Tag: Music Festivals

Best of NYS Music 2015: Staff Picks for Out-of-State Festivals

While most might dream of tropical getaways when it comes to vacation time, music fans accrue their days to travel across the country—or world—for weekends jam-packed with live performances, indulgent food and experimental fun. From the east to the west coasts to the Midwest, NYSMusic staffers traveled near and far throughout the year to see their favorite groups in action. Here we give you our top picks for out-of-state festivals of 2015.

Best Small Festival: Arise Music Festival, East Coast Tsunami Festival, Grand Point North Festival and The Werk Out Music and Arts Festival

With the growing number of small-scale festivals that seem to pop up each year, it’s no wonder that our team could not pick just one or two as their favorite—so we decided to include the ones we felt deserved an honorable mention. First up is Arise Music Festival, an event in Loveland, CO, that according to Andrew Wyatt “offers a spicy jambalaya of multi-cultural live music, electronic performances, art presentations, along with numerous workshops centered around eco-activism, social justice, and spirituality practice.” With nearly 100 musical acts, the three-day festival now in its third year featured the likes of the Polish Ambassador, Rising Appalachia, Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds, Lukas Nelson, Turkuaz, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, Trevor Hall, Emancipator Ensemble, Ozomatli and Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, among others.

Headlined by Wu-Tang Clan and Life Of Agony, the East Coast Tsunami Festival held in Reading, PA, treated hip hop, hardcore and metal fans to two full days of shows, including favorited groups Body Count, Mobb Deep, Murphy’s Law, Madball and more. And despite sound issues during day one, Jay Saint G. still dubbed the festival as “a wave of brutality that every music lover should experience.”

Up next is the Grand Point North Festival held in Burlington’s Waterfront Park with views of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks. Headlined by Vermont’s sweetheart Grace Potter, the fifth annual installment boasted two nights of music featuring Phish’s Mike Gordon, the Flaming Lips, Shakey Graves, Greensky Bluegrass, Amy Helm and the Handsome Strangers, among others, and special guests like Kenny Chesney who joined Potter to perform their single, “Wild Child.” Alexandra Provost and Laura Carbone noted that “as Potter walked onto the stage, her skin glistening from raindrops, the audience went wild” and that she “put on an astounding performance, showing off her piano, guitar and bluesy vocal skills.”

And finally the Werk Out Music and Arts Festival at Legend Valley, a venue favorited by the Grateful Dead in the ’80s. With a stacked lineup featuring the Werks, Papadosio, Dopapod, Lettuce, Umphrey’s McGee, the Floozies, Consider The Source, Break Science and Tauk, the sixth year for the Thornville, OH, festival “was as always a ridiculously good time for all who made the journey,” according to Ben Landsman. With three stages, a silent disco and one fan wedding,Landsman noted that “between the beauty of Legend Valley, the bright spirit of the fans, the innovative music, this festival is one of the treasures of the Midwest.”

Best Midsize Festival: Green River Festival
Honorable Mention: Aura Music and Arts Festival, Boston Calling, Camp Bisco, DelFest, McDowell Mountain Music Festival

Held at Greenfield Community College in Greenfield, MA, the sold-out 29th annual Green River Festival was “fresh, exciting and invigorating,” according to Eli Stein. Featuring four hot air balloon launches, the family-friendly July event pulled out all the stops with a craft tent, Frisbee dog show, acrobats, karate demonstrations, swimming, a Mardi Gras-style parade and exotic local fare like elk, boar and venison burgers, a Korean food truck and kabob vendors. Throughout the three-day weekend, more than 40 performers ranging from Americana to dance, blues and jam graced the event’s three stages nestled in the foothills of the Berkshires, including Eilen Jewell, the Wood Brothers, Rubblebucket, Marco Benevento, MAKU Sound System, Langhorne Slim and the Law, the Punch Brothers and tUnE-yArDs, which Stein noted was the perfect mixture:

Musically, the festival served up a heaping slab of New England comfort food. The rest aforementioned activity, as they say, was just the gravy. Not only were the band selections great, they were clearly hand-picked and not just pulled off the nearest passing festival train. The music flowed wonderfully from set to set, and built to a nice peak at the perfect times. There was an evenness to the passion and approach of the musicians that made for a smooth transition no matter where you went.”

