Five Things You Need to Know About Apache Lake Music Festival

Sarah Ghasedi

The "Future Loves Palms" Camp

Sarah Ghasedi spent her summer interning at KWSS' TMI morning program, learning the ins-and-outs of local music. This past weekend, she headed to the Apache Lake Music Festival, where over 50 Arizona bands showed of their stuff. Here are her findings.

By Sarah Ghasedi

The stretch of washboard road leading to the Apache Lake Marina & Hotel, site of the Arizona music showcase Apache Lake Mus Festival, feels endless. It's like being placed in a blender full of dust on the chop setting. While this may appear to be a deterrent, the promise of good times ahead helps push you forward (much like how I imagine our pioneer forefathers felt), though it's doubtful our ancestors could never imagine the debaucherous events that would one day take place in this beautifully serene oasis.

It's Coachella without the trust-fund, Burning Man without the overt peculiarity, and Bonnaroo without the excessive nudity.

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Firmly rooted in the advancement of the Arizona local music scene, Apache Lake Music Festival arose from humble beginnings.

Once a small gathering known as Jeromatherapy, it's grown every year to accommodate increasing interest by offering more music, gratification, and camaraderie. In particular, this year attempted the addition of an extra day to the schedule and as a result more bands and their fans flocked to this usually peaceful area. But what is the overall essence, the underlying grit or the fervent magnetism to this musical affair? The answer can be found in the people that ferociously support this growing community.

Any person can seek a part in this emerging tribe, but there are a few stipulations...

Eryn Wise

Warriors

Whether it's lines, ellipses or a mixture of both, this display of phylogenetic markings is a key attribute to the ALMF experience. Usually emerging the first day of the festival, late- comers can be seen desperately trying to find chieftains to grace them with their rites of passage. It signifies the acceptance that as the sun goes down, primal facets will only become more pronounced. In the morning, those left with large traces of paint on their face witnessed most of the night. Although, whether they regret it or not is a different matter.

Nightly Drum Conference:

It may drive a person into a euphoric state of insanity (with or without the help of hallucinogens), but it is where musicians and fans come to mingle. If you have a 12AM bedtime you'd like to keep, then forget it. Wherever a fire pit exists there will be people tapping, thumping and thrumming away. Early Saturday morning appeared to be the peak of these gatherings, since three drum circles could be heard echoing out of time off the canyon walls. As if this chaos wasn't enough, Big Chief fireworks began to whiz by the tents, exploding red sparks that shook everyone to their core and erupted a thirst for the savage.

Location Info

Venue

Map

Apache Lake

State Highway 88 at Forest Road 183, Roosevelt, AZ

Category: General

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