Thursday Night Kickoff Party at The Lost Paddle. Mountain Music Festival kicks off in style on Thursday night with an epic Kickoff Party at The Lost Paddle, featuring live performances from Natalie Brooke, The Kind Thieves, and Sneezy. Known for her electrifying keyboard skills and high-energy performances, Natalie Brooke will set the tone for an unforgettable evening. Joining her are local favorites The Kind Thieves, whose Appalachian-infused jam sound is a festival staple, and Sneezy, bringing their funky, feel-good grooves to the stage. Admission to this exclusive Thursday night show is included with early arrival camping passes, making it the perfect way for early birds to dive into the festival spirit, enjoy great music, and soak in the magical vibes of the New River Gorge before the weekend officially begins.

Friday Night on the Mountaintop. Friday night at Mountain Music Festival promises a thrilling lineup of diverse musical talent, headlined by the cosmic grooves of Daniel Donato. Known for his signature “Cosmic Country” sound, Donato will bring a mind-bending blend of country, rock, and psychedelic jams to the stage. Joining him are festival favorites Kendall Street Company, whose genre-defying blend of rock, jazz, and funk always delivers a lively, unpredictable performance. Adding to the evening’s magic is Shadowgrass, a young, high-energy bluegrass band known for their intricate picking and heartfelt harmonies, while Laid Back Country Picker rounds out the lineup with his laid-back, honky-tonk style and witty storytelling. With this stellar mix of artists performing under the stars, Friday night at Mountain Music Festival promises an unforgettable musical journey for all.

Saturday Night with Tropidelic & Big Something. Saturday night at Mountain Music Festival brings an explosive finale to the mountaintop at ACE Adventure Resort, featuring a powerhouse lineup that will keep the crowd dancing late into the night. Headlining the evening is Tropidelic, whose infectious fusion of reggae, hip-hop, and funk guarantees a high-energy set packed with grooves and good vibes. Sharing the spotlight is Big Something, known for their expansive sound that blends rock, funk, and electronic elements with an improvisational twist. Fans can also look forward to a captivating performance by Neighbor, a rising jam band celebrated for their dynamic live shows and intricate musicianship. Adding to the night’s diverse soundscape are Isaac Hadden, whose soulful guitar-driven jams offer a fresh take on blues and funk, and Electro Lust, who will deliver pulsating beats and electronic rhythms to get the party started. Saturday night promises a vibrant and eclectic musical experience to close out an unforgettable festival weekend.

Late Night Shows in The Pigment Sanctuary. The late-night shows at Mountain Music Festival are where the party continues long after the main stage lights go down, offering an intimate and immersive experience inside the vibrant Pigment Sanctuary Art Gallery. These late-night performances are known for their eclectic energy and unique atmosphere, surrounded by stunning art installations. On Thursday night, the festivities kick off with the wild, high-energy performance of MINKA, known for their theatrical style and dance-inducing grooves. Friday night keeps the momentum going with Buddhagraph Spaceship, whose spacey, psychedelic jams will take listeners on a cosmic journey. Finally, Future Joy closes out the weekend on Saturday night with a futuristic blend of saxophone-driven funk, bass-heavy beats, and live electronic elements. With limited capacity and an up-close connection to the artists, the late-night shows are a can’t-miss highlight of the festival, perfect for those who want to keep the music alive into the early hours.

Get Your Tickets Now. Early bird tickets for Mountain Music Festival, happening June 5th – 7th, 2025, are on sale now, offering fans the best deal for an incredible weekend of music and outdoor adventure at ACE Adventure Resort. This is your chance to lock in discounted admission to one of the most exciting music festivals in the region, featuring a stellar lineup of artists, late-night shows, and endless outdoor activities in the stunning New River Gorge. But don’t wait—prices will increase on February 1st, so grab your early bird tickets now to save and guarantee your spot at this unforgettable three-day event. Whether you’re a longtime attendee or a first-timer, Mountain Music Festival promises an experience filled with amazing music, art, 0nature, and community!

Revisit some MMF nuggets from the Wranglers archives and unlearn what you have learned. For your eyes only. Loose lips sink ships. 2021: Please Don’t Eat the Cicadas. 2022: Grandma Stole the Chatch? 2023: Lasting Impressions. 2024: Snapchat Love and the Blind Spectrum. Believe what you want.

Join the Wranglers ten-year anniversary tour as we try to make it as clear as possible.

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This is just a simple recollection of the past year, honest and littered with disparages. Still decorated with bleached, plastic flowers not stolen from a cemetery. Relax Francis. Not that you remember, but you were there. They say no two people remember an event exactly the same. It’s so easy to slip. But are we beating a dead horse? Are you what the fellas on Beech Mountain call a one trick pony? Sit back, dear reader and let yourself sail back to 2024 and like Drunkle Clayopheus said, “figure what needs figurin’.” Don’t worry little missie, there are no tiles allowed on this ride. Your map slave is working upside down and you’re still lost. It’s safe and no one knows where you are. It might even be time for you to not know where you are. It’s the 2024 Year in Review: Geolocation Disabled.

Are you lost? Do you want to be? Have you been found? Thankfully. For the lucky ones, it was another year of breathing free air and for a few, the debt had been paid. For others, the grinding of the gears was just beginning. Don’t you think you’ve paid the boatman enough? To hell with that guy. There were those who roped in thugs from the shadow places. Like Ma Roux said, “Collect the little dabs of dried toothpaste they leave in your sink and serve them back as wedding breath mints.” Welcome to the high vibration. It wasn’t that I mind if anyone was tracking my movements, but it seemed like a serious misallocation of company resources. What happened to our pension fund? For as long as I could remember, I’d been hoping someone would steal my identity, but the obvious question is why anyone would want to?

It was a year of branching out with new family and strengthening old bonds. The camp was now littered with admitted degenerates with no regard for the old ways. But there was something unusual in the stale, sandy pizza they served. Their sand had a different texture. Like the silky-smooth grit of diatamaceous earth as it removes the unwanted leftovers from your gullet. It was Black Warrior who, in 1890 asked, “Who could hold on to the wind from a burning teepee or dumpster?”

S. Jones had learned to wear cut off shorts in certain situations as a type of litmus test. Job interview, courtroom, first date. Or combined with the Waffle House first date. Waffle House in cutoff shorts and if she comes back for another, take her to the Bubble Room. Game on. Mistakes had been made. At least two times he’d gotten drunk on rum and discussed religion and abortion with his mum. Never a great starting point between a heathen and believer. So what if he wasn’t washed in the blood. He didn’t care if he and his sister weren’t able to join her in the great reward and her confession of regret and failure as a mother was a serious bummer. Moderately heavy shit for a Friday night. How’s about we just watch a Hallmark Christmas show and fall asleep in our ice cream.

Vibra Urbana in Miami got things started and the escalation came, as always with Suwannee Roots Revival and some harsh megaphone opinions from the wrecking crew.

