Mountain Jam (festival)

Mountain Jam was an annual music festival held in upstate New York that began in 2005. It grew to become the largest rock music and camping festival in New York. The festival was held at Hunter Mountain ski resort for fourteen years, usually in early June. In February 2019, organizers for the Festival announced that the festival was moving to the location of the original Woodstock festival, the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts.

History
Mountain Jam was originally conceived to celebrate the 25th anniversary of WDST/Radio Woodstock. More than 3,300 people attended the initial one-day event in 2005, reviews of which were overwhelmingly positive. The founder, Gary Chetkof and members of Radio Woodstock, decided to make the event annual. Over time, the festival has grown to include a diverse lineup of smaller artists, as well as large acts including Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Robert Plant, The Black Keys, The Lumineers, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Widespread Panic, Phil Lesh and Bob Weir, The Allman Brothers Band, Levon Helm, The Alabama Shakes, Steve Miller Band, Wilco, The Avett Brothers, Pretty Lights. Gov't Mule, the band Haynes co-founded, performed at every Mountain Jam until 2016.

Venue
Mountain Jam's three stages allow for continuous music each day. There is a Main Stage, a 2nd Stage that showcases emerging artists, and an acoustic stage that is part of smaller Greek-style amphitheater. One of the best amenities at Bethel is that every camping spot allows for a car-side parking spot, which makes camping much easier for campers.

At Hunter Mountain, The East Stage was the largest, overlooking the main terrain of the resort. Adjacent to the East Stage was the West Stage, near the resort's chair lift; and Inside the Base Lodge a third stage is set up for late night acts and musicians who require indoor amenities. Amenities for event goers include a tent camping area in the Hunter One section of the resort and RV camping farther up the mountain. Various hotels also serve the town year-round, and the Kaatskill Mountain Club hotel and Liftside Condominiums are both within walking distance of the festival.

Some years have seen non-stop rain for almost the entire duration of the festival, while other events have had sunny and temperate weather.

In 2019, the organizers switched the location of the festival from Hunter Mountain to the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, the site of the original 1969 Woodstock festival.

2005
The original Mountain Jam, a single-day event on June 4, 2005, celebrated the 25th anniversary of WDST, Woodstock's radio station. The festival featured performances by:
 * Gov't Mule
 * Medeski, Martin & Wood
 * Robert Randolph & The Family Band
 * Xavier Rudd

2006
The 2006 Mountain Jam took place June 2–4. The New York Times described it as a "little Bonnaroo". The lineup included:

Friday Night
 * DJ Logic

Saturday
 * John Brown's Body
 * The Trapps
 * Keller Williams
 * Willy Porter
 * Michael Franti and Spearhead
 * Shannon McNally
 * Robert Randolph & the Family Band
 * Benzos
 * Gov't Mule
 * Rose Hill Drive

Sunday
 * Benevento/Russo Duo
 * Joey Eppard
 * Mike Gordon and Ramble Dove
 * The Wood Brothers
 * Medeski, Martin & Wood
 * The Slip
 * Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
 * Gov't Mule

2007
Mountain Jam 2007 took place June 1–3 and was cited as was the largest music festival in the Northeast/New England. . The lineup featured:

Friday
 * Gov't Mule
 * RAQ
 * New Orleans Social Club
 * The Mercers
 * Papa Mali
 * The Felice Brothers

Saturday
 * Gov't Mule
 * Tea Leaf Green
 * G. Love & Special Sauce
 * New Monsoon
 * Umphrey's McGee
 * Earl Greyhound
 * Ozomatli
 * U-Melt
 * Assembly of Dust
 * The Warhol Crowd
 * Tea Leaf Green

Sunday
 * Phil Lesh and Friends, including Phil Lesh, Warren Haynes, John Molo, John Scofield and Steve Molitz
 * Michael Franti and Spearhead
 * North Mississippi Allstars
 * Robert Randolph & the Family Band
 * Backyard Tire Fire
 * The Brakes
 * Bret Puchir and Chicken Bucket

2008
Mountain Jam 2008 took place May 30-June 1. The three-day lineup included:

Friday
 * Ratdog
 * Dark Meat
 * Phonograph
 * BuzzUniverse
 * Giant Panda Guerrilla Dub Squad
 * Pete Francis
 * Jim Weider's PRoJECT PERCoLAToR with special guest Lucy Bo
 * Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
 * Mithic Dragons
 * Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk
 * Umphrey's McGee
 * Gov't Mule
 * Galactic
 * Lotus
 * DJ Lady Verse

