It’s a pretty good bet that at least a few of those tents were baking in the scorching Tennessee sun last weekend for Bonnaroo.  If the bootleg recordings of the Flaming Lips’ set are any indication they are going to be at the very top of their game by the time they land in Maine.  Their fellow ‘Roo alums, the Constellations, will spend this weekend supporting Eli “Paperboy” Reed with shows in Washington, DC at the Rock And Roll Hotel tonight and at Brooklyn’s Bell House on Saturday in advance of their Nateva appearance.

The state of Tennessee continues to rock a festive vibe even after Bonnaroo has ended as George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic bring it to W.C. Handy Park in Memphis tonight before journeying south to Birmingham, AL for a Saturday gig at Boutwell Auditorium.  Big Gigantic was in the Volunteer State last night playing the first night of “Dex Fest” in Dandridge, TN. and EOTO will re-up the Nateva presence when they arrive at the Sherman Oaks Campgrounds for the festival’s third day on Saturday.

Finally, the Drive-By Truckers spent last night at Knoxville’s “Sundown In The City” in Market Square before a show tonight at the Cannery Ballroom in Nashville.  A little time in “Music City” should be just what the doctor ordered before the Truckers latch on to the Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers convoy, opening for the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Famer on Tuesday at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN and on Wednesday at the Qwest Center in Omaha, NE.

As hot as Tennessee has been, both musically and meteorologically, Passion Pit should be be fully acclimated to any temperature peaks that Maine has to throw at them after a June weekend in Texas.  They will play an In-Store set at Austin’s Waterloo Records today before hooking up with Tokyo Police Club for shows at the legendary Stubbs’ Waller Creek Amphitheater on Saturday and at the Palladium Ballroom in Dallas on Monday.  Nateva’s own The Heavy Pets are also on the Stubbs’ Waller Creek bill, following a Friday night set at the Last Concert Cafe in Houston.

On Saturday night in Lisle, IL, Jakob Dylan kicks off the summer leg of his 2010 tour with a show at the Morton Arboretum before pushing west for a Monday night set at the fabled McMenamin’s Crystal Ballroom in Portland, OR.  Toubab Krewe will beat young Mr. Dylan to the west coast by a day, playing tonight at the “Sierra Nevada World Music Festival” at the Mendocino County Fairgrounds in Boonville, CA.

Ghostland Observatory will find themselves surrounded by equally scenic vistas when they play the “Westwood Music Showcase” at the Golden Triangle in Denver, CO on Saturday.  Greensky Bluegrass will also spend the weekend in the middle of the country with two Michigan shows, on Friday at the Magic Stick in Detroit before a Saturday date at the Founders’ Brewing Company in Grand Rapids. 

Closer to home Keller Williams and the Felice Brothers can make tentative Nateva carpool plans when they both play the “Clearwater Festival/Great Hudson River Revival” on Saturday at Croton Point Park in Croton on Hudson, NY.  The McLovins are also in the Empire State on Saturday, playing Sullivan Hall in New York City with Ryan Vosler.  The Brew spends tonight and tomorrow at the Stone Church on Zion Hill in Newmarket, NH and The Adam Ezra Group pushes even closer to the Oxford Plains’ promised land with a Saturday appearance at “Harry’s Hoe Down” at the appropriately named Harry Brown’s Festival Field in Starks, ME.

While festivals and summer tours are the season’s obvious rage there are still a few unique one day events happening and Grizzly Bear will be part of one of the cooler ones when they join Band Of Horses and Karen Elson in Brooklyn on Saturday at the Williamsburg Waterfront.  Don’t forget that the Nateva experience can easily be a one day event as well, with single day tickets offering admission, camping, parking and shuttle to deliver you safe and sound to and from the festival site.

As hard as it is to believe we are now officially two short weeks away from the start of something truly wonderful and now’s the time to start plotting your schedules so you can be in front of the right stage at the right time to see the act that is going to be right for you.  With four stages operating you’ll have some choices to make, but isn’t that part of the fun? And speaking of festival fun, remember that nobody was ever bummed out because they thought to bring along extra papers.

From all your friends at the Nateva Music and Camping Festival, have a great weekend and stay in touch.

A little closer to home, a few Nateva acts will be close enough to case the joint as they play pre-festival shows throughout the New England region. The Adam Ezra Group offers support to Big Head Todd and the Monsters on Saturday night at the Port City Music Hall in Portland, ME and on Sunday at Manchester, NH’s Palace Theatre.

Giant Panda Guerilla Squad beats the “Big Head/Ezra” tour to the Port City Music Hall on Friday night after hitting the Paradise in Boston last night. They conclude a New England weekend with a Saturday night gig at the Stone Church on Zion Hill in Newmarket, NH. The Brew visits the crown jewel of Rhode Island on Friday night with a performance at Tazza Cafe in Providence.

Had they gotten just a few clicks further North these lucky bands would have gotten a sneak peak at the Nateva seeds starting to poke through the Oxford Plains soil. An “Art Garden,” being tended to by artists beginning this week, will be in full bloom by July 1st. In addition, everyone can rest assured that an organic “Farmer’s Market” will be operational on Saturday and Sunday mornings to make sure that both campers and day trippers have the power to run strong all day.

