I finally got a new computer so its time to catch up on some blogs so let’s continue ……….. On August 18, 2021 I traveled to Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania about an hour drive from Wheeling, WV to see The Movement https://themovementvibe.com/ play at the Vinoski Winery https://www.vinoskiwinery.com/.
The Movement has been winning the hearts and minds of alternative-reggae fans since their inception in Columbia, SC in 2003. Drawing inspiration from Sublime, 311, Slightly Stoopid and John Brown’s Body, they’ve come to be known as musical shapeshifters with a foundation of heavy drum and bass. Today the band consists of founding member, lead vocalist, and guitarist Joshua Swain, bassist Jason Schmidt, drummer Gary Jackson, and keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist Matt Goodwin. Their sixth studio album, Ways Of The World, will be released on June 7, 2019, as the highly anticipated followup to 2016’s Golden.
I booked a room at the Fairfield Hotel in Belle Vernon, PA which was about 15 minutes from the Vinoski Winery. After checking in I decided to get something to eat before meeting my friend Chad, his wife Michelle, and friend Mario at the Vinoski Winery for the concert. I decided to eat at a restaurant called 1933 Grill which was located in downtown Belle Vernon. The place had a prohibition vibe and I had a hamburger with fries which were good and the owner introduced himself who was very friendly. After eating I headed to the venue to meet Chad in the parking lot before the show. He brought his RV “The Movement Mobile” because they were continuing on to see two more shows after the show at the Vinoski Winery.
The Vinoski Winery was originally a mansion built for a person who worked for Rolling Stone magazine and supposedly the gym was designed by Arnold Schwarzenegger. The house was sold and converted into a winery and a venue for concerts and events. It is a really unique location on top of a hill secluded from everything else in the area. The back patio is used as the stage with a large terrace below as the pit and seating area. We got there early enough to get a good table at the corner of the Terrace but once the ban started playing we went up front close to the stage. This is only the second time I have seen The Movement but it is always a good time and the atmosphere is always fun and full of positive vibes. It rained a bit but when the bands started playing the rain stopped. We had a great time that evening listening to music and dancing. The Movement put on an amazing performance and played many songs including a surprise cover of Sabotage by the Beastie Boys. We hung out late after the show and talked to the bus driver and the keyboard player from the Movement who had entertaining stories from the road. They were getting ready to head to the next show in Lincoln Hill Farms, Canandaigua, NY. We stayed awhile longer until one of the employees from the Vinoski Winery told us we would be locked in because they were closing. I headed back to the hotel for some rest before heading home the next morning and Chad, Michelle and Mario headed out in the RV for the next show.
Check out The Movement at Vinoski Winery video on Weighing The Heart Youtube Channel:
https://youtu.be/F2rjI93pCYk
Weighing the Heart 