A Celebration Of Songs

Highberry fills void in seventh year

On the cover: Festivalgoers watch the Fourth of July fireworks display at a previous Highberry Festival.
On the cover: Festivalgoers watch the Fourth of July fireworks display at a previous Highberry Festival.

In an announcement released just two hours after Wakarusa revealed the music festival would end in 2015, organizers for the Highberry Music Festival shared that the Deadhead Productions event would be moving to Mulberry Mountain for its seventh year.

photo

Courtesy Emily Butler

Keller Williams returns to Ozark for his third consecutive year at Highberry. Williams is currently working on a record of his KWahtro project and has a new electronic EP, proceeds from which benefit Williams’ friend Tim Bluhm.

"We wanted to bring some magic back to the mountain," says Jon Walker, CEO of Deadhead Productions. "Hopefully, this will fill the void for a lot of people with Waka being canceled. A lot of people who just love Mulberry Mountain are coming [to Highberry] just because of that."

FAQ

Highberry Music Festival

WHEN — Thursday-July 4

WHERE — Mulberry Mountain near Ozark

COST — $55-$155

INFO — highberryfestival.c…

What started as a party in Walker's back yard with a few local bands and some big Grateful Dead fans has grown to a four-day festival with more than 30 local, regional and nationally touring bands. Genre-crossing Keller Williams -- a frequent visitor to Northwest Arkansas -- returns for his third year at Highberry to headline the main stage on the evening of July 3.

"The human interaction of the folks that put it on and how they just love music -- they're not bringing in acts solely because they might sell more tickets. All the acts they bring in are very sentimental and special to them," Williams says of what makes the festival a special experience for him. "They're good people -- they're doing it for the right reason. Making money is not the priority. [Jon's] a music lover like myself, and I like working with like-minded folks."

"It really is about the music. We just enjoy seeing people being happy and having a good time," Walker adds. The festival "has that really family feel to it."

Williams joins the festival's largest lineup to date, which also features other familiar names Dopapod and Yonder Mountain String Band (not to mention plenty of recognizable Arkansas bands as well).

"I think the lineup is very unique. It spans a lot of genres from bluegrass to jam band to electronic," Walker says. Ask him what acts he's most excited to see, and Walker will rattle off a few -- in addition to the headliners. "I always have to get my Grateful Dead in. Buckethead is an incredible guitarist; he stopped playing the festival circuit so we're excited to have him. And Papadosio is taking the country by storm. I'm looking forward to having a positive vibe out there."

There will be no shortage of entertainment over the weekend for music lovers, that is for sure.

Williams says he also enjoys going to festivals and catching some of the other acts. "I'm a music lover first and a performer second!"

While he's coming to Highberry as a solo act, Williams is known for his many projects and collaborations. He loves sharing the stage with other musicians and uses his projects to explore different styles and sounds. One project Highberry guests are likely to get a taste of? Grateful Grass, Williams' Grateful Dead project that blends his improvisational bluegrass style with the music of the legendary psychedelic band.

"It's kind of a given at this particular festival [that I'll play some Grateful Dead]. The Grateful Dead were kind of my introduction to improv," Williams says. "Festivals are really exciting because there's always the nature of people who have never seen you before or weren't planning on it, and they just stumble across you. I bring so many different things, but at the end of the day, it's just a celebration of songs."

The festival will include workshops, yoga sessions and activities for the kids like most festivals, but perhaps a celebration of songs is the best way to think of Highberry. That's Walker's first priority, anyway. Not alcohol sales, not the money, just the music.

"People are very passionate about music around here. Seeing people get excited is what really motivates us to put on the best production we can. It's similar in feel [to Waka]. It's a special place for special people."

NAN What's Up on 06/24/2016

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