Review: A Course in Weight Loss-21 Spiritual Lessons

I just reviewed a phenomenal book written by Marianne Williamson called, "A Course in Weight Loss - 21 Spiritual Lessons for Surrendering your Weight Forever."

This book is a "spiritual curriculum" designed to spiritually and emotionally help you shed your emotional weight as well as your physical weight.

In the beginning of the Introduction, Williamson begins describing this course, "Spirit alone has the power to positively and permanently reprogram both your conscious and subconscious mind."

She leads you through each chapter in a gradual step-wise fashion just like an actual course in school. The purpose of this book is to explain to you that your physical weight loss can very easily be taken off if you allow a higher power into your life and purge the emotional weight from your heart and spirit.

Much of this course is like how your sponsor in a 12-step program would help you through the 12 steps.

Williamson helps you to rediscover your true self and helps you to forgive and love your self again. Forgiveness and love are key ingredients to proper healing.

Williamson addresses that our physical weight is the result of how much emotional burden and issues we carry through our lives. The more emotional burdens and issues we mount onto our hearts, our physical bodies feel the need to physically grow just to hold on to all that burden.

Hoarding physical possessions and all kinds of addictions is how people are hoarding their emotional turmoil and burdens.

So many people suffer from emotional eating disorders and even smoking/alcohol addiction. Why do people latch on to such a hands-on addiction? Because it is the only reliable and dependable friend they know who can help them cope. Cigarettes and a bottle of alcohol will never leave them and will always be there for them. The cigarettes are right in there pocket or in their purse. Food also is something that will always be there for them and they think that it will never judge them or put them down. External crutches help people get through a day. People are more concerned about getting through a day than maintaining a long life. Through the course of this book, she helps you to break down these barriers and regain your sense of self again and increase your self-worth.

Oprah Winfrey had inspired this book for Williamson. She dedicated this book to Oprah and extended warm wishes of gratitude to her.

Dr. Dean Ornish wrote the Forward for this book discussing the magnitude of making healthy lifestyle choices and getting to the root cause of our obesity epidemic by healing from the inside out.

Oprah Winfrey was quoted, "Listen to the whisper before it becomes a scream." This is important in the healing of our physical and emotional self. By the time your body is screaming, it will take longer to heal because there is much more damage done.

This book is a phenomenal and excellent book for anyone who wishes to see themselves again and to find their inner happiness again. By doing so, they will lose their "unwanted" physical weight because there won't be anymore negative friction or self-hatred penetrating the body anymore.

There is a journal at the back of the book for note taking as well as exercises in each chapter. At the end of each chapter she gives you time to reflect and take a moment to write your thoughts and she gives you a prayer to say to your self during this process of self-discovery.

At the end of this book, you will be understanding to your self and be true to your self. You will be more giving to your heart's desire and be complete as a person.

Buy this book for a Christmas present for your SELF, relative, or friend! It will be the best investment ever!

By Carol Harblin (CHHC)

The Heavy Pets: The Highline Ballroom 11/26

Heavy Pets at the Highline Ballroom 11/26/2010

On a night when U-Melt was performing their last show at the Highline Ballroom in New York City another band helped to celebrate the night with a bang. The Heavy Pets who are continually impressing crowds at festivals and music venues came in and played an excellent set of music. While the night belonged to Umelt the Heavy Pets got the crowd started and energized. Listeners were treated to the lead guitar work by both Jeff Lloyd and Mike Garulli. Each provides his own style live that really compliant each other and the band.

As the Heavy Pets set wore on the band really sparked the crowd into a dancing frenzy until there was no time left. With only one short set the band really left fans including me wanting more. Hopefully the rest of the Heavy Pets tour will coincide with fans schedules and location so they won’t be left out in seeing this enjoyable band.

