Normally, I am not one for festivals, but Music on the Mountain was different.
For starters, it was just a one-day event instead of the usual two or three day events which have become so popular.
It took place at the old fairgrounds here in Boone, NC, and they started it with the intention of raising awareness on ecological issues that directly affect our environment. (I have a specific organization in mind that I want to talk about more this week, so be sure to check back.)
Something I didn't expect was a different stage. Last summer, we went to the App Roots Festival in the same locale, but they used an old wooden stage. This time, they were set-up with a state-of-the-art solar-powered sound and light system built specifically for outdoor concerts. It pumped some roaring sustainable sound waves!
The other stage wasn't anywhere near as fancy, but it kept us equally entertained. I really liked that once one band was done playing, the other stage was ready to keep the crowd stirring.
The only disappointing aspect of this festival was the lack of food variety! We came ready to consume, but alas, they had minimal options that were only slightly appealing. I mean, we still had to eat, but it just wasn't as much. We particularly fancied the 'roasted corn'. I was intrigued when I saw folks walking around with an entire ear of corn that still had the husks in tact. So, naturally, we had to try it out for ourselves.
By two or three o'clock the buzz began to hum a little louder in the valley. One band that is internationally known (not really, but kind of) for getting people out of their seats, is 'Your Momma's Big Fat Booty Band'. Hey, don't tell me, I didn't name them! The handful of bands that played before 'YMBFBB' took the stage didn't attract very many people to the 'dance floor'.
It was a sad sight (see above photo), but I suppose you have to loosen people up first! As usual, 'YMBFBB' did a great job of getting the party started. They can be a rather raunchy bunch, but for the sake of the family feel that this event had, I guess they decided to keep it clean.
The real commotion was created by the national acts the festival brought. Aside from Perpetual Groove - which I told you about in the last post, they delivered Jerry Douglas, and Sam Bush. As the night progressed, the makeshift 'dance floor' never emptied. I even got up and bounced around myself from time to time.
Watching the day fade into night while nestled in the valley was magical.
The colors of the sky and the wispy clouds made for a lovely transition into darkness.
My favorite part of the entire night was when Perpetual Groove went on stage.
By this point, I realized that if I wanted to get better shots, I had to get closer.
Brock Butler, P-Grooves front man, was the only one I could manage to get clearly.
After doing a little digging on the band, I found out that their most recent album
was produced with renewable energy, and is also being released by a
'green' label called Tree Leaf Music. Taking it one step further, they even purchase energy credit to offset the emissions their tour bus generates while touring!
Let's hope that their environmental initiatives cause others to follow suit.
Sometime after midnight, the show was over. It really was a great day. I like that I felt out of my element, it's good to mix it up a bit. However, I do know that we will be eagerly awaiting the second annual "Music on the Mountain" festival in Boone.And then, summer was over......
