The Farming Man Fest returns to Indian Ladder Farms in Altamont on Saturday, July 16, from 2 pm to 11 pm.
The celebration paused due to the Coronavirus pandemic, but is back and better than ever, offering attendees hours of live music and craft beverages. The fest will celebrate with 28 breweries, 4 distilleries, 7 bands, and 4 DJs over the course of 9 hours.
Farming Man, formerly known as Bottle Share, began in 2014 with about 10 breweries with the aim to help the industry grow and network. After just a few years, the fest has successfully grown after being first opened completely to the public in 2018.
Visitors can take in the scenery of the century-old Indian Ladder Farms orchards as they make their way to the back of the farm where the fest will take place overseeing views of the Helderberg Escarpment. Producers from all over New York State will meet them there with brews and ciders to enjoy as they take in the live music.
This year’s featured bands include The Jagaloons, Televisionaries, The Abyssmals, Bruel County Bad Boys, BattleaXXX, Mystery Girl, The College Farm, and DJs Big Ed, Ritz Carlton, and Spacewolf with Masterpeace.
Another highlight of the festival will be the premiere of “Farming Man the Beer,” which Indian Ladder Farms Cidery and Brewery Head Brewer, Scott Veltman, will taste on the day of the festival. Multiple breweries collaborated with Indian Ladder Farms, including Common Roots Brewing, Plan Bee, Wayward Lane, and others.
Tickets for those who wish to just enjoy music and food are $25. General Admission for those 21+ are $30, and includes a commemorative pint glass. Kids under 13 years of age are free. For more information and tickets, click here.
The full list of participating breweries and distilleries can be found below.
Arrowood Farms Brewery, Artisanal Brew Works, Big aLICe Brewing, Bolton Landing Brewing, Bound By Fate, Brewery at CIA, Brooklyn Cider House, Browns, Common Roots Brewing, Community Beerworks, Creature Comforts, Frog Alley, Helderberg Mountain Brewing, Mixed Breed Brewing, Nine Pin, ONCO Fermentations, Paradox, Rare Form, Rip Van Winkle Brewing Company, Rockaway Brewing, Saint James Brewery, Single Cut Beersmiths, Strong Rope Brewery, Unified Beerworks, Wayward Lane, Whitman Brewing Company, Woodstock, and The Warbler Brewery, Albany Distilling Co., Four Fights Distillery, Kings County Distillery, and New Scotland Spirits.
The 10th anniversary of Peach Music Festival took place at Montage Mountain in Scranton, PA over July 4th weekend. The festival began in 2012 by the Allman Brothers and Live Nation. Throughout the years, the music of the Allman Brothers has remained a focus with the evolving cast of musicians. The Montage Mountain Ski resort transforms into a water park in the summer months, and the Pavilion hosts concerts. The water park is a unique aspect to a music festival that makes this festival appealing to a wide range of guests.
Day 1: Billy Strings Closes Out the Opening Day
While some people began arriving on Wednesday, most guests arrived on Thursday, June 30. It was a beautiful day to set up camp and get ready for the music to begin in the late afternoon. Billy Strings, Keller Williams, Samantha Fish, Midnight North, Yam-Yam, Consider the Source were among the acts kicking off the festival.
There was a noticeable air of excitement for Billy Strings, with a consistently long line at his merch tent. Keller Williams delivered a late afternoon set full of classics with the aid of an array of pedals, but mostly just his trusty acoustic. Samantha Fish was a delightful surprise. Beginning the day unaware of her music, her set filled with powerful vocals, rocking guitars, and a striking stage presence. I became a fan. The evening headliner, Billy Strings, played to a packed pavilion and lawn. A full day of anticipation exploded into a sea of fans swaying and singing along to his blend of Bluegrass and Jam. Speaking with fans over the course of the weekend, Billy’s set was constantly a fan favorite. Consider the Source, the New York City trio, closed out the Grove Stage for Thursday with their unique blend of Sci-Fi Fusion. Steeped in Middle Eastern influences, their cosmic sound set the perfect tone to bookend a truly great day of music.
Day 2: Weather Doesn’t Dampen Spirits
Friday, day two of the festival, included another full day of music and enjoying the venue. Before the music began, the fans enjoyed the art displays in the lodge and utilized the water park. A sober group of music fans also held their morning meeting at the lodge, making the Peach Festival at Montage Mountain a welcome place for all fans.
