{"id":461,"date":"2012-08-07T18:59:02","date_gmt":"2012-08-07T22:59:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesauerbrunreport.com\/?p=461"},"modified":"2012-08-07T22:49:01","modified_gmt":"2012-08-08T02:49:01","slug":"461","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesauerbrunreport.com\/?p=461","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"

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A library dedicated to the memory of author Henry Miller was the amazing setting for this past weekend\u2019s unique and forever memorable third annual Woodsist Fest.<\/p>\n

Jeremy Earl (pictured above) knows a thing or two about the woods.\u00a0 He runs the Woodsist record label among the trees in Warwick, NY and fronts the great band Woods.\u00a0 He chose this grove of massively wide and tall redwoods along Highway 1 as the setting for a two-day event he curates with a masterful touch.<\/p>\n

Five different musical acts played both Saturday and Sunday.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0ticket\u00a0that got you in for both days\u00a0was priced at $82.23 with fees.<\/p>\n

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Attendance was limited to 300 people each day.\u00a0 Because it was mostly the same attendees for both sessions, there was a growing sense of familiarity with fellow fest-goers as the weekend wore on.\u00a0 Friends were made.<\/p>\n

I went to the event with my pal Dave from Brooklyn.\u00a0 We had a fun half a day together exploring San Francisco on Friday and attended the Woods show at the Great American Music Hall Friday night.\u00a0 After breakfast at our lower Nob Hill hotel Saturday morning, we packed up and headed south.\u00a0 Dave drove the rental car and deftly steered through the curves and slopes along the Pacific Ocean on the world-famous highway called the \u201c1.\u201d<\/p>\n

The library grounds include a structure housing everything Henry and an open space for patrons with blankets to sit and watch music from a stage set up about a hundred yards\u00a0east of the 1.\u00a0 An outdoor deck adjoining the library was where drinks were sold.\u00a0 This was where people came to socialize.\u00a0 Just about every time I looked up, a musician I admire wandered by and mingled with Fest-goers.\u00a0 There wasn\u2019t the line of demarcation between performer and fan that you might feel going to a non-Todd P club show in New York or elsewhere.\u00a0 Everybody was really friendly and happy and generally outgoing in part because of the special circumstances of the event.\u00a0 The beauty of the grounds was breathtaking, yeah, but I attribute the exceptional vibe to the smallness of the gathering and the appreciation attendees had for the humble talent assembled for the event.\u00a0 There were no cramps because people weren\u2019t cramped in any sense.<\/p>\n

The only logistical glitch came Sunday at about 3 PM. Two porta-potties behind the concession stand were decommissioned after reaching capacity. For a brief period of time, a single toilet in the library was the only bathroom available to Fest-goers. The response to the problem was swift, however. Britt Govea of Folk Yeah (the ticket-seller and promoter) scurried around and told male patrons that a large wooded area on the premises was now an officially sanctioned outlet for business of the number one variety. Signs were posted with the same guidance on the doors of the out-of-service outdoor lavatories. An additional bathroom with plumbing was made available to women. While it\u2019s a bit of a surprise an event so well planned and executed failed on this one count, I found the quick and decisive response by Govea and company fully adequate.<\/p>\n

The only other complaint I heard was from a guy we sat next to on day one. Fred from Flagstaff was unhappy with the food prices. Some of the main course offerings were in the neighborhood of $15. But everything was of a high quality and prepared with a special touch. The menu was loaded with healthy options made with local and organic ingredients only.\u00a0 I had the Spanish saffron chicken dish Saturday night.\u00a0 It was excellent.\u00a0 The grilled kale and raw almond\/pesto pasta plate on Sunday hit the spot.\u00a0 Both dishes were served with greens grown in Big Sur.\u00a0 The silverware was compost bin-ready as were the plates.<\/p>\n

Only one beer variety was sold but it was a flavorful amber ale out of a keg for six bucks per sixteen-ounce cup. The man and woman working the beer and wine stand throughout the weekend were delightfully effective and personable.<\/p>\n

There were basically no rules to speak of at Woodsist Fest. No security. No hassles or pat downs or bag checks or eyes in the sky. An e-mail sent to ticket holders a few days before the shows asked attendees not to bring in outside food and drink. That request was widely ignored, especially on day two when more people were emboldened by the actions of those who packed their bags with brewskis and snackage on day one.<\/p>\n

Parking was a bit of a free-for-all.\u00a0 Gravel shoulders along the 1 and a few turn-off points supplied the lone space for vehicles.\u00a0 It all worked out but traversing the 1 in pitch dark at the end of night one required some caution.<\/p>\n

We stayed at the Big Sur River Inn on Highway 1. Situated just five miles north of the venue, it was a good location. The room was nice and our furnished back porch looked out onto a stream with a healthy flow. The powerful fragrance of towering redwoods never got old.<\/p>\n

We paid through the nose ($285 per night plus tax) to stay at the River Inn but by the time we got serious about making lodging plans, there wasn’t anything else available. Even camping sites were booked solid up and down the coast.<\/p>\n

