Sad news... but come to Rothbury

[tuna]

I am sad that I never got a chance the attend 10KLF. I have several friends that would rave every year about how beautiful the park was that it was in.

However, I have had the opportunity to attend Rothbury Festival for the past 2 years and you should not miss it. It is a bigger festival, true, with all the upsides and downsides that I imagine would go with that, but it:

(1) is extremely professionally managed. every facet of the operation seems well planned and about as well executed as you could expect for a music festival

(2) has so far always offered a very strong and diverse lineup. Every year has covered the jam and jamtronica scenes in depth, plus several popular DJs, popular rap/hip hop artists, alt rock, indie rock, bluegrass, reggae, and many more genres both popular and obscure.

(3) has an undeniable spirit of greatness. I have talked to countless people at Rothbury who spend their summers following festivals, and I hear "Rothbury is the best I've ever been to" from all of them. The artist lineup, the attention to detail that they put into the operations and the venue, and the energy of the people that are all excited to be there, are all part of this feeling that when you're at Rothbury, you're part of something great that will be looked back upon as one of the best music festivals ever.

So try to support Rothbury. Its really not that big (~34,000 in 2009). And it really didn't grow that fast (30,000 or 31,000 in 2008). Its still a music festival like any other, a risky operation that needs to sell tickets to keep going. I'm sure that the 10KLF diehards would fit in very well at Rothbury. For most people in Wisconsin, Rothbury is a shorter drive (about 3 hours past Chicago). It has historically run Thursday through Sunday over 4th of July weekend, which could be beneficial to some people compared to 10KLF since offices are closed the friday of 4th of July weekend and many offices are off or have half days on thursday.

I can try to answer questions about Rothbury. Also the infobury forum that is linked to the right is the biggest forum for the festival.

[allyg47]

I would love to attend Rothbury but I work at a hospital that requires us to work 24/7 and doesn't allow us to request holiday weekends off. I tried to get Thanksgiving off last year and they made a huge deal about it. I really don't think I could ever get 4th of July off. I'd rather go to Bonnaroo anyways. I've attended Bonnaroo the past 3 years and it is great. The drive is about the same as Rothbury (about 10 hrs to Roth and 12 hrs to Roo from MN) and isn't too bad when you have two drivers. The camping is great and the festival is very organized. They always have one of the best lineups. My first year, my friend and I left a week early and went camping in Smokey Mountain Nat'l Park. It was so much fun. I'm thinking about doing that this year. My dream summer would be Summer Camp ---> Wakarusa --->Bonnaroo but I don't think I could get the time off.

[tuna]

Dec 30, 2009 22:39:50 GMT -6 allyg47 said:

I would love to attend Rothbury but I work at a hospital that requires us to work 24/7 and doesn't allow us to request holiday weekends off. I tried to get Thanksgiving off last year and they made a huge deal about it. I really don't think I could ever get 4th of July off. I'd rather go to Bonnaroo anyways. I've attended Bonnaroo the past 3 years and it is great. The drive is about the same as Rothbury (about 10 hrs to Roth and 12 hrs to Roo from MN) and isn't too bad when you have two drivers. The camping is great and the festival is very organized. They always have one of the best lineups. My first year, my friend and I left a week early and went camping in Smokey Mountain Nat'l Park. It was so much fun. I'm thinking about doing that this year. My dream summer would be Summer Camp ---> Wakarusa --->Bonnaroo but I don't think I could get the time off.

Yeah I guess you're in a unique situation because you work in a hospital. For most people I think that Rothbury is one of the easier festivals to get to because for office workers the friday of 4th of July weekend is a day off and for most the thursday is another half day or full day off.

Whether you prefer the Bonnaroo or Rothbury lineups in obviously subjective, but Rothbury's lineup is probably much closer to 10KLF in terms of the types of bands. There are also other tradeoffs between the festivals that in my opinion favor Rothbury. The biggest one is that Rothbury is located on nice resort grounds in a North Woods climate (just like 10K) while Bonnaroo is located in a massive open field fully exposed to the TN sun.

Wakarusa has always looked great to me too, but its an 11 hour drive just from me in Chicago! What is it from you, then, 17 hours each way?

[sugarmagnolia]

I was planning to do either Waka or Rothbury. Unfortunately, there isn't a Rothbury this year either!!!!


Sooo.. for me, I think it will either be Coachella (if I decide to go visit a friend out there), Wakarusa, All Good, or Summer Camp. Maybe the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and I think I may go to Bella Vida too.

I don't think Bonnaroo is really the place for me, plus DMB is going to be there this year and I don't want a repeat of last year.. haha!

I'd loveee to do Wanee though, the lineup this year is amazing. Or a festi on the east coast..

Everything is still up in the air though!

What I am really hoping for this summer is a Phish festival! ;D