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– OCP file photo
By Ross Field, Contributing Writer
ROTHBURY — The transformation of the sprawling Double JJ Resort is nearly complete. The huge pasture along US 31 is filling with tents and campers; the Sherwood Forest will be a kaleidoscope of lights and lasers; and by tonight (June 19) Oceana County’s population will have more than tripled as folks from around the world attend the 2025 Electric Forest which runs through Sunday evening.
Certainly a gathering of this magnitude brings with it some hassles for the local populace. But the Electric Forest has put Rothbury and Oceana County on the map, and after the Monday exodus from the festival grounds, all will be back to normal, a small price to pay for hosting what has become one of the most famous music festivals in the world.
No less of an authority than Billboard Magazine said of the Electric Forest: “A lot of festivals like to tell you they’re ‘different’ and ‘special.’ ‘Magical experience’ gets thrown around a lot, but when it comes to Electric Forest in Rothbury, Michigan, it’s 100 percent true. You’ve never seen woodlands like this, and the installations and light rigs turn each twist and turn of trees into a portal to strange, ethereal worlds. You can spend hours exploring, and each day will reveal new wonder.”
Take it from Dixon – of Dixon’s Violin – who has played at more Electric Forest festivals than any other act except perhaps the Shelby High School Alumni Band.
– OCP file photo
“I play at a lot of festivals all over the US, but the community and the family vibe at the Electric Forest is what sets it apart, what makes it so special. I’m not only able to perform, to do my thing, but I really just enjoy where I’m at,” Dixon said. “My favorite thing is just wandering and following whatever sounds are wafting through the trees. With all of the stages, if you happen on something that isn’t your thing just keep walking and you’ll find something you do like.”
Dixon’s Violin will open the festival at 3 p.m. Thursday and end it at 1 a.m. Monday.
Hopefully Mother Nature treats the Electric Forest more kindly than she did in 2024 when the concert grounds had to be evacuated for the evening twice due to lightning. Weather events are taken very seriously by festival promoters. Just last weekend, the Bonnaroo Festival was shut down after only one day of music due to heavy rain.
To be sure, the Electric Forest has become more “Electric,” as in Electronic Dance Music (EDM), over the years. The vast majority of the over 140 acts fall into the techno/house and bass/dubstep categories (and sub-genres), and every night is headlined by some of the biggest EDM acts in the world.
– OCP file photo
However, there are some great musical acts spread throughout the four-day schedule including The String Cheese Incident, which has played the Electric Forest since the beginning, and will once again bring its mix of rock and bluegrass to the festival on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. The band’s Saturday night shows at the Ranch Arena are legendary and not to be missed.
Thursday night, catch Evening Elephants, a pop-rock duo from Los Angeles at the Carousel Club and then head over to Sherwood Court where The Strike, a three-piece band, also from Los Angeles, bring its driving pop sounds to the stage at 6:45 p.m. Thursday.
Friday night, check out the LowDown Brass Band, a hard charging brass-laden band from Chicago when it brings its huge soulful sound to the Observatory stage. Then, head over to the Sherwood Court to catch SunSquabi, a funky rock trio from Boulder, Colorado.
On Saturday, start with Detroit’s Mike Posner at the Ranch Arena, and then catch the amazing Saxsquatch at the Honeycomb stage. End your evening with The String Cheese Incident and the band’s annual ‘Shebang’ at the Ranch arena. After the Cheese show, go catch Tractor Beam, a folk-rock band from Ontario, at the Sherwood Court.
Sunday is a big night at the Ranch Arena. Say She She, a post-disco pop-soul band starts the evening with incredible vocals and harmonies. Next up, the String Cheese Incident’s second set of the weekend. In years past their Sunday shows featured lots of bluegrass tunes.
Following the String Cheese Incident may be one of the most anticipated shows of the festival as Khruangbin, an eclectic trio from Austin, Texas, bring its sun-scorched rock and funk to the big stage. Though just a trio, Khruangbin creates a massive sound, and it will be a wonderful way to wrap up the weekend.
Some recurring happenings that directly affect Oceana County include the Shelby High School Alumni Marching Band that will march through the Sherwood Forest Sunday at 3:30 pm. The band has appeared at each Electric Forest over the years as part of the Music In Schools Program – now known as the Michigan Camp Project – which supports local music programs through the Oceana County Community Fund.
And, Conscious Alliance will sponsor the Ray Price Memorial Food Drive. In 2024, a total of 3,840 pounds of food was donated during the festival, and since 2011 over 405,000 meals have been donated.
For the first time in the history of the Electric Forest, individual day passes can be purchased for $175. To purchase passes, and for information, visit electricforest.com.
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