Treefort Music Fest is a community-based event that features incredible indie music and highlights all that the Boise scene has to offer.
It ’s about 9 pm on a weeknight in March , the weather in Boise is how you always hope springtime to be but it never is , and the excellent indie rock bandSnail Mailjust played a headlining curing atTreefort Music Fest . The group definitely made me tear up by closing with " Pristine , " but pop off the show , I found myself getting even more worked up at the flock of the mountains that surroundBoiseas I meandered through the metropolis , heading from one concert to the next . I continued to finger that gumption of lightness from all of the live medicine and the push pulsing through the City of Trees that night , the next , and the two after that , because Treefort really feel like a one - of - a - variety experience , transformingBoise , Idahointo a very peculiar indie music lovers ' haven every spring .
At a clip when a lot ofmusic festivalsfeel the same , Treefort has managed to organically create a unique result . Sure , it ’s toilsome to have a tough sentence when you ’re seeing a weekend of live music , and stack of festivals have eclectic lineups or are held in incredible background , but many ( especially incarnate - owned ones ) can experience impersonal and lack thatsomethingthat makes them different . Treefort , by default , stands out — it ’s a community - organized consequence with a missionary post to prioritize uncovering and uplift its local Boise and Pacific Northwest creative community .
This yr , Treefort celebrated its 10th day of remembrance — go far just six months after its belated COVID iteration , which was admit in September 2021 — fetch 470 bands to Boise from Wednesday , March 23 - Sunday , March 27 to take on at its main microscope stage and locale across the urban center . The festival also curated experiences and talks from other spaces , such as drag , movie , nutrient , yoga , and more , to fill up out the weekend and play up everything happening in the surface area .
The Regrettes on the main stage|Photo by Amanda Morgan, courtesy of Treefort Music Fest
you’re able to sure enough sense the festival ’s drive when you ’re there , and that ’s ascribe to the fact that it ’s why the fete exists at all . " In 2011 , there were a few people on the introduction team—[producer ] Lori Shandro , [ producer ] Drew Lorona , and [ fete conductor ] Eric Gilbert — who all start blab out about start a medicine festival in Boise because Eric , who is a booker , realized that Boise was n’t really a stop on people ’s spell . It was just know as this almost isolated city in the Lower 48 , " says selling director and co - founder Megan Stoll . " So Eric was like , ' We really need to really make Boise a viable plosive speech sound on masses ’s tour , and there ’s really no better way of doing that than throwing a fete . ' "
After strategically planning the first iteration afterSXSW ’s mid - March dates to catch bands who might be touring through the neighborhood , Treefort launched in 2012 with a four - day - long fest of a little over 100 band — surpassing its goal of hosting at least 80 acts over three days . But ever since the beginning , " the lineup has ultimately been about pairing local natural endowment on the level with major internal and international talent to really elevate the Boise community , " say Stoll . " From [ 2012 ] , we ’ve grown and , in many ways , put Boise on the map , and the metropolis itself has grown , too . "
Thrillist need a tripper to Boise to see what Treefort is all about and found that it ’s one of the good festivals out there , feel truly limited in an oversaturated fete market . Below , you ’ll find what makes Treefort so unique , and why you should plan to attend to it in 2023 — and every year after .
Photo by Conner Schumacher, courtesy of Treefort Music Fest
The festival set-up is ideal
For the length of Treefort , the festivalliterallytakes over business district Boise . It could n’t be more convenient and well - planned , though : The metropolis ’s downtown , about 5 by 12 block , is highly walkable . Although next year the main stage will be situate at a raw locale that is currently under building , for the past 10 years , the central festival grounds have been held on a lug - off street that ’s line with food trucks , Alefort ( the beer , wine , and cocktail collapsible shelter ) , art installation , and the main stage . But as a multi - venue fete , most of the events are held at different venues around the city , with gigs in concert venues , improvised space like coffee shop and record stores , and in the street . ( It was peculiarly fun sightedness show in the Shriner ’s club , El Korah Shrine , which isa vibe , to say the least with Shriners enjoying brewskies in the room over from a saltation antechamber lined with both Western and Egyptian aesthetics . )
Because the metropolis is so navigable , you do n’t have to do as much walking as you might anticipate — but should you require to hitch a ride , there is a shuttle bus that circulates a festival path and is even company by live musicians . There also is n’t much crowd traffic in the streets as you go from show to show , or even at the main level , which makes it specially well-situated to travel where you please and never feel like you ’re go to miss a solidification . For those who are n’t aboriginal to Boise , it ’s like the festival is contrive to innovate you to as many cool spots in the city as possible , and fuck off you wonted to its key locations very quickly .
