Eaux Claires Music Festival Analysis

There were so many reasons to love the Eaux Claires Music Festival: the weather, the location, the open fields filled with smiling people. It was a music festival created by musicians, the lineup was great, the cost was low, the overall setup was smart, the sound was crisp, the visual effects were tremendous and loads of love was reciprocated between artists to festival goers all weekend. It was well planned for the most part, well attended (22,000+) and greatly enjoyed by all. It’s cliché to say, but Eaux Claires was about the people and the music. No salesy BS, no corporate agenda—the closest thing to corporate at the festival was Eau Claire based catering company, KP Katering Enterprises. The two-day music festival was an intimate event,

The first band I saw that has such clout was Spoon and they played the big stage (Lake Eaux Lune) on Friday at 6:45 PM. Dating all the way back to when “Everything Hits at Once” was a staple on mixed tapes, everybody knew that Britt Daniel was a cool cat. And he still is. The set was fun and it was typical Spoon rock and roll. They played hits like “The Way We Get By,” “Do You,” “Don’t You Evah,” and a less expected track off of Girls Can Tell, “Take a Walk.” They were the only prototypical rock band at Eaux Claires—I wouldn’t mind seeing more Spoon-like bands next

You know the one. It’s the scene where Terence Mann tells Ray Kinsella that if he builds it, people will come. Can you hear James Earl Jones’ voice right now? He said, “People will come, Ray… And memories will be so thick they’ll have to brush them away from their faces…. Oh, people will come, Ray. People will most definitely come.” With ample and talented assistance, Justin Vernon built it, people came, and for many it was a field of dreams. The moments were great, the memories are thick and I 'll see you all next summer in Eau Claire,