Liberate Music Festival Sheldon, VT by Kimberly Silberberg

Flying into Burlington Friday afternoon I had visions of tofu scrambles, rainy nights in tents and a plethora of live music. I was picked up at the airport and we journeyed a bit around Burlington before packing the car up and heading to Liberate. We arrived super quickly-couldn't believe it was so close-and marvelled at the excellent grounds. It was a giant open space with rolling hills and the promise of a great weekend. We set up our tents on one of the aforementioned rolling hills (not the best decision ever) and met up with everyone. There wasn't a ton of food choices, although they were great ones-crepes from Skinny Pancake (yum for the veggie monster), pizza from American flatbread (oh so delicious) and a local stand selling burgers, veggie burgers, amazing lemonade, quinoa cranberry salad and a few other things I can't remember. This provided plenty of healthy nourishment over the weekend (and all tased great being washed down with some Magic Hat at the nearby beer garden).

The music was awesome-from Friday night's dancing until 4am to Saturday night's repeat performance of dancing (although I SO didn't make it until 4am!), I was happy. I think what amazed me the most was each and every time I had to go pee...there were no lines for the porta potties and they consistently had hand sanitizer and toilet paper-amazing! I also heard rumor that some of them even had scented candles!

Throughout the weekend, there were also many yoga classes and other options to keep yourself busy, although I was never sure when these events were occurring. I took part in the Healthie Hippie's nourishment for the mind, body and soul class (HH is my sissy so I had to!) which was great for creating a 'nourishment menu' to help you find things in life that nourish your soul aside from food (although, let me tell you, cheese and chocolate can be quite nourishing!). I wanted to take part in other classes and activities, however I really never knew when they were happening-that would be the only way this weekend could have improved-better schedules so people can take advantage of all the events being offered.

We decided to get an early start Sunday morning because it was raining and we figured it was better to get out before we got stuck in the mud! We packed everything up and piled in the car. Going up the muddy hills was a bit sketchy, however we made it to the top and were met by applause from a group of up all night and still looking to party hippies. Perfect.

I'd highly recommend Liberate to anyone who likes good music, scrumptous crepes, happy people and an overall great weekend!

Eco-Awareness at Gathering of the Vibes

Eco-Awesomeness at the Vibes by Jessica Reis


The 14th Annual Gathering of the Vibes Festival took place on July 23-26, 2009, featuring Bob Weir & Ratdog, Crosby Stills and Nash, moe. and The Levon Helm Band as its headliners. In true tradition of "The Vibes," the music was top notch and full of energy, but the focus remains on the people -- the "Vibe Tribe," who come from near and far, representing themselves proudly (in the mud), providing for a friendly, family-centered atmosphere, sharing good times, goodwill and creating lasting memories with old and new friends. There aren't many events out there that provide such a feeling of community, and a key theme of this community is taking care of your fellow man as well as your planet.

Gathering of the Vibes featured the Green Vibes Sustainability Village again this year. Various ecologically and socially responsible non-profit organizations and green businesses gather to educate attendees and lend their efforts to keeping the scene green and beautiful. In this village, you could learn about alternative fuels -- how hydrogen can be used in place of natural resources as a clean, emission-less fuel; the power and practicality of solar energy (as well as charge your electronic device) from the solarbus; how biodiesel can be used in lieu of gasoline for your auto and much more. Local Connecticut organizations were in attendance to educate the people about keeping our bodies of water (i.e. the bordering Long Island Sound) clean; providing various ideas to reduce waste, and bringing awareness of key issues through music. The focal point of the sustainability village is the Green Vibes Stage. The stage, partially run on solar energy, featured excellent musical performances, panel discussions and lectures. At the end of the weekend, an attendee was literally provided over a dozen new ideas for cutting their carbon footprint just by taking a walk along the booths.

Clean Vibes Event Waste & Recycling Services were present once again working into the wee hours of the morning to provide their amazing assistance in keeping the scene clean. Three separate cans were available at waste reclamation centers throughout the festival grounds, encouraging people to dispose their waste in either the trash, recycling or compost receptacle. "Trash talkers" were on hand to advise people how to properly dispose of their waste and encourage everyone to continue recycling and composting throughout the year in their own homes.

Clean Vibes also provided attendees an incredible opportunity to trade recyclable items for merchandise! The Clean Vibes Trading Post took cans and bottles in exchange for rewards. Items for trade redemption included Vibes merchandise, organic products, fun goodies and the ultimate prize -- an autographed Summer Tour 2009 poster signed by Crosby Stills and Nash.

In collaboration with Clean Vibes, the food vendors at Gathering of the Vibes used corn-based compostable plates, cups and utensils. Using these products provided an enormous opportunity to reduce the amount of waste being sent to landfills and greatly reduced the negative affects on the environment which large events such as this inevitably create. And if you had leftover food or non-perishable items at the end of the festival that you didn't want to bring home, the Gathering of the Vibes Food Drive was happy to take it off your hands (resulting in the collection of over 7,000 pounds of items for local shelters). Overall, the collaborative efforts of Clean Vibes, the festival staff and attendees resulted in the collection of thousands of pounds of recyclable and compostable materials which will NOT be taking up space at a landfill!

