Campers who arrived at the South Gate tollbooth might recall a rustic, woody sign on the right shoulder of Water Rd. entering the festival grounds that read Welcome to Double JJ Ranch in large, Western-style lettering. The sign made no indication, subtle or otherwise, of the gargantuan, face-gobbling frenzy poised to swallow the 2,000-acre of Northwest Michigan stretch dubbed Rothbury 2009. For the 30,000 ticket holders harboring munchies for a flavorful music menu seasoned with the sugar and spice of fairytales and served up on a sprawling bed of enchanted woodland, Rothbury made for delectable fest-fare in bountiful portions. Event organizers blended key ingredients together in a recipe for success, feeding the famished a well-balanced offering of art, music, camping and camaraderie for four consecutive days, from July 2-5.

The 2009 schedule had a distinct hand-picked feel, giving one the impression that promoter Madison House’s talent-buying team deliberately trolled the waters for bands that weren’t on last year's bill, carefully baiting their hooks and stringing up a select handful of returning artists, mostly from their own roster. Rothbury didn’t catch a Phish, instead hooking several tasty “only” summer appearances, including The Dead’s monster Saturday night slot capped by a face-erasing fireworks display, and even luring String Cheese Incident out of their two-year hiatus to push the bill over the top. Other headliners included Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, the Black Crowes and Damian Marley.

Heavy crowds had already claimed a sizable slice of general camping and people made little hesitation to make tracks site-side by the time Toubab Krewe banged the drums on opening day. A cool, Eastward breeze across Lake Michigan cut through clothing and hoodies crept out of backpacks in preparation for nightfall. After dark, the scene at the ranch was transformed into a visual wonderland offering lush eye-candy from every nook and cranny. Overcast skies made the psychedelic spectacle almost sinister in nature as intelligent laser-lighting rigs backlit Sherwood Forest enticing on-lookers to come play.

Massive support for The Dead was evident from the dancing happy bears scattered but the chatter across the lot buzzed steadily all weekend long in anticipation of String Cheese Incident’s Friday night on-stage reunion. Skeptics anticipating a train wreck were hemmed up along with a capacity crowd inside a massive musical pocket. Smiles and joints were the currency of kindness being passed about freely as SCI sutured sonic eyelets with needle-like precision, weaving notes and beats together in a seamless tapestry. Taking time off didn’t tarnish SCI’s ability to gel and the band sounded surprisingly polished, as though they hadn’t missed a beat, eagerly wrangling double 90-minute crowd-pleasing sets that culminated with an encore guest appearance by Keller Williams.

Rothbury remained true to its ambitious pledge to raise awareness around political, social and environmental issues, proving it’s possible to produce a large-scale, carbon-neutral gathering with no waste, utilizing alternative fuel sources and compost-friendly consumables such as bioplastic cutlery, cups and containers, among other progressive, greening techniques. Nightly, covert posses of eco-ninjas combed the site, sniping any garbage posing a threat; every morning when gates re-opened at 10 am, the site was tight and tidy like a fresh pair of undies yet to be soiled.

Sunday's scheule (Dylan, Nelson) outweighed pulling stakes early and there was much complimentary booze still left to be consumed in the media compound. However fun it was, no amount of strong drink could offset the ominous security and State Police presence hunkered down at the Ranch. Arrests and random shakedowns killed the vibe for many folks and put a hurt on heads looking to bag quality ganja on the lot. Undercover agents cleverly disguised in patchwork Grateful Dead hoodies and other hippie garb patrolled the campgrounds on foot, looking for anyone pushing contraband and radioing for backup, even raiding campsites that wreaked of freshly-baked reefer. State Police reported 88 arrests over the weekend - misdemeanor arrests ranging from simple assault to simple marijuana possession and felony arrests ranging from assault to narcotics charges.

Overall, Rothbury 2009 was a well-planned and executed sophomore effort. Ups and downs considered, I’d take the road trip to upper Michigan if the party’s on for another round next year.

Review by Brian Zickafoose • Brian @Facebook

Pix by Romain Blanquart/Detroit Free Press

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