Many of you have heard horror stories regarding this past weekend’s inaugural Hudson Project music festival at Winston Farm in Saugerties, NY. Whether discussing awful security execution, bad weather, or the outright cancelation of the festival’s biggest acts, there is certainly a lot to complain about. However, not everything about the weekend was a complete disaster. In fact, there were probably just as many high points to the music festival as there were low. Although the festival ended on just about as low of a point as any musical event could end with, I believe that The Hudson Project had witnessed some of the greatest performances that these musical acts have ever played. And as the festival has offered partial refunds for the cancellation, it shows they’re certainly making an effort.
So while you’re wiping off all the mud that’s left on your shoes and clothes (and car, camping equipment, body, etc.), don’t forget about the fantastic groundbreaking sets that were played throughout The Hudson Music Project.
After a very long Thursday night mostly spent on tight security lines attempting to gain entry into the campground, I finally woke up after three hours of sleep ready for some music. First on my list was a DJ set from Lindsay Lowend and what a way to begin the weekend. Between the impressive Circus Tent venue and the awesome energy they brought to the table, it was a good way to warm up for what was to come. Next up was Dr. Dog, delivering the roots-y tunes one would hope to hear at any well standing music festival. While their set was on the quieter side for an Empire Stage (the main stage) show, the band delivered by playing their better known songs.
Afterwards it was back to the circus tent for an absolutely mind-blowing performance from Robert DeLong. DeLong had the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand with every loop generated and every beat created without a laptop in sight. His surprising breakout performance was easily among my favorite of the weekend.
(Robert DeLong)
Atmosphere killed it as the first hip-hop group I saw throughout the weekend. But then it was right on to one of the most awaited performances of the evening, the return of The New Deal. Their happy-go-lucky electronic tones filled the audience at the Explorer Stage with delight as they danced on. And although there set was more of a jam session than a structured musical performance, the attendees present enjoyed the reunion showcase just the same.
On to Modest Mouse, who played a fantastic and memorable set. The indie band played many of their older rock heavy songs, setting the bar for the rest of the evening. Luckily, the only group that could raise the stakes even higher was STS9, and they succeeded with a show that was nothing short of spectacular. New bassist Alana Rocklin was the cherry on top of their show, a non-stop rocking beacon during the twilight set.
(STS9)
In between the end of Modest Mouse and the beginning of STS9, I was lucky enough to stumble upon a DJ set from Savoir Adore at the New York Tent, a tent dedicated to local New York bands. Although his luck wasn’t great as his set was scheduled between two headlining sets, front-man and DJ Paul Hammer took it in strides and spun a great ethereal pop set for the few who were in attendance.
There were many other acts that I sadly missed Friday night such as Kill Paris, Odesza and many more. I caught just enough of the sets by Savoy and Bro Safari to hear both of them throw down hard to energetic crowds. I supposed scheduling conflicts were to blame but at the end of the day, it was impossible to turn away from the acts I was able to see, Late night sets raged on as Flying Lotus and Holy Ghost! Rocked opposite sides of the festival ground. Both acts played to large audiences, continuing to ride out the euphoria of day one. It was by far the best collection of music I had ever had the pleasure of witnessing in such a short period of time.
Day 2 began on a dissonant note. On my way to check on my car, I noticed local police officers arresting someone in the on-site parking lot. As I was walking back to my campsite, I saw two more young concert goers being handcuffed, this time by state troopers. Upon reaching the entrance gate, I was heavily searched. My purse and wallet received thorough inspections and I was given a full body pat down before I was finally allowed to go back to my tent.
One large complaint throughout the weekend was regarding the security measures taken at the venue. It is one thing for the festival staff and security to try to remove as many illicit substances as possible. However, it is quite another to treat every single ticket holder as a criminal with something to hide, causing massive delays and even health issues in the process. Many attendees were unable to bring open packs of cigarettes, water bottles, and even sunscreen because security was under the assumption that everything carried in could be an illegal substance. Stories and sightings of drug sniffing dogs, hidden cameras, and undercover officers posing as drug-dealing attendees had many people feeling criminalized. I understand that The Hudson Project desired to achieve a cleaner image than many other festivals but there are alternative measures that could have been taken without verbally and physically harassing their inaugural audience members.