Tour 2010

11/30/10 New Haven, CT - Café Nine

12/01/10 Portland, ME - Empire Dine and Dance

12/02/10-12/03/2010 Stowe, VT - The Matterhorn

12/04/10 Burlington, VT - Nectar’s

12/08/10 Syracuse, NY – Wescott Theater

12/09/10 Saratoga Springs, NY - Putnam Den

12/10/10 Philadelphia, PA - M Room

12/14/10 Virginia Beach, VA - Jewish Mother

12/16/10 Charlottesville, VA - Southern Café and Music Hall

12/17/10 Baltimore, MD - 8 x 10 club

12/18/10 Plains, PA - River Street Jazz Café

12/31/10 Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Culture Room

By: Daniel Weathers

Photo: Chris Paul

Biomass Busters!

Burning forests for electricity, aka biomass incineration, is being proposed across the nation as a “clean and green” energy source, right up there with solar and wind. But unlike solar and wind, biomass incinerators, such as Burlington, Vermont’s McNeil generating station, put out harmful pollutants such as Carbon Monoxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Nitrogen Oxides, Hydrochloric Acid, Ammonia, Formaldehyde, Chlorine, and particulate matter.

The Environmental Protection Agency says particulate matter is “so small that [it] can get deep into the lungs and cause serious health problems.” The EPA links particulate exposure to “increased respiratory symptoms, such as irritation of the airways, coughing, or difficulty breathing; decreased lung function; aggravated asthma; development of chronic bronchitis; nonfatal heart attacks; and premature death in people with heart or lung disease.” Multiple studies demonstrate there is no safe level of exposure to particulates.

The American Lung Association cites concerns about “severe impacts on the health of children, older adults, and people with lung diseases” from biomass, while the Massachusetts Medical society states, “biomasspower plants pose an unacceptable risk to the public’s health by increasing air pollution.”

Board certified pediatrician Dr. William Sammons of Massachusetts insists that biomass “will have a direct negative impact on the health of our Nation’s children: both immediately and cumulatively throughout their lifetimes, and for generations to come.”

Numerous complaints have been filed over the years from Burlington residents living near the McNeilbiomass incinerator on issues from sickening odors, to spontaneous combustion of woodchip piles, to noise complaints, to dust.

Climate change, anyone? In June, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts released the “Manomet” study, demonstrating that forest biomass incineration will release more global warming gases than coal over the very timeframe climate scientists insist we must curb our carbon emissions. The Manomet study has resulted in Massachusetts re-evaluating the incentives offered for biomass incineration and its findings have rippled across New England, the nation and the world.

A report by Environmental Working Group states that “carbon dioxide emissions from biomass per unit of energy generated are about 1.5 times higher than from coal and 3 to 4 times greater than from natural gas,” and that “over the next 15 years about 4.7 billion tons of carbon will be generated from burning biomass,” which would “erase 80% of the reduction in CO2 emissions from the power sector that is at the heart of federal climate legislation.”

It’s as simple as this: if you support climate change legislation mandating CO2 emissions cuts over the next several decades, then you oppose biomass incineration for electricity.

How about forests? Forests not only give us the best climate buffer on the planet through the sequestration and storage of CO2, they also provide trillions of dollars of ecosystem services such as clean air, pure water, erosion and flood control, and fish and wildlife, not to mention recreation and tourism dollars. New England’s forests are already stressed by current uses of lumber, paper pulp and firewood. With forest cover in New England once again declining, there just aren’t enough forests in New England to feed more hungry incinerators.

Few deny the need to wean ourselves off fossil fuels. But in our scramble to limit—and ultimately end—our dependence on oil, let’s make sure we’re not jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire. We’ve burned our way into this climate change mess and we’re not going to burn our way out. Even a grade schooler can understand that clean energy can’t come out of a smokestack.

Solutions? Here’s some: Drastically ramp up energy efficiency and conservation—reports estimate that the State of Vermont could meet 19-30% of electricity demand from efficiency measures alone. We should also carefully move forward with appropriately sited and scaled, community supported, zero-waste, zero-emissions, renewable energy such as solar, wind and microhydro (no new dams).

But eventually we’ve got to come to terms with the fact that no combination of renewable energy can power the current American way of life. It’s up to us to transition our lifestyles to something the planet can sustain.

