MF #14
Electric Forest 2017 – Weekend 2
Date
June 28th – July 2nd, 2017
Location
Rothbury, Michigan
Reason
Best Beverage Catering
Very few people get to experience the feeling of going back to a music festival. I’m not talking about the following year, I’m talking about the very next weekend. The majority of music festivals are for one weekend. If you had a good time, come back next year. For the festivals that are two weekends, most people will just go to one. It’s relatively expensive to pay for one festival. It’s hard to justify the time and the expense to repeat the experience.
When you’re working the event and you leave with more money in your pocket than when you arrived, it makes financial sense to go back the next weekend. In fact, it’s expected. You are already trained, set up, and know what to do. As a staff member, it’s an amazing feeling. The first day of any music festival is a pain in the ass. Logistics are always a mess. Everyone has a fraction of a piece of information and it can take a while for all the different teams to sort themselves out.
Going back to a festival is amazing as the logistics are already done. We knew exactly where to go for check in, how to sneak into the sponsored vendors lot (just drive in with a pickup truck), and how to best set up for the weekend. It was Wednesday and we were back on the festival grounds. Dave had purchased a full pork butt at the grocery store on the way into the event. We set up our camp as he set about preparing the pork. Dave had a plan for slow cooked pork carnitas that we would be able to enjoy all weekend long.
Chef Dave preparing a pork butt in the rain.
Dave put the pork in the Camp Chef’s oven just as the rain arrived. We set up tarps between the truck and our tents, creating a relatively dry hangout area for our camping chairs. Our crew quickly assembled as everyone returned to the sponsored vendor lot. The rain had put a damper on any attempts at last minute setup.
Sydnee came back with a treat for our group. A special chocolate bar containing psychedelic mushrooms. We all accepted the gift as there was nothing else for us to do. It was fantastic. Syd had given us all just the right amount. We had music playing from a bluetooth speaker, pork in the oven, and we were dry. The rain continued to hit the tarps above us as we tripped, laughed, and chatted the night away. It was a perfect welcome home to Electric Forest.
After an amazing dinner of pork burritos, Dave and I retired to our tent. It was Dave’s 4-person tent that he had brought along from home. It had done a great job of keeping us dry and comfortable the previous weekend. Around 2 am, the winds picked up as the festival grounds were hit by an intense thunderstorm. Our tent started pushing in, then the support pole snapped. Dave and I struggled to escape our collapsed tent and quickly retreated to the front seats of his pickup truck.
Sleeping in a pickup truck after the tent collapsed during a 3 am thunderstorm.
We laid the seats back as far as they would go and attempted to get comfortable. It was a rough night’s sleep, but at least we had a dry backup option. That was our only tent. We were in for a rough weekend.
Dave and I reported to work Thursday morning. Dave was back in Sherwood Forest where he worked the previous weekend. I was getting sent back to the bar on the path between Tripolee and Ranch Stage, a super slow location. Our slow service was exacerbated by the decrease in crowd size. While there were 40,000 people for weekend one, there were rumors of only 20,000 tickets sold for weekend two.
We were still staffed to serve 40,000 people, so it was a rather slow night. Tips were going to be rough this weekend. Listening to the bar managers, they were already discussing cutting down staff. I kept serving the few customers who visited our bar.
One of my customers ordered ~$40 worth of drinks and paid with a $100 bill. This was a rather common occurrence, so I didn’t think too much of it. I looked for my bar manager. He wasn’t present. We didn’t have counterfeit pens, so I inspected the bill, accepted it, and issued the change.
I continued serving as the bar manager returned. About an hour later, they collected the cash in the tills. Twenty minutes later, I get called to the back of the bar. My manager wanted to know if I had accepted a $100 bill. I told him I did, that he wasn’t there, and that it looked real to me. He let me know that it was counterfeit, told me not to worry, just don’t accept anything larger than a $20 without running it by him.
I went back to serving, annoyed that I had made a mistake. Electric Forest has the best crowd, but it only takes one asshole to ruin a weekend. Ten minutes later, the lady in charge of all of the bars showed up. She asked to see me and told me I was getting cut for the night due to the mistake.
I asked if I could work tomorrow and she told me she didn’t know yet. They were going to be cutting bartender jobs anyway and I had made a mistake. I explained that I traveled here from California and I had no intention of accepting counterfeit money. I had worked events for them before without issue. She said she understood, but compassion was at a minimum with this lady.
There wasn’t much left for me to do but go enjoy the festival. I went out, found Dave and shared my story. I was pretty sure I was getting fired for an honest mistake. Dave’s bar manager was listening and even he admitted that it sounded like bullshit. Apparently they get hit with fake bills all the time and nobody gets fired. She was just looking for an excuse to cut staff.
