A vast array of New Orleans’ finest musicians will be performing at Michael Arnone’s Crawfish Fest this weekend at Sussex County Fairgrounds in Augusta, NJ. The Crawfish Fest will be celebrating its 25th anniversary, with musical styles ranging from R&B to funk, Cajun, gospel and jazz. There will be four stages, including music workshops and children’s activities. New Orleans style food will be available, including fresh crawfish, Po-Boys and Jambalaya.
Famed jazz trumpeter Kermit Ruffins will headline the festival on Friday, May 30th on the Main Stage. Zydeco accordionist and singer Curley Taylor, Mia Borders, and The Tin Men will also be performing on Friday on various stages. Music starts at 5 pm Friday.
New Orleans’ legendary Funky METERS will be headlining on Saturday, May 31st, joined by Walter “Wolfman” Washington, Bonerama, and Terrance Simien. On Saturday night, The Nth Power will host a special 1-year anniversary party for Josh and Karen Raskin, who were wed by the Meters’ bassist, George Porter Jr. at the Brooklyn Bowl last year. Marcia Ball will be headlining on the Jager Pavilion Stage Saturday.
JJ Grey and Mofro headline on Sunday, June 1st, along with the funk powerhouse, Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk. Earphunk, Royal Southern Brotherhood, The Crawdaddies, and Ray Abshire Cajun Band also perform, along with many others.
Tickets are $40 per day, with multi-day combo and group discounts. Camping tickets are sold out. Pick up tickets here. Parking is free. Please leave pets at home.
This year marks the tenth anniversary of Mountain Jam, a festival produced by Mountain Jam, LLC, in association with Woodstock, NY’s legendary independent radio station Radio Woodstock 100.1, and none other than guitar and vocals virtuoso Warren Haynes. You know if Warren Haynes is involved, it’s going to be good! The festival will take place at Hunter Mountain, a world-class ski resort nestled in the heart of the Catskill Mountains in Upstate NY, from June 5-8. Located just over two hours from New York City, it is definitely worth the trip up the mountain to check out this festival, which features approximately 40 bands on 3 stages.
Having started out as a one-day festival to celebrate Radio Woodstock’s 25th anniversary, it has grown to what it is today, a festival that has been consistently rated as one of the top music festivals in the country by magazines such as Rolling Stone. Over the years, Mountain Jam is honored to have hosted some incredible talent, from internationally touring bands, including Widespread Panic and Primus, to some local favorites from right here in Upstate New York, including John Medeski and Simone Felice, and this year is sure not to disappoint. Not really knowing where to begin, as there are so many spectacular musicians who will making appearances over the course of this four-day festival, just a few of the bands that will be playing include: Bob Weir and Ratdog, the Allman Brothers Band, Government Mule, Umphrey’s McGee, Pretty Lights, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Jackie Greene, and The Avett Brothers. And these are just a fraction of all the huge acts that will be there! The two main stages are set up right next to each other, which maximizes the amount of time there is to play/see music, as while one band is playing on one stage, the stage next to it is being set up for the next band. (It is also much easier on the knees, for fans at least, who don’t have to trek across fields to make it from one band to the next.)
The third stage is located in Healey Brothers Hall, inside the Main Lodge. It is always worth heading indoors to check out this more intimate concert space, and to escape from the elements, if necessary. This year, in honor of Mountain Jam’s 10th anniversary, a series of workshops will be taking place in Healey Brothers Hall throughout the weekend. Stop by to participate in these workshops, which are being led by various authors, photographers, painters, dancers, and musicians, including Michael Franti, who has become quite the fixture at Mountain Jam, and who will be performing a very special acoustic set! Another cool act to perform on this stage will be Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds, who will be joining the Paul Green Rock Academy – another collaboration that promises to be exceptional. Other workshop topics include songwriting, led by Eric Earley (of Blitzen Trapper), Valerie June, and Connor Kennedy; and a reading and discussion with Duane Allman’s daughter Galadrielle Allman.
