---Anna VanHorn        

         I love a good music festival. I mean, I really really love a good music festival. Some people have big Rubbermaid tubs in their garages full of candles, bottled water, blankets, canned food- everything they need should a natural disaster occur. I, on the other hand, have a tub (covered in about a million different band stickers) filled with the essentials for surviving a music festival. There are actually quite a few things in my festival bucket that one would find in a disaster kit: flashlight, first aid kit, scissors, batteries… But I’ve also got gear specifically meant for the lively event that is a festival: hiking boots (should it get too muddy), socks (should said boots be needed), sharpies (good for multiple uses- most notably circling the shows you can’t miss in the schedule, and in case you have the good fortune of running into a musician and snagging an autograph), a good cross body bag with lots of compartments (to keep up with all your stuff away from the campsite), toilet paper (because, let’s face it- the porta-potties are always out), a headlamp and anything else I can cram in there to keep me more comfortable while I’m sleeping in a tent for 4 nights!

         I wasn’t always the seasoned festivalgoer that stands before you today. In fact, after my first festival ever (Bonnaroo 2002), I swore I’d never go to another one. I wasn’t prepared, I had a borrowed a tent that never got assembled quite right, it was too hot, AND I broke my ankle. Yes, that’s right I broke my ankle- well I fractured it. I had just watched Neil Young play an amazing show and while leaving through the mud puddle that seemed to engulf the entire festival grounds, a girl I didn’t know slipped and pulled me down with her. Covered in mud, I jumped up, thought I was okay, and hobbled my way to the closest solid ground I could find. Borrowing a pair of scissors, I cut off the anklet that had already started to cut into my rapidly swelling, blackish-blue ankle, and my friends helped me back to the campsite. That was the first night we were there… I didn’t go to the doctor until the festival was over, and I spent the next 4 days staggering around on my bum foot and trying not to complain too much.

         Now obviously, this isn’t the typical festival experience- just my own bad luck. But it isn’t difficult to see why I vowed no more festivals! That is until a drummer friend of mine offered to put me on the guest list for a new festival that his band was playing. Not one to turn down anything free, I mustered all my courage, along with a brand new tent and every possible tool that there was even the slightest possibility I might need, and headed to Lawrence, Kansas for the very first Wakarusa Music and Camping Festival.

That fateful Wakarusa that made me change my tune (pun intended) about music festivals was in 2004, and I have been a regular Wakarusa-ian ever since. After calling Lawrence, Kansas home for five years, the folks running the show decided to move Wakarusa down to the beautiful Mulberry Mountain in Ozark, Arkansas. June 3^rd-6^th, 2010 will mark the second year that fans will flock from all over the country to enjoy the festival that is known for eclectic and dynamic musical lineups, and to camp in some of the most beautiful scenery that this part of the country has to offer. 

         Headlining the festival (that boasts over 90 different musical acts) is the iconic Jamband, Widespread Panic. The Southern Rock Jamband hailing from Athens, Georgia is no stranger to the music festival scene. Always a crowd favorite, they have scores of devoted fans with a following similar to that of The Grateful Dead. Adding Wakarusa to Widepread’s already packed touring schedule, is a real treat for us attending the festival. An energetic show of Southern Rock, Blues, Progressive-Rock, Funk and Jam is always on the agenda when these guys take to the stage. Their headlining spot on the main-stage will take place on Saturday night lead by guitarist/singer John Bell, and backed up by Dave Schools on bass, drummer Todd Nance, percussionist Domingo “Sunny” Ortiz, John “JoJo” Hermann on keys and guitarist Jimmy Herring. The energy of the band and the audience will no doubt be tangible as these seasoned musicians prove once more what has made them one of the kings of the Jamband world. Expect a lively set, played by some of the country’s premier musicians.

         Joining Widespread Panic is a veritable who’s who of musicians on this year’s lineup. If there’s not someone on this lineup that you’re already a fan of, I bettcha there will be before the weekend is over. I wish I could detail every single band that is going to be playing the festival, but there’s neither the space nor the need to do so. You should head on over to www.wakarusa.com for the full lineup and descriptions of each act.

