Backbone > Ear Whacks
The Hills Are Alive with the Sound of Music Festivals

Air out the tent, break out the bug spray and the sunscreen, and clean out the cooler. Summertime is here and the music festival season is upon us. And with the uncertain economy, what better way to save money than by convincing the family that a real vacation is listening to music all day, sleeping on the ground in a field, and cooking over the Coleman stove—all of which is far more fun (or at least more memorable) than waiting two hours for a 30-second roller coaster ride at an overpriced amusement park, sleeping in a hotel, and swimming in an over-chlorinated pool.

Gathering of the Vibes
For those of you who are Grateful that summer is finally here, the Gathering of the Vibes takes place this year over the fourth of July weekend, billed as a “Celebration of Independence.” After spending last year at the Grieg Farm in Red Hook, this year’s Vibes moves to an undisclosed location about 20 miles northwest of Albany. (In an attempt to prevent any terrorist attacks on the hippie demographic—conceivably responsible for much of the social decay in our society—the GOTV only discloses the location of the festival once you have purchased tickets.) This year should be especially festive as the headline performer for Friday and Saturday night is Phil Lesh, former bassist for the Grateful Dead, with his band. The Gathering of the Vibes began its life as “Deadhead Heaven—A Gathering of the Tribe” in 1996, the year after Jerry Garcia died. So for Phil to headline, well, let’s just say this year people are hoping for a “Box of Rain,” rather than a weekend of it. In addition to the triumphant debut of Phil, this event will be emceed by legendary Wavy Gravy of Woodstock and Ben and Jerry flavor fame. The eclectic lineup includes returning acts Les Claypool, Lake Trout, Deep Banana Blackout, Government Mule, and many other Vibes regulars. Tickets are $136 for the four-day event, which includes a car campsite, addressing the major flaw with last year’s event, the two mile boot camp-like shuttle from car to site with all your stuff on your back. (203) 748-7363. www.gatheringofthevibes.com.

SolarFest
For those families looking to add an educational flair to the camping experience, celebrate sustainable living at SolarFest on July 13 and 14 in Vermont. A non-profit organization in its eighth year of existence, SolarFest is a two-day solar-powered arts festival held on a 40-acre site in Middletown Springs, in the vicinity of Killington. Equal parts music festival and renewable energy fair, SolarFest features a wide range of world music interwoven with renewable energy and sustainable living workshops. The diverse line-up of musical acts varies from singer/songwriter Dayna Kurtz to the bluegrass rock of Bonepony, from the West African rhythms of The Balla Tournaka Band to the alternative rock of Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams. There will be a singer/songwriter competition on the second stage for cash prizes and a chance to perform on the main stage in 2003. In addition to a weekend of music upon a solar powered stage and a full schedule of talks and workshops regarding sustainable living, straw bale houses, and living off the grid, vendors from over 30 renewable energy companies will have displays. Other popular features are Frank Asch’s Theater-in-the-Woods; the audience follows the characters through the woods for their performance, the “Wandering Star Project”—a special telescope through which people can observe solar activity during the day, as well as a stage dedicated to storytelling, poetry, and puppetry. All of this while learning how to live in balance with the earth. Fun for the family and good for your karma. (802) 235-2866. www.solarfest.com. A weekend pass is $40.

Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival
Head towards ‘gorges’ Ithaca on July 18-21 for the Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival. In its 11th year, GrassRoots started as a small AIDS benefit in 1991 through the efforts of the Ithaca-based jam band Donna the Buffalo. Since its inception, the festival has evolved into a non-profit behemoth that has raised over $200,000 to help fight AIDS, and has expanded its fund raising to include art and education causes. With over 60 acts showcased on four stages between Thursday and Sunday, the focus is on roots and world music. Held in Trumansburg, 10 miles north of Ithaca, the extensive, eclectic list of performers includes local jam band Donna the Buffalo, South African vocalists The Mahotella Queens, the ‘alter-Native’ music of Keith Secola and Wild Band of Indians, the Manding griot Mamadou Diabate, the hip-hop of Little Egypt, as well as a healthy dose of bluegrass, zydeco, funk, and blues acts. Tickets are a bargain at $60 (only a dollar a band!) for the four days of music if purchased ahead of time, $75 at the gate. Expect to pay $30 for a day pass at the gate. Camping is extra. Onsite vehicle camping usually sells out in advance, but sites are available about a mile from the festival site for $30. For a complete listing and info visit www.grassrootsfest.org. (607) 387-5098.

