Good People Good
Times- eXplore Brown County at Valley Branch Retreat-
Nashville, In – June 7& 8, 2013
There is no place more beautiful in
Indiana than its southern hills; not only do some of
those hills contain picturesque scenery, but also some
of the best music can be seen and heard throughout.
Brown County is known for its rich history of bluegrass
and on June 7th and 8th 2013 some
of the Midwest’s best Musicians along with up and coming
acts shared the stage to bring those who attended
Good People Good Times Music Festival (G.P.G.T.)
some of the best bluegrass, folk, and jam music around.
Nestled in a beautiful valley that is Valley Branch
Retreat in Nashville, Indiana, there is
something for everyone and even the county supports it
giving the retreat the official title of eXplore
Brown County at Valley Branch Retreat. From zip
lines to a giant watering hole, there is fun to be had
by all.
Derick Howard and Ashley
Goddard have built a strong community down in the
valley these past few years and this year was a shining
example of that. Due to word of mouth and a solid line
up of great regional acts the festival was sold out by
Saturday night and many were turned away at the gate,
but for those lucky enough to have scored a ticket a
communal feeling of happiness was shared the entire
weekend. Hula Hoop and Yoga workshops allowed those
wanting to hone their skills, provided by Laura
Haisley and Kelly McDonnal, while wine
tasting was offered from Chateau Thomas Winery.
Kids were not left out either, as there was a bounce
house provided by Nothing But Fun, Inc.
This year G.P.G.T. did a really
good job of setting the line-up. When acts were not on
the main stage, acts were on the stage next to it
allowing for no overlapping sets and it allowed everyone
to have equal opportunity to share their talents with
the crowd. The first few acts Friday were acts that
originate right around where the festival took place. It
must bring joy to everyone who was involved with this to
be able to look out and see the entire audience not only
enjoying themselves but also giving back all the love
they are being given.
Jeff Morgan
opened the festival proper and allowed those who arrived
early to get their feet planted for what would be ahead
of them; he brings a lot of passion to the stage and is
worth checking out if you get the chance. From nearby
Columbus, Indiana Megan Maudlin was up next and
though she may be small, this folk singer packed a punch
with her thought provoking lyrics and her beautiful
stage presence. Those White Lightning Boys showed
up showcasing what Brown County is not only about
but also that timeless pride that is bluegrass. The new
and improved Shaggy Wonda out of Bloomington,
Indiana took the stage and put enough jam in
everyone’s ears to give them a taste of what the future
held for them, so much energy on stage that you had to
ask yourself if it was okay that they were doing it when
the sun was still out. Glostik Willy out of
Muncie, Indiana may not have been from as close
by as the previous acts but they started where Shaggy
Wonda left off; these young kids had everyone eating
up what they were serving and better yet had everyone
getting their rage face on for what lay ahead.
As the sun set,
The Mantras hailing from Greensboro, North Carolina
sent the sun off Friday night and welcomed the moon
in proper style. Playing songs off their latest album
Jambands Ruined My Life, the boys showed that
with new energy they are back better than ever. It was
nice seeing many of the faces in the crowd get turned on
to this band since many of them have never had
opportunity of seeing them. The Mantras fit in
great with the mood of G.P.G.T, and they showed
on stage just how much fun they were having. The
festival host himself, Derick Howard, played on
the side stage while the main stage was being
rearranged. Derick’s style just takes all your cares
away and his guitar has you feeling like you need to
move your feet.
Derick was a perfect
fit for what was up next on the main stage;
Ultraviolet Hippopotamus made sure if you had any
extra energy saved up that they were going to get it out
of you. These guys had people getting down in a way that
was incredible. The new fans that night were loving
every song they heard and their fans were singing their
favorite lines and relishing being able to enjoy the
moment with their buddies. The Grand Rapids, Michigan
band made it hard for any band playing the rest of
the weekend to match their energy.
What truly sets
G.P.G.T. apart from many other festivals is its late
night acoustic sets. The music can still be heard by all
those within the staging area and allows hospitality to
be found throughout the campground, and since the music
isn’t blaring from the speakers, it can be found in
front of the stages as well. This year both acts that
were to play during the acoustic sets were bluegrass.
Friday night had Blue Moon Soup out of
Yellow Springs, Ohio. This band was outrageously fun and
is a complete package. Their original stuff was so good
it was hard to believe such a band full of youth could
have so much depth; then they would throw in a cover
that would have you swearing they must have been
together since they were twelve. A band as talented as
Blue Moon Soup has their talent shown off
wonderfully by an acoustic set.
Everybody was all
smiles after such an awesome Friday of music and
festivities. Since there was something for everyone at
G.P.G.T, it was hard not to wake up Saturday
thinking it was going to be even better than the day
before and G.P.G.T. did not disappoint. Nick
Matoba was up first and his style of guitar playing
had the crowd very interested. Folks could not help but
take notice of what the Milwaukee, Wisconsin
native was giving off; it was nice to see Nick offer his
own sense of identity to a new audience. With a djembe
and a guitar Nick did not hold back emotions with his
performance. Every ounce of energy he had he left on
stage and those lucky enough to catch his early
performance let him know when he was done that they were
appreciative of his set.