Sharing the headlining moniker with Widespread Panic are groups that include Sound Tribe Sector 9, Umphrey’s McGee, The Disco Biscuits and The Black Keys. Other sets that I’m especially looking forward to include: Slightly Stoopid, John Butler Trio, JJ Grey & MOFRO, Splitlip Rayfield, The Mother Hips, Hayes Carll, Trampled by Turtles, Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Great American Taxi and Backyard Tire Fire. You can also expect to hear some familiar sounds from a few of our own richly talented regional musicians. Be on the lookout for Big Smith, Ben Miller Band, Mountain Sprout, Speakeasy (making their long-awaited Waka return), Tiffany Christopher, Starroy and Groovement.

         Whew… If that snippet of the lineup doesn’t have you grabbing your tent and starting to assemble your own festival bucket, well just wait… There’s more!  Clearly the main draw for these festivals is the music itself, but there is so much more to experience in addition to the tunes. Downtime between musical sets can be spent any number of ways. Perhaps a carnival ride, or a trip on the 7-story Ferris Wheel (complete with breathtaking scenery from every angle) might strike your fancy. Or start your day out right with one of the yoga classes that are held each morning.  The outdoor adventures that await you are plentiful and range from a 9-hole disc golf course to hiking, fishing, and float trips and/or kayaking offered by Turner Bend Outfitters.

         There are also events planned that encourage the wacky and weird to show their colorful side. Start digging through your old Halloween costumes and ransacking your great-aunt Helga’s closet to assemble the perfect costume for Friday night’s costume extravaganza (the crazier, the better!). The costume party starts at 6:30 at the general store and will parade throughout the festival grounds, ending at the main-stage. Finalists will be chosen and prizes will be awarded. Whether you’re donning your best wig and glasses, or just a bystander taking in the remarkable spectacle, you’re not going to want to miss this party.

         I’m excited to experience the new phenomenon known as a Silent Disco that Wakarusa is hosting this year. The innovative dance party takes place late-night at the main-stage compound and is a completely silent dance party, at least at first glance. Upon arriving to the party, participants are given a specially designed 2-channel pair of headphones. Two live DJ’s will be providing the soundtrack and you can choose which you’d like to listen to by the push of a button. Bring your friends and boogie to the music that is being brought to you by America’s first and only silent disco company, Silent Events. Those participating will not only be getting down to live music, but also entertaining the folks that just come to see a field full of people seemingly dancing to nothing. Either way, it’s going to be an outrageous experience, and I can’t wait to take part.

         As if all of the events sponsored by the festival weren’t enough, you can be assured that it’s all taking place in one of the most beautiful backgrounds in this part of the country. An outdoor lover’s dream, Mulberry Mountain is a 650 acre lodging and event resort located in the heart of Arkansas’ Ozark National Forrest along Hwy 23 (the Pig Trail). The drive to the festival will provide a twisting and turning landscape through a canopy of trees down to the Mulberry River Valley. Upon arriving to Wakarusa festival grounds, you will be provided with a view of green rolling hills and some of the most breathtaking views of the Ozark Mountains in literally every direction that you turn.

There are a lot of reasons that first Wakarusa I went to renewed my faith in the music and camping festival scene. Partly it’s because I was more prepared, a little more mature (perhaps), and the fact that I didn’t break any bones certainly helped. But more than that, it’s the whole essence that Wakarusa embodies. The lineups are carefully crafted, ensuring that there is an eclectic mix of genres and styles by musicians that are leading the pack in melody and innovation. Events and amenities are planned with music lovers both wild and a little more subdued in mind. And the grassroots operation has a more organic and genuine feel than many of its “mega-festival” counterparts.

         Individuality abounds and is encouraged among the Wakarusa population. Music, camping, outdoor adventures, costume contests and silent dance parties are what can be expected when you arrive at Wakarusa the first weekend in June. However, the real magic, the thing that I just can’t quite find the words to describe, is what will inevitably occur when the unexpected happens. Wakarusa Music and Camping Festival is a vibrant party, full of vitality and love brought to life through music, and I for one, am already packed.

 

~AV

 

For full lineup, to purchase tickets, directions and more information, please visit www.wakarusa.com.