Mountain Jam (festival)

Mountain Jam was originally conceived to celebrate the 25th anniversary of WDST/Radio Woodstock. More than 3,300 people attended the initial one-day event in 2005, reviews of which were overwhelmingly positive.[2] The founder, Gary Chetkof, along with Warren Haynes, and members of Radio Woodstock, decided to make the event annual.[3] Over time, the festival has grown to include a diverse lineup of smaller artists, as well as large acts including Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Robert Plant, The Black Keys, The Lumineers, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Widespread Panic, Phil Lesh and Bob Weir,The Allman Brothers Band, Levon Helm, The Alabama Shakes, Steve Miller Band, Wilco, The Avett Brothers, Pretty Lights. Gov't Mule, the band Haynes co-founded, performed at every Mountain Jam until 2016.

Mountain Jam's three stages allow for continuous music each day. There is a Main Stage, a 2nd Stage that showcases emerging artists, and an acoustic stage that is part of smaller Greek-style amphitheater. One of the best amenities at Bethel is that every camping spot allows for a car-side parking spot, which makes camping much easier for campers.

At Hunter Mountain, The East Stage was the largest, overlooking the main terrain of the resort. Adjacent to the East Stage was the West Stage, near the resort's chair lift; and Inside the Base Lodge a third stage is set up for late night acts and musicians who require indoor amenities. Amenities for event goers include a tent camping area in the Hunter One section of the resort and RV camping farther up the mountain. Various hotels also serve the town year-round, and the Kaatskill Mountain Club hotel and Liftside Condominiums are both within walking distance of the festival.

Some years have seen non-stop rain for almost the entire duration of the festival,[4] while other events have had sunny and temperate weather.[5]

In 2019, the organizers of the venue planned to switch the location of the festival from Hunter Mountain to the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts.[1]

The original Mountain Jam, a single-day event on June 4, 2005, celebrated the 25th anniversary of WDST, Woodstock's radio station. The festival featured performances by:

• Gov't Mule
• Medeski, Martin & Wood
• Robert Randolph & The Family Band
• Xavier Rudd

The 2006 Mountain Jam took place June 2–4.[6] The New York Times described it as a "little Bonnaroo".[7] The lineup included:

Mountain Jam 2007 took place June 1–3 and was cited as was the largest music festival in the Northeast/New England. .[8] The lineup featured:

Mountain Jam 2008 took place May 30-June 1.[9] The three-day lineup included:

Mountain Jam 2009 took place May 29–30.[10][11] The lineup included:

Mountain Jam 2010 took place June 4 to June 6.[12][13] The lineup included:

• Gov't Mule
• Levon Helm & Friends- 70th Birthday Celebration w/ very special guests
• Michael Franti & Spearhead
• Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band
• The Avett Brothers
• Les Claypool
• Yonder Mountain String Band
• Drive-By Truckers
• Matisyahu
• Toots and the Maytals
• Dark Star Orchestra
• Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
• Dr. Dog
• Dave Mason
• Jay Farrar (of Son Volt)
• Lettuce
• ALO
• The Whigs
• The New Mastersounds
• Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue
• Justin Townes Earle
• Jerry Joseph & Wally Ingram
• The Bridge
• Zach Deputy
• The Brew
• Simone Felice
• Gandalf Murphy & SCD
• Van Ghost
• The London Souls
• These United States
• Elmwood

• Mountain Jam 2011 took place June 2 to June 5, with acts including:
• Gov’t Mule
• My Morning Jacket
• Warren Haynes Band
• Michael Franti & Spearhead
• The Avett Brothers
• Umphrey's McGee w/ John Oates
• Grace Potter & the Nocturnals
• Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
• Béla Fleck & The Original Flecktones
• Mavis Staples
• Electric Hot Tuna
• Lotus
• North Mississippi Allstars
• Soulive
• The New Deal
• 7 Walkers
• Portugal. The Man
• Preservation Hall Jazz Band
• Tim Reynolds & TR3
• Dawes
• The London Souls
• Zach Deputy
• Ryan Montbleau Band
• Charlie Hunter
• Chris Barron
• Toubab Krewe
• Nicole Atkins
• Carbon Leaf
• Civil Twilight
• The Heavy Pets
• Orgone
• Kung Fu
• The Alternate Routes
• Dangermuffin
• Ari Hest
• Pieta Brown
• TAB the Band
• Morning Teleportation
• Bronze Radio Return
• Nathan Moore
• Bobby Long
• The Big Takeover
• Stephen Lynch

• Mountain Jam 2012 took place May 31 to June 3, with a lineup including:
• Gov't Mule
• Steve Winwood
• Michael Franti & Spearhead
• Tedeschi Trucks Band
• The Roots
• Mariachi El Bronx
• Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real

Also included was a brief set in tribute to Levon Helm, who was based in nearby Woodstock and had died on April 20. The set featured Gov't Mule, the Levon Helm Band, and special guests.

• Mountain Jam 2013 took place June 6 to 9. The lineup included:
• Phil Lesh & Friends
• Widespread Panic
• Gov't Mule
• Primus
• The Avett Brothers
• The Lumineers
• Dispatch
• Michael Franti & Spearhead
• Big Gigantic
• Gary Clark Jr.
• Jackie Greene
• White Denim
• Rubblebucket
• The London Souls
• The Lone Bellow
• Futurebirds
• David Wax Museum

• The 10th Mountain Jam festival took place June 5 to 9, 2014 with the following acts:

The 14th Mountain Jam took place from Thursday, June 14 to Sunday, June 17, 2018 with the following acts:[14]

The 15th Annual Mountain Jam took place from June 13–16 at Bethel Woods Center For The Arts At The Historic Site of the 1969 Woodstock Festival.

The 16th Annual Mountain Jam was scheduled to take place May 29-May 31, 2020 at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts. The event was canceled on March 31 due to the COVID-19 outbreak.[15]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mountain Jam.

• List of jam band music festivals
• List of reggae festivals

• http://www.mountainjam.com/
• http://www.radiowoodstock.com/