MJG Productions presents Revival Music Festival 2018 at Harmony Park on May 25-27, 2018 at Harmony Park Music Garden located in Clarks Grove, MN. Camping under the mighty oaks of Harmony Park Music Garden, located in Clarks Grove, MN, has long been considered by festival attendees, as “home.”

This year, Phil Lesh and his son Grahame Lesh, with their newest project, The Terrapin Family Band, will be joining those who call Harmony Park, “home” during May 25-27, 2018 for the 5th Annual Revival Music Festival.

The term “revival” is defined as: a re-awakening; a restoration to success, vigor, or to life; rejuvenation; resurgence; resurrection.

Similarly, the familiar songs of The Grateful Dead have been reinterpreted by the Terrapin Family Band, a musical endeavor created by Phil Lesh, legendary bassist of The Grateful Dead. The Terrapin Family Band was started in Marin County, CA as a house band for the music venue, Terrapin Crossroads. The Terrapin Family Band will headline on Saturday, May 26th

PURCHASE  TICKETS

Revival Music Festival’s lineup also includes artists such as: The Big Wu, Jon Cleary Trio, Useful Jenkins, Kind Country, Twiddle, Amy Helm, Cory Wong with Antwaun Stanley, Common Ground Company, Dead Larry, Frogleg, and The Brothers Almanac.

MJG Productions will be hosting the festival May 26th & 27th with a pre-party featuring Leftover Salmon on May 25th. Early Camping is available on May 24th.

Deadheads gathered under the sacred oaks of Harmony Park Music Garden on May 26-27, with a pre-party on May 25 featuring Leftover Salmon. The legendary bassist, Phil Lesh, was warmly welcomed by his fans and the accompanying 90-degree weather at Revival Music Festival 2018. The weather, however, didn’t deter the crowds from pouring into Harmony Park for an early camping festival option on Thursday, May 24.

During their headlining set, Kitchen Dwellers performed a cover of The Grateful Dead’s “Deal.” Following the performances scheduled on the main stage, the night wrapped up with an acoustic jam session with Grass Fed Mule. Scattered showers did not disperse the crowd from singing along under the roof at Lucky’s Pub. Shoes and raincoats were optional; many choosing to abandon these for the simple pleasure of dancing in the cool rain instead.

Friday continued to bring out the heat and music, as Revival kicked off for its 5th annual music festival hosted by MJG Productions. With umbrellas, temperatures, and good vibes soaring at Revival, Armchair Boogie took the stage. Additional performances that day included sets from Black River Revue, White Iron Band, and Cory Wong and Antwaun Stanley on the Harmonium Stage.

Performances by Samantha Fish, and renowned Jon Cleary were delayed by rain and lightning during the pre-party on Friday. Musicians and fans alike were relieved by the thunderstorm’s passing and the cooler temperature that evening. The crowd was electrified when the scheduled music resumed.

Leftover Salmon headlined Friday evening bringing the crowd to their feet after many fans had earlier spent the hottest hours of the day socializing in the shade beneath the canopy of the oaks. Tye-dye and hand-held fans were plentiful at Revival Music Festival this weekend. After the headlining performance, Vince Herman from Leftover Salmon played at the Shred Shack with a late-night cover of “Black River” by Amos Lee. The jam session drew a crowd that continued to feel the excitement reminiscent of the original Grateful Dead days until the sun began to rise.

On Saturday, the crowd didn’t let the heat get them down - armed with water guns, sprinklers, and umbrellas, Deadheads enjoyed the music and warm weather. Later that afternoon, Phil Lesh arrived on scene to Revival Music Festival during a typical Minnesotan summer thunderstorm. Miraculously, though, perhaps by good vibes alone put forth by Deadheads excitedly awaiting to see Phil Lesh, the storm seemed to pass as quickly as it came. Phil Lesh and his wife were observed enjoying the storm while waiting for it to dissipate, as their son Grahame Lesh rehearsed with Midnight North. Midnight North and Twiddle opened for Phil Lesh and the Terrapin Family Band on Saturday, May 26.