Following in the
unique character of Nick, Tristen Brooke brought
a lot of heart and soul to the stage. Her guitar and her
voice went together perfectly and you could not help but
instantly fall in love with her. It is hard to believe
such a sweet soul could have come out of Detroit,
Michigan; she felt so at home on stage hopefully she
will be a returning artist for future G.P.G.T.
The Bone Boogity promised a good
breakfast set and delivered this year at G.P.G.T.
Out of Columbus, Indiana the band seemed to have
somewhat of a following at such an early part of the
day. It was nice to see them having fun and their fans
getting comfortable down in the valley. Flatland
Harmony Experiment from Indianapolis, Indiana
followed the Boogity and for a single mic acoustic set
it was pretty outstanding. It was their last festival
performance before they were off to compete in the
Telluride Music Festival band competition and they
showed they were definitely ready for it. This band of
misfits shined even in the daylight and had everyone up
and dancing. Another band out of Indianapolis brought a
ruckus right out of the gate as soon as Flatland was off
the stage. Funky Junk balled up youth, energy,
and fun and passed it out to the crowd, the result being
instant dancing and a communal feeling of happiness. It
was the band’s first festival and you could tell they
were grateful for the chance.
G.P.G.T. honestly had a stellar
line up this year. So much talent it was hard to believe
that most bands were from the good ole state of Indiana,
and the next band was no exception. From all the way up
on the Indiana side of Chicago Fresh Hops gave
off so much energy and passion during their set that
people just kept coming out of the woods to see what
they were hearing. Their crunchy feel-good jams had man,
women, and children all dancing in their own style. As
if bringing the unique sound of Fresh Hops was
not enough, following them was Magnetic on the
side stage. Made up of a DJ, keys, and a guitar this
Indianapolis group instantly turned the valley
into a mid-day house party.
Still fresh from their performance at
Summer Camp Music Festival after winning the battle
of the bands in Indianapolis, The Mundies brought
their jamrock to the valley. The Bloomington, Indiana
band was a nice late afternoon snack. Jaik
Willis filled in next for a local band that was
unable to attend. His pure energy was almost nuclear as
he exploded on stage, not only grabbing people’s
attention, but also their admiration for what is one of
the most unique artists in the Midwest.
Bluegrass is one thing; but trashgrass
is a title that only one band holds. Rumpke Mountain
Boys hailing from Cincinnati, Ohio is a band
known for late night sets, but brought a special before
dusk set to G.P.G.T. Their songs brought out the
best in everyone and their opening song, which was a
cover of “Let The Good Times Roll”, gets the
award for best song that fit the weekend. A complete 180
followed Rumpke in the form of Mikial Robertson.
This Anderson, Indiana native along with
“Stevo the Placebo” on djembe had everyone’s eyes on
stage to look in wonder at how Mikial could play guitar
like he did. Mikial seriously was all over his guitar
and his jam titled “Mustache Jam” had everyone
smiling and sharing in his groove.
By the time Howard, Lewis & Lovins (H.L.L)
based out of Columbus, Indiana took the stage
the festival was officially sold out and the lead singer
Derick Howard was able to relax and do what he
does best, sing his feel-good songs and completely rock
people’s socks off. Saturday night was filled with so
much fun and laughter. “You do you and I’ll do me” could
be heard throughout the valley and those lyrics
seriously summed up the philosophy of the weekend pretty
well.
Jaik Willis again took the stage
for his original set time, and again had all eyes on
him. The Chicago, Illinois native has so much
depth and loves showing it off to the masses. His beat
box, guitar slapping cover of Prince’s “When Doves
Cry” had many people wondering how one man could
have done all that himself. Even off stage Jaik was
hanging in the crowd like a normal person and all the
way until the sun came up could be seen hopping in open
jam sessions throughout the valley.
The last band to play on the main stage
for the weekend was Eumatik out of Muncie,
Indiana. It was so much fun watching the crowd try to
match the band’s energy. Eumatik made it a point
to thank Derick and Ashley for throwing such an awesome
festival and the crowd’s response in agreement
solidified what everyone already knew: a magical moment
was not only being had by all, but it took a lot of work
to throw such an awesome time. When the band closed
their set you could hear chants throughout the valley
for them to keep playing.
The local favorites out of Bloomington,
Indiana The New Old Cavalry hosted the late night
acoustic bluegrass set Saturday night. During their set
The Rumpke Mountain Boys collaborated with them,
and it was a blast seeing everyone stomping their feet
til the sun came up. The valley was full and since the
spirits were high it was an entertaining adventure just
walking about greeting familiar faces and meeting new
ones.
If you get a chance next year do not
miss G.P.G.T. A lot of hard work was put in to
guaranteeing everyone had a blast this year, and it is
certain that they will have even more fun in store for
everyone next year. Nestled in a perfect environment it
is a recipe for greatness and it will be fun seeing them
try and top this year’s festivities. Brown County
already creates wonders and this festival just adds to
the beauty of it. The festival is certainly a gem, and
one that is not to be missed.
Written by: Tyler Muir
Photos by: Ketih Griner
Edited by: Rosemary A.W. Roberts