Running strong is surely what Passion Pit plans on during an upcoming long weekend in the Sunshine State. They bring their punchy electro rock to Firestone Live in Orlando on Saturday, followed by Sunday night at the wonderfully named Jackie Gleason Theatre at the Fillmore Miami before concluding at Tampa’s Ritz Ybor on Monday. Heavy Pets started their own long weekend in Colorado last night at the Eldo in Crested Butte and will spend the next two nights at Denver’s Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom. On Saturday they share the bill with the Original Wailers for a true Rocky Mountain high!

Moving further west Dweezil Zappa “Plays Zappa” at the “Harmony Festival” at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa, CA on Friday, where they’ll catch up with Toubab Krewe who are playing both of the festival’s days. On the Eastern Shoreline the Ryan Montbleau Band spends the weekend in the lovely Carolinas, supporting Martin Sexton at the Orange Peel in Asheville, NC on Friday after as how last night at the Windjammer in Isle of Palms, SC.

And finally, George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic hold down the funk in the nation’s heartland with a show tonight at Milwaukee’s Turner Ballroom before rolling into Louisville’s Waterfront Park the following day for the “Soul Food Festival.” It’s a comfort to know that with so many mouth-watering food choices available at festivals from coast to coast the Nateva vendors are up to the challenge, and look forward to serving you scrumptious regional dishes.

Well, that’s one week closer, friends. Hope that your anticipation is building along with ours and that you’re making your list of essentials and checking it twice. Don’t forget the bug spray. From all your friends at the Nateva Music and Camping Festival, have a great weekend and stay in touch!

We know how cool it is and now Rolling Stone Magazine is saying it too! They’ve put the Nateva Music & Camping Festival on the list of coolest tours & festivals of the summer.

“An intimate, family-friendly, jammy paradise”
click here to read what else Rolling Stone Magazine had to say about Nateva!

But before we jump into our weekly update of what’s going on amongst your performing contemporaries we’ve absolutely got to alert you to the fact that the Nateva Festival has already been noticed by none other than Rolling Stone magazine! You can check out Nateva, right up there with the big boys like Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo, on pages 36 and 37 of the current edition (with Russell Brand on the cover) or online at http://www.rollingstone.com/music/photos/17383/96350/39. Not bad for a first year festival, eh? Sort of like a rookie making the All-Star team but then again, we knew that Nateva had all the tools to make a big splash the first time out.

Of course, many of our artists are out sampling other festivals in advance of Nateva. At last weekend’s Sasquatch Festival Nateva was well represented with She & Him, Passion Pit, and Drive-By Truckers performing sets on Monday alongside the likes of Ween, MGMT, and Band of Horses. Over 20,000 attendees gathered for the Memorial Day Event at the Gorge Ampitheatre in George, WA, pushing the festival season into high gear.

They won’t be the only Nateva artists playing on big stages, though. The Flaming Lips warm up their reputation as America’s premier festival act with a set at Houston’s “Free Press Summer Fest” in Houston this Sunday while George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic also get into the festival frame of mind with an appearance on Saturday at the “Chili Pepper and Brew Fest” in Snowmass, CO.

Umphrey’s McGee rocks two nights worth of the “Wakarusa Festival” on Friday (with Big Gigantic and STS9 also on the bill) and Saturday at Mulberry Mountain in Ozark, AR. Locust and Heavy Pets precede them with Thursday night “Wakarusa” sets and Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad plays the festival’s Sunday conclusion. Crash Kings bring their action to Milwaukee’s “Verge Music Festival” at the Henry Maier Festival Park on Friday.

It’s not just festivals where Nateva artists are sharpening up their chops, but superstar artists sure seem to have taken a shine to our guys. Just ask the Felice Brothers, who’ll be spending this weekend opening for the Dave Matthews Band at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center on both Friday and Saturday night. Nateva headliner, moe., will also be spending the weekend in upstate N.Y, playing Friday and Saturday at the Saranac Brewery in Utica.

The road to Nateva does not travel exclusively through such huge venues, though. The Ryan Montbleau Band continues touring with Martin Sexton with a New York City gig on Saturday night at the Nokia Theatre in Times Square and Toubab Krewe spend the weekend in the southeast with club gigs on Friday at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta and on Saturday at the Orange Peel in Asheville, NC. On the other side of the country Jackie Greene plays Fairytale Town in Sacramento, CA on Friday. All in eager anticipation of a July weekend in Maine!

That’s all for this week, but we’ll be back in touch with you on each and ever. Friday until the 2nd of July when we can all say “hello” in person. In the meantime, stay safe, save those nickels and dimes, and don’t forget the sunscreen. From all your friends at the Nateva Music and Camping Festival, have a great weekend and stay in touch!

Day tickets for Sunday, July 4th are also on sale now. There will be a very limited supply of day tickets available for Sunday July 4th at the price of $89 per ticket plus fees.

