Feel-good party for the ages

America!: Over the Fourth of July weekend, High Sierra Music Festival truly lived up to its billing as the “ultimate intimate festival experience.”

For four days, Quincy’s Plumas County Fairgrounds were transformed into an alternate universe of stunning sounds and intriguing sights for approximately 10,000 people. At any given time, campers could run into a festival artist as paths crisscrossed constantly in this friendly, temporary community.

Spontaneity was the key word at this event, which just celebrated its 25th anniversary. Music, dancing and parties popped up at any given moment—often at the same time and frequently into the wee hours of the night. Or while in the line to take a shower.

The festival featured scheduled band sets and workshops, but the most “in the moment” activities happened in an extemporaneous or impromptu setting. Just take Sacramento’s the Nibblers and Element Brass Band—the groups collaborated on a pair of unscheduled campground jams that attracted a dancing, sweaty mass of revelers, who overflowed out of a batch of easy-up canopies in the early July heat.

About 80 bands and artists played the festival, including headliners the String Cheese Incident—who played four sets over two evenings—as well as Umphrey’s McGee, the John Butler Trio and the Word. Whereas last year’s lineup featured a bounty of electronic dance music and indie rock, this year’s stuck more to its roots: bluegrass, Americana, soul, gospel, bluesy rock, jam bands and other feel-good party sounds.

Another notable aspect of this year’s event was the high rate of collaborations between the festival’s artists. One of the most memorable happened when jazz vocalist and trumpeter Jennifer Hartswick, who often performs with Phish, joined the String Cheese Incident for a remarkable version of Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough.” Hartswick incited the crowd to shake and shout passionately as she sang and punched out the song’s horn lines like nobody’s business.

Collaborations also took place on smaller stages. Saxophonist Karl Denson of Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe appeared at the festival for an 11:30 p.m. set where he was joined by Robert Randolph (Robert Randolph and the Family Band, the Word), drummer Nikki Glaspie (Nth Power, Dumpstaphunk) and Hartswick. Earlier the same day, Randolph’s supergroup the Word crushed it (with members of the North Mississippi All-Stars and Medenski, Martin and Wood) while Glaspie’s Nth Power left a lasting impression with its set as well.

With all of this music binging, it was, not surprisingly, difficult to choose what to watch because great acts often played at the same time. Galactic, the Slip and the Dustbowl Revival all played simultaneously on different stages, for example.

Choices must be made.

Let’s not forget about those artist workshops as well: Hartswick demonstrated how to improvise, keyboardist Kyle Hollingsworth of the String Cheese Incident discussed beer and Scott Pemberton, Dan Lebowitz (Lebo of ALO) and Eric McFadden taught different guitar playing styles.

There were many children in attendance—likely because their parents were brought to the same event when they were kids. There were plenty of activities for kids, including jellyfish art, daily festival parades and their own musical activities. I stopped at one point to watch ALO’s Lebo and Bo Carper of New Monsoon play some kiddie classics with a group of little ones on a cozy stage tucked behind the main festival thoroughfare.

If parents wanted a night out, the festival offered child care as well—a great option since much of the festival’s fun took place long after the daily schedule was over. Impromptu social gatherings and late-night music sessions started around midnight. After one of those sessions, the California Honeydrops and Element Brass Band burst out of the High Sierra Music Hall, followed by about 250 fans, in an impromptu Mardi Gras-style parade around the festival grounds. It started around 4:30 a.m. and went on for 45 minutes or so.

A couple days later, I ran across California Honeydrops vocalist Lech Wierzynski and complimented him on the fun of that early morning parade.

He smiled and—in the true High Sierra spirit—said, “That wasn’t us, that was all of you guys.”

—Paul Piazza