The Blue Ridge Mountains will provide the picturesque background to the fourth annual Festy Experience this weekend.
The Blue Ridge Mountains will provide the picturesque background to the fourth annual Festy Experience this weekend. Virginia native bluegrass band, The Infamous Stringdusters, founded the festival in 2010 and have kept the tradition alive by brining great tunes to the foot hills.
“We play a lot of festivals,” said Andy Falco, guitar player for the Stringdusters. “We run around, we see a lot of festivals from both sides of the fence, from walking around the festivals to the back stage zones to the camp grounds, and we’ve done that for years. And the idea for [The Festy Experience] came from the desire that we just thought it’d be fun to throw our own party.”
The most important aspect of any party is, of course, the playlist. Falco says that the lineup for The Fest reflects that concern, and they pride themselves on exposing audiences to a plethora of musical talent.
“There’s going to be bands that you’ve heard of and then there’s going to be bands that you haven’t heard of. But The Festy crowd, and the people who attend the Fest, have learned from year one that these bands they may have never even heard of are amazing,” said Falco.
“A lot of times [festival goers] might see a band that we happened upon out in a small club and they’re absolutely awesome, we will bring in a band like that, sometimes even giving them a great spot on the main stage. Because it’s all about the experience and it’s not just about throwing a bunch of popular names onto a poster to get as many people out as possible, but more about trying to curate an amazing experience an the lineup is definitely one of the first places to do that.”
One of the artists who will be performing at They Festy for the first time is seasoned jazz guitarist, John Scofield, with The John Scofield Uberjam band. “Basically,” Scofield said. “The guys in the dusters liked my band, liked my music, and invited me to come play at their festival.”
“What I’m looking forward to most is playing the gig and then getting to play with the Dusters afterwards,” said Scofield, who will be sitting in with the Stringdusters on two songs.
But it’s not just about the music, as Falco stressed, it’s about creating an environment to help foster a unique experience, and music is simply one piece of the puzzle. The Festy schedule is full of non-musical events, which help to cultivate the environment.
There will be guided hiking trips, and outdoor yoga for those looking to get a healthy dose of nature. For those looking to learn a thing or two while at The Festy, they can look forward to “Coffee Brewing at the Campsite” and “Local Water Quality Discussion.”
The Festy Experience also set a new standard for maintaining a green footprint last year with their introduction of reusable canteens. All festival goers are provided with a canteen upon entering the festival and there are water stations throughout the campgrounds.
It’s all happening this weekend in Roseland, Virginia on the concert grounds at Devil’s Backbone. For more information check out their website.
