To the surprise of many music fans last Friday, The Flaming Lips was announced as one of the featured bands for the first annual Nateva Music & Camping Festival happening from July 2nd to the 4th in Oxford, Maine.
The three-time Grammy winning band was last seen in Maine at the State Theater in August 2003. Now on their 12th studio album, The Flaming Lips have become renowned for their large stage shows with dozens of props, costumes and visual effects. Sometimes lead singer Wayne Coyne literally rolls over audiences in a giant hamster ball.
The Nateva Music & Camping Festival will feature bands from “Country, Folk, Reggae, Classic Rock and Indie” genres. So far, only two bands have been announced on the lineup: The Flaming Lips and a new collaborative project between Derek Trucks (The Allman Brothers Band) and Susan Tedeschi. More band announcements will follow in the coming weeks.
Over the past year Maine has seen enormous growth in the amount of large-scale concerts, especially with the opening of Port City Music Hall (a sponsor of Nateva), a 700-capacity venue that has brought music acts like OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Pete Yorn, KRS One, and Neko Case. In addition, acts like Wilco, Ray LaMontagne and Guster played on Portland’s waterfront and a new music festival called KahBang was held in Bangor.
Weekend passes for Nateva are now available for purchase on Nateva’s Web site, NatevaFestival.com. Passes with camping access are available at a discounted price of $179 and will be $249 after the sale. Passes without camping are $159 and will be $229 afterward. There is also a ‘VIP Package’ priced at $425 which includes special VIP seating, parking, camping, a dining and lounging area, and a full service liquor bar. There are $15 service fees for regular passes and a $22 fee for VIP.
Accommodations will be available for families, those of special needs and tapers (those who record bootlegs). More information is available on the Web site.