By Tim Van Schmidt

The Poudre River was swollen and swift from this year’s snow runoff and you might say those conditions applied to the proceedings on stage at the Mishawaka Amphitheatre when the latest odd couple of rock, super guitarist Buckethead and funky keyboardist Bernie Worrell, brought their current mini tour to Colorado. The music came “swift”- virtuoso soloing running rampant through both headlining sets- in an evening that also included several regional acts. And it was “swollen” with electricity and piledriving grooves.

The grooves are perhaps what Buckethead and Worrell and his crack band the Woo Warriors have most in common. It doesn’t matter if the groove is hard funk like the Woo Warriors lay down, or the intense metal chugga chugga chugga Buckethead is fond of, the effect is the same- the bands lock in on that groove, then apply some pressure, intensifying it until full musical strength has been achieved. Both Worrell’s band- experts at working the crowd- and Buckethead- stepping back in his wordless mystique- each succeeded in stirring up a storm of sound and getting the crowd on the move in the process.

Personally I didn’t mind the vocalizing in Worrell’s set too much- a lot of exhortations to rouse the crowd and some soulful singing- but I sure liked it that Buckethead’s main thing is playing guitar- no words, no pandering, just nothing but fingers and strings. And play he did, leaving ample room for bass and drums to roam and solo too. But once Buckethead kicks into shredding the fretboard, you can only drop your jaw and let the hundreds of notes keep coming in swirling layers.

As mesmerizing as Buckethead and Worrell were, the evening also included some interesting regional acts. That included Octopus Nebula, a progressive jam jazz fusion unit. Next was Diagnosis Awesome, a fascinating experiment in mixed media performance: a live bassist performed in synch with a video taped performance by a drummer in Germany.

Now, I have been a long time Mishawaka patron and the venue has always been known as a great place to enjoy live music, particularly for lots of old touring favorites. But recent years have added a certain new edge to the bookings, allowing more and more diversity to the schedule, until it seems safe to say that Mishawaka is a great spot to visit as a busy destination for contemporary progressive music. The Buckethead and Worrell show is only one example- a mighty good one.