by Melissa Slater
Something’s changed inside of me..
Something absolutely wonderful and beautiful.
Rootwire 2012 was the most amazing one yet. So much inspiration, creative energy, beautiful people far and wide, like-mindedness, honesty, love, and bliss.
I was surrounded by my family of friends, as well as some of the most incredible painters and all artists of the like that I’ve ever seen. Each artist incorporated vibrant colors and spiritual undertones, from sacred geometry, to yoga fibonacci sequences, to paintings of spiritual leaders such as Buddha and Jesus Christ, to meditation positions, and so much more. Even more so astonishing, there were so many attendees with little sketchbooks, stencils, pastels, paints, you name it. The creative energy flourished throughout the woods. Everyone could feel it. Everyone was affected by it.
I was most excited for Rootwire because of these artists. I’ve been watching Geoglyphics, Krystaleyez, Roman, Totemical, Amanda Sage, Sweet Melis, Josh Audiss, and Michael Divine for a few years now. I got to meet four out of the nine, and believe me when I say that it made my entire weekend. Krystaleyez is seriously just as beautiful as her artwork.
On Saturday morning, I discovered a meditation corner filled with hay ground, outlined in a crystal garden, beautiful mulch mandalas around the trees. It was love at first sound. I could hear Ott playing over enormous speakers, peeked through the bushes and saw this huge aztec billboard, and literally jumped a creek to find it. The music incorporated speeches of Joe Rogan, clips of Waking Life, followed by incredible beats by Vector Lovers, Bonobo, Imogen Heap, and more of my favorites. I could do nothing but surrender to my poi. I had so many breakthroughs. I found the guy who put it together. They are called Yes Tribe, from Colorado. Look them up.
The music was fantastic. All the way through. Akara, Ott, and Phutureprimitive were my absolute favorites. But really, there was not a single bad sound there.
The first night, I caught The Werks, whose set were just as vibrant as always. Those boys always put their all into their set. They rock it out so hard that you’d think their limbs would fall straight off. Every set they compose has a blueprint of each song they will play, but then incorporate a freestyle jam. The energy between each player is connected, and they seem to always know who is going with what. Houser controls the airwaves with his guitar to make your heart and soul soar with every whine, pitch, and progression. They are never ones to disappoint.
All of Papadosio’s sets were beautiful. You could tell they were vibrant and very proud of the production of their festival. Every Rootwire it seems they bring it in as hard and as passionately as ever before. Their last acoustic set on Sunday night, when everyone ripped and roared, you could tell the energy struck them so hard that any exhaustion they may have been experienced was wiped to a clean slate, and their performance was pure as ever.
Although Ott missed his plane and had to push back his set, that doesn’t discredit him at all. His set was everything I hoped and dreamed for — the main attraction I was most excited for. He played tracks from both his albums, “Mir” & “Skylon”, bringing dub beats infused with a psychedelic overtone. I hope to see many more shows from him for years to come.
Phutureprimitive was also a favorite set of mine. Being a fan of his for a good while now, it was so pleasant to see his energy come to life. He was full of life and full of love. It roared through the tent stage and set electricity to the night.
Chali 2na & the House of Vibes brought down the house. I personally am a huge fan of hip hop, and especially of Jurassic 5. Seeing 1/5 of the members made my weekend. He played J5 classics such as “Quality Control” and “What’s Golden” that made me dance my poor little exhausted body right out of my shoes. Literally. His band, The House of Vibes, don’t have their name for no reason. His energy and crowd participation had everybody floored. It was precisely what I needed after a long weekend.
Rootwire incorporates a nice fusion of all jam, electronica, and hip hop. No matter your preference, you’re sure to find a sound that will hit you right where you need it.
Everyone was so honest and lovely. Check this out. My friend talked to a security guard who told him this guy lost his wallet, filled with $800, and HE FOUND IT at the lost and found. Even better, while he’s telling this story, it turns out we were telling it to the guys who turned it in. They didn’t even look in the wallet.
These guys were pretty awesome. They were banjo players. For awhile, we made ourselves a traveling band. I had my frog rib drum, and they played their little hearts out. It was pretty freaking glorious.
For the festivities, I made dream catcher wings and was a dream fairy for the weekend. I handed out little stars that had an old apache blessing on them. It read, “May the sun bring you energy by day, May the moon softly restore you by night. May the rain wash away your worries, May the breeze blow new strength into your being. May you walk gently through the world & know its beauty all the days of your life.” It made my heart light up to see the expressions on people’s faces as I handed them out.
Gosh… So many adventures and stories…. But I think that’s it for now.
Point blank, the weekend of Rootwire changed my soul. I’ve come to realize what’s been holding me back, and I’ve come to understand how to break past it. And I will shine brighter than I ever have before.
Pictures courtesy of:
Jenna Schreck, her art can be found here: http://
Claire Wiggles, her art can be found here: http://www.facebook.com/Wiggleoptics