Josh Schlossberg

Communications Coordinator, Biomass Accountability Project

Organizer, Biofuelwatch

Editor, Biomass Busters

1550 Center Rd.

Montpelier, VT 05602

Phaces from The Phish Examiner

http://www.examiner.com/phish-in-national/phaces-taraleigh-weathers

Click this link to read about Taraleigh in the Phish Examiner

A Weekend at Wormtown, a Family Affair

Yet another amazing weekend was spent at Camp Kee-Wanee getting down with the Worms. For many of us this festival (and venue) has become a family reunion of sorts, a weekend spent with the family we choose for ourselves. One of the things that sets this festival apart from the others I attend, is the amount of actual families that attend year after year. Anyone who has taken a stroll through Family Camping knows what I’m talking about. Yes, there are kids at every festival I attend, there’s usually even a designated family camping section, but no one does it quiet like the Worms. Besides having the perfect location for family camping (well maybe not perfect, since it is very close to late night music…but almost perfect), Wormtown Trading ensures the kids have a great and SAFE time by providing them with cool things to do throughout the weekend.

What makes this location almost perfect you ask? The awesome, built in wooden jungle gym. Personally, I find it hard to not go running and screaming towards it every time I walk past it (if you know me, this takes A LOT of restraint), which explains why the kids love it so much. It screams fun. However, there’s way more to do in family camping then just play on the jungle gym. To ensure all the kids have fun filled days, Wormtown recruits Wendy Podlinski to head family camping. She’s responsible for all the planning and organizing that goes into it. To ensure the kid’s cabin is a hub of activities for the kids, she gathering supplies and volunteers to ensure the activities run smoothly. This year Sean Krause, Nathaniel Putnam & Frank Auriemmo tackled the job of getting all the RVS and campers into family and sites set up. While Kelly Auriemmo, Katy Krause & Carrie Parisi spent their time supervising the project and games.

This year’s star activity was Saturday morning Tye-Dying! All that was needed to participate was something white and cotton to dye, kids and adults had a blast! Forgot your shirt, not to worry! This year a multitude of items were dyed from shirts to socks and even some underwear got a few splashes of color. Other options for the kids were face painting, a treasure hunt, ‘mud’ making(a yummy sweet treat), and arts and crafts. Wendy makes sure all ages of kids can find something to do in the cabin. It’s a great place for kids work together and get to know each other better. The highlight of the weekend for family camping is the Kids’ Parade and Kids’ Set! I rarely see music before noon at most festivals, but I make sure to set an alarm (or 3) to catch the Kids’ set. I really cannot begin to put into words the feeling of joy I get watching all the kids sing their face painted hearts out. I end up with tears streaming down my face every year. It’s almost like I’m getting to watching the next generation grow up year after year. Many of these kids have been coming to Wormtown for 6 years now, that’s a whole lot of growing up!

Besides all of the organized activities there’s tons more going on. Club houses being created, water wars being waged, sharpie attacks under way (warning to all those whom enter family camping), marshmallow guns being fired, are just some of the impromptu hijinks taking place. It’s an awesome place to visit, but it’s important to remember that family camping is a there to keep the kids safe and foster a sense of family. While you’re visiting please keep in mind there are young and impressionable minds all around you. Be sure to show them what our scene is all about, peace, love, family, and music.

Story and Photos by Erin Connolly

Featured Festival: Old 78 Farm Fall Festival

Old 78 Farm Fall Festival

Saturday, October 9^th 12 – 8 pm

823 Orange Road, Warwick, MA.

Featuring: music, farm fresh food, vending and kids activities

On October 9th, the first ever Old 78 Farm Fall Festival will take place in Warwick, MA. The festival will feature music, farm fresh food, clothing and farm product vending, an escape artist, face painting and balloon creations and more. Old 78 Farm itself is a beginner farm nestled along the northern border of MA, near both the New Hampshire and Vermont borders.

Angel and Phil Simon, along with Lynn Englen, slowly have been developing the 150 year old house and property into a productive farm which boasts a sizable garden, laying and meat chickens, rabbit, duck, turkey and more. “This festival is a way for us to tie all of the elements of our lives- the food we are producing from the farm, the clothing that we hand craft, and the music that we love all into an event for the community. We can showcase who we are at Old 78, and who we all are in the heart of New England.” explained the Simons. In addition to the food products, Old 78 Farm is producing clothing made of entirely recycled, reclaimed, and reused material.