Lacking in all the usual luster. The ladies harvested in unwashed at Resonate while Ka’aoli reallocated his own short bus of idiotas and steered for Austin, Texas and the complete totality of inappropriate delusions. His hypothesis involved measurable electrons charging his tan starfish within a fixed location on the flat part of the Earth. Oh yeah, also within the snow globe of the firmament. Like weather manipulation, sciencey. The cosmogony is yours. Pedro’s Cabinet of Expired Narcotics hosted Hobo Kamp for Suwannee Resonate and the failure to appear summons along with the restraining orders have been referred to KH legal team. 888-888-8888. Ask for Ka’aoli.

Just the protips. Gaylord, Lord of the Gays didn’t support genital mutilations and among his staunchest suggestions was not to order calamari in the Vatican. Dirty bird was seen eating vermin in Panajachel. Don’t look now but science has caught up with you. It might be time to consider a circumcision reversal. And when considering a hunting dog, know that Black Labrador Retrievers will not eat their owners after death. Somewhere along the way the crew had time to work Shaky Knees, Hangout, Bonnaroo, Oceans Calling and who can remember what else. Half of the time the Buick was in the shop, the other half of the time it was being used to make money for the most recent or next repair.

They called Summer Camp by another name but just about everything else was the same. Sporting, to be sure. Pedro’s closet of regrets took its spot in the dark of the forest. No one sees the outside from the deep shadows within. The stages, bars and whatever else is great at Summer Camp, but the forest is where the magik happens. Thank you for allowing the monkeys to take over the insane asylum. Even after leaving her self-respect in a cardboard box at Lost and Found and absorbing the curiosities that ride shotgun alongside the “hard goodbye”, there is safety within its boughs. It’s all fun and games until someone whispers that your buddy is a cop. Hard meow? Turn to page 47 if you want to keep riding this bus.

It was a time to be thankful for friends. They had leveled some moderately serious allegations in her direction but her friends were stalwart in their devotions. She’d seen strong families cleave themselves from each other for money, divorce, whatever. Houses built on sand. She found it empowering to collect new cousins into her lineage even as she was being collected into other houses. Planned marriages. Extending kingdoms. The petri dish in full effect.

Stolen identities and poorly trained professional astronauts at Mountain Music Festival? Astro-not on my watch. Never boring and surprisingly intimate, the Iceman hoodwinked his way into MMF at Ace Adventure Resort in the middle of New River Gorge, West Virginia. Who is in charge of security when this guy can slither in as a media corespondent? Jedi wook mind trick. All truths aside, that type of animal has cut their teeth sneaking into Phish shows even before their tits have fallen off. One of the obvious benefits of the methamphetamine lifestyle is it allows the user to be skinny enough to sneak through the fence into the VIPness. Mountain glory at its best. Look for the B team on the beer taps. More than one free beer? Code Red? We don’t need no badges.

In the dojo of a thousand lost memories, many thanks to Maso the forlorn. Next time it will be the wisdom teeth. Watch the six old boy, but I digress, some of these polices are best kept close to the vest. In a mire of drunken confusion they’d left Ocean City with a greater understanding of how sweet Thai chili sauce can be used to compliment jalapeno poppers.

In what has become a cornerstone of the summer work loop, EForest showed the lessons that only General Admission can offer. Pirate flags, code reds and human test apes were the order of the day and Pedro resented the muddiest Ortiz Flea Market version of the truth. Team B made camp in the Cherry Orchard with what the old folks refer to as “higher stock”.

You are encouraged to join the happy space of the snappy repertoire. Don’t worry baby, the buck stops here. Welcome to the cul-de-sac of blame. Or what your people call responsibility. Don’t worry, PTSD is not just for soldiers anymore and at the turn of the millennia, Indians litter just as much as anyone. Don’t cry for me Argentina.

FloydFest. As we found our footing on the new mountain, so did the festival find its footing on us. Like a tiny Vietnamese woman walking down your back in high heels. At times serving as non-examples and at others, the key that opens all doors. Well within the learning curve. Everything is being revealed, grasshopper. Thanks always to the FF family for being consistent which is meant as the greatest compliment in terms of both their insanity and work ethic. The great ones find ways to make it easier for everyone. Less talk, more rock.   

Mondegreen. Trey Sees Me. The best surprise of the year and Lucy’s first Phish festival. Maso continued to lay down the Phish funk from the jukebox in Ocean City, Maryland until the old people started giving him the side eye. Knots of light pulling the body in contorted directions. At least he didn’t feel like an interloper as he slept in the front of Mason’s van, which reeked of wet shoes, bad chicken and stale urine.

Thieves stealing from thieves. How do legit hoodlums spend their time? They spent most nights at Gatsby’s enjoying live music, private shows under the stoop and loose fun in the guest house. Please shower before entering the pool. Dover is f’sho down with hood rat shit. Look for the guy on the tiny motorcycle. Loose lips sink ships. Choices had been made. Lucy was almost too sideways to work and the chickens were coming home to roost. Some headlines are best left unpublished.

Another year has come and gone. 2024 had as much as action and spunk as any prior. People were still busy about with their personal stuff and still no one wanted to hear any advice from anyone else. Nobody was overly thrilled to hear your story about “getting high at the show”. In earlier generations, intelligence was equated with the ability to listen. Not be confused with the inability to contribute. The man who could actively listen without interrupting might often be considered intelligent, without having to say a word. I’m trying to learn to stay out of my own way. It’s been said, “If someone else tried to kick my ass as much as I do, boy I would be in trouble.”

It’s Daryl’s fault. Lucy still had larval seed ticks feeding on the capillaries around the corner of her eyes. The original harvest had not all been eradicated and the second generation of arichnae were now living comfortably on and in her epidermis. When you lie down with dogs, you get fleas. Hashtag truth.

Hulaween continues to morph into something particularly otherworldly as, over the years, we work on the building. The Hulaween wedding of the year is still just like taking sand to the beach. Fake weddings in Florida are just as hot as real weddings. So you’re saying I’m not really a homewrecker? Heckfire, by the end of the day I might not even be a bad son or a dead-beat dad. Oh, how the tables have turned. Who knew? If you live long enough you get to receive all the free cars. Check the math.

Where is TooMuch?

Keep up with Wranglers Media as we steer straight into 2025 and the ten-year anniversary tour as internet media moguls. Thanks for making us one of the cornerstones of the modern etherweb. Plan A is still in effect. No artificial intelligence, real news or monetizing but ample amounts of sideways fun and increased color. Join us as we surrender freedom in the name of security. The train leaves the station soon. Git on board and join the wook wranglers ten year anniversary tour. The singularity. Ceptin’ now Mona the Adventurer is in charge so be careful what you wish for, you just might get it. Welcome to the highest vibration. Needle drop that shit. Geolocation Disabled. And don’t worry, although I did throw your tile out of the window, you should have no trouble finding it on the side of the interstate.

