set full of thundering and roaring rock music. I'm pretty sure the people that did show up had a great time like me.

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Then our traditional lazy Sunday sets in and we find a spot for all our friends to sit, where kids can play and we can enjoy food and drinks in the warm sun. In the evening we dance a bit to the exotic music of Altin Gün and The Mysterons before we decide it's time to call it quits. A few more last drinks and then this edition is over. It didn't turn into a legendary edition this year, since the line-up could have used a bit more spice and surprises to my taste. However it was wonderful again and the combination of live music, great food and so many friends and lovely people simply is bliss.

All Pictures Day 4

Into The Great Wide Open 2017 Day 1+2

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Top 10 albums 2016

As the end of the year is upon as the obligatory end of the year lists appear as well. So here's the one I sent in to FestivalInfo in the end. I was thinking of just publishing it here in alphabetical order since they're all great albums and the order isn't really important. And of course there are lots of other great albums that came out this year and I only heard a small part of them. So don't attach too much importance to this list of any of the lists. They are only there for a bit of fun. Let's remember all the wonderful musicians that left us this year and hope 2017 will be a better year. Have a good one and see you on the other side.

1.David Bowie - Black Star
Play in Spotify

2.Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool
Play in Spotify

3.Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Skeleton
Play in Spotify

4.Preoccupations - Preoccupations
Play in Spotify

5.King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Nonagon Infinity
Play in Spotify

6.Car Seat Headrest - Teens of Denial
Play in Spotify

7.Michael Kiwanuka - Love & Hate
Play in Spotify

8.Deftones - Gore
Play in Spotify

9.Shearwater - Jet Plane and Oxbow
Play in Spotify

10.Ryley Walker - Golden Sings That Have Been Sung
Play in Spotify


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Best Kept Secret 2016 Day 3

Finally day three of the festival brings us sunshine and a lot to look forward to. After a crowded and wet day we could do with a little warmth and relaxation.

Best Kept Secret 2016 Day 3, June 19 2016

What better way to start the day with a karaoke? I can think of a few. The Indie Karaoke is actually good fun where people could enter in advance to sing a song with a professional band. So we hear songs from Oasis, The Hyves, Blur and more. The karaoke singers aren't all that good (and they shouldn't be), but put a lot of heart into it and are having a good time. And so are we!

Ryley Walker
We stayed longer at the karaoke than I planned but I manage to catch a few songs by Ryley Walker. I saw him last year and was pleasantly surprised. He's not your regular singer songwriter but brings a lot more to the table. His compositions are well thought through and I like the jazzy vibe his songs have now and then. I'm glad I could catch about 15 minutes of his performance in the very hot stage Three tent.

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Vant
This new band managed to create quite a hype with their catchy poprock songs while they only released a few songs. When you see them play live, it's not that strange that people pick up on them. The young lads are active and energetic on stage and definitely not shy. Their music is catchy but still packs enough meat to chew on. They already look like they have played all the big stages and have studied their rock poses. It results in an entertaining show and the future looks bright for this group.

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Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Ruban Nielson and his band had quite a year. After their album Multi-Love broke through, it seems they have toured continuously. It didn't wear them out. On the contrary, this is their strongest show I have seen them play. The band sounds tight like always and their set is well balanced. The songs sound even stronger live and it rubs off on the crowd who are greeting the songs with loud cheers. It turns the tent into a festive dancing party.

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Half Moon Run
We end up at the main stage where Half Moon Run wants to start their show, but the stage has a power failure. Only one mic is working so the two singers decide to use that one to do a song with just the two of them. Of course everyone loves this and the band have everyone eating from their hand after that. It's quite nice to hear them play in the sunshine, with their innocent music folk music with beautiful harmonies, but it's not my cup of tea.

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Israel Nash
We head over to the other side of the festival site instead to catch a bit of Israel Nash. Now that's more to my liking. It's good honest Americana and psychedelic rock with lots of character. The band look like they came from the seventies. They bring exactly that vibe to the stage and into their music. Nash's voice is great and the band is wonderful. Really glad to have caught a bit of this.

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Yeasayer
This band from Brooklyn returned with a new album Amen & Goodbye and it's always good to see them play live. I don't know the new album that well yet, but I've always had a weak spot for their mix of catchy electronic music with African and Eastern influences and danceable grooves. I'm glad to find out they still now how to make this mixture sound good on stage. The band looks pretty pleased themselves and especially their hit songs are greeted with loud cheers. Today everybody wins over here.