Music began mid-day with Eggy, The Jauntee, Marco Benevento, Eric Krasno, The Kitchen Dwellers, The Motet, Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening, Andy Frasco & The U.N., Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, and Pigeons Playing Ping Pong. The late afternoon sets were affected by a severe weather event that had fans sheltering under the spacious pavilion. The house speakers kept fans happy while heavy rains descended on the grounds. The event staff were extremely helpful and efficient about keeping people safe.
Once the all clear was given, Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening brought fans to their feet transporting the crowd to another time and place. The blend of voices and instruments was eerily close to the CDs on which I grew up.
Andy Frasco & The U.N. put on one of the most kinetic performances I’ve ever witnessed. Frasco’s shows are legendary for the band’s energy and crowd interaction. Entering the stage with a baby carriage that was home to an opossum, and raising it to the crowd like Raffiki did with Simba set the wheels in motion for his memorable set. Performing a mix of songs from his new album, Wash, Rinse, Repeat, the crowd was singing along with their favorites. One of several highlights from this set was when Andy had the entire crowd doing the Horah dance with the crew quickly adding extensions to his microphone wire as he waded to the center of the whirling crowd.
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong closed out the night with a late night set to a packed pavilion. The rollicking set was cut short with another severe weather event that caused the festival to cancel the rest of their set, out of an abundance of caution for everyone’s safety.
Day 3: Trey Anastasio and Goose
Day three of the festival began with some residual rain, which quickly gave way to a perfectly sunny sky. Karina Rykman, Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country, Jaimoe & Friends, Pixie & The Partygrass Boys, Neighbor, Rayland Baxter, Celisse, The Revivalists, Cordovas, Trey Anastasio Band, Brandon “Taz” Niederauer & Friends, and Goose filled the day with music.
A new artist known to those that attended the festival last year was Celisse. She played the festival on the Grove Stage in 2021 and had Trey Anastasio sit in with her. This year she owned the Peach Stage, belting out songs filled with power and emotion.
The Revivalists were up next on the main stage. David Shaw, the lead singer, brought his voice even closer to the crowd venturing off the stage to stand atop the large speakers. Singing directly to those lucky fans at the rail, Shaw sang crowd favorites with those in the pavilion singing along. As darkness descended on the festival grounds, light-up outfits, hula-hoops, and totems could be seen under the pavilion. The Trey Anastasio Band delivered a packed set which included several Phish covers including “Blaze On,” “Everything’s Right,” and “Gotta Jibboo.” One of the many highlights came towards the end when, in a twist of fortunes, Celisse sat in with Trey. Together they performed three songs: “The Moma Dance, “A Life Beyond The Dream,” and “Rise/Come Together.”
Brandon “Taz” Niederauer closed out the Mushroom Stage, while Cycles closed out the Grove Stage. Goose was the final act of the night with a special late night set. Anticipated all day by fans, Goose did not disappoint. With their ever upward trajectory, the band has amassed a following that is staggering when you consider their brief time together.
Day 4: Black Crowes Close Out Peach
Like all good things, even the Peach Music Festival must come to an end. The fourth day represented the last day of the 10th Anniversary of Peach Music Festival at Montage Mountain. The day began with a sense of melancholy, until the music started. Then fans rejoiced in the waning hours together.
Duane Betts, Daniel Donato & Friends, Maggie Rose, Dogs in a Pile, The Wailers, G. Love & The Juice, TAUK, and The Black Crowes were among the acts rounding out the weekend. Daniel Donato Brought a little county to the festival with Allman roots. At the Mushroom Stage, Dogs in a Pile are with fans enjoying their energetic set of psychedelic fusion. G. Love & The Juice, a band put together by Philly-based G. Love, and, as he describes them, the most exceptional musicians he’s played with. The hip-hop and blues influenced music was perfect companion to the jam-centric sets, which got fans to their feet.
Long Island-based TAUK brought their instrumental, EDM influenced beats to the Mushroom Stage. Their unique sound filled in a void of electronic funk music. The wordless instrumental music gave fans an opportunity to shake the cobwebs off of the weekend and become lost in the beats. To fill in your own emotions and experiences to a song is a special trait of instrumental music.
The final act of the Peach Festival was The Black Crowes. The Rock band fronted by Chris Robinson has been at it for over 30 years. They have continued to be a true rock band that fans flock to. They were a fitting bookend to a truly great weekend of music.
