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“I like to keep the lineup kind of all over the place so that the bands represent all Americana music, not just one particular genre,” says the festival’s founder Brad Selko. “[Counting Crows] were really popular in the ’90s, and now have a mandolin and pedal steels that bring more of an Americana feel. It’s the kind of music that resonates with a lot of different people.”

In addition to the constant live music scattered across three stages, the all-ages fête will also boast yoga classes for kids, harmonica workshops, drum circles, and tons of made-from-scratch craft and jewelry vendors. Festival attendees will also be able to indulge in eats and drinks from local foodie favorites like Zeke’s Coffee, The Local Oyster, and falafel vendor B-More Alive.

Selko says that Cockeysville’s Oregon Ridge Park—which has been the event’s habitual home since 2002—is an ideal venue because of its countryside vibe and close proximity to the light rail for city dwellers. (HAMF provides a free shuttle from the Light Rail stop at the Timonium Fairgrounds to the festival all day long.)

“It’s the perfect location. Not only does it reflect the music but it also reflects how [the festival] was when it started at my house 23 years ago,” he says. “Even though it’s a lot bigger, Oregon Ridge somehow has that same feeling.”

If you’re not completely wiped out after 12 hours of live music, spectators are invited to continue the fun at Bar Louie in Hunt Valley from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. The HAMF after party is free to the public, and will feature the alternative country sounds of June Star, along with some of the festival’s other featured artists who may drop by.

Although Selko admits that planning a music festival always has its ups and downs, he says that his primary focus is making people happy.

“Everyone’s lives are crazy, but these 12 hours of music take you somewhere that you need to go sometimes.”

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The cost of the festival ends up being a little steep if you procrastinate (which, let’s be honest, many of us do): $49 plus a $9 parking pass. But, if you think about what you’re getting, it’s not so bad—nearly 12 hours of music on multiple stages in a bucolic setting. The perfect 80-degree weather on Saturday didn’t hurt either.

Plus, once inside the festival, the prices really weren’t too bad. For $5, you got a 20-oz. cup of Magic Hat, either their IPA or #9, which is pretty much the same price you’d pay at any bar. The food and all the vendors selling everything from dreamcatchers to henna tattoos all seemed reasonable, too.

Some of my favorite performances included JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound, who I’ve written about before. They played the second stage near the entrance and got a pretty huge crowd that migrated over from the main amphitheater. I wish that the band could have performed on a bigger stage, as their Motown/rockabilly sound could have easily filled the space.

I also liked the international flare of Colombia’s Locos Por Juana who played the main stage and seamlessly fused funk, reggae, hip-hop and Latin rhythms to keep the crowd thoroughly entertained. Justin Townes Earle was another favorite of mine, though I think his emotional country-soul ballads might have worked better on a smaller, more intimate stage. But I think his fame (and perhaps, his father Steve Earle‘s fame, as well) validated his main-stage billing.

A band I was really excited for, who lived up to the hype, was Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue, pictured. They had all of the old-school jazz, funk, and soul you’d expect from a New Orleans group—but also merged it with some hard rock and hip-hop. They reminded me of a Louisiana version of The Roots. Check out their 2011 release For True to get an idea.

All told, the festival is a great excuse to plop down your camping chair and listen to some of the most talented national acts touring right now—all in a beautiful, natural amphitheater just a half-an-hour away from the city.

[Image: courtesy of Jordan August Photography]

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