I went out and enjoyed the night as best I could. It was Electric Forest after all. A few hours into the night, my attitude flipped. Getting fired was a blessing. I had come all this way. I didn’t really want to work the whole time.
The Motet were back on the Jubilee Stage tonight. Our entire group made plans to meetup for the show. As I was no longer working, I was able to catch the start of the set. It was incredible! A few songs in, my friends started to assemble around me. First Dave showed up, then a few of our mutual friends, and finally Sydnee showed up. We were reunited as a group. Thanks to the much lighter crowd, finding friends was very easy. We all had plenty of space to spread out and dance, so that’s exactly what we did.
Reunited for The Motet performing at Jubilee
Despite the amazing set and family reunion, I woke up Friday morning still pissed off about the whole “getting fired” thing. I was expecting an income this weekend. I checked in with the lady who fired me, inquiring if there was a possibility of getting put on a position. She seemed to be in a much better mood today. She told me she would check and to wait nearby. An hour later, she let me know that they were completely full for the day and wouldn’t need me. I was free to go enjoy the festival for the day.
I accepted my fate and went back to our camp to get prepared for the day. I still had a staff wristband, which meant I could come and go through the staff entrance. There were no bag checks at the staff entrance, so I loaded up my backpack with a six-pack of beers and headed into the festival. Today was going to be a good day.
Big Gigantic + Lettuce + Pigeons in the Forest
I ventured over to the Forest Stage to catch the first set of the day. Dom from Big Gigantic, Lettuce, and a few members of Pigeons Playing Ping Pong played an impromptu jam set. It was incredible. Each song was unique, the crowd was intense, and everyone could tell the artists were all figuring it out live.
After this amazing set, I swung by the Hangar bar and told my bar manager from weekend one my story. He was annoyed that had happened to me, as he knew I was a good employee. I asked if I could fill up my camelbak with ice water from the bar. He told me, “Of course, help yourself.”
With a full camelbak, I spent a while wandering the festival grounds. I was alone, very much in my head, but happy. I wasn’t up to interact with other members of the crowd, but I was happy to be in such a beautiful location. I welcomed the distracting atmosphere as I worked my way through the first few beers.
As the sun set, I returned to Sherwood Forest to find A-Trak on stage. A-Trak is one of the few DJs who will still spin and mix using turntables while performing live. He was putting on the high energy dance set that I needed. At the end of this set, I left Sherwood Forest sweating and smiling, only to walk right into a Make-Your-Own Snow Cone vendor.
I purchased a ball of shaved ice and proceeded around the circular syrup dispenser, mixing flavors to my heart’s content. This was awesome. I took my newly crafted snow cone and sat down near the back of Sherwood Court for the Lettuce performance. While this set had a little bit less energy than the A-Trak set I had just came from, there was no denying the musicianship on stage. Lettuce was jamming out and I was soaking up every second of the show. The snow cone was the perfect accompaniment to the performance. I was starting to understand why Dave said this was his favorite festival. If you need something, the festival will provide.
I left Lettuce just a touch early to make my way back over to the Ranch stage for Flume. I had taken a bit of Molly for the show and it was perfect. I could feel my jaw start to grind. Things were about to get intense. Luckily I had planned for this. I was given a few lollipops from the candy girls in the Hangar the previous week. I grabbed one out of my bag, unwrapped it, and popped it in my mouth just as Flume took the stage.
Despite listening to his albums for years, this was my first time seeing Flume live. This set was magical. Incredible music, incredible lighting, and a crowd that responded to every single song. It was perfect.
Saturday was another amazing day at Electric Forest. I wandered the venue, listened to new music, and just enjoyed myself throughout the day. Having had a busy morning, I retreated to Sherwood Forest in search of a hammock. I found an empty group of hammocks in a little patch near the Forest Stage and settled into one for PLS&TY. During this set, a group arrived and started taking down the hammocks near me. Two of the members were looking at me.
Of course, I asked them if it was their hammock. They told me it was but not to worry about it, they would just come back for it later. I offered them a beer for the gesture. They accepted the offer and we became instant friends. I assured them I would leave their hammock right here after I was done. Now that I had permission, I took an amazing nap. If you go to Electric Forest, find time to take a nap in the Forest. It’s the best.
I woke up rejuvenated and ready to make the most out of the night. I needed to fill up my camelbak, so I decided to head back over to the Hangar bar. The bar manager who had became my friend wasn’t there at the time, but I knew the other bartenders so I said my hello’s and proceeded to fill up my camelbak.
This turned out to be a big mistake. Apparently, undercover bar security was watching me fill up my camelbak with wide eyes. They thought I was stealing from the bar. While I explained that I was a bartender, that I was just filling up with water they didn’t want to hear it. The two bar security guards pulled me out of the festival and cut my wristbands.
