Up North Festival is latest festival casualty
Last summer, the inaugural Up North Music & Art Festival brought Bob Weir & Ratdog, Umphrey’s McGee, The Wailers, Soulive, and a slew of other acts to Hiram, Maine. This summer, the sophomore edition of the Up North Festival will bring no one. That’s because the jam-friendly event has been canceled for ‘2009, the result of, you guessed it, the bad economy.
Organizers hope to reincarnate the festival next summer, noting in a statement, “There is much promise that there will be a music festival in Maine in 2010. While we cannot make any guarantees we feel all but certain that the music festival New England deserves is in the works.”
Is anyone else beginning to think the east coast is jinxed when it comes to festivals?
This fest was unbelievable. The energy of the entire weekend was off the charts, even when it poured. a beautiful sunshine daydream.
i’d say get rid of umphrey’s, bring railroad back in, and keep the lazy river scene flowin’
This fest was the shit! Ratdogs set was epic as I had my first dead experience. Umphreys, american babies I couldnt believe it happened all in Maine. I decided last minute to go cause I was living in Portland and damn that shit needs to happen again. Along that river at that same spot! If we cant get bobby back bring moe. and good luck. Let me know if I can help organize it.
Don’t worry, we’ll fill the void! Check out KahBang.com!
well i don’t believe the east is jynxed because we have the number 1 festival right now…Mountain Jam and others are still in full force like All Good, Gathering, and more! The only reason Langerado got cancelled was because it changed from camping to no camping and it was the same weekend as Phish’s reunion, and Up North got cancelled because it wasn’t publisized enough last year to have loyalty in the year of a depression, no jynx, sorry.
I am sorry to hear that the Up North Fest will not be happening this summer. As a Mainer, it was such a treat to have Rat Dog perform at a Maine fest! We had a great time. No security attitude and sketch stayed in their own little area. Clearly not enough bathrooms, but hey, its camping!
I had a hell of a time at the festival last summer up in bucolic Hiram Maine.
It’s all good though because the most underrated festival of the northeast is the Philadelphia Folk Festival out in the Philly burbs. Can’t begin to say how much I recommend this fest…. They have hot mobile showers for christ sake.