News:
Rothbury Festival Called Off For 2010
 

By GARY GRAFF of the Oakland Press

» See more SOUND CHECK

There will be no Rothbury Festival in this year.

Organizers announced Friday that the Fourth of July weekend music festival, held in 2008 and 2009 on the Double JJ Ranch in Rothbury, Mich., will not take place this year but did say in a statement that they "intend to move toward continuing Rothbury in 2011."

In the statement, festival producer Jeremy Stein blamed "various artists' recording and touring schedules" for the decision, claiming that the festival would be unable "to move forward with the integrity and high standards that we demand from ourselves and for the festival...This event is something very special, and we are unwilling to potentially tarnish what Rothbury is, and can become, by working under conditions that will produce anything less than a magical experience. Our efforts are certainly not coming to an end."

The first two Rothbury festivals drew about 35,000 fans to each to spend the holiday weekend with artists such as Bob Dylan, the Dave Matthews Band, The Dead, Willie Nelson and others. The bucolic setting allowed for camping, and the festival was widely praised for its environment and smooth operations.

The Double JJ went into bankruptcy after the first year's festival and was sold to an out-of-state concern in 2009.

Rothbury organizers refused to comment further when contacted on Friday.