We recently announced that the Nateva Music & Camping Festival got even more exciting and musically diverse with the addition of over 30 new bands!

The following incredible artists were added to our roster and will perform this 4th of July weekend 2010 in Oxford Maine: She & Him, Passion Pit, Grizzly Bear, Drive-By Truckers, Ghostland Observatory, Jackie Greene, Jakob Dylan & Three Legs, Crash Kings, Mark Karan’s Jemimah Puddleduck, Rustic Overtones, Lettuce, Gypsy Tailwind, EOTO, Big Gigantic, The Brew, The Constellations, Toubab Krewe, The Indobox, Roots of Creation, Bow Thayer & Perfect Trainwreck, Nate Wilson Group, The Alchemystics, The Kind Buds, Adam Ezra Group, The McLovins, The Heavy Pets, Nephrok! Allstars, You Can Be a Wesley, Billy Keane and the Misdemeanor Outlaws, Brenda, The Mallet Brothers, Grand Hotel, Magic Magic, Mudseason, and The Problemaddicts.

One of the things we’re most proud of is that nine of our latest band additions come from Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. This includes the Portland Maine band, Gypsy Tailwind, who will kick off our early-bird festivities on Thursday night July 1st – as the first band ever to play at Nateva.

And remember all you mom’s out there, children under 10 are free with a paying adult and children’s entertainment plus a quieter family camping area will be available. The Nateva Music & Camping Festival is a can’t-miss, one-of-a-kind event in scenic Maine!

Buy your tickets today to save… we know you’ll be happy you did!

We hope to see you at the festival!

Your Nateva Team
The Nateva Music & Camping Festival

We’re still working hard to make sure Northern New England experiences the music festival of their dreams this 4th of July. With a capacity of only 15,000 people, Nateva will be the most intimate, world-class music festival of the summer!

In addition to previously announced headliners Furthur with Phil Lesh & Bob Weir, The Flaming Lips, and moe., plus The Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band, we’re thrilled to tell you that STS9, George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Umphrey’s McGee, Max Creek, John Brown’s Body, The Felice Brothers, Ryan Montbleau, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, and Greensky Bluegrass have committed to Nateva for the July 2nd, 3rd & 4th weekend. STS9 will play at exactly 8:28 p.m. on Saturday night… for Sunset in Maine… don’t miss this amazing and unique performance!Â

And previously announced Zappa Plays Zappa, Keller Williams, Lotus, and Moonalice, along with a full line-up of world-class talent, will perform as featured artists. More performers will be added to our roster!

Remember, the Nateva venue will allow for no more than 15,000 music-loving campers to experience this intimate, three-day spectacle of world-class bands and special entertainment, including stilt-walkers; magicians; jugglers; and art installations. Come to Oxford Maine this summer and see some of the industry’s most inspired musical talent and up-and-coming jam, country, folk, reggae, classic rock, bluegrass, and indie artists.

Weekend Passes With Camping are $249 and Weekend Passes Without Camping are $229. Advanced prices of $199 and $179 are available for just a few more days, until Sunday, March 14th at noon.

We hope to see you at the festival!

Your Nateva Team
The Nateva Music & Camping Festival

*Help the Hungry. Please bring canned goods to the festival for collection and donation to the local food pantry.*

Legendary Musicians Phil Lesh & Bob Weir Bring FURTHUR to Headline the Nateva Music & Camping Festival with a feature performance on the 4th of July!

Moe. and The Flaming Lips to Headline Friday and Saturday night!

We are reaching out to let you know that we have blown through our way discounted tickets and we want everyone to have the chance to take advantage of this limited time offer. We are extending these lowest-ever priced tickets until 12:00 Noon on Monday, February 15th, at which time the prices will increase to $179 for a Weekend Pass (NO Camping) and $199 for a Weekend Pass (WITH Camping).

We will announce a slew of bands including our Festival Headliner, on Friday, February 19th. Those of you that buy discounted tickets today, with just a small taste of our line-up, will look back after the announcement and realize what a great decision you made.

We also want to take this time to officially announce the Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band to our line-up. Unquestionably the most formidable husband/wife team in the history of southern rock and blues music, Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi have put together a new band that will perform an original mixture of rock, soul, blues and roots … Trucks’ slide guitar playing is second to none. He has led his own Grammy Award winning The Derek Trucks Band for over 15 years, been the slide guitarist for the Allman Brothers Band for more than ten and toured the world with Eric Clapton. Tedeschi has risen to fame with multiple Grammy Award nominations, and her powerful singing voice and fearless stage presence have made her one of the most stirring soul and blues musicians of our time.

Buy Tickets

Just a reminder that Nateva Music & Camping Festival is a limited-capacity venue approved for less than 15,000 people, with world-class bands, and we expect it will sell out.

Visit www.natevafestival.com to take advantage of the lowest-priced tickets we will ever offer.

We hope to see you at the festival!

Your Nateva Team
The Nateva Music & Camping Festival

*Help the Hungry. Please bring canned goods to the festival for collection and donation to the local food pantry.*