After a two-year COVID hiatus, the 16th Pleasantville Music Festival returned on July 9th. The all-day event featured a cornucopia of musical performances featuring 18 acts on three stages.
We try to tick as many boxes as possible so that there is something on our stages that everyone appreciates.
Under a clear blue sky, the participants moved freely between the chill tent, the Pamnation party and the main stages. Each location offered its own style of music. Excellent coordination of stage start times allowed most fans to see most, if not all, of the performances.
The Pleasantville Music Festival prides itself on promoting local musicians. True to their mission statement, the opening acts on each of the three stages were winners of the Lagond Music School’s 2022 Battle of the Band competition, where first place winner, Platinum Moon, was awarded the opening of the main stage. Rounding out the triumvirate of winners were Westchester-based Noshows – who performed on the Pamnation stage – along with Carter Quinn Tanis (who hails from Cromwell-on-Hudson) who performed at the Chill Tent.
The Pamnation stage, set up between the chill tent and the main stage, offered a separate dance area. The Pearl River Narrowbacks took advantage by getting the crowd dancing to their Irish rock. Pamnations shutters Illiterate Light raised the bar with a Virginia Native guitar and drums duet. The audience roared along with enough vivacity to imitate an arena.
Resembling a circus tent, the Chill Tent provided an oasis for acoustic artists. Located at the back of the festival site, the Chill Tent lived up to its name, benefiting from a constant breeze blowing through the performance area. Solos, duos and trios graced the stage throughout the day. Paula Cole closed this space backed by a three piece band. Under a muted purple glow, Cole and her band shared an intimate performance full of songs and insights from their long career.
The main stage couldn’t be beat. Highlights included Squeeze’s Glenn Tilbrook performing solo. Tilbrook performed a variety of squeeze songs including “Take Me I’m Yours” and “Black Coffee in Bed” to the delight of the audience. Propped up on his custom red Squire Telecaster, Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears followed, sharing a powerful blues set. Festival headliners X Ambassadors closed the night with lead singer Sam Harris singing and dancing from one end of the stage to the other. Teenage girls lined the front of the stage and gave their approval after each song. The Ithaca Band presented a dynamic performance of their music, capping an outstanding day.
Now in its 16th event in the books, the Pleasantville Music Festival has proven its sustainability, featuring top-notch performers in a suburban setting while mixing in arts and crafts, food, and family-oriented activities.
Main Stage
Pamnation Stage
Chill Stage
Mickey Deneher is a photographer/writer based in New York’s Hudson Valley. A former art director, Mickey played drums and guitar in the Hoboken-based band The Roadside Banditos. The band started their journey with a recording of original music, but Mickey draws from those years of travelling, playing and performing to capture the essence of a band and their music in imagery and conversation.