For Brian. Kamp Happiness pocket guitar.

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Bill Nershi of the band added, “The outdoor amphitheater at The Caverns is beautiful, but when we played our show in the cave, you could really feel the energy. Truly magical.”

Full CaveJam Line-Up: The String Cheese Incident, The Infamous Stringdusters, Andy Frasco & The U.N., Armchair Boogie, BERTHA: Grateful Drag, Dizgo, Hayley Jane Band, The Headhunters, Jesse Roper, Pajamas, and Space Bacon.

Beyond the music, guests can take cave tours—including both guided walking tours for everyone and adventure tours with helmets and knee pads—or join yoga and sound bath sessions, bring their own instruments to participate in an open cave jam, and attend a couple of special workshops. There will also be activities for kids, making CaveJam a destination festival for the whole family.

“Now in its second year, CaveJam has become a signature springtime festival here at The Caverns,” says Joe Lurgio, The Caverns’ General Manager. “Our seasoned, music-loving team is dedicated to creating an unforgettable experience for both fans and artists, building on everything we’ve learned from our past events and festivals while always sprinkling in new festival magic everywhere we can.”

CaveJam offers a range of VIP glamping options that complement the venue’s unique appeal, from caving experiences and a lively campground with a vibrant “Shakedown Street” of craft vendors to the breathtaking surroundings of the outdoor amphitheater. Guests can enjoy dancing, food trucks, and of course, live music in the beautiful cave that defines The Caverns experience.

Underground Music. All CaveJam ticket holders will get to experience the magic of live music in The Caverns’ legendary underground venue, with performances by several bands from the lineup throughout the weekend.

The String Cheese Incident make a highly anticipated return to the cave for a rare intimate, late-night set on Sunday, May 25. New for 2025, a second late-night cave show will feature BERTHA: Grateful Drag on Saturday, May 24. Both of these special sets are included with VIP packages.

For general admission guests, limited bundled 3-day tickets include admission to both The String Cheese Incident and BERTHA: Grateful Drag’s late-night sets.

On-Site Accommodation Options. CaveJam attendees can choose from a range of accommodations to suit different preferences and budgets. At the top end is The Caverns’ secluded yurt village, offering climate-controlled yurts with king-size beds, private bathrooms, kitchenettes, and private decks. Other glamping options include luxury canvas bell tents, complete with queen beds, bedding, a bistro table, and more. For a cost-effective VIP option, there are Pre-Pitched Tent Packages with amenities like two cots, a canopy, camp chairs, and a tent light. Guests who prefer to bring their own camping gear can still enjoy all VIP perks by selecting a VIP Camping Package. RV camping passes are also available. Free car camping is included with all CaveJam tickets.

VIP Perks and Amenities. All VIP packages include access to both festival days, early campground entry on Friday, May 23, guaranteed access to The String Cheese Incident’s late-night cave set, and admission to BERTHA: Grateful Drag’s cave show. VIP guests also enjoy multiple VIP viewing areas, catered brunches and dinners, VIP restroom trailers and showers, an exclusive restroom in the amphitheater, private cash bar with daily discounted Happy Hours, access to charging stations, free massages, and on-site VIP concierges. Lastly and new to CaveJam, shuttle transportation to and from the campground has been added for VIPs in 2025.

Get Your CaveJam Tickets Early. CaveJam tickets start at $179 and, new for 2025, include free camping. Guests can start a payment plan for as little as $54 down. Sign-ups are now open (Sign Up Link) for venue pre-sale access on Thursday, November 21 at Noon CT. General on-sale begins Friday, November 22 at Noon CT. Past CaveJam buyers will receive a unique access code to unlock special loyalty pricing.

For the best access to VIP packages, including guaranteed entry to the exclusive cave sets, guests are encouraged to secure tickets and accommodations early for CaveJam at The Caverns in Grundy County, Tennessee. Visit the CaveJam website and like their social media channels on Facebook and Instagram. Welcome to the portal.

About The Caverns: Nestled in Grundy County, Tennessee, The Caverns is a world-renowned destination known for live music in beautiful natural settings, the Emmy-winning PBS television series The Caverns Sessions, and a magical cave system for different skill levels of exploration. Inside The Caverns subterranean venue, guests to “The Greatest Show Under Earth” revel in the prehistoric venue’s natural acoustics and otherworldly beauty. The outdoor amphitheater sits at the foot of the Cumberland Plateau with the rolling Tennessee hills as a backdrop. Whether underground or above ground, live music at The Caverns is a bucket list experience that keeps fans coming back time and again. Overnight yurt accommodations are available throughout most of the year, and on-site camping is available after most shows. Daily guided walking tours and adventure cave tours of The Caverns cave system are also offered 7 days a week.

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“Well, the trail has been started and the initial adventures have been had, but the journey is still just starting at FestivalPark,” said John McBroom, FloydFest co-owner and CEO, and owner of FestivalPark. “We have listened to your advice and are implementing that valuable intel to continue developing our festival home. We hope you will notice and appreciate the touches our amazing team continues to curate, all the while helping us to continue to visualize all the new possibilities for this beautiful location. As the veils and curtains of ‘Aurora’ approach, we are excited to share our vision for next summer’s homecoming.”

The second round of lineup additions for FloydFest 25~Aurora is set for later this month, with more to follow over the next few months. All artists on the initial announce (and subsequent announces) can be discovered and explored via extensive bios, links and playlists here. “’Aurora’ symbolizes the beauty and mystery of nature,” said Jessica Taylor, FloydFest co-owner, CFO and VP of Operations. “We chose this theme to create a space for connection and awe, transporting patrons into an enchanting realm inspired by the northern skies through breathtaking art, performances and immersive experiences.” “As we emerged out of FloydFest 24~Horizon and reflected on the journey that led us to that milestone at FestivalPark, we found ourselves renewed, reenergized and reinspired to steward this festival, community and culture into the future, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do,” said Sam Calhoun, FloydFest co-owner and COO. “Arising from ‘Horizon,’ we now switch focus to ‘Aurora,’ visualizing its dynamic patterns of brilliance as metaphors for the FloydFest flow and family, defining the undefinable: our music, magic and mountains, our deep community of connection between our patrons and purposeful programming, and the indescribable beauty that can only be felt and understood in the moment on that mountain, together.”

Blue Cow Arts Foundation & Across-the-Way Productions released tickets — including Single-Day GA tickets & Single-Day Pair + Parking Bundles — for FloydFest 25~Aurora at noon ET on Friday, November 1, 2024, via the brand-new www.floydfest.com (and the festival’s new ticketing partner for 2025, See Tickets), as well as an initial sampling of the artist lineup that will descend on Floyd County, Va., July 23 to 27, 2025. Click here  for a direct link to tickets. Ticket prices will stay the same through Dec. 31, 2024, with price increases scheduled for Jan. 1, 2025, April 1, 2025, July 1, 2025, and for a final time at the gate. Info by ticket-type, as well as price tiers, can be viewed here.