Phil Lesh and the Terrapin Family Band gave to Harmony Park a full 4-hour performance of back to back sets. During their performance Saturday night, The Terrapin Family Band played songs that featured themes of looking back at the past and lyrics mentioning the weather. “Bertha” appropriately started the first set with the tune ending with lyrics that gave a nod to the previous rain. As an additional song, the Terrapin Family Band performed “Box of Rain” with fans generously singing along to the lyrics, while there were - at gratefully - no rain clouds in the sky.

The second set included songs such as: “Unbroken Chain,” “Franklin’s Tower,” “The Wheel,” and “Help on the Way / “Slipknot.” Phil Lesh, and his son Grahame Lesh (acoustic guitar and vocals), as well as, Ross James (electric guitar and vocals), and (drummer and backup vocals) Alex Koford inspired the Harmony Park crowd to reminisce past times while enjoying the moment.

The Terrapin Family Band had one particular long-time Dead Head and fan of Phil Lesh who was particularly moved. After pridefully boasting he had seen Jerry Garcia with the Grateful Dead more than 50 times in his life. This Deadhead described the four-hour performance at Harmony Park by The Terrapin Family Band as being, “The closest to the original Grateful Dead performance since the Dead days, with the cohesiveness of the lighting and sound design, the unity of band members on stage, and the fun.”

Harmony Park has a special history of fans and musicians calling the site “home.” Too many musicians, the site feels like their playing in their backyard. During the VIP performance on in the VIP lounge early Friday afternoon, New Orleans-based musician, Samantha Fish, commented in between songs that she, “feels like I’m playing in my living room - my living room also has a disco ball!” The beautiful oak trees were home for those who camped over Memorial Day Weekend.

Famed Keller Williams had to say about the good vibes of felt performing at Harmony Park: “Harmony Park is a very special, special place. I have been coming here for many years. I feel very, very grateful to be a part of this festival, this site - whether, it be this name or a different name - it is something very, very special to me. There are these big trees and beautiful hippies that I only see here. It’s a calming sensation that I love ever so much. Hopefully, I can continue to come back. I hope to come back; maybe every year, maybe every other year, maybe every three years. I have no back-up plans. I hope to come back as many times as they let me, like I’m getting away with something.”

The festival closed on Sunday, May 27, with a laid-back acoustic performance from Pat Ferguson. Amy Helm gave a soulful set as the afternoon unfolded beneath the oaks. Other performances included: The Last Revel, Dead Larry, Useful Jenkins performing their album “Festival Express,” Coral Creek, and Frogleg. Keller Williams gave back to back sets. The first was a solo set with Keller Williams. The second set, Keller and The Keels, including Williams, Larry Keel (acoustic guitar and vocals) and his wife Jenny Keel (bass and backup vocals).

VIP lounge performances on Sunday included acoustic sets with Feeding Leroy, Amy Helm, Frogleg, Greeg “Cheech” Hall, and Miles Over Mountains. VIP Harmony Park goers were able to enjoy intimate sets with artists performing that day, while being wined-and-dined with offered meal and beer, including Beaver Island Brewing Co.’s newest IPA-feature, “Revival.”

The Big Wu closed off the festival that weekend. The band has a long history of hosting Memorial Day Weekend at Harmony Park. They were joined by Keller Williams for the Big Wu song “Rhode Island Red,” and many festival-goers were moved by the performance.

“Amazing adventure...golden...and unforgettable” Lor Fleckner, a long-time Big Wu follower, commented about her time spent at Revival.

Memorial Day Weekend spent under the oaks at Harmony Park was certainly filled with plentiful songs that uplifted the crowd, even more than the increasingly rising temperature that permeated the weekend. The excitement of being in the presence of legendary musicians, such as The Grateful Dead’s original bassist, Phil Lesh, was overwhelmingly evident through rain or shine. Each person leaving Revival Music Festival 2018 will have felt inspired to look back at the good ‘ole “Dead Days,” as well as, create new memories by taking time to play, rest, and celebrate the music in the oaks.