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Band Of Horses
The right band at the right time at the right spot, that's what happens with Band Of Horses. They are playing the main stage in broad daylight when everyone is buzzing from the booze and in a cheerful mood. The band looks in good shape themselves and their sounds has beefed up quite a bit. The crowd and the band get the best out of each other and when some people bring a life statue of a horse in, things can't go wrong any more. An inspired performance of 'The Funeral' is even moving to hear.

A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!?


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Wilco
Sometimes there are bands that everyone keeps raving about and I simply don't get it. This is the case with Wilco. Yes, they are a good band, but I dont find them that special. I decided to give it another try and although the band plays well I simply don't feel it. According to many it was the best performance of the weekend but I decide to take a look somewhere else.



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Badbadnotgood
We end up at stage Three where Badbadnotgood are playing. It didn't quite grab when I listened to their music but live their mix of jazz and heavy grooves are working quite well. I read a description that called them "crowd surf jazz" or something and that's actually describing it well. Especially the jazzy tunes with great solos are wonderful. It's great to see so many show up and enjoy this explosive show.



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Fat White Family
I try to get a bite to eat but this turns out to take longer than I want to. In the end I make it into the tent way too late and only catch the end of their show. By then the band has already torn the place apart telling from the way the band looks and the way the crowd is going mental. At least it's a good and fitting end of the weekend.

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So there you have it. I end up with mixed feelings about this weekend. We saw some great bands and wonderful music but had trouble finding the vibes we like so much of the pas editions. It seems we are not alone in this and by growing their festival Best Kept Secret may have lost some of their faithful early birds. Sometimes it's better to just keep it a bit of a secret.

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Best Kept Secret 2016 Day 1
Best Kept Secret 2016 Day 2

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ITGWO 2015 Saturday and Sunday

After that incredible Friday I doubt if we can top that in the two days still to come but we sure are going to try. It's a bit hard to wake up early so unfortunately we have to miss the first couple of bands.

Into The Great Wide Open 2015, Saturday September 5 2015



Ryley Walker
We decide to kick off our day at the lovely stage in the woods where Ryley Walker is about to start his set. He starts out on his own with a nice acoustic song. I'm a bit worried this will be "just another singer songwriter" but fortunately the rest of the band joins in and a wonderful performance follows. The mellow songs have enough meat to chew on and keep you focused. Walker turns out to be a funny character that has no trouble entertaining his audience. This is one of those shows where place, artist and crowd totally connect together and magic happens.

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Gabriel Rios
After this amazing start we head to the sports field to see a new side of Gabriel Rios. Where he used to lay down a mellow tropical party he is now showing his sensitive side with small intimate songs. A cello, horns and a double bass are helping him out. It's an admirable choice to go this way, but his performance is a bit pale.

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Alamo Race Track
Then we need to hurry again to cycle to the dunes and catch Alamo Race Track. Their alternative rock songs should be at the right place here and it has filled up nicely. The sun is even shining now and then, which is a delight after yesterday's rain. Alamo Race Track has so many beautiful songs to choose from, but live it doesn't always work out. The band is a bit unpredictable that can play amazing shows but sometimes it's just not their day. Today the music sounds nice but the band doesn't really connect with the audience so the spark is kind of missing. Still it's always good seeing them play their atmospheric songs live.

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Leon Bridges
Aaaaand it's back to the sports field since soul singer Leon Bridges is playing there. His star rose like a comet this year, as over half a year ago no one knew who he was. Now he has drawn quite a big crowd to watch him sing his retro soul songs. Joined by two members of White Denim, his band sounds great and his smooth voice goes down well with many. But his stage presence is a bit too modest so it never gets really wild. Hopefully in the future he can bring more to the stage and then things will look pretty good for him.

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Polar Bear
We go into the woods to see some jazz, played by Polar Bear. Two saxophone players are playing sharp and shrill solos on top of mellow groovy jams. It does sound like an exciting experimental jazz concept, but somehow it's never really taking off. The songs are too stretched out to make them hold the tension and although well played it's hard to keep focused. Also the band looks a bit pale and uninspired as well, maybe too impressed with their surrounding.

