Will the addition of Trey to the lineup hurt Bear Creek’s intimate feel? Levine doesn’t think so, “We have had many internal discussions about how to grow Bear Creek, as it is a truly intimate, family environment. TAB will bring a much larger crowd and we will have to adjust for the increase. Our philosophy at Bear Creek is different than other festivals. We like to have a line-up chock full of incredible live bands, but not a bunch of headliners. We have previously decided that bringing in big headliners was a mistake in the early years, as headliners sometimes take over a show and the vibe does change. This is year 5 and our crowd has grown to a place that adding a few thousand more people shouldn’t affect the vibe very much. We have 6 stages, so folks get to spread out and there is always room to get close to the stages. I am sure that when TAB plays that the amphitheater will be crowded. Otherwise, I expect that the same relaxed vibe will persist.”
It doesn’t hurt that a number of Anastasio’s former and current collaborators are huge fans of the festival. “Tony Hall and Raymond Webber from Dumpstaphunk used to be in TAB. Jennifer Hartswick is a Bear Creek veteran and she put in the good word that Bear Creek was a great place for TAB to play. I expect some collaborations that weekend that will blow people’s minds. I once saw Trey play with MMW at 10,000 Lakes Festival and it was amazing. Imagine John Scofield and Trey sharing licks. I have goosebumps thinking about it,” Levine finished.
