This summer I had a Fourth of July weekend that will never be forgotten. On this weekend, I left the planet Earth and took up residence at the Rothbury Festival of Art and Music. This is a place where freedom of expression is not only encouraged, but a necessity to have fun. At most events a person would want to fit in with the rest of the concert goers, and in order to do this at Rothbury one would have to do everything, that in the real world, would keep you from fitting in. The majority of people that took place in this gathering of forty thousand at the JJ Ranch in Michigan either dressed in outrageous outfits, wore elaborate costumes, wore nothing but body paint, or in just a few cases (thank goodness just a few) roamed completely naked. "Let you mind go free, and your ass will follow" was an overwhelming theme at this festival. We arrived Thursday morning, set up camp, and prepared for the next five days of camping, art, and music that awaited us. What drew us to this festival was the overwhelming amount of artists that had been scheduled to play. There was somewhere in the ballpark of ninety bands playing this festival, Dave Mathews Band, Widespread Panic, 311 & Snoop Dogg, Gov't Mule, Keller Williams, and Sound Tribe Sector Nine just to name a few. The styles of music ranged from rap to techno to rock to bluegrass, and I witnessed the most diverse crowd of people that I'd ever experienced. There were even appearances from three out of the four members of Phish, something monumental for any Phish fan. The music began every day at noon, and rocked well into the wee hours of the morning. Typically, the music ended between three and four in the morning every night. A performance on Saturday evening from one of my favorite jamtronica groups, Sound Tribe Sector Nine, is what stands out in my mind as the best show of the weekend. The music was out of this world, it was a cool Fourth of July evening, and the energy from the crowd was absolutely stunning. After the show the sky erupted with fireworks, and I do not think anyone could have asked for anything more. The party raged on through the night, and continued on through the next afternoon and evening. As all good things must come to an end, Rothbury went out with a bang. Late Sunday evening hurricane winds, torrential downpours, and terrifying electrical storms ravaged the campgrounds of forty thousand helpless people. We were forced to abandon camp and take refuge in the vehicles for our own safety. It was truly a mess the following morning, but everyone was in good spirits as we attempted to pack the cars with rain soaked tents, clothes, and belongings. Overall, this was one of the best five days of my life. I could not have asked for more, and I can't wait until next Fourth of July!!!
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