Legendary guitarist, Bob Weir, of the original Grateful Dead drew a sold-out show at the Palace Theatre in Saint Paul, Minnesota on March 19, 2019. Weir played with the trio The Wolf Bros consisting of bassist Don Was, and drummer Jay Lane.

Weir and the Wolf Bros played two-sets for Grateful Dead fans that paid reference to Minnesota. In the first set, Weir and the Wolf Bros played the song “Big River” with lyrics: “… I met her accidentally in St. Paul (Minnesota). And it tore me up every time I heard her drawl, Southern drawl.” Following “He’s Gone” which had the crowd swaying and singing along to the tribute to Jerry Garcia, who had originally written the song with Robert Hunter, the trio performed “All Along the Watchtower.” The lyrics in “All Along the Watchtower” written by Minnesota-musician Bob Dylan, can be viewed as another nod to the venue’s setting alongside the Witch’s Tower located in Saint Paul, Minnesota:

“All along the watchtower, Princes kept the view, While all the women came and went —Barefoot servants too. Outside in the cold distance, A wildcat did growl. Two riders were approaching, and The wind began to howl.”

Crowd favorites consisted of songs such as: “Lost Sailor” and “Wharf Rat.” During the second set, Deadheads sang along with Weir, with his gruff and grittier sounding voice. Since playing with the Grateful Dead, Weir has performed with many smaller musical projects; most recently he has been touring with the trio, The Wolf Bros. Weir’s performance on March 19th, showed an older, but more musically-matured and vocally-talented, Bob Weir since his early Grateful Dead days.

For many Deadheads, the show on Tuesday at The Palace Theatre was reminiscent of earlier shows The Grateful Dead had played at Soldier Field or the Watkins Glen Speedway- including the sights and smells. Weir’s slide-guitar caused familiar vibes, while the scent of marijuana perforated the air. Members of the crowd sported colorful tie-dye t-shirts, long beards, and dreadlocks, and some wore their original Grateful Dead tour-shirts featuring Jerry Garcia.

The second set consisted of songs from Bob Weir’s catalog and classic Grateful Dead hits including: “Bombs Away,” “The Music Never Stopped,” “Standing on Shaky Ground,” “Easy Answers,” “He’s Gone,” “All Along the Watchtower,” and Grateful Dead’s popular, “Wharf Rat.”

The crowd clapped to the beat of “He’s Gone” while also harmonizing with Weir during the chorus. The second set ended with an encore of “It’s All Over Now Baby Blue” that kept the crowd singing along to the lyrics: “You must leave now, take what you need, you think will last But whatever you wish to keep, you better grab it fast.”

One fan shared what he took away from the show; Tod from Minnetonka reflected on Tuesday’s performance and The Grateful Dead’s lyrics as, “I see all the lyrics as sermons; they’re blessings in my life.”

Although Deadheads hoped for Grateful Dead classics, such as “Scarlet Begonias” or “Samson & Delilah,” no one left disappointed after witnessing Weir and The Wolf Bros performed on Tuesday at the Palace Theatre. Everyone present in Saint Paul was glad to have witnessed a legend – Weir – visit Minnesota.

Revival Music Festival 2019 was hosted by Useful Jenkins for the first time in Harmony Park history. With an extra tight timeline, Useful Jenkins had less than two months to plan the entire festival, book artists, vendors, live painters, and more, to prepare for the Memorial Day weekend music festival. Despite the incredible time constraints, everything was accomplished with ease by Useful Jenkins and the Northern Sun crew when it came time for Revival Music Festival 2019 on Memorial Day weekend.

Revival Music Festival was kicked off with a pre-party with early camping to the first 600 guests that arrived on Thursday, May 23, 2019. Despite the rain earlier in the week, many guests found their way home to Harmony Park in Geneva, Minnesota and set up their camps before more rain entrenched the area.

On the first official day at Revival Music Festival 2019, the gates opened to a stream of cars at 10:00 AM. With plenty of raincoats, ponchos, umbrellas, and rain boots in sight, Harmony Park guest’s set-up their camps and waited for the weather to clear.