Hunter Mountain has become quite the year-round attraction. For those daring enough, between sets, be sure to squeeze in enough time to experience North America’s longest and highest Zipline, right there at Hunter! For a unique way to be able to take in the spectacular mountain views while not having to miss a beat of music, take a ride on the Sky Ride, which allows you to view the two main stages from above on the mountain’s ski lifts. There are plenty of other activities that can provide a brief hiatus from all the rockin’ music being channeled out to you, including yoga and sound healing classes, drum circles, and a live interactive version of Farmville 2! In addition, Ash Street Puppetworks will be strutting their fantastic puppets around the festival site throughout the weekend, and you can’t really miss them, so be sure to snap some photos when they pass by – they are quite the sight to see! Another act that has become a staple of Mountain Jam who will be back again this year is the Shilly Shally Fire Troupe, who jumps from place to place around the festival site to captivate the audience with their unique interactive fire act. The Fire Troupe will even be giving workshops this year for those who have always been curious as to how they do all their remarkable tricks!
For the wee ones, there are plenty of activities to keep them entertained (an important note: children 10 and under are admitted to the festival for free with a ticket-holding adult, limit two children per adult): children’s music and entertainment will be performed on Saturday and Sunday mornings; there will be a “cozy kids corner” complete with arts and crafts, hammocks, and a sandbox, and even its own potty; the well-known Wormtown tent, where kids can get their faces painted and participate in team games (there is a child registration area located at the Wormtown tent, in case your child gets lost during the festival); and the “Wayfinder Experience” interactive game. None of these activities should be treated as babysitting services, but they definitely provide some much-needed distractions for the kiddies, and they do so in such a way that encourages the children’s teamwork and creativity.
While you are enjoying all the music and activities, it will be hard to avoid reveling at the beauty of the scenery surrounding you. To demonstrate the festival producers’ awareness of that fact, and the forward thinking that went into the planning of this festival, Awareness Village will once again host exhibits from not-for-profit organizations and environmental groups, in addition to children’s entertainment, performance and sculpture art, physical and spiritual healing, a beer and wine garden, and much more. On top of all that, Awareness Village is the spot to be if you are itching to meet some of your favorite artists, as you will be able to find many of them signing merchandise in the Radio Woodstock Artist Signing Tent throughout the weekend! The Festival will also be continuing its greening efforts with recycling, carbon offsets, and $1 water refills to reduce the usage of plastic water bottles. So be sure to stop by the Awareness Village to see the many positive impacts that are being made by local environmental groups, and to learn more about how you can help move this planet in a more positive direction.
It would be foolish not to mention the extraordinarily wide range of food options from which to choose at Mountain Jam. Many of the food vendors are located right along both sides of the concert field, so you don’t even have to miss any music while scoring some grub to sustain you through the rest of your dance-filled days! From New Orleans-influenced cuisine to Asian-style stir-fried noodle dishes, from tacos to pizza, you will find all that and more at the Festival. Some of the more unique food options available this year include How We Roll, described as serving comfort food in an egg roll, and Meltdown Gourmet, where they serve up a variety of creative grilled cheese creations, including a BBQ chicken mac and cheese sandwich!
Tickets are available on the Mountain Jam Festival website, with a variety of ticket options available, ranging from single-day tickets ($69 for Thursday only; $99 for Friday, Saturday, or Sunday), to 3- or 4-day passes with or without camping (if you buy at the “It’s About Time!” price, a 4-day pass with camping would cost $269). In addition, there are designated “car camping”, “lot car camping”, and “near-car camping” passes available, if lugging all your gear up to a camping spot on the mountainside isn’t your thing. RV passes are also available, with several designated areas to choose from as far as where to park your home for the weekend. One can also purchase one of several “Jammer” packages, which provide VIP amenities such as early access to the festival, private camping areas, a special viewing area in front of the stage, access to shaded hospitality tents stocked with hors d’oeuvres and discounted drinks, and 24-hour access to air-conditioned bathrooms (which can be key, especially when it gets hot and sticky outside, which often happens at Mountain Jam). Jammer pass holders are eligible to reserve lodging in the on-site Kaatskill Mountain Club, which provides swanky accommodations during the festival right there on the outskirts of Awareness Village. (These rooms are sold out for this year, but be sure to reserve your spot for next year’s festival if you are looking for a more luxurious festival experience!) This year, you can also purchase an on-site parking pass; your other option would be to park for free at one of the festival’s off-site parking lots and take a shuttle to the festival entrance (or you could always utilize the many parking lots that seem to pop up on people’s front yards for such events, for a small fee, of course). Please see the Festival’s website for more detailed information on ticket pricing and to purchase tickets and RV/car camping/parking passes. The Festival website also has a list of hotels in the vicinity of Hunter Mountain, many of which will be serviced by a hotel shuttle being offered by the Festival for a $20 fee, allowing you to leave your car behind at the hotel and not even have to worry about looking for parking at or near the Festival.