A Grateful Finale
At a special place, like the Peach Festival on Montage Mountain, you can look around at the sea of gyrating bodies, moving together and appreciate the collective experience you’ve just gone through. Smile at the friends that ventured to the festival with you, or the new ones made over the weekend. Having the space to be grateful for the music, the comradery, for all that awaits once we pack up and head home is an incredibly precious gift. As life becomes more entangled and busy, a music festival is truly just what the doctor ordered.
Alt rock band The Wrecks made a local stop on their Better Than Ever Tour tour in Buffalo on June 29. The Rec Room was flooding with people from front of the venue to back for the sold-out show. Openers Girlhouse and Mothe got an already pumped up crowd ready for the night.
Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
The Wrecks are LA-based, however, vocalist and producer Nick Anderson hails from Wellsville, NY, so this show in Buffalo reunited him with friends and family that were alongside him when he first starting building this dream. Nick started this band in the middle of nowhere just making demos on his laptop. He slowly started building an audience and from there connected with others on the internet. It’s from online interactions that Nick connected with future bassist Aaron Kelley. Later he moved out to California where he recruited lead guitarist Nick Schmidt and drummer Billy Nally. A few secret sneak-in sessions into the studio after and the rest is history.
Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
The show in Buffalo showed nothing short of this band’s high energy reputation. The Wrecks opened the night with their hit “Out Of Style,” off of their 2020 album Infinitely Ordinary. Nick’s engagement with the crowd opened up some mosh pits followed by some much needed water breaks. The rest of the band cleared out after a few songs as the lead vocalist shared some acoustic versions. They even brought the openers back out to join in.
The Wrecks latest album release Sonder has been what their fans have been most excited about. The crowd proved this when they screamed the lyrics to “Ugly Side,” and “Normal” from the June 10 release. However, nothing compared to the rage that started when the group closed out the night with their #1 single “Favorite Liar.” With Nick running into the audience, crowd surfers from front to back, and belting fans, it made for a finisher to remember.
Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
Follow up with The Wrecks latest stops on their tour. Also make sure to check out upcoming shows at Rec Room. Nonpoint performs July 10 and The Acacia Strain will be there July 13.
Setlist: Out Of Style, Figure This Out, I Love This Part, Feels So Nice, Freaking Out, Dystopia, This Life I Have, Ugly Side, Normal, Panic Vertigo, Sonder, Fvck Somebody, Where Are You Now, James Dean
Brooklyn-based rock duo Power Pose have released their debut full-length album I’m Looking, released on July 1, with a fiery first single in the drum-backed “Honey.”
Power Pose
Formed in 2017, Power Pose serves up 90’s infused indie rock with a fresh feminist perspective. Inspired by emotionally evocative performers like PJ Harvey, Sleater-Kinney and Gossip, Jacqueline Bodley (guitar/vocals) and Kelly Rudman (drums) approach their songwriting with fierce candor. Together, this duo has crafted a brash, self-assured sound that commands attention.
Bodley and Rudman share a feminist outlook that informs their art from involved in #MeToo movement, to writing lyrics are both an exploration of self and an examination of the ways that women must work to navigate their environments. Feelings of isolation, desire, fantasy, escapism, and the urgent need to reclaim one’s agency are woven into the fabric of their songs. These feelings are expressed forward with danceable beats and driving guitar riffs in their new songs.
Power Pose “Honey”
Their first single “Honey,” is a DIY, carefree video–an at-home dance party complete with playful colors and wigs as the duo jam together. With a nod to Joan Jett’s anthemic rock-n-roll style, “Honey” kicks off with a pounding drum beat and went along with the thumping rhythm, winding bass groove and infectious guitar riffs. Their sultry vocals added the tune a flirtatious, playful energy as the duo remains carefree, confident and unabashedly themselves.
Setting the tone in the opening verse, Bodley sings, “Saw it on TV / Did I waste my time / Cause it feels like I / Spent all my life / Taking what was offered me.” The track sees the duo unwilling to settle, to get nothing less than what they deserve, and encourages listeners to do the same.
