Mountain Jam music festival to honor Levon Helm
Photo credit: Dino Perrucci | Michael Franti of Michael Franti & Spearhead performs at the 2011 Mount Jam festival in Palenville.
Top Hudson Valley summer entertainment
Musicians from Westchester and the Hudson Valley
In addition to performances by Steve Winwood, The Roots and Ben Folds Five, this year’s four-day Mountain Jam music festival at Hunter Mountain will feature a musical tribute to the late Woodstock rocker Levon Helm, best known for his work with The Band.
The festival, held in Palenville, Greene County, launched in 2005 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Radio Woodstock company. Each year the fest hosts thousands of music fans, many of whom camp or stay in condominiums onsite.
This year, the event kicks off on May 31 without Helm, who celebrated his 70th birthday at the event in 2010. That year, The Levon Helm Band jammed with Warren Haynes of Gov’t Mule, Donald Fagen of Steely Dan, Ray LaMontagne and Steve Earle. Helm, who was 71 when he succumbed to a decade-long battle with cancer on April 19, also performed at the festival in 2008.
Remaining members of The Levon Helm Band — including Helm’s daughter, Amy — are expected to rejoin Gov’t Mule on the East Stage of the festival grounds for the Tribute Ramble, which will feature songs from Helm’s Grammy-winning career about 11 p.m. Saturday.
Gary Chetkof, Mountain Jam’s founder and promoter, called Levon Helm’s influence significant, both in the music industry and in the Hudson Valley.
“Levon meant so much to everybody,” Chetkof said.
Helm not only drummed and sang with The Band (“The Weight,” “Up On Cripple Creek”) at the legendary Woodstock Arts and Music Festival in 1969, but also called the town his home. For an eight-year stretch that ended in late March, the Levon Helm Band headlined late-night, star-studded Midnight Ramble shows at Helm’s barn in Woodstock to help pay off his mortgage and bills for cancer treatments. The Midnight Ramble shows resumed on May 26 with a performance celebrating what would have been Helm’s 72nd birthday.
Officially confirmed just a week before the show, the Tribute Ramble is one of more than 60 performances scheduled on Hunter Mountain’s four stages between May 31 and June 3.
This year’s top acts include Winwood, Gov't Mule, Michael Franti & Spearhead, the Tedeschi Trucks Band, The Roots, Ben Folds Five and James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem.
IF YOU GO
What: Mountain Jam music festival
When: Thursday, May 31 to Sunday, June 3
Tickets: Daily passes start at $60; three-day passes start at $140; VIP passes start at $420; free for children under 11, with paid adult admission
Parking: Free
Info: Hunter Mountain, Route 23A and Route 32A, Palenville; 800-486-8376; www.MountainJam.com; www.huntermtn.com
TOP 10 ACTS
Here is a list of 10 of the top performances scheduled to play this weekend’s Mountain Jam music festival, in chronological order of their performance times. Some of the following acts are slated to perform more than once. For the complete schedule, visit http://mountainjam.com/2012-schedule.
Who: The Roots
Genre: Hip-hop/rap
When: 7-8:30 p.m., Friday, June 1
Where: East Stage
Who: James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem
Genre: Dance
When: 1-3 a.m., Saturday, June 2
Where: West Stage
Who: The Word (Robert Randolph, John Medeski and the North Mississippi All-Stars)
Genre: Gospel/blues/rock
When: 4:30-5:45 p.m., Saturday, June 2
Where: East Stage
Who: Ben Folds Five
Genre: Rock/alternative
When: 6:45-8:15 p.m., Saturday, June 2
Where: East Stage
Who: Gov’t Mule and The Levon Helm Band, a.k.a. the Tribute Ramble
Genre: Classic rock
When: 11 p.m.-1 a.m., Saturday, June 2
Where: East Stage
Who: Carolina Chocolate Drops
Genre: String band
When: 2:45-3:45 p.m., Sunday, June 3
Where: West Stage
Who: Tedeschi Trucks Band
Genre: Rock/blues
When: 3:45-5:15 p.m., Sunday, June 3
Where: East Stage
Who: Dawes
Genre: Rock
When: 5:15-6:30 p.m., Sunday, June 3
Where: West Stage
Who: Michael Franti & Spearhead
Genre: Rock
When: 6:30-8 p.m., Sunday, June 3
Where: East Stage
Who: Steve Winwood
Genre: Rock/blues
When: 8:45-10:30 p.m., Sunday, June 3
Where: East Stage
