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Wednesday August 4th
The alarm goes off at 4:15am and I want to be on the road for New Hampshire by 5am. It is a little over a five hour ride to Soulfest from Long Island and I want to be there in time for Jefferey Todd on the Mountain Top Stage. This year rather than going solo I am being accompanied by my wife, Beth so I'll have company on the ride. The ride is fairly boring, mostly inter-state roads until we get off of the exit in New Hampshire. All of a sudden though the scenery becomes absolutely magnificent. The local road toward the festival site from the hotel where we are staying goes right along the shores of Lakes Winnisquam & Winnipausakee. That's right I said the H word, hotel, I'm 60 years old and was never into camping in the first place anyway. I enjoy my comfort almost as much as I enjoy my rock n roll. We arrived at the Festival site and checked in with the press tent, it was then that I found out that I would be emceeing the Deeper Well Stage and not the Mountain Top Stage.To say I am totally psyched is somewhat of a complete understatement. Let me explain about how Soulfest is set up. There are five stages. The Mountain Top Stage is literally that, it is located on the top of what I assume is Gunstock Mountain. There are two ways to reach the stage either on a thoroughly enjoyable fifteen minute ski lift ride or a two hour hike. I took the lift! It is very interesting watching the musicians who perform at this stage on the ski lift with their instruments on their laps. The Mercy St Cafe is located inside what would be the ski lodge during the winter season and provides a nice respite from the heat of the outdoor stages. The Inside Out Stage is located at the far end of the complex and is home to the more alternative music acts such as The Chariot and Project 86 as well as Paper Route and Flatfoot 56. The Revival Stage serves as the primary or main stage and is home to such acts as Switchfoot, Toby Mac, Mercy Me and the newly reformed O.C. Supertones. Finally we have my favorite haunt, the Deeper Well Stage. It is home to some of the best singer/ songwriters in the country as well as the more interesting indie artists.  Well back on the Mountain Top Stage I got a chance to see Jeffrey Todd as well as a four piece group from Colorado called SHEL who were absolutely amazing. The Mountain Top Stage closed out the day with an acoustic performance from Switchfoot vocalist, Jon Foreman. After this I headed back to the hotel for a good nights sleep, it's going to be a long couple of days.

Thursday August 5th
Even when I am on vacation I can't seem to sleep past 7am, oh well. After a pleasant breakfast at the hotel we headed out for Soulfest and again I was mesmerized by the beauty of the lake region. There is even an open cockpit bi-plane ride over the lake available, next year definitely I'll take a ride. I arrived at the festival and headed to the Back Room, during the ski season it is the lodges pub, to teach a music seminar. It went well and the crowd was very responsive to what I had to say. The lecture was followed by a song apiece by Marblehead, Mass. artists, Paul Phillips, Jim Trick & Rachel Taylor. Their tunes were the perfect compliment to the idea behind my presentation. Off then to the Deeper Well Stage which I would be emceeing the rest of the day and on Friday also. My stage manager was a young lady from upstate new York named Sarah Gardner, she was a total professional and kept the stage running as smooth as silk. It was a pleasure dealing with someone of her skill and grace. That evening the bulk of the performers were pot of an artistic community just outside Boston called Marblehead. Folks such as Jim Trick, Tom Conlon, Paul Phillips, Courtney Reid and Rachel Taylor are putting out some of the best music that is available today bar none. It is people like this that make doing a radio program such a complete joy. The Deeper Well was closed out at night by an "After Thoughts" performance by Matt Maher & Paul Coleman.

Friday August 6th
Friday morning came early with a breakfast meeting with a former pastor and good friend who is living in Rhode Island now. Off then to Soulfest and more great music. Although I love good music and always will, I find the older I get at events such as this the music is taking a second place to the pleasure of just hanging out with old friends such as the Marblehead contingent. Because of my position a emcee I stayed at the Deeper Well Stage for the day, I couldn't have asked for a better day. Music by Reilly, Maeve, Christopher Williams & Justin McRoberts and others filled the air with great tunes. Thanks and a job well done need to go out to Dan Russell, Ryan Camp and the rest of the Soulfest staff for making this one of the best, if not the best music and art festivals in the country.

Saturday August 7th
Saturday rolled around and I have to admit I played hooky, my wife and I went for an extended ride to check out the local scenery and take in a hot air balloon festival. I have since repented!!!  

Leaving New Hampshire left me with a few distinct impressions. There was, besides the quality of the music that I heard, a theme running through the festival. It was of the danger and catastrophe of human trafficking. The numbers of teenagers sold into sexual slavery in this country alone is absolutely staggering. Check out www.notforsalecampaign.org for more information. 

See you at Soulfest, next year!!!
Chris MacIntosh aka Grandfather Rock