Best Large Festival: Gathering of the Vibes and Summer Camp
Honorable Mention: Austin City Limits, Bonnaroo, Hangout Music Fest, Lockn’ Music Festival, Peach Festival, Rock Allegiance, Rock On the Range

Celebrating its 20th year, Gathering of the Vibes offered up an impressive lineup with headliners Wilco, Weezer, Tedeschi/Trucks Band, Dark Star Orchestra, Ben Harper, Greg Allman and the String Cheese Incident. The late summer festival returned to Seaside Park in Bridgeport, CT, and treated fans to a super jam called Vibes 20th Anniversary Spectacular featuring Gov’t Mule guitarist Warren Haynes, saxophonist Branford Marsalis, Meters founding bassist George Porter Jr., Marco Benevento on keys and Joe Russo behind the drum kit, plus Jackie Greene on guitar. Although the four-day festival will take a break in 2016, VibeTribers Julia Wolfe and Steve Olker recounted the last day of the 2015 event and dubbed this run as one that would set the pace going forward:

As the sun set over Vibes for the last time, [Ben] Harper closed out with his song “Better Way,” and it was finally time to head home. Seeing so many bands perform was both enticing and overwhelming at the same time, making leaving Vibes even more bittersweet. The range of genre, popularity, age and background is what makes Gathering of the Vibes separate from other festivals. After 20 years, Gathering of the Vibes has remained one of Connecticut’s most well-known festivals, and it’s attention to bringing about change while discovering your own inner peace is what will bring success for future gatherings to come. Until next time, thank you vibes for a real good time.”

With more than 100 bands over four days on seven stages, this year’s installment of Summer Camp Music Festival in Chillicothe, IL, saw a stacked lineup of bands like moe., Umphrey’s McGee, Steve Miller Band, Widespread Panic, STS9, Big Gigantic, John Butler Trio, Krewella, Trampled by Turtles, Keller Williams and Grateful Grass, Yonder Mountain String Band, Violent Femmes and many, many more. Festivalgoers also had access to on-site camping, the infamous late night Red Barn Shows, musician workshops, a nonprofit village, arts and crafts and unique food vendors, plus some impressive improvements. In Pete Mason’s review of the festival’s final day, he detailed what made the perfect ending to the much celebrated event:

The final set of the night to check out was North American Scum, an LCD Soundsystem cover band who might be the best band to close out Summer Camp. Members of the group are formerly of This Must be the Band, a Talking Heads band from Chicago, who have traditionally played one of the final sets at Summer Camp. This incredible two hour set featured the entire Sound of Silver album and, because everyone else was playing Grateful Dead songs, a spirited version of “Scarlet Begonias” to cap the night.”

Read more from Summer Camp Day 1, Day 2, Day 3 and Day 4.

December 28, 2015
Photo Gallery: Dominican Holidaze 2015

The “Holidaze” series of festivals has become an annual event that is coveted by both the artists and fans alike. Hosted by the Disco Biscuits and Umphrey’s McGee, Dominican Holidaze 2015 took place in the Dominican Republic at the Breathless Resort and Spa in Punta Cana. For those uninitiated, this is THE premier luxury festival, treating attendees to baller rooms with private jacuzzis, all inclusive food and drinks across multiple restaurants and bars, and an ocean front stage that rages from sunset to 3am for four nights proper. Supporting tDB and UM this year were STS9, Lettuce, Nightmares on Wax, Break Science, Papadosio, Gigamesh, and Lee Foss. In one’s “downtime,” there is still plenty to do: excursions, pool parties, late night dj’s, the sand, sun, and surf. Resort staff genuinely seemed happy to have us there, and as a result, the overall experience was definitely “MAGNIFICO.”

This was my second time attending Holidaze, the last being in 2012 when it was in Cancun and considered “Mayan.” Both were excellent experiences, but it is clear that as time goes on, the Cloud 9 team continues to refine the series. Check-in/out was a breeze, customer service was excellent, and you can tell they want you to get safely from and to your home base. It’s an easy recommendation to make that if the lineup falls within your musical tastes and you don’t hate luxury beach vacations, you have to go at least once. Should these humble words fail to convince, perhaps this photo gallery will do the trick. Enjoy!

December 14, 2015
Every Bubble Has to Burst – The Limits of a Booming Festival Culture

Over the past decade, music festivals have become the summer thing to do, and not just for live music junkies, but for anyone looking to spend a weekend immersed in what often feels like a whole other temporary world, where rules are different, the party never ends and there is always something new to experience. This isn’t a bad thing. But sometimes there can be too much of a good thing, and every bubble does have to burst, and maybe the festival bubble has begun to push its limits.

