Cider Mag July/August 2014 Issue 41 | Page 26

at Strangecreek with plenty of activities such as arts and crafts, provided for them. They even got drum lessons with the festival’s musicians, including the drummers from Rusted Root and the Alchemystics. The music at Strangecreek had an arrangement to suit all kinds of musical taste buds. Whatever your preference may be, ranging from strictly Grateful Dead type improv to late night electronic house. In between all that was a bunch of feel good music such as reggae, funk, blues, and pure rock-and-roll. No matter what your heart may desire musically, I will guarantee to all music lovers that there is more than one or two bands that you love or will fall in love with. Strangecreek is to discover bands that you have never heard of. You simply walk around the woods and listen for something that you like and follow it. Three stages (as well as the late night cabins) were setup in all corners of Camp Kee-Wanee, making the festival spread out evenly and easy to get from one stage to another, hearing only the music playing in front of you. Not only were the stages setup perfectly, but also the schedule. It was worked out efficiently because timing between bands starting and ending was perfect for those like-minded in which kind of music they prefer. Those who like the same style of music would be synchronized and see each other bounce from the same stages. Strangecreek had entertainment for not only 26 • CIDER MAG • cidermag.com the auditory senses but also visually. They had a big stage setup adjacent to the main stage with fire spinners doing a bunch of a crazy, jaw-dropping stunts. At some points you were not sure if a group of people were cheering loudly for the music, or the fire spinners. Also the Hoop-tribe that follows festivals around the United States had some beautiful and divine female hoopers. Some travelled far but most were local to the New England festival family. These hoopers are known to draw your attention to them with their unique flow that expresses how the music makes them feel. I do have to give respect to the only guy hooper of the tribe named Jay, and he proves that guys can have flow too. Strangecreek Music Festival gives anyone with a kind soul an uplifting feeling of relief that they are home with the people that they love. This past 2014 Strangecreek was my first time at Camp KeeWanee. I will say that small local festivals like this one are much more recommended to attend rather than driving across the country for a festival. Strangecreek and the Wormtown family bring people together to celebrate life as it was meant to be lived, with no judgements and lots of love. Wormtown, the sister festival to Strangecreek, is always in the fall at the same location and hosts many of the same musicians. Wormtown is scheduled for September 12-14th. July• 2014