In Search of Bliss: Utopia Fest 2012

As I danced barefoot in the sand beneath a starlit Texas sky listening to a Phish tribute band jam incredible tunes, I couldn’t help but look around and think, This is exactly what Utopia Fest is! Twenty-Four hours later I danced in that same spot, my wellie boots inches deep in mud, rain dripping from my eye lashes (and every other part of my body) listening to more incredible music pour out from the stage and I thought, This is exactly what Utopia Fest is!

Utopia Fest is magical. Musicians and music lovers travel from far and wide to the middle of nowhere, and then keep driving. Over cattle guards and gravel roads, Utopia Fest is nestled in the midst of rolling hills and expansive Texas skies. And then that space is filled with music. 

I spoke with the boys of A Live One, who have individually (not to mention collectively) seen Phish hundreds of times. We sat in a small tent as rain misted outside and they talked about what it is about this iconic band that they devote their talents to playing only their music. It just makes them so damn happy!”

A Live One play the pre-party at Utopia Fest

“That’s why I think I love Phish and I think so many other people do to. It’s these moments of bliss. Usually moments of bliss are short. They’re fleeting. But with Phish shows, it’s three hours of experiencing so much bliss and good times you walk out of there feeling so great. It’s a blessing, it’s so fun to be a part of that”

I’ve danced my way to the front of a Phish show and I think Josh has nailed exactly what makes those experiences so great. Except it isn’t just Phish, or A Live One, who so perfectly captured their essence and music. As I looked around all weekend at an audience who never bat an eyelash at the mud or the soaking rains, I thought, We are all here seeking bliss, an entire weekend of absolute bliss, and Utopia Fest provided that. 

"The world is mud-lucious and puddle-wonderful" e.e. Cummings