Great North Music and Arts Festival Review 2016
Sept 9-11, 2016, Minot, ME
Written by Cait Deane
Maine is an enchantingly beautiful state, making the drive to the town of Minot for this year’s Great North a scenic prelude to an incredible event.
Entering the grounds was easy as everything was well organized and well marked. The grounds were spacious- with the center of the festival set up in a gigantic circle. Entering this ring of grass, music, sculpture, and art your eye is first drawn to the main stage, that stands tall at the top of the field. To the right of the main stage a large building is located that served as the art gallery. The art gallery was host to works by many talented visual creators such as the Apex Collective, Black Ink, the Stargaze Mafia, and Jonathan Solter. However, the art building was not the only place you could find superior works of art that weekend. There were so many brilliant murals constructed and painted over the weekend- some were so tall that scaffolding and ladders had to be used to assist artists in reaching the top of their pieces. Mural artists worked diligently on these large scale pieces throughout the duration of the event. I always think that one of the most interesting things to see at a music and arts event is the transformation (and teamwork!) that takes place on these paintings from start to finish. Live painters working on smaller-scale pieces dotted the festival ground giving live artwork an omnipresent feel- every time you turned around alluring creations bloomed around you.
Vendors were located in two places at Great North- one row facing the main stage in the central ring, and one row on the outer edge of the festival before the farm-to-table building. There was a really interesting variety of vendors at the festival, from beautiful handmade clothing to live glass blowing- any guest at Great North could find a treasure to take home with them. It was in front of the outer vendor row that some of the coolest unexpected talent was laid down for attendees’ entertainment. Beatboxers pulled out speakers to sit on and then hypnotized guests of Great North, people pooled around the performers in rapidly growing crowds. I loved the rogue performance style in which the beatboxers performed- everything seems spontaneous and fresh.
I had many favorite sets of the weekend, as there was such a plethora of exceptional acts to attend. Of The Trees was a highly anticipated set for me, and I was fascinated by the crisp electronic music that saturated the grounds around the second stage. Siena Moon, an aerial yoga artist, performed an exhilarating routine that accentuated the mind-bending music played by Of The Trees. My favorite Friday sets also included G-Nome’s first set of the weekend, Tractorbeam, The Disco Biscuits, Deltanine, and Jade Cicada. Tractorbeam had an especially memorable set, with a tantalizing light show that dazzled the crowd.
The Disco Biscuits
The first act to take the main stage on Saturday was Stephen Lewis and the Big Band of Fun. I thought these guys were such a great choice for music to set the tone of the day to- because holding true to their namesake, they really were a lot of fun to boogie to! They kicked Saturday into gear with funky grooves and covers of favorite by Biggie Smalls and Pink Floyd. Saturday was also one of my favorite days of the festival because I decided to sit in on some workshops. I attended a workshop on permaculture, which was greatly informative and I really appreciated how the speaker was able to keep the group engaged and interactive with the topic. In the afternoon I went to a workshop called ‘Having an Odd time.” Not totally sure what this would be about, I was delighted to find that it was a workshop on odd time signature lead by Robert Uslan (Supersillyus). Throughout the weekend there were also workshops offered on hooping, balance, shamanic movement, and herbal remedies. I was impressed with the attendance at the workshops, whenever I would pass by the large tent it was usually well populated.
Saturday afternoon did have a little light rain, but it was actually quite refreshing and it helped keep the dust down for awhile. Tweed’s set coincided with the precipitation- however, they had such a solid set that patrons were dancing through the rain and enjoying every minute of it. The Disco Biscuits played twice on Saturday, with a lively set by Manifested in between. If you are a big Disco Biscuit fan and didn’t make it out to Great North, you’re going to wish you had- because they didn’t hold back and gave three outstanding performances over the course of the weekend. As always, they had an elaborate light display and a euphoric powerful sound that had the crowd hopping. Sunday was host to heavily electronic acts like Space Jesus, Yheti, another set by the G-Nome Project, and Brightside. It also had in store workshops like acro yoga, veil dancing, and a beatbox masterclass!
Space Jesus
There are so many reasons that Great North is a festival experience like no other. From sophisticated cuisine prepared for Farm-to-Table meals to beautiful sculptures- educational workshops to larger-than-life murals, or just solely the emphasis they have in promoting the visual arts as wholeheartedly as they do the musical, the people who put on this event do it with dedication and love. They help make the festival a place where you can quickly feel at home in picturesque autumnal Maine. I would recommend this event to any music lover looking for a well organized event that is overflowing with activities to participate in. Great North is interactive, thrilling, and raises the bar for your overall festival experience.
