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Many of you love the general type of music I do. I am not even really sure what kind of music I love, but I guess it is alt country, if someone put a gun to my head and said, "Pick one genre, woman!"
Anyway, many of the off-the-beaten-track musicians we have fallen in love with were discovered by us at music festivals. Music festivals are a very good musical bang for the buck. For sixty dollars, a cooler full of food and alcohol(or, um, water), a cheap set of those little ponchos-in-a-bag, and a beach tent for kids to crash in, you can listen to a huge number of musicians.
We camp at some festivals. This is not your happy-in-the-woods kind of camping. This is hot, packed-in-like-sardines camping, with cold showers f you're lucky, and semi-clean porta-potties, also if you're lucky. In fact, my husband and I discussed buying one of those fancy porta-potty and shower things, and travelling to festivals that way. People sell t-shirts and wodden carvings, why not a comfortable place to take a dump? But I digress.
I will try to hit each area of the country, and different styles of music. If you have gone to any festivals, let us know. Here goes:
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This festival is located near us in Greenfield, Massachusetts, and anyone (cough)MackandNateMyr(cough) would be welcom to camp out at our house if they wanted to come.
We went last year, and it was lovely. They have a balloon launch which is fabulous to see, in both the early morning and evening, wind permitting. The festival is mostly a sit-down affair, except when the Donna the Buffalo fans convrge in front of the stage. People bring screen houses, and set up some lovely day camps. No alcohol is served or allowed, though it certainly is smuggled in.
The food is excellent. There was some killer kettle corn! It is clean, porta-potties are well tended, and it is a wonderful environment for children. There is also a booth that sells Cosmic Wimpout, a game which is fun, and hard to find.
Some of the key performers this year are Donna the Buffalo, Steve Earle, Buddy Miller, and The Duhks. More will be added, I am sure.
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There are actually two, I will take them one by one.
Finger Lakes GrassRoots. This is located in Trumansburg, NY, a few miles outside of Ithaca. For us, heaven on earth. This is four days of happiness, where the focus is on music and eating good food, and the atmosphere is as friendly as can be. (for the most part) It does get rowdy at night, but the day is very mellow and fun. My kids bring their bikes, and scout out all the happenings. My son fell in love with music at this festival, and his musical heroes are there. He has a guitar signed by all of his favorites.
There are four stages. One field stage where the biggest acts play, a Grandstand stage, a dance tnt, which is hopping until 5 Am, and a Cabaret stage which holds more of the singer-songwriter groups.
There is usually at least one big headliner. We have seen Rusted Root, Patty Loveless, and others. Our favorites, though are the local bands, many of whom only perform that weekend. The Ithaca music scene is somewhat interchangeable, or fluid, not sure how to describe that. In other words, you might see the same performers in different bands.
Our favorites: Donna the Buffalo, of course, Crow Greesnspun, The Horse Flies, Keith Secola, Keith Frank, Jennie Stearns Band, Boy with a Fish, Plastic Nebraska, John Brown's Body, the Sim Redmond Band.
If you get up early enough you can get a hot shower, and the porta-potties are OK until late at night.
Oh, always bring a flashlight, or better yet, a headlamp, to a music festival, if you are going to be there after dark. Porta-potties are dark.
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This is a sister fest in North Carolina, a=on a farm. it is beautiful. There is a fall and spring festival. we went to the spring fest last year, and had a great time.
Many of the same musicians play, but there is more of a local North Carolina influence, so more old time kind of bands.
The one drawback is: TICKS. Egads, they are everywhere, especially in the spring. you southerners can talk about you nice weather all you want, but for me, nice weather breeds scary insects.
One of ou favorite moments was watching patty Loveless' bus get stuck in the mud. She is prtty pampred, and this is basically a farm, so they were trying to drive her right to the stage in one of those giant tour buses. it got stuck near our tent, which we had to partially take down so they could get by. She ended up having to walk through the mud, poor gal. She was actullay very sweet, and patted my son on the head from the stage. My son is always in the front ro, eyes glued on the guitar playe, whoever he happens to be.
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posted
I remember with much fondness going to the Live Oak Festival in CA when I was little.
But it doesn't happen any more.
It was such a great place, and such a great atmosphere, that our dad would let us wander from campfire to campfire at night, on our own. My brother would bring his bongoes around ( ), and I would join in with harmony on the choruses. (My dad usually had his own circle going with a couple of other guitars, occasionally a base or a mandolin or a banjo or a fiddle, and he always had harmonicas around.) Everyone shared their food with strangers; there was always a big pot of chili or soup or hot chocolate on, or lots of hot dogs grilling. You could just join a circle that you liked, stay there jamming as long as you liked, and eat if you were hungry. Those were some of the best times of my life. And performers like Laurie Lewis, Nina Gerber, or Maura O'Connell were always thrilled to see young people like us there, and would make a special point to talk to us.
I've been to several others in that part of the country, but not in a while; I'm hoping to be able to take Emma around when she gets older. Is the atmosphere still that friendly and safe?