In recent years, even the already massive festivals have grown in big ways; we’ve seen Coachella selling out one weekend, to expanding to two weekends and selling out just as easily. Sasquatch, Lollapalooza and Governor’s Ball, all sell out often before full lineups are even announced. People are excited to get in on the experience, and while that isn’t a bad thing, if a festival is selling out before a lineup is announced, perhaps that says something about the reasons many people attend. Maybe now it is often more about the experience, than the bands playing a certain event. A decade ago the headliners at the major U.S. festivals were drastically varied and it seemed they not dare book the same headliners as their counterparts across the country. People from the east coast would travel west to Coachella to see a lineup they couldn’t see anywhere else. Bonnaroo’s lineup would be so unique that it was hard to pass up for people all around the nation.

Now there are dozens of options and large scale events popping up in every corner of the country, making travel easier for fans, while lineups are sometimes starting to look eerily similar. It’s more common to see one, if not several of the same headliners on many festivals. Promoters can meet fan desires to see certain acts, but the lineups are beginning to look more and more similar. The number of festival-ready big name bands is not a never ending list, and those bands, like fans, only have a finite amount of weekends per summer. It’s not a bad thing, for now, but a change will have to come and already slowly is. Trends change, genres rise and fall out of popularity, and in recent years we’ve seen major festivals that used to be alternative rock leaning will have more and more major electronic acts at the top of their bills. It’s what the youth buying the tickets want, so it’s what they get. While it makes sense to promoters and the bottom line, aside from these electronic acts that have been on the rise in recent years, there has not been as many headliner level acts in specifically the rock/alternative world, climbing the ranks to headliner status. This is not the festival world’s fault, but more a reflection on how the music industry overall has changed. Acts like Jack White, The Black Keys, Florence and the Machine and The Killers are all top notch headlining acts, but we have reached a point when you see their names at the top of lineup after lineup and you find yourself staring to say “Oh, cool, makes sense” instead of “Wow, I HAVE to be there”. You don’t HAVE to be there, at the one across the country, because there’s a good chance you’ll see all the same acts at the top of a lineup in your region.

Promoters see the festival trend skyrocketing and there are dozens of new festivals created each year that want to catch the wave. Markets are now beginning to become saturated and toes are being stepped on. Governor’s Ball, held every June since 2011 on Randall’s Island in New York City, is an independent company that in the last month is dealing with a serious threat. AEG Live, creators of Coachella, Firefly and Hangout, have their sights set on Meadows Corona Park in Queens as the site of a new festival, Panorama. Panorama would take place only weeks after Governor’s Ball, and while it’s been reported they don’t yet have all permits in place, booking has started. It was recently announced that the organizers of Governor’s Ball have created a petition, asking Mayor de Blasio to reject AEG Live’s permits, saying it would potentially be pushing them, a smaller local business, out of the picture. They ask that the event be held at a different time, so both festivals can succeed.

However, even if Governor’s Ball gets its way and AEG is forced to apply for permits for a different weekend, it might be that having two large scale events, presumably targeting the same audience, would still have a similar effect. There is after all, a limit on the disposable income the typical festival goer has to spend per year. With it being common that a major weekend festival has a ticket price of over $200, and factoring in any time off from work, travel, accommodations, supplies, food and drink for the weekend that one unavoidably has to spend, realistically the amount of festivals one fan can attend is very likely a smaller number than the ones they would desire to. Eventually it must start to happen that there is simply too much of a festival fan’s favorite thing. Too many “must see” events to choose from in one region will eventually become a bad thing, when fans have to pick and choose between a variety of great options but cutting some out in the process. At some point the amount of major festivals will grow to a point where more people are needed to purchase tickets to let them all successfully continue on as they are than exist in any given market. Increased sponsorship money will be needed to cover costs for all of them. There are only so many companies willing to shell out thousands for festival sponsorship, and competition will rise to claim them.

The largest festivals nationwide is one aspect of the growing festival bubble, but on a smaller scale, the scene of indie rock and jam band oriented festivals is also exploding. In the Northeast alone there are a handful of festivals to choose from each weekend in the warmer months. These are often far more affordable than the larger festivals, but again, there are only so many weekends in the summer. It’s always been hard enough to get a festival off the ground and then able to turn a profit, but now the competition is coming from a growing number of places. There are also smaller, one day events popping up at every turn. A more inexpensive option with lighted commitment can be an attractive option for many possible attendees, but for now, promoters want to get in on the game and ride the wave of festival hype as long as possible. Ask anyone who has been involved in organizing a large scale event, and it is never easy, no matter how many years you do it. Permits, competitive booking, staffing, weather, and now the threat of competition from five guys in your neighborhood trying to do the same thing as you, thanks to perceived success of the overall festival culture.

