STONE FOUNDATION

UK band Stone Foundation had barely launched into a hot blues guitar solo halfway into their opening song, “Beverley” (a cut from their soon-to-be released album A Life Unlimited) and the morning crowd under the Red Marquee was already swaying and singing along, hands in the air. Already gaining popularity among Japanese crowds after their few past trips to Japan, the 8-piece’s electric live energy has placed them in front of larger and larger audiences with each visit.

They burned through a handful of funky numbers in support of their new album, including “Learning the Hard Way,” a horn-heavy groove with a fun bit of call-and-response crowd participation and an early R&B influenced jam, “Bring Back the Happiness,” from their previous album To Find the Spirt. Backed by an airtight rhythm section and a three-man powerhouse of a horn line, lead vocalist/guitarist Neil Jones kept the crowd singing and shouting along to each catchy chorus, even the ones the fans weren’t yet familiar with. The first to play on the Red Marquee this fest, Stone Foundation certainly made themselves a tough act to follow.