Despite the mass influx of festivals in recent years, Electric Forest remains one of the most special and unique ones out there. Sherwood Forest is a magical oasis filled with something for absolutely anyone — simply spending your weekend getting lost in this crazy adult playground would make it worth the trip. Top that off with an eclectic lineup that covers nearly every genre, a friendly and helpful staff to keep things running smoothly, and various engaging activities and interactive art installations to complete the perfect festival weekend.
Thursday evening kicked off properly with a nonstop dance party, beginning with Cash Cash’s high-energy, poppy EDM tunes on the main stage. Next up was a raging Penguin Prison DJ set in the forest, followed by Paper Diamond throwing down dirty beats as always. EOTO brought their unique brand of hard-hitting improvisational jamtronica and set the tone for the raging late night that was to come.
A highlight of this day was undoubtedly Umphrey’s McGee, who came ready to ring in their first time back at the ranch since Rothbury in 2009. They featured two songs off their new album, “Cut The Cable” and “Puppet String,” but mostly maintained an old school vibe with the classics. The entire show was sandwiched between the beginning and end of “1348” with the longest jam “Utopian Fir” clocking in at 17 minutes. They jammed hard and did a great job of catering to their crowd — the forest absolutely exploded during “The Triple Wide,” and “Slacker” was the perfect song for a Midwest festival.
From there, Zeds Dead took festival-goers deep down dubstep lane, Poolside spread that contagious disco fever, and Classixx closed out the night with a proper dance party and good vibes.
Friday morning arrived with the palpable excitement that comes along with the first full day of a festival. First, things got funky with Anders Osborne as he exhibited his top-notch guitar skills and signature kickass New Orleans rock style. The NOLA vibes carried on with The Revivalists, who put on one of the best performances of their short but illustrious career. Their energy was on another level, with every band member jumping around and mirroring their audience’s enthusiasm. Dave Shaw’s voice was crisp and on point as they moseyed through classics and newer tunes, throwing down a wild daytime rager that was enjoyed by all.
Next up fans excitedly made their way over to Lauryn Hill, only to be disappointed by an hour and a half delay on her part. Another surprise there was the lack of a crowd for someone so legendary. Finally, most decided to throw in the towel and head over to Papadosio, where it was clear that the majority of the festival had chosen to prioritize this newly blown up jamtronica band. They moved smoothly through prog rock, psychedelic and more upbeat jams that had the packed crowd grooving hard.
Finally, the big moment had arrived: the first String Cheese Incident set of the weekend. It was by far their most eclectic and progressive of the weekend, moving through nearly every genre with seamless transitions. They opened with “Colliding,” setting that perfect happy, forest mood, then segued into “Search” and “So Far From Home.” Everyone danced and spun around with a giant smile plastered on their face. They jammed and got jazzy through “MLT,” threw down a new one “The Sweet Spot,” then closed out first set with “One Step Closer”>“It Is What It Is”>“Bollymunster.” The band was on point and really seemed to blow even the most experienced Cheese fans away.
Second set started out strong with “Rosie”>“Bonafied Lovin’” (Chromeo cover)>”Rosie.” The newer “Song In My Head” kept things going on the right note before seguing into “Give Me The Love” and “Piece of Mine.” They moved into “Joyful Sound” with precision as a passionate audience sang joyfully along, then closed out the evening with “Restless Wind”>”Desert Dawn,” which featured an epic electronic jam. It was truly a next-level musical experience and a reminder that despite some obvious changes to the festival over the years, Rothbury’s roots remain very much in place.
As such, Sherwood Forest, in all its glory, remains the centerpiece of the whole experience. This magical wonderland filled with beautifully illuminated trees, Burning Man-inspired interactive installations, hidden stages with wacky acts, crazy dance competitions, and so much more truly has something for everyone. Getting lost in the forest is an activity in itself and a highlight of the weekend for many. From the fabulously dressed and highly entertaining performers on stilts, to the “fun police” writing people tickets for shenanigans, there is never a dull moment.
Possibly the trippiest and most hilarious feature of the forest this year was Psychedelic Friendship Bingo, a live audience participation show of sorts that catered perfectly to the mindset of their audience. Two comedic announcers lead character actors such as Kermit the Frog and a petrified hotdog, as well as volunteers from the audience, through a series of mock Bingo games that had the audience in stitches. It was truly something you would only find in this weird, wacky place.
As the night progressed, Umphrey’s took the stage for a second time. It was another rager featuring many classic tracks including “40’s Theme,” “Nothing Too Fancy” (x2) and “The Floor,” as well as the newer “Similar Skin” and the recent Jimmy Stewart “Den.” An epic encore featured “Bridgeless,” broken into two parts with a shock cover of Pink Floyd’s “Time” sandwiched in the middle. The phenomenal festival set was complemented by the visual perfection of Jefferson Waful’s lighting direction.
