The Rothbury Report

July 12, 2009

The Rothbury Report
Jam-band fest raises the Dead
By Kristi Kates 7/13/09

Quickly becoming known as Michigan’s premiere summer jam-band fest, Rothbury, which took place again this year over 4 of July weekend, welcomed a host of musicians squarely aimed at today’s revitalized hippie contingent. The Grateful Dead performed their only summer show, The String Cheese Incident got together for their only 2009 performance and two legends - Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson - both showed up for the party.
The three best things about Rothbury are the big names, the integrated artwork, and the sustainability of the event. the organizers have worked hard on focused initiatives of compostable products, recycling, carbon-offsetting and more.
But the worst thing about Rothbury is, surprisingly, the concertgoers themselves, who spent a good portion of their time spilling beverages, sharing their smoke with everyone around them (whether they wanted it or not) and plowing into unsuspecting passers-by.
C’mon Rothbury - pay attention to the crowd you’re drawing. Over 65 Rothbury-related arrests over one weekend should be some kind of indicator to not let the rude run so amuck; perhaps in addition to Rothbury’s “Greening Chief” - the person who does such a good job overseeing the sustainability of the event - they could add a few “Courtesy Chiefs” to add a little civilization to alternately dusty and muddy event.
That said - onward to the bands.

FOLLIES FOR FRIDAY
A stroll through the well-lit forest with its inventive recycled-junk artwork was a good precursor to a weekend that would be heavy on noodle-dancing, dreadlocks, tie-dye, the trend of “festival capes” (often American flags) that were seen tied around many concertgoers’ necks, and Michael Jackson tributes on several stages.
Warmer weather finally showed up on Friday, with Michigan band Steppin’ In It opening the Ranch Arena, jamming on their own tunes as well as a couple of covers before making a mad dash for their next concert in Toronto. King Sunny Ade and His African Beats proved appropriate to the sunny day, with a mass of over 100 musicians and singers sending their big, drum-fueled sound across the dancing crowd.
Flogging Molly was one of the bigger hit acts on Friday, with their lead singer proclaiming that the crowd was about to “see an Irishman turn into a lobster” before the Celtic punkers cranked up their fiddles and accordians, and ran through an impressive set of political and pub anthems, dedicating one song to the late, great Clash singer/guitarist Joe Strummer. Nas and Damien Marley were Flogging Molly’s only real competition on one of the other big stages.
The String Cheese Incident was the big crowd-draw on Friday night, performing on a large stage for the first time in a couple of years; the light show was just as psychedelic as the songs, which were accompanied by flame-baton-twirlers and acrobats who performed on tightropes above the stage; their set ended with a Stevie Wonder cover and several bluegrass jams.
And Friday late-night wound up with more danceable sets by Sound Tribe Sector 9, Chromeo, and other acts at the roots-disco venue the Tripolee Dome.

A SATURDAY OF JAMS
Eighty-year-old bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley opened the Odeum Stage on Saturday - the 4 of July - with an Appalachian-worthy rendition of “Man of Constant Sorrow,” while the Hill Country Revue Band and Railroad Earth continued that Mississippi blues/bluegrass feel on other stages.
Saturday afternoon offered several choices from Les Claypool to John Butler to the Black Crowes, but the Black Crowes were the place to be. Frontman Chris Robinson sported a Grateful Dead patch on his jeans and aviator glasses as the band rocked through radio-friendly hits.
The evening show offered only one real option for true jam-band fans - The Dead, of course, who opened with “Sugar Magnolia” and plowed through an endless string of hits familiar to all Grateful Dead fans, from “Help on the Way” to “Shakedown Street.” The Dead played two long sets over three and a half hours (plus a long intermission in the middle), at one point leading a large passel of percussionists through a long, repetitive and loud drum passage complete with giant kettle drums, and finally ending their set with “Sunshine Daydream.”
After a short break during which the crowd hooted, hollered and waved their red, white and blue glow sticks, The Dead returned for more music - their classic “U.S. Blues” - just as the fireworks began overhead and several American flags waved in the background.

FAREWELL SUNDAY
Sunday kicked off with even better weather and an energetic reggae set from Toots and the Maytals, and a crowd full of people wearing impromptu “Happy 5 of July” shirts crafted by crossing off the “4” with a marker and writing in the “5th.”
Madison House promoter Jeremy Stein called Willie Nelson “the core American element to our 4th of July weekend” - and the buzzed crowd certainly agreed as ol’ Willie played many of his classics, including crowd-singalong “City of New Orleans.” One strange moment occurred when a uniformed policeman casually strolled in front of the P.A. onstage to take a photo of the legendary Nelson while he was performing. Willie didn’t seem to mind, and in fact threw one of his trademark red bandannas to the crowd shortly thereafter.
And for the grand Rothbury finale, another legend, singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, took over the Odeum stage for two hours on Sunday night - even the soundcheck for his harmonica got a big round of applause - and he cruised through many of his well-known songs, from “Rollin’ and Tumblin’” to “Highway 61 Revisited” and “Ballad of a Thin Man.” Dylan alternated between playing guitar, keyboards, and harmonica, returning for a three-song encore triple-hit of “Jolene,” “All Along the Watchtower,” and “Blowin’ in the Wind,” the perfect closer to Rothbury as concertgoers began aimlessly wandering back to their campsites as the fest wrapped for this year.