By Jason Woods, News Correspondent
Photo by Elizabeth Burke

The upstate New York music festival Mountain Jam isn’t exactly Woodstock — but it’s getting close.

Just a few miles away from the location of Woodstock, the quintessential music festival, Mountain Jam carried an eerily similar vibe from June 4 to 6. Now in its sixth year, the music festival made leaps and bounds with its jam-band heavy, hipster-friendly lineup. And while the festival doesn’t have the name recognition of some of its contemporaries, it’s still a major draw, and many made the trip to attend the three-day event.

Hosted by Radio Woodstock and Warren Haynes, Haynes’ band, Gov’t Mule, headlined Friday and Saturday nights’ shows. Haynes performed with several other musicians throughout the weekend, and was a principal draw for its final act.

More than 50 acts performed, including Ray Lamontagne, Alison Krauss, Dark Star Orchestra, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, the Avett Brothers, Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi.

Weather at the festival was generally expected to be cold and rainy, making the camping aspect of the festival a wedded experience to the show. And though much of the promised rain for the weekend didn’t come, campers were still drenched with the occasional showers. A veritable torrent mounted during Michael Franti and Spearhead’s performance. The reggae-pop group performed against the weather, and the crowd danced in spite of it. Best known for the single “Say Hey (I Love You),” the group ended its performance with the single, bringing out more than a dozen children to sing and dance to the popular song, and engaging and moving finish.

One of the more laid back shows of the weekend was the Alison Krauss and Union Station. The folk crooner and her band put on a solid performance, though it was more subdued than most at the festival. As a mid-Sunday afternoon show, it was a welcome change in pace as many of Mountain Jam’s attendees were beginning to show fatigue, and it served as a restful lead-up of sorts to the festivals final act.

The festival closed out with Levon Helm and several guests, in a 70th birthday celebration for the celebrated musician, formerly of The Band. Helm performed the classic “Ophelia,” joined by Donald Fagan on keyboard and Sam Bush on Mandolin, in a moment that captured the audience in amazement. Haynes performed a duet with Helm on “Blind Willie McTell,” one of the festivals singular moments.

Krauss sang with Helm’s daughter, Amy, and other musicians such as Ray Lamontagne provided powerful songs to what was the weekend’s culminating — and most powerful — set. The all-star tribute was a one of a kind moment in music history.

Comparing Mountain Jam to Woodstock is a stretch, but the festival presented moving and spiritual music that compels attendees to come back next year. The camping added an interesting dynamic to the festival, as attendees forged bonds with each other over the brief weekend.

Still in its infancy in terms of festival longevity, this little festival, hidden up on Hunter Mountain, is a true gem.