Artists:

Adam Ezra

is a rising star from Boston

who has been touring the country with

with his five-piece Adam Ezra group.

He has shared the stage with the

likes of Jackson Brown, Blues Traveler

and The Bridge.

Dave Keller is a Vermont native who

has gained much notoriety over the

years as a blues guitarist and vocalist.

You won’t want to miss this soulful

act deliver some great blues classics,

as well as some of his originals.

Jatoba is a three piece progressive

bluegrass band from Vermont. In the

The Ryan Montbleau Band: Photo Journey from Higher Ground 9/23/2010

Photos by Ravi Parikh: The Rhythm Devils at Higher Ground on 9/11

Rhythm Devils at Higher Ground in S Burlington on 9/11 by Daniel Weathers

Rhythm Devils Higherground 09/11/10

Mickey’s Birthday Bash

On Mickey Hart’s Birthday I ventured out to Higherground to see Bill Kreutzman and Mickey Hart’s Rhythm Devils. I haven’t had the pleasure of hearing Tim Bluhm on guitar/vocals from the Mother Hips and Davey Knowles on guitar/vocals so I really didn’t know what to expect.

What I found was a highly entertaining and energized show. The two guitarists really did a great job of taking on classic Grateful Dead standards like Cold Rain and Snow, Fire on the Mountain, Uncle John’s band and Mountains of the Moon while also offering some originals as well. While Mickey, Bill, Andy Hess, and Sikiru Adepoju held down the groove Tim and Davy really fed off each other. I was surprised with how well each sang lead on vocals and taking turns on guitar solos. They both kept the feel of the Grateful Dead but also

provided their own style and influence to the songs.

It’s always a joy to see Bill and Mickey playing together on the drums. The two of them really add so much to the show. The two are just tight. I came away from this show impressed and happy to have made it out to see the Rhythm Devils. I will definitely be looking forward to seeing them again.

www.rhythmdevils.net

www.highergroundmusic.com

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Moe.down 2010 with Taraleigh Weathers

Review: Wanderlust by Jhanna Dawson Photos by Dana Nollsch

Squaw Valley, home of the 1960 Winter Olympics, is nestled in the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevadas in California. In the winter it is home for countless numbers of skiers, snowboarders, and lovers of all things snow. But in the summer time, this world renowned ski resort becomes one of the most beautiful places on earth with it’s stunning views of Lake Tahoe, color popping wildflowers, and mild summer temps. It is during this time of year that Squaw Valley hosts the Wanderlust Festival, a gathering of music, yoga, food, vendors, and good vibes.

This was to be my first year attending Wanderfest, and I was really looking forward to taking in the experience. Being a resident of Reno, NV, which is just down the hill, I enjoy going to Squaw in the summer time, but I knew with the high energy of yoga and music intertwined, this was going to be one of the highlights of my summer.

I arrived early, before 8am, and it was clear the night before had everyone up late enjoying the many music options that were offered and what makes Wanderlust such a huge success. I wandered around, with the village to myself, enjoying the peaceful quiet and crisp morning air.

I headed over to the gondola and caught a ride up to high camp, where several of the first yoga classes that morning were being held. At an altitude of 8200 feet, high camp gifts us with panoramic views of the valley below, and Lake Tahoe just off in the distance. There were two groups doing different styles of yoga, in two separate areas. Further up, Wanderlusters who chose to participate, could hike up a single track trail and join in on the morning meditation, featuring Garth Stevenson playing his bass (which he hiked up to the meditation spot with).

Without actively participating in any of the groups, I silently sat down, took some photos, and could feel my blood pressure lower, and my vibration levels rise. It was the perfect morning.

By the time I rode the gondola back, and got down to where the main festival was being held, the number of people had greatly increased. People of all ages were walking in with their yoga mats, instruments, bicycles, bota bags, and more. It was a treasury trove of different types of music, yoga, and festival lovers to be sure.