New for 2025, Hotel Travel Packages are now available for FloydFest 25~Aurora, with accommodation options at the iconic & historic Hotel Roanoke (VIP) and the modern & plush SpringHill Suites Roanoke (GA). FloydFest Hotel Travel Packages are available paired with either (2) 5-Day GA tickets or (2) 5-Day VIP tickets for FloydFest 25~Aurora, and include a five-night hotel stay (and all associated hotel amenities), roundtrip shuttle transportation to and from the festival Wednesday through Sunday, plus (2) FloydFest Merchandise Bundles. A limited number of GA & VIP Hotel Travel Packages are available, so act fast to claim
this new boutique offering on FloydFest.com or https://tinyurl.com/FloydFest2025.

Also new for 2025, FloydFest now features an exclusive VIP parking & camping area for ‘Overland’ trucks/rigs/vehicles, located on the picturesque fence line at the top of VIP Parking. Each space is 20’x25’ and is designed for a vehicle + camping setup. This new ticket type is extremely limited; scroll to ‘VIP Overland Park & Camp Pass (20’x25’)’ under ‘VIP Tickets’ on the ticket page to purchase before they’re gone:

FloydFest.com is now fully updated for FloydFest 25~Aurora — visit the site to find:
• Brand-new and expanded FAQs: https://floydfest.com/floydfest-faqs/
• A Site Map, which will be regularly updated throughout the season: https://floydfest.com/site-map/
• The valued Partners of FloydFest 25~Aurora:
• The evolving lineup, artist information, playlists and links:
• Rules, a packing list and directions:
• Glamping info
• A Spotify playlist featuring artists from FloydFest 25~Aurora:
• Information on Festival Experiences (such as Outdoor Adventure, the Children’s Universe, and “Other Cool Stuff”), plus access to customer service, booking contacts, vendor info, volunteer info … and more!
As always, FloydFest will also include vibrant and varied vendors, quality craft brews and chews, healing arts, workshops and whimsy, camping and children’s activities, outdoor adventure, onsite art installations and a final lineup featuring almost 100 artists performing on seven+ stages over five days.

FloydFest is located at its new home, FestivalPark, located at 5826 Floyd Highway North in Check, Va. Find detailed directions, a packing list and rules by visiting https://floydfest.com/packing-list-rules-directions/. Updated FAQs can be found by visiting https://floydfest.com/floydfest-faqs/. Click to https://tinyurl.com/FloydFest2025 for a direct link to tickets. For more information, email info@floydfest.com. Stay informed via FloydFest’s newsletter at http://floydfest.com/newsletter/, and
find FloydFest on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Also, to sign-up for both our e-blast newsletters and Text Club, visit here.

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Thanks to uno primero White Ninja, Bagdalini for manning the store, sweepin’ the stoop and keeping the kids in line. Happy Friendaversary you silly thug. It might not have been a rainy summer but the wranglers have been rained on at about every festival in the loop. Vibra Urbana, Solshine Reverie, Electric Forest, Alabama Deep Sea Rodeo,  and FloydFest all spread a little rain into the festival story. Watch out for the hippie who hopes for just a little rain to settle down the dust. Skip to sinking in the mud hole wearing Pine Island Reeboks. Be careful what you wish for grasshopper.

Waiting in line Thursday, Bagdalini donned his camouflage security vest and shot in lickity quickity. Fifteen minutes later he was getting a golf cart ride up to Emma’s camp. Membership has its privileges.

Try as she did, Hurricane Debby did little to dampen the spirits of the festivarians in attendance. While Friday’s rains did slow down the pace of the ingress and cancel some shows, the campsites fell back on the old reliables, skim boarding and parties with new friends under lowered canopies. Nice to meet you. Welcome to the Dab Lab.

Before the blush was on the bloom he would come to understand the truth, “Loose lips sink ships”. The Elements Immersive Experience was in full swing as powerful winds whipped through campgrounds making short work of canopies and unstaked tents. High velocity rains spat sideways as nature reminded us who really was sky daddy.

With safety in mind, the venue closed down Thursday and Friday. The Vibe Village however would proudly raise its middle finger to the Pocono skies and rage on. Everything after that was a haze of flesh and blinking lights. Some mysteries are best left unsolved.

Bagdalini hoped the trauma bonding would assist him in finding some companionship. They camped next to a carload of Polynesian women, one who appeared extremely interested in his bad humor. She was a hooper who liked to wiggle while he played the guitar. Things were looking up. They walked in together as Wreckno and Diceman each threw down solid sets at the water stage. He assumed that when she got lost somewhere behind front of house, it was by design.

Gambling is an addiction and try as she might, Emma could not stay away from Frick Frack Blackjack. She’d cleaned them out at Secret Dreams and was closing in for the kill. A few more weekends like that and she would be holding the mortgage on the red and white striped tent. It was only a matter of time. Her Ain’t Lucy only cared about the briefcase of souls. It was likely somewhere behind the table and she would keep a keen eye open. Who collects from the Soul Collector? Indeed.

The Bag Man had lost his wallet for most of the day but good job earlier him as it was found safe and sound in his tent. He remembered having a similar problem at Solshine Reverie and a pattern could now be easily recognized. Clozee closed out the Water Stage Saturday night with a pounding set after LSDream. Elements always seems to bring the A game in terms of production. It can’t be denied.

Lightcodes by LSDream was super rejuvenating Sunday morning after Saturday night swishies. A surprise Sunday afternoon set of Barclay Crenshaw throwing down some drum and bass while Lucienda slammed Fosters, or what her father called oil cans.

Visit more wrangler fun with last year’s wrap-up with Beievers of Elements “24.

Visit the Elements website and lurk shadowed halls of their social media pages on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. The internet is real. Welcome to the simulation. Are you even real?

Thanks to Elements Music and Art Festival for allowing the wranglers to be involved for the second year. The word immersive comes to mind when pondering this festival. It is truly a mushroom cloud of pounding bass and blinding sparkles.

Thank you to the team from Crew One Productions who built the stages and then tore them down. Bad attitude? Complete douche? You may have what it takes to be a rigger. Apply today. Thanks to the team who left Elements and joined our silly party already in progress at Phish Mondegreen. Jeepers.

Thanks for making the wranglers your number one source for festival pulp. Keep up with the home team as we try and source the hustle for September and prepare for the October vortex of Live Oak with Suwanee Roots Revival and Hulaween. Close your eyes Marion. Don’t look at it.                                  Namaste y’all.

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But as a wet-behind-the-ears neophyte, you undoubtedly and naturally have many questions regarding the festival. How you’ve made it this far is a mystery best left unsolved. But I digress. You’ve found your way to the wook wranglers, where we specialize in twenty-six dollar cigarettes and the bloody Mary with the dirt/ash rim. Your number one etherweb source for festival news and U.S. Farm Report and grain commodity analysis. With a festival of this size, one might be tempted to just hang out under the canopy and get the big eyes listening to STS9 on your phone’s speaker. This is not the way. There is a world of surprises just waiting to be discovered at Elements. We’re going to take a look so just sit back and let us drive. It’s all better now. This is what we do.

