As the sun went down, it became apparent that the rains had scared off not only some of the crowd, but a couple of the acts as well.  By 9:00 the rain had stopped and two dozed hearty souls gathered round the stage.  The stage was covered by canvas, held high by the trees that surrounded it.  A wooden sign reading “Fear Government” hung quietly at the back, an inconspicuous reminder.    The music started soon after with Dr. Russell Clark (guitar) and Miss Claire Johnson (fiddle).  They were there to play with the main act, acoustic folk duo Bob and Priscilla, but found themselves entertaining the crowd for about an hour with their own sweet sounds.  When Bob and Priscilla arrived, they pulled up a couple of chairs, and the quartet continued to keep the crowd the warm, with Doc Russell moving to the bass.  From the opening “Ramblers”, to the biopic “Mary’s Highway”, the group kept surprising us with their lovely harmonies and family vibe.  Priscilla and Bob picked on their guitars and passed around the harmonica, while Miss Claire continued to pull tender notes from her fiddle.  The group’s harmonies were beautiful, particularly on the earthy “Coexist”.  The ladies took a short break, while Bob and Doc Russell kept the crowd going with sing-along renditions of “Rivers of Babylon” and “Catfish John”.

    When the music ended, the small crowd migrated to a couple of campfires to meet, greet and play a little guitar.  Filled up on folksy goodness and excitement for the next day, we fell asleep to a stereo softly playing The Dead in the distance.

    Saturday started off around 1:00 pm with The DreamTrees, a bluesy funk-jam band out of Bloomington, Indiana.  Lead singer/songwriter Miss Amanda broke out her flute and the boys layered it with harmonica and deep bass.  Their experimental sound and original lyrics got everyone moving, hooping and grooving as the day warmed up. Faces from the night before began to appear at the stage, along with some new music festival-goers.  Beverly, who we lovingly referred to as “Mama Sprout”, was vending her delicious soups, ciders and pies. 

    About 2:00 pm, Dr. Djo Bi and friends took the stage with African drumming and traditional chanting. No one could resist moving their feet! By now, about two dozen people were up and at ‘em, gathering in the clearing in front of the stage.  After the drumming had ended, there was a break in the music (more acts no-showed) and most people just milled about the farm, enjoying a beer and meeting new friends.

    When the sun began to set everyone begin heading back to the stage to catch a set from Samurai Porkchop.  Just from the band’s mode of transportation we could tell we were in for a treat: Samurai Porkchop rolls in a decommissioned school bus, tricked out with multicolored designs.  The band consists of (at least) a clarinet, a trumpet, three guitars and a drummer who sings (well!).  The crowd, which had reached about forty folk, was feeling the high, brassy jams.  This band combines the soulful bass and skilled guitar riffs that make me love jam bands with youthful, pitchy energy.  Everyone was grooving to the music, whether they were dancing up front, hooping with the kids, or lounging on the tarps and rugs thrown down for comfort. 

    The last band to play that night was Dark Side of the Moon, a Pink Floyd tribute band out of Bloomington, Indiana.  They went on around 10:00 pm and about fifty music festival-goers pulled themselves away from their fires to check out the show.  Now, when one encounters the opportunity to see a tribute band there is often a certain level of skepticism from the start (I mean, who can make the psychedelic space-love that is Pink Floyd as good as Pink Floyd?).   But, Dark Side put out a great performance that everyone at the Farm enjoyed.  The covers were done accurately and respectfully, with special props to the saxophone player.  “Pigs” brought the first sighting of the Pig Man, who continued to rock-out, party with crowd, throw trinkets to those up front, and convey his weird, hilarious and politically charged messages via-cardboard signs for the rest of the show. All in all, the tribute was well-done and enjoyable. 

    After Dark Side finished up, everyone headed to the bonfire up in the field.  We all hung out, shared a few drinks and met some new folks.  It was disappointing no one had brought out their instruments, but a few times the crowd did spontaneously break into song!

    Unfortunately, the Sunday morning acts did not show and music did not get going until almost 2:45 that afternoon. Those that stuck around got to hear MC Sparkplug, a duo that does what can only be described as “hippie-hop”. After that, we finished packing up and headed back to our lives, down the gravel roads and through the woods…already looking forward to next summer when we can jam some more at the Freedom Farm!

 

 

 

 

Pros:
-family friendly
-clean port-o-potties
-beautiful scenery (trees, lake)
-large camping area
-campsite fires allowed
-large, communal bonfire second night
-vending allowed
-recycling
-vans, buses and rv’s welcome (electric not currently available in camping area)
-two-day pass reasonably priced

Cons:
-driving directions could have been clearer (but signs helped)
- band cancellations
- sound and equipment tucks parked behind the stage
-mud in front of stage (everyone had to sit back)
-recycling and waste disposal not clearly marked
-some toys and other items need to be cleaned up or stored in the barn
-no one sitting at the gate
-more information on myspace page or website would be nice (include the information in the “Pros” section and more info about camping, etc.)
-Utilize the barn?