Enjoying A Saugatuck Sunset
Boaters pass under the I-95 bridge over the Saugatuck as they return from the sound to their slips on the river, with one approaching the Cribari bridge. A couple, or a trio it appears pause to take a selfie.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPres.com
Cormorants Preening On The Rocks
A pair of cormorants take up a positioning front of Westport's newest luxury address, Bankside House on the Saugatuck River across from Parker Harding Plaza.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com
TwiddleFest 2023 Dazzles Westport Again
On last Friday and Saturday, Levitt Pavilion hosted their two-day TwiddleFest once again, drawing hundreds of people each day of all ages, very young to not so very young.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Long-time fans of Mikhail and Twiddle could be seen singing along, knowing the words to much of their music. New fans of the Vermont based jam-band were certainly created from the superb musicianship and hard-driving solos. Unfortunately, fans both old and new may have a long wait to see this exceptional band again as they have announced this tour, billed as the Distance Makes the Heart Tour will be their last for while. Twiddle will be taking an indefinite hiatus for a well earned rest after 18 years on the road.
Photos And Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery
Lespecial, a band with strong Connecticut roots performed prior to Twiddle taking the stage.
The crowd put on their own performance in both style and energy. One thoughtful pet-parent made sure their little one, whose hearing can be four or more times more sensitive than humans with an ability to hear both high and low frequency sounds which humans cannot was spared the high volume sounds.
Twiddle Frontman Mihali Savoulidis once again thrilled the sellout crowd with his blistering guitar shreds and high-energy vocals. He briefly joined his friends from the previous band, Lespecial (above), a band with Connecticut roots to cover Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit, widely acknowledged as a leading Grunge genre anthem which Lespecial guitarist Jon Grusauskas said they had not performed together with Mihali since high school. Mihali certainly did Kurt Cobain proud with his stunning vocals.
Photos And Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery
Mixed in with the eclectic crowd were some responsible parents who made sure to protect the sensitive hearing of young children. According to bythebarricade.com which references The National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, "Ear protection is strongly recommended for children at concerts because they are prone to hearing loss. Children are still developing their hearing and are more sensitive to noise than adults. Ear protection can help children enjoy concerts without feeling overwhelmed."
One group of fans who have clearly spent a bit of time front of a music festival stage or two created a couple of benches which were indeed works of art on which they could rest between sets.
Long-time fans of Twiddle could be seen singing along, knowing the words to much of their music. New fans of the Vermont based jam-band were certainly created from the superb musicianship and hard-driving solos. Unfortunately, fans both old and new may have a long wait to see this exceptional band again as they have announced this tour, billed as the Distance Makes the Heart Tour will be their last for while. Twiddle will be taking an indefinite hiatus for a well earned rest after 18 years on the road.
Photos And Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery
The fact that Twiddle has had over 100 million streams is testament to their powerful appeal with their fans, both old and young. An early fan following which enjoyed the band in 2013 at the famed Gathering Of The Vibes in Bridgeport, where they played on the smaller satellite stage has grown tremendously in Connecticut and beyond over the 18 years that the band has been touring.
The packed house was a big part of the TwiddleFest experience, with fans from children to seniors, many with obvious hippie roots.
There was a veritable art gallery of tattoos of every size and subject, many paying homage to The Grateful Dead the legendary jam band. The clothing was as varied as the body art.
Photos And Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery
If there was one word to describe the festival it would have to be joy which was evident everywhere in the enthusiastic audience and very apparent among Twiddle's followers who cheered and sang as Twiddle played some of their favorite tracks.
The crowd danced for hours throughout the day and night as they enjoyed all the bands which included Doors, Oh He Dead and Lespecial which preceded Twiddle, seemingly having an endless supply of energy.
VFW Post 399 Barbecue Draws Several Hundred To Support Our Vets
The volunteer team that made it all happen- Front row, Left to Right Jake, Christy and Patty, Back Row, Left to Right: Phil, Mike, Kat, Alan, Al, Eduardo and Dennis
Photos and Story by J.C. Martin for WestportLocalPress.com. Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
A small but very dedicated team of volunteers from Westport's VFW Post 399 and from the American Legion worked long and hard to make Saturday's community barbecue a great success.
They were led by Sergeant First Class Eduardo Hernandez who hails from California, is a 17 year U.S. Army veteran on active duty and is currently assigned to the 411th Civil Affairs Battalion in Danbury. Sgt. Hernandez went above and beyond in his mission, by beginning the cooking on Friday at 11:00 AM and starting 2 days earlier with preparation work.
Above: Kat, Christy and SFC Eduardo Hernandez stand by the smoker and grill which help feed more than 300 people Saturday. At right, Dennis brings out another round of Cole slaw. By the end of the barbecue there was nothing left!
In the keeping with his training in the military SFC Hernandez stood his post overnight tending the smokers and fire, getting less than two hours of sleep here and there when he could stretched between two chairs. Hernandez told WestportLocalPress he "was worried about the Friday night forecast of server thunder and rain, but was blessed with good weather all the way through." In speaking abut the event he gave credit to his team, saying about the event, "It was good but without the volunteers and the VFW Auxiliary helping out, it wouldn’t happen."
The event drew more than 300 guests for the day with a few remaining at the 5:00 end of the event. The funds raised will help the Westport VFW to with repairs that are needed said SFC Hernandez adding, "But mostly this event was to bring in the surrounding towns and local residents to enjoy our club and to let them know we are always open to the public."
SFC Hernandez wishes to invite the community to their new Friday night dinners at the Post which are in addition to the famous Jazz Thursday event which has been so successful over the years. As if the entertainment so far isn't enough Post 399 will also be hosting folk music performances the first Sunday of each month. The public is invited and more information is available at https://vfw399ct.org/
Photos and Story by J.C. Martin for WestportLocalPress.com. Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.