Pocono Raceway is a Goliath of a space with a plethora of immersive activities in every direction. The campsites are outside the venue so there’s plenty to see on your way to the show. Here’s a short list of a few of our wrangler favorites. Don’t miss out grasshopper.

Six Things Not to Miss at Elements Music and Arts Festival “24

• Fire Stage: This is the big boy. The home of thrill-seekers who thrive off moments of spontaneous, nebulous fun. Ignite your soul in the arms of the goddess of light, whose flames burn brightest at peak moments of the night. Fire takes center stage as the dance floor where all of the Elements family can get down together as one heartbeat to the groove. High energy tunes with dirty bass drops, funky rhythms, and beats that make you wiggle.

• Air: This temple of melodies tucked deep in the Elements forest, designed for those who seek to reawaken their soul. Retreat to a mystical landscape of dreamcatchers, treehouses, and disco balls where your spirit can refresh. Take a deep breath and feel your heart bloom as you get lost in a fog of grooves. Techno, House, Afrobeat, Ambient, and all that takes you throughout the long night.
• lespecial: Not sure how this hard-driving, rock band ended up at all the hippy festivals, but it works well and the wranglers have been at the receiving end of this exchange for many shows. lespecial is redefining the term “power trio”. The multi-instrumentalists from Connecticut continue to push the boundaries of what a three-piece band is capable of both live and in the studio. The band’s signature blend of “heavy future groove” combines headbanging metal riffage and surgical rhythmic precision with bone shaking 808s, sub synths and ethereal vocal stylings for a dance floor that welcomes moshing, dancing and hip swaying alike. Listeners are taken on a journey to the musical netherworld through esoteric soundscapes punctuated by raw, primal power.

• Bagdalini’s Sack of Wet Surprises: Happy Friendiversary. Ooooohhh yea. Don’t make it weird but some things can’t be unseen. Stop by Kamp Happiness and sign up for the free tick check with inappropriate comments included at no extra cost. Welcome to your own personal struggle puddle. Lucky is the guest who gets to realize the broad strokes of the double-wide paintbrush. The White Ninja is here to make all your dreams come true.
• Marvel Years: Cory Wythe, the producer and guitarist better known as Marvel Years, is much more than your average DJ/producer, Marvel Years incorporates electric guitar in his live performances. His approach to blending electronic beats and shredding soulful guitar on his original tracks and remixes creates a sound that is a unique hybrid. Get ready to get all the way down to Chinatown. 

• G Jones: Greg Jones is the artist behind the enigmatic G JONES moniker. A lauded master of electronic music production and highly sought after performer, G JONES is a collaborator of legendary artists such as Amon Tobin, Eprom, and DJ Shadow, who called Jones “the most gifted Ableton beatmaker I’ve ever seen.” Rolling Stone touted him as a “studio wizard.”  That’s what listening to G Jones will do. It’s a mental minefield of sudden drops and stutters, bass lines that open holes under your feet and send you shooting sideways to some warped mystery land.
• The Circle K? Hagglin’ Post: As always, be on the lookout for Pedro’s trading table. Bring your treasures and find bargains aplenty at any hour of the day. This week’s special is colored ping pong balls and “gently used” pine cone fetish plug. (Ed. bonus)

Visit the Elements website and like their social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok and YouTube. Visit the wook wranglers channels and remember all of our content is written by spunions, not AI. I mean, if you’ve watched the robot vacuum cleaner get tangled up in the shag rug then you already know that machines aren’t yet ready to take over.

Double down with Kamp Happiness as we launch a frontal attack on FloydFest and witness the cacophony of adventure that comes with mountain folk. It’s about to get all Appalacianny. 808s and paper plates yo. Who knows, maybe there will even be a Chris Bitchell sighting. One can only hope. Look for the wrangler media team onsite. Expect both the expected and the unexpected. It’s all been talk up till now. This is where the rubber meets the road.

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New highlight additions include Subtronics (performing two sets), Fly With Us (Chris Lorenzo B2B AC Slater), Green Velvet B2B Patrick Topping, The Disco Biscuits, The Blessed Madonna, G Jones, Sara Landry, Kasablanca, Hamdi, Max Styler, Odd Mob & OMNOM present HYPERBEAM, and more as listed below.

Speaking on the new round of additions, Elements Co-Founder Timothy Monkiewicz says, “We tried to go out of the box and worked hard to bring fans some fresh house & techno artists as well as some rare b2b sets for phase two. We are excited to add your most requested Jam band and Pennsylvania royalty, The Disco Biscuits! This well-rounded lineup gives something for everyone and we can’t wait for you all to enjoy it.”

These additions join an initial lineup that already featured some of the most electrifying names in dance music, from chart-topping stadium-filling superstar Illenium, to a Redux set from pioneering GRAMMY-nominated DJ and producer Kaskade, the darker shades of forward thinking producers Liquid Stranger and LSDREAM, and the head-splitting sounds of Excision among several others.

Festivalgoers can also explore a magical playground complete with Burning Man style art cars and rows of Vibe Villages, which are decorated theme camps created by guests. Elements will additionally showcase 3D video projection mapping, interactive performances, and large-scale art installations, plus a Health & Wellness lineup with yoga, aromatherapy, dance, comedy, sound baths, and multidisciplinary workshops.

Elements has grown rapidly into an immersive multi-day camping experience, along the way becoming a staple of the festival circuit. The move to Long Pond has aided in this growth, with Elements now hosted in the woodlands adjacent to the raceway. The venue is powered by an onsite solar farm, further assisting Elements in its long-term sustainability goals.

Elements Music & Arts Festival 2024 – Phase Two Lineup

AIMMIA, Fly, Fly With Us (AC Slater B2B Chris Lorenzo), G Jones, Green Velvet B2B Patrick Topping, Hamdi, Kasablanca, LYNY, Max Styler, NHII, Night Tales, ODD MOB & OMNOM: HYPERBEAM, Player Dave, Sara Landry, Space Bacon, Splintered Sunlight, Subtronics (Performing Two Sets), The Blessed Madonna, The Disco Biscuits, The Illustrious Blacks

Regional Acts

BB808, Bendito, Berger & Beezy, Cuppa T, DCal, Eddie Propane, isded B2B Nnämba, Krook, Lhor, Oba & Flip, Raudra, Sky So Young

