HIGH SIERRA: HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS

(from chico,ca):
1. the new mastersounds (from england): the big meadow & vaudeville sets were a serious get-down. too many guest musicians to name.
2. meltone (from japan): great big meadow opener (w/ blues brothers intro & outro), but killed it late nite opening for disco biscuits. couldn't understand what they were saying, but they were speakin' my language
3. the motet: always gotta have motet at high sierra. at the big meadow, the grooves were orgasmic and the women loved it
4. pbs: both big meadow and vaudeville were heavy on the funk, plus the pink floyd cover "us and them" was sweet. the george porter jr. playshop was legendary. felt like actually being in nola, hot, funky and stanky

Sounds like the party of the summer...

MG

1. Garage A trios late night (Sweet Leaf).
2. Railroad Earth late night. They hav eimproved so much it is unreal.
3. Porter,Vidocavich,trio...Skerik, Dillion, Hunter, etc...

Honorable:
Jake S. plays a mean little guitar (Devil Went Down to Georgia all on the eukele no lyrics)
Zero-smooth and fine.
Radiators with Martin Fierro on Sax late night.

unfortunately I was not able to attend this year after attending the past 4 years. Like usual it seems to have been the great time that it is always guaranteed to be. I keep hearing from a lot of people that local boys Blue Turtle Seduction Blew it up on the Main Stage, Late night with Hot Bittered Rum and in the vaudeville. To bad no mention of them on this great long article:( Great article, captures more then the reviews this year of some of the other bigger festivals. Festtttivaaaaaallll!!!!!

I wasn't there, but considering the law enforcement was apparently so bad that HS has made a formal statement on their web site threatening to relocate I'd say it wasn't "the party of the summer". No one even mentions this offhandedly in the review. Were you forbidden to do so? Were you all hidden away in VIP camping?? I loved the High Sierras I've been to, but the intro of this review reeks of irony after looking at the fest website.

As one of the writers of this thing I feel compelled to address worldbefree's comments. Here's the deal: Yes, we all felt, experienced and dealt with an increased, unpleasant police presence. I had friends I was camping with hauled off to jail so I was personally affected. BUT, that's a dark reality that we've addressed in other recent festival reports like Wakarusa. Trust me, I and many others are addressing this the best ways we know how - writing letters, planning things better for next year, etc. To focus on the dark aspects of this weekend would have taken away from what was mostly a joyous experience. I also think that a place like Jambase is tagged as being a "hippy haven" and thus our writing about crackdowns, etc. is dismissed out of hand. It shouldn't be but we're lumped in with the tie-dye legions that the mainstream makes fun of. It's a way to rob folks of their power. Instead of playing into that I think we decided to speak for the positive rather than the negative. Again, no one is being naive about what happened or may continue to happen in the days ahead. But this isn't always the best forum to express our unhappiness and indignation. And for the record, it wasn't like we had a discussion about not writing about the busts, harrassment, etc. It was something that felt natural to address in different ways, in different places. That help explain things?

I appreciate the response. It does help explain things to a point anwyway. I certainly didn't mean that issue should have been the focus of the review. The sentiment to, "Keep on the positive, 'cause it is hard to find," is a compelling one as well. But it struck me as a curious omission, esp. (as you referenced) the Waka reviews came screaming out of the gates with Law Enforcement issues. My concern was this (to use an analogy): Travel Writers are notorious for announcing who they are, getting comp'ed at a resort, writing a rave review-- then you go as paying customer and get treated like dirt and say WTF!Even 1 sentence that said, "Some festival attendees expressed concern about more visible police presence," would have made the review more accurate. You're right in stating such comments would have no positive effect on addressing the situation, but I don't think they would have made it worse. Those comments confused me. I mean is there a judge reviewing a case and saying, "Wait some hippies whined about this on Jambase; clearly there's no merit to this complaint." Are there voters in Plumas Co,CA who are reading jambase to learn more about local issues? To reiterate-- I loved the High Sierras I've been to, that's why I find this all so unsettling.

great article, y'all. high sierra gets better each year, what an incredible community of musicians and music lovers, i look forward to this fest all year long and it never disappoints. my top three this year -

1) blue turtle seduction! i discovered this band at last year's fest and have made a point to catch them several times since... they get better EVERY TIME, and their three scheduled shows at HSMF (festival darlings, apparently?) went OFF - swirling, foot-stomping, celebratory affairs, the energy that these guys bring is relentless and addictive, get on board.

2) magic gravy - holy side project! born in the canyons of mexico last year as the house band for jay archibald's psychedelic birthday extravaganza, this trio has the bassist and drummer from the motet with dan lebowitz from ALO on guitar. I was running on empty when i stumbled across their camp harry set on sunday night but i simply could not stop shaking my ass to this band. they played a few gigs in colorado last month, i cannot wait to hear more from these boys, incredible chops/chemistry/energy - damn damn damn i love it.

c) guadalajara joe, yo! GJ is a songwriter/dancer for the new milennium! do yourself a favor and check out the videos on his myspace - www.myspace.com/guadalajarajoe - this guy is on to something special. simultaneously hilarious and inspiring, joe keeps it so damn real you'll piss your pants.

