Nateva News Articles

[itrainmonkeys]

Use this thread for any articles that you may find online or in your local newspapers or magazines. Try to post the article / link or at least describe what was written about. I'll post a few here.

[itrainmonkeys]

From the Portland Press Herald:

Nateva Fest closes: 'It was Awesome'

OXFORD - Unbelievable. That's how some of the few hundred Nateva Festival campers packing up to head home on Monday morning described the inaugural Fourth of July weekend event at the Oxford Fairgrounds.

The word also described the eastern fields where thousands camped for three days prior. Instead of trash strewn everywhere, left-behind waste was stowed in orderly row upon row of blue, black, and white trash bags.

Amid it all at 11:15 a.m., two young women wearing American flag bikinis slowly packed their gear into a car while basking in the 92-degree heat.

One, Rachel Rhynders of Syracuse, N.Y., intermittently stopped what she was doing, closed her eyes, raised both arms and swayed to a thumping bongo and bass rhythm streaming from a nearby campsite.

"It was awesome!" the waitress at the CopperTop Tavern in North Syracuse said of her first music festival. "I definitely loved it. The perfect vacation. It was the most relaxed time and the people here were so friendly, and the size was just perfect. I didn't even see much people get in trouble."

It was a nice reason to come to Maine, said her friend, Jordan Parkinson, also a CopperTop bartender from Syracuse.

Initially, they were going to spend the Fourth at the annual Disco Biscuits Festival at Mariahville, N.Y. It was closer and less expensive.

"I think if we went to the larger one, it wouldn't have been so enjoyable -- too many people," Parkinson said.

The pair came to see the bands The Flaming Lips, Sound Tribe Sector 9, EOTO and Furthur perform.

Furthur, which featured two former Grateful Dead members, closed out the festival with "U.S. Blues" at 11:45 p.m. Sunday.

Several people commented about the very visible police presence, complaining that there was too much on-site security.

Of the 34 men and women booked into Oxford County Jail in Paris, 26 were arrested while at or near Nateva, mostly on charges of felony drug trafficking or possession.

Nateva Festival President Frank Chandler said organizers purposely stacked the deck with police and security to create a family-friendly music festival, safeguarding guests and surrounding communities.

"We wanted a safe environment and we were very clear about that," Chandler said. "We took actions to make sure everyone who came knew we were serious. Drug dealers are not welcome in our community and we enforced that, and that's what we're going to do next year."

Judy Allen, a nurse supervisor at Stephens Memorial Hospital in Norway, said emergency room staff saw several Nateva participants, but not as many as they'd expected.

"We saw numerous people with drug-related and non-drug issues, and there were a few who had problems with the heat and dehydration," Allen said. "We planned for extra security because we expected an influx, but it was the equivalent of when the Dead came to town" in 1988.

Down Route 26 at Irving's Lil' Mart, convenience store and fuel station clerk Megan Annance of Oxford said the Nateva crowd was "polite and courteous."

Back at Parkinson and Rhynders' campsite, Parkinson looked skyward and sighed when Rhynders suddenly called out her name. Her friend had stopped packing and started dancing again.

"We're never getting out of here," said Parkinson, who was nearly nine hours away from a 12-hour work shift.

Rhynders smiled broadly and said, "Thanks, Maine, for having us."



www.pressherald.com/news/nateva-fest-closes-it-was-awesome_2010-07-06.html

[itrainmonkeys]

From Boston.com:

Nateva plants musical roots in Maine

OXFORD, Maine — While many were kicking back over the holiday weekend, Frank Chandler was planting seeds. And if those seeds take root, there will be many more Nateva Music & Camping festivals in Oxford, Maine, in summers to come.

Chandler’s inaugural Nateva festival, a three-day event nestled into the Oxford Fairgrounds, brought Furthur, the Flaming Lips, moe., and more than two dozen other acts, many rooted in the jam ’n’ groove scene, with additional nods to modern rock, reggae, bluegrass, and techno.

But beyond simply plopping a bunch of bands into the gateway to Maine’s ski country, Nateva created a vibrant — albeit temporary — community. Pitching their tents at the site, attendees ranged from a family arriving three generations strong from two states to a pair of happy-go-lucky 20-somethings on a summer road trip from Louisiana.

