According to an old family legend passed down to me from my bohemian grandfather, a former racehorse jockey, pot smuggler, and all-around-California gadabout,* a traveler once knocked on the door of author Henry Miller’s Big Sur residence, searching for the “cult of sex and anarchy.” The unfortunate vagabond wandered away unsatisfied, never to quench his saucy fire. Perhaps that man is still out there somewhere, wandering the hills like a sexy Rip Van Winkle, searching for the cure. Perhaps he slumbered all the way through the storied Big Sur Festivals of 1964-1971 — when luminaries like Joan Baez, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and Joni Mitchell lighting up the stage — and is just now preparing to emerge from his slumber. AND THEN HOLY SHIT THAT DUDE’S GONNA WAKE UP ON AUGUST 4-5, 2012 AND STUMBLE UPON WOODSIST FEST AND BE LIKE, “WHOOOOOA IT TOOK A FEW DECADES BUT I FOUND IT MAAAAAAN.” And then he’ll disintegrate into a pile of tie-dyed fedora rags, or whatever people wore back then.
But at least he’ll have experienced the wonder and joy that is Woodsist Fest. Taking place at Big Sur’s Henry Miller Library during one very special weekend in August, (((folkYEAH!))) and Warwick, NY-based Woodsist Records are throwing another shindig featuring label artists and friends. The initial lineup includes Real Estate, Pierced Arrows, Woods, White Fence, and The Mantles on Saturday and Thee Oh Sees, Fresh and Onlys, Michael Hurley, Peaking Lights, and Ducktails on Sunday, with more to be announced. Recommended lodging options include the evocatively-named (all) Fernwood Resort, Bottchers Gap Campground, Andrew Molera State Park, and Kirk Creek Campground. Tickets go on sale March 9 at 12 PM PST via (((folkYEAH!))). Sex not included. (((folkYEAH!))) provides no guarantee that Anarchy will ensue, although Awesome Tunes/Times are factored into the ticket price.
* Actually I got it from Wikipedia, America’s Most Reliable News Source. Yep, Grandpa Wikipedia.
• Woodsist: http://www.woodsist.com
• (((folkYEAH!))): http://folkyeah.com