The greater number of festivals being created with still the same amount of festival ready bands, and weekends available, makes for tough competition. The same bands are desired from festivals not just nationwide but worldwide, every weekend, and when demand goes up, so does price. Bands can ask for more money and festivals have to pay if they want an impressive lineup, and with that, ticket prices increase. The issue becomes how large an act can a festival book before it becomes cost-prohibitive and fans find somewhere else to spend their money; at some point a festival goer will tire of so many lineups looking so similar. Or perhaps festival culture and the experience can become more important than the music itself. Maybe for a growing number of young people, the drugs, the people and the party are the appeal more so than discovering a new favorite band or hearing your favorite songs. Blogs writing about festival fashion looks for the year make many cringe, but they also attract a new audience, looking to jump into a hip trendy new world of partying, where there’s also good music playing in the background.

Is this boom in festival popularity just a fad, and will attending a festival still be the “it” thing to do for young people a decade from now? There were few major festivals throughout the 60’s and 70’s, and then the rise of touring festivals like Lollapalooza and H.O.R.D.E. in the 90’s, but it was not until the last decade or so when we begin to see an incredible boom of weekend long festivals. Young people wanting to get involved in an environment that consists of a weekend long party where new people, new music, and a wide array of ways to enjoy yourself at every turn seems logical. It almost seems strange that it took so long for a festival resurgence, when young people would always have been interested in a large festival scene if one was presented to them.

Perhaps once the bubble begins to reach its true limit, a festival won’t be able to get away with booking similar lineups and having a similar overall feel as its counterparts. Maybe as competition rises it will force organizers to think outside the box and ensure that the experience a fan can have at their event is unlike any other of its competitors. We see so many festivals pop up then fade away in a couple years, and some that don’t even make it out of their inaugural year with their hopes being dashed for a comeback.

Maybe the bubble isn’t ready to burst just yet, with major festivals still selling out in minutes nationwide and some smaller ones getting off the ground each year, but waves of popularity this big don’t always last forever. It will come down to the limits that money and time put on organizers, but equally importantly, the fans. Nobody can accurately predict the future but every bubble has to burst and when it does, inevitably not all will survive. Maybe new, innovative types of events will arise. Promoters just entering this exciting world likely see opportunity, but the point of too much of a good thing may be just around the corner. For now, these are is exciting times for fans to experience live music. Organizers want audiences at their events, and they’ll do all they can to keep fans coming back, a balance of keeping supporters happy and keeping themselves not just exciting, but surviving for one more year.

October 19, 2015
Stellar Young: Unassuming Kings of Lark Fest 2015

Navigating through the crowd on Lark Street during Saturday’s LarkFEST festivities was a real challenge, but a welcomed one. A large, enthusiastic, and surprisingly eclectic mix of attendee’s flooded the street, enjoying art, music, food and drinks (a lot of drinks). For patron’s of LarkFEST however, the event is largely about the music. To be more specific, if you were anywhere near the Madison Avenue stage, it was largely about five piece indie rock group Stellar Young, mainstays in the Albany music scene, and their eclectic appeal makes them a perfect headliner for an event like LarkFEST. At their 4 p.m. set, it was standing room only around the Madison Avenue stage. LarkFESTer’s were packed in as far down the street as the eye could see, and we have these guys to thank for that. An energetic crowd sang their song lyrics back to them, danced, and fully engaged in a power hour of Stellar Young.

Stellar Young’s LarkFEST 2015 Setlist: Amity, The Universe Is A Bully, Crumble At The Fault, As You Go, Keep Up, Playing With Guns, Over All Over, The Reunion, Hitting Reset, Animals, Box Of Echoes, Nomad

Encore: We Own Nothing

September 22, 2015
Trombone Shorty at Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival

Ever since Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue first graced the stage of the Rochester International Jazz Festival several years ago, the city fell in love. New Orleans native Troy Andrews, a quadruple threat effortlessly switching between trombone and trumpet, spitting sensual lyrics and suavely sauntering across the stage, can captivate an audience with a playful wink before lifting the brass to his lips.

