Mad Tea Party Jam 3 Review

Mad Tea Party Jam 3 went down on the weekend of the solstice and carried an Alice In “Spunderland” theme. The event was thrown by Elise and Taco Olmstead the couple behind the heady counter culture publication Appalachian Jamwich. For years the two have been documenting and spreading the good word about the scene and putting on events. Right off the bat I noticed that our Rock Camp events have a lot in common with our friends out here in “Spunderland”. Though Mad Tea Party Jam and Pink Moon are very unique experiences, there are many similarities in how the events are run and put together. In the end, I was convinced that the biggest thing that our camps share is a overwhelming love for this kind of work and a team that has its foundation deeply rooted in family. I was curious to see what the couple would throw down for their annual highlight.

There were countless reasons for Jess and I to check out this fest. It’s in WV! Always down for a solid WV rager! And so many of our friends and bands for Pink Moon were going to be there. Some of the acts I was looking forward to checking out that are playing both Pink Moon and Mad Tea Party Jam included: Tauk, Moogatu, Broccoli Samurai, Deltanine, People’s Blues of Richmond, Kings of Belmont, Galaxy Dynamite, KR-3, Threesound, Plaeground, Litz, Tweed, Aarodynamics, Bats Dynamic String Band, Supersylum, The Braes, Nicky C and the RSB, Ypset, and Interstellar Soul. That’s only what overlaps with Pink Moon. We were also looking forward to a few bands that aren’t on our lineup (at least so far) including headliners Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, The Werks, Turquaz and The Mantras. Papadosio also headlined the festival. It was also clear that the event encouraged a raging art scene, which is always something to get excited about.




It was hot when we got there Friday afternoon. Jess and I were very excited to be getting down at a West Virginia festival. Don’t get me wrong, we love festivals everywhere (at least most places), but there’s something very special and unique about a wild and wonderful WV rager! And that’s what it was, and so much more of course, Upon arrival it was clear that there was a strong turn out and that most everyone there had been getting down hard for a while already.
We were directed to the VIP/Staff parking area and got to see the grounds all the way through. We saw a number of Wonderland clad festival goers as we passed through the first general camping field that was full up enough so that the Woodland Stage could be heard but not seen through the sea of tents and elaborate campsites. We passed through vendor row which was filled with old friends and people that we know from Pink Moon or other Puff T. chasing adventures, including Easy Wind Family Creations. From there, I got to peek at the art gallery that was thumping with creative energy as painters and spectators embraced the work and the process.

Soon we were upon the main venue, which was laid out beautifully with two large stages at the center point and a horseshoe of food and craft venders making a nice perimeter around the venue. The art gallery was centered in the back of the horseshoe with plenty of space to see, make, and observe unfettered creativity. As we started to pass behind the stage the rest of the property could be clearly seen. There was one more main camping field with the EDM tent in the back, which was filled up comfortably, with similar elaborate campsites and colorful people milling about as we’d seen before. We drove further and came to VIP parking, camping, and the farmhouse that was being used for staff and artist hospitality.


The layout was very picturesque. Mad Tea Party Jam was, more or less, the image I had in my head for a successful grassroots festival in our region! As we got set up at camp and started collecting our people for our Dragon and other shows, we could sense a strongly positive and often overwhelming sense of community and love! 
The strong positive vibes were amplified as soon as we walked through the Cheshire Cat’s mouth and entered the hospitality area. It had the vibe of a family reunion, full of long time friends, musicians, and those throwing the event. Throughout the event Jess and I frequented this area for coffee, almost always getting caught up in intense discussion about new ideas or old tales. Before even getting to the show, it was clear we were indeed in Wonderland…. Err… I meant “Spunderland”.

We wandered the venue, figuring out the lay of the land and setting up for the show. Seldom do I get the chance to see full sets at festivals, but we had the pleasure of catching a stellar set from Pigeons Playing Ping Pong with a little of the Mantras and Dopapod on either side. Great sets right off. Our adventures also brought us to the art tent where we had the pleasure of catching up with a number of our festival artist friends including Brian Kirby and Bryan Bailey. The art in the tent was amazing, the artist’s paintings were profound, and the layout was really cool. If I wasn’t on the job, I probably would have spent most of my time in there. 

