wakarusa 2012 :: a mixtape, yo.
In the next few days, when I gather up too many $100 dollar bills, I will spend them all on a fucking ticket. A ticket, my friends, to a motherfucking festival. Pardon the language but I tell you what, my ass is jazzed.
After a 2011 spent purchasing tickets (Cotton Jones, The Sheepdogs, Iron & Wine, and GAYNGS) and then realizing as dates approached that holy shit dude, I’m a single mom with a job, there’s NO WAY I’m making that gig, I had to bail. All that money down the drain, all those good times enjoyed by people that were not me. What a bogus load of utter bullshit. But it is what it is.
This year Folk Hive is heading to Wakarusa. Let me tell you something about this here festival, ya’ll. There are hippies (presumably), there is a goddamn river, and there are about 20 bands I adore. And to top it all off, this shit takes place in the Ozark Mountains, my home. A short jaunt down the highway and I’ll be camping (which I have a PhD in, by the way), lounging, and drinking a metric fuckton of shitty American beer, distributed and manufactured by foreigners. YES TO ALL THIS.
You guys need a mixtape, full of headliners and not-headliners. Full of sweet jams. I want you to be jealous. And then I want you to be motivated to get off your balls and head down to Arkansas with me. Just do it. I’ll share my booze.
**
The Avett Brothers :: January Wedding [mp3]
There are a bunch of people complaining about this headliner. They don’t play electronica!, they say. They wail, we need more reggae on this bill! How about this, brah? SHUT THE FUCK UP. Brothers got a banjo. They’re cool enough that my very own beloved mother wants one of their lyrics on her headstone. Fuck yeah. Keep calm and Avett on, as they say.
*
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros :: Up From Below [mp3]
You guys know these people are like, modern-day god-like hippie creatures to the sect of the population that I’m a part of, yes? I will jam to these jams and when I’m over that I will hug the shit out of a tree. LONGHAIRS UNITE!
*
G Love & Special Sauce :: The Road [mp3]
Way back in college one of my dear friends introduced me to G Love. At the time I was obsessed with Dave Matthews so basically I owe that rad bitch my life. I might actually dance at this set. At the very least, my doing so will thin the crowd and give me the band all to myself.
*
The Del McCoury Band :: High On The Mountain [mp3]
I’m not even gonna use curses when talking about McCoury. It’s too sacred.
*
Blitzen Trapper :: Furr [mp3]
I have no doubt that at least in Folk Hive Land (it’s a place, promise) certain sets will rise above the rest. This is one of those sets. I’m preparing to stomp my fucking feet off at this one.
*
Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit :: Codeine [mp3]
Holy God, this one. Occasionally there are bands that make me want to drive thousands of miles to see live (ref: GAYNGS) and this year, that band would have been Isbell and The Unit. Fortunately, these dudes have decided to come camp with the masses in a clearing on top of a mountain in Arkansas. YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS. (All those S’s were necessary).
*
Head For The Hills :: If’n When [stream]
If I cannot have a bill that includes Trampled by Turtles, I’ll take a lesser known substitute. Banjos. I know very little about this band, admittedly, but I’m stoked to sit in the sun and get to know them.
*
Nathaniel Rateliff :: Boil and Fight [mp3]
Over the past couple of years, despite only having one record by this man in my possession, it has endured constant rotation. My sister and I have pined to see him since I stumbled upon this music whenever the fuck that was, and I suspect that she and I will sit in the grass, a blanket stitched by my great-granny under our happy asses, while we listen blissfully to Rateliff yell at us. It’s going to be so goddamn awesome. Note that this is the one set where I might just throw my tiny bra onstage…in hopes that it’ll make it to Julie, the bassist. I MEAN THAT IN THE MOST HETERO WAY.
*
The Infamous Stringdusters :: It’ll Be Alright (HearYa Session) [mp3]
Speaking of my great-granny, this is the show to which I will carry her spirit with me. That woman loved a good old-timey jam and was a square dancing master. I’ll gaze up, let the sun obscure my vision, and imagine her kicking up her heels. This is seriously the kind of music that instantly sets my heart flying.
Of note: This band sings a song called ‘Keep On Truckin’. And thus, I love them. I’m taking a Colt 45 to this one and if I don’t get to hear that jam, I will fucking riot.
*
The Lumineers :: Hey Ho [mp3]
I’m guessing this is the mandatory indie (not bluegrass or country-tinged or rock or electronic or reggae) band on the bill but I could not be more pleased they’ve chosen this band to fill that slot. Every since a solid recommendation by Fuel/Friends, I’ve had this band in rotation consistently and was hopeful I’d get to catch them — their live shows look to be a fucking blast. In all honesty, if they’d have came close I probably wouldn’t have made a giant effort to see them though, so the fact that they’re being placed in my lap for this show is sweet.
*
Pretty Lights :: Country Roads [mp3]
Now clearly kids, I’m not the biggest fan of this kind of music, this genre if you will. But any dude that can remix my beloved John Denver and not make me want to stab his balls completely off is okay in my book. And I’m excited about getting the chance to ignorantly dance around in circles under the stars with a bunch of folks that are into this bit. Broadening the horizons and such…
*
Futurebirds :: Ski Chalet [mp3]
I am seriously fucking stoked for this. Any band that covers Stevie Nicks and Chris Isaak (yeah, I said it, shut up) so gloriously is awesome. End of story.
*
The Sheepdogs :: I Don’t Know [mp3]
As if it weren’t obvious by the hundreds of words I’ve already written about it and by the fact that I only now have a subscription to Rolling Stone after 15 years of not because they put these bearded bastards on the cover, I’m on The Sheepdogs bandwagon. As if the weekend were not going to be perfect enough, we’re topping it off with some beers, Allman-esque jams, and undoubtedly, one too many Almost Famous quotes. All is right with the world, my friends. All is right.
****
Seriously folks, for a gig so close to home I couldn’t have asked for a better lineup. IT’S ALMOST AS IF I CURATED THIS BASTARD MYSELF.
In other news, if any bloggers or just, you know, people are going, give a shout. We’ll camp and barbecue and river swim together. It will rock.
folkhive.wordpress.com 
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Dry the River. You gotta check those guys out. Here’s a link to their song Weights & Measures! http://vevo.ly/x5CI9s
looks like an effing sick show. ‘its almost like i curated this bastard myself’!