Shelton music festival has a Woodstock feel to it
The DIY music festival Tripping the Lights Fantastic, happening this weekend in Shelton, has more than a little bit in common with Woodstock.
There’s the poster, decorated with eye-popping tie-dye effects that would have been at home in 1969. There’s the farm setting. Then there’s the psychedelic connection.
Kirk Giberson of Olympia, who dreamed up the festival with girlfriend Amanda Waggoner, is one of the lead singers for The Psychedelic Shadow Show, which covers the music of 1965-1972. Woodstock fell smack in the middle of that era.
Shadow Show is a standard at the festival. Also playing this year are DBST, High Ceiling, The Hinges and Seattle-based jam band The Brown Baggers.
Tripping the Lights Fantastic, now in its third year, is basically a volunteer effort. Giberson and Waggoner haven’t made any money from it, and bands get a percentage of ticket sales rather than a guaranteed rate.
“People use words like grass roots and independent and community as buzzwords, but this is truly that,” Giberson said in a phone interview last week. “It really is everybody pulling together to make a festival.”
“It feels very community-oriented,” said David Greiner of Olympia, who has attended every year and plans to be there again this weekend. “It’s fun. It’s casual. For the open-minded, it’s family-friendly.”
Besides the music, which goes into the wee hours, the festival offers camping, vendors and visual art. The Skokomish Grange hall is transformed into a gallery.
Dancers are part of the scene, too. The Psychedelic Shadow Show performs with go-go dancers to suit the era of the music. In the past, there’ve been fire dancers, hula hoopers and belly dancers performing.
About 350-400 people attended the festival last year, including bands, volunteers and vendors as well as the paying audience, Giberson said.
He’s expecting a bigger crowd this year and hopes to add a kids activity area if and when the budget permits.
“The festival has a real family and community feel,” he said. “There’s never been a fight. There’s never been trouble.
“It’s a really satisfying feeling seeing everybody dancing and having a good time. It feels like we’ve accomplished something.”
Tripping the Lights Fantastic: A Palooza 3-D
What: The third annual grassroots music festival with a psychedelic vibe brings together a wide variety of music with dance performances and vendors.
When: Friday (July 29)-Sunday.
Where: Skokomish Grange, 2320 W. Skokomish Valley Road, Shelton.
Tickets: $45 for the weekend, including camping; $25 for Friday only, $35 for Saturday only.
Information: trippingthelightsfantastic.com.
Schedule
Friday
4 p.m.: Inoculated Minds.
5:30 p.m.: Ryan Moriarty.
6:30 p.m.: Swayze Train.
8 p.m.: THC: The Head Choppa.
9 p.m.: Z-Kamp and PhriendZ.
11 p.m.: Disco Dog Dance Party.
Midnight: The Psychedelic Shadow Show.
2 a.m.: The Hinges.
Saturday
Noon: Matthews Medicine Jam.
1 p.m.: The Brown Baggers.
2:30 p.m.: Skyla Kate.
3:30 p.m.: Funk Agency with Special Agents.
5 p.m.: Dove Song.
6 p.m.: Science.
8 p.m.: Ellustyaide.
9 p.m.: DBST.
11 p.m.: Vizual Noize.
Midnight: High Ceiling.
2 a.m.: Fawcett, Symons & Fogg.
Sunday
Noon: Mr. Finkle & the Tragedy.
2:30 p.m.: Slug Bait.
This story was originally published July 28, 2016 at 1:32 AM with the headline "Shelton music festival has a Woodstock feel to it."