As the sun began to set and the temperature eased up we went out for our first set dragon set. The heat of the day had been a challenge but everyone seemed excited for Dopapod. The audience was electric as the dragon passed through. Peaks spiked and the energy grew as the night went on. Papadosio was our next dragon set. The band seemed to be in a trance, then they punched it up for Puff, or the audience… I can never quite tell who exactly is responding to what, but it was a lot of fun. Running the dragon through the audience had a special thrill, as the excited audience lit up, the vibe seemed to ramp up. Our following set with The Werks was a blast. Those guys really threw down and carried the audience into an ecstatic evening. The dragon went to bed after that, but Jess and I got to catch some of the Broccoli Samurai with a side of bad-ass wrap from Shady Grove Wraps for dinner. It was a really fun night.

Then the rain came, which wasn’t a big deal, except I left my shoes outside the night before. I put them on in the morning and lasted way too long before I broke down and got a cheap pair of flip flops from the Project Shelter booth. I was excited to check them out because they will be joining us on the farm for The Get Down AND Pink Moon this year, and it’s always nice to say hi to our vendors. Those guys had EVERYTHING! Forgot your toothbrush? Need to refurnish your conversion van? They’ve got your back for any camping need… any… well, not anything… but anything you shouldn’t leave the festival over. Also,accept donations of unwanted camping gear at the end of the festival which goes to refugee camps and homeless shelters. Project Shelter: a great place to what you need and recycle things we often waste for people who really need them.

I dried off my feet in the sunshine for a while sitting on the Pink Moon backdrop tapestry (by SolJam) on top of some plastic tablecloths. We passively passed out fliers and hung out with a bunch of good people. Our bears made some periodic appearances during the day as well!

I had the chance to see a couple more complete sets from some of our family bands. Threesound started it all of with a strong set, and soon after came one of my favorites: The Shack Band. The only note I have for these guys is they could use a little more Church in their set.

 See this video from Domefest:

Post by Jessica Abramson.

 


We had been pleasantly surprised to see our dear friend and Pink Moon Production Manager on stage with them a few weeks ago at Domefest, and had hoped for a repeat performance. So, apparently production managers are pretty busy, but I’m hoping I can coax another serenading by the legendary John Church at Pink Moon. Keep your fingers crossed. 

People’s Blues of Richmond stood out as a bad-ass, rocked out , staple of the scene. The band shared a handful of new songs and had everyone moving. Moogatu also had a stand out set, covering Dark Side of the Moon with a beautiful guest female vocal. Aside from that, the band also threw down heavy jams and shredding leads throughout their performance.



The night came quicker than I had expected and was filled with unforeseen adventures. The Werks fired it up again during our first run with Puff. It was a very strong set with solid covers and a lot of energy. Our next set with the Mantras was a good time too, and as we slithered through the audience we were treated to Alex, child of festival orgaizer Taco Olmstead, playing sax with the band. The kid was awesome, and a great sense of pride was felt throughout the audience for the talent and courage of the family as a whole, confirmed when Alex yelled out "You are all my family"!!

After the Mantras we slithered our glowing monster down the hill to the EDM tent to catch Aarodynamics. Quickly becoming one of my favorite acts, Aaron, one amazing guy, was tearing it up. Making his own beats with a mic, and filling in everything else with a variety of looped instruments Aaron carried and eager croud. I admire a lot about this act, but mostly I’m overwhelmed by his raw talent and phenomenal stage presence. It took a lot of concentration to dragon through the low tent, but everyone was generous with energy and space making for a very intimate Puff T moment.

The evening ended with another unexpected surprise. We made our way to the farm house for a cup of coffee and found a four-piece acoustic bluegrass band that was absolutely killing it! We came in on a Phish cover and the whole place was bouncing round the room. What a way to finish up a festival! Jess and I danced for a while with new and old friends, celebrating the vibe and the occasion and had a burrito from the Grateful Burrito Brothers (who will ALSO be at Pink Moon) for dinner.

The next morning we were out after what seemed like a thousand good byes. The whole place felt like family. People kept popping out of the woodwork as if the rabbit hole metaphor had gone wack-a-mole. We came, we saw, we threw down, we had a great time, and we ate at a truck stop half way back on our four and a half hour drive. It may sound like a lot, but not really for us. I love these close-ish events, especially ones that we have things in common with. It would seem Pink Moon and Mad Tea Party Jam have a lot in common: similar intimate feel, raging awesome music, beautiful wild and wonderful West Virginia landscape, and a lot of love from everyone involved. If you haven’t been, I strongly recommend putting it on your calendar for next year. You’ll love it!



-Seth