Early Summer Festival Guide 2012
Story and Photos by Selena Hodom

With the festival season quickly approaching, we always take a look at the biggest bang for your well earned festival dollar.  Well, there were a few surprises amongst the larger and later festivals with moe. down returning to Turin, NY with a new date, and The Allman Brothers announcing Peach Festival in Pennsylvania in August.  We certainly will keep an eye out as Gathering of the Vibes continues with line-up announcements.  This guide focuses on the earlier, larger shows.  We will keep you informed and groovin' all summer with information on the biggest and best music festivals. 
   With the escalating costs of gas, we know that this decision becomes increasingly more difficult each season.  Here is a breakdown of the things that matter to you.  Whether you choose to stay close to home and enjoy the rockin' sounds of Mountain Jam, or make the adventure a little farther west to Summer Camp, the summer is coming soon and we want to help you plan your escape.
 

Summer Camp: Chillicothe, IL May 25th- 27th
  This might be a little premature to say but, I am sure the Summer Camp line-up might be the best one of the summer.  Three Days of moe.  Three Days of Umphrey's McGee.  Jane's Addiction, Primus, Pretty Lights, and me wishing I owned an airplane.  Weir, Robinson, Greene Trio is the high end collaboration at this show.  Gogol Bordello, G. Love, Keller Williams, Lotus, Spearhead, Yonder, Cornmeal, Leftover Salmon.  The list keeps going.  This top heavy line-up has Victor Wooten, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Devil Makes Three, and Greensky Bluegrass in smaller type, if that gives you any indication of what you are in for.  They boast 6 stages and over 100 bands.
Camping, Site, Green Efforts, and Special Things:
  The camping has pretty standard offerings for tent and RV's.  They do take festival greening to an astonishing level with Bio-Diesel generators being the prevailing power source at the festival site.  They have a huge focus on supporting the community they impact and the local business economy.  They have clearly coded bins for recycling, trash, and composting.  They also have their own green team staff that mans the trash and recycling stations for the duration of the event.  Each attendee is given 3 color coded bags upon entering the festival site to encourage participation in reducing the festival's waste.
For ticketing and more information visit: summercampfestival.com


DelFest: Cumberland, MD May 24th-27th

  The most family oriented of the early festivals.  DelFest is a traditions, and progressive string show.  The Del McCoury Band your obvious hosts for the three day throw down.  The who's who of the bluegrass world is carefully intermingled with the fast paced new comers.  The festival is now offering progressive late night jams that will surly appeal to the younger generations of string music fans.  As with all string based festivals you can be sure there will be a lot of collaboration amongst the artists in the genre. Béla Fleck with Alan Bartram, Jason Carter, Ronnie McCoury, & Danny Paisley promises to be a historic moment for the festival.  There are a number of collaborative sets already built into the line-up as well.  Steve Martin's band the Steep Canyon Rangers are a welcome site, as he proved at Bonaroo last year that he is much more than a great actor.  Additions of Yonder Mountain String Band, Devil Makes Three, and Split Lip Rayfield might have the traditionalists scratching their heads but, will have the twenty somethings getting down. 

Camping, Site, Green Efforts, and Special Things:

All of the multi-day passes include general festival camping.  They also have RV camping available and various VIP packages to enhance your show experience.  They have a number of non-profits representing and providing education.  The kids area provides environmental education about increasing watershed awareness.  They will have arts and crafts provided by the Allegeny Arts Council.  There isn't a huge focus on greening on their festival site but, I would assume that regular green efforts like trash separation and recycling will be set up through the event area.  For tickets and additional information visit: delfest.com.

