Story by Garrett Bethman
The red trees were thick as thieves
…and rose powerfully above the
lush, green underbrush of the forest. Behind me was five hours of
dreams and thoughts as I traveled
from one side of California to the
other one April morning. Ahead of
me lay a winding track of road that
knotted and twisted up through
the steep, coastal mountains outside of Santa Cruz. At the end of
that road was Camp Krem and the
promise of something unique, DoIt-Ourselves Fest.
As I cut up the mountains on
switchback after switchback, I
wondered what kinds of experiences were in store for me at DoIt-Ourselves. Who would I meet?
What would I see? What would
I hear? What would I feel? They
were tiny mysteries that would
be solved over the corresponding
four days.
Just as i thought i might be
lost in the mountains
I found the bus shuttle for Camp
Krem and shot up a hairpin road
that rose quicker and higher than
anything I had driven so far. At
the top I found a light bustling
of people carrying signs, putting up tents and moving audio equipment, all the while laughing and
sipping on beer. A building sat
on the edge of the ridge we were
all perched on top of and looked
out at an expansive view of the
surrounding summits and valleys
I had just traveled up, down and
around.
I smiled at everything it had taken
to get me to this point—- financially, physically, emotionally— and
appreciated how this moment was
a product of just getting out into
the world and doing something for
yourself. I would have moments
similar to this one over and over
again across the weekend, cementing my love and appreciation for
one of the best experiences around,
Do-It-Ourselves Fest.
Created to serve the worthy
causes of its site host
Camp Krem, a special-needs
summer camp in Boulder Creek,
CA, the spirit of giving back and
doing for others is central to DIO’s
mission. It’s part of the reason why
the festival seems to have no ego,
no desire to puff itself up on vapid
pomp and circumstance. At its essence, the festival is just a backyard
party from a kick-ass backyard.
Everyone is down-to-earth, inviting and there to enjoy the music,
art and community around them,
with most lending their time and
talents in some way to make DIO
something for everyone.
This samaritan spirit not only
comes from the producers, patrons
and artists of the festival but from
the musicians. Bands come to
share their art with genuine intent
and are able to create real honest,
intimate moments. Thinking about
my time at DIO, I can string those
shining, little memories together
like stars in a constellation twinkling in the night sky.
I met new friends with big
hearts and a love for enjoying
a slice of life.
I saw people burning the midnight oil around a campfire and a
sound guy send it on skateboard.
I heard music that melted minds
and music that soothed souls. I felt
enriched and engaged with life,
happy to being experience the tiny
moments that make up a lifetime
in my most natural habitat.
Watching futurebirds pour
its heart into an enraptured
crowd
…during a full moon set. Surging with energy as Sugar Candy
Mountain cruised on ragged, psychedelic lightning, the rising coastal mountains providing a glorious
backdrop. Drifting on the breezy
melodies of Arthur Watership in
the tiny nook that is the amphitheater. Riding the Tejano rhythms
of Texas Funk and then taking in
the night sky with the members of
the band during the set break, all
of whom expressed their love and
admiration for the festival.
From the artists to attendees to
vendors to staffers and the many
people who joined Do-It-Ourselves
Fest, we all had created a wonderful, fantastical reality: we had built
a music festival on a mountaintop.
It was a temporary experience that
would be permanently imprinted on all of us, hopefully with
many more on the horizon, year
after year. All of our sacrifices and
everything we had put into the
festival—- financially, physically,
emotionally— had paid off.
Do-It-Ourselves Festival | April
26-28, 2019 | Camp Krem 102
Brook Lane, Boulder Creek |
Tickets on sale while supplies last:
http://do-it-ourselves.com/tix