The lyrics for “Honey” originated in a dark place, but the song transforms that darkness into something joyful and empowering. When you aren’t well, it’s easy to lose confidence and feel disconnected from your physical self. “Honey” is about someone living vicariously through the media they consume and plunging into fantasy to escape their reality. Ultimately, the narrator wakes herself up to reclaim her strength and sexual confidence. The song is about shaking off your insecurities and completely letting go. Its danceability celebrates the feeling of moving and connecting with your body.
Bodley
The video, made with an iPhone and shot, directed and edited by Bodley herself, allowed the duo to play with identity, blur reality and fantasy, and act out different personas. They would like to invite the audiences to join the fantasy with the boundary-blurred reality and fiction expressed in this music.
Power Pose I’m Looking
In addition to the single, the duo’s full-length debut album I’m Looking arrived July 1, 2022. Over the seven tracks, the duo finds a new approach to their womanhood as they explore themes like desire, agency, modern romance and everything in between. They are unafraid to confront emotions ranging from rage to carefree joy while they find strength in taking back their space and bodies. Feminist and fearless, Power Pose offer a gritty and honest point of view that brings catharsis during a time of reckoning, which redefined womanhood and reclaimed their agency and femininity as they blaze their own trail.
The tone of the album was heavily influenced by what was going on culturally at the time. MeToo was a huge part of the news when we first started writing music together, and there seemed to be constant think pieces being published that explored women’s perspectives in unprecedented ways. This got us thinking about our past experiences in a new light. The ways that women are socialized to approach desire and pleasure, the ways we are stereotyped and objectified, the ways that we are expected to behave and the coping mechanisms we develop to navigate social pressures. These were all themes that were simmering in our minds when we wrote these songs.
Bodley
Bold, bouncy and confident, “Honey,” out everywhere now, allows Power Pose to assert themselves as they fiercely claim their space and reconnect with their bodies. In a time of a raging pandemic and reproductive rights in question, Power Pose feel reinvigorated and ready to bring forth their fresh perspective with their debut album I’m Looking, out July 1, 2022 and available for pre-order now.
Denver, Colorado’s Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats took the stage during Beak & Skiff’s Summer Concert Series in Lafayette on June 29, 2022, to a sold out crowd in support of their latest album, The Future, an 11-track record released in November 2021. Opening for Rateliff was the Brooklyn based band, Antibalas.
The evening started with Rateliff commenting, “I can’t believe you all came” and from there, the night was filled with numerous hits from the bands ever growing catalog which spans back to 2015 when The Night Sweats were formed and the thousands in attendance were captivated from start to finish.
As Nathaniel and his bandmates took the stage for the encore, those in attendance were treated to the end of the a fantastic evening with “I’ll Be Damned” and “S.O.B.”, the hit that launched them from the clubs of Denver to the national stage, and finishing the night with “Love Don’t.”
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats – Beak and Skiff, Lafayette, NY – June 29, 2022
Setlist: The Future Falling (Fast), Look It Here, You Worry Me, I’m On Your Side, Say It Louder, Survivor, Baby I Lost My Way (But I’m Going Home) So Put Out, A Little Honey, Love Me Till I’m Gone. Face Down in the Moment, And It’s All Alright, Oh, I, Hey Mama, Coolin’ Out, I Need Never Get Old
moe. begins a truncated summer tour this week, taking them across New York State, where they have made their mark for more than 30 years. The moe. lineup – Al Schnier, Rob Derhak, Vinnie Amico and Jim Loughlin – continues to feature Suke Cerulo and Nate Wilson, filling in for Chuck Garvey as he steadily recovers from a stroke he had in November 2021.
Chuck Garvey projected onto the walls of The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY – photo by Filip Zalewski
moe. bassist Rob Derhak and the band have spent time over the past two months rehearsing with Cerulo and Wilson at Big Blue North in Utica to prepare the sextet for their first real stretch of shows without Garvey.
The Chuck shows at The Cap in December with all the guest musicians, those guys (Suke and Nate) were part of the last set of the second night, and the set just really gelled. We had no time to rehearse with anyone beyond soundcheck; Suke had spent his time doing his homework, and Nate has sat in many times and knows a lot of songs, so when it came time to decide, it wasn’t that hard a decision. They can play really well and had a jump on the material, so both factors made it simple.
We’re very fortunate that those guys put the work in ahead of time and did their homework to learn the material, so it was a good fit and a good call in the end.