 

Mountain Jam: Hunter, NY May 31st-June 3rd

  Mountain Jam is always a nice mix of the old and the new.  Gov't Mule and Spearhead return as hosts to this festival that has been a mainstay in the Catskill Mountains.  Ever year they host over 50 bands both established and up and coming.  In the past they have hosted more rock based late night sets.  This Summer they welcome Lotus and James Murphy of LCD Sound System to follow the national trend of late night DJ thumping sets.  The Return of Ben Folds Five is long awaited, The Roots (do I really need to say anything,) and Steve Winwood being a great fit with Gov't Mule.  There are a couple of bands and epic collaborations to get excited about.  You will always see Warren Haynes sit in with a number of the performers throughout the weekend.  Franti's set is always a group effort.   The Word with Robert Randolph, Jon Medeski, and North Mississippi All Stars promises to be funky as hell.   Bustle in Your Headrow featuring Marco Benevneto, Joe Russo, Dave Dreiwitz, and Scott Metzger will bring you Led Zeppelin tunes like you have never heard them before.  Up and coming talents Dawes, Jimkata, and Caravan of Thieves will provide can't miss sets as well.  
Camping, Site, Green Efforts, and Special Things:
  This season Mountain Jam is providing premium pre-pitched mountain top camping in limited amounts with group prices for up to six people for $599. There are a number of regular RV and regular weekend camping packages and day passes are available for those of you with other plans for the weekend.  The site is on the side of a mountain.  Be realistic when you pack, as you have to carry everything in and up to your site.  There is a lot of climbing involved, so be smart and bring only what you need.  
  The festival is home to an Awareness Village.  Every year a number of socially conscious and environmentally conscious groups set up and talk about their agendas.  There is a small stage for day time performances and a children's stage.  There are a number of non-profit groups that attend.  You can stroll through and educate yourself on the issues that are pressing in our generation.  
  The Festival has improved their green initiatives over the past few years.  They provide free water with the purchase of a Mountain Jam water bottle to encourage festival goers to reuse.  They have teamed up with Clean Vibes to man the recycling stations and help keep trash sorted.  All vendors are required to serve with disposable dishes that are made of biodegradable, earth friendly materials.  They are providing a bus service from NYC to the festival site to cut down on gas emissions.  They are encouraging ride-share and carpooling as well. For more detailed information and tickets visit: mountainjam.com. 









   

Rubblebucket: Brooklyn, New York

There is a certain drawing force to Kalmia Traver's eerie sweet echo.  The tireless front woman for Brooklyn based octet, Rubblebucket, bounces joyfully across the stage.  Clearly, she is enjoying herself.  She has every reason to.  The band continues to have monumental success in every market and now will grace the Bonnaroo line-up with performers like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Radiohead, and Phish.  Amidst the raucous theatrics that encompass their every performance, there is something unique and beautiful about her presence.  Her voice is not disgustingly sweet or preachy.  It is hauntingly memorizing and alluring. It weaves in and out playfully with the music, tastefully blended with pitch perfect harmony and support being lent from trumpeter and bandleader Alex Toth and trombonist Adam Dotson.

Their self-fueled promotional success is unparalleled in the industry.  The band being a creative and artistic force behind the visual aspects of the performance, videos, albums, and merchandising has allowed them to create and cultivate their own identity not only on stage but, everywhere else too.  They maintain a direct connection with their fan base through simple gestures like having the members sell merchandise directly to the fans following the performance and not so subtle parading through venues, jumping up on the bar, giant robot puppets in the crowd, and Alex Toth's widely talked about crowd surfing while playing the trumpet.

The musical powerhouse consists of eight very unique musicians, all wandering in the same psychedelic journey.  The music has become cohesive, flowing, and the vision more clear as time progresses.  At times you cannot take your eyes off of the performance, other times you can close your eyes and escape with them.  There is a strong indie rock vibe with nods at The Talking Heads and Bjork.  A smoking horn section provides for a spaced out afrobeat flare.  They get a lot more progressive and experimental with every album they produce.  They maintain strong visual imagery whilst creating a dreamlike vision in your brain.  They cascade sounds with thumping beats and flashing lights.  Rubblebucket has managed to take the country by storm with a solid business attitude and a infectious party vibe. You can check out the entire experience on their website www.rubblebucket.com.

Order their latest live album/DVD Rubblebucket: Live In Chicago now at:
 Itunes (MP3 and DVD download)
Amazon (MP3 only)
Our web store (MP3, DVD and physical)
and obviously at live performances across the country.  