The marketplace (Kula Village) held many options for everyone’s buying pleasure, informational pursuits, and culinary treats. The merchants were, as one would expect at a Wanderlust Festival, approachable, knowledgeable, and friendly to sit and chat with.

The festival itself was spread out like a maze, with little nooks and crannies of fun activities for adults and children alike. This year, it included an area especially designed for kids, which included the gift of yoga, henna tattoos, hula hoops, and more.

Other options for Wanderlusters included Speakeasy Talks, where people could sit and listen to some leaders in various industries, wine tasting, an art gallery, or a walking meditation on one of the many hiking trails Squaw Valley has to offer.

While all of these options that are offered to Wanderlusters, I have to say that my favorite area was the Tea House, a large nomadic like tent that offered quiet and meditative respite to many weary souls. Here, one could come in and sit on wicker stools around a small table and either not say a word, or partake in the wonderful conversations taking place. Whichever one chose, the table, with a gracious hostess, was clearly a place of reverence. Every person sitting at the table was quite aware of the ceremony taking place and treated it with great respect and gratitude.

On a side note, the volunteers were fantastic at the event. All of them that I interacted with were friendly, helpful, and having a great time. I know some of the people who volunteered and, while they said at times it was a hard job, they loved having the opportunity to do it, and to contribute to the energy of the festival.

Overall, Wanderlust was an amazing experience that should be on everyone’s festival calendar for next summer. The people who gathered to partake in all the festivities were truly of a common conscience, which oozed of peace, fun, joy, healing, and creativity.

The intention of the creators of Wanderlust was to create an environment that invited people to “escape the mundane and dwell in the extraordinary.” They succeeded to say the least!

For more photos go to Dana's Facebook Page

Camp Bisco in the Words of Katherine McNamara

The Search for Health and Happiness at Camp Bisco

The splendor of camp is in its simplicity. What is an orch? What is a theme? What is a festival? Sometimes the best recipes have the least ingredients. I’ve seen them all… and somewhere between the faux Kerouac bus photo ops and the artfully calculated tripping forests that have sprung up like trendy weeds on the circuit something gets forgotten .(Although the carnival at Waka certainly a sparkling optical attraction the best ride I took was crawling underneath the stage during the bass nectar set with my girl Cate – looking out onto unsuspecting front row of rolling heads, sitting in the dirt, inhabiting the barrel of the drum) So maybe that’s just me; a preference for the quick and the dirty, the raw and the unaffected. .

What do we need? Good tunes, good folks and a plot of land for a few short but well honed days. So when I am asked to write about the healthy and happy elements of a well acknowledged drug romp that is only a shadowy vestige of the politically idealistic hippie movement of old… I have to wrack my brain if I want to be honest… and although I’m prone to dramatic exaggeration, my speech may be flecked with lies, I try to mostly walk in the light of the truth. We’re a long way from Woodstock – figuratively if not geographically – they were trying to alter the world, we are trying to alter our perceptions and escape it for a little while. Blah blah blah. So I’ll just focus on what’s going on inside that fort cause face it – that’s why we come.

And whats going on inside the fort is what is happy and beautiful, if you can let it be in its

Communal convulsion that drips into perpetual spasm; that ticks like a leak and rivets to a beat – maybe this is how we can describe good electronic music. Camp Bisco 9 fell into festy orbit with all the trappings of the best electro line up round the rotation this summer. Not to say that camp didn’t cook up some good rock and roll as well – and of course no tinkling bouncy thumpster can steal the thunder from the main act. Only real thunder upstaged the biscuits in this (albeit die hard) opinion. So the music was right – telepath took the stage on Saturday, scrambled off then on again while bisco closed out one of the best day time sets I’ve seen (this isn’t an article about music but that mr. don into pat & dex …. Even on time sounded good) aeroplane, eskmo, rusko, future rock – I’ll repeat myself and leave it at that – shit was right.

Now people are the second reason you come to camp. Look around. These are your friends. And for a few days at least these nuts along your camp site’s peripheral are your people, if only because you to hit the same scene. I tend to like the campers - everyone from dudes in skirts to tree thuggers to high school grads down for their first rodeo. Although I will admit that this year will be remembered for an insane amount of robbery – stories are all over the place - one lady I know who by karma’s laws ought to have been exempt… But such is life. Lock up your shit.

