Run for the hills
Ventura’s Woodstock is all about loving the land
By Chris Jay 09/03/2009
Woodstock. To some it’s the defining moment of a generation. An estimated half a million people converged on an upstate New York farm to celebrate the virtues of peace and love while taking in some of the best bands of the era. To others, though, it was a mess of the highest order with mud-covered, dirty hippies passing around STDs and freaking out on tainted brown acid while spending the majority of the weekend stuck in traffic.
Still, the concert’s legacy grows, and with this summer’s 40th anniversary of the event, Woodstock is bigger then ever. From Blu-ray releases of the movie to merchandise (all cynicism aside, seeing a John Sebastian poster at a Target was possibly the coolest moment of the year), Woodstock, and the many outdoor concerts that it’s inspired, is more popular then ever. Throw in some summer weather, and there’s no better time for the return of our own little Woodstock, the Ventura Hillsides Music Festival.
In case you’ve been living under a rock or perhaps up in the hills themselves, the Ventura Hillsides Music Festival has been bringing top name artists to Ventura in an amazing outdoor setting for six years.
While many charitable and nonprofit groups hold similar concerts and shows to raise money for their respective causes, in this case it’s the open space preservation of Ventura’s hillsides. What makes the Ventura Hillsides Music Festival stand out is the quality of the artists.
Each festival has featured four to five artists, ranging from singer-songwriter heavies like Jackson Browne and Michael McDonald to rootsy rock bands Little Feat, Los Lobos and Toots and the Maytals. The Hillsides folks even managed to bring bona fide superstar Jack Johnson, whose appearance in 2007 nearly caused a riot of soccer moms and sorority surfer girls at Salzer’s Records when tickets sold out in 15 minutes.
“We’ve always considered it a family-friendly Woodstock,” says Ventura Hillsides Board of Trustees president, Stephen Svete.
“It’s outdoors. Totally open to the public. An impromptu venue. Completely green. Volunteers run it and, of course, the music lineup has been just amazing.”
This year’s roster, while not quite boasting some of the heavies of past years, is nonetheless impressive. Headliners the Neville Brothers will be making their first appearance in Ventura in more than 20 years. Ojai resident and rock and roll hall-of-famer — from his work with Traffic — Dave “Feelin’ Alright” Mason is making an appearance. Grammy-winning blues man Keb Mo, who appeared at the inaugural Hillsides Festival in 2003, will be back, and up-and-coming singer-songwriter Jay Nash will open the afternoon.
While organizers are expecting a smaller turnout this year due to economic factors, the event usually draws about 2,500 people. Normally held in the fall, the festival was forced to be moved a few weeks earlier due to artists’ availability.
Organizers have created a ticket option for families and will have tickets available at the door as well. To top off the family-friendly vibe, children 6 and younger will be admitted for free.
“Our demographic is adults with families, but everyone and anyone is welcome. We want to bring everyone together in the community,” Svete explained. “There’s no government agencies involved. We’re a total nonprofit and this is our major fundraiser of the year. We know it’s been a tough year economically, and we’re just so appreciative of everyone’s support. We have a lot of people say this is their favorite event. That means a lot.”
The Ventura Hillsides Music Festival takes place at Arroyo Verde Park on Sunday, Sept. 5, at 1 p.m. For more information on the Ventura Hillsides Conservancy and tickets to the festival, call 643-8044 or visit www.venturahillsides.org.
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