My tour manager Lou wishing for good luck under a pheasant at Muskegon Airport

By the time we got onsite that evening, The String Cheese Incident’s set was well under way—with explosions and fireworks and freaks of all shapes and sizes smiling, dancing, flailing and even crawling across the top of the crowd inside a giant see-through plastic bubble ball. The band is performing as brilliantly as ever, playing off of instinct and looking like they were truly enjoying themselves. I believe it’s no secret that Electric Forest is largely fueled by the electronic dance music scene. SCI has stepped up way into that realm while still maintaining their bluegrass roots. Still playing the hits that we know and love, but now digging deeper into the jams.

Kickin’ it with my boy Kyle in Michigan

Girl Talk followed with his brand of mash-up goodness, mixing hip-hop/rap with cheesy white pop music—all with infectious beats and dance grooves underneath that seem to work well. I also saw Major Lazer as well as heard beautiful, ethereal grooves from STS9. I listened from The Forest—The Electric Forest. The spacious space that is chock-full of trees perfectly spaced apart. This area separates two stages and is truly one of the festival’s main elements and attractions. During the day, The Forest is pure human carnage, with hammocks and sleeping bodies strewn throughout. But at night, it becomes a living, breathing organism that consumes and absorbs you. Lasers and mirrors and moving lights—oh, my. Words and pictures can’t describe it properly. This was my third time to experience The Forest and this year was, by far, the best.