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Funy, KQ, one of the festivals I was planning on mentioning was one which is in Live Oak, Florida.
The campfire jams are great. My son is good enough to sit in with the people we camp with, and it is always so hard for him to decide to watch his favorite bands, or play with his favorite muicians.
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posted
Most of the jams that went on at the old Live Oak were during the night; there were a few happening during the day, but the acts were so good that almost no one wanted to miss them.
Would you let a (responsible) 9 year old and her 6 year old brother wander from jam to jam without too much supervision at these festivals? I'm trying to figure out what the atmosphere is like.
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It really depends on the festival, and the time of day. On bikes, I let them ride around if they stay together. We have a big camping group, and there is always someone to check in with.
Once it gets later in the day, and things get rowdier, no.
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The Austin City Limits Festival Line-up came out today. I was impressed with the breadth and variety of the acts last year, but I'm even more impressed with this year's line-up. I'll be interested to see the actual schedule when it comes out, so I can figure how to see as many of groups I want to see as possible. It'll be tough, but I imagine I'll enjoy it.
And, of course, I'll also have an opportunity to find out why Liz always recommends Donna the Buffalo. Posts: 959 | Registered: Jan 2002
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posted
Thanks for adding that! I was just thinking of doing it last night and got lazy. Is Donna the Buffalo on it? I did not see??
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posted
Yup, Donna the Buffalo will be there, they're listed about two-thirds of the way down the second column. The way ACL has the list set up with all the names really close to one another and really small makes it wasy to miss some names. I'm still certain that I'm missing some of the groups that'll be there.
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I can personally recommend the following bands, and I would not miss them if I went, though I bet there are boatloads of discoveries to be made! I have ben secretly hoping Donna the Buffalo would some day make it to the show.
Widespread Panic(jammy-sort of a cross between the Dead and the Allmans)
Wilco(really good live-much different, many more levels than radio Wilco)
Jimmy Cliff(a classic if you love reggae, which I do)
Robert Randolph & The Family Band(oh holy toot, sacred pedal steel! Also check out the Campbell brothers if you ever see them nearby)
John Prine(one of my top ten ever favorite artists. Lyrical genius.)
Lucinda Williams(a wild woman. Fun and funny with the mouth of a truck driver)
Steve Earle & The Dukes(incredible. Sort of a modern day Bob Dylan, which can be good or bad, depending on how you feel about Bob Dylan. Very politica-not Republican.)
Leo Kottke & Mike Gordon(heavenly guitar and voice)
Martin Sexton(amazing. Saw him at the Iron Horse years ago when he was a "baby" in the musical world. he has gotten better and better)
Dave Alvin & The Guilty Men(King of California. On of my favorites. Sort of Jerry Jeff Walker meets Dylan meets Jimmy Buffet)
Donna The Buffalo(groovy, rootsy dance music-amazing lead guitarist, and amazing fiddle-scrubboard-vocalist-accordion player)
The Massacoustics(never heard of them, but they sound intriguingly local)
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Internationally known festival at a cool state park, and always a large turnout to see the three stages full of jazz musicians. And the coolest part is all the people sitting in their boats just off shore listening to the music.
Aaaand, Saturday they'll have Bela Fleck!!
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Kat - it is awesome and you're welcome to crash on my sofa or floor if you do come.
Last year's ACL had more groups that number among my favorites, but this one has more groups that I'm familiar with. I particularly want to see Wilco, Sleater-Kinney, Rilo Kiley, and Bruce Robison, but I'm sure I'll make plenty of new discoveries as well.
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This is a huge festival, woth camping. Some people love it, some people hate it. They do have a great line-up this year. I would love to see Jack Johnson live some time.
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It's got all types of genres, even stuff for the kids, and a nice mix of well-known, pretty well-known, and obscure musicians. And, the whole thing is FREE.
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The Festival season is upon usm wahooooooo!
The Green River Festival was excellent. It was hotter than hot, though, my goodness. However, this made it good weather for the hot air balloons to launch. It was awesome. The last night, the balloons landed on the field, and lit up, in time with the music. It was one of the most incredible things I have ever seen.
It is a great festival for kids, as it is not too crowded, and there are tons of open fields for them to play on.
In a few days, my musical heaven on earth begins:
Grassrooooooooooots.
I sure wish that Zeugma gal would break out of her schedule for a day and come along.
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), and I would join in with harmony on the choruses. (My dad usually had his own circle going with a couple of other guitars, occasionally a base or a mandolin or a banjo or a fiddle, and he always had harmonicas around.) Everyone shared their food with strangers; there was always a big pot of chili or soup or hot chocolate on, or lots of hot dogs grilling. You could just join a circle that you liked, stay there jamming as long as you liked, and eat if you were hungry. Those were some of the best times of my life. And performers like Laurie Lewis, Nina Gerber, or Maura O'Connell were always thrilled to see young people like us there, and would make a special point to talk to us.![[Wink]](wink.gif)
