Electric Forest to light up Rothbury again (The Guide)

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‘Looking for the Perfect Beat’ columnist Todd Ernst not only gives readers a heads-up on can’t-miss sets at this weekend’s extravaganza — including those with a Michigan slant — but some visitor tips as well.

Back in Rothbury Starting Thursday: The spectacle of Electric Forest. (Photo/Eric Stoike)

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Electric Forest has seen its ups and downs over the years, but festival organizers always seem to concoct a better experience for attendees at what might be one of the most challenging (and most enticing) festivals to endure aside from Burning Man.

I only mean this in the context of its sheer scale of the 2,000-plus acres (that’s upwards of 1,500 football fields for context) that the festival covers on the Double JJ Resort in Rothbury, and the toll it takes on people migrating from their respective campgrounds and navigating the six or seven main performance areas.

Reading through forums on Reddit and other social media platforms, some of 2024’s Forest attendees are still reeling from the Saturday and Sunday night weather complications that had a massive impact on many of the performances, and it’s almost like the talent buyers knew this by blasting off on Thursday night with Justice, Liquid Stranger and Sara Landry.

While the headliners hardly need a boost, there’s no shortage of them this year with Cloonee, Disclosure, Fisher, Mochakk and Vintage Culture to name just a few — along with, of course, the eclectic, ever-popular jam band String Cheese Incident, which plays two sets (Saturday and Sunday).

Of course, this Looking for the Perfect Beat column is often centric to the idea of artists that haven’t quite peaked and alerting those attendees looking for a bit of an off-the-beaten-path surprise. That said, below are some artists I’m excited to experience and where you’ll see me posted up.

Dombresky presents Disco Dom (7:30 p.m. Thursday, Honeycomb Stage and 1:45 a.m. Thursday, Carousel Club) – It’s not often you see an already successful touring artist develop a different dialect to their sound if you will, but that is exactly what France’s Dombresky did with his alter ego “Disco Dom” project. Introducing original disco music stems into contemporary reworks of familiar material marks the foundation of his highly successful “Inferno” tour, incorporating ’70s-adorned dancers in an impressive synchronicity. In all seriousness, ff you could roller skate in this forest, this is the artist you would want to do it to. Coming off of massive appearances at Coachella and EDC, whether you’re a longtime fan of ’70s bass lines or new to the era altogether, in my opinion, Dombresky’s disco-drenched performance is going to be the set everyone is talking about come Monday.

https://www.instagram.com/dombresky/
https://www.youtube.com/c/Dombresky

Khruangbin (Screenshot)

Khruangbin (9:15 p.m. Sunday, Ranch Arena Stage) – First introduced to me by good friends several years ago, Khruangbin (pronounced KRUNG-bin) might very well be one of the most difficult styles I’ve ever had to describe. While the name itself is a Thai word that means “airplane,” good luck finding a way to describe them with that sort of specificity. The psychedelic trio from Houston is known for its unique blend of funk, soul and surf-rock; and are almost always celebrated for atmospheric and hypnotic stylings. Several years ago when writing about Electric Forest acts Bob Moses and Rüfüs Du Sol, I touched on the idea that you swagger to these acts more so than dance or rock out. That said, Khruangbin is perhaps the most swaggerific of them all. Settle in, close your eyes, and just let yourself go. Trust me when I say you’ll be glad you did.

https://www.instagram.com/khruangbin
https://music.youtube.com/channel/UCW2SLxltqPa553qretr4KzQ

Lilly Palmer (Courtesy Photo)

Lilly Palmer (Midnight Thursday, Tripolee Stage) – In the last five years, it seems like female techno DJs are starting to take over a genre previously dominated by men, and at the top of that list is Germany’s Lilly Palmer. Hailing from the “second Mecca” of techno (Detroit being the first) and named one of the best electronic music producers of 2023 by EDM.com, Palmer is known as much for her peak hour techno as she is with her collaborations with artists such as Chris Lake and Skrillex. Equal parts fashionista and dynamic performer, Lilly’s set is going to be the one where you’re going to want to hold on tight.

https://www.instagram.com/lilly_palmerdj/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbC7IHYAR2FhLtiB6Hzs7kQ

