(photo by Danielle Petrosa) Happy NMF! I know, I know… no one expected to be stuck in our houses this weekend and not enjoying the best four days of the year in Nelsonville, Ohio, but much like so much these past few months we have to miss the festival. This weekend would have been the 16th installment of this beloved gathering produced by Stuart’s Opera House (also equally beloved as a community cornerstone and non-profit historic theater and performing arts center) with over 50 bands, camping, food, drink, and most importantly community. NMF is a perfect capsule of every single thing I love about living in Athens County, and every single person and place I hold dear to my heart. I miss it so much right now. This would have been my first civilian Nelsonville Fest, after working for Stuart’s from July 2007 (my first day of work was the 3rd NMF and last one-day fest) to June 2019 (my 13th festival) I left to head back to school. I was still planning on being as involved as they would let me be, but now much like all of you I am spending the weekend at home. Not in the field. Not in the campground. And not with all of my friends seeing the best music. There is a magic there on those grounds that I used to think I could not explain… but now I can. It’s perfect. It is a perfect combination of people, community, music, art, and sustainability, and it is how I wished life was all the time. We all need that feeling after a few months. I know I do. So my response was to jump into a bit of a last-minute action, and this week I decided to do two episodes of my podcast with all NMF songs. From across the years and stages. Spend two hours today and two more on Sunday, June 7th with this on and I hope it feels like you are there even a little bit. Also, I hope the people who make this event happen can enjoy a few hours of sampling all that has happened there. This is the tip of the NMF iceberg, but it is a great start. Oh, most importantly… go give a donation to Stuart’s Opera House if you can, NMF is their biggest fundraiser and it would be a huge help to support them now. Click here to make a donation in any amount. Enjoy!
Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires (2016)
Parquet Courts (2017)
The Cactus Blossoms (2017)
Shovels & Rope (2014)
Bill MacKay – Gladden House Session (2018)
Orkestra Mendoza – Gladden House Session (2019)
Mattson 2 – Gladden House Session (2019)
Shannon Lay – Gladden House Session (2018)
Michael Hurley (2017)
Hex Net (2013)
Wesley Bright & The Honeytones (2017)
The Makebelieves (2013)
Built To Spill (2015)
Wooden Shjips (2018)
Julia Jacklin (2019)
A Hawk and a Hacksaw – Gladden House Session (2018)
Tank & The Bangas – Gladden House Session (2018)
The Other Years – Gladden House Session (2019)
Charlie Parr – Gladden House Session (2018)
Adam Torres – Gladden House Session (2015)