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The best way to go on this next year might be to make a camp site reservation for the last weekend of July and\/or the first weekend of August as early as is allowed. It would also help if Earl and Folk Yeah could tip off Fest fans when the date for next year\u2018s event is set.\u00a0 Early notification might allow some Fest-goers to get a jump on bunk plans.<\/p>\n

It appeared the preferred place to stay for many Fest-goers was the Fernwood Resort, a lodge\/motel\/campground just a couple miles north of the Fest. We never made it to the Fernwood but post-Fest parties were staged there throughout the weekend.<\/p>\n

Our post-show nightcaps were consumed at the River Inn\u2019s on-site bar. Breakfast at the Inn\u2019s restaurant on Sunday morning was solid.\u00a0 The gift shop at the River Inn included a brand of incense simply labeled \u201cWOODS.\u201d<\/p>\n

The most frequently seen species of wildlife in Big Sur was the Blue Jay. Lots of Blue Jays. We also saw a huge, black-colored bird floating among the crazy cliffs and trees. It may have been a condor although I\u2019m not sure about that.<\/p>\n

Real Estate was the final band to play on Saturday night and the end of their set turned fun when Alex Bleeker did a couple of his Freaks numbers. Between songs, Bleeker took a swig from a bottle of Jameson\u2019s and the crowd cheered. Bleeker shook off the encouragement with a wry grin. \u201cIt\u2019s not something to be proud of,\u201d he said. The final tune of day 1 included the Fest\u2019s lone guest appearance. Woods bassist Kevin Morby stood on the back of the stage and threw down some shaker. I was actually kinda surprised there weren\u2019t more collaborations or guest contributions given the number of like-minded band members on hand and available. Other than that Morby surprise to end the first night, there was no musical cross-pollination to speak of.<\/p>\n

One of more hopeful expressions of thought came during the deeply-embraced Pierced Arrows set early Saturday evening.\u00a0 Coming out of a brilliant guitar solo that sounded like Neil Young, Fred Cole of the Arrows made a full-throated recommendation during the tune \u201cLet it Rain.\u201d\u00a0 Said Fred:\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t waste your thoughts on failure.\u00a0 That\u2019s a nowhere scene.\u00a0 Go for what you want the most.\u00a0 It\u2019s the only way you\u2019re free.\u201d<\/p>\n

DJ\u2019s spun vinyl on both days before the live music started and in between sets.\u00a0 Derek James worked from the library\u2019s deck on Saturday and Andy Cabic was at the helm on Sunday.\u00a0 Both hit the sweet spot with their selections.<\/p>\n

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There were many musical highlights but if I had to narrow it down, I\u2019d start with the guitar performance by Tim Presley (pictured above), the main man in White Fence.\u00a0 I had never seen Presley and I was blown away by his stage presence and skill.\u00a0 He took the stage at the symbolically-significant time of 4:20 PM on Saturday afternoon.<\/p>\n

The other standout moment of the weekend came Friday night in San Francisco when Woods unveiled the tune \u201cSize Meets the Sound\u201d<\/a> off their forthcoming record.\u00a0 About halfway through the set, Woods played Bend Beyond (the title track) and then abruptly launched into the lush, fuzzy and danceable number.\u00a0 \u201cYou know where it\u2019s going.\u00a0 You know what it is\u2026\u201d\u00a0 Actually, I had no idea the song was coming and that\u2019s what\u2019s great about a Woods show.\u00a0 It seems like every time I see them, they throw a new great one at you.<\/p>\n

Woods effects-creator\/cassette whiz\/rainbow of sound guy G Lucas Crane was absent from the band both Friday and Saturday.\u00a0 Added to the otherwise intact lineup was Mmoss drummer Aaron Neveu who appeared comfortable and competent behind the kit.\u00a0 There\u2019s no arguing Woods is a different live act minus Crane but we\u2019re now seeing the band succeed on a second string of dates without the mad scientist at his console.\u00a0 With Neveu on drums, Jarvis Taveniere is now free to keep his Phantom Teardrop strapped on for the duration.\u00a0 By the way, Taveniere broke a string on that guitar Friday night late in the set and played on without getting the least bit flustered.<\/p>\n

That Woods conquered a venue so historic felt special, too.\u00a0 The Great American Music Hall dates to 1907 and is a wonderful place to see a show.<\/p>\n

After an early morning Monday drive by Dave out of the forest, we both jumped on mid-day birds back to New York.\u00a0 I don\u2019t go back to work until Friday.\u00a0 I have a few days to get back into a pace much different than experienced on the left coast.<\/p>\n

I already miss the smell of the redwoods.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A library dedicated to the memory of author Henry Miller was the amazing setting for this past weekend\u2019s unique and forever memorable third annual Woodsist Fest. Jeremy Earl (pictured above) knows a thing or two about the woods.\u00a0 He runs … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[1],"tags":[87,62,86],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/s28tEv-461","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesauerbrunreport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/461"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesauerbrunreport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesauerbrunreport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesauerbrunreport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesauerbrunreport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=461"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/thesauerbrunreport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/461\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":467,"href":"https:\/\/thesauerbrunreport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/461\/revisions\/467"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesauerbrunreport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=461"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesauerbrunreport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=461"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesauerbrunreport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=461"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}