2023 Major Malfunktion Halloween Party Review
2023 Major Malfunktion Halloween Party Review
by Jason Jones
October 2023
The second edition of The Major Malfunktion Halloween Party was held at The Mountain Valley Artisan Barn in Axton, Virginia. The farm is situated on a flat hilltop with an alluring view overlooking the rolling hills of Virginia's Southside. Several lodging options were available to festivalgoers, including tent and RV camping, while others commuted from nearby hotels. The barn houses two stages, one for acoustic acts located in the festively decorated bar area, and the main stage at the back of a high ceilinged, long and wide concrete dance floor. Behind the main stage, a large garage door was opened during daytime sets, creating a dazzling natural backdrop of pasturing horses on the horizon.
2023’s Major Malfunktion was a full spectrum emotional experience for attendees. While the music and camaraderie brought people together in jubilation throughout the weekend, the untimely death of Bradley Keegan, drummer for the band Road Soda, transformed the festivities into a somber, but still joyous celebration of life honoring the late artist.
It’s commonplace for newer festivals to experience difficulties in the opening years of production–anyone remember the traffic jam at the first Lockn Festival?–and unfortunately Friday’s events got off to a slower than intended start, as the venue experienced technical issues with the main stage sound system. Roanoke’s Charissa Joy & The High Frequency were delayed in starting, but played the festival's first set on the bar stage.
Friday headliners Sexbruise?, whose funky brand of desktoptronica matched the 80s theme night perfectly, although their main stage set did not get started until midnight, resulting in a lower than anticipated attendance. Nonetheless Sexbruise? performed a relentlessly entertaining set of classics including, “Halloween?”, “Fauci Said It’s Okay,” “Quit Your Job,” and “Party in the 80s.”
The Sweet Life, from Winchester, Virginia, closed out Friday night’s music with a raucous set of jamtronica, featuring Zack Johnson on electronic drums and Cody Fowler on electric guitar. The earlier delays saw the show hit 3 AM, at which point the set was cut short and the house lights brought up, as showgoers were informed that local sound ordinances required that music stop for the evening.
On Saturday morning festivalgoers awoke to the sight of two ambulances entering the property. Word soon began circulating through camp that someone had passed away. Organizers handled the tragic circumstances with incredible professionalism and poise by ushering nearby campers calmly into the barn and providing a full lunch for everyone in attendance as the local officials coordinated their efforts. Many of the musicians in attendance gathered under a tree near the picnic tables for an impromptu jam session. Soon after, attendees were encouraged to make their way to the barn for an announcement. Mostly everyone on site gathered in unison, as producers Keith Nickerson and Sam Calhoun, along with Chase Holiday from Road Soda, took the main stage to mournfully dedicate the rest of the weekend to Bradley Deegan.
Following the heartbreaking announcement, Wilmington, North Carolina’s Dock Street Pocket had the difficult task of playing the first set in wake of the tragic news. The band performed admirably, uplifting the crowd with a set of tranquil jams, featuring favorites such as Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.” Later in the afternoon, Liv Sloan & The Diehards from nearby Martinsville, Virginia treated fans to a savory, playful set of brassy, bluesy, funky rock n’ roll. Floyd, Virginia’s Jake Retting & G played the bar stage in between sets on Saturday, keeping the vibes high throughout the day.
Roanoke’s War Chile played the evening slot, taking the stage as the sun was setting; the open garage door framing the band on stage with the sprawling, goldlit farmland as a backdrop. The band played a hard driving, progressive set that featured several numbers from their latest album, highlighted by “Desperation Blues.” Frontman Brian Gray commented that he had written the song years earlier, but it wasn’t until the formation of War Chile that he found the right band to play it with. Drummer Mason Jennelle dedicated the set to Bradley Deegan on the microphone and performed using a drum from Deegan’s kit to honor his legacy.
Coming from Charleston, South Carolina, Runaway Gin delivered a spot on set of Phish favorites, including “The Wedge,” “Chalkdust Torture,” and “Carini.” New bassist David Katilius did not disappoint, adding six strings of funk to the pocket. The show was one of the better attended of the weekend and definitely had the most people up and bouncing around the room. Saturday’s theme was A Nightmare Before Christmas. Many attendees went all out with their costumes, including dead ringers of Lock, Shock, and Barrel, The Mayor, and Jack Skellington.
Saturday’s headliners The Kind Thieves, from nearby West Virginia, closed out Saturday night’s schedule with a genre jumping tilt of songs, including a cover of The Grateful Dead’s “Cumberland Blues,” and originals from rock and blues, to country and jam. Following their set, as the temperature dropped into the forties, many of the attendees gathered around two fire pits in the center of the camping area, creating a much needed family atmosphere to conclude what was an eventful day at Major Malfunktion.
As Saturday night became Sunday morning, the weather turned frigid on attendees by the time they awoke. As the bitter cold and wind set in, the crowd started to thin out, with a good number of festivalgoers leaving throughout the day. Despite the temperature drop, the Halloween party raged on in high spirits. Highlights included performances by Atlantic Aesthetic, Dr. Bacon, and Kentucky Ruckus.
The 2023 Major Malfunktion Halloween Party embodied the good, the bad, and the tragic moments that make up the lives we lead together. As we remember the life of the late artist Bradley Deegan, we look forward to a bright future of music and reverie. We cannot wait to see what next year’s installment of the Major Majlfunktion will look like! <>
Photo credit: John Woodrum