This year, a smaller group of hardcore poncho-sporting Shorty fans braved the soggy weather with umbrellas on standby. The vibrant monitors towering above the crowd wishfully reflected the performance on the wet pavement where no one stood. Despite the fun-size audience, there was no shortage of head bobbing or hip swaying, from the crowd and musicians alike. With crowd-pleasing covers of The Isley Brothers “It’s Your Thing,” and Kool & the Gang’s “Get Down On It,” Andrews and his band masterfully delivered a healthy dose of funk.

A saucy cover of “Basket Case” by Green Day really got the crowd moving and kept things interesting, but as expected, Andrews still took the song and gave it his own spark. During periods when Andrews was not singing or playing an instrument, he was often bouncing around the stage, bolstering his comrades with friendly shoulder nudges and big smiles, clearly impressed and proud of his talented crew.

Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue blend exceptionally well together. With old school pizzazz, they can tap into multiple genres and rock out with a jazzy, upbeat flair, leaving the crowd desperately wanting to grab a drink with them after the show.

July 17, 2015
10 Reasons You Shouldn’t Miss All Good Music Festival

The 18th annual All Good Music Festival and Camp Out has returned to West Virginia this year, and boasts a jamband heavy lineup that is surely not to be missed and my favorite of the summer. With no overlapping sets, all of the weekend’s amazing music can be seen without sacrificing one band for another. The music takes place for 3 days, Thursday July 9 – Saturday July 11, with gates opening at 11 a.m. on Thursday. Here are 10 reasons this year’s All Good Music Festival is not to be missed!

10. CAKE

This American alternative-rock band from Sacramento, California draws from a heavy influence of country, rock, funk, hip-hop and more. Not your typical act on the jamband circuit, but these guys know how to have fun and put on a great show. You can catch Cake on the Dragon Stage on Saturday from 10:15 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.

9. Pigeons Playing Ping Pong

The quartet based out of Balitmore, MD has been growing tremendously over the past few years. Blending rock, funk, and electric grooves is their specialty. These guys bring the heat every night and you are guaranteed to find yourself dancing to their infectious grooves. Pigeons are performing on Saturday afternoon from 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. on the Dragon Stage.

8. Dark Star Orchestra

Grateful Dead tribute band Dark Star Orchestra has been recreating the Grateful Dead concert experience since 1997. They are widely considered one of the best tribute acts on the scene, and play a host of festivals every year on top of extensive nationwide touring. With the 50th anniversary of the Grateful Dead this year and the Fare Thee Well shows happening in Chicago the week before, expect Dark Star’s set to be a celebration. They perform on Saturday night at 11:30 p.m. -1:00 a.m. on the Crane Stage.

7. Late Nights: STS9, Thievery Corporation, Lotus

All Good boasts a stacked late night lineup to keep the party going into the morning hours. Thursday night features STS9, playing from 1:15 a.m. -3:00 a.m. on the Dragon Stage. Friday night features Thievery Corporation performing on the Dragon Stage from 1:15 a.m. -3:00 a.m. Lotus will be closing out the festival on the Dragon Stage from 1:00 a.m. -3:00 a.m. on Saturday.

6. Lettuce

These guys bring some serious funk to every show. Lettuce is on my list of must see bands anytime they play a festival. With a late night spot on the Crane Stage from 12:00 a.m. -1:15 a.m. directly following Primus, things are sure to go from weird to funky as soon as they take the stage. Be warned, you will find yourself dancing way too much at this set.

5. Yonder Mountain String Band

Who doesn’t love some late afternoon bluegrass to go with their whiskey? Veterans of the bluegrass world, Yonder is sure to deliver a high octane string infused dance party. They play the Crane Stage on Sunday from 6:15 p.m. -7:40 p.m. The addition of fiddle virtuoso Allie Kral and mandolin player Jacob Jolliff has Yonder sounding as good as they ever have.

4. Primus

Headlining Friday night at All Good on the Dragon Stage from 10:15 p.m. – 12:00 a.m., Primus is sure to bring the weird together for an unforgettable concert experience. Hot off the recent Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory tour, expect good things from bassist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry LaLonde, and drummer Jay Lane. Primus is no stranger to All Good, having performed at the festival in the past.

3. Joe Russo’s Almost Dead

JRAD is a fairly new band that has exploded onto the scene. These guys bring high energy, intense, authentic Grateful Dead tunes every time they step on stage. Joe Russo’s Almost Dead is super group composed of Scott Metzger, Tommy Hamilton, Dave Dreiwitz, Marco Benevento & Joe Russo. They perform on the Crane Stage on Friday night from 9:00 p.m. -10:15 p.m. If you haven’t seen them yet, be sure to check them out!

