Elevating Us All – The Ramble Festival 2023 Proves To Be The Most Spectacular Independent Music Festival In The DMV

If the way one was greeted wasn't memorable and spectacular enough, the music, attractions, vendors, and campgrounds would provide the backdrop for a weekend that will echo deep in the memory of everyone at Ramble Festival 2023: artists, staff, and attendees alike.  At the core of this festival's beliefs is the following ethos, "At the Ramble Festival, there are no VIP tickets because everyone is a VIP.  We're elevating the festival experience for everyone a couple notches rather than elevating it significantly for a select few."  This statement is not just festival website copy text - but a deeply held core belief that the festival would show attendees throughout the weekend.  All fans were able to walk straight up to any concert rail, use the same bathrooms, and be treated to personal interactions with artists and staff alike.  Speaking of elevating the festival experience, organizers truly elevated the festival this year.  For those in attendance last year, you remember that no small detail was spared, and everyone had a truly spectacular time.  Last year, even small touches and details were attended to, such as small fairy lights in every portable restroom stall  This year, some superficial elements were elevated - better stage lights, more bathrooms, an improved kids zone, a geodesic dome lounge, and concert projections upon the barn.  The place where the festival experience was truly elevated was collaborative sets that blended two bands, an artist and an emerging artist at large,  and the most special of all - hidden treasures for us to find and experience.  This year, The Ramble Festival had three secret sets sprinkled throughout the festival grounds and unique painted stones and bricks, which promised special prizes for those who found them.

Like a great baker or chef, founders Brick and Jason carefully picked the correct ingredients to create the most delightful musical recipe/lineup for this year's festival.  This year, each crisscrossed the country in search of artists who would create the most cohesive, eclectic, and melt-your-soul lineup.  Several of last year's favorite artists returned once more, including Caleb Stine, Kendall Street Company, Bella's Bartok, Dogs In A Pile, Naptown Brass Band, The Dirty Grass Players, The Travelin McCoury's, and Neighbor.  New to this year's lineup was The Del McCoury Band, TAUK Moore, The Motet, Magic Beans, Perpetual Groove, Danielle Williams, The Deer Creek Sharpshooters, Fishing for Hippies, Isaac Hadden Organ Trio, Rebekah Todd, Red Clay Revival, Shadowgrass, Sneezy, The Sweet Lillies, Uncle Kunkel's One Gram Band, and Yam Yam.  Additionally, the festival added not one but two artists at large - artist at large Kanika Moore and emerging artist at large Isaac Hadden.  Some bands would be blended together to form late evening super bands: "Magic Benders" featuring Magic Beans & The Hillbenders; "Sneezy Street" featured  Kendall Street Company & Sneezy; "Dirty Dogs" featured Dogs In A Pile & The Dirty Grass Players.  

Each band was carefully selected and added in the right amounts to make the most delicious festival recipe we could hope for: a dash of Shadowgrass and Dirty Grass here, some Sweet Lillies & Magic Beans for some sweetness there, some funky Yam Yam and Natlie Brooke there, a healthy dash of Bella's Bartok for zest, and some Kanika and Isaac to bind all the ingredients together.  To add some sparkle to the day a healthy dose of Naptown Brass Band second-lining around the grounds twice a day, and some late night jams to make the nights go by ever so sweetly.

For three glorious days and three frenetically joyous nights, the residents of this temporary harmonious enclave celebrated life with radiating joy, music, and dance.  While we have described the unbelievable atmosphere of The Ramble Festival, we have not scratched the surface recalling the unforgettable musical moments we experienced at The Ramble Festival 2023.  Here are just a few memories we took away from The Ramble Festival, and this does not include the hundreds of special moments that took place during the festival.

• Unbelievable performances by Deer Creek Sharpshooters.  They were amongst the first bands to go on stage Friday morning and brought us to bluegrass church on Sunday morning.  Most notably, passing around a little brown southern liquid to salute the crowd with.

• Breakout performances by Isaac Haden Organ Trio, Rebekah Todd, Sneezy, and Yam Yam at The Beer Hall Stage.  If you have yet to see any of these bands perform, then you go out and buy tickets for upcoming performances near you.

• The Hillbenders Whograss.  Who doesn't love The Who's greatest hits performed by a bluegrass band with the likes of "Love, Reign o'er Me" roaring out across the forested expanse and echoing in the trees?

