The String Cheese Incident headlines the first day of the Merryland Music Fest on Saturday.
By DCist Contributor Andy Cerutti
The All Good Festival is no more, but don’t worry—it’s all good.
Tim Walther, the owner and founder of All Good Presents, retired the festival. He says it was plagued with a long list of logistical challenges during its 18-year run, including changing locations at various venues around West Virginia, a lack of adequate infrastructure in the area, and resistance from locals to large-scale events.
In its place comes the inaugural Merryland Music Fest, taking place this weekend at Merriweather Post Pavilion. The two-day event features an impressive lineup of nationally touring jam bands alongside bluegrass, funk, and reggae groups.
“Merriweather is much easier on the political front for us,” Walther tells DCist. “The entire Columbia community has been highly supportive and understanding. They get it.”
Walther has had experiences at Merriweather as a fan. (He says that his first show there was a Ted Nugent concert in the early ’80s.) But as a producer, Walther is excited about renovations coming to Merriweather that could make it a long-term home for Merryland. Among other upgrades, the venue is raising its pavilion roof to improve sightlines and installing a new turntable stage to speed up changeovers between acts.
Bands performing at Merryland include The String Cheese Incident, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, Grace Potter, Stephen Marley, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, and the Yonder Mountain String Band.
One genre that isn’t holding much stage time is EDM, which seems to be taking over every festival these days, though Lotus is performing on Saturday.
“The biggest payoff for me is being able to book the bands I like,” Walther says. “It might sound selfish, but I’ve always chosen to book and work with the bands that I would want to see at a festival, and that’s how we approach our bookings.”
He hopes that Merryland’s atmosphere will have a “magical element and vibe.” Craft vendors and organizations like HeadCount and Rock The Earth will also be on hand.
So while Merriweather is a new venue for his production company, Walther aims to create an event that is full of camaraderie.
“Our bands set the pace and are all community-oriented,” he said. Our bands care about their fans and keep a strong connection going to the point of friendship.”
The Merryland Music Fest takes place on July 8 and 9 at Merriweather Post Pavilion from noon to 11 p.m. Visit the website for set times. Single day, Two day, and VIP tickets available. $75-$200.