2. Twiddle

If you don’t know who Twiddle is by now, you should. Hailing from the green state of Vermont, they are taking the jamband world by storm and right now the sky is the limit for the quartet. Twiddle blends reggae, funk, and rock n roll into heavy improv laden sets. Twiddle has a huge following of fans and they are growing each and every time they take the stage. Twiddle kicks off the festival with an hour long performance on Thursday from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. on the Crane Stage.

Twiddle

1. moe.

New York State’s own moe. are veteran’s of the jamband festival circuit. Mixing heavy rock n roll with psychedelic improvisations moe. is going to rock the Dragon Stage on Thursday night for two hours from 10:00 p.m. -12:00 a.m. Expect soaring, crunchy, guitar solos and funk laden bass lines all night. Moe. has a heavy following all over the county, so expect many moe.rons to flock to All Good to see their beloved band and the rest of All Good’s amazing lineup.

moe. Saranac Brewery

There rest of All Good’s amazing lineup can be found here. Tickets will be available online until Wed July 8th, and prices will go up at the gate. Tickets can be purchased here. See you all in West Virgina!

July 3, 2015
MysterylandUSA: The People Make The Place

If you’re looking for a straightforward recount of the music at MysterylandUSA, you’ve come to the wrong place.

My trips up Bethel Woods‘ big hill to the stages generally ended the same: I walked laps around the circuit, stopping in to chat with vendors, taking a swing in a hammock, checking out a DJ for a few minutes, relaxing in the media section, and repeat. I had come to the site of the original Woodstock more for the festival than the music and, overall, Mysteryland was a spectacular production filled with fantastical participants. There were plenty of stages, tents and presentations to stay entertained and an incredibly gregarious gathering of people to share the experience with. Without further ado, here is a recollection of my 2015 MysterylandUSA:

The sun sparkled brightly in a cloudless sky and a pleasant breeze floated about the hills of Sullivan County. Despite the festival’s 10,000 camping passes being sold out, the steady line of cars leading to the grounds chugged along, never getting too bogged down for Friday’s pre-party. There were multiple checkpoints to prevent a general mass of congestion. At the first stop, vehicles were searched and, when I learned I could only bring in six beers, my heart sank a little — it was going to be a long weekend. To my left, to my right, security helped people pour liters of hard liquor into water bottles to bring in while they confiscated my case of beer. It didn’t make sense, it didn’t seem safe.

Mysteryland

After getting into the grounds, I set up my red-fox kiddy tent in a hurry. My partner-in-crime/photographer, Blue Steg, followed suit, putting up his blue dinosaur tent next door. We then lent helping hands to our neighbors, the three amigas, who were stuck in struggle city despite claiming to be professional tent-setter-uppers. They noticed our wristbands were sparkly and asked “You guys are a big deal or something?” “Depends on who you ask.” Their weekend home went up quickly and we made friends in a hurry.

We settled in, ate dinner, exhausted our weekend supply of beer, then Blue Steg and I wandered up to the music. It was a long hike up a steep hill. Rows of colorful flags lined the hillside, shimmering magnificently in the cool twilight breeze. Our first stop was at The Boat. The DJ set up on the bottom while partiers danced on the top deck or the field out front. We checked the scene out for a few minutes, lots of thumping and bumping, then strolled around the grounds, gaining our bearings. My Rangers jersey earned me more high-fives than I can remember and everyone around was in jovial moods. We called it an early night, but festival season had officially arrived.

Mysteryland

Cool overnights meant good sleeping and I rested until 9 a.m. Saturday without waking up in a puddle of sweat. My morning mission was to purchase beers for the day. When I got to the vendor, I asked for a case. “No cases.” I asked what kind of beer I could get. “Heinekin.” “Well…I think I’ll have a Heinekin,” I said, handing him a $20. He looked at the portrait of Andrew Jackson blankly. “We don’t take those around these parts,” he said. “You can go to that other booth and exchange for Birdy Bucks.” Dumbfounded, I walked over and traded in $40 for 18 BB’s, which were loaded directly into my wristband. I’m no math-whiz, but I figured a 4.5 BB beer in Mysteryland works out to be a $10 Heinekin in the U.S.A. The whole Birdy system sure seemed like a poorly veiled attempt to maximize profits by inhibiting conscientious consumerism. Too dejected to purchase one, I’d try my luck finding beers from neighbors in the grounds.