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Seun Kuti & Egypt 80
Because of cancellations Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 were found as replacements and according to the MC were flown in from Lagos, through Casablanca and brought in by water taxi. That's why they start out later than planned and I have to skip some other bands, but I'm nuts for afrobeat and Seun Kuti is a treat you cannot pass on. This is a great band to have on this festival and the band look happy enough to play here. I simply love the long jams with the horns and the many layers that seem to lead a life of their own, but still blend in so nicely. Seun Kuti is a delight to watch, and like his father is a charismatic front man who is all over the place with spectacular dance moves. He may not be the greatest sax player, but makes up for it in energy. I have seen them play better though where they can truly light up a place. Maybe it's the big trip they had to take today, or the relative short set they are playing, who knows. Still I love it and can only have huge respect for them to go through all this trouble to play at this festival.

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Taxiwars
When Tom Barman is not playing with dEUS, he's not sitting at home. He may be making a movie, or play with Magnus. Or in this case find himself playing in the jazz combo Taxiwars, a project by sax player Robin Verheyen. The result is an exciting mix of jazz and grooves with the typical, sometimes spoken word, vocals of Barman. It turns the woods into a dark smoky jazz night club from the fifties or sixties where private eyes zip their whisky. The band looks like they are enjoying it a lot and the crowd feels this energy. Again this is the perfect place for such a performance.

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zZz
One thing is for sure today, that we will be ending on a high. zZz are turning indoor stage The Bolder into a sleaze fest with their out of control organs, never ending grooves and mysterious lyrics. You can only dance to this dirty gritty hypnotic music and that's what everyone is doing. People are crowd surfing and partying and things get nice and sweaty, the way this musics suits the best. Oh man, that track 'Juggernaut' is so good, I want it to keep going forever.

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We stay around to dance and drink some more until the night program comes to an end. And so does this day that turned out to be wonderful again.

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Into The Great Wide Open 2015, Sunday September 6 2015

It's a cliché indeed but time goes so fast when you're having fun. It's already the last day of the festival and it's impossible to wake up on time to see the first bands. It's gonna be a shorter day but let's go out with a bang!



All We Are
We find ourselves at the dunes stage to dance a bit with All We Are. It's quite contagious what they play, some kind of indie rock with a dance edge. The sound is really loud though and it robs the music of any subtleties if there are any. The pounding bass does make you want to dance and the falsetto vocals bring the Bee Gees to mind. However it is as if the band can't choose between danceable disco or head nodding rock. For disco it's not subtle enough, since the sound is too blunt, and for rock it may be too light. But for now it will do just fine.

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Ought
We stick around and help ourselves to some delicious razor clams before Ought take the stage. The band are in a good mood and especially drummer Tim Keen is smiling throughout the set. It's a weird contrast between the sunny weather at this moment and the dark moody music. But the songs are sharp and singer Tim Darcy's, sometimes spoken, word vocals sound interesting. The creative drum parts are giving the songs a different edge, turning them into original compositions. The band looks to be in the moment and the crowd is picking up on this. This band will probably work even better in a dark club but this performance was already pretty good. I'm looking forward to their new album Sun Coming Down that comes out later this month.

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The Undertones
We leave the stage in the dunes and make our way to the main stage where a punk rock party has already started. Punk veterans The Undertones are having a fun afternoon with everyone and their jumpy punk songs. The songs and the band may have lost their sharp edge and their original singer, but still know how to please a crowd including all the kids. Singer Paul McLoone is all over the stage and the band totally connects, bringing lots of energy. I don't know who's having more fun, the band or the audience. 'Here Comes The Summer' may not be entirely true but The Undertones bring the summer back for a short period.

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TORRES
For the final show of the festival we head into the woods one last time, where TORRES is playing, the musical pseudonym of Mackenzie Scott. Her dark moody songs with touches of grunge remind of PJ Harvey and St. Vincent and this place should be ideal for her. It does work today to some extend, but it looks as if Scott is holding back a bit. Her honest songs are strong enough though and her voice is convincing. All in all she leaves a good impression and this is a fitting final show at this stage.

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Then it's time for the final blow when Afterpartees are the ones to really close it down. Of course they are the perfect after party band, not just because of their name, but also because they have "party" written all over them. The boys turn the place upside down one more time with some guest musicians and lots of energy and sweat. Since they only have released one record yet, the set list includes many covers that fit in perfectly. Everyone is partying hard for the last time, proving that this festival doesn't just dwell upon nice weather, but due to a very strong program, a wonderful environment, a combination of atmosphere and good food, and a group of like-minded people can always grow into a wonderful experience. This edition was no less than the previous ones, despite the weather, so hopefully we will manage to get tickets again for next year.

More Sunday Pictures

Into The Great Wide Open 2015 Thursday and Friday

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