TVD Live: Electric Forest Festival, 6/24

9:31 AM | After about 4 hours of sleep on the forest floor I shockingly feel rested. The beats boomed until 4am and kicked off again at 8am at a neighboring tent.

10:26 AM | We’re just chillin’ at our campsite, enjoying the morning sun and listening to Electric Forest radio. It’s rather informative. For example, if you help the staff clean up the grounds after each set, you gain Eco Points and, consequently, win rewards. Cool.

11:12 AM| On my two-mile walk to acquire ice for the campsite, I run into some dude who is furious that the food stand won’t make him a breakfast burrito. “It’s not on the menu,” someone yells to him and he screams back “But they have all the ingredients!” Furious.

12:15 PM | We’re now back in the festival grounds and I’m sipping on a mixture of freshly squeezed juices dumped into a hollowed-out pineapple. I’m remarking on how refreshing it is when Kosha Dillz, the New Jersey rapper, pops over to say hello. We talk about his collaborations with RZA and Matisyahu and snap a few photos. He hands me his single with Matisyahu on a sweet white 7″ and we say our goodbyes. Talented, super nice dude.

2:18 PM | We just watched two strangers get married in the chapel. Oh yeah—did I mention that there’s a chapel?!

3:45 PM | There is a phone ringing in the woods. People are picking it up. Strangers are talking to strangers. “What did you talk about?” I asked one call receiver. “We just shot the shit for a few minutes. And then he asked me if there was anyone I loved that I wanted to say something to…it was powerful.”

4:20 PM | Hold up – a high school marching band is parading past us right now.

5:02 PM | We decide to head to the Hangar to finagle our way into the secret poetry brothel that we keep hearing about. We arrive and quickly receive three password clues from one of the on-site masseuses (masseuses! I know – RIGHT?!).

5:24 PM | SUCCESS! We’ve cracked the code and we’re in! (No, I’m not telling you the password. But I’ll give you the clues:
1. It’s really sexy when it’s asked for.
2. Some men struggle with it.
3. Donald Trump doesn’t give a f**k about it.

5:45 PM | The poetry brothel is everything we expected and more! After giving the proper password, we crawl through a fireplace and arrive in a sexy velveted parlor where we listened to some recited poetry before being taken by a “poetry whore” (their term, not mine) to her boudoir. While there, she gave us our fortunes and read us a poem.

6:49 PM | Now we’re just laying looking up at the sky and at the sea of trees. I’m listening to electronic music wafting out way from the Forest Stage and am thinking about how I’ve completely forgotten about the music aspect of this festival. Everything else has been so immersive and engaging. Messages of empowerment, self-love, understanding are everywhere. Expressed in many ways. It’s lovely. But it’s time to get up and go see some music.

7:30 PM | Francis and the Lights is about to start but some naked guy just ran into the VIP area so now security is chasing him. This fest is the best.

7:32 PM | Security updates me that’s he’s already made it to the Tripolee Stage. LOL.

7:51 PM | Francis is playing to a surprisingly small crowd, but it’s also an EDM-heavy crowd so I guess I can’t be surprised. Nonetheless, he’s giving 110%, jumping, dancing, running, singing, keyboarding and leaping across the stage.

8:00 PM | Sounds of a Björk cover grab our attention and we rush to the Observatory to catch the end of Vox Vidorra’s version of “Human Behavior.” We are digging this Grand Rapids quartet and hang for a bit of their show.

8:10 PM | “Do you have a minute to talk?” A girl, clearly on something, asks me. “About our lord and savior Bassnectar?!” I answer honestly, “I’m actually here for My Morning Jacket!” Nonetheless, she approves of me and after a hug, reminds me to “thrive tonight.” Another reference to the Church of Bass. She walks away and I take a moment to notice that EVERYONE around me is flipping about Bassnectar. I’m feeling mighty old.

8:44 PM | Overheard in the bathroom: “I’m not sure who this jacket band is…” “Me neither. Cuz, yeah, we only came here to, like, find new DJs.” Still feeling old.

11:00 PM | My Morning Jacket is slaying as usual and it all builds to the most beautiful cover of Prince’s “Purple Rain” I’ve ever heard. I’m near tears. They are not done yet.

12:03 AM | We’re back in the forest, having a last walk around, as other work obligations have called me home tomorrow and we’ll not be able to stay for Sunday.

1:37 AM | The bassheads are in heaven as Bassnectar is literally controlling my heart beats with his bass drops. The crowd is going insane and the light show is impressive. It’s quite a scene to behold.

2:15 AM | We’re back at the Camp Cher, still listening to the bass and crowd chants off in the distance. Until next year…Happy Electric Forest, folks.

KOSHA DILLZ