In 1969, nearly half a million people gathered on a dairy farm in New York to experience some of the best music in history at a three day festival.  Since then, an explosion of music festivals have come and gone, many with corporate ties diminishing the authenticity of performances. 

 

For BHS alumn Claude Ryan, attending the Jerry Garcia Birthday Bash at the Sunshine Daydream Festival was a pivotal moment that captured the spirit of the music and the surroundings like none of the corporate sponsored events ever could.

 

“Corporate run events have no personal or emotional attachment and won’t ever be able to embrace what the festival scene stands for,” said Ryan.  “I think we will start seeing a shift in the music festival scene where they will go back to smaller venues where they are more about the music than about the money.”

 

Ryan’s experience at the Sunshine Daydream Festival inspired him to start throwing an annual party called Mystic Acres Farm Fest.  The thought of combining music with a backdrop of nature stayed in the back of his mind as he started his career and family.

 

Growing up, Clayton Koontz used to hunt on the farm that is now called Marvin’s Mountaintop, located in Masontown, West Virginia. The site was also the location chosen by Koontz, who organized the first music festival on that farm and eventually spent nearly two decades producing music. 

 

When Koontz met Ryan five years ago, the combination of Ryan’s connections and entrepreneurial mindset and Koontz’s production skills created the ideal partnership to create a music festival that would bring the mountaintop back to life.  Thus, Deep Roots Mountain Revival was born, scheduled for September 15-18 at Marvin’s Mountaintop.

 

The 680-acre mountain was once home of the 2012 All Good Music Festival, a huge success by festival standards.  After it relocated, the farm fell into disrepair.  Over the last eight months, Ryan and Kootz have used existing infrastructure and an abundance of hard work to reinstate the mountain to its original splendor, including the addition of a new stage in the woods.

 

During the planning process, it was also important to the duo that they use local resources as much as possible. 

 

“From catering to emergency care, we are using Masontown residents,” said Ryan.  “The town has been so helpful in the planning process and we want to include them in as many aspects as we can, including the non-profit, Friends of the Cheat.  The group will be organizing kids activities during the four-day festival.”

 

Unlike many music festivals, the Deep Roots Mountain Revival aims to create an event, not throw a party.  With three kids of his own, Ryan wants families to enjoy the music and beauty of the mountain together. 

 

With nearly 50 bands scheduled at various stages on Marvin’s Mountain, the lineup will feature country, bluegrass, and traditional folk music.  Local favorites, including Rus Reppert will be sharing the stage with national acts such as Ricky Skaggs and Marty Stuart, creating a unique blend of talents.

 

“It was our intent to showcase West Virginia artists in the program,” said Ryan.  “We have such a rich musical history in the Appalachian region and we want to honor that with acts from all over the Mountain State as well as artists from other areas.”

 

In its inaugural year, the Deep Roots Mountain Revival was faced with the overwhelming task of screening and choosing the acts to be featured.  The process proved to be very complicated and exhausting for the organizers, but the end result was exciting, as they discovered new bands they had never heard before.

 

For Ryan and Koontz, the patience, dedication and hard work are about to pay off, as they anticipate hundreds of people arriving on the mountaintop for a weekend of camping, music and fun. 

 

“None of this would have been possible without the experience and cooperation of everyone on our team,” said Ryan.

 

Tickets are currently available for the Deep Roots Mountain Revival by visiting www.mountainrevival.com.  Three dollars from each ticket sold will be donated to the West Virginia United Way Flood Relief Fund and camping facilities are available on site.

 

“The opportunity to entertain hundreds on the mountaintop ... seems surreal,” said Ryan.  “I can’t wait to see it all come together and watch people of all ages embrace the music and beauty of that mountain.”