by Gin Majka

Cover Photo by Ali Kaukas

If you were to fast forward to this weekend, where would you be? Would you be searching for live music? Would you be outdoors enjoying the summer weather somewhere in the mountains?

What if you could do both?

I’m planning on doing both at the Frendly Gathering, where I will be hiking, taking in the beautiful Vermont scenery at Sugarbush, dancing to some amazing bands, and enjoying the company of friends. To say that I’m stoked would be an understatement.

I’m looking ahead picturing myself closing my eyes and absorbing all of the live music that this weekend will bring me. Although I’ll enjoy it all, there are a few bands I’m especially ecstatic to soak up in the sunshine.

I have only seen Greensky Bluegrass play once, but I have never forgotten it. If I had to pick one genre that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up while my soul screams with pure euphoria, it would be bluegrass. How fitting it will be, to stand amongst mountains in Vermont listening to a genre that originated in the Appalachian Mountains. Greensky Bluegrass is well known for their incredible string performances. It’s about time I catch them again, this time in the Northeast.

Did I mention bluegrass? The Devil Makes Three is another beautiful bluegrass band I look forward to savoring this Saturday. Seeing this band live makes me feel like I’m being forced to repeatedly tap my toes. Again, I’ve only been experienced the Devil Makes Three once, which is why I’m feeling extra fortunate I’m going to see them play outside instead of during the dead of winter in Maine.

Let me reassure you that there are going to be plenty of music genres other than bluegrass. I’m definitely going to be frantically dancing to Spafford’s eclectic and intense jams. This is a band you won’t want to miss either. To top it off, anyone experiencing all three days is going to experience Vermont native Twiddle’s rock jams, Boston native Strange Machines electro-funk sounds, and the soulful music of the Suffers.

Us lucky festival goers are going to be experiencing the best of many worlds.

As an environmental planning and policy college student, I’m also geeking out about the Friendly Gathering’s eco-friendly sustainability efforts. I have to mention that I feel very passionately about conservation methods. It fills me with tears of joy to see waste diversion, composting, recycling, and leave no trace policies. There are plenty of sustainability workshops and contests going on this weekend that I will definitely be partaking in. Take a plastic pledge and be conscious of your environmental footprint, see how a music festival can help the earth!

I am definitely going to be drenched in sweat from dancing all day in the summer humidity, but I wouldn’t want to enjoy a New England summer and festival sounds any other way.

I hope meet all of you Friendly people there!

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