Using Music to Open People's Minds

  I have to admit, when asked to do the first Big Splash concert, I knew only a little about hydraulic fracturing or fracking.  All that I knew was that it was bad, and was poisoning the water supply in other states.  I had watched Gasland, and had been shocked and devastated at what I saw.  They were getting ready to bring it here.  This would pollute our land, our air, and our water.  People tend not to deal with problems until they are hit in the face with them, until it effects them personally.  Like I said they are bringing it here, there was an immediate call to action.  Could we help stop it before it happened to us?  What could we do to stop it?  How could we use what we know to make a difference and educate people on what was to come if we allowed the gas and oil companies free reign in New York State?

  I have known Jon McNamera for about 10 years.  We have been friends a long time, and worked together on shows mainly from an artist to promoter type of relationship.  Later, I would realize that he would become someone that I would grow to respect and admire.  He had an idea.  He had teamed up with a group of people with a common vision, and went to work.  From this idea the Finger Lakes Clean Waters Initiative was born.  Their thought:  To produce a series of concerts and events to educate the public on the dangers of hydraulic fracturing.  To keep the water in New York safe.  Increase public awareness using music.  He started putting plans in place to change his entire life to support the fight against fracking.  I was asked to jump on board as a stage manager so, I joined the team.

 The Initiative has gained support from a variety of socially conscious performers including: Natalie Merchant, Willy Watson from Old Crow Medicine Show, Banjo Legend Ritchie Sterns and his projects The Horseflies, and Evil City String Band, Donna the Buffalo, Sim Redmond Band, Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion, Tim Carbone from Railroad Earth, Jim Lauderdale, Yolk, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, Driftwood, Tim Herron Corporation, Dutch Bucket System, Sophistafunk, Thousands of One, House on a Spring,  The Burns Sisters, The Green Deeps, Cabinet, Ayurveda, Hee Haw Nightmare, The Double E, and others.   These musicians help to create and develop a unique musical vibe that transfers to music lovers of all ages.  All of them ideal to spread the message and, all excited to speak out against fracking.

  Four events later, I finally realized that we are bringing hope to people in the southern tier.  That what we were doing was changing our state.  We were successfully using music to open people's minds, and bring people together.  Author (Raising Elijah) and Acclaimed Ecologist Sandra Steingraber said of the Natalie Merchant event,  "Tonight, the Forum belongs to us. Which is to say it belongs to the biggest most epic human rights movement New York has ever seen."  The crowd erupted in agreement.  She has donated all of  the cash from her Heinz Award ($100,000) to the fight against fracking and a variety of groups she felt were leading the way in the anti-hydrofracking movement including some of the award to the Finger Lakes Clean Water's Initiative and their arts based activism.  She was treated to a Mayor's reception prior to the March 10th Natalie Merchant concert to honor her work and research against fracking.
  This is a fight that we all should relate to.  Without water there is no life.  There is no human life, no trees, no animals, no rivers, no streams.  There are several quotes about the next world war being about a shortage of water, not gas or oil.  We are making this a reality sooner than we think.  Please do what you can to educate yourselves on the dangers of hydraulic fracturing and help the organizations that are lobbying in your area against it.

Finger Lakes Clean Waters Initiative has several shows slated for Summer 2012 including potential dates in Binghamton, Hector, Rochester, Albany, Oneonta, and more.  Show support at these events, vote, sign petitions, call your elected officials and make your voice heard.  Natural gas is not the answer, renewable energy is.   Tell them you do not want natural gas drilling in New York State.

Get Educated on the Dangers of Hydro-fracking and get active in your communities to prevent it.  Here are some organizations that are leading the way in the fight and do need your help and support.  These are just a few.


Finger Lakes Clean Waters Initiative
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Finger-Lakes-Clean-Waters-Initiative/207165332642028
http://www.fingerlakescleanwaters.org

Frack Action
www.frackaction.org

Gas Free Seneca
http://gasfreeseneca.com/

Sandra Steingraber's Speech from March 10th
http://shaleshockmedia.org/2012/03/13/sandra-steingraber-at-the-natalie-merchant-concert/