Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
TWO MEMBERS of the Gabe Stillman band lean into a guitar strum-off at Saturday's Porcupine Mountains Music Festival in Ontonagon. From left are lead man Gabe Stillman and bassist Rishon Odel. Stillman, who is a graduate of Boston's Berklee College of Music, and his band had the crowd hopping with their high-energy tunes.
By P.J. GLISSON
Ontonagon - Where can you go to hear anything from rock to soul to new-age fusion while mingling in a laid-back land of mellow smiles and easy goodwill?
More than 1,600 people demonstrated the answer by flocking to the 17th annual Porcupine Mountains Music Festival, held last Friday and Saturday in Ontonagon.
This is the venue to go for long skirts and short overalls, along with braids, beards and backpacks, and a sprinkle of psychedelic color.
On Saturday, when The Globe visited, head coverings were an art form unto themselves, ranging from standard baseball caps to straw and cowboy hats and floppy sunwear, along with styles fashioned from knits, headbands and scarves.
"We love it," said Calla Norris, who had a flower crown upon her head as she cruised the grounds with Graham Steinhauer. They are both of Madison, Wisconsin.
"It's so wonderful," she continued of the festival's location at the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness Ski Complex, directly west of Silver City. "You can hike around while you listen to the music."
"Just the overlook in general is awesome," said Steinhauer of the Lake Superior view from up on the hill.
"We really liked the Way Down Wanderers," said Norris of the Illinois band as Steinhauer explained their plans to camp nearby that night.
"What's not to like?" said Rishon Odel, a bassist in the Gabe Stillman Band.
From Buffalo, New York, Odel was visiting here for the first time and - once his performance ended - was fully engaged in cheerful chatter with attendees.
"We're going to hang out here tonight," he said of himself and fellow band members.
The family-friendly festival typically attracts folks of all ages, ranging from bundled babies to seniors to teens.
"It's my very first time and I think it's totally amazing," said Leslie Liebler, who was in a flower power jacket with her husband from Stone Lake, Wisconsin.
Feeding the paradisial mood was a steady stream of entrancing tunes, thanks to three different stages, including the main Peace Stage outdoors, overlooking the ski hill, where attendees perch on blankets and lawn chairs, sometimes under canopies.
That stage featured a total of 12 acts over two days, with the indoor Chalet Stage adding another dozen acts. The smaller busking barn also featured a couple dozen artists or bands.
The total group included many artists from around the country, or Canada, as well as musicians from the local region.
Even a Friday storm could not dampen the overall spirit of the festival that its director, Cheryl Sundberg, said turned out "fantastic."
According to her, that day started great until a huge, dark shelf cloud moved in at about 2 p.m.
"It came so fast and it just opened up and the water just cascaded down," she said. "We waited until it passed." She added that people who were not in the chalet took refuge in their cars.
By 3:45 p.m., Sundberg said the stage was being set again for action that then made up for lost time by some performers needing less set-up time than had been designated.
Hence, no performers were left out, and Sundberg said that Jackie Venson, that night's "genius" headliner from Austin, Texas, ran more than an hour past the designated closing time of 10 p.m.
Although the weather reduced attendance slightly on Friday, Sundberg believes Saturday's crowd set a record.
"I've been coming here since before I was born," said Louise Lindgren of Superior, Wisconsin, of the festival at large.
Her sons - Avery, 10, and Kiren, 7 - stood near her as she raved about the setting: "It's safe. The music is great. It's a beautiful place."
Festival volunteers accommodate families by providing a children's tent full of activities for three hours each afternoon. The Fireside Grill inside the chalet also stays busy.
Overall, the festival - starting with Myron Elkins of Lower Michigan and ending with The Commonheart of Pennsylvania - offers a balance of experience, with delightful bursts of energy such as spontaneous taps and twirls, both on stage and in the audience, next to soft, comforting tunes that sometimes lead to sweet repose.
In a few cases, some folks nodded off in bliss while lying on a blanket or while nuzzled on a mate's shoulder, sometimes awakening with the discovery that - after hours of felicity - it was now time to depart in peace, if only until next year.