Rob Derhak, on Suke Cerulo and Nate Wilson
Derhak spoke to NYS Music shortly after Summer Camp Music Festival had wrapped its 21st year, where hosts moe. and Umphrey’s McGee performed 5 sets each over three days at their respective stages in Three Sisters Park. Derhak, along with Schnier, Amico and Loughlin threw Cerulo and Wilson some curveballs that they were still able to hit into play.
There was a 3-song sandwich – “Rebubula” > “So Long” > “Buster” > “Rebubula” – that was a situation where most people may not understand what’s going on but those guys got it. We talked about it ahead of time but never played through the whole thing with them. It came off without a hitch. Nate added a new keyboard intro for “Rebubula” that was really cool.
Rob Derhak
This was of course the first Summer Camp that Garvey had missed in the last two decades, and there was an emotional vibe with the band while they rehearsed and warmed up before the fest. From the Summer Camp Moonshine Stage, Derhak recalled how he felt two separate emotions during the weekend:
One is I keep looking over where Chuck would be, and he isn’t there, and it makes me feel weird and sad. And doing shots before a set, we would always wait for Chuck, and instinctively it’s kinda sad. I miss him, and it’s still not exactly right without him playing there.
Having Nate and Suke play at the same time, it’s almost a guilty feeling having this much fun, knowing Chuck would be loving this. Chuck did FaceTime with the band, saying he was jealous. It was bittersweet.
Rob Derhak
moe.rons can get a change to see Cerulo and Wilson with moe. a few times in July, as they will perform a free show at the Empire State Plaza on Wednesday, July 6 in Albany from 5:30-8:30 p.m., one that looks to have warm breezy weather for the show.
That won’t be all for moe. this summer though – they have a trio of shows in the Northeast over Labor Day weekend, starting at Stateside Amphitheater in Jay, VT on Friday, September 2, then they head down to Lake George for the annual ADK Independence Festival for two nights of two set shows. Labor Day weekend and moe. go hand in hand, given the nearly 20 years of moe.down festivals held in Turin and Mohawk, NY.
We joked last year it was like a little moe.down and after playing, it really was. I’m looking forward to it because it’s a great three days of music, perfect size and location, the vibe is amazing, and made me think of moe.down quite a bit when we did it.
Derhak noted that following the fall shows, moe. will look to start working with Garvey in “sometime in September and getting back to where we gotta go.” With regular check-ins and FaceTime calls, the band hopes to get a better idea of where Garvey is in his recovery and look ahead with new hope for the new year.
The Battery in New York City announced its lineup for the River and Blues series on Thursdays in July at Wagner Park. Located at the southern tip of Manhattan Island, this event is set to featurre fabulous singers including Nicole Atkins, Eljuri, Cha Wa, Lady Wary, Cedric Burnside, and Maggie Rose to enjoy the summer sunsets.
River & Blues at The Battery
The Battery, formerly known as Battery Park, is a 25-acre (10 ha) public park bounded by Battery Place on the north, State Street on the east, New York Harbor to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. The park contains attractions such as an early 19th century fort named Castle Clinton; multiple monuments; and the SeaGlass Carousel.
Nicole Atkins – July 7th at 6PM
Nicole Atkins
Born in New Jersey, Nicole Atkins started playing piano at nine years old and taught herself to play guitar at 13. Now as a soul singer and songwriter, Nicole Atkins blends disco, folk, and country rock on her latest release, Memphis Ice.
Eljuri & Cha Wa – July 14th at 6PM
Elguri
Touted as one of the top Latina guitar players in the world, Eljuri is a genre-fusing artist that blends the sounds and rhythms of her life experiences into her song-writing and guitar playing.
Cha Wa
The New Orleans based Mardi Gras Indian funk band Cha Wa had an infectious music and stage show when they were nominated by Grammy. The name Cha Wa is a slang phrase used by Mardi Gras Indian tribes, meaning “we’re comin’ for ya” or “here we come.” Cha Wa has been described as “funk with feathers” – a sound rooted in traditional New Orleans Mardi Gras Indian music mixed with funk and soul, a non-stop groove machine.
Lady Wary – July 21st at 6PM
Lady Wray
Virginia-born artist Nicole Wray shows off her dexterous range of singing and songwriting, infusing hints of soul, R&B, and hip-hop into head-nodding, funky stories with the power to heal.