Elements Music & Arts Festival 2024 – Phase One Lineup

5am Trio, Ahadadream, Austeria, Azzecca, Barclay Crenshaw, Blanke: ÆON MODE, BLOND:ISH, Bob Moses (Club Set), Boogie T, Boogie T.Rio, Canabliss, Chris Lake b2b Cloonee, CloZee, Cool Customer, Desert Hearts, Dimension, Disco Lines (Sunset Set), Dr. Fresch, Eli Fola (Hybrid Set), Excision, Golden Pony, Illenium, INZO, It’s murph, Justin Martin, Kaskade (Redux Sunset Set), Lee Reynolds, Lespecial, Lightcode, Liquid Stranger, LSDREAM, Marbs, Marvel Years, Matroda (Sunset Set), Mikey Lion, Of The Trees, Porky, Rome in Silver, Saka, Slander, Slander Presents: Before Dawn, Space Wizard, Sub Focus, Sullivan King b2b Kayzo, SunSquabi, Tape B, The Floozies, Township Rebellion, TroyBoi, TVBOO, VNSSA b2b Nala, Walker & Royce, Wreckno, Zingara

Regional Acts

9B49, Dice Man, Earth Signs, Koopmusik, Lady Harley, Lauchness, Max & Dana, Milan, Miller, Papyon, Ziata

Visit the Elements website and like their social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok and YouTube. Visit the Believers of Elements “23 from the wrangler archives. Stay tuned as we head back to Legend Valley and Secret Dreams with a quick turnaround to mountain insanity at FloydFest.

Namaste beetches.

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There lined a parade of thugs heading north from Bonnaroo in Tennessee to EForest in Michigan pursuing all manner of hustles from Dippin’ Dots to Ali Babba’s Pizza. BroccAleeya, the professional cuddler’s “Cop Magnet” 2000 got pulled over thrice and The Savage also managed to find himself on the wrong end of a billy club. The road between festivals is a chance to showcase adult caution. In the words of Hafiz, “Overstuffed clown cars should not travel dirty.” Lucy waited until she got to Montague before stopping at the dispensary, where she would acquire the scores of prerolled joints to be used for gifts and trade. Festival lubrication. Greasing the wheels of the machine.

They were headed to Electric Forest, a different kind of festival, due to its size and insane production value. A little bit of everything. All hope to get lost at the show, but the kind of lost that happens here is reserved for special confusions. My time is your pleasure. You’re welcome. Sorry, not sorry.

Kamp Happiness was splintered into three camps with Lucienda in the Cherry Orchard, Sheriff Pedro and Bfly in the murky depths of GA and BroccAleeya somewhere in the Afghani village known as staff A and B. Spaceman Sketch would be thrilled to know the cherries were blooming again, a perk when camping in Lot G. Nothing says summer in Michigan like fresh cherries and EForest and it doesn’t matter where one camps, adventure is ripe. The scope of this festival is so great that one can’t hope to see it all. It’s an explosion of color in every direction and the hope is to merely scratch the surface.

Lucy was driving VIPness golf cart shuttles in one of her favorite hustles of the year. She loved any job where she didn’t have to stand on her wet cardboard ankles for twelve hours. After recent dumpster fires behind the soybean curtain she was still rolling small dog. She’d made it through Bonnaroo safely and as of Friday, she hadn’t yet been fired or for that matter, reprimanded. After all, what nine year old wouldn’t want to drive a golf cart through the mud? We are now channeling our inner child. Join the fray.

They all managed to spend quality time in the Back 4o, a shaded tent/RV area off 80th with some of the headiest campers anywhere. Tone and his crowd certainly made an impression with a promise for future adventures. Look for their continuing escapades at the Hobo Kamp at Hulaween. It’s nice to work with professionals. This is a higher science for certain and a communication usually reserved for otherly dimensions.

Electric Forest is about side adventures. Even with a discernible plan, these are the unexpected, unpredictable journeys one ends up tangled in. During the second Code Red, which lasted a while, Lucy ended up in Torre’s RV with Jacob and the Chef. Things were getting decidedly colourful when, at some point they turned off the lights, cranked up G Jones and gave Lucy an impromptu rave glove show. How serendipitous. Unplanned silliness. Thank you Electric Forest, you never disappoint.

It was early in the day when Fabian got lost walking back from Pretty Lights. He could still manage to turn letters into words but they no longer made any sense. They were just words, vacant and useless when it came to directions. For that matter he didn’t know what section he was in. All of the guidepost animals in GA looked the same to him and all the statues in Sherwood Forest were made of LEDs and kept changing, making it impossible to create any kind of useful grid mapping system. At one point he became hopeless, sure he was going to be lost forever. C’est la vie. When he eventually arrived home he would chastise his mother for doing such a piss poor job of raising him.

A “professional” with the Detroit drywall taint brush, Sheriff Pedro knew her way around a tube of spackle paste and even that wasn’t going to save her now. Choices were made. The camp had already morphed into the standard version of her typical Sanford and Son trash heap but with the rain and mud things were spiraling into a new low. Welcome to the trash portal. Recently she’d been seen blowing her nose goblins on BKs dirty sock. Her and Bfly’s “possessions” had been shoved under the vehicle and Pedro slept under the neighbor’s dripping canopy. The reek of sepsis and regretamine at the The Danger Swamp flea market trash garden was palpable. Closed by the Health Department until further notice.

Lucy worked the 4pm-4am shift because “that’s where the action was” and the fields were ripe with colorful examples of the human spirit. When she got off at 4am she accepted the reality she had to walk from their compound on 80th St. all the way to section F in GA, literally up against 31 and about as far away as one could be and still be on the property. What’s to be done in this case? Lucy laced up her boots and put one foot in front of the other, past the Back 40, Tripoli and the feral animal pen that is General Admission at Electric Forest. It stretches forever in every direction in an uncharted zoo of delicious festival craziness. This became her daily schedule and in preparation of her 4pm shift she would again make the trek all the way back to her patch in the Cherry Orchard.

A little after sunrise they decided to go cross country to staff camping and find The Savage, who at that point was lucky to not be in handcuffs. They found him hanging out with the Red Witch not far from where they’d met two years earlier. She suggested they go to the beach which Lucy expected to be some mud hole with a hand pump, while it turned out to actually be Lake Michigan. For all her times in the area, she’d never seen the water. The fog rolled in from all sides as Lucy and Pedro took their only bath of the week. The Savage even managed to come away with their first Jolly Roger. It was a VIPness beach party with guitars, IPAs and rampant exfoliation. Call Ka’aoli for free legal advice. 888-8888.

Happy Rain Forest. Stand by for an all call. We are now in a Code Red. Saturday’s overcast sky was perfect for hippies catching up on sleep. Thinking it was 11am, Lucy woke up around 3pm late for work. Time for the “late walk” with a beeline to work, over a mile away. The rains didn’t come till later but the ground was ready to get soft under the feet of the herd. Ever stalwart. I smell a hit.

Princesses deserve to wear pretty things. Lucy was draped in all manner of kandi and she looked as if a spray can of flat primer had exploded in her face. She was proud to be in Michigan. This was, after all the home of the first wranglers. It’s understood, the Michigan wooks are the source, the acorn that becomes the oak. They were there at the convergence in Live Oak and it was then everything changed. There is a difference in knowing the path and walking the path.