Whether you decide to come for the day, or for the entire four days, you will discover that you don’t have to travel very far (that is, if you live in Upstate NY) to find world-famous, as well as locally known and loved, musicians playing in a pristine mountaintop setting. Mountain Jam is a place where you can just let loose and enjoy yourselves to the fullest, where you will come to see familiar faces year after year – and meet plenty of new ones, and where you can get your karma washed by a team of “Bliss Facilitators” right there on the concert field! Come on out to Mountain Jam in the heart of the Catskills for a thoroughly enjoyable four days of music, art, and community from June 5-8! In the meantime, here’s a preview of what’s to come at this year’s Mountain Jam Festival!
After what can only be called a “trying” Winter and early Spring, Upstate NY was more then ready for a weekend that didn’t suck monkey balls. Enter Statewide Music’s Spring Revival 2. With forecasts only showing a few storms and weather ranging into the 80’s, the timing couldn’t have been better for a revival of the Spring we had yet to receive. This three day fest entered it’s second year in a brand new venue: Macedon, NY’s Carey Lake. Situated perfectly between Rochester, Syracuse, Buffalo, and Ithaca, the venue was easy to find and flat, with plenty of space for car camping, surrounded with enough trees, streams, gardens, and woodland creatures to satisfy the even the most Ranger Rick loving hippies. A bar and restaurant fronted the head of the property and also held the late night bands with a heaping dose of small town hospitality (Not to mention a pretty kick ass brunch!).
Thursday night kicked kicked the festival off with a nice group of early arrivals with the new improv-heavy Rochester trio, Underground Funk. Headliner and ‘s March Madness Winner, Lucid, (who also have the coolest tour bus ever) held the main stage expertly, and Rochester’s Haewa, whom would play two blistering sets over the weekend, kept things going until 1AM. It’s often when the music is done at small festivals when you really get to wander and meet new and interesting people and many were up til the sun rose. The night time revealed travelers from at least four different states had come to share in the groove, some who lived life from festival to festival, and many others that came to see the specific acts. Acoustic guitars, joyful conversations, and a small drum circle carried the festival until the morning.
Speaking of sun, Friday came with a ton of it. Temps soared into the 80’s by the time Personal Blend kicked off and no one was complaining. The first truly glorious day of 2014 also inspired all the bands that day as everyone was delivering their A-game sets. Albany’s Formula 5 won the afternoon crowd over with an inspired set and their brand new bassist (not to be confused with movie and television star) James Woods. The fun was given an exhilarating short break late in the afternoon as a short but fierce storm, henceforth named Hurricane EZ-Down, gave everything a nice soak and showed whose tents were truly “wind-friendly.” After a short break and a slight schedule change, Ithaca’s Solaris and Vermont’s Flabberghaster paved the way for the first of two headlining nights for Buffalo’s hottest export, Aqueous. The foursome whose genre, dubbed “groove rock”, but was more like “everything is awesome rock”, played an energy filled set anchored by a spot on first time cover debut of Red Hot Chili Pepper’s “Funky Monk”. Closing down the evening, Rochester’s nocturnal psych-rock-animal Ocupanther, kept the night owls going ’til last call.
Revival’s Saturday schedule was loaded with bands straight through from 11AM until 2AM. Many bounced between the two stages with a seemingly endless supply of dancing fuel, while others played Frisbee or explored the grounds. This was a great time to check out many of the great vendors on site as well, and I picked myself up some organic homemade deodorant and a brisket taco that can only be described as freakin’ delicious. Straying from the music didn’t last long though as Albany’s Mister F blew up a cover of Jamiroquai’s “Canned Heat”, made famous in Napoleon Dynamite. Warming up the stage for Aqueous’s second night, a full two set show, were Rochester’s Roots Collider and Haewa’s second set of the weekend.
Aqueous wasted no time getting into two blistering energy filled sets with the pairing of fan favorite originals, “Complex Part II” and “Origami”, with Solare Flare’s Hank and Margo spinning fire stage left. Concluding the set with a debut of The Cars “Just What I Needed”, the band took a short break while the audience refilled their beers. Never short on surprises, the band re-entered with bassist Evan McPhaden dressed in a full Tigger costume and a set of music that truly defined the amazing weekend as a champion. The newly re-finagled Universe Shark closed the festival down in style in the Carey Lake bar.
