There is a location proven to permeate a plethora of benevolent vibes – a festival in Bridgeport, Connecticut called Gathering of the Vibes. Steeped out of the Grateful Dead tradition, people with strong values and good souls will gather to share love and the enjoyment of music at the 19th annual festival located just 1.5 hours northeast of New York City for four days and three nights over July 31st-August 3rd, 2014.
Vibes commenced in 1996, originally called Deadhead Heaven, as a musical response to fill the void from the passing of Jerry Garcia. In 1997, the moniker was changed to “Gathering of the Vibes.” The music and atmosphere are rooted in the tradition set forth by Garcia and his Grateful Dead brethren. In an era where new festivals are feverishly popping up each week, Vibes remains a trailblazer. Held in six different venues over its 19 years, 2014 marks the festival’s tenth trip to Bridgeport. The vast 370-acre Seaside Park, donated by legendary promoter and former Bridgeport mayor P.T. Barnum, provides strips of bouncy beaches, long lawns and panoramic views of Long Island sound.
By all accounts, the GOTV 2014 delivers one of the stronger lineups of any festival this season. Although rooted in the jam sphere, including Widespread Panic, Umphrey’s McGee, Twiddle, Dark Star Orchestra and moe, there is a litany of deep and diverse offerings to the varied lineup with jamtronica acts The Disco Biscuits (with special guests Bill Kreutzman and Mickey Hart) and Lotus sharing a Talking Heads set, and reggae offerings include Ziggy Marley and Slightly Stoopid, the funk will be delivered by Dumpstaphunk, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Deep Banana Blackout, Kung Fu and Orgone. When asked about how he makes the lineup so impressive, owner Ken Hays has claimed, “It is a result of sorting through thousands of comments and survey responses; we hope to deliver an experience that keeps our core fans happy while remaining diverse and current.” At press time, the Festival still has surprise acts to announce including the final two to close it.
Below are five acts you won’t want to miss at this year’s festival:
Lotus
Disco Biscuits
Twiddle
Joe Russo’s Almost Dead
Dumpstaphunk