Saturday
 * Sgt. Dunbar and the Hobo Banned
 * Ingrid Michaelson
 * O'Death
 * Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
 * JJ Grey & MOFRO
 * Ray LaMontagne
 * Jackie Greene
 * Michael Franti & Spearhead
 * Citizen Cope
 * Gov't Mule
 * Dark Star Orchestra
 * Pnuma Trio
 * DJ Lady Verse

Sunday
 * Larry McCray Band
 * The Felice Brothers
 * Dr. Dog
 * Drive-By Truckers
 * Medeski, Scofield, Martin & Wood
 * Levon Helm Band
 * Bob Weir & Ratdog

2009
Mountain Jam 2009 took place May 29–30. The lineup included:

Friday
 * Gov't Mule
 * Umphrey's McGee
 * Tea Leaf Green
 * Railroad Earth
 * Girl Talk
 * Alberta Cross
 * Marco Benevento

Saturday
 * Gov't Mule
 * Coheed & Cambria
 * The Hold Steady
 * Karl Denson's Tiny Universe
 * Gomez
 * Jackie Greene
 * Brett Dennen
 * Gene Ween Band
 * Lee Boys
 * Joe Pug
 * John Medeski
 * The Movement

Sunday
 * The Allman Brothers Band
 * Michael Franti & Spearhead
 * The Derek Trucks Band
 * BK3 featuring Bill Kreutzmann
 * Richie Havens
 * Martin Sexton
 * The Brew
 * Joey Eppard

2010
Mountain Jam 2010 took place June 4 to June 6. The lineup included:
 * Gov't Mule
 * Levon Helm & Friends- 70th Birthday Celebration w/ very special guests
 * Michael Franti & Spearhead
 * Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band
 * The Avett Brothers
 * Les Claypool
 * Yonder Mountain String Band
 * Drive-By Truckers
 * Matisyahu
 * Toots and the Maytals
 * Dark Star Orchestra
 * Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
 * Dr. Dog
 * Dave Mason
 * Jay Farrar (of Son Volt)
 * Lettuce
 * ALO
 * The Whigs
 * The New Mastersounds
 * Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue
 * Justin Townes Earle
 * Jerry Joseph & Wally Ingram
 * The Bridge
 * Zach Deputy
 * The Brew
 * Simone Felice
 * Gandalf Murphy & SCD
 * Van Ghost
 * The London Souls
 * These United States
 * Elmwood

2011

 * Mountain Jam 2011 took place June 2 to June 5, with acts including:
 * Gov’t Mule
 * My Morning Jacket
 * Warren Haynes Band
 * Michael Franti & Spearhead
 * The Avett Brothers
 * Umphrey's McGee w/ John Oates
 * Grace Potter & the Nocturnals
 * Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
 * Béla Fleck & The Original Flecktones
 * Mavis Staples
 * Electric Hot Tuna
 * Lotus
 * North Mississippi Allstars
 * Soulive
 * The New Deal
 * 7 Walkers
 * Portugal. The Man
 * Preservation Hall Jazz Band
 * Tim Reynolds & TR3
 * Dawes
 * The London Souls
 * Zach Deputy
 * Ryan Montbleau Band
 * Charlie Hunter
 * Chris Barron
 * Toubab Krewe
 * Nicole Atkins
 * Carbon Leaf
 * Civil Twilight
 * The Heavy Pets
 * Orgone
 * Kung Fu
 * The Alternate Routes
 * Dangermuffin
 * Moon Taxi
 * Ari Hest
 * Pieta Brown
 * TAB the Band
 * Morning Teleportation
 * Bronze Radio Return
 * Nathan Moore
 * Bobby Long
 * The Big Takeover
 * Stephen Lynch

2012
Also included was a brief set in tribute to Levon Helm, who was based in nearby Woodstock and had died on April 20. The set featured Gov't Mule, the Levon Helm Band, and special guests.
 * Mountain Jam 2012 took place May 31 to June 3, with a lineup including:
 * Gov't Mule
 * Steve Winwood
 * Michael Franti & Spearhead
 * Tedeschi Trucks Band
 * The Roots
 * Mariachi El Bronx
 * Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real

2013

 * Mountain Jam 2013 took place June 6 to 9. The lineup included:
 * Phil Lesh & Friends
 * Widespread Panic
 * Gov't Mule
 * Primus
 * The Avett Brothers
 * The Lumineers
 * Dispatch
 * Michael Franti & Spearhead
 * Big Gigantic
 * Gary Clark Jr.
 * Jackie Greene
 * White Denim
 * Rubblebucket
 * The London Souls
 * The Lone Bellow
 * Futurebirds
 * David Wax Museum

