Whoever said the future is bright didn’t tell us that it would be full of glow sticks and black lights, but honestly we wouldn’t want it any other way. Nestled deep somewhere in the trees of Ripples, New Brunswick, we are transported into that future. Or, more accurately, Future Forest, one of the most vivid and inviting music festivals in Atlantic Canada.
Organized by Tim Kukula, you can tell that Future Forest is clearly his baby. But this baby is growing up fast and we are all its babysitters. Or maybe vice versa. In any case, the thought, time and energy put into an event like this is all-consuming. Months of planning, building, burning away calories and brain cells alike, channels into one massive weekend pyre, and we are consumed in return in an act of communal and cathartic immolation.
Although the lineup of cars to enter the festival was long, even on Thursday afternoon, it didn’t deter attendees from making friends in the dusty entry line. With their cars parked along the winding road, they jammed out in their cars for anticipation of the night ahead. There’s an eager comradery at the festival that seems to begin where the pavement ends.
That road is longer than you’d imagine, and a lack of cell service can make it seem longer – leaving you cut off from the outside world almost entirely. But the future is always a bit of an unknown, and there’s at least the guarantee that you’ll be there with friends. It is truthfully the best feeling to be connected face to face with the people and music around us and not a glass screen. There is, of course, an exception made for taking the odd selfie with new found pals.
With three main stages all primed – The Nest, Prism, and Mushroom – the weekend was about to hit full throttle with electronic dance music. Weaving down the hill toward the river attendees are first greeted with open wings by a magnificent falcon overlooking The Nest stage.
There’s a smell of smoke that fills the air as we see a gathering of people huddled around a large bonfire (yes, a bonfire during the middle of the day) roasting marshmallows and hotdogs, as people, trying to catch a break from the heat, floated along nearby, aboard their blow-up unicorns and donuts.
But, it’s as the sun starts to set that the festival hits its stride and we get a real taste of what the future looks like. There’s a multitude of amazing installations illuminating each path, guiding our way thanks to Bizzzart, Beast Underneath, Brett Smith-Hanlon and Jon Noiles; their iridescent forms leading us towards The Mushroom stage. There is just something about dancing around tall black-lit fungi that really sets the mood.
Acts like Ben Fox, Troy Power and headliner Justin Martin graced the stage as the crowd danced around in animal-themed onesies and glow-in- the-dark cat ears. Contagious smiles and laughter spread from one person to another. This might be the happiest place on earth – but are we even on earth anymore?
All eyes are transfixed by stunning artwork plastered all around the stage. The fine details flowing through the paintbrush of Midas Well Creations and the other talented artists seem to be using the sound of bass to vibrate their brushes into creating the perfect painting.
For those feeling a little bit overwhelmed by the future, just beyond the Prism stage, you can check in with The Tea Hive. Offering a quiet space for attendees to rest and relax or just to grab some tea, they must be truly thankful to have these harm reduction volunteers on hand.
For those still partying throughout the forest, you can’t go far without running into one of those missionaries of missionary: the Consent Kitties. Making sure to raise awareness regarding consent among festival-goers, attendees were given cards that read “Can I Dance With You?” and “Can I Kiss You?” – just in case you cannot hear the sweet nothings coming from the good looking person next to you over the deafening music.
There must be something about being away from the real world that makes people fall in love.
The sound of bass perpetually fills the air and shakes the ground. Everyone looks up in awe of the pyramid like architecture that is the Prism Stage with its dizzying array of lights. Shapes illuminate the structures projected by Wasko, BITS, PsyPhi, Yeti Visuals and LunoSol Productions. The incredible fire dancers Industribe quickly surrounded the stage juggling and hula hooping, which was only just the beginning of many performers to come including burlesque dancers and aerial performers.
Lucci, KDZ and Frozen are just some of the artists that rattled our eardrums from atop of the Prism stage on Friday night. For all of those who wanted to watch the sunrise The Nest was there to take the music all the way into the early morning. Heavy bass lines and synth take over and the dancing never ceased. But a long night of grooving inevitably breaks way to a good leg stretch at one of the yoga workshops.
As Saturday came around so did more people. The forest was looking much fuller as tents and hammocks were popping up all around us. The sound of saxophone was heard as Elephant Skeletons got our feet moving again with a mix of jazzy riffs and exotic sounds. Meanwhile, the pride parade floated by making their way around the festival grounds, rainbow colours and inclusivity never looked so good.
The commitment festival-goers make to their costumes is inspiring and hilarious. We could of sworn we saw the Teletubbies running around at one point. Brightly coloured fabrics and minimal clothing seem to be an reoccurring theme around this neck of the woods. The more you try to stand out it seems the more you truly fit in.
Although this festival is well known for its variety of EDM, it was a treat to have some instruments thrown in the lineup. Wax Future took the stage and blew everyone away with their amazing guitar and drum solos.
There was no sign of slowing down as Stickybuds graced the stage with his luscious locks and funky bass music. Easily switching from drum n’ bass to breakbeats to reggae. There must of been a genre for everyone to enjoy during his set. We watched as a group of entranced humans dance around a rainbow T-Rex – is this some sort of bass summoning ritual?
As soon as Pineo and Loeb hit the stage you could feel the boost in energy from the crowd. Signs waved in the air. Beach balls hit us in the face. The collective excitement from this herd of alien dancers was passed along from person to person and so was Pineo as he crowd-surfed into the numerous waving hands.
There is something for everyone in the Future, although the music is a large part, the atmosphere and vibe is what draws the crowd in each year. No matter who we talked to or where we ventured, it felt as though we were the sole missing puzzle piece being placed to create the final masterpiece.
The feeling of inclusivity and belonging never leaves you while you’re at Future Forest. The community, the volunteers, the artists, everyone becomes your family. You may leave physically drained but emotionally and spiritually you are a new person. Now the hard part is waiting 365 days until the next one. Until then forest family!
Remember folks, supporters of The East’s Patreon get to see all of the photos we take at each festival, which probably include the ones we’ve got of you. Trust us, you’ll sleep better knowing you’ve helped to support local arts and culture and that there’s no embarrassing photos of you out there. Visit www.Patreon.com/TheEast for more.