The July Fourth closing program saw the most consistent turnout, which was not surprising as it was also the least eclectic lineup. Furthur — the latest project helmed by bassist Phil Lesh and guitarist Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead — topped the bill, taking a page from buddy Bob Dylan’s playbook and rearranging old concert faves to create some of the most exciting Dead music of the post-Jerry Garcia era. The earlier part of the day was stacked with Children of the Dead bands such as Mark Karan’s Jemimah Puddleduck, Moonalice, and Max Creek, while the midday offerings of Zappa Plays Zappa and George Clinton’s Parliament-Funkadelic fit the flow, and the new Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi Band sealed the deal with a powerfully soulful performance that nicely set the stage for Furthur’s arrival.

On Saturday, a consistently large crowd never materialized until Sound Tribe Sector 9 and the Flaming Lips arrived to deliver that night’s one-two punch of groove and glitz. That’s not to say the earlier part of the day lacked great performances. Experimental popsters Grizzly Bear played one of the festival’s finest sets, which unfolded during a dramatic sunset that made the band’s show that much more memorable.

Maine-bred talent Rustic Overtones and regional reggae standard bearers John Brown’s Body worked well, and the radio-friendly Crash Kings, who killed with a set-closing cover of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs,’’ brought the kind of rough edge that gives a multiband fest a bit of personality. Drive-By Truckers and She & Him fleshed out Saturday’s lineup with various shades of the alt-rock spectrum.

The Newton-based Chandler, a first-time promoter, set his goals high, and for the most part hit them. While volunteers were crucial to the festival’s operation, Chandler acknowledged that relying too much on them for parking logistics resulted in a traffic jam on Friday.

Yet throughout the festival more people were pointing out what he got right. Crystal-clear sound traveled from the twin main stages all the way back to the 1960s Ferris wheel running at the opposite end of the fairground. The festival unfolded in a whimsical wonderland of giant rainbow-colored pinwheels, kids parades, visits by the freakish and funny giant Big Nazo puppets, and Independence Day fireworks. A secondary barn stage was a place of discovery where you could find teenage phenoms the McLovins or chest-thumping dub and techno played until the wee hours.

Chandler patrolled the campsites, polling attendees about what they wanted to see changed in the future, and those he spoke to were impressed that he even bothered to ask. Team Nateva ruled with a gentle hand, while being strict about keeping nitrous oxide use out of the festival.

Chandler said he sold out of reserved-camping tickets and VIP packages, which no doubt buoyed his declaration that he wants to make Nateva an annual event. Day sales were softer on Friday and Saturday, while Sunday just about hit the capacity of 15,000. But that doesn’t mean Nateva should book only jam bands in the future. While Furthur delivered a fantastic show, there’s no denying the sheer entertainment value of Saturday’s wide-ranging lineup.

Chandler said he went heavy on jam bands because the audience for those groups is keyed into the multiday camping scene. Tennessee’s Bonnaroo employed a similar strategy and eventually blossomed into the sort of festival that now welcomes Jay-Z as well as Dave Matthews.

It’s fair to say that Nateva is poised to blossom into a signature music event for New England.



www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2010/07/06/nateva_festival_plants_musical_roots_in_maine/

[itrainmonkeys]

From Rolling Stone

Furthur, Flaming Lips Bring Big Jams to Tiny Nateva Fest

After jamming through three hours of Dead classics on the Fourth of July, Phil Lesh grabbed the mike in front of 15,000 fans in the final hour of the Nateva festival in Oxford, Maine. "We have an appropriate tune for you all," he said as Furthur kicked into the joyous "U.S. Blues" as Bob Weir traded solos with guitarist John Kadlecik amidst red-white-blue stage lighting. Fans tossed glow sticks, held up sparklers and joined in on the chorus, "Wave that flag — wave it wide and high."

Weir and Lesh even remained onstage after their final bow to watch the event's modest fireworks show, which capped the first-time fest. Though small by Lollapalooza or Coachella standards, Nateva was Maine's biggest rock extravaganza in years, featuring more than 50 bands at the town's fairground. The bill was a mix of psychedelic headliners (the Flaming Lips, Furthur), jam mainstays (Umphrey's McGee) and indie college-rock staples (Grizzly Bear, She and Him).

Five thousand people camped on the fairgrounds, and thousands more traveled by school bus from remote campsites at nearby Oxford Plains Speedway — the site of two legendary Dead shows held the same summer weekend in 1988. Plenty of hospitable locals opened their yards to campers for a small fee, resulting in several mini backyard communes. "We're just a regional northern new England festival," said founder Frank Chandler. "If you're tired of walking 45 minutes to your campsite at Bonnaroo, we've got a Fourth of July barbeque for you to hang with your friends in your backyard."