So forget the scoundrels cause you can never shut them out, and anyways you better focus on your folks who will help you when the badness comes… in whatever form it takes. Cause we’re all outlaws and I’d venture to say that we like it that way. I know I stick with the people who will allow me to expound on my future Indonesian adventures while rolling around in a muddy pit. We would be fools to deny the dark side of Camp Bisco, and perhaps health and happiness appear brighter by contrast.

The real beauty in a situation as strange and ripe as Camp is the alien inclination to interact with some stranger who (to you anyways) is little more than a well weathered yet simultaneously prolific patron of what makes the bottom of this barrel look so deep. There wasn’t even half as much rain as last year. But in Bisco land, when it rains it pours… and here we are flailing and flapping down in the muck and somehow convincing ourselves and the world what we’re doing is called ‘dance.’ In this alone I think we make a pretty good team. So despite the innumerable mocks and mark ups from the resilient, repugnant crop of seedy spunions, you never have so much fun in your life as the few fleeting days you spend getting as weird as you can with them. Well done campers.

By Katherine McNamara

Review: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros at Higher Ground 7/26

Me at the show
Krissy feeling the love
The band hung out with the fans after the showThey had us all sit down for a campfire song
Families were feeling to love



Their merch is so awesome. I got a t-shirt

I had been looking forward to this day for a long time. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros were here in Burlington playing at Higher Ground! I have had many dance parties to them and it was fun to have a dance party with a sold out crowd and the music really being them and not a recording. The band doesn't only give you a show, but they give you an experience. People were feeling the love so much that a couple actually got engaged on stage! Their sound is kinda like when you are at a festival late night and people start jamming...but they are actually great! You can't help but feel joyous and that you are lucky to be a part of something so cool.

Here are some quotes from the fans at the Higher Ground Show.

"So good I don't even know what to say." David T Euler of Burlington, VT

"It was awesome! It looked like an Urban Outfitters Tent Sale." Ashley Lipton on Burlington

"We are very excited about tonight's show. We heard about the band when they played at Metronome and we wanted to have them play here. We found they seem to attract many different kinds of people. It seems that people are looking for something different and this is it. They appealed to everyone and made them happy! Nothing pleases us as much as a group of really happy people." Kevin Statesir owner of Higher Ground

Photos and Review by Taraleigh Weathers

To see when Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros are playing by you check out their website by clicking here!

Taraleigh Shows You Why Nateva Rocked

The Flaming Lips Ignite Nateva Music & Camping Festival with Spectacular Performance

The Flaming Lips Ignite Nateva Music & Camping Festival
with Spectacular Performance
STS9, Crash Kings, Grizzly Bear, She & Him, Drive By Truckers and More Highlight Saturday Line-Up at New England's Premier Music Festival

OXFORD, MAINE (July 4, 2010) - On the second day of the inaugural offering of the Nateva Music & Camping Festival the powers-that-be blessed the sight with an absolutely gorgeous summer day. Weather is hard to call in this neck of the woods. Perhaps an easier prediction would have been that the Nateva line-up of music would blow around with an eagerness to brush against so many genres.

This ideal could not have been more beautifully illustrated than by the Flaming Lips. From the bombastic opening of confetti cannons and an ad-hoc dance squad of guys and girls in fantastically orange ensembles, one could be forgiven for thinking that they'd lapsed into a time of easy air travel and readily recognizable rhythms.

Frontman Wayne Coyne was forthcoming in his Nateva love. He called out the volunteers and the workers who made the port-a-potties, "clean enough that I'd put my ass on them."
Working from a set that drew from the band's eclectic catalog, the Flaming Lips proved, once again, that they might be America's most durable band. If the instantly recognizable, "Jelly," was not sufficient proof of the band's wonders with a hook, then the plaintive cries of "Yoshimi" worked to remind listeners of an ever evolving act.

