The Muddy Roots Music Festival Is a DIY Rock Mecca in Rural Tennessee
All Photos and Write Up by David "Widgit" McMillan of Stoned Spider Photography
COOKEVILLE, TN -- Labor day weekend we took a trip to Cookeville Tennessee and took part in the Muddy Roots Music Festival. It was four days of camping and comradery mixed with some of the best music in the world.
From the moment we arrived, we were greeted with smiles and hugs, even from people we didn’t know. The staff at the check in area were some of the friendliest I’ve dealt with and contributed to making us feel right at home.
We missed the pre-party show Thursday night due to travel complications but were welcomed into a camp and the adventure commenced.
The June Bug Ranch is a large field, only accessible to festival goers at the time, with hundreds of tent groupings, RVs, and a sea of smiling faces.
With a mix of bluegrass, folk, punk and hardcore music Muddy Roots bring a large variety of people. It didn’t matter if you were a crusty kid, metal head, or a punk like me, all were welcomed. I met so many amazing people from places near and far, including two guys all the way from Sweden.
The line-up for this one was insane. There were so many bands I had never heard of but can’t stop listening to like Belushi Speedball, Holy Locust, and Triangle Fire mixed with familiar favorites such as Gogol Bordello, The Pentagram String Band and High on Fire. For three days no matter where we went we were surrounded by amazing music.
Along with the incredible bands, there were also several vendors with a variety of artistically crafted items, patches, t-shirts and just about anything else you could want or need, and the variety of food on deck was top notch. With everything from grilled cheese sandwiches to brisket mac and cheese, no matter your taste there was something for everyone.
With no corporate sponsors this festival was built on nothing but the strength of its founders and support of its patrons. The DIY aesthetic just made it feel more welcoming and more like home. Outside of my local music scene here in Vegas I have never felt more welcomed and accepted, by everyone including staff, other guests and even some of the musicians.
One highlight for me, aside from the photos I took, was getting to meet the musician known as Littlefoot. His music really touches home for me and hits on a personal level. Also, getting to see The Pentagram String Band was even better than when I saw them at The Dive in Las Vegas.
If you can, I strongly recommend attending Muddy Roots in the future. I know we will definitely be making the trip again. I can’t wait to see what next year has in store for us and how many new friends I’ll get to see again and the new ones we’ll make.
In closing, I want to thank Milt, Delaine, Jason and everyone else involved with making this festival happen and for allowing me the chance to take part in this wonderful event. Keep doing amazing things and hopefully we’ll see you next year.
I would like to end with my favorite quote from the weekend (sadly, I don’t know the guy's name to give credit), which was “You dropped your pocket.”
