There are few mid-sized music festivals in the United States with the legacy, devoted fanbase, and magical ambience that match Northern California’s High Sierra Music Festival (HSMF). This year’s installment of the annual Fourth of July weekend gathering in Quincy, CA, proved once again why HSMF deserves such accolades.
First, there’s the music – so much music, in fact, that there’s only room here to brush the surface. To wit: Molly Tuttle was radiant in front of her new band, playing a set that leaned toward homegrown country music rather than the newgrass oeuvre she’s played in recent years. Andy Frasco whipped the crowd into a frenzy; everyone dancing the hora at his command in front of the Big Meadow. Musicians, including guitarist Eric McFadden and Dan “Lebo” Lebowitz (ALO), trumpeter Jennifer Hartswick (Trey Anastasio Band), and singers The Rainbow Girls, popped up frequently on stages in guest spots with numerous other bands. Children were treated to “private” performances in the Kids' Zone by Steve Poltz and members of ALO.
Dogs in a Pile kicked up a jam-band storm. Amy Helm paid tribute to her father Levon with a rare (outside of Woodstock) Midnight Ramble. ALO played two full sets, including a late-night show with tons of guests. And there were performances by Daniel Donato, The Third Mind (featuring, among others, Dave Alvin of the Blasters, Victor Krummenacher of Camper Van Beethoven, and a special appearance by Steve Berlin of Los Lobos on sax), NOLA funk masters The Rumble, the sensational Grace Bowers… the list goes on and on. Over 60 acts played sets at this year’s HSMF!
That’s not even counting the multiple “Playshop” configurations where amalgamations of artists gathered for one-of-a-kind sets such as a tribute to Paul Simon’s songbook, the über-axe Guitarmageddon collaboration (this year covering The Meters), and an improv session featuring members of TAB, JRAD, and more.
Festival producer David Margulies says this year's HSMF “further solidified its long-standing legacy as a musician's festival where one-of-a-kind sit-ins, collaborations, and special theme playshops set the tone for the magic.”
In addition to the music, HSMF is known for “extracurricular” activities like daily parades, morning yoga, and wine tasting in the “Daily Swirl.” This year also featured RhythmetriX, a leader-directed drum-circle experience providing congas and folding chairs for all willing participants. A Shabbat tent held a festive service attended by dozens of both Jewish faithful and curious festers at sunset on Friday night. Meanwhile, kids of all ages got to own their own corner of the festival grounds where a jam-packed daily schedule of options included arts and crafts, piñatas, and games.
In other words: there are festivals, and then there is the High Sierra Music Festival.
The gossip leading up to the 2025 HSMF was often pessimistic and at times fatalistic. Rumors that last year would be the final HSMF proved wrong when dates and performers were announced in late winter for this July’s festival. Even then, however, some observers bemoaned the lack of “headliners” matching the stature of main-stage closers in previous years like Robert Plant, Tedeschi Trucks Band, and Thievery Corp. Also, some veteran fest attendees were concerned about the potential for summer swelter after last year’s 100-plus-degree weather.
Due to those and other factors, advance ticket sales were lower than expected. Even promises of more shade and options like glamping tents and early RV entry didn’t do much to move the needle. A few articles appeared in the press about a month before this year’s festival with quotes from producer Margulies suggesting the event might even be canceled.
Thanks to Margulies and his team, and perhaps in part due to some late ticket purchases and donations to the festival’s nonprofit fundraising organization, the show went on. And what a show!
As it turned out, the festival was clearly more sparsely attended than any year in the past several decades. Ample space in the Shady Grove campground remained open throughout the weekend – albeit in the sunnier, less desirable spots. The Grandstand Stage crowds for the biggest acts were noticeably smaller than usual. Even just a few weeks before the festival, some attendees were able to grab one of the few hotel rooms in the small mountain town, an unheard-of score in years past.
But none of that prevented the fans who came to Quincy this year from having a marvelous time in the near-perfect weather. And the music was as joyful and tasty as ever.
