Fans that did not score tickets to Phish at Red Rocks Amphitheatre should worry not; there just happens to be a four-day camping and music festival a few short miles away on a private ranch. For those that did score tickets, The Phamily Reunion Festival offers what Red Rocks cannot: camping and a safe ride to and from the festival to each Phish show. Set for July 30 through August 2 on the beautiful Van Eden Ranch in Idaho Springs, the good souls that love Phish, live music, camping, hiking, biking, hot springs and much more, will come together for a special string of days, all set to the good vibes of the Colorado Rockies.
With an already heavy-hitting lineup including The New Mastersounds, EOTO, The Heavy Pets, Juno What?!, LYNX & Janover, Ana Sia, YAMN and others, the festival promises to be big enough to stand on its own without Phish coming to town. With rumors surfacing after the 1996 Phish shows at Red Rocks about the band being banned because of an infiltration of campers in Morrison, CO, The Phamily Reunion is the perfect spot for one of the most coveted aspects of a Phish tour: community. And who knows, campers may just score the ticket they were looking for on the grounds of the ranch.
With four-day event passes available and buses running back and forth all day from the campgrounds to Red Rocks, it’s the ultimate and safest option. Add to that the chance to fish, hike, whitewater raft, gamble, soak in the hot springs, and horseback ride, The Phamily Reunion makes for perhaps the best all-around experience for both Coloradans and those visiting. Before heading to the lot at Red Rocks, campers can get their dancing feet warmed up to live music, only to be treated to late-night DJs and bands from Colorado and coast-to-coast.
Headlining the festival are The New Mastersounds, a funk, soul, jazz and rock quartet hailing from across the pond in England. It’s a true privilege to have such a pioneering act in the “new funk” movement in the Front Range of Colorado. From Colorado are slated both EOTO and Juno What?!, the former being a cutting-edge electro/improvisational duo, comprised of the rhythm section of The String Cheese Incident. Likewise, Juno What?! is a new project to come of the highly touted Colorado group The Motet, which has a passionate fan base in and around Colorado. Juno What?! brings back the eighties with a new look, combining fresh funk with quasi-disco undertones. The Heavy Pets are one of the hottest, up-and-coming jam bands on the circuit, all the way from Florida. Ana Sia is a psychedelic hip-hop DJ from San Francisco that drops huge beats, while the hip-hop, beat-boxing and innovative percussion of LYNX & Janover are not to be forgotten. More artists are to be announced, so stay tuned.
Fans won’t want to miss this epic weekend on the grounds of the Van Eden Ranch, where what is not being offered at Red Rocks is more than possible at The Phamily Reunion.
For more information about the festival and ticket pricing, visit: www.phamilyreunion.com
