Whether guests came for country twang or indie-pop hooks, few were dissatisfied with the sixth annual Nelsonville Music Festival. Stuart’s Opera House hosted the event, which took place last weekend at Robbins Crossing at nearby Hocking College.

Boasting higher ticket sales each year, the event was weekend long and contained over 83 performances from local and national artists. “Athens County has a huge arts community, so we have a good audience for a music festival,” said Brian Koscho, the Marketing and Promotions Coordinator for Stuart’s.

“We don’t have the big corporate sponsors like the bigger festivals, but travelers from big cities are surprised. It’s grown over the years, but we try not to lose quality. We thrive on intimacy,” Koscho continued.

Thanks to the success of the previous festivals, Stuart’s was able to lure in artists like Loretta Lynn, Man Man, Sharon Jones & Dap-Kings and Swell Season. Even away from the main stage, lesser-known artists and art vendors allowed guests to discover plenty of new talents.

Friday

No-Fi Cabin Stage

As bands and festival-goers slowly filled the gated and tented field at Hocking College, the mood was instantly high with anticipation, especially near the Beer Tent. The main stage towered in the front of the field next to the road, expanding the length of a football field.

Next to the adjacent food court, full of Athens-favorites like Ali-Babas and O’Betty’s, were a series of cabins and tents. The tents were filled with various crafted goods and services. Next to a chair massage stood one of several tents exclusively selling tie-dyed materials, as well as a tent selling paintings and vinyl.

While Cincinnati-natives Buffalo Killers played the main stage, Seascapes played The Back Porch stage and Liz Phal played in the even more intimate No-Fi Cabin stage behind the art vendors. The community setting had instant charm and character, encompassing an equal appreciation for both nature and the arts.

The Detroit Cobras gave one of the best performances of the night, playing their garage-rock take on oldies favorites. Singer Rachel Nagy was the consummate front woman, bringing raspy diva and some trash stage antics to the show. Considering she was a stripper when she first joined the band, the performance was milder than her reputation suggests.

On the Back Porch, GIVERS of Lafayette, La., surprised many virgin-ears with their melodic dance-pop. The psychedelic-folk mixture rang across the festival, bringing guests across the lawn and almost filling the entire audience area by their last song.

Man Man, Friday on Main Stage

Back on the Main Stage, experimental band Man Man closed the first night with a truly unforgettable performance. Even as their countless instruments accumulated, covered in neon paint and knick-knacks, the audience could not have known just what to expect. They covered the crowd in feathers and confetti as members dressed in costumes and paraded around throughout their hour-long set. Coming back for an encore, Man Man set the tone for an exciting weekend.

Saturday

Campers and commuters began re-filling the grounds early, most likely in anticipation of Ms. Loretta Lynn. Throughout the day, the audience at the Main Stage was almost entirely older country-fans, waiting in lawn chairs throughout the day for the Coal Miner’s Daughter.

Manor Animals and Duke Jr. & the Smokey Bones, both of Athens, helped raise the energy on the Porch Stage, right before Southeast Engine, Adam Torres and Adam Remnant each took the stage for more local music appreciation.

By the time Lynn performed at 8:30 p.m., the audience was packed with lawn chairs and stumbling country fans. Loretta’s children, Ernest and Peggy Lynn, introduced their mother, as well as a 50^th Anniversary film clip honoring the music legend. As the singer came on stage in a glittery hot pink gown, the entire crowd stood as if royalty had entered. “Beautiful. Beautiful and classy as always,” one older man was overheard saying to his mother over the phone.

As the hot sun slowly set, Lynn belted out her classics, including “First City” and “Coal Miner’s Daughter.” Her performance was tame, but seemed to please her audience, even helping her gain respect from younger audience members.

When Lynn finally exited the stage and the festival, the crowd started to thin, some dispersing to the other stages, others feeling satisfied enough with their icon’s performance. For those who remained, however, another legend waited behind the scenes for a just as legendary performance.

Sharon Jones & Dap-Kings closed the show on another high note, making everyone in attendance dance, whether they realized it or not. The soul singer and her infectious funk band made the entire crowd move along to their rhythm, powering the show with pure energy. The singer even brought out a young fan named Adam to help illustrate some provocative dancing technique. Well, she said it was “dancing.”

After her set, Jones left the crowd begging for more. They begged so hard that Jones came back for several more songs, but this time allowing the crowd to join her on stage. Referring to the previous performance by Lynn, Jones asked her enthusiastic audience, “You got legend tonight, and this still wasn’t enough for you?”

Sunday

Dirty, sunburnt and hungover, guests spent most of the third day recovering with the softer sounds the festival had to offer. Michael Hurley played Americana folk for a third time, while the personable duo Honeycutters introduced themselves to new fans with their mellow style of country.

Todd Snider & Great American Taxi, Sunday on Main Stage

As the afternoon wore on, guests leisurely poured across the festival grounds, lounging under another piercing sun or tucked away under the lining trees. Todd Snider & Great American Taxi were able to muster more enthusiasm from the crowd, sharing politics and social commentary in between songs. The country crooner got several standing ovations, as well as some good publicity as attendance grew.

Closing the weekend festival, Oscar-winning folk duo The Swell Season played the final set, easing the remaining audience members back to reality. The Irish and Czech bandleaders shared humorous and emotional story-telling with equal sincerity, playing last in a weekend full of pleasurable performances.

Between good weather and artistic appreciation, the Nelsonville Music Festival seemed to please the performers as much as the fans. Fans are already eager for next year’s event, which is sure to expand yet again. Koscho admits that even though “it’s no Bonnaroo, people are pleasantly surprised.”

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