Hey Now, I attended the Beardfest festival this weekend. It was pricey but luckily I got in at the volunteer rate. Scott you would of loved the frolicking men and women painting colorful paintings on fabric stretched out over trees all over the woods lol!! I have learned that music is so very personal to the individual that is impossible to will others to get into some stuff. The Dead truly are a love em or hate em vibe even though the country style stuff they did in the early 70s is of a high quality in my opinion. I wish the festival wasn't on the same weekend as the big hike this year, though I am sure you all enjoyed yourself on Saturday. The Screaming Headless Torsos were incredible! There was also some hybrid bluegrass/country style stuff, funk, harder edged stuff to. But it was a very "heady" scene. I had my kids with me and we were able to have a really nice time. The crazy, wild shit was happening deep in the woods so it is possible to have a nice family weekend where your kids are separated from people doing stuff you dont want them to see. They jammed a hell of a lot of people in that campsite, probably more than 1000. The weekend was very peaceful overall. The music was diverse . The thing that was different about Beardfest was the workshops. Included in the price of admission were all kinds of workshops related to health and wellness, Plant ID walks, natural medicines, music theory, sustainable living, alternative energy, PPA was there etc. Floating in the lake with bands jamming all day and night was very relaxing. The folks who run this fest are not typical hippies for lack of a better word, they are ambitious, mid 20s professional musicians who really have a vision. The festival started in someones backyard in Waterford (Scott its probably good they moved across 206 for your sake lol!) It became so big it had to move to Paradise Lakes in 2014. Paradise Lakes is much improved from a few years back and there is another big one coming up Camp Jam in the Pines!
Peace and Love Brothers and Sisters!