Featured Stories,  Festivals,  Live Performances

Highlights and a Review of Electric Forest 2014 (Photos)

By Alexis Simpson

THURSDAY
We arrived in Rothbury, MI Thursday night, and had to find our whereabouts at Electric Forest in the dark. The festival grounds are immense, so be prepared to walk a lot. The lineup of Electric Forest was also extensive, so the plan was to see as much as we could but to pace ourselves since the festival was 4 days long. Our first stop was the Ranch Arena to see The Glitch Mob. Throughout the weekend, this group was mentioned by many festival attendees as being one of the best.

Electric Forest 2014

 

Next we ventured into Sherwood Forest. Sherwood forest is especially magically at night, and is what distinguishes Electric Forest from all other festivals. The psychedelic lighting and art installations scattered about the forest make it a wondrous place to explore. There are also two smaller musical stages located directly in the forest which allow for a more intimate musical experience. There are many nooks, hammocks and other hidden areas where fans can sneak off to get some rest. Performance artists in varying costumes hang out in this area as well.

Electric Forest 2014

Electric Forest 2014

Electric Forest 2014

Electric Forest 2014

Electric Forest 2014

Electric Forest 2014

Electric Forest 2014

Electric Forest 2014

Electric Forest 2014

On the other side of Sherwood Forest, is the Sherwood Court stage which was the farthest hike, but held some of the best performances. The Thursday night highlight was Umphrey’s McGee who also played Saturday night.

Electric Forest 2014

Zeds Dead closed out the Ranch Area stage, and was one of the most talked about performances of the weekend.

Electric Forest 2014

FRIDAY
Exploring the festival by day allowed us to get a better grasp of all that the festival has to offer.

Electric Forest 2014

Electric Forest 2014

Electric Forest 2014

Electric Forest 2014

Hammocks, hula hoops, and skin seemed to be in.

Electric Forest 2014

Electric Forest 2014

Electric Forest 2014

Electric Forest 2014

Electric Forest 2014

Electric Forest 2014

Electric Forest 2014

Electric Forest 2014

But, be careful…The undercovers were there to make sure things didn’t get too out of control!

Electric Forest 2014

Lauryn Hill was our first performance of the day, and the one I looked the most forward to. She was wonderful live, and despite taking the stage an hour late, won over the forgiving EF crowd.

Electric Forest 2014

Electric Forest 2014

The heat on the other hand, was unforgivable. The humidity was ridiculous and the temperatures ranged from around 85-89. UGH. But by day, we had even more performance artists, interesting outfits, and art installations to enjoy.

Electric Forest 2014

Electric Forest 2014

Electric Forest 2014

Electric Forest 2014

Electric Forest 2014

Electric Forest 2014

The String Cheese Incident was especially well-received at EF.

Electric Forest 2014

Electric Forest 2014

SATURDAY

Today started off with Unicorns!

Electric Forest 2014

Next we headed back to Sherwood Court to see Schoolboy Q of Los Angeles, who is huge in the hip hop realm right now. He was excited to perform and seemed to kick out of the uniqueness of the festival.

Electric Forest 2014

Stephen Ragga Marley killed it on stage and helped the festival continue to feel the love despite the heat and humidity.

Electric Forest 2014

Electric Forest 2014

A surprise top performance of the day was from Detroit’s own Muzzy. His enthusiasm drew a huge crowd, and we can’t wait to see him perform again!

Electric Forest 2014

Electric Forest 2014

SUNDAY

We started the day by checking out the food and shopping selection in the campground section of the festival. Our fave was the crepe and coffee stand. The girl working the stand told us that she is a food vendor at over 30 festivals!

Electric Forest 2014

Electric Forest

Next Seven Lions on the Tripolee Stage had everybody dancing as the sun was starting to set.

Electric Forest 2014

Electric Forest 2014

Electric Forest 2014

Electric Forest 2014

Next Cashmere Cat chilled things out a bit.

Electric Forest 2014

Electric Forest 2014

Tcyho of Ghostly International continued the ambient atmosphere.

Electric Forest 2014

Electric Forest 2014

Cut Copy livened things up with their sexy electro-pop quirkiness.

Electric Forest 2014

Cut Copy at Electric Forest

Cut Copy at Electric Forest

Lastly, Moby, an electronic music classic, showed the festival just how much he loves music with an energetic performance that was entwined with more than enough beeps, squeaks, and booms to rival any DJ out there.

Electric Forest 2014

Electric Forest 2014

Lastly, Electric Forest exceeded all expectations. It’s true what they say about the festival being surrounded by vibes of love and community. In order to partake in all the amazing activities that the festival has to offer, one needs STANIMA. There is so much to see and do, that the festival leaves you wanting more and looking forward to coming back again next year for another exhausting yet exhilarating four day weekend.

Electric Forest

Electric Forest

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