- A brief glance at the first annual Rothbury Festival lineup looks a little something like this: Trey Anastasio. John Mayer. Dave Matthews Band. Diplo. One of these things is not like the other. But, in reality, a closer examination of the schedule reveals that this seemingly jam-band heavy four-day party has some serious eclecticism happening. The Michigan fest deftly split each day between guitar grooves in the morning and dirty beats at night. What developed was an orgy of glow sticks and good vibes, bringing flower children and club-happy dance champs together.
The venue's ranch setting could have easily become nothing more than a nice backdrop for way too many country twangers and bluegrass hoe-downs. Luckily, the Rothbury organizers were savvy and catered to the serious ravers in the 35,000 plus crowd. In the midst of all this wildlife were the Tripolee Domes—a stage rocked exclusively by DJs and illuminated by eye-tingling neon. By the end of Day One, even the folks that had come hoping for a Phish reunion couldn't help but take a peek inside. Maybe it was, ahem, certain substances that pulled everyone to the pretty colors, but watching the well-timed steps of these people proved differently. Even in the sunny afternoon, kids were finding their way here to watch basic mixing lessons. Yes, those damned hippies were coming around to the likes of DJ Rekha, who pumped hip-hop with her own Punjabi flavor.
While every act at the Domes attracted hundreds, the main stages attracted thousands. Tens of thousands. Perhaps the strangest addition to Rothbury was Snoop Dogg. RA readers may not be interested in the legendary sell-out's set, but his Friday 4:20pm time slot set the mood for the stereo thumping that was soon to come. That particular evening broke into an absolute funk-a-thon, hosted by the ever-gracious Thievery Corporation. Their slick combo of Jamaican dub with live instrumentation took Rothburians to a whole new planet. One patron described the experience best by stating, "My brain crawled out of my nose and left the arms and legs behind to do nothing but dance." Groovy.
As the midnight bell tolled on Saturday, Sound Tribe Sector Nine, a cult favorite in American festival circles, took their half-electronic, half-jam session to the Ranch Arena where even the tough security boogied to what they described as pure "techno." Sound Tribe's beats (and zany astral light show) peaked, and peaked, and then peaked again. Could these all-too-excited concertgoers take any more? They took more and then some as the elephant of this article, the Crystal Method, threw down. The dance veterans knew how to move the party, mixing everything from their own hits to the Bee Gees. When "Busy Child" wasn't familiar enough for the unacquainted, "Stayin' Alive" gave them a chance to put on a knowing smile. The only slip came when the bigger ego of the duo, Scott Kirkland, pissed some hardcore fans off when he condescendingly asked, "Ever been to a rave?!"
But the true victor of the decks at Rothbury was Bassnectar, the horribly under-recognized San Francisco-based glitch tech marvel. The long-haired, self-described "freakshow" has an air of compassion and humility about him, but his fusion of endless genres with tripped-out breakbeats is a music historian's nightmare. His devilishly smart sound strikes even harder with a wall of buggy video installations featuring spooky socio-political images and Dali-esque animation. The DJ also keeps his stage filled with gorgeous dancing babes and playful partiers that function as an army of hypemen. Audiences that flock to Bassnectar are tremendously mixed, demonstrating that everyone from frat boys to goth girls can unite when the music is this commanding. If you attended Rothbury and skipped Bassnectar, you missed one hell of a bash.
There's great news coming out of this festival. Electronic music is making headway in the States, and it's not just the indie-electro hipsters spreading the word. It's as if one or two electronic acts snuck into a jam-centric fest a couple years back and, like hypnotized cattle, audiences ambled to the beat's source but refused to turn away. Expect Rothbury to grow, and more DJs to be added next year. If you asked virtually anybody there what their next show would be, the answer was invariably, "Camp Bisco." This mid-July fest showcases MSTRKRFT, the LA Riots, DJ Shadow, Cut Chemist, Bassnectar, and, of course, Snoop Dogg.
Photo credit: David Ferino