Third Annual Tarboo Fest at the Quilcene Lantern
The third annual music festival introduced a new outdoor stage and a recording studio.
JEFFERSON COUNTY, WA — The third annual Tarboo music festival rocked the barn and gardens at the Quilcene Lantern this past Friday and Saturday.
Live music lovers came from all around the region; from the peninsula, the islands, Seattle and the southern West Coast for the lineup of legendary local artists such as Lightweight Champion, Brother Townsend and SheepCamp.
The Lantern debuted their newest outdoor stage for the festival where imaginative performances such as Seattle based Swirlhood which included poetry from the audience, Sam Gelband’s potent lyrics, and Port Angeles favorites, Antbath. Each performance sprouted rows of attentive listeners amongst the flowers.
The barn was full for every set, with an audience overflowing onto and blanketing the hill outside the barn doors. Tacoma-based band JRCG had the crowd moving to their woven style of music with powerful saxophone, drums and experimental electronics. Spacemoth finished their epic national tour at Tarboo to an audience in love with their spacewave style.
Headliners Alela Diane from Portland and La Luz from Seattle shared the quality of musical expertise the Pacific Northwest has been known for for decades. Fans stayed late into the night to experience the trance of live music, and to share in the joy of community and excellence.
Tarboo goers camped in the fields and tree groves on the property. Potable water, porta potties, and hand washing stations made the experience clean and easy, campers said. But what was really cozy making was the hospitality of the crew.
There were vendors and activities all through the day and night, with lawn games, line dancing, nature walks, yoga and a free standing aerial rig for acrobatic demonstrations and kids to play.
Local jewelry artists such as Land and Sea and Two Trees Creations, Lily Lew Tattoo and Slipstream Tattoo, and Sacred Flow Healing Arts from Port Ludlow all set up booths to share their offerings.
Somniative, who hand creates pendants for Uncontrolled Substances, shared with the Beacon how his chef father taught him that we “eat with our eyes”, and as a traveling salesman of the West Coast with no home from over 25 years, he was grateful to follow the weather and the music to Tarboo to share his presentation.
Local bodyworker, Sophia Petricola came out of seven years of boothing retirement to participate as a vender offering 20 minute to an hour massages. Petricola said that she was glad to spend time with the community and potentially glean long-term clients from the exposure.
Flutterby Pizza Pie, Chimacum Grain Brewery, Liska Wine and Lambros Tacos + Pretzels filled the people with nutrition, bubbles, and energy to traverse the two days of ongoing music and fun.
Along with the new garden stage, the Quilcene Lantern opened their new recording studio just in time for the event for their inaugural recording with artists that made the festival possible. They are calling it Tarboo Tapes, and since the remodel on the space started a year ago, the excitement of nailing their deadline made the third year of the festival all the sweeter.
Sound engineer Aaron Spieldenner said he is working on streamlining the system so that anyone can come in, flip the switch, and start making music. After years of recording bands in South Seattle’s Hazy Bay, and the songwriter of Lightweight Champions, Spieldenner feels grateful to continue to do what he loves where he loves with the people he loves.
The Lantern crew says the studio is open for booking, just reach out to them through their website quilcenelantern.com.
