By Jason Dole
Music lovers and Catskillians, rejoice! The wide world o’ music keeps getting closer to our doorstep.
Here in Sullivan County, we have the Bethel Woods PAC down the road, which is very nice. Though a very mainstream venue, Bethel Woods increases the scope and depth of its offerings every year. On top of that, just about the coolest rock festival in the world, All Tomorrow’s Parties (ATP), holds an annual North American festival at Kutsher’s in Monticello.
This week a new festival happening is taking place up in Big Indian, near Shandaken, in nearby Ulster County. It seems the independent music fest "Truck" is following in the footsteps of ATP.
Now in it’s 13th year in the UK, Truck is jumping the pond to hold its stateside debut at the Full Moon Resort in Big Indian. There’s a lengthy list of artists slated to play April 30-May 2, but the three names I know are White Rabbit, the Mercury Rev (pictured at right), and Hopewell (a personal favorite I discovered at last year’s ATP – top left).
Truck America
Closer than Brooklyn, closer than Trumansburg… hell, coming from Sullivan County it’s even a hair closer than the Mountain Jam at Hunter mountain. It’s an under-the-radar indie rock fest that itself on being intimate, eclectic, and close-to-nature.
Over in the UK, Truck happens every July at a working farm, Hill Farm in Oxforshire. It’s also a family affair, founded and run by the Bennetts, including Goldrush band-mates and brothers, Robin and Joe. For Truck America, the brothers will join a chamber orchestra (Joe on violin and Robin on flute) that will accompany the Mercury Rev.
Full Moon Resort
Truck America is by no means the first big-name music event to happen at Full Moon Resort. The venue has a strong musical tradition, and last year jazz trio Medeski, Martin and Wood, guitarist Jorma Kaukonen (Airplane and Hot Tuna), and Los Straitjackets each had their own workshop/summer camp events.
Those events will return this year and are joined by not only the Truck festival, but by Camp Dweezilla, featuring Dweezil Zappa and members of the Zappa Plays Zappa band (another favorite of mine!) That’s all happening later in the season.
First up is Truck America, April 30 – May 2
This Truck is coming quick, so I’ve got a lot to learn in a little time. I’ll keep my ear to the ground and relay all the info here at ‘Shoes’. For now, check out the links below:
http://www.thisistruck.com/about-truck-america-festival.aspx
The Catskill Chronicle 
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