Loco Dice (10 p.m. Sunday, Tripolee Stage) – Also hailing from Germany, the house and tech-house DJ and producer has been at the top of his game for upwards of 30 years now — largely attributed to his early days as a hip-hop DJ before transitioning to electronic music. On the heels of the release of his fourth album called “Purple Jam,” Loco Dice showcases his musical acumen and diversity including collaborations with Carl Cox, The Martinez Brothers and Skrillex. It wasn’t what I expected from him, but that’s usually the making of a great record. It’s not very often we get a legacy established “real deal” DJ and producer like Loco Dice in West Michigan; this set is not to be missed.

https://www.instagram.com/locodice/
https://www.youtube.com/locodice

Wreckno (Photo/Eric Stoike)

Wreckno (7:15 p.m. Friday, Tripolee Stage) – Originally from Manistee, which is only an hour of so from Electric Forest, Wreckno has been described as one electronic music’s brightest rising stars and is largely known for being the “surprise act” that no one saw coming at festivals in recent years. The dance and electronic music artist has carved out a unique niche niche by blending hip-hop and bass music, while championing a forward thinking LGBTQ+ ethos. So bass heads rejoice, for what is surely a homecoming of sorts during a celebration of equality, love, and safe spaces.

https://www.instagram.com/wreckno/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiQk4VkBjpgvB7aiDg29XiQ

Y-Not (Photo/Derek Ketchum)

Y-Not (5:30 p.m. Thursday, Grand Artique Stage) – While on the subject of Michigan-bred acts, Local Spins publisher John Sinkevics’ pick for a must-see band is Grand Rapids’ own Y-Not, which makes its Electric Forest debut on opening night inside Sherwood Forest — on one of the stages filled regularly with diverse artists usually representing non-electronic genres. The funk- and alt-rock hued jam band has a special set in store, according to frontman, singer and guitarist Tony Geren. “We are humbled and honored to be one of the only Michigan bands selected to grace the festival,” he told Local Spins. “We have Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers’ Caleb Elzinga joining us, so we will have dueling saxophones for our jam- and funk-inspired set. Also joining us will be beatbox looping artist Jrose. Our message with our music is inspired by the activists of change that have come before: to uplift, inspire and empower the crowd, and dance the night away in community.”

https://www.facebook.com/ynotplaymusic
https://www.youtube.com/@ynotplaymusic

Festival Info and Electric Forest Pro User Tips

Some festival passes are still available: $600 for a general admission wristband; $175 for a day pass. Get information and purchase passes online here.

The festival also provides “Getting Here” tips, along with “must-have” information for campers online here.

For those of you new to the Forest, every experienced attendee will tell you it’s fairly overwhelming with more than 40,000 celebrants swarming the site, and there is simply no way you can do it all. Download the app, pick your artists, and set a schedule if, for no other reason you have a target to aim for.

Huge Crowd: More than 40,000 strong will be on hand. (Photo/Eric Stoike)

A suggestion I was given many years ago is to enter early on the first day, spend a few hours to take in your surroundings, and get your bearings as to how the crowd flows and where the stages are located.

Cell phone service is unreliable at best, so it’s not a bad idea to come up with a plan and location to meet if you get separated from your friends. That said, Verizon dropped a new tower in the middle of the festival grounds in recent years, so 2024 was better than I previously remember coverage.

Thursday’s forecast calls for a couple of showers with a high of 71, followed by mid-70s and variable cloudiness on Friday. But temperatures and humidity levels will rise later in the weekend — a high of 83 degrees on Sunday — so staying hydrated is critical. And of course, festivalgoers and campers should always be prepared for rain (and mud) and dress accordingly. That said, attendees also need to be prepared to walk, walk, walk a lot — and take care with their footing when it gets dark.

Lastly, when you notice the Michigan State Police, trust me when I say they’re the good guys over the weekend. Electric Forest is MSP’s most requested overtime event, and they genuinely enjoy the festival themselves. And while they are on-site in an official capacity, they always do an amazing job as event concierge types and always enjoy engaging with festivalgoers.

VIDEO: Electric Forest 2024 (By Day and By Night)