Mysteryland

When I got back home, the weekend took a wild twist when one of the three amigas asked, “You guys want some tequila?” “Yes.” “Well, we’ve got too much liquor, so please help us drink it. Just help yourselves.” I offered to pay her $20—real dollars, accepted nearly everywhere—because I would gladly spend a weekend in Margaritaville. “Do I look like a prostitute to you, bitch?” she snapped back. A feisty recent college graduate, we would get along well the rest of the weekend.

A cup or three of tequila later, Blue Steg, another of the amigas and I found the energy to hike back up to the music mid-afternoon. The amiga peeled off for The Boat, Blue Steg went to shoot some photos at The Big Top and I decided to explore the vending area. A couple of pretty Nomads noticed my “Umph Love” stickers and told me they liked my style. I stickered them and we started talking our music—Umphrey’s, Catskill Chill, Lettuce, they were into it all. After I said “see ya later,” to my new friends, I made my way to see Lee Burridge in the Spiegeltent. I wiggled around the exterior for a bit, entertained by the surrounding dancers. Bodies were packed into the large enclosed tent and most everyone was grooving.

Blue-Steg and I rendezvoused at 9:30pm and bumbled up to the VIP section. A couple of Brooklynites invited us to take the comfy chairs next to them. They accused us of being Shmevins—we ascertained it meant something like best friends—and chatted us up a bit. Gramatik’s music wafted our way from The Boat in the distance and seamlessly transitioned into Griz. The sax was easy on the ears and our counterpart Shmevins were easy on the eyes. Eventually we parted ways, back home for Red Fox and Blue Steg.

Mysteryland

On the way home, I found an over-zealous partier who was swaying dangerously. “Let’s get you home, brother,” I said, putting an arm around his shoulder to steady his gait. It was Teej’s first night at his first festival; he shot for the moon and landed in another galaxy. One slightly more coherent friend had stuck with him. They were amazed that a stranger would put an arm around him and get him home. “We’re in this ride together, boys, and we gotta take care of each other. Believe it or not, I’ve been in your boat before and someone helped me.” They got it. After delivering Teej to his tent and returning home, a brilliant display of fireworks went off in the sky. That seemed like a fitting end to the night so it was quitting time on Saturday.

I was greeted by paternal neighbor Santa Claus with a breakfast shot on Sunday. Santa and his crew were set up on the edge of a busy walkway and it was right where they belonged. Sunday was about challenging passers-by to flip cup. A few rounds in and I was feeling fully fueled for the last hoorah. An artistically gifted neighbor tattooed my back. Her friend washed my hair. Life was good and I was ready to hit the grounds.

Mysteryland

Blue Steg and I became separated in a hurry and I started doing my laps. First to the Nomads, then to the hammocks, then to this fantastical metal hexagon structure with fire dancing around the ceiling. An intricate Rube Goldberg was set up featuring a bowling ball going down chutes and through tunnels, dropping through a hoop and spinning around a funnel. The end result was a lever being loosened, an anvil crushing an old car, and loud applause from onlookers. An amazing path to destruction.

Dillon Francis and Diplo closed down the music that night with more fireworks overhead. Looking to carry on with the debauchery, I went back to an old school bus/playground where the silent disco raged on. It’s quite the spectacle when you take your headphones off and watch people boogie in silence. After a short spell, however, I felt an urge to wander. One last loop past Pineapple Paradise and through the campgrounds. Blue Steg was waiting back home and we congratulated each other on surviving the start to festival season.

Mysteryland

I will never be referred to as an EDM-head, and that has not changed since my Memorial Day weekend in Bethel, NY. Mysteryland did little to increase my liking of electronic music. What I did come away with, however, is a newfound respect for fans of the scene. My previous experiences in the EDM realm involved watching too many boys and girls running around in neon underwear, pacifiers in mouths, trying to solve perpetual identity crises with unrequited sex. These creatures were conspicuously absent at Mysteryland; instead, I found the festival-goers were normal (I use that term loosely) people like me who just prefer Diplo over Dopapod and A-Trak over Umphrey’s. Mysteryland, you were a helluva ride and Mysterylanders, you were the perfect crew to cruise with.

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June 10, 2015
Festival Packing List: Things You Don’t Want to Forget!