Date Night. As they walked from Main Street through the venue, they caught the best of each set. The tabs were just taking hold as they got to John Summit at Tripoli, which would eventually give  way to Subtronics and then LSZEE at the Ranch Stage. Date night found Lucy and Bfly lurking through Sherwood Forest, exploring as many crevices as they could. “Let’s check out a little bass”. Famous last words from Lucienda as they ended up on the rail getting pounded by Sara Landry. By the time she noticed pieces of “Twilight” by Electric Light Orchestra woven into the song, her brain had melted beyond all repair.

“Moons out, spoons out.”

Pedro’s Ghetto Swamp Market. They’d always heard that EForest GA was for professionals but in this case, the Hobo Kamp was the sloppy camp, albeit the one with the hot air balloons and skydivers. At some point Paul the Jello Shot guy came around with this year’s Danny Devito shirt and some Jello shot snacks. Pedro’s daily special, Calvin Kleins of course.

The scum line had reached a new low. The dumpster fire thought they knew low-bar, but this was something else altogether. This was the kind of filth that could only be measured in kelvin. All the way down.

River Pirates Ninja Coaster. It almost seemed unfair. Once Lucy figured out how to strategically use her golf cart to acquire Jolly Rogers, the game was afoot. She would scour the horizon for booty as she made her laps and as soon as the guards went into the show, she struck like a chicken snake. No one was safe. Like a silent fog creeping under the door. Remember to fly other flags. Including the Savage’s hoist from the beach, the final number was eight Jolly Rogers from Electric Forest. Sorry, not sorry.

Fortunately they were making a little money because Lucy was excited to buy another 26$ pack of Camel blues from Steve and Sarah, said no one ever. By this time she had “wet brain” and was making questionable choices.

This gas is gas.

The Hobo Kamp still had a cooler of cool Busch Light Peach brews. Somebody who smelled like a yeast infection had lost one of their space braids in the mud. Lucy lost track of time zipping around the grounds in her golf cart swamp coaster. 80th St. was sloppy and at one time her cart died in the middle of the road, only to be pushed out of the swamp slush by lighting girls. Why was the sun still up at 10pm? She was still having trouble keeping up with the time.

By Sunday, Lucy’s feet were covered in blisters and everything she owned was wet. She had just about begun to dry out when the rains came again at midnight. After that, the renegade stages in GA hosted the rest of the party. In an effort to escape the rain and cold, Lucy ended back in Torre’s RV where she found a warm spot under the breakfast table. She was covered up in Jacob’s pashmina and used Evileen’s stuffed chicken as a pillow. It would only be a few hours until sunrise and then there would be the egress.

They were almost out of Modelo when the first car got stuck in the mud. The driver was crying uncontrollably, even after she got unstuck. She wouldn’t be the last time. There were still plenty of questions. Choices were made and they would live with the consequences. Electric Forest was behind them and everyone who’d traversed the gauntlet was somehow better for it. It was at times a painful transcendence. It was time to head to Detroit for pina coladas with Emma Jay and naturally on the way they would hit another dispensary. See you next year.

Visit the Electric Forest website and like their social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok. Thanks to Alive Coverage for the festival photographs. Thanks to the media team and to On Location for keeping the night shift spunky. Keep up with the wranglers as we head to Secret Dreams right before the triumphant return of FloydFest.                           Namaste y’all.

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Welcome back festivarians to Three Sisters Park on the banks of the Illinois River and the inaugural Solshine Reverie on May 24-26, 2024. Headliners Goose, John Summit, String Cheese Incident, Disco Biscuits, STS9, Umphry’s McGee, Big Gigantic and Slander led four days of non-stop, high octane, at times unpredictable fun. Illumination Woods, Moonshine Stage, Campfire stage and the Red Barn showcased a tsunami of non-stop, live music that spilled over into countless genres. From Wednesday forward, this party always has always had the same problem…When to sleep?

Baitbucket had to repair the Oldsmobuick at literally every stop on the tour. It was still limping along and the brakes were turning to dust when they passed the sign, Peoria 24 miles. The red blinking lights of the windmills appeared to be bouncing in the morning darkness. They pulled into Three Sisters Park just the time the sun appeared to rise out of the Illinois River. Canadian geese flew over the cornfields, plants only ankle high. A thick dust covered everything until the rains would later come and clean and soften everything back down to an earlier, primordial self.

They arrived from all over the U.S. to help build the Twerk Church. The most elaborate Three Sisters Hobo Kamp to date and a high water mark to be sure. Electricity to the masses with indoor plumbing right around the corner. Oh, it’s a new day here in Chillicothe. Always near the same spot on the forest trail, not far from the main intersection. Daryn and Turtle, the original site ops team, just returned from the Sea of Cortez, where they had been helping to save the embattled vaquita. Zane, the world’s greatest dishwasher stopped by for a few songs before continuing down the dusty trail. Scores of festivarians from all manner of party swung in the Florida room for tea and scones. This forest allows its residents to get filthy whilst pursuing excellence with an elegance and class reserved for only the most bourgeoisie mud holes.

Pedro volunteered to operate the VIP DUI Support Shuttle again this year with trips to all over the state. The goal remains to include all willing participants, using any means at our disposal. No one should be left out when the portal is fully engaged. Sunsquabi, Doom Flamingo, Keller and Future Joy? Splooshness. And yoga, arts and crafts aplenty with a little time set aside to visit the animals at Mi Kulture. They get full credit for bringing the first boatloads of Kamp Happiness refugees to Chillicothe. Haggard and worn, they came with some of the earliest crumpled velvet from the Orient.

Happy Scampshine: What’s in a name? Summer Camp changed its name to Solshine Reverie and the audience trembled at what extreme changes would befall the physical world. In truth it was not much. By losing a couple of stages they were able to beef up the others. Each night the music on three stages ran until four in the morning. In a world of midnight quiet hours, more of this is needed in the festival world. Greetings of “Happy Scamp” could be heard all weekend. Same as it ever was. Give it a name. This is the original summer camp festival experience and the family will continue to show up as long as they have a spot in the woods. Team building, problem solving and a Slumberjack party under the stars. Happy Solshine.

It was Jello Shot’s birthday when she stepped on the ketchup packet at Church Catering, sending the warm goo shooting up her leg. This was a sign. Things were going to get weird. It was also Pedro’s birthday although the orphanage had lost the birth certificate in the fire and no one could be sure. The Artist formerly known as Spyderman made one of his early morning appearances. What’s this? Taking the weekend off? Mental health days are not the same as nappin’ on the job.

There is no going back.

