10KLF09 - The 10,000 Lakes Festival at Soo Pass Ranch on 7/22/09

By: Kaleb Bronson

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Dave Matthews - Photo by Heather Kerfeld (See more at revolutionmagazine.webs.com.)

Last week, the new wave of hippie counter-culture gathered for a four-day weekend of musical adventure and what’s becoming one of the country’s better-known summer music concerts, 10,000 Lakes Festival or 10KLF at Soo Pass Ranch.

Soo Pass Ranch is a 500-acre get-away nestled in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. The 60-plus acre site offers four cosmically-enhanced stages. Acts came from around the globe, and this year the Dave Matthews Band headlined the festival on Saturday night.

The colorful sounds and people made the 7th year for the festival the best yet. Bands like Widespread Panic (2-nights), Pretty Lights, Umphrey’s McGee, Wilco, Mason Jennings, Trampled by Turtles, Atmosphere, and so many others took over the stages throughout the weekend, each day having its share of notable acts. Some played on the quaint Saloon stage, others on the dust bowl’s Main Stage, but all had their own psychotomimetic effect on concert goers.

Opening the festival was Gomez, an alarm clock in hand to ring in the first night of the four-day event. Widespread Panic, who performed twice, jammed for more than three hours each night, with “Maggot Brain” being the most note-worthy track of the band’s double-ended show played during the band’s encore the first night. The band’s always-smiling faces put the audience into a trance as thousands of glow-sticks soared through the air.

In the wee hours of day-one, Pretty Lights took the Field Stage; theirs was a techno, hyper mind freak-out, with light show to boot. Known as a one-man DJ, Derek Vincent Smith brought power drummer, Cory Eberhard to wail the night away as a side-kick.

Mason Jennings - Photo by Heather Kerfeld

As day-two began, there was much chatter about The Akron Family. I had not seen them before, but by far these men of rock magic were the high point of the entire festival for me. Using a plethora of noise makers, instruments (cowbell, recorders, tambourine, etc.) and random looping effects, the band controlled the Barn Stage in the early afternoon Thursday. When they played “Ed is a Portal” from their 2007 album “Love is Simple,” I think the entire audience had a spiritual experience. The chanting and non-conformist musical styles shook the ground, as the drums pounded, bringing everyone within miles into a state of euphoria. It was the Thursday afternoon revival, made by the most complex three-piece ever to touch the Barn stage.

“We are on orange level alert, watch out at the taco stand,” Dana Janssen of the Akron/ Family said before the soothing tribal-like encore had the audience singing, “I wanna live in Woody Guthrie’s America.”

Into the evening Mason Jennings and Wilco and then Atmosphere took to the stages. Rain came, shutting down Atmosphere’s set due to lightning risks.

Day three took no prisoners with Wookiefoot, Trampled by Turtles, Cloud Cult and the second night of Widespread Panic. On the smaller Saloon stage were The Ragbirds, with their rendition of the Harry Belafonte song, "Jump In the Line (Shake, Senora),” which had audience members climbing over each other and gleefully bouncing along.

Jeff Tweedy of Wilco - Photo by Kaleb Bronson

The final day of the festival brewed a psychedelic cocktail for all to enjoy, with the Dave Matthews Band leading the line. As the sun heated the afternoon air, Todd Snider took to the Barn stage with tall tales about Marilyn Manson’s attitude and murdered friends.  “I make this shit up for anybody who will listen to it,” Snider said at the beginning of his set. His opinionated style charmed the audience. His version of “The Ballad of the Kingsmen” demonstrated how Snider is a true folk troubadour ready to challenge the government with his words.

The crowd pushed back farther than the eyes could see as Dave Matthews gave it his all for the 3-hour set mixed with new and old tracks. “Shake Me Like a Monkey,” opened the set with tracks such as “Jimi Thing,” “Why I Am,” his version of “Burning Down the House,” but the encore made way for the top notch shot at the night. Matthews took his voice and heart to the moon on “You and Me,” from his new album, followed by “All Along the Watchtower.” This was Matthews’ first time at 10KLF, and I think he ensured he would be invited back.

As Matthews sung his final notes the sky lit up with fireworks, and in the Saloon, William Elliot Whitmore drank from a still-attached-to-the-six-pack, Pabst can, before singing any request the audience yelled at him. Whitmore said he was surprised so many people were there to see him because at the same time below him on the Field stage Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings were mid set.

Sharon Jones closed out the final night with her hit “100 Days, 100 Nights,” bringing a young man on stage to serenade in front of his significant other. The night’s finale was the Minneapolis local boys Pert’ Near Sandstone who carried it all home.

 

To read more about many of the Minnesota based bands such as the Gypsy Lumberjacks, Mason Jennings, Atmosphere, Trampled by Turtles, Wookiefoot, Cloud Cult, and others at 10KLF check out Rift Magazine at www.RiftMagazine.com.     

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Location Info: Soo Pass Ranch
Artist Info: Mason Jennings, Wilco

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