Papier-mâché elephants grazed among the audience as She and Him played a mid-afternoon Saturday set in front scenic pine trees. Zooey Deschanel belted out sunny retro pop in a summer dress and giant sunglasses, initiating a folky sing-along on "Magic Trick" and slapping a tambourine during "Black Hole." The group honored fifties doo-wop with a cover of Skeeter Davis' "Gonna Get Along Without You Now."

As a sweat-soaked Ed Droste led Grizzly Bear's glazed-over harmonies, the Lips' Wayne Coyne admired the band backstage. "They really do a lot of work up there," he told Rolling Stone. "They manipulate a lot of stuff and really listen to each other when they sing." Coyne said he wasn't planning to stick around for Furthur, recalling his disappointment at a 1977 Dead show. "I always thought it'd be more freaky — strange and loud. A lot of it to me seemed to be basic traditional bluegrass country music. I like intense shiznit. But there's a philosophy and a way that they did things I really admire."

The Lips' Saturday night set was indeed one blissful psychedelic freakout, full of orange stage dancers, streamers and mini hot air balloons flying into the sky. The band opened with "The Fear" in front of seizure-inducing lights and fog, and Coyne headed straight into the crowd in his space bubble. By song two, he was riding a fake black bear. The band didn't touch its recent Dark Side of the Moon cover, instead playing a 16-song set heavy on tracks from last year's Embryonic. "Silver Trembling Hands" was explosive, and Coyne strapped on a bubble guitar for a heartfelt "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots." He also stopped in the middle of the set to praise the staff, especially port-a-potty maintenance workers: "You could put your butts on those toilets all day and it would be pleasant."

Despite the risk of objectionable outdoor plumbing, Coyne told Rolling Stone one of his favorite parts of his job is visiting festivals. "I don't do drugs anymore — I wish I could," he said, adding, "Acid freaks me out. I always think I'm going to kill somebody." (His ideal festival mix: "The first night you want to do ecstasy and stay up. The second night, chill out. The third night, just get drunk.") The real appeal of festivals, though, isn't pharmaceutical but communal, he said. "With these audiences it's about them. It's about the trip that they're on — it's not just about seeing rock stars."

On the fest's final day, George Clinton gave the crowd plenty of time to chit-chat, waiting more than 30 minutes to hit the stage while Parliament Funkadelic jammed on the band's deep catalog. When the funk legend did emerge wearing a P-Funk baseball cap, he looked spent. Occasionally, he muttered a word or two ("We Want the Funk"), but mostly danced amongst his 15 or so musicians as the band paid tribute to recently deceased bassist Garry Shider.

Derek Trucks and wife Susan Tedeschi played a soulful set with their new soul-grounded supergroup, fresh off a trip to Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival. "It's a lot of moving parts," Trucks told RS. "Two drummers, two background singers and two leaders." The band delivered, and Trucks played mind-bending solos on tracks like Delaney and Bonnie's "Comin Home" while Tedeschi channeled Janis Joplin's wail on the Beatles "I Got a Feeling." They also offered new tunes like the funky "Love Has Something Else to Say."

Trucks said he soaked up the New England vibes all weekend, renting a lakeside camp with wife Tedeschi, his crew and brewers of the tasty local Gritty's beer. "Everyone was swimming and fishing and shooting B.B. guns — it was ridiculous," he said. "It really is Vacationland here."

Nature obliged once again during Furthur's headlining set, as Weir gaped appreciatively at a stunning sunset. "Let's take a moment," he said, "to admire the shine." The Dead spinoff blazed through their longtime live staples with Lesh and Weir perched center stage, their rhythm instruments raised high in the mix while guitarist John Kadlecik replicated Jerry Garcia's yearning vocals and intricate solos. The new band seemed to inspire Weir, who led a slow-burning singalong on "When I Paint My Masterpiece."

The band exposed the laid-back blues potential of Traffic's "Dear Mr. Fantasy," sounded mystical as they grooved on "Slipknot" and busted out their Sun Records boogie on "Cumberland Blues" and "Goin Down the Road Feelin Bad." Weir and Lesh still seemed road hungry, and channeled their Winterland glory on a swaying "Franklin's Tower." And before the fireworks marked the end of the fest and a truly scenic holiday weekend, the band said farewell with the a cappella gospel tune "And We Bid You Goodnight."


www.rollingstone.com/music/news/17386/152092