Thanks for the review. I was disappointed to have misssed my first HSMF in three years although it was for a good cause. I am not sorry to have missed the over zealous cops. It has gotten progressively worse over the years and I'm glad folks and festival organizers are speaking out about it. There has been no catalyst for increased harassment and we shouldn't feel like criminals just for attending a festival. Keep the pressure on the city to reign in the loose cannons.

I echo both Dennis' and worldbefree's comments. I was at both High Sierra and Wakarusa this year. The pigs were out in full force at both like I've never seen before, and after getting an email from 10,000 Lakes this week warning of increased police presence, it seems that this wasn't just focused to Wakarusa or High Sierra, but was an overall attempt by the DEA or some federal agency to seriously increase the policing of these festivals.

Now onto the good stuff, at both High Sierra and Wakarusa I had the best times that I've had yet (I've been to both High Sierra and Wakarusa 2 times before). Both festivals had in my opinions their best lineups to date, and their most responsible/mature of audiences to date who knew how to enjoy the music and the party with the utmost respect for their fellow concert goers and their surroundings. I have to tip my hat to both festivals for creating such and amazing environment that values the music over everything else for a few days in time. It's a special thing.

Great article, wished I could have read about EVERY band.

1) Stymie & the Pimp Jones Luv Orchestra funked High Sierra right on up!

2) High Sierra & ALO's song writing collabo "Phatty, Phatty Eggroll" was catchy as hell.

3) And as far as the sad stuff goes, it was not fun. Cops creeping(and I mean CREEPING!) through campgrounds LOOKING for trouble, so not cool. A unknown band summed it up well I thought,

"Beware, beware, the boys in blue. Beware, beware, the stories are true."

As beautiful as it was, as many new friends I made, and new sounds I heard, I don't think I would return to a High Sierra in Quincy. These cops give good cops bad names.

My two cents ~
I am a long time user/reader of jambase, I will premise this by saying I appreciate your site and hard work within the Jamband scene. In my humble opinion, the writing on this site has always been positive. One could even say, to positive “cotton candy like” and it becomes a bit old. To me a good writer is one who has their own opinion and isn’t afraid to put it out there either. They make you THINK, and are most of the time controversial. That is why when I came across the Dennis Cook article 12/9/05’ which warranted 262 comments all be it was about Trey Anastasio; a very refreshing and respectable adult read for sure!

As for HS, the music is always good, the festival like atmosphere, and the many unique things to do is pretty amazing. That being said, I have not attend this fest since 2001, and this year, found it to be not what I remembered of a music fest, but of an ‘elitists’ community. The price for admission and the new “VIP” rock star treatment was over the top, the fest has ballooned way above the fair grounds capacity (hence over flow camping), the police presence was completely ridiculous this year and a real buzz kill for sure, and with this (theme) camp and that (them) camp, have we become a ‘burningman’ scene with live music? If so, I am so never going back! I would prefer to give my dollars and respect to small fest like Harmony, and bigger ones with foot stomping music like 10,000 lakes! Perhaps HS has become a haven for those musicians and burners only? At least that is how it felt to me…… It is obvious something isn’t right or HS wouldn’t be thinking of moving. Perhaps the fest is morphing into a different community and for those of us who love music, minus the camp competition, best costume wearing, name dropping, California rock star prices should move on…… there is always something for someone – it used to be HS but seems like that no more.

San Francisco ~

Ive been going to High Sierra since 2000. It has been my lifes favorite event and ceremony every year. Every year gets better for me...why? Because every year I get more attached to the HIgh Sierra Community as a whole. Every year creates more memories with new friends and music, and old friends and music. Every year High Sierra takes a step towards more creative endeavors, audience participation, people carry more spirit with them, and things morph and change year to year.

There are sad problems that High Sierra faces with the local authority. Its a very sad thing that a festival with such a respectable, music loving audience gets hit so hard with this problem. People feel so strongly about this festival...put thier hearts and creativity into it and to have a handful of narrow minded ruin that for thousands of others is just obscene. I know HSMF will push through and make some major changes after this year. Thats the positive side of it...at least something will get done out of the mania and we can celebrate The Jazzfest of the Wacky West Coast Sierras every year of our lives from here on out without problems!!!

The cross pollination of events like Burning Man > Earthdance > Camp Bisco > moe > Cheese, you name it, the festival culture, it is great to feel that it is not separated and that the celebration goers can break barriers and labels and attend eachothers events. TO me that shows open mindedness and growth...though may be scary for some, might seem odd at first, but is what breaking ice is all about.

