Before I’d even made it to the main grounds of the first-ever Lost Woods Music Festival, held the first weekend in October in north Cedar Falls, I’d heard one thing repeated to me, over and over: “Wait until they turn the lights on.”
We’ll get to lights, and the amazing music, and everything else that made the first Lost Woods a success, a little further down. First, some backstory is necessary.
Lost Woods took everyone by surprise. It was announced on Aug. 21 via Instagram by the Cedar Falls band Salt Fox, who were last seen inciting a massive dance party at the 80/35 festival. A few days later, they posted again, announcing that they were accepting applications from performers.
At this point, I should disclose that I’ve been friends with the members of Salt Fox for years, and that around the time of this second post, I started to think they might be a little nuts. Six weeks out from the announced date of the festival they were still looking for artists and hadn’t announced the location yet? Oh, and it was going to be held outdoors the first weekend of October. It had been 90 degrees outside a week before, but you can’t rule out snow because ~Iowa~. I couldn’t help but be a little skeptical.
It wasn’t long before I had egg on my face. Three weeks later, they’d announced a lineup, featuring some great Iowa artists, including Bella Moss and Jim Swim, both from Iowa City. Moss, like Salt Fox, is a past Studio One Artist of the Month, known for her Simon & Garfunkel-esque folk sounds and beautiful voice. Jim Swim has collaborated with many other Iowa artists, and also has his own unique brand of affirming, laid-back hip-hop.
Rounding out the lineup were a couple of bands that were mostly new to me: 24thankyou, who released an album of slow-burn indie rock in February, and Night Dangers, a swaggering power pop band with three guitarists. Salt Fox were scheduled to close out the night.
About a week before the festival, folks were invited to sign up for text alerts, which was how we learned about the location: a privately-owned acreage in north Cedar Falls. There were no tickets: attendees were encouraged to financially support the staff and artists through donations and merch sales. As someone who’s employed by a radio network that also runs on the honor system, I supported this approach.
I arrived around the time the first act of the day was getting started: the mysterious DJ duo Day Trader, who had a few folks dancing already. The sun was still up, there was already a good-sized crowd and the vibes were good.
By the time Bella Moss finished her set, it was obvious that not only had I been very wrong to have any doubts about Lost Woods, but they’d found a niche that not everyone realized existed. An outdoor festival in October is exactly what the Cedar Falls area, and the Iowa music scene needed. Everyone was having a wonderful time…
…and then they turned the lights on.
That’s what you want from a music festival: to be transported to a different world. Whether you’re downtown, or moving from venue to venue or camping in the middle of nowhere, you want to feel like you’re visiting a brand new place that only exists for a short time. That’s what Lost Woods did.
After “wait until they turn the lights on,” the second-most frequent thing I’d heard all day was “next year.” Literally as I was getting my wristband in the parking lot, I was hearing staff talking about what they were planning to do differently in 2024, and that continued throughout the day. That’s a big deal! Live music is an extremely difficult space to break into, even in the best of times, and as we’ve been reminded repeatedly in recent years, the future is never guaranteed. And yet, everyone involved with Lost Woods was supremely confident they’ll be back next year. It’s exciting, and inspiring. I can’t wait to see and hear what they do next.
For my part, I’ll be packing allergy medicine next year, because I spent the entire drive home sneezing after spending hours in the woods. But that’s not anybody’s fault. See you in October 2024!