The Lips were preceded by the throbbing beats of STS9 (who also got a Flaming Lips shout-out). With an anxious crowd waiting for the headliner, STS9 delivered a beat and synth heavy set that called at points on three keyboards, and the loops that go with each, to dance with guitar. It's not easy to serve salad when the masses are screaming for steak but STS9 put enough meat into their set to warm up the masses wonderfully for the Flaming Lips.

Earlier in the day, Grizzly Bear turned out to be the wildcard on the Main Stage as tuned in hipsters stood transfixed by their "Elephant Six Collective" approach to avant rock, while far too many others hurried to the dinner bell. Those who weathered their stomach's callings caught a smart, and at times surprisingly aggressive, set. Many who didn't see this set will one day claim that they did.

Of course, She & Him didn't come as an easy act to follow. With their sound fleshed out by two backing singers/instrumentalists, a rhythm section of bass and drums, and an additional guitarist, M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel had plenty of room to stretch out. While Ward's work as a solo artist, and in such collaborations as Monsters of Folk, has cemented his credibility, Deschanel is a newly discovered treasure of a performer.

Whether behind a Wurlitzer organ that Patterson Hood of the Drive-By Truckers described as the "Spooner Oldham Special," strumming a ukulele, or simply belting out a killer like, "Sentimental Heart," Deschanel can flat out sing. The cover of Chuck Berry's "Roll Over Beethoven" showed that they know their roots but She & Him can confidently move in the current day in style.

Hood should, and does, know a thing or two about performing and his Drive-By Truckers blew doors in a set slated to start at 4:20. Fresh off a support gig for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, they delivered solid hooks via ringing guitars in a manner perhaps best mastered by Neil Young and Crazy Horse. They even dedicated, "Girls That Smoke," to She & Him and "anyone who tours in England when it's cold."

The Crash Kings may have been the nicest surprise of the big stage performers with their catchy, "Saving Grace," mining solid guitar hooks and vocals that reached the same neighborhood that Hot, Hot, Heat and Wolf Mother have occupied.

With two nights down it seems that a true personality is emerging in this event that we now collectively call, "Nateva." Friendliness emerges at virtually every turn here, and with one more night, it's your call to go make a new friend. There's only one day left. This is the spot.
Today's lineup features Festival headliner Furthur, George Clinton & P-Funk, Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band, Max Creek, Zappa Plays Zappa and more.

Summer Camp Companions: Sensational Melodies, Famoe.ly, and Sustainable Initiatives

Has anyone noticed this “spinning in infinity” trend that festivals seem to be taking on? I don’t know about you, but I’ve sensed a shift from original to mainstream with most. More time and energy are spent booking the poppy diva’s of rock n’ roll over adding personal touches that make the fans feel like they are physically kept in mind (not just bank rolls). Grrrrr. Not very thoughtful of the fans and mother earth are we? Well, I certainly don’t speak for all, because moe. definitely knows how to throw a festie - I couldn’t have asked for a better virgin experience at Summer Camp.

Being that it was the festival’s 10th anniversary and moe.’s 20th year playing together, it seemed like the boys were going all out! But, as the weekend came closer, I did hold some suspicions that the festival would take on a “business as usual” approach rather than a “green” one. They had an all-star lineup (no diva’s really, maybe just Dweezil) which, by the way, fulfilled all the womps and ween-toon-teen-toon’s you could handle. And, there were 11,000 moe.rons by Thursday night’s pre-party, which was already surpassing the 2009 totals. Even though there was a lot of growth and momentum behind 2010’s planning, I was pumped that by the end of the weekend I was still able to uncover integrity within Summer Camp’s community.

While the music and its fans were comforting my mind on Thursday night, there was still a minus sign in my dancing shoes equation, which equaled unexceptable. My soul could not allow my body to dance peacefully (without picturing piles of waste entering a landfill) until I knew that my womping grounds were being treated right and that my body would be able to receive the sustenance it needed throughout the weekend. So, on Friday morning I took out to turn my minus into an equal sign, and was generously given an informative tour of the festival grounds with Samantha Phelps of Jay Goldberg Events. She knew just where I belonged, which was the Soulshine Tent.

