The Beanstalk Music and Arts Festival recently announced a stellar lineup, featuring  some of jam, funk, and livetronica’s finest. Hosted by The Magic Beans, the festival will feature performances from Electron, The New Deal, RAQ, Tom Hamilton’s American Babies, Spafford, a special 2-set performance from New Time Elastic, a group featuring SCI’s Michael Kang, Jason Hann, and Michael Travis with Jamie Shields from tND.

Set to take place from June 10th-12th at a new site, the Wet Mountain Valley Saddle Club in Westcliffe, CO, the combination of a beautiful site and killer lineup certainly has us intrigued. We were able to sit down with Festival Director Ryan Noel, who is also a production assistant with The Disco Biscuits and tour manager for The Magic Beans, to discuss Beanstalk. Read on below, and find more info about the festival here.

L4LM: What are you most excited about this year at Beanstalk?

RN: I’m excited for the whole thing! My partner, Scott Hachey, and I get to book the music we love, so we’ve put together a lineup that we’re super pumped about. Since I also work for The Disco Biscuits, it’s always such a pleasure for me to have some of those guys out, and for the 2nd year in a row, we’ve done that. They’ve been so supportive of Beanstalk and it really means a lot to me that they’re always so willing and eager to be apart of it.

L4LM: How did the New Elastic Time supergroup come together?

RN: On April 20th, 2013, a girl that I was seeing at the time, who is a huge SCI fan, said she was going to see this supergroup called New Elastic Time. They sold out the Gothic Theatre in Denver, and I never heard of it again. When we started throwing this festival, Scott and I really started to make the super groups a major part of our event. Last year, I remembered about New Elastic Time — and kept it in my back pocket. We always want to have something “cheesey” every year so when we came to that portion of the booking, I decided to reach out to Jason Hann and Michael Kang to see if we could get it to work, and we did! We’re super pumped to have them coming out, and Kang back for the 2nd year in a row!

L4LM: Tell us a little about the new location.

RN: The new location is beautiful. A little different — but beautiful. Westcliffe sits on the base of the Sangre de Cristo mountains – about 2 1/2 hours southwest of Denver – or an hour and a half west of CO Springs. This place has breathtaking views — one of the view places in CO where you can see 5+ 14ers. You really feel small when you’re there. We’re very excited with the new location and we think our fans will be too! One location means no more annoying shuttles! Camping will be a very short walk from parking; with the concert bowl and our side stage in the middle. Our fans are so creative; we know they’re going to turn this place into a beautiful little community for 4 days with the way they all will set up their campsites.

L4LM: Which of the up and coming acts do you think will really blow people away?

RN: Spafford is an up and coming act we’ve brought in this year from Arizona, that I think people are going to leave talking about. Very groovy and jammy; which is obviously what we love the most! We brought in Brothers Gow from San Diego two years ago and that was a band a lot of people left talking about — and I see Spafford doing that this year.

L4LM: The Magic Beans are starting to really gain some steam on the national scene. Why should they be on people’s radars?

RN: For me personally, I love to see a band get out there and take chances with their improvising. With the new addition of Chris Duffy, bassist, it really has brought out a new beast of jamming. It allows Scott and Casey to explore and feel the jams out. That’s what it’s all about for me. So for anyone that really loves a jamband — they’re just that. And are doing a damn good job. I also love how they go in and out of different genres throughout a show — they get a little grassy, a little funky, back in to some rock n roll, back in to funk, and so on. Can appeal to a lot of different tastes.

The Magic Beans Make Debut With New Bassist In Keystone, CO Throwdown

L4LM: Can we anticipate any additional announcements?

RN: We will have more announcements soon, about camping, RV passes, and things of that nature, so our fanbase is fully prepared for our new home. But as for our lineup – it’s set in stone now!

*** With Early Bird and Tier 1 prices already sold out, Tier 2 tickets are currently on-sale at a very reasonable price of $145. Purchase tickets for Beanstalk Music and Arts Festival HERE ***