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.