Ty Helbach Photography: Blue Ox Music Festival

Another great thing I got to do this summer was attend the Blue Ox Music Festival with Horseshoes & Hand Grenades. This is a three day festival outside Eau Claire and had a stacked lineup this year. While I was there to shoot photos and help with HHG I did snap some photos of other acts as well.

The whole festival is set up and run so well. The campgrounds meander through hilly forests around the actual concert "bowl". They have the Main stage and a smaller side stage that would flip flop with acts during the day. At night they had a cool late night stage out in the middle of the woods where different acts would play.

There was family camping. Quiet camping and all out party camping.

First day we arrived we parked backstage set up tents and whatever else and music. Them Coulee Boys kicked off the whole festival and rocked followed by the Jeff Austin Band on the main stage. Fruition, The Traveling Mccourys, The Grateful Ball all followed capped off by a great set by Sam Bush Band. That night we took in the late night stage with Charlie Parr and Feed the Dog and it was awesome.

Day two was kicked off by the fabulous group from Eau Claire called LASKA. Check them out seriously. I heard Colter Wall for the first time as well and he was amazing. Dead Horses followed as well as Dead Man Winter with a great set into Son Volt. HHG was up after and killed it as per usual.:) the rest of the lineup that night on the main stage was The Infamous String Dusters, Pert Near Sandstone and closed out by a great set and light show from Green Sky Bluegrass. That night we hung out at the campsite and backstage jams and cold Bells beer flowed until the early hours of the morning.

Day three awoke to a guest in our backstage campsite. Punch Brothers tour bus had joined us. Adam and friends had a jam early in the morning at a stage put on by the Boats and Bluegrass folks...another fine festival coming up at the end of the summer. After the jam Joseph Huber kicked off the days music on the Saloon stage and was great. He has a new album out go buy it. Billy Strings wowed as did Willie Watson. Keller and the Keels played before The Punch Brothers took the stage and completely blew me away. I have seen Chris Thile with Nickel Creek and with Bela Fleck but this was out of this world good. They took a field of sweaty hot bluegrass fans looking to dance and silenced them all. They listened and loved it. After that Pert Near played another set and then Drive By Truckers did some in your face rock and roll. Railroad Earth jammed the night away to close out the main stage. After the main stage closed out we took a short golfcart ride to the late night stage in the woods. It was a epic jam of members of Pert Near, Henhouse Prowlers, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades, Feed the Dog and Railroad Earth . I am sure I am forgetting someone but there were about 100 people on stage it seemed. The woods were rocking till late and so was the jamming backstage afterwords. When we left the next morning the main stage was already torn down and there were still folks pickin backstage from the night before. Thanks again to Horseshoes & Hand Grenades for taking me along and providing me with another great experience. Here are some photos. As always I have an album on my Ty Helbach Photography facebook page that has more.

I did not hit on every band that played but gosh darn if the whole lineup was amazing. A well done festival for sure.