The fun that goes on at High Sierra goes beyond just gettin schwill or chillin and seeing great music...its a community. A bunch of music lovin freaks, some are artzy, some are silly and play kickball at dawn, some dress funny, and some are your average cookie cutter hippies...some are just shirt and jeans chillers and some are old Dead heads....some are rednecks with an open mind...so many flavors for one festival. (and dont tell me Harmony fest was Burning Man free cuz that was just as freaky) The point is, neat-o fun things catch on and delight people. Camps at High Sierra with themes, they are to delight people and make them laugh. They are groups aof peopel who have attended High Sierra for a few years and want to do something different than just put up theri tents and have a regular camp. The energy is just too great for some to hold back...the spirit takes over and you want to build a gigantic stoke-o-meter!! They are for spirit and home. Home is where the ART is! hehehee....

Ive loved seeing all the decor and ambiance at High Sierra do many wonderful things in the years IVe gone. 2001 was raging with that flying jellyfish balloon flying by the mainstage every night. There was plenty of crazy ambiance back then, but new ideas over the years have shown their stuff very nicely!! People get so excited and into the festival, random parades pop up without warning, jams by loved musicians at random camps, the color this year within that waas overwhelmingly adventurous and make it that much cozier and full of life.

It might not be for everyone, but its for many. Its unique and a strong feeling, this High Sierra...long may she run.

(and big kudos to Blue Turtle Seduction for seducing the shite out of this years crowd! yeah Turtle!)

The moment that made this festival was the Bela Fleck/Chris Thile playshop, a display of pure musicianship the likes of which I've never seen, and highlighted by Bela backing up Chris' vocals on a cover of Radiohead's "Morning Bell." Graced by a visit from H.S. MVP Jake Shimakaburo. This kid played well with a host of diverse acts; not fantastically, not virtuosically, but well. What made him stand out was his attitude. Every time he walked onstage he was smilling so hard you'd think it was his first time playing in front of a crowd, and he was so vocally appreciative and joyous for the opportunity to play that his happiness became infectious to those around him. This is what makes H.S. special. He became the crowd's avatar, an extension of the spectator's dream of meeting our heroes and earning their respect. He made Bela smile with a sincerity I have never seen onstage. In an industry that often reeks of phoniness and forced geniality, he exhibited the most genuine gratitude, class, and sheer euphoria about making music you could ever imagine. No matter how hard the pigs crack down, no matter if the fest moves venues or changes names, the childlike glee that Jake made me feel about witnessing improvised music is what makes High Sierra the best four days of each year. Sorry for rambling. -JF

Nice work to all! I appreciate that there was multiple photographers/reviewers and the angle and approach to the review was refreshing! And oh yeah... ROCK ON TANNER!
(do jivamukti yoga)
love and light
John

again, if you something at high sierra didn't sit too well with you be it police presence or the "rockstar vip" elitism like Jazzzz mentioned please go to www.highsierramusic.com/?page=contact_us and let your thoughts be known and/or flood them with calls at 510-595-1115 but be tasteful and don't sound like some burnout. the more people do this the more these festival promoters will know that there are changes that need to be made so that all this crap won't overshadow the music.

The only crap thats overshadowing the music are the local authorities. The VIP thing is so unoticed. So there is a section by the main stage for VIPs to stand. BIG DEAL....thats about all the VIP I saw. I would rather dance with my friends by grizzly radio.
If you think ambiance and art and colorful dress overshadows the music, then what kind of festivarian are you? I thought festivals were about celebration, those who are uncomfortable with it have some issues of their own to deal with.
High SIerra is one festival where "shakedown" doesnt exist. No Hippie Flea Market here. So people have a creative camp and give away free bloody marys, is that so bad? Its a hell of a lot better than crusty kids trying to sell me crap around every corner.
Some of these ethos show the vitality of High Sierra patrons. If that sounds "burning man" to you, then maybe Shakedown is where you'd rather be. For me, Shakedown streets take away from the music.
But whatever floats your boat, were all entitled to our opinions.

High Sierra kicked ass this year, especially the late night shows. For the most part, I tried to not let the police interference bring down my buzz, but having my camp illegally searched with dogs on Saturday night was kind of a temporary buzz kill. Ultimately the music shined through and overshadowed the police drama (for most of us). TLG late night was my favorite show and the chance to see Jake Shimabukuro jammin with everyone made the whole trip worth it.

yo migus. glad u had a good time but the fact that they searched you tent illegely with canines is not cool. you really should go to the website and complain. if you let them get away with that then they'll think that it's okay to do it again to someone else.

I haven't seen anyone mention them, but I walked away most impressed by Adrien Youn and Little Sadie. They kept me from a good part of Keller. Also I would like to add everything you hear about the police presence is true.

