How does garage rock sound in a farm field? Singer-guitarist Davis McGraw of The Pilgrims can’t wait to find out during this weekend’s third annual Thetfest in Thetford Center.
“I was still working in the Boston area when the guys played there the first year,” McGraw, who rejoined the Windsor-based band in 2017, said on Tuesday. “I heard it was a lot of fun. We do try to play one outdoor festival a summer if we can help it, but I haven’t done one quite like this. The good thing about being outside is the air is usually fresher. There’s more space for the players to move around. It’s a different vibe.
“It’s also nice to have some open area to hang out and watch other people play.”
While McGraw will be working his regular job on Friday at Hanover Strings during the festival’s opening, he said that “I’ll try to get up there a little early on Saturday” to catch at least part of a lineup that includes former Animal Collective guitarist Deakin, Windsor-based rapper Jarv and the Montpelier roots-rock quintet Stovepipe Mountain. The Pilgrims play on Sunday.
Amenities for spectators include a food truck, campsites and swimming. The site is in the lower field to the left of Route 113, a mile past Sawnee Bean Road on the way to Post Mills. For tickets ($25 to $40) and more information, visit thetfest.com.
NoTown Music Festival
A little farther afield, at Tweed River Tubing in Stockbridge, Vt., the third annual NoTown gathering offers a similarly eclectic lineup. The music begins with early soundchecks tonight and ends with Stockbridge resident Bow Thayer’s Americana concert on Sunday night at 7:45. Headliners also include rising folkie Krishna Guthrie — grandson of Arlo, great-grandson of Woody, resident of Rutland, Vt. — on Saturday night at 7.
Admission ranges from $35 for a day pass to $100 for a weekend pass. To reserve tickets and campsites, visit notownfestival.com or call 802-746-8368.