It is well-known that this planet is facing enormous environmental problems. Our limited resources are rapidly depleted by population growth, water, air and soil pollution. These issues threaten to render our planet unable to support life unless we can meet the growing need for food and energy within a sustainable environment. Therefore, it is vital to make some changes in the way we live our lives. When we use less energy and fewer resources, we create less waste to be dumped in a landfill and we prolong the planet's ability to keep us around, which we can all appreciate. Once again, the Gathering of the Vibes has provided a unique opportunity for patrons to learn, observe and collaborate for a cause on a local level which affects us on a global scale. Perhaps the best lesson learned (besides seeing so clearly how every little bit helps when you pass a mountain of bags filled with cans and bottles) is the fact that it is so easy to take steps toward greener living and really requires little-to-no additional effort. It is just as easy to conserve as it is not to conserve. So why not do your part to help out mother nature all year long.

QUOTES:

"I always scrape off any remaining food on my plate into the garbage when I'm done eating. But I just learned how to compost, so I'm going to start scraping off my plate into a container for composting now instead." - Shelley, 21, Springfield, MA

"It's so cool you can trade cans for merchandise. I'm just going to bring all the cans from my campsite there before I leave." - Joe, 19, Califon, NJ

"What lies between a good recycler and a bad recycler? Oregon! I know, that was dumb." - Mike, 26, Trumbull, CT

"Those hydrogen stove brownies were dope! I thought they were going to be a "special" brownie but these are eco-brownies, which is cool too" - David, 19, Ft. Lee, NJ

...and now the photos taken by Jessica Reis

The Motet Does the Talking Heads Denver, CO

I walked through the crowded entry way at Cervantes Masterpiece in Denver, Colorado after a magical night seeing Phish at Red Rocks. It is hard to imagine seeing anything that would impress me after what I had just experienced at Red Rocks, but it happened... and it happened with avengance! The room was wild and I felt like I was smack dab in the middle of a Talking Heads video. The band was committed to being the Talking Heads and if you closed your eyes you would swear that you were rockin out to Mr. David Byrne himself.

The Talking Heads were channeled by members of The Motet featuring Kyle Hollingsworth on keys from String Cheese Incident, Fuzz from Caravan of Thieves, Deep Banana Blackout, and the Tom Tom Club, Carrie from Caravan of Thieves, Jans Ingber, Liza Oxnard, Joey Porter and more.

If this show comes to a town near you, make sure to check it out!

The Motet
Deep Banana Blackout
Caravan of Thieves
String Cheese Incident
Tom Tom Club

Gathering of the Vibes thru Chris Paul's Eyes

http://web.mac.com/chrispaularchives/iWeb/Chris%20Paul%20Photography/Healthy%20Hippie%205.html

Camp Bisco by Katherine McNamara

Camp Bisco thumped with a kind of energy more explosive than that of just a few bands and a few thousand wily fans. No, Camp was zapped with a shot of magic that sparked with ease and spread with speed. If the Camp Bisco Potion had a set of instructions, they might have simply read ‘just add water’. But before the rain even came, our campgrounds were mired in muck. Dancing feet of Biscuits fans from across the states churned up a swampland. The Indian Lookout Country Club became a kind of whacked out cauldron in which a collective energy brewed. Like Frankenstein, what emerged took on a life of its own the moment we created it.

The music didn’t disappoint, the sky certainly didn’t disappoint, and somewhere between the muck underfoot and the perfect crescent moon lingered a vibrancy that could doubtfully be repeated. Although, it’s a tough call to make; if you’re getting Shpongled beneath a tent, amidst a prismatic light show, stuck ankle deep in mud - you’ve either got to struggle to wade out of there, or just become a part of that colorful, muddy, undulating sea. Thankfully, we all went with the tide and got a little weird.

The first night, that Thursday, the moon hung slender and low above us all in our little cove of musical abandon. I overheard one guy repeatedly shouting that we were all turkeys let loose of our cages, and although he was probably spun, he was also probably right.

But first – a word for the bikers– can you imagine a government force overseeing Camp Bisco? A positive alternative to the police; they were realistic in their expectations and helpful to the modern breed of gypsies that set up shop on their land. Nothing like a well kempt vigilante to make us criminals feel at ease. We should all be grateful for however these dudes came to have a country club, and for whatever possessed them to allow us a good romp on it. Because that sure as shit was no putting green.

It’s easy to mention a sense of Camp community in the abstract, but there were plenty of tangible instances of health and kindness at Camp Bisco. Let’s face it – Biscuits fans don’t always get the best rep in the scene, but a lot of what I saw contradicted that old Bisco kid conception.

Strangers Helping Strangers is an organization that sets up booths at music festivals and donates all proceeds to local food banks. The aim is to “feed the hungry, one concert at a time”, according to manager Donald Pearson. 100% of the proceeds go to maintaining the program and providing food for the hungry. The booth at Camp donated all proceeds to Schenectady Inner City Industries. Don was assisted by Amy Strawberry Mama, a volunteer who mines for crystals in Fonda, New York.