Festival season is upon us! It’s time to get your plans in order, buy your tickets, get your crew together, and most importantly, PACK. If you’ve been to a music festival, you know what to bring – the basics like tent, ticket, change of clothes, cooler, those are a given – but what about the items that can make your festival experience that much better, that much more fun and create the ultimate music festival experience.

The staff at NYS Music, experienced festivarians for the most part, have come up with some items you should consider for your festival packing list and bringing along with your this summer as you head out in the world of music festivals, especially throughout New York State where there are far more festivals than any other state in the country.

Did we miss something? Let us know in the comments section what YOU consider a *must*bring*item* for music festivals.

Electronics

A cell charger like Jackery or go big and get a multiple port portable charger.

An external, battery-powered speaker.

Campsite

A flag to spot your campsite: add one of these high enough in the air and everyone near you will use your campsite as a landmark throughout the weekend.

Solar powered lights to surround your tent and battery-powered lights that line the inside of an EZ Up.

Candles to keep away bugs

Headlamp for navigating back to your tent in the dark.

Portable tent fan

WD40 and Duct tape – if it moves and shouldn’t, Duct Tape. If it doesn’t move and should, WD40

Drinking and eating

A flask that turns a baby doll into a beverage container

Want to make friends at any festival? Bring copious amounts of extra bacon. Be the bacon fairy.

Liquor in plastic bottles with mixers clearly labeled

Bloody Mary supplies

Personal items

Extra set of car keys (save the headache of getting AAA to the fest)

Condoms

Extra toilet paper/tampons

Gold bond

Tall Wellies (aka rain boots)

Plastic grocery bags – So many uses. Great for the rain and if you need something to keep your socks dry. It can be used as a dirty clothes bag, garbage, and are great to bag sandwiches with if you want to make some for the trek.

Random fun stuff

A roll of Umph Love stickers and Walkie-Talkies

Arts and crafts and games for the kids

A wagon for lugging in gear and/or for the kids to ride in

Hoops, costumes, things for late night madness.

Collaborative clothing: “There was a guy at moe.’s Tropical Throe.down this year who brought a white T-shirt that had maybe like the name of the fest and one lyric line printed on it. He brought markers, and the day he wore it, he had everyone he talked to sign it. He posted pics of it on the group Facebook when we all got home, and it was cool to see how it ended up – there were a lot of dicks and other silly pics, of course, but there were a lot of cool signatures and messages on it, too.” – Jess Collier.

festival packing list

May 18, 2015
FESTY NEWS: Purple Pig 2015 Announces Final Lineup

Get ready to take flight! The Purple Pig Music Festival 2015 has added a number of bands to its lineup, and it promises a weekend full of fun with a variety of musical styles to indulge in.

Final lineup for Purple Pig 2015:

Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad
Driftwood
Sophistafunk
Hypnotic Clambake
The Rigs
ThunderBody
Subsoil
Horizon Wireless
Blind Owl Band
Danielle Ponder & the Tomorrow People
Mikaela Davis
Richie and Rosie
Kevin Kinsella
Mosaic Foundation
The Prickers
The Buddhahood
The Moho Collective
White Woods
Mulberry Soul
The Big Mean Sound Machine
The Chris English Project
Beat the Grid
Solaris
Seth Faergolzia
Blindspots
Maybird
Folkfaces
Slyboots
The Younger Gang
Personal Blend
Thoroughbred
Tryptic Soy
3 Mountain Hollow
Ryan Johnson
Milkweed
Dead Metaphor Cabaret
Eastern Boys with Western Shirts
Bob Bunce’s Rural Delivery
Irshad Chan
Squaw Island
The Reckoning Project

The Purple Pig Festival has grown exponentially in its four years of existence into one of upstate’s best. Held on a picturesque blueberry farm just outside of Naples, N.Y., the Pig offers multiple amenities and free on-site camping for the three-day extravaganza this Aug. 28-30. Three stages will host a bevy of bands with New York-based talent spotlighted. Purple Pig is brought to you by Roots Collider Presents.

The festival was founded by a group of friends who want to celebrate the amazing artistic talent they have found amongst New York’s musicians, artists, dancers, poets, writers and actors. “As hosts of the Purple Pig we are nothing short of blessed to have these such acts for you on one of the most beautiful pieces of land that you’ll ever live on for 3 days,” they write on the homepage of the festival’s website.

Tickets are a mere $80 for the three days and are available online now. Late comers can grab tickets at the gate for $100, provided there are any left. One-day tickets are also available. Join the event.

April 25, 2015