The music and the energy was fabulous as always. I love reading about all the music I missed. It is like I was at whole different fest. So much music.

Cops are a drag! Always have been always will be. They have been getting worse in Quincy every year. Local pressure hopefully will have some impact. Bad for California, but pretty typical for most places. If you paid attention to the boys you could avoid them. It is difficult to gather thousands of hippies without cops drooling anywhere. It is a function of our authoritarian worshiping society.

Disagree with Jazz 100%. The large gatherings at certain camps is a positive. One of the reasons I love the fest. Parties everywhere. You can wonder into any one of these camps have beer meet cool folks. There is often some collaberation of muscians providing entertainment. If thats not your thing there are plenty of other places to chill. Festivallllll!!!!!!!

I didn't go this year, but had a friend who did. He said he saw the police selling shirts (along with hot dogs) that said "Leave on vacation. Return on probation." The only word for that is WOW!

He also said he heard that the increased police presence was because the promoters didn't want to meet their demands for $200K. Kind of like, if you don't meet our demands, this is what happens type of deal.

Lastly, he said the local pizza vendor guy made $22K over the four days. To me that says the locals don't want this festy going anywhere.

Rip these comments if you will, but remember they were told to me second hand.

- $.02

I just returned from 10klf and would have to say that i had a way better time at High Sierra. Not that 10klf wasn't amazing but i did not feel that it brought the family feeling that made High Sierra sooo amazing. High Sierra really put themselves out there by not only bringing in the Jam Bands but also experimenting with different types of music like Brother and Apollo Sunshine. As for the theme camps i thought they were an incredible idea that really brought everyone together. Never once did i wander into a theme camp and feel unwelcome. All in all I would definitely say that High Sierra brought out the best in the festi scene, and as for the authorities i found that if you stayed out of there way they left you alone, but that is only my opinion.

My top 5:
1. Porter & Vidacovich trio sessions with everyone and their mother. Something very special to be a part of.
2. Zero (though I missed late-night because will call was closed and couldn't enter the grounds, despite the fact that I arrived at 1:30 a.m. on Thursday with a 4-day pass)
3. Late-night drum circle/breakdown with over a hundred people freaking.
4. Everyone Orch. (Kai Eckhardt!)
5. Garage a Trois
That being said, I have to agree with Jazz 100%. He nailed it. This was my first High Sierra and it fell well short of the immense hype surrounding it. My previous festival experience has largely been along the east coast (Berkfest, Gathering, etc.) as well as some galas at Horning's. My expectations going into High Sierra were lofty, due largely in part to Jambase's treatment of the festy as their crown jewel of the summer. It ain't that sweet. The cost is ridiculous. The initial price of the ticket plus late-night for four shows puts the total near $250. That's about a hundred more than any other festival in the country. I mean, they charge four bucks to swim in the pool. Absurd. The price prevents many people from going and attracts a specific non-diverse demographic. I have never seen so many brand new suv's (almost all with either California or Nevada plates) roll into a festival lot. Every person I met was from Tahoe or the Bay area, bra. Furthermore, the line-up was lacking with some glaring omissions. There were some definite duds not mentioned in the article (starring Nickel Creek). For that price I want every bad-ass band on the planet there. I don't give a shit if there's pilates or not. The wholesome family feel proved to be just a little too much. I'm a 24 year-old without a fam, so whether or not there are kid's relay races on the big meadow at 4:00 doesn't affect the quality of the experience. I like to get loose at a festival but the presence of little kids and extreme police force prevented me from enjoying any sort of extra-curriculur activities. Give me Berkfest any day of the week over HS. Twice as scenic, as well. HS grounds are in the arid hills with an adjacent five-acre lumber yard constantly spewing toxins into the air. No thanks.

verry funny tshirts but the police have driven my tourist dollar out of thier area. i would like to support the festival but refuse untill they move the event. clearly the local establishment does not want the festival or the type of money it creates! if i were a religious person i would pray for an end to the onslaught!

high sierra, why not hold an event in boulder countys high country or in a place like humboldt? look at the benefits of the relationship between Great Northeast (phish) and the seminole tribe! with some effort and creativity you could do somthing! what do you plan to do? keep it up? look what happened to mountain air!

"one way or another/ this darkness got to give"

- the gratefull dead referencing a similar type of festival going experience.

another interesting write up on the event from a fans perspective (as we expect)on jambands.....

http://www.jambands.com/Features/content_2006_07_20.00.phtml

(from sacramento, ca)
my top 3 moments of HSMF 06 - good times, great friends, amazing music
1. zero late night was by far my favorite set. franklins tower was amazing.
2. seeing drew emmett, again. late night set was so rude. played a lot of leftover salmon tunes.
3. greyboy allstars. we they all switched instruments and zach was rapping - ive never seen anything like it. nice to have karl in a different setting.