Cedric Burnside & Maggie Rose – July 28th at 6PM
Maggie Rose
Cooperated with multiple bands, Maggie Rose has learned great experience in music. She also recorded two songs that were featured in episodes of the Disney Channel’s Shake It Up and Good Luck Charlie television series. After years of honing her chops and making her name as a force-of nature vocalist, the Nashville-based singer/songwriter Maggie Rose has dreamed up her own unbridled collision of rock-and-roll, soul, folk, funk, and R&B.
Cedric Burnside
Cedric Burnside, an American electric blues guitarist, drummer, singer and songwriter born into a prominent family of North Mississippi Hill Country legends. These sensibilities are reflected across his work and impeccably showcased on his 2022 GRAMMY™- winning release, I Be Trying. Burnside’s vocals, recorded in Willie Mitchell’s Royal Studios in Memphis, focus on romantic reverses and tenacious love with complete understanding.
After two years off, the heavily anticipated Electric Forest Music Festival made a renowned comeback in Rothbury, Michigan. Musicians in various genres gathered on this 4-day event from June 23 to June 26 alongside people from all around the world.
Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
Electric Forest goes beyond so-called norms that other music festivals are known for. In the seemingly middle of nowhere a sense of community is built. This festival has countless activities, events, and secret rewards that feel endless. It’s impossible to experience every single thing Electric Forest has to offer. Every hour of the day has something going on. From DJs playing until 6am, meditation sessions during the day, and secret sets popping off if you’re lucky enough to find them. The Forest does not disappoint and that’s why we compiled a list of some of the top things it has to offer.
Top 10 Things at Electric Forest
1. Saturday Night The String Cheese Incident Signature Shebang
The String Cheese Incident are no strangers to the event as they have been major contributors since Electric Forest was first beginning. It is because of this epic reputation they have built that they continue to play multiple sets throughout the weekend. However, it is their Saturday Night set that always draws the biggest crowd due to their signature “Shebang.” For EF 2022 they brought out other artists on stage, had lasers, giant inflatables, confetti, and fireworks. As if that already wasn’t enough, this year the band had a massive disco ball be lifted over the stage with a crane. This group definitely lives up to their reputation!
Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
2. The Brainery Events
All weekend a designated event center called the Brainery compiled a list throughout each day where numerous experiences were available to partake in. These included, crafts, yoga sessions, mediations, sound baths, CPR training, sharing circles and much more. This provided a great space to re-center and connect with others.
Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
3. The Giving Tree
The Giving Tree is located inside the festival where people get the opportunity leave and take various gifts of your choosing. From jewelry, to lighters, to whatever treasure you can find surrounding the area is open to communal sharing. This tradition has been around for a while and seems to be a popular one as individuals are constantly gathered around the tree.
4. The Outfits
Walking around the forest feels as if you entered a new world! People are dressed in such cool outfits that it makes it feel like a constant party. Performers walk around in groups as well, some even on stilts. The funny coordinated group outfits are a great addition too.
Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
5. Exploring the Forest at Night
Electric Forest lives up to their name but specifically at night. The lighting, buildings, lasers, and art installations are overflowing throughout the woods. Walking around during the day compared to the night is two different experiences. Night time brings a sense of magic into the air as the colors fill the skies and trees. Even laying down in your hammock is entertaining as you stare up into the fairy oasis of lights.
6. Carousel Club
Various musicians performed at Carousel Club which was a fun stage surrounded by entertaining stands. The walkway to Carousel Club was filled with a golf course, massage areas, a hairstyling room, and a tattoo shop. Seeing a set inside the Carousel Club made for even more fun due to the hot air balloons going up around it and sand filling half of the venue.
RKS at EF Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
7. The Scavenger Hunt
Every year the forest has a secret scavenger hunt. People get to explore the performance stages, phone booths, secret fairy houses, and hush rumors to figure out the puzzles. Collaborative teams can go around trying to find the missing pieces which honestly is a lot harder than it sounds, but it makes for a fun time.
8. Statues
Each year of Electric Forest has a designated statue. These sculptures are massive and beautiful to look at. A new one comes every year but they still display the ones from past years throughout the woods you just have to find them.
Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
9. DJ Sets at the Observatory
The observatory is a festival and environment stage located in the middle of the lit-up forest. This makes it a prime spot to catch new artists whether your dancing on top of the tall stairs beside it or swinging in your hammock next to it. The stage is built like a castle and is surrounded by art installations. The visuals in this area are a must see.
