Mountain Jam 2008
by Peter Aaron
The birds are twittering. The sky is no longer varying hues of cinder–block gray. Instead, it’s a solid azure; bright, cloudless, endless. You can even see the peaks of the Catskills again. No, it’s not a dream: Spring has, actually and finally, sprung. And all over, Catskillians are gleefully engaged in the long–awaited rituals of tending their gardens, riding their bikes, and shedding their clothes—well, at least those heavy coats. For music lovers, however, these delightful rites are really just the precursors to a much grander, far more anticipated yearly event: WDST’s annual Mountain Jam concert festival, which takes place from May 30 to June 1 in the glorious outdoor setting of Hunter Mountain, where it will host the thousands of fans who come to camp, socialize, and take in performances by some of the top–drawing live acts on the planet—just as the event has done for the past four years.
But of course promoting, organizing, and preparing for such a colossal happening doesn’t give Gary Chetkof, WDST’s president and general manager, much of a chance to enjoy the gorgeous weather outside his mid–April windows. “Yeah, getting ready for Mountain Jam definitely puts a lot of stress on your life for a few months out of the year,” says Chetkof from behind the, er, mountains of promotional publications and papers currently jamming his carved wood desk. “But I’m also surrounded by very good people who really work hard on this event, which makes everything so much easier. And now we have a full–time vice president, Richard Fusco, who’s doing a great job.”
Mountain Jam debuted in 2005 as an event WDST devised to celebrate the station’s 25th anniversary, and it wasn’t until after the music—by Gov’t Mule, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Medeski, Martin & Wood, and others—was winding down that anyone involved thought about making the festival an annual tradition... CONTINUE...
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