Carey Lake will hold three more Statewide Music events this year with the next being the bluegrass/Americana/folk based Fiddler’s Picnic (June 12-15). Wish you had made it? No worries. Spring Revival 3 has already been announced for May 14-17th 2015.
If you’re looking for things to do in Maryland this weekend, the 7th annual DelFest is set to take place over the upcoming Memorial Day weekend in Cumberland, Maryland. The Del McCoury Band welcomes String Cheese Incident, a natural fit as Bill Nershi has performed in some capacity years prior. In addition, there will be stage sets from Railroad Earth, in support of their latest release, Last of the Outlaws, Yonder Mountain String Band, and Ricky Skaggs and Bruce Hornsby with Kentucky Thunder. Other performances include Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn, Greensky Bluegrass, Carolina Chocolate Drops and of course, The Traveling McCoury’s.
Delfest is once again located at the Allegany Fairgrounds in Cumberland, MD, along the Potomac River. As a festival that thrives on the family-friendly ideal, the musical collaborations are potentially limitless given this year’s line-up. Attendees can expect intimate appearances of various artists during workshops, late night shows and informal picking sessions. In keeping with tradition, the Music Academy, hosted by The Traveling McCoury’s, will precede the festival.
Included in the lineup is Hot Rize feat. Red Knuckles & the Trailblazers, The Gibson Brothers, Tim O’Brien & Darrell Scott, Sierra Hull, The Reverend Payton’s Big Damn Band, Kruger Brothers, The Duhks, Joe Craven, The Deadly Gentlemen, Spirit Family Reunion, Cabinet, California Honeydrops, The Unseen Strangers and more.
Don’t miss the late night shows located in the DelFest Music Hall, as these are separately sold tickets. Friday night will blow the roof off the barn with performances from Greensky Bluegrass and Cabinet. Railroad Earth and Shook Twins are scheduled to rock the late night stage on Saturday and Sunday night is a special Bluegrass Ball with The Traveling McCoury’s and The California Honeydrops.
DelFest also offers a variety of activities. The Kidzone has fun events scheduled such as tie-dying and an “ARTs BUS.” Playshops include: Yoga, meditation, learning to dance with hoops, sacred geometry, and fire performances. Food venders and crafters will line the Grandstand music meadow providing a unique shopping experience.
Four day, three day and single day festival tickets are currently available on line. Two day and all RV passes with hook ups are sold out. Download the Eventbrite app for ticket scanning at DelFest.
Susquehanna Breakdown Music Festival was an all day event on Montage Mountain in Scranton, PA on May 10th. Hosted by music sensation Cabinet, whose blues infused rock and roots Americana sound has established them a firm footing in the soils of the East coast, for a second year, the festival was a success.
Cabinet is from the hills of Pennsylvania making the backdrop of Montage Mountain a perfect fit. A heavy rotation of artists from NY trampled the stages giving high-energy performances leaving the audience tired, yet wanting more. The Brummy Brothers kicked off the day and music alternated without a break all day and into the night. Highlights include a set from Marco Benevento and Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds, as well as artist at large, Ron Holloway. The festival was a big dance party from start to finish for all ages. The family oriented event offered something for everyone whether it was hippy clothes shopping, face art or hula-hoops.
Festival season is upon us, and with that comes 5 months of music and memories in some of the best locations for live music in the nation. As we prepare for our coverage of music festivals this summer – more than 40 across the country and Canada – we asked our staff to revisit some of the great music festival moments that they have experienced. Here are some of those moments.
Jeremiah Shea: My greatest experience came just last year at Night Lights Fall Music Festival in Sherman, NY. Even though the music was incredible and it was my first time seeing Marco Benevento, the highlight was the setting in which it took place. The festival is known for it’s light show, not on stage, but throughout the venue and the woods surrounding it. The team that coordinates the festival does an installation of about a mile or so of LED lights scattered throughout the forest where it takes place. With multiple stages setup, I was treated to an amazing walk between sets of trees lit up in multiple colors, illuminated walkways, and an obvious show-stealing overall exhibit. I now plan on attending every year regardless of who is taking the stage as that is always held to just as high of a standard as the entire production.
