At Nelsonville Music Festival, Big Thief, Alex G, and Kurt Vile Brought Magic to the Ohio Hills: Recap & Photos

The post At Nelsonville Music Festival, Big Thief, Alex G, and Kurt Vile Brought Magic to the Ohio Hills: Recap & Photos appeared first on Consequence.

Hidden in the hills of Southern Ohio, the Nelsonville Music Festival has grown to become one of the Midwest’s most-loved festivals with an enchanting environment of musical celebration. Put on by local non-profit theater and arts center Stuart’s Opera House, the 2023 edition boasted one of its most impressive lineups ever, with indie heavy-hitters Kurt Vile, Alex G, and Big Thief leading the way to a memorable weekend of sunshine, twangy pedal steel, and all around good vibes.

As several artists proclaimed during their performances, the atmosphere on site at Nelsonville Music Festival is tangibly different from big-ticket events like Coachella or Lollapalooza. The setting of Hocking Hills instantly sets it apart from city-based festivals, and its relatively smaller footprint allows it to feel considerably more easy-going than other camping-based festivals like Bonnaroo. A stroll from the campgrounds to the beautiful Creekside Stage, housed in an untouched wooded area, feels like a mini hike through an Appalachian landscape.

The local vendors, as well as the presence of the Athens, Ohio, non-profit art studio Passionworks, only furthered the feeling of community. Grabbing a Jackie O’s Razz Wheat, perusing a variety of handmade goods, and admiring the inviting creativity of Passionworks’ many installations is as much a part of the Nelsonville experience as the music.

But, then, there was the music – and 2023 did not disappoint. Leaning heavy on sweet folk, emerging indie, and international gems, the lineup was full of standout sets from top to bottom. From New York up-and-comers Geese to songwriting legend Michael Hurley, jangle-dream icons Alvvays to country trend-bucker Margo Price, the sole source of stress for attendees was deciding between conflicting sets.

As the weekend went on, two distinct sects of artists emerged as the most talked-about performances: the twang-indie fusionists and the non-western rippers. The former encapsulates artists like Greg Freeman, Wild Pink, and the one-two punch of MJ Lenderman and Wednesday, acts who put a dynamic layer of fuzzy paint over their country and folk-influenced tunes. Lenderman, in particular, stood out, fully embracing the ethos of the festival by inviting underground songwriter Spencer Radcliffe, who hails from the area, to guest on saxophone for their set.

It was the performances from the non-western rippers, however, that brought the festival to peak levels. Unflinchingly led by Turkish Anatolian rockers Altın Gün and the Democratic Republic of Congo-based funk trailblazers Jupiter & Okwess, each set had enough people up on their feet and dancing to power a skyscraper. With Jupiter & Okwess inviting audience members to join them on stage and Altın Gün performing the rare unplanned encore, they were instant favorites for anyone lucky enough to see them play.

The big-font acts, for their part, commanded impressive crowds for the relatively-remote location, ending each night with show-stopping performances. Friday saw Kurt Vile and the Violators come through with stonery folk rock, much to the enjoyment of the many attendees indulging in their favorite special gummies (this writer, for one, rocked his GWAR Bud of Gods fanny pack every day, and received quite a few compliments).

Saturday featured the legendary Lucinda Williams, who invited Margo Price on stage for a cover of Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World,” before indie hero Alex G made the main stage feel like a DIY house show. Speaking a few words throughout the set and bringing along no merch, the songwriter has a somewhat brooding, mysterious vibe surrounding his set, but songs like “Runner” or “Hope” are difficult to frown through (and surprisingly hard rock in a live context).

Finally, on Sunday, Big Thief closed out the festival – and it’s a good thing too, because following the acclaimed folk-rockers would have been nearly impossible. Regardless if you’re part of the fanbase upset about the band changing the lyrics for the official release of the viral sensation “Vampire Empire,” it’s hard not to be enchanted watching Adrianne Lenker bare her soul through gentle acoustic ballads and angular freak-outs alike. Standing in the pit throughout their performance, you were never more than a few feet away from someone visibly sobbing to the music.

When covered in the press, it’s not uncommon for Nelsonville Music Festival to be described as one of live music’s ‘best-kept secrets.’ If the fest is able to successfully inject as much magic into the future years as they did into 2023, however, there’s no chance that the cat will be able to stay in the bag for much longer.

Nelsonville Music Festival 2023 Photo Gallery (click to expand and scroll through):

Kurt Vile & The Violators, photo by Brian Bruemmer

Alex G, photo by Brian Bruemmer

Big Thief, photo by Brian Bruemmer

Hearts Gone South, photo by Brian Bruemmer

Sierra Ferrell, photo by Brian Bruemmer

Sierra Ferrell , photo by Brian Bruemmer

Nick Shoulders, photo by Brian Bruemmer

Free Range, photo by Brian Bruemmer

Shannon and the Clams, photo by Brian Bruemmer

Sierra Ferrell, photo by Brian Bruemmer

Kurt Vile & The Violators, photo by Brian Bruemmer

Lido Pimienta, photo by Brian Bruemmer

Pearla, photo by Brian Bruemmer

Courtney Marie Andrews, photo by Brian Bruemmer

Jesse Daniel, photo by Brian Bruemmer

Lucinda Williams, photo by Brian Bruemmer

Rose City Band, photo by Brian Bruemmer

Margo Price, photo by Brian Bruemmer

Jupiter & Okwess, photo by Brian Bruemmer

Alex G, photo by Brian Bruemmer

Wild Pink, photo by Brian Bruemmer

MJ Lenderman, photo by Brian Bruemmer

Michael Hurley, photo by Brian Bruemmer

Alvvays, photo by Brian Bruemmer

Wednesday, photo by Brian Bruemmer

Big Thief, photo by Brian Bruemmer

At Nelsonville Music Festival, Big Thief, Alex G, and Kurt Vile Brought Magic to the Ohio Hills: Recap & Photos
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At Nelsonville Music Festival, Big Thief, Alex G, and Kurt Vile Brought Magic to the Ohio Hills: Recap & Photos

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