“A different way to experience a music festival,” was all seen all weekend at Park City Song Summit, and until you attend it, it is hard to understand just how true that statement is. Park City Song Summit is more than just music. The day starts with an emphasis on wellness with activities ranging from yoga, meditation, sound baths, or hikes in the beautiful Wasatch Mountains. Other activities include Summit Labs, which allows festival goers to hear from their favorite artists in a highly intimate setting. Each lab has different themes and adds an educational element to the weekend. Summit Labs featured a range of conversations, including discussions on the connection between food and music with Grammy-nominated Marcus King and celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern, the evolution of bluegrass with members of Greensky Bluegrass, and a conversation between headlining bands Dawes and Goose.
Beyond the labs, Park City Song Summit also has an element focused on recovery, with the full tagline of the festival being “a different way to experience a music festival, emphasizing wellness, mental health, addiction recovery & inclusivity.” This theme was met in both the wellness hours with “recovery hangs” and a lab hosted by Anders Osbourne, Anders Beck, Dan Manheim, and Matt Warren, who discussed their journey to recovery and how it impacted their songwriting.
It was a refreshing approach to a festival, and each part felt enriching. Whether it was the unique conversations being had in labs focused on ways to improve my life, as well as how to enhance the lives of artists and the industry as a whole. It was a fascinating experience and made the time for the actual performances even better.
After listening to LP Giobbi’s lab about ‘Being the Change’ in the music industry and ways her non-profit is working to support artists, it was time to make the short walk to the City Park stage, where I could instantly hear the stunning voice of local Utah artist Merakirozes carrying across the entire park. The crowd on the festival grounds at that point was small, this artist won’t be playing to small crowds for long. A truly incredible musician with a performance that moved me while watching on the tiny foundation stage.
Following that was the popular Terrapin Family Band. Led by Eric Krasno, the group put together a strong performance and even a guest slot from Goose frontman Rick Mitarotonda, before having to pause their performance due to heavy winds in the mountain valley.
As the crowd’s anticipation grew, Trombone Shorty Academy provided a fun preamble on the small stage, where a giant crowd migrated to sing and dance to their songs.
Before long, the headlining act, Goose, took the stage, another Grateful Dead adjacent act that the curated crowd benefited from the festival’s lineup. Similar to the Dead, Goose has a large and loyal fanbase that follows them where they tour, buys their art, and more. The standard “GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSEEEEE” cheers followed that any unaware may associate as boo’s, but it is one of the inside elements from the new jamband darlings.
They proved the entire night why fans follow them wherever they may be playing. They put on a show. The guitar shreds. Peter on keys is incredible, and they have an impressive cohesion to combine with the moments of improvisation, and each time I see them, I leave utterly impressed. I was happy to be among fans traveling to see this band headline in my home state of Utah.
Their double set evening was the perfect way to end a wonderful and refreshing weekend hosted by Park City Song Summit. I can’t recommend experiencing this one-of-a-kind festival. Each year has had an incredible lineup, and I hope to see some of you there next year.
