Atmosphere, spontaneity define Rothbury

ROTHBURY, Mich. (WOOD) - At around 2 a.m. Friday, word had leaked that there would be a secret, unannounced performance at Rothbury 2009.

Everyone in the Sherwood Forest seemed to know about it. First, about 10 extra people showed up to a small stage in the forest. Five minutes later, there were at least 50 people gathered, waiting to see who the secret act would be.

After some false alarms, (a burlesque dancer and then a woman from a past season of "America's Got Talent,") Dominic Lalli took the stage, a DJ/saxophonist. Lalli is part of Big Gigantic, which is scheduled to close Rothbury midnight Sunday. The crowd, which grew to about 75 at its peak, loved the performance. People were dancing in groups and on their own, going crazy when Lalli would play sax over his tracks.

And in a way, his performance symbolized Rothbury - it's not just another festival, it's an experience. It's unplanned, spontaneous and different. Lalli took the stage at around 2, and within minutes, people were there, unquestioning. He played some stuff that sounded similar to mainstream hip-hop, and he played even more with its own, jazzy, ecclectic sound. The show, although lasting only about 45 minutes, was perfect for the night in Sherwood Forest.

Sherwood is centrally located on the grounds, between two of the biggest stages. It's probably about a quarter-mile long, with a wide path for foot traffic and even more room between the trees, where vibrant cloth hammocks sway in the distance.

The forest is all about excess and exaggeration - it's oversized inflatables, giant pieces of winding artwork made solely from recyclables, a sinister-looking entrance that reminds you of Beetlejuice. Trees are wrapped in lights, bars tucked into the corners. People sit around in groups of two, five or 20, taking in the forest that surrounds.

But although the forest certainly is a focal point, it's obviously the music that brings people out in droves.

Fox Rocks Winner and Toubab Krewe kicked off the festival to overwhelming crowds. Krewe provided an upbeat atmosphere, using a wide variety of drums and instruments.

Keller Williams came next, who probably drew about 4,000 fans. He played a good mix of old and new material, and if you check out The Rothblog, you can find more on his performance, which lasted around 90 minutes.

The Cool Kids played instead of Kid Cudi, and most people's nights ended with either the Disco Biscuits or Break Science featuring Adam Deitch, a drummer and producer who is best known as the drummer of the John Scofield Band.

Break Science with Deitch played at the Tripolee stage, where most of the electronic music will take place. Large screens projected images such as people flipping on their bikes, and the music was easy to dance to, fast-paced and extra loud.

Fans toss up anything they can get their hands on - a beach ball, glow sticks, even an inflatable astronaut.

In addition to Tripolee, the other stages are The Odeum, The Ranch Area and Sherwood Court. Most of the headliners, such as Bob Dylan, The Dead and Willie Nelson, will play at the Odeum.

The grounds are laid out well, with vendors in one main area, general camping in the other. It's a very organized setup. Although day passes are sold this year, for most, camping is a must. Of the crowd, it's safe to say most of the women wear long, flowing skirts, and the guys are in shorts and T-shirts.

There is constant music coming from different tents and cars, and if you look up, flags pepper the sky that are coming from people's sites. There are many American flags and even a blow-up doll coming off a trailer.

Tents and cars sit side by side in organized rows, with plenty of room to walk in between. Vendors offer sunglasses, shoes, the chance to win a new car and almost every kind of food one could imagine.

For most, including the 24 Hour News 8 Rothbury Web team, Thursday was a day for getting in touch with the surroundings, wandering the grounds, setting up home for the next four days and checking out the bands. On Friday, some of the notable performances will be G. Love & Special Sauce, Damian Marley and Nas, The String Cheese Incident and Flogging Molly.

Think Tank sessions also will kick off, such as "Can the New Green Economy Save America?" and "What is a Green Job and How Can YOU Get One?"

Between The Rothblog, the Rothbury category and Twitter, our team will try to keep you posted with video, stories and photos.