The music was kicked off by the band Goose, hailing from Connecticut, on Friday night at the Main Stage. The clouds gave way, and the sun came out to shine as the music started. This was the first time that Goose had played at Revival Music Festival. The young band from Connecticut fit right in with jam-band vibes to help clear the gloom. Easy tunes got the crowd dancing in mud puddles at the Main Stage. Many festival-goers chose to kick off their shoes and dance in the mud. Plenty of positive vibes helped dispel the gloom from the earlier rainy weather. “They barely took a breath during their set!” one festival-attendee exclaimed following Goose’s performance. The band Goose closed out their set with a slower tune to ease the transition into the next set by New Orleans Suspects and Tribal Gold.

Plenty of muddy bare feet, tie-dye, and dead & co. apparel were seen in the crowd during New Orleans Suspects and Tribal Gold who performed Friday, May 24, 2019. New Orleans Suspects and Tribal Gold gave a performance of pure gold to the ecstatic crowd of muddy fans. New Orleans Suspects and Tribal Gold brought a taste of Madi Gras to Revival Music Festival by hitting the stage wearing magnificent, flowing feather headdresses and fans with customized beading.

On the first night of Revival Music Festival 2019, Frogleg hit the Main Stage with their funk music. The reggae-funk-jam band drew a thick crowd who didn’t mind dancing extra hard in the equally as thick of mud at Revival Music Festival 2019. The crowd enjoyed a late night that remained rain free throughout the set of funky-stylings by Frogleg. Joe Dunn from Frogleg gave a quote after his performance on Friday: “We’ve been coming here since the start and plan on coming back every year to be “revived” at Revival.”

Friday night closed without a single cloud or worry in the sky as positive vibes soared high at Revival Music Festival 2019. The music played on without need to cancel due to the forecasted rain that was anticipated.

The band TAUK brought the FUNK to Harmony Park on Friday night, May 24, 2019. TAUK performed plenty of their top hits, including “Let It Ride.” The funk fest, continued with such covers as “Superstitious” that got the crowd singing along with TAUK loudly. The crowd roared for an encore by TAUK. Fans were extra rambunctious Friday evening after they had been cooped at camp on the previous night while it rained rained during the early-camping pre-party.

Following their set, Isaak Teal, member of TAUK, gave a quote about the crowd that night: “Feeling grateful for the Att-energy (attention and energy) we had at Revival.”

On day two of Revival Music Festival 2019, the band Rampant Roots started off the day at the side stage. Following Rampant Roots, local artist Smokin’ Joe took to the main stage.

With performances by Stringdingers, and Driftwood, at the main stage, and sets at the side stage by Clusterpluck, artist Big Zach, and artist Erik Koskinen, Saturday at Revival Music Festival was musically-speaking, in the best of hands. The crowd had good times enjoying the music alternating their attention between the main and side stages, as well as, the much-desired sunshine.

Kind Country played music off their new album “Hard Times.” The vibes felt at Revival Music Festival 2019 during Kind Country’s set was the opposite of “hard times,” where everyone was enjoying the music and dancing along to Max Graham shredding on the mandolin. Kind Country played songs with lyrics that related to the crowd’s energetic attitude such as, “Sounds Like A Party to Me” that got the crowd to riotously dance in the mud at the main stage. Kind Country brought out the bluegrass and boogie to Revival Music Festival 2019.

Following Kind Country, on night two of Revival Music Festival 2019, was Aaron Kam and the One Drops out of St. Louis. The set was heavy and heady. During the performance by Aaron Kam and the One Drops, the crowd jammed along to songs like “Love Me Higher.”

Friday night at Revival Music Festival 2019 was full of positive vibes among the oak trees. The crowd’s energy was revived as Fruition took to the main stage. Night two of Revival Music Festival 2019 brought a warm crowd to the chilly night at Harmony Park. The warm feeling extended to a double encore by Fruition to close out the night.