“The earth rewards us with these beautiful treasures, and then I get to bring them here and share them with everyone, and all for a good cause,” Amy said of her work with SHS. The booth sold Amy’s crystals, and also took donations from both bands and fans. The prize for the biggest donation was a meet and greet with the Biscuits.

Festival food is prime. Of course there’s always the deep frier, but there are plenty of healthy, green options as well. A vender called Vegetable Oasis was run by vegan musicians Terri Basilone and Amit Shamir. They play together in a project called the Violet Tongues and make a living serving healthy food at the music festivals they love to attend. Although not always possible on the road, the pair makes a concerted effort to buy locally when they can.

“I love going to music festivals,” says Terri, “it’s our own sort of activism, in a way, you know, living the way want and providing a service we truly believe in.”

Color war is a Camp Bisco tradition that conjures the cutthroat sense of vengeance you could never truly leave at your sleep-away camp of old. Rivalries are rehashed in field games that include races and volleyball matches. Teams even competed to gather the most canned goods for Strangers Helping Strangers. Color War participants took to the field in the wildest Friday rains. But like the rain, the Campland battle did more to unify than divide.

Orange team captain Greg referred to embracing one people and situations as larger theme that emerged from the competition. He mused that Camp Bisco 09’ was a place where “creative expression – whether it was through dance, color war competition, conversation or my Orange-inal Buddha Orange Team T-shirt design” paved a wide path for people get out there and get weird, without a second thought.

He felt no compulsion to comply with “a generic biscuit mold that doesn’t authentically reflect me.”

After all, it’s about fun and music; not your fitted – no matter how fly it be.

The vibrancy at camp was no doubt a result of the strange and varied brew that bubbled there. So from the Ivey League MBA just back from the financial district in Japan, to the crispy fried Colorado kid just crawling out of a Japanamation K hole (and I had the distinct pleasure of kickin it with both) people came out and got down for Bisco VIII.

Well done, Campers.

By Katherine McNamara

...and now the photos by Britt Nemeth

Festivus by Jane and Ben

It was wet and muddy as we arrived Friday, except for a few brief hours, the sky was dark- dropping rain on all of us pulling onto Pransky Road. Despite this, the prominent vibe was positive, full of smiles and helping hands. After all, this was the Manifestivus, year 7 of the Cabot, VT party led by Toubab Krewe on the family land of bassist Dave Pransky.

The message and energy sent from the stage throughout the weekend was clear: love your neighbors and have a damn good time! The Festivus community is open-minded, laid-back, and upbeat. This years Festivus had brilliant international acts such as Bubacar Diabate, Barrington Levy, and Oumou Sangare- who absolutely stole the show and many hearts on Friday night.

Saturday during the say, a window of sunshine came through and Festivus goers refreshed in the swimming pond, did yoga, learned drumming in a Toubab/Jeh Kulu workshop and picnicked at their campsites. We enjoyed food by the Irie Project- all vegetarian, local, rice and beans, tofu, spring rolls, veggie patties and pies. All of this before getting down to a 2nd night of Toubab Krewe- which turned out to be the groups most impressive set that we've ever seen.

Festivus was safe, diverse, global, and and awesome time. Two thumbs up!

By Jane Jarecki and Ben Lanza

...and now the photos

Healthy Hippie Magazine Meet and Greet at Gathering of the Vibes on July 25th

Press Release
July 15, 2009 11:00am
New York City/Burlington,VT:
The Healthy Hippie Magazine Meet and Greet @ GOTV Sat July 25 11am-12pm

The Healthy Hippie Magazine, creators, staff writers and contributors will be at Gathering of the Vibes in Bridgeport, CT for a quick meet and greet experience. They will be gathering at the Green Vibes Stage on Saturday July 25 from 11am-12pm so fans can meet many of their favorite writers and the Healthy Hippie herself, Taraleigh Silberberg.

The Healthy Hippie Magazine has over 30,000 readers throughout the US. This will be a great opportunity to meet the creators behind the words you have come to love. creators and contributors of the magazine will be on hand for personal questions, hugs, and signatures. What would be a Healthy Hippie event be without something yummy to eat? Healthy granola will be provided to start your day off and give you the energy you need for all the dancing and fun ahead at Gathering of the Vibes. Gathering of the Vibes has been an influential music festival in the northeast and the Healthy Hippie history, bringing together like minded loving folk who love life, friends and most of all music. There would be no better place to hold the very first Healthy Hippie Magazine Meet & Greet Experience.

The Healthy Hippie Magazine's mission statement is, "We live green, healthy, and happy lives full of love, art, and music. We inspire others to do the same." It all started with Taraleigh Silberberg's Healthy Hippie Tips and a few friends with a passion to get the message out. Now the Healthy Hippie Magazine can now be found nationwide with the desire of making this earth a better place to live.


The Healthy Hippie Magazine
Burlington, VT 05401
Ph: 917-756-0309
taraleigh@healthyhippiemagazine.com
www.healthyhippiemagazine.com
www.thehornyhippie.moonfruit.com