The music emphasizes discovery
A lot of medicine festival lineups seem nearly identical today , in part because it ’s often the same impresario who book a smattering of them . While up - and - comers do play some mainstream fete , the element of find is broil into Treefort ’s ethos — so much so that you ca n’t go a daytime there without trip into a show and finding a new favorite dance orchestra .
" A thing that we ’ve found being a local community - run fete — without stimulate the backing of the typical giant names that you see in the festival world — we have this opportunity to have a really diverse and inclusive lineup , " says Stoll . " That ’s been really important to us since the beginning . Our lineupdoes notlook like everybody else ’s lineup . "
It ’s true : Music legendKim GordonofSonic Youthwas Sunday night ’s headliner , but burgeoning indie acts , likeMen I Trustand Snail Mail , concord court on the primary stage other nights . The balance of the lineup sport emerging artists from every writing style imaginable , many who play multiple times throughout the weekend so you may take in someone another day if you miss their first bent . I , for one , amount excited to see popular indie vocalist - songwriterIndigo De Souza , but walk off with several young band I ’m frantic to follow , including Toronto’sDucks Ltd. , NYC’sNation of Language , andBabehovenof Hudson , NY . Sharing the stages with them , too , are C of bands from the area . What ’s also particular is that Stoll says that the unofficial Treefort catchphrase is " where the fans are band and the band are fan , " which speaks to how acts amaze around throughout the weekend to look on other band ' shows and make connexion .
Ghost Funk Orchestra at El Korah Shrine|Photo by Lauren Hartmann, courtesy of Treefort Music Fest
Stoll notes that one of her favorite Treefort memories ever is seeingLizzoplay the main stagecoach in 2017 — long before she releasedCuz I Love Youin 2019 and took home Grammys in 2020 . An anecdote like that is a testament to not only Treefort ’s penchant , but their ism of recognizing and uplift new talent .
The food is exceptional
Of of course , other festival like Bottlerock in Napa , California are built to be just as much of a culinary experience as they are a music festival , but Treefort has recover a way to promote its food and drink offerings as a chiefly music - focused event . Throughout the weekend , Foodfort features a lineup of dinners and cooking course organized by chefs from Boise , the heavy area , and nationally . So rather than only offering ready bites from local businesses for contraption like many large - musical scale festival do ( and Treefort does as well ) , the fete makes dining a more holistic part of the weekend , intending to foreground cooking in the area and light conversations about local intellectual nourishment systems .
I was favorable enough to attend chef Carlo Lamagna ’s dinner , held in the Alefort tent . style " Twisted Filipino , " the chef behindPortland ’s Magna Kusinatreated us to a four - line meal that was meant to encompass everything he loves about Filipino intellectual nourishment and illustrate its piazza in the Pacific Northwest . He introduced each course , explaining where every dish was sourced and how , although Filipino solid food is often associate with " fusion nutrient , " he ’s ascertain to know his refinement ’s cuisine in its most traditional form . It was gravely one of the most delicious meals I have had in a long time , and I still ca n’t turn back thinking about a frigid , coconut vinaigrette - coated salmon ravisher , essentially Philippine ceviche , called kinilaw . My coworker attended Thursday ’s dinner party host at the upscale eating place The Lively and enjoyed a four - course repast , plus canapés , crafted by the eatery ’s chef and pastry chef , Edward Higgins and Samantha Hughes , Boise chef Sarah Kelly , andTop Chefregular Hugh Acheson . When you ’re used to downing greaser at festivals between solidification ( and do n’t get me wrong , I know tacos ) , the Foodfort alternative feel unlike anything else , and is a very internal elbow room to bring attending to the lively food scene in the expanse .
