Electric Forest fires up in Rothbury on Thursday (June 25) and once again, The String Cheese Incident will serve as the festival’s unofficial ‘house band.’ The interview at Local Spins.
The String Cheese Incident: ‘The band won’t play forever, but I hope we still have a number of great years in front of us.’ (Photo/Woody Carroll)
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Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado has long been the holy grail for musicians seeking the ultimate live concert experience.
And Electric Forest in West Michigan stands out as one of the world’s most revered music festivals, an annual destination for fans of electronic music and jam bands.
The String Cheese Incident has played Red Rocks nearly 60 times over the years, while serving as Electric Forest’s unofficial “house band” by performing multiple sets at the festival since 2011. The Colorado band even played the Rothbury Festival at Double JJ Resort in 2009 that preceded Electric Forest.
“I still get butterflies and nervous,” bassist/songwriter Keith Moseley said in a recent interview about playing Red Rocks.
“The first set is always in the daylight, and I’m amazed to look out there and recognize so many faces. It’s nerve-wracking, but also very exciting and rewarding to know we’re playing in front of the home crowd. Looking back, I think we’re at number 57 or 58 this summer, and it’s still incredible.”
While the group’s first Red Rocks performance was on a bill with Grateful Dead alumnus Phil Lesh’s band, it wasn’t the first time they stood on its stage.
Electric Forest Mainstays: Cheese on stage at EF in 2025. (Photo/Anna Sink)
“Before we ever played our first show there — back when we were still touring in a van and a trailer playing small clubs — we went to Red Rocks one day when there was no show,” says Moseley. “We went right up, stood on the stage, and visualized ourselves playing there one day. When it finally happened, it felt like we manifested it.”
Moseley’s own introduction to the jam band phenomenon was promoter Bill Graham’s 1991 Mid-Summer Music Festival, which featured the Allman Brothers, Hot Tuna and an upstart band called Widespread Panic. It was a turning point that signaled a growing passion for festival experiences such as Electric Forest.
“Seeing Telluride and the Allman Brothers for the first time had a massive impact on me,” he recalled. “The overall vibe of combining an incredible band with an outdoor environment came together as a super powerful, emotional experience. I just had the feeling: ‘I want to be part of something like this. How can I be on the other end of it and help create this experience for others?’ That was an early draw for me.”
The String Cheese Incident dove headfirst into the jam band circuit, playing festivals and plenty of smaller venues along the way.
The band, which includes original members Moseley, Michael Kang, (mandolin, guitar, violin), Michael Travis (drums, percussion) and Bill Nershi (guitars), as well as keyboardist Kyle Hollingsworth (who joined in 1996) and percussionist Jason Hann (a member since 2006), also began building a catalog that includes 11 studio albums and a comparable number of live albums and videos, fashioning a sound that blends bluegrass with a host of other musical influences including rock, funk, electronica and reggae.
The group is currently out performing fan favorites, deep cuts and songs from their most recent album “Lend Me a Hand,” which was heavily influenced by the loss of their longtime friend and manager Jesse Aratow. The songwriting process provided a way to process that grief and publicly memorialize his contributions.
“Several songs on that album reference losing Jesse,” Moseley said. “It felt great to write songs where he is mentioned, remembered, and referenced. Those songs will continue to live on, and every time they get played, we’re reminded of his memory and all he did for us. I love that he is memorialized that way. It feels really good to honor him every time we perform those tracks.”
Fans can also expect to hear at least a few covers “Travelogue Spring 2023,” the most recent of the band’s live album series, included their own unique versions of Peter Gabriel’s “Shakin’ The Tree” and the three-century-old murder ballad “Pretty Polly.” The group will also preview songs from their next album, including the recent single, “Lightning Sky.”
“It’s an homage to my Oklahoma roots and the generations of family that claimed our property,” Moseley said. “My grandma’s farm has been in the family for generations, so it’s paying tribute to my roots and how all that came to be. It’s a bluegrass slack banger, and I think it’s going to be really fun to play live.”
In recent years, String Cheese Incident has scaled back its touring schedule, but the group still plays more gigs than most bands half their age.
This year at a sold-out Electric Forest — which leans more heavily toward electronic music — they’ll play just one night, but it’s a lengthy two-set affair at 7 p.m. Saturday (June 27) on the Ranch Arena Stage. (Get resale Electric Forest tickets and the full schedule online at electricforest.com. View the lineup below.)
“We’re playing enough shows to keep our momentum and creativity, while balancing home and family life,” said Moseley. “We aren’t playing 200 shows a year like we did when we started. We’re doing 50 or 60 now, trying to dial in that sweet spot that feels like a good balance for everyone.”
Now 61, Moseley still maintains a rigorous schedule. As the band members have reached milestone birthdays, their perspective has shifted toward optimizing their remaining time and finding a sustainable balance between touring and family life.
“Milestone birthdays always make you think,” says Moseley. “You hit 40 and think, ‘Oh my God, I’m old.’ Then 50, then 60. At this point, obviously, there’s more life in the rearview mirror than there is in front of you. I’m super thankful for all we’ve accomplished.
“The band won’t play forever, but I hope we still have a number of great years in front of us. I think our chops and songwriting are as good as they’ve ever been. When we play live, it’s a celebration.” – By Bill Foreman
VIDEO: The String Cheese Incident at Electric Forest 2025
Check out Local Spins’ coverage of Electric Forest 2025.
ELECTRIC FOREST 2026: THE LINEUP
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