My First Journey to Camp Redwoods
“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks. The mountains are calling and I must go. Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.” — John Muir
In a little more than a week, this will all be a distant memory. The computer, the reports, the phone calls, the endless connection to work and responsibilities, and the constant feeling that there’s something else important I’m supposed to be doing.
Once you get out there into the trees, back into nature, the pace slows down. The important things become living in the moment, taking the beauty in without grasping it too tightly, and sharing moments with people you love.
Word about Camp Redwoods didn’t spread like the other festivals I’d seen. Awareness of this special event didn’t come from an onslaught of social media ads, a flier with every major band in the genre, and promotional videos with massive crowds in “insert city name”.
No, awareness of this special music festival came by word-of-mouth, from people who were lucky enough to have been there, and to have experienced the magic firsthand. It came like a steadily flowing stream, not a mountain of gushing water, but a strong, persevering creek, cutting its way definitively across the landscape one meter at a time.
Every single person I spoke with said it: “You have to get to Camp Redwoods. It’s perfect. It’s magical. Life-Changing.”
I texted my pal Johnny Cosmic earlier this year, asking if maybe he knew who I could speak with about applying to play the festival. Next thing I knew my name was on the lineup, and I was officially ready to attend my first Camp Redwoods, and to take place in, and be a small part of the magic.
For anyone who doesn’t know, Camp Redwoods is a music festival held at Camp Navarro, a gorgeous retreat nestled remotely in the majestic forests of northern California. Their 200 acre property 2 hours north of San Francisco boasts a historic camp that has been updated with modern luxuries (how can the idea of taking a calming, warm, private shower while looking out at the beautiful trees not excite you?)
Don’t get me wrong, I love big festivals. I’ve been to many of them. It’s incredible experiencing music with thousands of other people on the same wavelength.
But as fun as massive festivals are, they have their limitations. Artist and crowd interactions are restricted to a small bit of stage time. The fans, who play the massively important part of absorbing, and amplifying the vibe of the music, are completely separated from the artists, and the distinction between artists backstage and the fans in the audience is palpable.
Camp Redwoods isn’t about stuffing as many people as you can into a predetermined spot, and seeing the biggest headliners play to massive audiences. This festival is a sanctuary for discovering artists on the cusp of greatness, those precious moments before they fill cavernous venues (though KBong and Johnny Cosmic, both members of Stick Figure, as well as the Algorhythm crew with members of Stick Figure, SOJA, and Three Legged Fox, are all seasoned travelers of such grand stages, and are no strangers to that in their other projects). The Hip Abduction and others are poised to join their ranks soon as well.
But here at Camp Redwoods, amidst the rustling trees and starlit skies, you can watch them in their raw, unrefined brilliance, before the whole world catches on. What I see is a fully immersive event; not a day where you go and listen to music, but an entire weekend where artists and fans truly get to know each other.
Dan Braun, the head of Camp Navarro, says in an interview with the 2 Minute Podcast, “The first iterations of Camp Navarro were Native Americans who lived here… this was a powerful place for them to live, and come together and do ceremony, and trade… We have beautiful trails and a river, so we encourage people to get out and hike and bike, and jump in the river, skip rocks, explore the space, and also slow down. We have yoga, meditation, contemplation…”
As KBong mentioned in a similar interview for the festival last year, part of it is about disconnecting from the regular, hectic flow of life, but it’s not only about disconnecting. It’s disconnecting with one thing, and connecting with other things like nature, and being present, that we far too often almost completely disregard.
I really can’t explain how stoked I am to be a small part of this experience. For those who don’t know, about four years ago I got a message from Johnny Cosmic asking if I wanted to collaborate on a song I was working on, and since then we wrote and recorded an entire album together, and him and KBong took me on two incredible tours around the country.
Shows like this, where I have the opportunity to play music in one of the most beautiful places on earth, surrounded by musicians and friends I love and appreciate dearly, are literal dreams come true, and opportunities that I could only have dreamed of just a few years back.
I’m truly excited to begin my journey next week to the Redwoods, and to take in everything this festival has to offer. I can’t wait to spend time with you all under the trees, share music and vibes, and bask under the infinite glow of the stars above.
See you all soon in the Redwoods!
Sincerely,
Brendan Clemente
Tickets: https://www.campnavarro.com/campout-ticketing
And for a great mini-documentary on the festival, check out the 2 Minute Podcast — “All About Camp Redwoods Music Festival”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cIXNs1UGcA