Festivals In Focus: Q&A With Mountain Jam’s Gary Chetkof

Live music festivals continue to grow in popularity and diversity as the landscape shifts and responds to trends and technological changes. JamBase’s ongoing interview series with promoters of music festivals looks for insights into the challenges and rewards of hosting memorable events. This installment presents a Q&A with Mountain Jam's Gary Chetkof.

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After a six-year hiatus, Mountain Jam 2025 will be held on June 20 – 22. The three-day event will be held at a new location with Belleayre Mountain ski resort in Highmount, New York set to host Mountain Jam 2025.

Belleayre Mountain is located within Catskill Park in New York State. Goose, Khruangbin and Mt. Joy lead the Mountain Jam lineup. Khruangbin tops the bill on Friday, June 20; Mt. Joy headlines on Saturday, June 21 and Goose closes the festival on Sunday, June 22.

Additional performers include moe., Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Trampled by Turtles, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, Dogs In A Pile, Karina Rykman, TORRES, Kitchen Dwellers, Grace Bowers & The Hodge Podge, Mikaela Davis, Upstate and Shane Guerrette.

Mountain Jam launched as a one-day festival in 2005 at Hunter Mountain, which hosted the festival through 2018. The independent festival expanded to four days at its peak and was last held in 2019 at Bethel Woods.

Mountain Jam 2025 tickets are on sale now. Learn more about the independent festival through a Q&A with Mountain Jam founder Gary Chetkof.

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What got you into the world of independent festivals/promotions?

I never planned on being a concert promoter. In 1993 I purchased radio station WDST Radio Woodstock in Woodstock, New York. The station was always known for being eclectic and breaking new artists. When the emerging artist eventually became successful, however, they would often play at a large concert venue and a competing radio station with a much bigger broadcast signal would present the show. I wanted Radio Woodstock to present the show and introduce the band. A friend of mine in the record business told me that I could “buy the talent” and rent a venue. I decided to try this and I figured that as long as I did not lose money, it would be a good marketing tool for the radio station.

So I booked the Indigo Girls at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie and it sold out and I ended up making a profit and I thought “how cool is this?” I could get my favorite band to town, have them interviewed on the radio station, and have the radio station introduce them at the show, have all my friends come out, and make money!

I started promoting shows at the Bearsville Theater in Woodstock and expanded to the Bardavon in Poughkeepsie and UPAC in Kingston. And then in 2005 it was Radio Woodstock’s 25th anniversary and I thought that I should throw a big outdoor concert to celebrate. When I was in high school I used to attend my two favorite radio stations’ – WLIR and WNEW – summer concerts in Belmont Park and Central Park. So I envisioned a beautiful outdoor venue with lawn chairs, blankets, and frisbees and that is how Mountain Jam was born at Hunter Mountain. The anniversary concert was successful and I decided to expand it to two days with camping the next year, followed by three days the following year and eventually four days.

Did you have a mentor(s) or an education in the space?

Not really, it truly happened in an organic way, just from starting out small and learning on the go, and investing more time and money into the festival every year. However, I would also give credit to Stef Scamardo and the Gov’t Mule team, as well as Great Northeast Productions and Jon Dindas, for advice in the early years, and helping me to understand the jam band festival space, and to increase the production values of the festival over time.

What do you wish you knew starting out that you know now?

How hard it is for an independent festival promoter to compete with the big boys like Live Nation and AEG. They can outbid us for bands, and can counter-program against us on our festival weekend.

Also, the weather has become more unpredictable over the years, and although I had always protected the festival financially with rain insurance, the cost of both liability and cancellation insurance has gone through the roof.

Finally, doing camping at the festival provides a unique and really special experience, but it is a lot more work and money to do, as it triggers mass gathering laws and permits.

What are 3 things you wish concert attendees knew about hosting and promoting an independent music festival?

How hard it is to do it! How long it takes to prepare (starting with the booking process); how expensive it is to produce and how financially risky it can be; and how there are so many details to producing a festival.

Executing on a plan is a lot harder than just making the plan. The importance of having a great team is ultimately the key to producing a successful festival.

What is your favorite thing about promoting independent music festivals?

Seeing everything come together at the end; seeing the festival site built, seeing the artists performing in their curated time slots and seeing the fans arriving at the show. The vision becomes the reality. And seeing great music, sharing in the positive vibes that surround the festival, seeing all of the love and energy that music brings out.

At that moment you realize that all the hard work was worth it, and it reminds me of why I am doing this to begin with. I always make sure to enjoy myself as much as I can doing the festival and to carve out some quality time with friends and family and the bands.

What’s a favorite festival that you’ve attended or worked on and why?

It was Glastonbury over 20 years ago. It really inspired me because the setting was beautiful, the music was amazing, the campgrounds were so much fun, and the people were so nice (if you sneezed, about 10 people would say “god bless you”). I had the best time being free and easy and meeting great people. That inspired me to want to do a music festival one day.

How do you prefer to engage with brands or sponsors who want to come on board? What qualities do you look for?

We love brands that fit with our ethos and that we are proud to introduce to our attendees. We see ourselves as a conduit between the brand and the audience, just like we see ourselves as a conduit between the musicians and the audience. Because of the high costs of producing a music festival, sponsorship is a key source of revenue. So we really try to find the best brands that fit with our audience and we try to over-deliver for our sponsors so that they are happy and want to come back.

What are the qualities you look for when partnering with an artist to curate/co-brand a festival?

It is important to have a great relationship with the artist, since co-curating and branding involves so much collaboration. Sharing similar musical tastes and values is key.

There are so many variables to producing a festival that it is important for everyone to be on the same page in terms of all facets of the festival – safety, music, food, production, art installations, activities, and also being attentive to the budget and the financial realities.

How has the indie festival promotion business changed post-pandemic?

Well a lot of music festivals have gone out of business since the pandemic for many reasons. The space was overpopulated, talent fees and all areas of production have increased dramatically, insurance costs have skyrocketed. Plus it seems that people these days are more interested in attending concerts than music festivals.

This is the key reason why we are bringing back Mountain Jam as a boutique festival but with the talent budget of a much larger festival. We are doing three days instead of four, and one stage. This makes the fan experience much better, everyone can chill out with their spot on the mountain and not have to run around the venue catching music.

We are focusing on the quality of the experience over quantity.

Do you think that the effects of the pandemic are over/complete for people promoting independent live music events?

The post pandemic is the new reality, the new norm. And that is how we are producing Mountain Jam this year. Less crowds, more touchless technology, shorter lines, an efficient and streamlined experience. All in a beautiful, unique outdoor setting with mountaintop views, skyrides, and visual art. We are creating an immersive experience for three days and we want people to be free and to escape the realities of daily life.

Are there any trends you see taking shape over the next couple of years?

Just the trends that I have identified above. I think there will always be a place for big festivals like Coachella and Bonnaroo and Gov Ball, but I think the emergence of high quality boutique festivals will increase.

What is the best advice you can give to someone looking to attend a festival in 2025?

Choose the right festival to attend!

Festivals all have different personalities and are all run differently. Make sure the festival’s ideals and ethos match your own. And of course, support the independent festivals that are doing this for the right reasons and are not just doing it for the money.

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[JamBase is a media partner of Mountain Jam.]