Grown up choices? When did the Fallout Shelter cease making adult cocktails? Where were the Manhattans and Old Fashioned? In this version high and low, nary a mixer could be found. The bottles were passed around as if by hobos in an Arlo Guthrie song. Who amongst them would be train-hopping their way out of Illinois? Straight brown liquor? Oh, there’s a devil in that bottle. Gasoline for the party with no brakes. When did Baitbucket began falling down? He couldn’t remember but there were signs all over his body. Inflamed knee, shoulder and elbow pain. All from Tuesday night? In Ethiopia, it’s both a marathon and a sprint. The medical condition is referred to as “wet brain”.

“Pass the paper bag that holds the bottle
feel the wheels rumblin’ neath the floor”      -City of New Orleans

Lucy and Sketch found some ferns outside of the bunkhouse and recommissioned them to the Illumination Bar where, along with the Christmas Lights, helped set the proper mood. Whomsoever would be looking for them would obviously find them there and at least they weren’t drying in the sun. Kamp Happiness ran power from one of the outlets sticking up in the forest but the cord vanished before they could plug it in. Luckily, Bfly had the Hurtlocker’s construction-grade extension cord left behind at Hulaween. They were all about festival power when they were able to connect to it and yes, Lucy knew she still owed her a new inflatable rainbow.

Betty White showed up wearing the jacket she made from her grandmother’s couch. She’d built a hacienda in staff parking in which it appeared she would remain all weekend. One would just see her in passing, flying by on her way to Slander. “Did he play Tweaker? He’s playing it now?” BFly and Sketch joined the parade of patrons who would return to their vans and Subaru’s anytime it rained, which occurred at regular intervals all weekend.

Pedro had stolen Lucienda’s “Something in the Water’ high-vis and Bagdalini ended up with the purple Coldplay from Hangout. Everyone was looking very official, as per OSHA guidelines and an unofficial inspection revealed extra fire extinguishers and bio-hazard bags.

Soapy was out somewhere in RV parking when she decided to test herself “I can make it home” she lied. She was having ample problem walking and navigating when the rains came. Things were getting sporting and she would need a place to “hole up” while she figured out her next move. If anything happened to her, who would look after the button babies?

After a slow start, the staff got back to business with the Circle K? Hagglin’ Post. It wasn’t any time before the spicy trade and circulating inventory got business booming. Bear’s teeth and video games were among the heady trades of the day. Every once in a while when supplies got low, all trades went for cigarettes strictly. As soon as the cache was refilled, regular trading could continue. These are the some of the variables that cause fluctuation in the modern hippy trading market.

White is black. Black is white.

The Escalation. News Flash! Lucienda had been thrown out for crimes against humanity. Heavy drinking? Harassment? Insider trading? Could it be true? Those were some of her favorite pastimes, but who was doing the accusing? Were there any witnesses? There were so many questions to ask to but this wasn’t the time. Surrounded by high-management security personnel, she felt very small. In the blink of an eye, she was out, shut down like a bad daycare. She held her arm up as they came at her with the scissors. This wasn’t her first rodeo. She knew what was coming before they even said it. “We’ll escort you to your camp so you can gather your belongings.”

No one wants to be the girl who returns to camp with several golf carts worth of security and administrative personnel. It’s a tough look to be the grand marshal of your own parade. Lots had occurred in a short time and she needed to find a place to rest and recoup while she figured her next move. Man, that escalated quickly.

Usually when kicked to the curb, Lucy knew exactly why it was happening and respected it because after all, it likely saved lives, but this time she was in the dark. Could there have been a blackout? Could that have happened this time? Was there a time in the middle of the party when the darkness could have slipped under the door like a haunted fog? Had the sparrows indeed been flying? Could it have been like one of the mornings when she woke up with blood on her shirt, and not her own?

Could it have been a doppelganger? Another beautiful savage going around causing all manner of mischief, besmirching her good name? Possibly. And was it really all that good? She wanted to face her accusers and get to the bottom of it but she wasn’t completely sure she wanted to reopen the can of worms. Who knows what would be unearthed? By now more stories had surely come to light. More bodies found with their teeth still intact. Maybe best to move forward and work from the comfort of the distant future. The Consigliere would agree that some cases were best left unsolved.

The next morning it was time to muster the troops but no one would wake up. This was a bone fide emergency and they were rolling over in their tents with their bracelets squeezed on too tight. The music had already started on the Campfire Stage. The White Ninja suggested entering through the surrounding miles of soybeans that must have stretched all the way to Kansas. Either way, she was coming back. The job wasn’t done. Spaceman Sketch brought her to the front door and let her out as a reborn vendor. She slipped back under the cover of the forest. Reinvented as Jacinta, the Mexican ninja, she was looking for a good time. Future Joy anyone?

Things were finally getting back to “normal”. Lucinda’s paranoia was waning and lespecial’s set was blasting right down the trail into the Twerk Church. Spaceman Spiff was bartending the STS9 set in the Red Barn and when he wasn’t supplying camp with crotch whiskey he was tagging the sheriff’s golf carts and rescuing hippies from the Kroger parking lot. This was his time. It’s good to work with professionals.

The Potato Sisters trotted off to grab a little Umph love at the Moonshine Stage. Baitbucket ran into Danimal from Frick Frack and tried to convince him to help them steal the briefcase of souls. “I knew we should have brought some old lace.” Forest neighbors all worked together to try and figure a way to grab the Jolly Roger that hung from the lights in the forest. For at least the second year, no one could climb the tree and steal the booty. Bruh, do you even ball?

Visit the Solshine Reverie website and like their social media channels on Facebook, Instagram and X. Science, like math doesn’t care if you believe in it or not. Revisit some classics from the wranglers archives at “21: Restricted Access, “22: The Amalgamation and “23: The Illuminated. Things are always saucy in the forest.

Her last year at Chillicothe? Blaspheme. Sorry Pedro, it won’t be our last trip to the woods. This is still one of the best parties around. The crossroads at Shakedown St. is the heartbeat of the festival and it’s still possible to get lost in the protective embrace of the forest. Chillicothe remains one of the cornerstones of the festival circuit. Good times, great friends, heady trades scattered in with moments of blinding brilliance.

They were the last ones left cleaning up camp Monday morning. One would hope this means the cleanup crew ends up with Slumberjack’s Boom Town speaker but it really just means a freezer bag of cigarette butts and a couple extra clothes pins. Bfly was wearing a stranger’s bra and Pedro had packed up anything she could find, regardless of ownership. Welcome to the stress-free load out. It must be Mexican Monday, no further than a cheap hotel in Peoria.

Keep up with the wranglers as Kamp Happiness as we commit to the quick turn around with Mountain Music Festival before edging west to Manchester and then up to Rothbury. Baby steps. Small dog. Sometimes these missteps are just what is needed in order to take several large steps forward. Plan A is still in effect. Believe what you want. The receptionist accused her of being a vagrant when she entered the hotel, even though she had slept there the night before. “The breakfast isn’t even open. Why else would I sneak into the breakfast nook?” Five days in Chillicothe and everyone thinks you’re homeless.

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