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By Archive
from Salem Monthly, Section News
Posted on Tue Aug 02, 2005 at 07:12:03 PM PDT
Shakedown Festival must relocate, the threats are on.
Alternative music festivals are under attack. Counties are reinterpreting laws to avoid large outdoor gatherings at popular festival spots like Horning’s Hideout in North Plain, Ore. The host of great jamband fests such as “The String Cheese Incident Festival,” “International Reggae Festival,” “KBOO’s Pickathon,” and “The Shakedown Festival” have been forced to send all but one of these festivals elsewhere due to imposition by a county judge. Notoriously heavy-handed Washington County shows that it is threatened not only by lifestyles they deem “alternative,” but also any music or events that could be related.
One festival that was forced to move was “The Shakedown Campout and Music Festival,” a new jamband festival featuring bands such as Hydra, Galactic, The Big Wu, and Global Funk. They have now been forced to move to Columbia Meadows in St. Helens, which is fortunately not in Washington County. People from all over the northwest and the country will join Oregonians for three days of camping, music, community, food, and fun.
KBOO, Portland’s independent radio station, was forced to move their 7th annual Pickathon to Pudding River in Woodburn, also safely out of reach of the Washington County court. The irony is that this festival is mostly roots music, much of it folk or country influenced. This is the very kind of music you would expect SUV driving Washington County suburbanites to appreciate. But I guess they are willing to make that sacrifice to keep hippies and their music out of the neighborhood.
The reggae festival has already taken place and was not affected, and the other two are still on at Horning’s. One, the “String Cheese Incident Festival,” is put on by the nation’s premier bluegrass-flavored jamband. String Cheese Incident and related bands are filling the place left by the breakup of Phish. It should be a great show. “The Hideout Festival,” an idependent Christian music festival which I attended at Horning’s last year, was already not going to happen this year.
For tickets to the Shakedown Festival call (303) 544-5875. Visit www.shakedownfest.com for a full schedule of events.
Do you like music?
Enjoy the outdoors and festivals? You can help protect alternative music festivals. Call your state senator and ask them to support the amendment to State Senate Bill 569, which will allow Oregon venues to hold mass gatherings once a month, rather than once every three months. Not only will this amendment allow venues like Horning’s Hideout to bring more great music to Oregon, but it will also increase much needed revenue to many of the economically depressed communities surrounding Oregon’s larger venues.
Aaron Kelly loves music, and has considered putting together a jamband of his own. He hopes to attend Shakedown. His website is mywebpage.netscape.com/aaronlkelly.
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