7 Reasons for Rothbury's Return

1.Lax Security
There was an amazing amount of illegal activity during this festival weekend, but I don’t think even a quarter of it was cited by the authorities. I’m not a party pooper at all. I’m just saying that if people are able to openly consume and sell drugs without being punished, why wouldn’t you want to come to a place that allows you to do so for four days straight?

2.Good music
Four days worth of music is a lot to book, but for the first festival, I think the acts were solidly picked. There was a good mix of genres that were all well accepted by the massive audience. It’s amazing to be at a festival where you can watch Sam Beam from Iron and Wine, then head over to check out Snoop Dogg, then stick around to catch 311.

3.Good People
This is probably due to the first two reasons, but the audience that the acts draws are typically non-violent individuals. Security’s main function, in essence, is to identify the few troublemakers and make sure that they are not going to cause a problem. After four days of walking around in a mass of 50,000 people, there wasn’t one of them in a bad mood.

4.Good location
Double JJ Ranch is in the middle of nowhere. Which is good (unless you are in need of a Wal-Mart to develop photos). The festival site is in a forest and the campsites are all on empty fields. There’s the Wildcat Lake just inside the grounds, and Lake Michigan 20 minutes away. When John Mayer can break out of his hallucinations and realize how great the festival is…that says a lot.

5.Good weather
This last weekend was certainly a fluke, with all four days sunny and 75. But western Michigan is a good location for a summer concert with temperatures not likely to get about 85 degrees, and also provide a cool breeze at night. There is just enough sun to get you tan, but not enough to make you too sweaty.

6.Good prices
Though $250 may seem like a lot of money to pay for a concert, when you consider that you are paying for a campsite and four days worth of music…it’s a great deal. I was less than 50 feet away from John Mayer and Dave Matthews, and that alone would have cost me more than what I paid for the whole weekend. It’s a great option for a July 4th weekend getaway.

7.Contract
Of course, all this talk is irrelevant to why Rothbury will return next year. Double JJ Ranch and Madison House are contracted for at least one more year of Rothbury. So make plans now to attend next year, especially if you want to sleep in a cabin and get backstage.

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