Ryan Yuenger is the author.
ryany@wsjm.com
There was no other conclusion to draw after two days and nights of music, sunshine, moonshine and bubbles at the Lightning Bug Music Festival, so the first-year festival director must have wanted attendees to be overwhelmed with positive vibes.
There were lots of bubbles.
Photo via Lightning Bug Facebook
It was difficult to find time for a break with 25 hours of Americana music in two days. Rushad Eggleston, also known as “Rushadicus,” filled the downtime between bands when they alternated stages.
Rushadicus entertained the crowd in between sets with a genre of music that can be described as High Fantasy Renaissance Goblin Metal played on a cello and a kazoo.
Eggleston
The cavalcade of talented artists was intentional. From the legendary Americana jamband Railroad Earth to the folk-blues of Charlie Parr and his steel guitar, he was on a mission to stir up deep-rooted feelings in attendees. The festival slogan was “remember who the heck you really are.”
“I think a lot of people deep down know what’s important to them and where they want to go and who they want to be around,” said Westbrook, prior to the festival. It is all within us, and live music helps that come out.
Railroad Earth closed out their Saturday set with a cover of Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon”, which glowed over the festival both nights.
While watching one of his favorite acts, New York’s Mikaela Davis and Southern Star, he said the event went better than he could have ever expected.
The energy that was put into the festival was the reason why it was a success, according to Westbrook. I think people are having a good time because of the smiles, the politeness, and the love. The artists had a good time. The weather was wonderful and I am incredibly lucky to be a part of it. I have unlocked a new gear of gratitude.
There was no shortage of fun for all ages at the event. There was a bubble area for the kids. More than a few adults and children were seen playing around the bubbles as soon as they were in use.
The festival had many activities for kids, including slackline lessons, face painting, and an instrument building workshop. If anyone wanted to write an inspiring message or draw on a butterfly-shaped piece of paper, they could glue it to a heart-shaped board for all to see as they walk into the concert grounds.
Klott
“I want to advocate for art therapy,” she said. I was involved in creating the outline. To incorporate my community, I wanted everyone else to know what art therapy was all about.
Backline is a non-profit that connects music industry professionals and their families with mental health resources and she supports it. The festival’s proceeds were donated to Backline.
Backline is doing amazing things, that is what I think. They are offering money to support music artists. It is amazing that we can bridge the gap between music and art. They are two different things, but they are the same.
Parr
The volunteers kept the grounds clean, picking up any stray trash that might have gotten loose. The focus of the festival was on respecting the environment, even down to the porta johns.
There were no problems on stage. From up and coming Michigan jam band Pajamas to River Spell, a young band from Colorado playing their first Midwest show, every band and artist performed like they knew the festival was bigger than them. Rushadicus, a cowboy with a hat on, led a bluegrass superjam after a canceled appearance from Cedric Burnside.
There is a sampling of music throughout the weekend.
On Saturday, Indiana State Senator Rodney Pol spoke on what the festival means to him, and what it can mean for the community.
Pol said that he has been a huge fan of the show. I was at the first one and took my children. My youngest was six months and my oldest was two and a half years old, and I will never forget… watching Buckwheat Zydeco pull up the children on stage and talking about how they are the future. It was one of the highlights of my life.
Pol thanked the community who showed up to the festival. Backline is a non-profit organization that connects music industry professionals and their families with mental health resources, and a portion of the proceeds from the festival were donated to them.
Pol said that he had lost a lot of musicians in his life. Some of the people that are some of the most amazing, big-hearted people in the world are the ones that backline is meant to help. Two years ago, musicians were in a hole, and nobody knew if they would be able to do this again.