Pete Mason: When I attended The Hangout in 2012, Sunday had a great afternoon lineup at the Chevrolet Stage – Mavis Staples, Steve Winwood, then The Flaming Lips, who were set to perform Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. I stayed put at that end of the beach the entire day, and while the full day was awesome, it was the Lips’ set that made it one of the greatest festival experiences ever. During “Us & Them”, I looked on my phone and saw that an eclipse was taking place momentarily on the other side of the world. I saw images coming through as “Brain Damage” started and as they went into “Eclipse”. As if those lyrics weren’t already some of the best ever, hearing “All that is now and all that is gone and all that’s to come and everything under the sun is in tune but the sun is eclipsed by the moon” was one of the most awesome feelings ever. You know those chills you get despite sweating? I had a rush of those for a few minutes afterward, and any time I hear the song in the future. I can never disconnect the memory of that day at Gulf Shores. The song will never be the same again.
Jimmy Chambers: In 1999, my first non-Phish festival, I was at Gathering of the Vibes. I was enthralled by all the different bands and art and people. It was a truly monumental experience but the one moment that would change my life forever happened early on Saturday as I was walking to my car and to my right was the main stage, where I heard music that was different and better than anything I had ever heard before in my life. It was the Disco Biscuits. 15 years and 65 shows later, I still feel they are the best band out there. That is a festival moment that will live with me forever.
Lindsay Jones: One of my best festival memories was Umphrey’s McGee, Bonnaroo 2006. It was a late show and I was flying solo that night. The set was high energy from the get-go, but when the band broke out into The Beatles “Baby You’re a Rich Man”, one of my favorites, I knew that night was special. As Umphrey’s transitioned into a funky version of Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2”, it seemed that the crowd was grooving and moving as one, all dialed in. We were all singing along as “Brain Damage/Eclipse” grew to its climax, and I was absolutely overcome by emotion, bursting out into happy tears. Unbeknownst to me at the time, Marc Brownstein and Aron Magner of the Disco Biscuits and Joe Russo and Tom Hamilton were all on stage contributing to this musical masterpiece. I was just happy to have been there.
Carly Knaszak: My greatest festival was Uproar Festival 2011 at Darien Lake, NY. My friends and I got there early just to see what merch they had out and what bands would be playing early. The headliners were Avenged Sevenfold and Three Days Grace. My friends and I walked into the venue and we saw a stand that was selling Three Days Grace CDs and we approached and saw if you bought their Life Starts Now album, you would be able to have the band sign it for 5 bucks. We bought the CDs and had the experience of a life time meeting Three Days Grace with their former singer, Adam Gontier. Avenged Sevenfold stole the show when they came on with opening with ‘Nightmare’ and ending with the oh so famous, “A Little Piece Of Heaven’. I came out of that concert with a few bruises, a sore throat, ears ringing and the greatest concert experience, ever.
Garrett Woodward: Watching The Dead play the sunset set on the 4th of July. It was a surreal moment to stand on that grassy knoll‚ amid tens of thousands‚ and realize everyone (everything) here is a result of the magic created by a band formed some 44 years ago. The angst and beauty associated with traveling to catch that perfect show‚ the effort to drive dozens of hours in hopes of a correctly guessed opening melody‚ the lifestyle and reality‚ the entire goddamn reason I‚ and all in attendance‚ conduct our lives grew out of our unrelenting love for the Grateful Dead. Before I knew it‚ a handful of teardrops rolled down my cheeks during “US Blues‚” as fireworks exploded over the stage‚ celebrating not only the independence of this great land‚ but the independence and progressive nature of those surrounding me. “Wave that flag‚ wave it wide and high‚ summertime done‚ come and gone…”
Amy Lieberman: My favorite festival moment had to have been back in 2010, at the Gathering of the Vibes, a lovely gathering on the beach at Seaside Park in Bridgeport, Connecticut. This festival always seems to have an all-around positive vibe hanging over it the entire four days, probably due to the fact that this festival was created to provide a forum for music lovers and appreciators to channel the spirit of Jerry Garcia, which is really what attracted me to want to attend the event in the first place. On top of the obviously amazing shows put on by Furthur, Primus, Jimmy Cliff, and Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, my absolute favorite moment of the festival was when Jackie Greene made a surprise guest appearance at the “Teen Scene” stage, where he joined the group of talented young musicians who happened to be playing on the stage after Jackie’s main stage act! I have to admit (and I’m sure I’m not the only one out there), I am a huge admirer of Jackie Greene, but I tend to get extremely starstruck. Well, I managed to work up the courage to tell him what I’ve always wanted to tell him, which was “Your voice makes my heart melt,” and got my photo snapped with him! That was definitely a major highlight of my festival-going years, not to mention my entire life!
