This year Punlive.net is teaming up with www.lifebecomeselectric.com to cover another wonderful year at Electric Forest. Ashley over at LBE wrote up this great history of the festival piece. Hope you all enjoy!
Here is the direct link: http://lifebecomeselectric.tumblr.com/post/47622620221/from-rothbury-to-electric-forest-a-look-back
From Rothbury to Electric Forest - A Look Back -
Five years
ago, nearly thirty thousand strangers gathered in a small town in
Michigan. They called it a festival, but really it was a journey – a
journey that has transcended space, time, money, and rebranding. In spite
of bankruptcy, new management, and even a new name, Madison House Has found a
way to bottle the magic of its first two years as Rothbury, and re-open it for
the beginning of their newest venture, Electric Forest.
Rothbury
snuck into the scene casually, but with force. Bringing the love early, on
February 13, 2008, the organizers released the official announcement along with
a stacked lineup. Festival veterans Widespread Panic and Dave Matthews
were headlining alongside an eclectic blend of jam, funk, rap, folk, and
electronic. This wasn’t just a music festival though, music was only a
highlight. For the first time a festival was planning to make a
difference in more than just someone’s summer plans. Their purpose was to
“harness the unique energy of the live music community into a durable social
movement.” Using an open forum setting called Think Tank, organizers
wanted to address the issues of climate change and clean energy
alternatives. Adding to the environmental focus, steps were taken to
create what would ideally be a zero-waste event. Disposables were
replaced with 100% compostables, recycling bins were in abundance, and there
was an option upon purchase of the ticket to add $3 as a tribute to off-setting
the carbon footprint.
The 4th of
July “Party With a Purpose” was held at Double JJ Ranch. Come July 3rd,
attendees arrived in droves, descending on the small town of Rothbury, eager to
be introduced to the unknown. No one could have predicted the difference
four days would make in the lives of so many people. Fest-goers were greeted
with the cleanest grounds at a festival to date, a blend of music that could
entertain even the pickiest of listeners, and to top it off, a forest smack in
the middle that can be described as nothing but magical. To add to the
listeners’ excitement was a smattering of SCIde projects, the incarnations of
the members of The String Cheese Incident. The band was currently on
hiatus, but EOTO, Emmitt-Nershi Band, and Kyle Hollingsworth Band were just the
slice of Cheese the fans needed.
Unfortunately
it seemed the magic was never to be repeated. On July 18th, less than two
weeks after Rothbury concluded, Double JJ Ranch was forced to file chapter 11
bankruptcy after a South Dakota bank presented them with a lawsuit for 18
million dollars. Months of court dates and litigation suggested it would
be impossible for promoters and booking agents to plan a festival of Rothbury’s
magnitude again. However, come March the announcement for Rothbury 2009 was
official! Both AEG, the world’s second-largest live show promoter, and
Madison House, the festival’s booking agency, had been able to strike a deal
with the ranch’s federally appointed trustees, ensuring a second coming of the
beloved festival.
Legal
hurdles had apparently meant nothing to Rothbury’s team. Not only did
they pull off securing the location, but the lineup went above and beyond what
anyone could have conceived. Beloved jam band, The String Cheese
Incident, who had been on hiatus since 2007, announced their triumphant return
and only appearance for the year at Rothbury 2009. If that wasn’t enough,
ringing in America’s birthday on the main stage would be The Dead. It
would be their only summer date, and included all former members from one of
the most iconic groups in our nation’s musical history, with Warren Haynes of
Allman Brothers’ fame filling in for the late Jerry Garcia. Closing out
the weekend would be the one and only Bob Dylan. It was obvious Rothbury
was shooting for the stars, and landed among them.
Although the
festival had drawn close to 35,000 attendees, the promoters would not confirm a
third installation after the sale of Double JJ Ranch to Progressive
Resorts. The following January, with heavy hearts, the official
announcement was released. Unwilling to hold a less-than-stellar
event, Rothbury would be postponed for 2010. The official announcement
referenced problems with artist tour schedules, and local papers suggested that
negative feedback from the community was also to blame. However, the
announcement made it clear their “efforts are certainly not coming to an
end.” The organizers were not giving up on the enchantment of the forest,
and said of their supporters:
\
“To all
who attended the first two years of ROTHBURY we thank you for the soul you gave
the event. Those times entered rarified air because of your energy.”
