"Never saved up for a rainy day / Never thought that we might howl and shiver / But all these storms I know we'll weather / All these storms we'll ride together." – Todd Sheaffer, Railroad Earth
When the live music industry came to a screeching halt in March 2020, millions of live music fans around the world lost an integral piece of who they are. The musicians, however, lost nearly everything.
What was already a difficult and often lonely life on the road became even harder, and mental health suffered. That’s why one northwest Indiana music festival is on a mission to support the mental health of the artists who help concertgoers “remember who the heck [they] really are.”
After a four-year hiatus, Lightning Bug Music festival is set to return to the 238-acre Sunset Hill Farm County Park Sept. 9-10 for two days and nights music, art, wellness and community. Portions of the proceeds will be donated to Backline, a 501(c)(3) non-profit that connects music industry professionals and their families with mental health resources.
Backline was formed in 2019 after the suicides of Jeff Austin and Neal Casal, who were beloved members of the live music scene. The organization connected thousands of people with resources and counseling since its inception, and several artists performing at Lightning Bug spoke to the fragile nature of mental health.
Tim Carbone, fiddle player for headliner Railroad Earth, summed up the importance of music and mental health with an anecdote:
“Years ago I had the honor and pleasure to perform music for the Dalai Lama in his home in Dharamshala, India. When we finished, His Holiness said, ‘Music will be one of our most important tools to heal the world, to bring it peace and happiness’. Having lost my profession during the pandemic I experienced something I’d never experienced before… depression. I am not the only one. As Joni Mitchell said, ‘You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone’.
Mental health can be as fragile as a Fabergé egg. As the Dalai Lama said, music heals. That goes for both the listeners and the music makers.”
Country-blues legend Charlie Parr said clinical depression often feels like what he imagines drowning would feel like.
“I feel helpless, alone, cold and dark,” Parr said. “For my entire life, music has been my life preserver against this feeling, bringing me to dry land, warmth and light. Music has brought me to a community, it’s brought me inspiration, and given me the will to overcome that helpless feeling and get myself to a place where I can get help and get better. I’m grateful every single day for the gift of music, even on the hardest days, when it’s a challenge to even listen, the song is still playing for me.”
Westbrook said he wants Lightning Bug to bridge the gap between the artists and fans, and help everyone benefit from the symbiotic nature of the live music community.
“I think a lot of people, myself included, use live music as some form of therapy,” said Lightning Bug Director John Westbrook. “For live music to just one day be non-existent was very eye-opening. … Watching music come back and just observing a crowd and how happy people are during the concert of their favorite band – I never really fully grasped how important it is for a community and for a culture. So, we really appreciate organizations such as Backline who devote all of their energy toward helping touring musicians who go through quite a hard life to get show to show and share their art to help people out.”
The Experience
The festival’s slogan, “Remember who the heck you really are,” refers to an “a-ha” moment that comes from seeing your favorite band in an environment like the 238-acre Sunset Hill Farm County Park.
“I think a lot of people deep down know what’s important to them and where they want to go and who they want to be around,” Westbrook said. “It’s not finding out for the first time, it’s all within us, and live music helps that come out.”
The festival has tapped the legendary Americana jamband Railroad Earth to headline both nights of the festival, while Grammy-winning blues artist Cedric Burnside takes the stage Saturday afternoon. The rest of the lineup is a mix of notable Americana, bluegrass, folk and jamband acts from across the country, including Ghost Light, Duane Betts, The Lil Smokies and more.
Michigan acts Lindsey Lou, Pajamas and 16-year-old Trevor Shepich will be performing throughout the weekend as well.
The amphitheater can hold a capacity of 4,000, with two side-by-side stages for a non-stop musical experience. Just outside the amphitheater gates on Saturday and Sunday morning, a health and wellness market will be home to local artisans, including food and beverage vendors.
For the first time, the festival also will have camping for up to 3,000 people, as well as a sprawling prairie preserve, woodland paths and fields of wildflowers to enjoy.
“It’s important to us that folks came come in, take a few days off from their life and kind of settle into nature,” Westbrook said. “We’ve tried to capture the beauty of the venue with video or pictures, but I think it will just take people going there to really appreciate the beauty of it.”
The venue is located just north of Valparaiso, Ind. and less than an hour drive from Chicago, Benton Harbor and South Bend. Two-day passes are on sale for $125 and single-day passes are $65. Camping at the festival is encouraged and priced at $25 per car and $100 per RV. Kids 12 and under get into the festival for free. Find tickets here.
By Ryan Yuenger
ryany@wsjm.com
