07/23/13 – Targhee Fest 2013

Written by: Ellie Stratton-Brook

Photos by: Stephen Williams

The 9th Annual Targhee Festival was pure joy from beginning to end. Starting off with Holly Williams and ending with the Alabama Shakes, all three days left little time for rest. Each day was jam packed with rock-n-roll, local brews, rowdy campsites, and abundant sunshine. A handful of campers arrived on Thursday night to set up, followed by thousands more on Friday morning and throughout the rest of the weekend. The one stage festival is unique in that it allows you to not miss a second of any performance due to conflicts in scheduling, which cannot be said for many larger festivals. Holly Williams kicked off the weekend with her charming stage presence and blew the crowd away. Audience members were pleasantly surprised when she brought her mother out on stage to sing a duet. Her raspy voice and laid-back folk tunes were momentarily interrupted as she laughed into her microphone and swatted horse flies off of her legs, something that many festival goers and Teton natives related to. Anders Osborne kicked it up a notch that afternoon with endless energy on the stage. At the end of his performance, his set list was given to a lucky audience member, hyping up the rest of the crowd for more live music. By the time Los Lobos took the stage on Friday you couldn’t help but appreciate the LED hula-hoopers that seemed to radiate throughout the audience, the perfect backdrop to a gorgeous Teton sunset.

With the music starting earlier on Saturday, people were up and about early around Grand Targhee Resort preparing for another long day of music and sunshine. Some campers opted to take the scenic chair lift up to the top of the resort, which allowed unique, breathtaking views of the Tetons. Musical highlights of Saturday’s line-up included the Mother Hips, Son Volt, Alejandro Escovedo, and Bruce Hornsby & the Noisemakers. The Mother Hips jammed hard in the afternoon; their rhythmic tunes and active stage performance were infectious, and hips were definitely moving by the end of their set. Later on, Bruce Hornsby & the Noisemakers provided an eclectic performance. Known for their spontaneity, the Noisemakers did not disappoint, even making use of a washboard to create a gritty, rockabilly vibe. The magnetic relationship between the band members created an electric energy throughout the audience that carried on into the campgrounds that night. You could easily hear the tunes of campers all-over having their own personal jam sessions spurring from the intimate and friendly environment created by Targhee’s summertime wildflowers, towering trees, and multi-genre musicians.

The festival was in full swing as Saturday night blended into Sunday morning. All stamina was fully re-fueled as Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds took the stage at 1:30pm. Rarely has Targhee seen such an energetic performance. Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, Arleigh Kincheloe seemed to continuously jump around using every square inch of the stage and keeping the audience on their toes. Afterword’s, the band themselves hopped into the audience to enjoy the next act, The Wood Brothers. During the Wood Brothers performance, a newly engaged couple ecstatically embraced as “The Luckiest Man” was sung in beautiful, perfect harmony on stage. The entire audience seemed to be in constant ecstasy as JJ Grey & Mofro triumphantly returned to the Targhee stage shifting the mood from folk to county funk. They were nothing short of 99 shades of crazy as the audience became a frantic dancing machine. There was barely time to recover before the legendary Alabama Shakes took the Targhee stage for the first time. Brittney Howard, the lead singer, exploded onto stage with her southern, bluesy voice that shakes you to your core. All audience members were nudging to get up-close throughout the entire performance due to the bands irresistible stage presence, and as the third night of Targhee came to a close, everyone was happily exhausted. Some opted to stay for Sunday camping and the Hooligans while others chose to head back down the mountain and home. Regardless, all three days were full of good times had with good people, all of who seemed anxious to continue a summer of music with the upcoming Targhee Bluegrass Fest in August.

Los Lobos

The Mother Hips

Bruce Hornsby & the Noisemakers

Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds

The Wood Brotherst

JJ Grey & Mofro

Alabama Shakes

Next up: The 26th Annual Targhee Bluegrass Festival August 9th – 11th. Purchase you tickets now.

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