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Rothbury 'Postpones' Festival Until 2011

Posted on Jan 22nd 2010 10:34PM by Benjy Eisen

After two successful years during which it rapidly earned a reputation as one of the premiere large-scale festivals in North America, Rothbury Music Festival has announced that it will postpone its third inception until 2011. That means no Rothbury this summer, campers.

When Rothbury launched in 2008, the four-day camping event positioned itself as the greenest festival in America, attempting to motivate its tens of thousands of attendees to be a little more eco-conscious in their own lives beyond the campsite gates, but it was also just an unbelievably fun party.

Part of its success was in its sheer scope as countless headlining acts performed amidst such attractions as an installation that earned the Guinness World Record distinction for being the largest canned food sculpture in the world (with all the cans being donated to a food drive), a truly enchanted forest and even morning yoga classes led by Michael Franti. Some of the acts that appeared at Rothbury include Dave Matthews Band (pictured), Widespread Panic, Trey Anastasio, John Mayer, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Sound Tribe Sector Nine (STS9) and the Dead. But, much like Bonnaroo, it was far from just being a hippie fest and it boasted an impressive roster that cut clear across genre lines.

In a statement issued to the media, the event organizers -- Madison House Productions and AEG Live -- say that "due to various artists' recording and touring schedules, we now believe that timing will not allow us to assemble the cutting edge roster that everyone has come to expect from Rothbury."

But there were also problems and resistance with the community that hosted Rothbury in the town of Rothbury, Mich. According to an article in the Muskegon Chronicle, the township was actively trying to pass an ordinance which would seemingly limit and restrict large events, including imposing an enforceable noise curfew. The township received complaints about the seemingly endless noise coming from the festival grounds around the clock. The Chonicle reports that there were indications that if such an ordinance passed, the event producers could very well pull the plug on it.

That said, those involved say that Rothbury will absolutely return in 2011. "Rothbury is more than a festival," states the official website. "It is a mission intended to discover strength in community, and what it means to be a large-scale sustainable event in these times. Our efforts are certainly not coming to an end." We certainly hope not.

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News
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t-man

rothbury has been the best gig since Phish in Big Cyrpress/ Millinium, week-end, i am from michigan, but i have worked concerts all over the country,as of the last 2 years rothbury was hands down the best gig in the USA, as far as the older crowd, they have been living there bitching about one thing after another(hurry-up and do nothing types)how about if it's loud turn off your TV and sit in your yard and enjoy the music, or set a table of your fresh veggie's and fruit out ,i am sure you will make a good dollar .as for me after i get thing;s going at the show. i go pick-up my high scool friends from kalamazoo and enjoy bands like,Sound Tribe Sectore 9,or last year Umphry Magee, while the crowed knows my face,the fans inform my friends
on the history of the bands .i am trying to say that crowd has the best vibe in the country and is so mello only a fool that has never walked in for the day doesn't have a clue to what there missing, to the residence of Rothbury i will spend my MONEY at other festivals (your lost Rothbuy)being from the westshores of lake michigan, i am very sick of this stick in the mud dutch christen reform mentality, where your only allowed to have fun on saturday and then your a jack-ass trying to keep up with the VanderZee's the other 6 days of the,if you have something to say say it to there face, not making coments after people walk away and maybe more people could come to Michigan and enjoy there visit as well as the locals.IT IS TME ROCK MICHIGAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! let get it together, t man,PS What about the beastie boy';;;radio head;;;Alice in chains 10years,papa roach then try to bring back RageAgainst the machine,tool-is very cool as well as soundgarden,faith no more,bauhuas and of course all the other great jam bands need some help with the line-up e-mail me 30 years on the road ''i know alitte''i'm out

March 10 2010 at 10:26 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

kevinbgood621

Dave Matthews , Dylan and Willie Nelson are " cutting edge " ??? Sounds like a pretty dull edge to me !

January 25 2010 at 2:48 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Misti

Having been born and raised in Michigan, this is an unfortunate development for our state. Since its inception, Rothbury has brought money, awareness, as well as a "positive" level of pseudo eco-tourism to our great state. The promotions company is taking a big risk of losing something young and precious by skipping a year. Bad decision...

January 25 2010 at 2:27 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

clinton

NNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

January 25 2010 at 2:02 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

david kackert

I cannot believe that the narrow minded people of Rothbury, Mi. would want to get rid of a festival that brings in thousands of people, that spend tens of thousands of DOLLARS in their city. This festival runs 4 days out of the year, they have 361 days of quiet to enjoy the revenue brought in by this. Bet the small business owners that benefit from the income may feel differant. I wonder how much the guys that fly over the event and take pictures and sell them at the festival feel, while I was around them they sold over 400.00 of pictures and I was only by them for about 15 minutes. I will now have to wait till July 2011, Oh well.

January 25 2010 at 1:47 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to david kackert's comment

Bonnie

As someone who lives in Muskegon, I can believe the people of Rothbury. It's truly sad, as our area is one of the hardest hit ecomonically. Hopefully we will beee the Rothbury return in 2011.

January 25 2010 at 2:42 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply