There are lots of options out there for where to go to college, be it small liberal arts, big state, Ivy League, art, or community college to name a few.
Colleges want you to come to THEIR school. They offer instruction, amenities and experiences that try to distinguish their school from your other options. Prestige is often listed as a major factor in selection process for students.
Many college counselors suggest that “fit” be your guiding force.

Like colleges, music festivals come in all shapes and sizes. Big/Small, urban/rural, niche/broad, family friendly/not family friendly. Over the past five years, the choices have broadened. This year brought sophomore standouts Hinterland Music Festival in St. Charles, Iowa and Eaux Claires Music Festival in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. These should be on your future short lists if you like diverse and talented lineups, idyllic green surroundings, and easy accessibility.

Hinterland Music Festival
St. Charles, IA
August 5–6

Hinterland literally means “the land behind a river, the rural area near a city, or a backwater.” Sounds like a splendid place to take in a festival. With an emphasis on Americana and folk on a single stage, this is an easy sell for families looking to get out for some fun (that was my spin to get my family on board).

By rolling in a bit later each day, we got top tier talent. Friday was a bit more of an indie focus with the likes Houndmouth, Cold War Kids, and headliner Ray LaMontagne. Houndmouth’s engaging banter and polished roots tinged indie rock was fun for all. Blended harmonies and catchy lyrics make these guys as approachable as they come.  Cold War Kids followed, drawing from their deep and wide catalog. What is refreshing about their music is the lyrics that tell unique stories and a sound that highlights the individual talents of bandmates; Nathan Willett is a standout multi-instrumentalist and vocalist. Ray LaMontagne, backed by the members of My Morning Jacket headlined next drawing heavily from his 2016 release Ouroboros. The crowd appeared to want more of Ray’s older material based upon their lackluster engagement. Solid musicianship nonetheless.

Day two in “the bowl” was even deeper in its appeal. Our day began with true Americana acts Turnpike Troubadors and Shovels and Rope. These two acts stay very true to their roots and have talent to boot. The Troubadors out of OK are a little bit rock and roll and every bit country without being TOO country. You’d be hard pressed to find a group of guys having that much fun on stage. The same can be said for the husband/wife Americana duo Shovels and Rope. They look each other a lot for direction. Sounds like a good marriage producing great music.  Like changing a major, up next was the catchy genre bending quartet, Lake Street Dive. With their jazzy take on a countryish sound, they got the place moving. They relied heavily on their stellar records Bad Self Portraits and the 2016 release Side Pony. An inflatable pony was even part of the show.  Grace Potter was next on the lesson plan for the day, mixing her glam with her rootsy sound of her early career.
Armed with the Flying V and Hammond B-3, Grace worked the crowd. The last to grace the bowl was 84 year young Willie Nelson. It was clear that many of the local Iowa folk were there to see Willie. Overalls and trucker hat/cowboy hats became more commonplace as the evening drew to a close. Catchy songs and polished guitarmanship were a plenty as Willie motored through his 75 minute set. As Houndmouth says in their catchy track “My Cousin Greg:” “If you want to live the good life, you better stay away from the limelight.” Hinterland does this for sure.

Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival
Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Aug 12-13

Like Hinterland, Justin Vernon of Bon Iver and Aaron Dessner of The National provide something unique and profound in the most serene setting on the banks of the Chippewa River. Eaux Claires, is their eclectic festival that is much like the top notch college student with an undeclared major. They could take any class and do well. Like many of the large festivals in big cities, Eaux Claires cannot really be categorized. It really has something for everyone. It’s like a Big Ten school with thousands of majors and graduate programs. The difference is that Eaux Claires is simply more intimate. This only happens when organizers make it happen. Justin and Aaron clearly have the attention of their peers. The organizers give artists an opportunity to share their work but at the same time they have the freedom to collaborate with those they admire. How else could you get Phil Cook on stage with Bruce Hornsby, Sylvan Esso’s Amelia Meath and Justin Vernon, the uber-collaboration billed as Day of the Dead, or the surprise collaboration between Francis and The Lights, Justin Vernon, and Chance the Rapper. I think Phil Cook, The Staves, and Lucius were on stage with just about everyone. This is a rarity among tightly scheduled festivals with the exception of maybe Bonnaroo.

Here are my top five performances of the weekend in no particular order: (there could easily be double this as pretty much each set was worthy of designation).

Phil Cook-a hometown transplant now living in North Carolina, his show was billed as Southland Review, Which highlighted the roots and legacy of music which lead to his incredible 2015 release, Southland Mission.
He played like his feet weren’t even touching the ground and just seemed proud to be a part of the festival. The collaborators no doubt felt the same way. It was an inspiring performance.

Mavis Staples-77 year old gospel singer who simply had the festival at her fingertips, be it the all-stars watching her from the stage or the enormous crowd in front of her. Her renditions of The Talking Heads’ “Slippery People” and The Band’s “The Weight” were just that, worth their weight. She could be everyone’s favorite grandma.

Day of the Dead-maybe I’m a bit biased as a long time Deadhead, but this was simply a treat. Under the direction of Aaron Dessner, about a dozen artists came and went through classics including “Uncle John’s Band” (Lucius), “Bird Song” (Will Oldham aka Bonnie Prince Billy), “Morning Dew” (Matt Berninger of The National), and set closer “Ripple” with Phil Cook, Matt Berninger and Justin Vernon. This was something special.

William Tyler-up the hill at The Dells stage late on Saturday was a breathtaking performance by Tyler and an all-star cast of performers including Phil Cook. His sound is like psychedelic country with an emphasis on guitar jams. I couldn’t stop watching him play. Wasn’t expecting this.

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats-my calves are still store from dancing. I think Nathaniel is now the hardest working man in show business. He’s having a great time on stage and makes sure that everyone else in the audience is having a great time too. The new material was excellent. He makes EVERYONE smile. Like the end of the school year, the festival season is winding down. Lots to process. I have some homework to get done before next year’s season begins. I know that both of these festivals will be “required reading” as they say in the education world.