GRiZ at EF Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
10. The Community
The forest brings so many people from different walks of life and perspectives together in one place. The way this environment is able to strip stresses from real life away and open the door for connection is unlike no other. Everyday presented new experiences and significantly those where you’re always interacting with strangers. Electric Forest is a place for love and connection to flourish. The community it is able to establish is incomparable to any other and really unexplainable. But it’s something that keeps drawing people back every year.
All Photos by Maddie McCafferty
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Brooklyn-based alt-rock artist Moon Walker has released his newest single, “The Price of Life Itself,” off of his upcoming sophomore album, The Attack Of Mirrors, set for release on October 21, 2022.
Photo credit: Madison McConnell
With reverberated vocals, electric guitar, and gritty lyrics, the new track sheds light on injustices in American society. Moon Walker, also known as Harry Springer, wrote the track in the midst of the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 after seeing first-hand the militarized response to a peaceful protest.
Moon Walker shares that the track is one of his most proud moments lyrically. The music video, directed by returning Madison McConnell, conveys an uneasy sense of reality to its viewers, channeling the themes of Alice in Wonderland. Taking place in a house covered in ivy, with warm outfits, hazy lighting, and a fish-eye lens, the music video combines groove and defiance into one.
It was a moment where I really realized how much my sense of safety, freedom and protection was a facade. Our country’s institutions are all so deeply broken and flawed, that not only do none of them actually accomplish what they set out to, they likely have the opposite effect. The entire ethos of the song can be summarized in one of the final lyrics: ‘We can stay above the water, while still lending a hand to those who sink.’ That is the price of life itself.
– Moon Walker
Harry Springer coined Moon Walker at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, passing the time by selling songs to various sound libraries. All of his music is composed, produced, and performed in his bedroom, but the sound is fit for much more than that.
Photo Credit: Madison McConnell
After sudden success on the viral video-making app Tik Tok, Moon Walker’s first seven-track album, Truth to Power, rose to light. Artists such as Justin Hawkins praised Moon Walker for his work, and he is back with his sophomore effort on The Attack of Mirrors out early this fall.
The second album from Moon Walker will see a more maximalist, experimental approach than compared to his previous work. With powerful, thought-provoking lyrics and a unique sound, the new album is sure to have success.
Brooklyn-based indie-rock band Wilder Maker released their newest single, “A Professional” on June 27 from their upcoming album, Male Models, out on July 29 via Western Vinyl. The single features guest lead vocalist Felicia Douglass of Dirty Projectors and Ava Luna.
Photo credit: Ebru Yildiz
Made up of musicians Gabriel Birnbaum, Nick Jost, and Sean Mullins, Wilder Maker began with a series of self-releases and home recordings before debuting music such as “New Streets” (2017), and Zion (2018) to much acclaim. Their upcoming Male Models album was live-recorded over several days and includes an impressive lineup of guest vocalists.
The track, “A Professional” is one of twelve songs on Male Models. Although the lead vocalist and songwriter of Wilder Marker, Birnbaum, does not sing on the track, Douglass’ vocals shine right in the start. Her voice carries the song’s message of isolation with feeling. With simple chords eventually overlaid with drum beats and other instrumentation, the track blends together beautifully.
’A Professional’ dips into the feeling of digital isolation … the way the physical world has become less real and more ghostly, less mysterious and more quantifiable. It’s inspired by this recurring experience I have, usually traveling, where I’ve been alone all day and I suddenly want to connect very badly with people I care about. I fire off several texts and sit there waiting for the phone to light up, with this strange feeling that everyone I know might have vanished. As soon as I imagined Felicia singing this song, I knew she’d be perfect for it, and she was. I’m so happy and grateful she was able to do it.
– Songwriter Gabriel Birnbaum
The upcoming Male Models features more guest lead vocalists, including an impressive line-up of Adam Duritz (Counting Crows), Katie Von Schleicher, Felicia Douglass, Alex Schaaf (Yellow Ostrich), V.V. Lightbody, and Mutual Benefit. Across the 12 songs on the album, audiences will find electrified soul, heartfelt folk songs, indie rock, and more.
Birnbaum drew from a wide array of inspirations for the album, including everything from American novelist James Salter, the NBA playoffs, to Thin Lizzy and the topic of masculinity. After making music for nearly a decade together, Wilder Maker is set for the release of yet another energetic album – stay tuned for July 29.