Here I found like-minded folks who shared the same passions in life: music, art, and awareness. Unlike the negativity of the dude who was off-setting peoples’ ambitions to change by screaming, “Everybody spilled the oil!” all weekend, these do-gooders were all about sending the message through positive interactions. Change of Atmosphere, a main sponsor of the event, had James Gooch heading activities and events at the Soulshine Tent.

When I got there, they had just finished Primitive Dyes: Spicing Up Your Wardrobe, where partakers learned how to make natural dyes with wines, fruits, and other everyday wonders. Anyone for a tie-dye party this summer? I also found out that the tent would be leading AM/PM yoga classes by Heading OM Yoga, Build Your Own Compost Workshop with the University of IL Extension Program, 10 Reasons to Eat Local Discussion, The Hidden Dangers of Kid’s Meals, as well as Share Your Souls Shoe Drive, Rock the Earth Mobile Phone Drive, Conscious Alliance Food Drive, and various other incredible activities, discussions, and performances. I was sincerely impressed with the non-stop education that was being offered to the audience at the Soulshine Tent. Oh, and did I mention one of my favorite performances was held under this tent. Uh-huh, acoustic set with Chuck Garvey of moe. and guest Danny Barnes who was pickin’ away at his banjo!

After my tour of the grounds, I set off to see the first afternoon moe. set and I left early, for church. No, this church was not offering afternoon services or Mumphries. Vaccinations for Saturday nights killer back-to-back x2 Umphrey’s and Moe. sets. Summer Camp’s Greening Coordinator would be filling me in on all their sustainable initiatives and giving a tour of the Waste and Sorting Center. Vanessa seemed like a busy little bee. This respectable lady had a lot of responsibility under her belt and I think she pulled through with great success. The obvious "big idea" behind her job was to off-set the festivals carbon footprints.

First, she informed us of the 200 plus Green Teamers, who had volunteered to help collect and sort the insane amount of trash that would be created over the four festival days. Camper's were provided with garbage and recycling bags at the gate, as well as color-coded bins that were spread through the campgrounds for recycling, compost, and garbage to help alleviate some of the Green Team’s work. Next, we went outside and met the most beautiful old ladies ever! These ladies were the founders of Old Hippie Recycling and they set up the on-site sorting facility and waste transportation; fortunately one of two composting facility’s in Illinois was just 15 miles away. These pretty hippies and the Green Team worked effortlessly all weekend sorting the trash into the three groups, all while smiling!

Vanessa also informed us about the biodiesel generator’s that were used for all the electrical needs. Together with Caterpillar engineers, the generators were approved to use B20, which is a fuel mixture made of 20% biodiesel. Another side-note, was that all vendors were required to use biodegradable plastic-ware. Although this was a great step forward on Summer Camp’s part, I felt like the vendors could have done some more promo with it. The various times that I had purchased food from vendors, I was never informed that they were compostable or how to dispose of them. Maybe informative signs for vendors to display or more pressure on vendors to inform their patrons, just an idea. I’ve also gotta say that I was not enthused by the food being offered. Although a good portion of vendors were traveling from within 50 miles of the campground, I was happy that I had brought most of my food to the festival. Not because the food being sold didn’t taste good, but there were not very many health-conscious choices. On a more positive note though, Summer Camp would like to offer some sort of a farmers’ market next year. Whoot!

So, here's what I think. Summer Camp is headed in the right direction. As their third year of officially going GREEN, they have undertaken a lot of projects which have helped to take giant leaps in reduction and to become as earth friendly as possible. Now, I think the biggest next-step is, YOU. If you’re anything like me, since you were a child you have never been able to deny the feeling of void when good times are coming to an end. As festivals come to a close, I’ve always thought that if we could eliminate that picture of imploded tents, broken sunglasses, and miscellaneous useless items thrown across the campgrounds, that we might be able to dodge that feeling.

Well, until moe.down limbo is over, I hope everyone is conscious about the food they are packing and the products they vote for as the festival season continues. Lets try to be as mindful as possible of the environment. Pay your fine, do your time.

See ya'll at moe.down!!

Bee well,
Courtney Lang