• The Sweet Lilies showed how progressive bluegrass covers can whip a crowd into a frenetic euphoria.  Covers included "Insane in the Membrane" by Cypress Hill and "In The Air Tonight" by Phil Collins.

• Shadowgrass came on stage during a rain storm, which they apparently chased away with their fierce performance.  We believe Kyser George's intense guitar picking alone blew the storm clouds away.  There was a spectacular "Crazy" by Cee Lo Green.  Madison Morris sang "Midnight In Harlem" by Tedeschi Trucks and we can only hope that one day Morris can sing this song alongside Susan Tedeschi.

• Bella's Bartok's surreal stage presence and gypsy-punk meets folk as produced by Tim Burton.  This band was unforgettable during their Beer Hall and main stage performances.  This is a must-see act if you have yet to see Bella’s Bartok perform.

• A secret set by Magic Beans in which they performed on the porch of their camp cabin.  This was the first secret set and caught everyone off guard.  Word quickly spread as campers stopped in their tracks and gathered around this cabin to witness such an unexpected and intimate performance.  

• A secret by Neighbor in The Labyrinth.  This was a rare Neighbor acoustic set featuring some of their most beloved songs.  During "Pine Tree," after the lyrics "I could hear a pin drop," the band paused the performance for what seemed like an eternity so fans could listen for a pin drop as the wind blew through the trees.

• A secret set by Ross Bogan at the pond.  Bogan would perform new songs that he was contemplating releasing.  Kanika Moore joined Bogan to perform "Ship of Fools" by The Grateful Dead.  In what was  perhaps the most cherished moment of the weekend, a surprise engagement took place midway through the performance.  After the proposal and tearful ‘yes’ the couple embraced one another, Bogan and Moore performed "Harvest Moon" by Neil Young - the bride-to-be's favorite song.  The festival worked closely behind the scenes to ensure everyone would remember this moment for a lifetime.

• The powerful performance by superband of TAUK MOORE featuring Robert Randolph, Jason Hann, and the Funky Dawgz Hornz.  This set would include "Whipping Post" by The Allman Brothers Band.

• An over-the-top funktastic all-star jam during Natalie Brooke's Beer Hall performance.  If a musician was not on stage with her jamming, they were in the audience watching this explosive performance by this Frederick, Maryland native.

• The Dirty Grass Players filled the Beer Hall Stage to near capacity.  This would be the second time they filled a Beer Hall Stage, having filled the one at DelFest earlier this year.  Alex Berman would note that they had a substitution of guitarist and bassist so long as they were down one person, they would be up one person by adding a fiddler to the band's composition during Ramble Festival.

• The late-night set of "Sneezy Street" was so filled with musicians at the late-night stage that the musicians filled the width of the stage three rows deep.  The super jam would perform "Brick House" by The Commodores featuring an energetic Brick singing the lyrics on stage as the crows sand on.  The lyrics were enthusiastically changed to "It's Brick's House!"

• Del McCoury performing and taking requests - as always.  McCoury would oblige fans with  "Streets of Baltimore" to a huge roar.  Darlington is a mere fifty miles away from Baltimore.  Kanika Moore sat in with the Del McCoury Band to sing "Tennessee Waltz."  Moore came out wrapped in a heavy blanket as she confessed she didn't bring the right clothes to this festival to accommodate the brisk temperatures.  Someone from the audience yelled out that someone should bring her a suit to match the rest of Del's band.  This was received with a large roar of approval.

At DC Music Review, we value a festival not just by what happens on stage but what happens off stage and the festival's overall vibe.  The Ramble Festival's mantra is "Feel The Vibe and Find Your Tribe," to which we say "Vibe felt.  Tribe found."  

For those who attended the 2023 edition of this festival, we are sure you left with a radiating heart, gleeful memories, and a content musical soul.  If you are looking for an incredible weekend for people to enjoy with unbelievable music and the friendliest atmosphere you would hope to experience.  In that case, you have found your tribe and your vibe at The Ramble Festival.  

We look forward to seeing you at the third edition of The Ramble Festival in October 2024.  Until then, we look forward with gleeful anticipation for what artists will perform next year and what the organizers will do to further elevate the festival into the musical stratosphere.