The petite Woodsist Festival -- founded by the indie record label Woodsist -- has been an annual event in Big Sur for the past six years. Sadly, with the Soberanes wildfire raging nearby, the show had to be relocated at the eleventh hour.
Jeremy Earl, digging through the merch for a frisbee:
Bravo to promoters (((folkYEAH!))) for securing an alternate location at Love Field in Point Reyes Station, the land of oysters and cheese, a bucolic town of just 350 people in Marin County. Love Field is a twist on the "If you build it they will come" story. In this version the field had previously been a baseball diamond that owner Jim Love built for his kids and the community back in the 80s. Camper Van Beethoven did a benefit concert there in 2007 using the back porch as a stage, to benefit Love Field and the local radio station KWMR. Jim Love's son Tyler is now the shepherd of the property and with a recently constructed artful stage, built by master woodcrafter Gabe Korty, Tyler got into gear with his team and everything came together beautifully under a big billowing silk parachute.
Woodsist has always felt more like a gathering of friends having a reunion rather than a festival. There are some loyalists who return every year, many planning it as their main summer vacation. Helping out with the merch I've made friends with regular attendees from all over the country -- Saint Louis, Chicago, Austin, Miami, Seattle -- and other countries as well -- France, Italy, and Germany, to name a few.
I was able to steal shots of the bands between merch customers:
Bill Roe (thanks for helping me move the picnic table!) & Will Young, Ultimate Painting:
Jack Cooper, Ultimate Painting (also, thanks re: picnic table!):
James Hoare, Ultimate Painting:
Michael Hurley & Ramblin' Jack Elliott:
Justin Sullivan & Kevin Morby:
Meg Duffy & Kevin:
Kevin & Cyrus Gengras:
The Morby tour van:
WOODS! :
Jeremy Earl:
Chuck Van Dyck:
Aaron Neveu:
End of day one.
Camp time! With the change of venue this year we had the chance to bond even more as Tyler Love graciously invited the crowd to camp on site. It was dreamy. We had sheep grazing outside of our tent and woke with the rooster for three glorious California mornings in a row.
We had the best of both worlds with sleeping rough in the field then heading into town in the morning for French pastries still warm out of the oven and organic coffee. There's also a good, healthy grocery store with full deli.
Blue shop front:
Blue mural:
Blue payphone:
We placed a free call for the daily prayer and a real live person answered and said a prayer of peace for our family and loved ones. Press *12!
Meanwhile, back on the "ranch", the second day of fab tunes...
Alex Bleeker and Friends:
Vintage Real Estate Tee, by Kyle:
Marcel manning the merch:
Woodsist frisbees flying; Justin, Marcel and Jeremy:
Kevin and Jarvis:
Hugs for White Fence:
Jonathan Richman:
Until next year...
