8th annual Desert Rocks Festival ready to rock
A Burning Man-esque festival will take place next week a little closer to Summit County than Black R… A Burning Man-esque festival will take place next week a little closer to Summit County than Black Rock City, Nev., as the 8th annual Desert Rocks Festival begins Thursday in the red-rock desert of Green River, Utah.
It is setting a different kind of bar for music festivals by integrating world-class bands with speakers, artists and performers, films, eco-conscious food and product vendors and engaging workshops. And, it's dog friendly.
"This year's festival is different from year's past. We've moved it to a private ranch near the Green River that is covered in large welded art installations and tucked into the red rock spires. We're bringing in six stages, an Evolver Film Dome, an art gallery, dozens of speakers and a workshop space,” said festival coordinator Lucia Stewart. “We are really working on expanding the music-focused festival into a share event that can be not a only a place to rock-out and have fun, but also a space to gather new ideas and ways of being. We are showing off some really cool and innovative things: a solar-powered saloon, an illuminarium, a poetry slam, a fire spinning and performance arena, and interactive art installations and playground.”
Author Daniel Pinchbeck, filmmaker Mitch Shultz, activist journalist Charles Shaw and author Jonathan Talat Phillips lead the group of participating creators, along with visionary artists Android Jones and Carey Thompson.
Films will be shown in the Evolver Movie Dome, featuring a line-up of thought-provoking films, panel discussions, Q&A sessions, presentations and workshops. Films on the docket include: DMT: The Spirit Molecule; 2012: Time for Change; Electronic Awakening; For the Next 7 Generations; Dreams of Damanhur; Green River: Divided Waters; and Sacred Economics.
And like Burning Man, an interactive temporary community of theme camps and random acts of art are to be expected. The event takes place Thursday through Sunday, June 10, at the Jenk Star Ranch in Green River.
With an impressive speaker series, visual and performance artists, films and workshops, as well as a healing center and even a conscious poetry slam (with a $1,700 cash purse), the event is sure to please a wide spectrum of attendees.
The vision of festival organizers is to “create an interactive collective experience integrating music with compassion, consciousness, knowledge, healing, laughter and love by offering world-class visionary music, speakers, performance, art and installations, films, workshops, poetry, food, a health center, products and more.” The theme of this year's festival is “Celebrating Consciousness.”
Not to be forgotten as the driving force of the weekend, there is an impressive lineup of bands ranging from rap to reggae to rock to electronica. Scheduled to play include: Beats Antique, The Wailers, Brother Ali, RJD2, The Lucent Dossier Experience, Elephant Revival, JGB featuring Melvin Seals, Random Rab, Chali 2na and the House Of Vibe Gaudi, MTHDS, Govinda, Euforquestra, Octopus Nebula, DeadPhish Orchestra, Willie Waldman Project Featuring Wisdom, Equaleyes, Sweatshop Union, Holy Water Buffalo, Marinade, The Williams Brothers Band, Jaden Carlson Trio, Max Pain & The Groovies, Scenic Byway, Roots Rawka, Wasnatch, Bonfire Dub, Spell Talk, Triggers & Slips, White Water Ramble, Puddle Mountain Ramblers, Funk and Gonzo, The Pillars Project, Luke Benson Band, RKTboy, Soltron, illoom, Dr. ILL, K<3Love, B Town and Maestrobe.
"This year is different from year's past,” said festival director John Ripley. “We will be host to 30-plus films, workshops, and we are host to world-renowned speakers and artists. Also a poetry slam and art galleries. Logistically, its a lot bigger beast to work with this year…but there's a level of excitement around all of it in being our biggest and most attended year. It's a whole new level."