Fourth of July weekend is a scant three days away and with it comes time not only to say Happy Birthday America, but Happy Birthday to a renowned Sierra tradition: The High Sierra Music Festival. What started as a small festival in Bear Valley featuring about 20 bands has grown into a 20-year-old behemoth of over 60 artists, three stages, playshops, workshops, daycare, and more. In fact, the festival even has its own Yelp account (with nothing but stellar reviews, obviously). The reasons people love HSMF are as varied as the locations from which they travel. But it’d be fair to say that for all who make the pilgrimage, the festival really boils down to an experience of incredible musicians, in a laidback kickass festival atmosphere.
For those not in the know or holding out on purchasing that all important ticket, I fired off a few questions to event producer Rebecca Sparks who answered amidst what I’m sure were last minute mini-crises before the gates open Thursday. Those who are in the know, find a good tip below: I would not miss GUITARMAGEDDON, on Friday from noon to 1:30 p.m.
Moonshine Ink: Do you have anything special planned for the 20 anniversary? Are there any changes, large or small for this year’s festival?
Rebecca Sparks: No big changes just small changes like The Rockin’’ Nannies, a professional nanny service. This year will also feature beer and wine tasting from various producers.
* Learn more about the Rockin’ Nannies and ‘Mom’s Breasteraunt’ here.
MI: How long did it take to arrive at the 2010 artist lineup? Was there a genre focus that has been different than years past? Who are you most excited about seeing?
RS: We started working on it in early fall 2009 and completed in March. [We] try to balance to get the right recipe for the stew. We are most excited about Widespread Panic, Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer & Zakir Hussain, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Big Light, and Beats Antique.
MI: Artist playshops for this year — if you could pick one a day not to be missed — what would it be?
RS: Friday, GUITARMAGEDDON, noon to 1:30 p.m. Guitar Player Magazine presents the return of our annual shredfest. Eli Jebidiah of Poor Man’s Whisky is the new musical director and this year he’ll lead some of High Sierra’s favorite fret-tologists such as Josh Clark, Sean Leahy, Lebo, Eric McFadden, and others through a rockin’ set of White Stripes tunes.
Saturday, HORN OF PLENTY (a.k.a. Kicking Some Brass), 4 to 5 p.m. Trombone Shorty and Skerik play together in the New Orleans brass band called the Midnite Disturbers and here you’ll get an intimate session featuring these two great horn players joined by KDTU’s Karl Denson and Chris Littlefield as they break it down, kick it around and have a four-way musical conversation with just their horns.
MI: Are there any workshops or films you would like to highlight?
RS: The film ‘Icons Among Us’ will be shown on both Friday and Saturday. The film directly challenges perceptions of what jazz is and what it is becoming by examining its innovative new voices as well as their influential forebears. Dialogue unfolds with Nicholas Payton, Terence Blanchard, Jason Moran, Russell Gunn, Donald Harrison Jr., Bill Frisell, and more as well as interview appearances with Wynton Marsalis and Herbie Hancock.
MI: What can you tell me about Grizzly Radio?
RS: Grizzly Radio is our on-site, low-wattage, 24-hours-a-day festival community radio station, available on multiple frequencies. Tune in for up-to-the-minute festival happenings, interviews, live broadcasts from various stages as well as some fine High Sierra Music Festival archival performances. It has been around each year and people do use it as a resource for announcements, concert updates, artist interviews and stage broadcasts. It is a very cool feature of the festival and all people need is a portable radio! (Editor’s Note: Frequencies for Grizzly Radio have not yet been determined. Check your program and keep your eyes peeled for posters at the festival.)
MI: Are there any nonprofit partners you would like to talk about for this year?
RS: The Conscious Alliance will be staging a food drive at this year’s festival. Food donations will benefit a local Feeding America affiliate. All patrons that donate 10 non-perishable food items will receive a free limited-edition High Sierra poster created by Phil Lewis.
Once again, High Sierra is excited to be working with Clean Vibes, a company formed and dedicated to responsible on-site waste management of outdoor festivals and events. For the 10th year, Clean Vibes will be onsite helping to ensure that we as a community recycle as much of the waste produced on site as possible. With the help of the festival goers, Clean Vibes will divert tens of thousands of pounds of recyclables from the landfill.
Intrigued? Excited? Pack your bags and get thee to Quincy this weekend for roughly 60 hours of music crammed into four days. For ticketing info and full schedules, check out highsierramusic.com.