Wormtown Trading Co. will host the 12th annual StrangeCreek Music Festival next weekend, May 23-26, 2014 once again at Camp Kee-Wanee in Greenfield, MA. The Memorial Day weekend event will host a diverse lineup with multiple stages, cabin jams, a silent disco and plenty of food and craft vendors. Major headliners include Rusted Root, Donna The Buffalo, Ryan Montbleau and two shows each from Max Creek and Zac Deputy. Click here for the weekend schedule of StrangeCreek.
A portion of the StrangeCreek Campout tickets will be donated to Camp Kee-Wanee, an inclusive children’s summer day camp of 33 wooded and open areas, with an emphasis on arts and fostering self-esteem. Strangers Helping Strangers will be conducting a food drive with proceeds going to local food pantries, be sure to bring non-perishable food, toiletry, feminine or personal hygiene or baby product donation.
For those eager to start the weekend and a chance at prime camping spots, there is a Thursday Early Entry fee for $30 a person at the gate starting at 5pm and is cash only with no ATM on site. The Early Entry Fee also treat’s guests to Cabin Sets with performances by Love Whip, Gratefully Yours and Van Gordon Martin Band. Gates open at 9am on Friday and the campgrounds will close on Monday at 1pm. Weekend tickets are still available only $125 with Sunday Day Passes available for $50, including night camping. RV Passes are sold out. All tickets bought online will be available at Will Call and you MUST bring a picture ID. Click here to purchase tickets today.
The Festival is family friendly, offering secluded Family Camping and plenty of activities for kids of all ages at the Kids Cabin and TEEN Scene. There will be a Holistic Village offering group activities to engage each person’s mind, body and soul. Don’t forget your discs for your chance to explore the StrangeCreek Disc Golf Course. The night will light up with the community bonfire plus the FireWormz Fire Show each night. The festival has become a tradition of music, community and camping in all kinds of weather for fans that wouldn’t have any other way.
With over 60 musical acts, has broken it down to FIVE acts you need to see at StrangeCreek: The Hornitz, Wild Adriatic, Eastbound Jesus, The Primate Fiasco and The Juicy Grapes.
The Hornitz is a dynamic duo from Boston creating big band sound as they use horns, keys, live-looping equipment and their beatboxing skills to form high energy dance parties.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pp6XInb9ROw]
Wild Adriatic one of Upstate’s own is a trio of pure rock n roll with more than enough soul to go around.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mS8ZNOt3Li8]
Eastbound Jesus is a Northern Rock band from Upstate with a dedicated following due to their hard hitting bluegrass and foot stomping Americana.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYBJwJNJ2EE]
The Primate Fiasco is best described as a psychedelic dixieland, creating parades of music down every street where ever they go.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=742PkGAIf4s]
The Juicy Grapes are based out of Connecticut with funky and soulful rhythms to get you grooving, blended with some light rock melodies.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CU7GbyreJcM]
This year marks the 14th year of the ever-growing Summer Camp Music Festival set to take place at the Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe, Illinois during Memorial Day weekend, May 23-25, 2014. The over 15,000 festival goers expected to attend will nearly triple the population of the small town, as it is infiltrated with music lovers from far and wide. Since Summer Camp’s start in 2001, it has grown from 1,000 people, 20 bands, and 2 stages to 15,000 people, 100+ bands, and 7 stages.
moe. is a band that really speaks for itself. Since 2001, moe. has been making a name for themselves around the country and the world, playing festivals all over and even having their very own moe.down Music Festival. Dopapod, Jimkata, and Aqueous are becoming veterans of the music festival scene. They have made appearances at shows like Burning Man, Bonnaroo, moe.down, and Gathering of the Vibes, ever increasing their reputation as seasoned festival musicians. Big Leg Emma and Turkuaz and just now making their way to the bigger venues, such as Summercamp, as they continue to make a name for themselves as soulful funk and folk musicians that can be appreciated by all.
Besides Summer Camp Music Festival’s stellar lineup and prime location at the beautiful Three Sisters Park, there are countless activities for music lovers to partake in during their down time, if they choose to have any. There are five main stages and at least three smaller tent and indoor sights to see music as well. One of the big attractions for when your not out enjoying the wide selection of music, is the Soulshine Tent. This tent is an education and entertainment mecca for festivalgoers. The tent has everything everything, including a live art gallery, hands on permaculture display, yoga, hoola-hooping classes, and last but not least, live glass blowing.
