There’s Magic In These Woods: Electric Forest 2017 Second Weekend – Photos & Review

Words & Images by: Tim McGuire

Electric Forest – Second Weekend :: 06.29-7.02.17
Double JJ Ranch :: Rothbury, MI

Check out a full gallery after Tim’s review.

Electric Forest in Rothbury, Michigan premiered a second weekend for its 2017 installment. Wednesday’s early arrivals were greeted by a thunder storm which closed the entry gates and caused delays. The festival opened Thursday to grounds that were freshly sanded and wood chipped, affording good conditions but delaying the scheduled set times by several hours.

The Kyle Hollingsworth Band fired up the weekend for String Cheese fans with a cover of “Terrapin Station” and String Cheese’s “Way That It Goes.” Waka Flocka Flame got the crowd jumping at the Sherwood Court stage. Haywyre hopped on the keys at the Ranch Arena for some very dance-able electro-funk.The evening started as The Revivalists provided a saxy sunset and gave the crowd a passionate cover of “Hey Jude.” Papadosio brought out material from their Pattern Integrities EP and later took a deep dive into “Find Your Cloud.” Break Science put a twist on “Sorry Miss Jackson” and the set featured Brasstracks collaborator Ivan Jackson on trumpet. Break Science capped the set by featuring London Souls guitarist Tash Neal.

That evening on the Ranch Arena, Big Gigantic treated fans to some new material and were joined by a three-piece horn section including vocalist/trumpeter Jennifer Hartswick. Waka Flocka Flame took the stage with Big G for several tracks and got the place moshing. Later, Jason Huber of Cherub made a surprise guest appearance on several songs including “The Night is Young”.

Unique creative spaces are a theme at Electric Forest. Deep in the forest section of the festival a Grand Artique stage creates a rustic space for a trading Post where trinkets are exchanged, tarot reading are given and a cast of characters in rustic american hang around and entertain on stage. For those festival attendees with a sense of adventure a set of secret rooms were contained in The Hanger stage amongst other amenities such as a barber shop, billiards, bowling, photo studio and much more. Access to the secret rooms was gained by a variety of means including riddles, puzzles and games which kept a steady steam of gossip among attendees about the secrets and clues.

Topping the night Big Gigantic and Jason of Cherub took to an RV sound system just before the break of dawn.

Friday afternoon on the Ranch Arena, The Motet got the audience shouting along with the band and keyboardist Joey Porter led the way on some major bust outs and tour staples. That evening The String Cheese Incident treated the Forest to three sets, with guest features by Big Gigantic during the second set. Dominic Lalli and Kang duelled back and forth to the crowd’s delight.

On the Sherwood Court stage, Lettuce brought the funk as hard as ever, especially with their “Madison Square” closer featuring Eric “Benny” Bloom turning some heads. Later, the fog rolled in at the Sherwood Court stage for Lotus. The set was heavy with classic Lotus originals including “Greet The Mind.”

In addition to the festival’s “Electrocology” programs that has traditionally encouraged folks to pickup trash and reduce waste, a new melody of Ecology could be heard in the forest this year. At the end of each evening the main stages played a kitschy “prize cart” theme song that echoed through the night and signaled an opportunity for whoever could pickup the most trash to win a prize of festival swag, such as a hydration bag or hammock.

Saturday came with sunny and warm weather and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band brought some NOLA spirit to the Ranch Arena. Later, Matisyahu was joined by a crew of friends dancing on stage.

For the Saturday String Cheese sets, the band debuted a cover of The Beatles’ “Dear Prudence” following “Tinder Box” with a canvas being painted live on stage while a LED-covered SWAT team took the stage. However, the costumed team dropped their riot gear and turned into a drum corp line beating along with drummers Jason Hann and Michael Travis. Giant inflatable bricks tagged “resist” were dropped on the crowd and a hot air balloon emblazoned “lead with love” and carrying an acrobat landed in the middle of the crowd accompanied by a shower of heart-shaped confetti. Closing the Sherwood Court Saturday, The Floozies started a dance party. A decidedly funky “Fat Bottom Girls” was dropped along with several new tunes including “Nothing to Lose.”

Sunday afternoon rains kept folks around their camp sites. The weather cleared as the Bluegrass Generals took the stage for a twangy set featuring members of Infamous Stringdusters ahead of the ‘Dusters’ set later that day. Con Brio’s dance-friendly set included a distinctly soulful take on “Black Hole Sun” within their own song, while TAUK trotted out a passionate “Realize,” an outtake from the Sir Nebula sessions released as a single.

That evening, Nahko & Medicine For The People closed the Jubilee Stage with a powerful message of “taking care of each other & the earth” before going into “Dear Brother.” While nearby, festival favorite Bassnectar blessed his legion with more than a couple brand new tracks.

As the Electric Forest expanded for 2017 into a second weekend, it’s clear they know what makes the annual pilgrimage to Rothbury such a special treat for so many. After years of sellouts, this time around even more festivalgoers were able to experience the magical event.

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