In fact, the lack of bigger names on the bill made more room for rising stars. High Sierra is where headliners are made! A few years before COVID, Ron Artis II made his HSMF debut in early-day slots on the festival’s smaller stages while touring for his first album. This year, he closed the main stage on Saturday night. Halfway through his set, he came out into the audience to play some acoustic songs in a true “High Sierra moment” that cemented his stature with the aficionado crowd of music lovers.
The next day, Artis II came on stage to jam with young funk-guitar whiz kid Grace Bowers. Another rising star, Bowers is only 18 – but she plays leads like an old soul. The two of them, Bowers and Artis II, awed each other, trading licks before an adoring crowd. That’s the kind of magic combo HSMF lifers expect and love. Headliners, schmedliners!
On Friday, San Francisco rocker Pamela Parker was playing a “pop-up” midday set in the campground. Between songs, she took out her phone. “I’m getting a text from Eric McFadden. He’s asking me to join his set with Sgt. Splendor later today.” Sure enough, a few hours later, Parker and McFadden were literally rubbing shoulders on the Grandstand Stage during the Sgt. Splendor slot like rock stars (which they are!) while strutting their fretboard stuff.
More HSMF connectivity: Parker’s campground set included Maxwell (Malik) Friedman on keys. Friedman has been coming to HSMF with his family since he was a youngster, camping in an RV in the Big Meadow area. In his mid-teens, after wowing passersby on his portable keyboard in the camping area, he was asked several times to join musicians on stage. This year, joining his family in the campground at HSMF for the first time in several years, the young man was everywhere – including an entire set in the Vaudeville Tent sitting in with The Slip and a turn on melodica during Sunday night’s Everyone Orchestra improv jam.
Maybe the next star to arise from HSMF will be Ryland Bowling, son of virtuoso pianist Holly Bowling. For a few years now, Ryland has been practicing air guitar and air drums in front of and on stages where his mother performs. (Did I mention he’s only four?) Andy Frasco had the lad come on stage one afternoon this year at HSMF to thunderous applause. And that’s without even plugging in yet!
Shouts out to a few other performances that wowed me: Parlor Greens funked it up in the Vaudeville Tent with heavy organ, guitar, and drums. Natalie Cressman (trombone and vocals) and Ian Faquini (acoustic guitar and vocals) shared their love for each other – they’re newlyweds – and Brazilian jazz with a fawning crowd in the new, air-conditioned Lagniappe Lounge. Surprise Me Mr. Davis, a “supergroup” featuring The Slip and troubadour Nathan Moore, was born at HSMF many moons ago; their two sets were full of musical fun and lyrical delight.
Those were just a few of my favorites. Everyone else’s lists will, of course, vary. (Margulies simply told me his list of standouts has “far too many to mention.”) True to form for a festival with so much good music on so many stages counter-programmed against each other, I did not even see a handful of acts that other people raved about.
The future of HSMF, like so many festivals in these trying times, is uncertain. Margulies notes that “Our contract with Plumas County [to rent the fairgrounds] ended after this year's festival. We have operated at a loss for the last four years and are exploring all possibilities to make the festival sustainable.”
In conversation earlier this year, Margulies suggested it might be time to move the festival. Perhaps it’s time to relocate to a slightly smaller venue, maybe in a town with more hotels and Airbnbs for festival attendees who don’t want to camp. Leaving Quincy might be a blow to the small town’s economy – but it might be the only way to keep HSMF alive. Rumors among a few musicians I talked to hint at a possible location in Grass Valley, CA. But at this point, nobody knows for sure.
Want to help keep HSMF alive? Music lovers, festival lifers, and anyone who wants to contribute to the magic are encouraged to visit https://www.highsierramusic.com/ and click on the “DONATE” button to show your support and appreciation for live music, quality family fun, and the legacy of HSMF. All contributions are tax-deductible.
These things are certain if HSMF continues: musicians will produce epic moments in unique configurations; stars will be made; kids and adults will have the time of their lives; and the magic will live on.
