FARMINGTON – Last week University of Maine at Farmington organizations Students for a Sensible Drug Policy and the radio station WUMF hosted a special treat for the students to enjoy: Green Beaver Fest.
It was a good time with many talented artists showing off their skills despite the chilly atmosphere we experienced Thursday evening at the amphitheater. Although it was cold, Green Beaver Fest ran from 1 p.m. to around 10:30 p.m. with a consistent crowd that came and went in order to freshen up on snacks and hot chocolate. After all, not many events take place like this for the student body, where bands and composers have the opportunity to wail on instruments in front of their friends and enjoy a pleasant, cheery-eyed spectacle right on campus.
Whether you prefer reggae, alternative, rock, rap, or heavy metal, you probably would have been satisfied due to the diverse musical performances put on by these individuals, some of which attend our very own UMF.
Eight bands in total were featured in the concert line-up, including Gristlestick, Boombazi, Harpsis, Blanket Plan, Stiff Whisker (and the Driftwood Kids), Nectaroons, Nijlsson Management, and Days Nocturnal. As a fan of rock, I found myself excited about Harpsis, a heavy metal band with quick electric guitar, loud drums, and a powerful voice that created a concoction capable of making the crowd jump around.
Following Harpsis was Gristlestick, a band renowned in Farmington for having considerable talent, and UMF students welcomed their usual shtick of humorous and interesting lyrics backed up by distinguishable talent from the rest of the band. These four individuals even travel to Alaska during the summer season and have become “Farmington’s only internationally touring band” (certainly the only one that I have heard of). Gristlestick finished up the show with my favorite of their songs, “Maine…it’s the place to be,” where they do not fail to mention some of the greater issues that make us lucky to live in such a place.
By the time a good crowd established, the dancing started as well. Since there were so many different genres represented on the concert’s playlist, the various dance styles were fun to observe and compare with each other. My dancing performance was perhaps a bit lacking, but, of course, only because of a thick Carhart jacket that restricted mobility and kept all my moves at bay (yeah right!)
After drawing my own conclusions and talking to students around town who participated in the fest, I have the notion that it turned out to be an overall success, and that the celebration is much looked forward to next year. We can thank our friends at WUMF for helping out, and especially SSDP for the inspiration and commitment necessary to host such a lively event. See you there next fall!
Thanks for the recognition, Harpsis loves you! UMF Students for Sensible Drug Policy were very pleased at how the whole event unfolded despite the chilly weather! We plan to throw a spring concert bash with some extra funds that were appropriated to us by Student Senate so be on the lookout for some more great bands coming our way.