Relive the 2012 Meeting Of The Minds in Words and Photos
Recap of the 2012 Meeting of the Minds
Photos by Steven Philips & Words by Julianne Weingart
Over the weekend of September 21-23 the 2012 Meeting of the Minds took place in Equinunk, PA. Over the course of the weekend, which marked Jibberjazz’s fifth Meeting of the Minds (MOTM), there were sights you would see at any outdoor music festival. Fire spinners, vendors, tents stretching to the forest line, and, of course, stages occupied by skilled, groove-worthy musicians performing all weekend; yet because of the small size and simply gorgeous location just north of Stroudsburg in Equinunk, Pa, the fest was refreshing in a way unlike most.
This being my first MOTM, and my first Jibberjazz festival, I had no frame of reference to what this particular fest would hold, but I assumed, and rightfully so, that the weekend would consist of me dancing myself into a sweaty puddle and meeting all sorts of truly unique and awe-inspiring folks. With a 300-acre private campground, there ended up being just the right amount of people, and plenty to keep busy with. In addition to the mini skate park built, there was a large lake for swimming and fishing, (seriously cold but so refreshing it was well worth it) yoga-sessions every morning, (we opted to just do a little by our campsite) and really good eats from wraps and smoothies, to fresh tea and breakfast burritos each morning.
The fest was well-rounded. Musically the weekend started off strong with some seriously funky jams by Yojimbo, a funk band based out of New Orleans and the Artist-at-Large, the Mike Dillon Band. These guys pumped me up to the max! Not only is Mike Dillon a legit percussionist who’s worked with the likes of Primus, Ani Difranco, and Galactic but he plays with a female trombonist among others! This bad-ass little lady, known as Carly Meyers, was dancing vivaciously (and I mean vivaciously!) around the stage while ripping it on her trombone. Now that was a sight to excite!
Max Creek played Saturday night, and was by far the most memorable. They had the largest crowd of the festival dancing and really enjoying the tunes. The crowd was lively and playful, with folks really letting loose and having fun together, strangers and friends alike. Another band of mention was Ekoostik Hookah, definitely one of the best shows of the weekend with their pumping Ohio flavor, and Backwoods Experiment, whose bluegrass lulled everyone by the fire until the sun came up Sunday.
The weekend truly was a full and refreshing one; from the Sunday drum circle sending everyone off on their travels to the little girls rolling down the wet hill, playing in the mud, to the parade of characters dancing through the fest on Saturday afternoon. It’s safe to say, the peaceful setting of Equinunk, Pa and the laid-back attitude of the Jibberjazz folks encouraged one of the most retreat-like fests I’d ever been to. With exception to a few hiccups, MOTM is no doubt a great way to close out the festival season and I’d be here again in a second.
Stay tuned in 2013 for the 6th Annual Jibberjazz Meeting of the Minds.