I retreated to camp but there was nowhere to go. Dave was working today and tomorrow and there was no way I was just going to sit here in this field. I found Sydnee who was working at their campground booth, outside of security. She gifted me a livestrong bracelet but that was as good as she could do. She needed her own wristband.
As bartenders, we were given daily wristbands. Dave had a Thursday, Friday, and Saturday band at this point. I texted him my predicament. He agreed to give me his unnecessary Thursday band if I could get to him. There was one problem, he was inside the venue.
I did the only thing I could do. I went as deep into the staff area as possible, following the golf cart path to the Hangar stage. There was a single security guard watching the staff entrance. I proceeded towards him, my head held high and a blue livestrong bracelet on my wrist. Internally I was freaking out. Externally, I kept my composure. As I approached the barricade, the security guard opened up the gate for me and welcomed me inside. He never even looked for my wristband.
I quickly ran over to Dave’s bar, accepted the gift of a proper wristband, and finally got back to enjoying the festival. I made my way into Sherwood Forest, attempting to keep a low profile until it got dark. Now that I was in full rebel mode, I was looking to avoid the bar security folks.
Saturday night was Cheese Night. The String Cheese Incident would be playing back-to-back sets. Electric Forest and String Cheese go hand in hand. They complement each other perfectly. The music works for the venue. The venue works for the music.
Acrobats performing during String Cheese Incident
String Cheese pulled out all the stops for this show. There were acrobats, remote controlled balloons with lights inside them, and even a helicopter flying over the crowd dropping confetti. It was intense. It was amazing.
I visited Dave’s bar after cheese to check in and see when he could get free. While he wouldn’t be able to get off early tonight, thanks to his efforts over the past two weekends he would be able to get off for Bassnectar tomorrow night.
I needed to kill a few more hours until Dave was cut, so I headed to the Jubilee stage. Everytime I walked into the Jubilee stage another amazing band was playing live electronic music. This time was no different. The band was jamming out and I was totally feeling the set. I hung back, dead center about midway through the crowd. I stayed until the very last song. As the band bowed to the applause, the drummer threw a giant frisbee off the stage. I had my eye on it. It was coming right for me. I reached my hand up and plucked it out of the air in a smooth one-handed catch.
Holy Shit! I just caught a drum head. Not just any drum head, it featured the full set lists, the band’s name, and signatures from all the band members. What a cool souvenir!
Soon enough, Dave was cut and we spent the night exploring the after parties in the RV’s. Some groups had full stages setup in their camps, with all sorts of performances scattered around the camp welcoming anyone and everyone who wanted to keep the party going at 4 am.
Waking up Sunday was the final day of two weekends of Electric Forest. I felt both sad that it was coming to an end, but I was already looking forward to getting out of Michigan. I was feeling the previous two weekends. There was no doubt that it was already an adventure. There was only one thing to do. Enjoy the last day!
I checked my phone to find a text message from a fraternity brother inquiring if he could rent my room for the next two weeks. He offered to pay me $700, which was exactly what I expected to earn bartending. I would be getting back into town the day after his new apartment would be available. The timing was perfect. He sent me the money right away and I no longer had to worry about the financial consequences of getting fired for the weekend. Things just work themselves out at Electric Forest.
The amazing performances continued on Sunday. I spent the day watching Tauk, Giraffage, and Nora En Pure. No matter where I went or who I talked to, everyone kept asking me if I was going to Bassnectar. Dave and I had already made plans for this set, but I found it quite surprising that everyone seemed to be in the same mindset. This performance was not to be missed.
Dave got cut about an hour before the show. Dave worked the entire two weekends, only getting to go out after 2 am. If anyone deserved to have some fun, it was him. We both took the last of our Molly, shared a mix drink, and got ready for the show.
Bassnectar started off the set with a combined visual and audio effect titled “How to Draw a Butterfly with Sound”. This experience showcased the capabilities of the sound system. It was booming and absolutely crystal clear. Bassnectar then launched into one of the hardest sets I’ve ever experienced. The entire crowd was head banging in unison for the entire show. It was so loud you couldn’t talk to the person next to you. You just had to enjoy it.
After the Bassnectar set, Dave and I went back to Sherwood Forest for one last chance at exploring the grounds. Most of the music had died down and the crowd was rapidly thinning. As we walked towards the exit, we passed the fountain. An unknown crowd member decided this was his moment. He climbed into the fountain and started bathing himself in front of the crowd.
Dave and I thought this was a hilarious way to end Electric Forest, called it a night and headed back to camp. Despite everything, the two weekends had been a major success. I got to reconnect with old friends, meet new and exciting people, work Electric Forest, and experience Electric Forest purely for fun. Somehow, I managed to leave with more money than when I arrived. While I was pretty sure I had burned my bartending connection, I didn’t want to work for a company that wouldn’t let you make a single mistake. Perhaps my festival bartending days were now behind me.