2014

 * The 10th Mountain Jam festival took place June 5 to 9, 2014 with the following acts:

Thursday
 * Diesel America
 * K-Jamm
 * The Dirty Gems
 * Copious Jones
 * Citizens Band Radio
 * Dark Star Orchestra
 * Umphrey's McGee

Friday
 * Elijah & The Moon
 * Antibalas
 * Jack Laroux
 * The Dough Rollers
 * Robert Randolph
 * The Weeks
 * Trampled By Turtles
 * Reignwolf
 * The Avett Brothers
 * Moon Taxi
 * Bob Weir & Ratdog
 * Beats Antique
 * Antibalas

Saturday
 * Ratboy Jr.
 * Paul Green
 * Connor Kennedy
 * Blitzen Trapper
 * Jack Laroux
 * Alan Paul
 * Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds
 * Jeff Tweedy
 * Jonathan Wilson
 * Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley
 * PGRA with Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds
 * Valerie June
 * Tedeschi Trucks Band
 * Gov't Mule
 * Pretty Lights
 * Jackie Greene

Sunday
 * Paul Green
 * Ratboy Jr.
 * Sean Rowe
 * Anders Osborne
 * Michael Franti (solo)
 * Treetop Flyers
 * Jay Blakesberg
 * Chris Robinson Brotherhood
 * Galadrielle Allman
 * Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger
 * Michael Franti & Spearhead
 * Lucius
 * The Allman Brothers Band

2018
The 14th Mountain Jam took place from Thursday, June 14 to Sunday, June 17, 2018 with the following acts:

Thursday
 * Andy Frasco & The U.N.
 * The Other Brothers
 * 4 Gun Ridge
 * Blueberry

Friday
 * Sturgill Simpson
 * Portugal. The Man
 * Jenny Lewis
 * Rag'n'Bone Man
 * Turkuaz
 * Chicano Batman
 * Lewis Capaldi
 * Steve Gunn
 * Sarah Borges And The Broken Singles
 * Woods
 * Andy Frasco & The U.N.
 * Jocelyn and Chris Arndt
 * Mapache
 * Sweet Marie
 * Jane Lee Hooker
 * Yard Sale

Saturday
 * alt-J
 * The War on Drugs
 * The Decemberists
 * George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic
 * The Record Company
 * Anderson East
 * The Felice Brothers
 * Alice Merton
 * Everything Everything
 * Andy Frasco & The U.N.
 * Thomas Wynn & The Believers
 * The Stone Foxes
 * Liz Vice
 * Jack Broadbent
 * Honeysuckle
 * The Other Brothers
 * Yard Sale
 * Rock Academy
 * Ratboy Jr.

Sunday
 * Jack Johnson
 * Father John Misty
 * Kurt Vile & The Violators
 * Mondo Cozmo
 * Son Little
 * Jade Bird
 * John Craigie
 * Eric Tessmer Band
 * Larkin Poe
 * Oliver Hazard
 * Sydney Worthley
 * Cicada Rhythm
 * Rock Academy
 * Ratboy Jr.

2019
The 15th Annual Mountain Jam took place from June 13–16 at Bethel Woods Center For The Arts At The Historic Site of the 1969 Woodstock Festival.


 * Willie Nelson & Family
 * Gov’t Mule (2 sets)
 * The Avett Brothers
 * The Revivalists
 * Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (2 sets)
 * Dispatch
 * Michael Franti & Spearhead
 * Alison Krauss
 * Lukas Nelson & The Promise of the Real
 * Toots & The Maytals
 * Twiddle
 * Mandolin Orange
 * Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe
 * Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds
 * Amy Helm
 * Allman Betts Band
 * Marco Benevento
 * Andy Frasco & The U.N.
 * The Dustbowl Revival
 * The Nude Party
 * Tyler Ramsey
 * Mo Lowda & The Humble
 * The National Reserve
 * Brandon "Taz" Niederauer
 * Consider the Source
 * Mikaela Davis
 * Hollis Brown
 * Wild Adriatic
 * Balkun Brothers
 * The Big Takeover
 * Stephen Lewis & The Big Band of Fun
 * Bella’s Bartok
 * Sweet Marie
 * Michael Glabicki & Friend

2020
The 16th Annual Mountain Jam was scheduled to take place May 29-May 31, 2020 at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts. The event was canceled on March 31 due to the COVID-19 outbreak.