28th annual Bumstock pleases festivalgoers

ORONO — It was apparent from the beginning that the 28th annual Bumstock would have something for everyone.

The two-day festival at the University of Maine’s Concert Park kicked off Friday afternoon with a main stage performance from hard rock band Headcount and a second stage performance from the UMaine Jazz Ensemble.

While Friday may have been a little colder than most would have liked, the weather didn’t stop roughly 1,200 people from pouring onto the field in the afternoon to take in what is a long-awaited event each year. That number more than tripled later in the night.

Some of Friday’s fan favorites included Another Planet, Addison Groove Project and the night’s closers, Gypsy Midgets. All three played on the 40-foot-by-60-foot main stage which was put in place temporarily.

On the festival’s permanent “Bumstock Stage,” which is about a quarter the size of the newly erected main stage, audiences slammed around to the likes of Strikt-9 and Destro’s Pre-Adolescent Fan Club. Also playing the second stage Friday night were the mellower groups, Gren and Billings Brew.

Saturday held a little more promise, both in terms of crowd turnout and weather conditions. Temperatures in the 60s and clear skies by noon made way for about 5,000 participants and the abundant return of hacky-sacks and Frisbee discs; longtime trademarks of Bumstock festivities.

Bumstock’s second day also fared a little better with vendors as some had packed up the previous night due to intermittent rain. Concession stands, clothing tents and record company tables caught the eyes of many festivalgoers.

“We’ve seen a lot more kids in here today,” said Michelle Pierce from the Endless Trail out of Wells, which sold clothing, sunglasses and accessories. “It’s been kind of slow during the days, but it’s really picked up at night.”

The main draw Saturday afternoon came on the second stage as heavier bands like Section 9 Secured, Ransom and Diecast riled up the fans with grinding guitar riffs and piercing vocals. In a rather unexpected move, Spork even smashed guitars at the end of their set, giving the pieces to eager fans.

Putting on heated performances on Saturday afternoon’s main stage were Greedy Edna, Colepitz, 7th Rail Crew and Tree. All four bands are known for their edgier musical style, usually referred to as simply “hard core.”

As the sun went down Saturday evening, the field filled up and a large number of minors circumvented an “18-and-over” rule for Bumstock by bringing a parent. Though no drinking was allowed anywhere on the Bumstock field, officials implemented the 18-and-over rule this year mostly for safety reasons.

Performing free-spirited jams on opposing stages were Seeking Homer and Sweet Tooth Scotch. Both bands moved many in the audience to dance, while others also enjoyed the music sitting on the hay-covered fields.

Breaking up the jamming grooves Saturday night was another of Bumstock’s main attractions, Corey Glover. The former frontman for rock band Living Colour, Glover busted out soulful lyrics as the other three members of his group pumped out rhythms that were a little louder than most were expecting.

“I had no idea they would be this intense,” commented Bumstock’s Dean of Music, Nick Plante, who was in charge of the musical element of Bumstock. “They really got this crowd moving, and I think there’s a lot of people that are glad [the band] got to come and perform.”

The festival closed just before midnight with Bumstock regulars Strange Pleasure, a five-piece jam band from Portland, playing on the main stage. On the second stage a nightclub-oriented crew listened to the mixes of DJ RPM and DJ Shade.

As a whole, the two-day festival produced very few problems, with public safety officials arresting about a dozen participants for disorderly conduct and public consumption of alcohol. The organizers found much to be pleased about.

“We had all the bands show up on time, and for the most part, the show ran itself,” said Robert Goldstein, Bumstock’s Dean of Good Will, one of the organizers of the event. “I think everyone came out to enjoy themselves, and that’s really what it’s all about.”