Similarly , a wad of thought has clearly go into how beer , cocktails , and wine-coloured are served at the fest . For one , as the event take to be as sustainable as it can be and hopes to become a zero - thriftlessness festival in the future tense , every slate come with a reusable metal cup that all potable are served in . But what ’s most interesting is that , while attendees can order drinks at any time , specialty spirits made in the region are served in Alefort at specific separation . That also goes for cocktail , as local barkeep horde abbreviated cocktail hours where they serve a modified bill of fare — making your drinkable social club even more a part of the experience , rather than just something to passively sip .
Alefort|Photo by Matt Wordell, courtesy of Treefort Music Fest
All of the “forts” are seriously cool
Lots of fete purpose to fetch in experiences aside from the euphony , whether it ’s a food factor , art display on the festival grounds , or a lineup of another sort of natural endowment like comedy — but Treefort has feel an constituent agency to include a wide kind of activities for every minute of the day , include when you need a breakout from standing or tatty music . Stoll trace the fest as have " something for everybody , " and it really does . There ’s Artfort , Dragfort , Filmfort , the literary community ’s Storyfort , Yogafort , and more — which all feature classes , presentation , and talks . Yogafort , for instance , has a slating of classes for hoi polloi of all storey that are hosted by local teacher and joined by live musicians or dj . ( The dance class I attended , which was all about embracing what your body can do and soundtracked by a pop - heavy DJ , was a very full of life commencement to my Friday . ) And all of the Dragfort appearance ( which include pull brunch , late - night performances , and a duo start - up rail showcases ) were a blast and create a safe space for LGBTQ+ Boiseans .
The forts assure there ’s always something to do , but the reason they feel so cohesive to the festival is that they were created by the Boise community and represent every creative thing going on there right now . " Those fort have developed from the communitytotallyorganically , " Stoll order . " It was n’t like [ the founding squad tell ] , ' We need to do a Yogafort . ' the great unwashed from those humans , like the Yogi earth , have come to us like , ' We wanna do something at Treefort . ' " By hear to local , the festival has create something that feels inclusive and expansive all at once .
The Boise scene is worth knowing about
If you have n’t deal Boise a urban center with athriving arts vista , Treefort will not only convince you otherwise , but that it ’s extremely unmarked . Not only is the city in a gorgeous , mountainous circumstance , it ’s clearly a not bad place for a miscellany of creatives to work , collaborate , and support one another . The music scene in particular is very near - knit , which is , of course , a huge nidus of Treefort . ( Local singerAngel Abaya , for example , has also worked on the Treefort squad for years , and the riot grrrl - inspired bandBlood Lemonare big community organizers — and one phallus also plays with hometown favoritesBuilt To Spill . ) And while Idaho is traditionally a cautious body politic , panels hosted by Treefort and talent speaking out during their sets shew that loads of Boiseans are committed to progressive legislation and bettering the state for womanhood and its POC and queer residents .
As a major music fan , one who is peculiarly concerned in under - the - radiolocation scenes and indie medicine , Treefort has been on my radiolocation for a while . The fete ’s bold existence had me intrigued about the merry euphony and arts scene in Boise — somewhere that I true never thought much about — and going illustrated just how worthy of attention it is . " The city of Boise itself is blooming , " aver Stoll . " I sense like we have known this all along and now everybody ’s catching up . It ’s a really singular , very beautiful blank space , and we [ at Treefort ] just want to share that with citizenry . " Being there , you ca n’t help but find that warmheartedness , whether you ’re chatting with a local who ’s excited that you ’re travel to or dancing to an undiscovered stripe , inevitably destined for indie fame , in the back of a brewery .
Dragfort|Photo by Aaron Rodriguez, courtesy of Treefort Music Fest
The festival main stage|Photo By Matt Wordell, courtesy of Treefort Music Fest