Besides being one of the country’s top stops for music and fun this summer, Summer Camp Music Festival is always looking at the bigger picture through their sustainable initiatives and non-profit involvement. Known as “The Summer Camp Green Team,” hundreds of volunteers will be on sight to assist campers in disposing properly of their waste and to sort recyclables. The campgrounds are filled with clearly marked color-coded waste bins, many biodiesel generators, composting areas, and environmental education centers. There is also a special “Make a Difference” area at Three Sisters Park, where the many non-profit groups are set up for campers to donate and learn about local and global causes. It is obvious that the organizers of Summer Camp have more on their mind than music and profit and that the environment and local communities are deeply seeded in what is important to them.
Again this year, Summer Camp Music Festival is sure to prove itself as one of, if not the top music festival in the country. From the countless artists and performers both internationally and locally known, the numerous other spots for entertainment and education, and the general happy-go-lucky vibe that will make sure any person in attendance can feel the love, Summer Camp is undoubtedly the place to be this summer. It is a place people of all backgrounds and musical interests can go and enjoy themselves, have new experiences that will stay with them for a life time, and feel good about doing it, knowing your impact on the earth is as minuscule, yet as positive as it can be.
Tickets are available at Summer Camp’s Ticket Central or ETIX at 1-800-514-ETIX. General 3-Day General Admission tickets are on sale now for $214.50.
For quite some time there were no major music festivals in Boston besides EarthFest—an all-day summer concert, which holds the title as the biggest free radio station concert in the country (hosted by Radio 92.9). And then only last year, an event called Boston Calling sprung up out of nowhere, dipping its toes in the festival waters. Surely enough it did not disappoint and with bands like Of Monsters and Men, Portugal. The Man, The Shins, Matt and Kim, Fun. and The National all performing, the festival even developed its own sound. With the widely acclaimed success of its first event, Boston Calling 2014 geared up soon after for a September 2013 festival, this time featuring acts like Vampire Weekend, Kendrick Lamar, Passion Pit and The Airborne Toxic Event. The festival was even more popular the second time around than the first.
Now, in only two weeks, the third-ever Boston Calling is coming back from May 23-25. This Friday through Sunday weekend event features some of its biggest names yet including Jack Johnson, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros and Death Cab For Cutie. The ticket options consist of a 3-Day Pass, a Weekend Pass (just Saturday and Sunday) and then single-day passes for each day.
The festival, which is held at City Hall Plaza, kicks off Friday when the dates open at 6pm. The main entrance is located on Congress Street and the staff highly recommends taking public transportation as the event is easily accessible from multiple MBTA stations, including the Orange, Blue, Red and Green lines. Friday features the mellowest superstar—Hawaiian native Jack Johnson, along with Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, and Cass Mccombs. The music is expected to end that night around 11pm.
Saturday’s gates open at 12pm and the all-day event will, again, go on until roughly 11pm. With Death Cab For Cutie, The Decemberists, The Head and the Heart, Frank Turner, Jenny Lewis and The Neighborhood it should be an exciting day. Also scheduled to hit the stage is Warpaint, Walk Off the Earth, Maximo Park and Magic Man. Sunday starts and ends the same times as Saturday. Modest Mouse, Tegan & Sara, Phosphorescent, Built to Spill, Brand New, and Bastille will all be playing. Additionally there will be Kurt Vile and the Violators, The Districts, and Tigerman WHOA!.
Altogether it’s looking like a great weekend for Boston that’s sure to live up to past Boston Calling festivals, if not surpass those.
Brace yourselves… Mysteryland 2014 is coming. Over Memorial Day Weekend, May 23-26, “The festival that started the worldwide electronic music phenomenon” is making its U.S. debut. The first Mysteryland festival was held in the Netherlands in 1993, and was an annual event until 2009. Three festivals occurred in 1997. Without an event in 2010, Mysteryland was presented in Chile in 2011. In 2012 and 2013 Mysteryland was presented to audiences in both the Netherlands and Chile.
This is not a concert. It is not a show. It is not a nightclub. It is an event. There will be more than 200 DJs performing on seven stages on Saturday and Sunday.
Kaskade. Steve Aoki. Nicky Romero, Showtek, NERVO, Fedde Le Grand. Moby. Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike. Dillon Francis. Flosstradamus. That’s just the main stage. Kaskade is performing as a headliner for the first time here.
