Performances everywhere at Rothbury

Sat, Jul 4, 2009

ROTHBURY — Deep in the woods of the Rothbury music festival, sometimes you have to look away from the stage to find the real show.

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Seemingly out of nowhere, a troupe of hula-hoopers may start twirling around you or a giant on bouncy stilts will loom large overhead.

The performers came to Rothbury from across the country — some invited by the organizers, but many just happy for an audience.

Ashley Zeigenbein drove in from Kansas City, Mo., to enjoy the music and show off her hoop dancing skills.

After two days of music and movement, Zeigenbein said she's already learned part of the fun of Rothbury is expecting the unexpected.

"Who knows, we might end up on stage — we'll see," she said.

Dressed in a jester's cap, Brandon Huth practiced juggling to the tunes of Brett Dennen. Chances are he'll be more focused on the stage and less on his hand-eye coordination during the show he drove from Deadwood, S.D., to see.

"I came here for string cheese," he said, referring not to the delightful lunchtime treat, but to the String Cheese Incident, which played two sets Friday night.

After only one night at Rothbury, many already had epic stories to tell Friday afternoon. One man looked around at the hammocks and decorations scattered throughout Sherwood Forest and said: "Yeah, I would have remembered this last night — I know I haven't been here before."

The Double JJ Ranch in the tiny town of Rothbury in Oceana County was transformed into a music-lover's paradise for this weekend. Thousands stormed the wooded sanctuary Thursday morning, and were ready to rock and roll by the time the venues opened at 6 p.m.

The eclectic all-instrumental Toubab Krewe set the tone for Rothbury. They had virtually everyone at The Ranch Arena stage rocking to their African-enfluenced beats.

From their, crowds settled in to a mix of folk, rap and late-night techno music.

But the big names are yet to come. The Dead will take over Rothbury's biggest stage today for four hours of take-me-back-to-the-1960s fun. And on Sunday, old-timers Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan are the main attractions.