It was clear
the connection between attendees and the minds behind Rothbury was both deep
and passionate. The disappointment was great, but short-lived. By
October of 2010 members of The String Cheese Incident let it slip that they
were working on bringing a festival back to Rothbury and the Double JJ
Ranch. Valentine’s Day 2011 heralded the coming of Electric Forest
Festival, with SCI posting “We’ve made our 4th of July plans – see you in the
forest.” The name was different, but with String Cheese at the helm, it
ensured the magic would still be intact. On February 28th the official
website was up, and the announcement was made that June 30th would mark the
beginning of a new chapter for the forest, with Insomniac Productions taking on
AEG’s previous role. The lineup, though it included three performances by
the hosts themselves, became electric. Amid the usual folk and jam such
as Keller Williams and Galactic was a multitude of the top names in the electronic
music community. Long-time trance/house producer Tiesto, as well as
dubstep legend Bassnectar, were headlining late-nights. Joining them were
Skrillex, Kaskade, 12th Planet, and a host of others from the genre, previously
unknown to the usual Rothbury crowd.
The reaction
was mixed. Rothbury veterans had been pining for the chance to see their
favorite jam bands in Sherwood again, and this lineup was not expected.
The outcry for their original love was emphatic, with a side of
bitterness. Promoters were worried the reception would not be what they
hoped, but the magic was too great to keep people away. Veterans and
greenhorns flocked to the forest, hungry to have their hearts fed with the same
divine energy that had carried them through the first two years. Not
surprisingly, Electric Forest was a major hit. Sherwood Forest was still
the pièce de résistance of any major festival on the circuit, and despite the
slight change in the look of the lineup, the festival still held the same meaning
for those who had experienced its first years. Said one attendee of both
Rothbury and Electric Forest, “The festival’s ability to mix EDM, jam,
bluegrass and every other genre we’ve seen throughout the last three lineups is
something we’ve not seen anywhere else. And for them to do it
seamlessly…it’s pretty impressive.”
There had
never been a festival that drew in its fans seemingly on love alone. Sure
the music has much to do with it, and the forest is incredible. Yet
underlying all the aesthetic and auditory delights is a bond unmatched by even
the longest-running events of its kind. Paired with a production company
like Insomniac, the level of fan interaction only heightened the intensity of
the experience for its attendees. There may never be another Rothbury,
but Madison House beat all odds in its creation of Electric Forest. For a
group of 30,000 to harness the energy of only two years, and bring it back to a
whole new festival is a feat beyond measure.
If you have
never attended these festivals, or have never witnessed the forest in all its
glowing glory, it is easy to write off as perhaps gimmicky, and obviously
musical taste will draw people to the fests that suit them. However, if
you let it, a festival can be more than just music. One fan said of his
experience at Electric Forest, “To be a part of it didn’t change me, but more
so evolved me. It helped me realize my own colors, what I stood for as a
person, and what I cared about.” If you aren’t convinced, just close your
eyes. Imagine standing in a crowd as the music envelops its listeners,
the energy of anticipation for each new note growing, and the only way to
excise the feeling is to dance like everyone is
watching. When your feet get moving you turn around and your family is
all around you, Mother Nature standing firm in her grandeur as your scenery for
the journey, and you are overcome with the knowledge that you are a part of
something special.
Thanks to
the tireless efforts of both Madison House and Insomniac, and in no small part
to the fans themselves, Electric Forest has become the premiere electronic
music festival in the Midwest. Offering a lineup unmatched in
originality, it also gives its attendees the chance at heightened interaction
through costumed entertainers, relaxation in throngs of open hammocks, and
stunning visuals only Insomniac could put together so flawlessly.
Continued greening efforts have kept the forest to high standards, still
maintaining the cleanest grounds on the circuit, and an inherent focus on the environment.
As we prepare for the festival’s third season, it is important we remind each
other why we do this. Music aside, this is a community, a family that we
may only see once a year, or perhaps only once in a lifetime. Take care
of each other, be kind to the earth, and practice the love you preach.
See you in the forest!
Thanks for reading,
Pun