To close out a perfect day, Zedd turned things up with EDM hits like “Clarity” and “Spectrum,” sending the whole place wild and pumped up for the remainder of the weekend.
Saturday carried on the good vibes and good times, beginning with Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds throwing down a funky, soulful set to get the day started right. The Floozies kept things going on a high and happy note with their upbeat, electro-disco-pop sound.
The sun was shining high as everyone geared up for night two of String Cheese, with the highly anticipated Lauryn Hill Incident to follow. Everyone danced around happily to “Beautiful” before they went from “Looking Glass” into the Weather Report staple ”Birdland.” “You’ve Got The World,” “Sirens,” and “Just One Story” completed the most bluegrass heavy set of the weekend.
As set two rolled around, things took a wild turn in preparation for Ms. Lauryn Hill’s entrance. A video game-themed spectacle began to take flight as they jammed hard to “Outside and Inside”>”Valley of the Jig.” On screen, our childhoods flashed before our eyes with various shots of Pacman and Super Mario Bros games while giant totems of Pacman characters appeared all around as well as a float of a spaceship high up in the distance. Suddenly, huge blow-up versions of the question mark boxes from Mario games began bouncing all around the crowd, and there was even a dancer dressed as Peach swinging from a pole on stage! To top it off, in typical SCI fashion, there were outbursts of confetti, smoke, fireballs, fireworks, dancers, and balloons. It was truly something special, as well as cleverly orchestrated.
Then, Ms. Lauryn Hill took the stage, as everyone wondered what the hell was about to go down with this random yet awesome combination. It was a complete success; they jammed together on covers of Bob Marley, Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, and Fugees tracks as everyone sang and danced merrily along. Though it’s difficult to select highlights from this killer set, some memorable moments were “Master Blaster (Jammin’),” “Fu-Gee-La,” “Ready or Not,” and an epic and passionate “Could You Be Loved” for the encore. This was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience that attendees will not soon forget.
The night continued with Booka Shade, in from Germany for a rare American performance. The duo absolutely crushed it with a live house music set that far surpassed most, hitting several genres flawlessly from jazz to funk to disco and keeping everyone steadily movin’ and groovin’. Next, Sound Tribe Sector 9 took us on a journey through space and time with a killer set that included all of their well-known tracks as well as elaborate lengthy jams. New bassist Alana Rocklin seamlessly fit in as the band blew away their crowd.
Sunday kicked off with the funky sounds of Kung Fu throwing down their fusion funk, followed by an incredible groovy set by Cosby Sweater. Next, Aloe Blacc spread the love with his positive attitude, slick moves and hits like “I Need A Dollar,” “Wake Me Up,” and “I’m The Man.” He constantly engaged with the crowd and even initiated a Soul Train dance line in the audience that had everyone giddy. He is a highly skilled performer who successfully spreads messages of love and positivity without being corny or pushy.
Sometimes, the best moments at a festival (especially one of this nature) are unplanned, and what arose next was something that could not have possibly been imagined. Andy Frasco & The U.N. is equal parts comedian, musician and legend. His antics on stage are unparalleled: stage-diving and crowd-surfing to retrieve and chug a beer, cracking hilarious jokes and ripping his audience apart about drugs and related festival culture, then asking them to send weed up his way and ripping joints/bowls right there on stage. It was nothing short of epic.
Those who wanted to get their rave on headed over to the Tripolee stage for What So Not, the side project of Flume and Emoh Instead. Though Flume was not present, Cashmere Cat made an appearance, and their heavy, trap-infused set had everyone bumping and grinding.
Day three of The String Cheese Incident was less bluegrassy than their typical Sunday Forest sets, though they did work in many of their more acoustic numbers, such as “Dudley’s Kitchen” and a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues.” Set two saw an epic cover of The Police’s “Spirits in the Material World.” However, most notable was the encore: “Rollover”>”Zombie” (Fela Kuti Cover)>”Crosseyed and Painless” (Talking Heads Cover)>”Rollover”>”Good Times Around The Bend,” with sick EDM jams thrown in.
The final moments of the festival brought many to Cut Copy, where everyone danced their hearts out and made the most of the night before heading back to reality. From so many magical moments in the forest to some of the most impressive musical experiences, Electric Forest certainly takes the cake as one of the best festivals out there. See you next year, Sherwood!
-Sara Furer (@FURER_)
(Photos By Dylan Langille, Jeff Kravitz, Ben Slayter, Brian Spady, Jake Plimack, Tobin Voggesser)