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This was my first year at Nelsonville Music Festival, and it won’t be my last.
First glance
Before the festival, friends hyped it up as being chill, peaceful, a good variety of music and nice people. I have to agree. From local bands, to punk to bluegrass and modern folk, the festival brings music, artisan vendors, good food, and an amazing experience for everyone.
Held on the campus of Hocking College in Nelsonville, Ohio, “a music festival with a more personal experience” brought more than 60 bands and up to 7,000 people. That might seem like a lot of people, but with a main stage, a porch stage, a “No-Fi Cabin” where bands play with no electricity, and a free boxcar stage that is housed inside of an old train car, the scene did not feel crowded at all. It was easy to get near the front of the stage to get photos or to get up close to your favorite bands.
The Festival is environmentally sound with a Zero Waste program. Upon arrival to camp, volunteers gave us two garbage bags—one for recyclables and one for other trash. The concert area included separate trash receptacles for compostable, recyclable and landfill trash. In 2016, volunteers diverted “92% of the waste created at the festival from the landfill with recycling and composting.”
Overnight camping is available at a reasonable price, which is nice, since we could walk around the campus and not have to drive anywhere. Unlimited re-entry to the Festival was also a bonus, since we could go back to our spot and rest, eat or just BS with our friends while waiting for the next band to start.
The people
You know how some festivals or concerts have at least one inconsiderate person? This was not the case at NMF. Like a mini community, the festival-goers respected the property, the people and the artists. I witnessed several people picking up trash that others accidentally dropped, helping others find the beer tent, saying excuse me as they tried to get to the front of the stage, and actually getting out of people’s way if they wanted to inch up to the front of the stage. People said a friendly hello as I walked around the campus. NMF brings good people.
The music
Beginning Thursday at 4 p.m., the festival started with acts on all stages, including Parquet Courts, Michael Hurley, Ron Gallo and Doc Robinson, among others. Each night ended with a band that played in an after-hours campground tent.
Friday’s acts included Frazey Ford, Margaret Glaspy, and many others, ending the day with Rodriguez, followed by kids’ favorite They Might Be Giants. The Water Witches rocked the campground tent after hours, playing multiple encores.
Saturday was another eventful day starting with Max Knouse and others in the morning, Jay Som, Tyler Childers, and Wesley Bright and the Honeytones in the afternoon. The night ended on the main stage with Jenny Lewis and a personal favorite Ween on the main stage.
Sunday brought crowd favorites Ona, Son Volt, Shannon & the Clams, and Mirah. Twelve-time Grammy Award Winner Emmylou Harris brought her country roots and ended the festival with her set.
My favorite moment
Saturday night I shot photos of one of my favorite bands, Ween. I was in the photo pit with my new friend and photography mentor Harry, and I told him how much I loved the band. The next day, he texted me when he was at another stage shooting photos. It read: “I have something for you.” I asked what it was. He responded “A present. I’m at Boxcar. Come get it before 3:15.” I immediately walked over to the other stage, thinking “what kind of joke is he playing on me?” since Harry can be a bit of a smart ass. Much to my surprise, though, Harry was sincere this time. When I got to the other stage, I tapped Harry on the shoulder, and he pulled a paper out of his bag. It was Ween’s set list! Thank you, Harry!
Next year
The only bummer about this year’s NMF was that I couldn’t get there until Friday evening, so I missed some good acts. But that doesn’t take away from what I did experience. Next year I will get there on Thursday, so I don’t miss out.