Falcon Ridge Folk Festival
The Long Hill Farm in Hillsdale, NY in the foothills of the Berkshires plays host to back to back weekend extravaganzas. The Falcon Ridge Folk Festival occurs the last weekend in July, and is immediately followed by its sister festival, Winterhawk—Bluegrass and Beyond, the first weekend in August. The Falcon Ridge Festival began in 1988 at the Catamount ski area in the Berkshires and moved to its present site at the Long Hill Farm in 1990. Since that time it has grown into a three day celebration of folk music and dancing as Falcon Ridge now boasts four stages featuring over 40 acts, both local and national, and a dance tent with a 9000-square-foot wood dance floor. The scope of artists include singer/songwriters, blues, folk-rock, Cajun, contra dance, Celtic, world beat, bluegrass, old time, traditional to contemporary folk, and acoustic music of all types. This year’s highlight will be a Sunday performance by Ani DiFranco, who has graced the stage in previous years before rising to national prominence. Other confirmed performers include Airdance, Chris Smither, Chris & Meredith Thompson, Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer, Da Vinci’s Notebook, Tom Landa & The Paperboys, The Falcon Ridge House Band, and many others. In addition to four stages, people will dance contras, squares, swing, Lindy Hop, English Country, and Cajun style dances on the 9000-square-foot dance tent. A three-day camping pass is $90 at the gate; a day pass is $30. For a complete schedule of performers with links to Web sites, check out www.falconridgefolk.com. Tickets are available at (877) 844-7742. The following week Winterhawk celebrates its 20th year with a festival of similar format and just a slightly different theme. Its focus on bluegrass is still in effect, but its umbrella has expanded to include all flavors of American roots music. Many people attend both, as these festivals have cross-pollinated each other extensively since they began sharing a site three years ago. (888) 308-5646. www.winterhawk2000.com.

Maverick Concert Series
So you don’t have a tent, or even a cooler, but still love music. Local festivals and concert series abound that don’t require overnight stays, or even packing food. The “Music in the Woods” Maverick Concert series enters its 87th season in the striking Maverick Concert Hall (1916) outside of Woodstock, which is now on the Registry of National Historic Sites. The 2002 concert season is dedicated to Vincent Wagner, who recently passed away after serving as Music Director from 1986-2002. Running from June 30 through September 1, every week features a Saturday night performance at 8pm and a Sunday afternoon show at 3pm. The schedule focuses on chamber music with highlights including the July 14 performance of the American String Quartet featuring Setsuko Nagata on viola playing a program of Haydn and Mozart, and the Tokyo String Quartet on July 21 performing a program of Dvorak, Schubert, and Janacek. Other July performances include Josh Rifkin on the 6th exploring the piano of Scott Joplin and Ernesto Nazareth in a “Rags, Tangos, and Waltzes” program; and Peter Schickle with David Dusing and Susan Sindall on July 20 performing “Condition of my Heart.” 679-8217. www.maverickconcerts.org.

Belleayre Summer Music Festival
Pack a picnic lunch and head for the Catskills to Belleayre Mountain and the Belleayre Summer Music Festival. This genre-spanning concert series ranges from Latin jazz to Broadway, from opera to pop. On July 13 the Mambo Kings perform the music of Tito Puente, Machito, and Tito Rodriguez. A 22-piece orchestra made up of alumni from all three bands features the sons of three great Latin maestros: Tito Puente Jr., Tito Rodriguez Jr. and Mario Grillo, son of Frank Grillo, co-founder of the Machito Orchestra. Other summer performances include the folk rock of Suzanne Vega, Puccini’s opera “La Boheme,” the jazz of Sonny Rollins, and the bluegrass of Ricky Skaggs. Seating ranges from $17-43 for reserved seating and $10 for lawn seats. (800) 942-6904. www.belleayremusic.org.

Bard Music Festival
The 13th Annual Bard Music Festival is a thorough exploration of the compositions of Gustav Mahler. Mahler and His World will occur over two weekends in August, the 9-11 and the 16-18. The program will place his music in the context of his contemporaries in Vienna at the turn of the 19th century and explore his influence on 20th-century music. The series will feature orchestral, choral, and chamber concerts, complemented by discussions and talks that will vividly illustrate Mahler’s musical legacy. For ticket and program info call 758-7456 or visit the Bard Musical Festival Web site at www.bard.edu/bmf.

The continued growing popularity of music festivals is really no wonder, considering this is the region that brought the world the Woodstock concert series. This listing is just a minor sample of the many musical events occurring this summer in our area. So the next time you hear someone say ‘There’s nothing to do, I’m bored,’ suggest joining a musical tent village for the weekend. Break out the lawn-chairs, fluff up the sleeping bags, and waterproof the tent (the big lesson from last year’s Vibes)—there’s music in them thar’ hills.