Music on Saturday afternoon was a slow build up compared to the epic first night that I experienced. I eased into my day slowly with a dance punk set from !!!. The group was much more mellow than I was expecting as I did want to dance but it was great regardless. I later found out that a conflicting DJ set from Exmag that a wild surprise collaboration with Griz. Onto the next act since Flatbush Zombies were the next to take the Empire stage. It’s safe to say that the hip hop group blew their audience away with tight rhymes and great stage presence.
The sunset performances on Saturday left quite the mark on all in attendance. While Bonobo usually performs as a solo DJ, he brought out all of the stops by playing alongside a full live band, which included two beautiful singers with absolutely stunning vocal performances. It is a rare sight to see Bonobo live and I would jump at the chance to see them perform together again.
(Bonobo)
A bit of passing rain was not a match for Big Gigantic, as they easily had the most popular set of the weekend. For one hour and fifteen minutes, they were the kings of The Hudson Project as they rocked the overwhelmingly large audience with an iron fist. They even treated fans to a never before played song at the end of their set accompanied by a surprise display of fireworks. Although many fantastic artists performed throughout the weekend, its safe to say that few had an effect on their audience quite like Big Gigantic did.
(Big Gigantic)
Kendrick Lamar was up next with a show that could be heard throughout Winston Farm. His format was simple; hits first, fun next. While he was considered one of the headlining performances of the weekend, many missed his show due to exciting sets from Conspirator and Griz. Both acts packed out the unique circus tent stage with their unique styles of spinning and starting the party. A live DJ set from Moby rounded out the late-night activities and although his music was great to groove to, I wish he had addressed the audience more.
Most of you know the rest of the story from here. On Sunday afternoon, after a funked-up set full of covers and originals from Soul Rebels, The Hudson Project and local police announced an evacuation Winston Farm due to severe thunderstorm warnings in the area. The chaos began as soon as the storm ended with confused staff yelling at patrons that the duration of the festival was canceled. No formal cancelation announcement was made by the festival itself until hours later leaving ticket holders reasonably upset. Everyone was told to pack up and leave as soon as they were able to causing mass confusion among the not-so-sober attendees. Protests from angry fans began soon after followed by a lot of mud sliding. Finally as attendees tried to make their exit, their cars became stuck in the mud, unable to move without the assistance of a tow truck or ATV.
(Cars Immobilized By Mud)
The festival obviously had no contingency plan for bad weather in place. The vendors had left the property so there was no food for purchase and the water was shut off early the next morning with many concertgoers still stuck on the grounds. Porto-potties overflowed causing literal streams of human waste to flow through the flooded campsite. I still find it hard to believe that a festival that was off to such a good start ended as a humanitarian issue with the red cross setting up shop to help out. Many locals tried to get onto the muddy grounds to offer their assistance but were turned away due to their presence being a “safety issue”. The last cars were finally towed off the lot early Monday evening as The Hudson Project decided to grant all attendees a refund for their Sunday tickets. However, that didn’t take away the painful fact that highly anticipated sets from Action Bronson, Tipper, Bassnectar, Paper Diamond, Infected Mushroom, Cults, Kygo, and STRFKR were now not a possibility.
(Concert goer sadly packs up early)
The Hudson Project was far from perfect. Between the humiliating and discriminatory security measures, the unsafe conditions, and the ultimate letdown from missing the best acts on the lineup, this festival had a very ugly side. However, the truth is that as much as attendees are left with a bitter taste in their mouth from their experience, there was a fantastic side as well. The grounds were beautiful before the rain became an issue and the concert goers gave off nothing but good vibes. Most important, the music was phenomenal! Each artist brought their a-game with their performance and it was clear that most sets were tailored perfectly for this festival. It was some of the best live music I had ever seen. The bottom line is that The Hudson Project gave me the most fun I have ever had at a music festival and I would never want to go through it again.
(Thank you to Kevin Earle and Corey Regensburger for the photos)
-Marisa Frydman (@musicalmarisa)