About Peach Music Festival
The Peach Music Festival is a jam fan's dream: a four-day stream of freewheelin' tunes in a supremely gorgeous natural setting, with plenty of campsites and farm-fresh grub to go around. While some might be dismayed to learn the name doesn't mean fuzzy fruit will be falling from the trees on Montage Mountain in Scranton, Pennsylvania, rock lovers ought to be comforted to know it's a reference to the ubiquitous symbol of the Allman Brothers Band. Not only is the 1960s-formed Georgia group recognized as the first great jam band, they're actually the organizers behind this event. Headliners in 2019 are the cream of the improvisatory crop: the Trey Anastasio Band from Phish's frontman; the String Cheese Incident; and Phil Lesh & Friends, which will include ABB guitarist Warren Haynes, plus John Scofield and John Molo.
Founded in 2012, the Peach is a family-friendly trip back to an era of peace, love, and happily never-ending grooves. But there's at least one particularly modern twist: while Montage is a major skiing destination in the winter, in the summer the snowpack gives way to a sizeable waterpark and festivalgoers have full access to all of it, from the lazy river, to various slides, to a mellow wave pool that's well within earshot of the Mushroom Stage. There's onsite camping as well as luxe mountaintop glamping options accessible by ski lift, RV options for those who embrace the van life, and travel packages that include stays at nearby hotels and inns. Kids 5 and under are free, water-bottle fill stations abound, and the music flows into the wee hours.
Over the years, Peach has welcomed a broad swath of bands who find a home under the jam umbrella — in other words, fundamentally rock acts who may lean toward country, blues, jazz, folk, psychedelia, reggae, or funk. The connective tissue between them all is easy vibes, wild instrumentals, and onstage synergy. Repeat performers include jam favorites like Umphrey's McGee, Blues Traveler, moe., and Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, while various Allman spinoffs — Gov't Mule, Jaimoe's Jasssz Band, Tedeschi Trucks — often appear. In 2014 the Brothers themselves performed their 1972 classic Eat a Peach all the way through, but as players are known to sit in with each other's bands, once-in-a-lifetime sets are a perennial guarantee.