The Sunday School Mini-Fest features three stages of underground talent. Check out The Big Top Tent for techno, Spiegeltent for the Visionquest showcase, and the Vinyl-Only stage for a B2B set with Carl Craig and Dimitri.
Big Gigantic. Chase & Status. Zomboy. Paper Diamond. Bro Safari. These acts are being featured on The Boat (the kids call these sounds ‘bass’ and ‘trap’). Dillon Francis + Flosstradamus, performing together for the first time as Dillstradamus, will close The Boat at Mysteryland USA 2014.
Q-Dance is an indoor tent featuring higher BPM dance music.
Mysteryland USA 2014 is being held at Bethel Woods Center For The Arts, in Bethel Woods, New York. This was the site of the 1969 Woodstock music festival. Limited camping space was made available at the venue, and the Holy Ground Camping Circus-stage will host a pre-party on Friday night featuring Nicky Romero’s Protocol music label. Mysteryland participants will also be allowed to camp offsite or stay at local hotels. Those staying offsite are only allowed to enter and leave the festival once per day.
In addition to the music, Mysteryland presents “experiential environments”, featuring art installations, theatrical performances, a rodeo, the Love Chapel, a library, a Confessional, live painting, yoga, and more. This is a world-class festival that is sure to feature elaborate stage settings, awesome sound and visuals, and a great environment to find yourself in a spontaneous community of people ready to listen to music and dance like there is no other place on earth. ID&T and SFX Entertainment are the production companies presenting Mysteryland at Bethel Woods, and they are the same groups that produce the Sensation festivals, Life in Color, and Tomorrowland.
More information about Mysteryland USA 2014 can be found at www.Mysteryland.us
After what can only be called a “trying” Winter and early Spring, Upstate NY was more then ready for a weekend that didn’t suck monkey balls. Enter Statewide Music’s Spring Revival 2. With forecasts only showing a few storms and weather ranging into the 80’s, the timing couldn’t have been better for a revival of the Spring we had yet to receive. This three day fest entered it’s second year in a brand new venue: Macedon, NY’s 
Pete Mason: When I attended The Hangout in 2012, Sunday had a great afternoon lineup at the Chevrolet Stage – Mavis Staples, Steve Winwood, then The Flaming Lips, who were set to perform Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. I stayed put at that end of the beach the entire day, and while the full day was awesome, it was the Lips’ set that made it one of the greatest festival experiences ever. During “Us & Them”, I looked on my phone and saw that an eclipse was taking place momentarily on the other side of the world. I saw images coming through as “Brain Damage” started and as they went into “Eclipse”. As if those lyrics weren’t already some of the best ever, hearing “All that is now and all that is gone and all that’s to come and everything under the sun is in tune but the sun is eclipsed by the moon” was one of the most awesome feelings ever. You know those chills you get despite sweating? I had a rush of those for a few minutes afterward, and any time I hear the song in the future. I can never disconnect the memory of that day at Gulf Shores. The song will never be the same again.
Amy Lieberman: My favorite festival moment had to have been back in 2010, at the Gathering of the Vibes, a lovely gathering on the beach at Seaside Park in Bridgeport, Connecticut. This festival always seems to have an all-around positive vibe hanging over it the entire four days, probably due to the fact that this festival was created to provide a forum for music lovers and appreciators to channel the spirit of Jerry Garcia, which is really what attracted me to want to attend the event in the first place. On top of the obviously amazing shows put on by Furthur, Primus, Jimmy Cliff, and Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, my absolute favorite moment of the festival was when Jackie Greene made a surprise guest appearance at the “Teen Scene” stage, where he joined the group of talented young musicians who happened to be playing on the stage after Jackie’s main stage act! I have to admit (and I’m sure I’m not the only one out there), I am a huge admirer of Jackie Greene, but I tend to get extremely starstruck. Well, I managed to work up the courage to tell him what I’ve always wanted to tell him, which was “Your voice makes my heart melt,” and got my photo snapped with him! That was definitely a major highlight of my festival-going years, not to mention my entire life!
A portion of the 
Big Gigantic. Chase & Status. Zomboy. Paper Diamond. Bro Safari. These acts are being featured on The Boat (the kids call these sounds ‘bass’ and ‘trap’). Dillon Francis + Flosstradamus, performing together for the first time as Dillstradamus, will close The Boat at Mysteryland USA 2014.