After Fruition’s double-encore ended, the music was not over. To continue the high feelings of revival, musicians such as Max Graham (lead singer and mandolin) of Kind Country, and Jon Sullivan led the crowd in a sing-along acoustic jam session at Lucky’s Pub.

On the final day of Revival Music Festival 2019, the band Humbletown started Sunday with bluegrass music to ease into the afternoon. Their easy tunes got the crowd feeling laidback and ready for the last day. Local act Bob Pat Band, and the band Monsters of Grass from Wisconsin, took to the stages next with bluegrass.

Revival Music Festival 2019 would not have been complete without an appearance by the band Burbillies, and the local act, Space Monkey Mafia. Warm feelings were heightened as the sunlight at Revival Music Festival 2019 continued to brighten and lift the spirits at Harmony Park.

Finally, on Sunday afternoon, the band that brought Revival Music Festival 2019 into creation, Useful Jenkins, hit the main stage. Useful Jenkins delivered with their set with plenty of crowd favorites. Useful Jenkins started off their set with “Festival Express” one of their top hits. The crowd danced vigorously barefoot to “Fast Eddie.” A guest-appearance by artist Keller Williams joined up with Kind Country to perform a bluegrass-rock cover of “Another Brick in the Wall.” Useful Jenkins finished their set with a heartfelt thank you to all of those in attendance of Revival Music Festival 2019. Useful Jenkins fully-delivered with both their set and their festival. To finish their set, Useful Jenkins performed for the loving Harmony Park crowd, “Home Sweet Home.”

Later Sunday afternoon, the Revival Music Festival crowd welcomed back to the Harmony Park main stage, artist Keller Williams, who performed on the main stage. He performed in front of a positively gleeful crowd who enjoyed Keller William’s looped-music. During his set, Keller Williams narrated a hilarious incident that occurred the previous night while he was playing at Sumer Camp Music Festival in Illinois which made all of Harmony Park laugh.

On Sunday evening at Revival Music Festival 2019, the west coast band, Dirty Revival, hit the side stage with a soulful sound hailing from Portland, Oregon. The romance at Revival was turned up with songs like “I just kissed my baby.” While the crowd was feeling frenzied and turned on following Dirty Revival’s set at the side stage, the high energy was building throughout the evening leading up to the festival headliner, Here Come The Mummies.

Here Come the Mummies started their set with a surprise entrance to the crowd’s awe, outfitted with light-up LED drums in a procession to the main stage where the funk fest commenced. The performance of Here Come the Mummies was epically choreographed, with suggestive lyrics enough to make your grandmother blush. The dancefloor was packed with gyrating hippies moving their booties to hilarious sexual innuendos and drug-use references. The performance was complete with elaborate mummy costumes that cloaked the musician’s identities to further titillate the crowd’s imagination, which just begged to be pulled off for a look at what was underneath the sheets. The cumulation of musical events leading up to Here Come The Mummies on Sunday night led up to an explosion of funk that carried on the euphoric vibes at Revival Music Festival 2019.

Although the lineup at Revival Music Festival 2019 consisted of bands from across the nation, there was a mutual feeling which was carried across the stage from the musicians to all of those in attendance of Revival Music Festival 2019. There was an agreed upon feeling of regeneration, reinvigoration, and restoration.

Joe Scarpellino of Smokin’ Joe gave this quote about Revival Music Festival 2019: “Revival was a resounding success. From the caliber of the national talent to the local showcases - you couldn’t have asked for a more sonically sound weekend. The Revival team truly came together to create something greater than themselves. They created a moment in time many will cherish for the rest of their lives, and I already can’t wait for next year.”

Revival Music Festival 2019 was a complete success, or as the Revival Music Festival website describes, “an improvement in the condition or strength of something.” There could not be a better way to describe how everyone felt after Revival Music Festival 2019. Those in attendance felt the strengthening of relationships of those around them, and the appreciation for the revitalizing moments shared at Harmony Park during Memorial Day weekend 2019.

Check out more photos from Revival Music Festival.