Present Present returns to New Lebanon NY for our sixth annual gathering: a small but magical festival where world class DJs, bands, chefs, and artists create a sublime experience enjoyed among friends and family, old and new.

Present Present is an all-ages, family-friendly, not for profit community festival.

Tickets are available by invitation only. Request an invitation.

Musical Lineup:

Underground System, Combo Chimbita, DJ Captain Planet, Eva Salina, DJ Bongohead, DJ DRM, DJ Ali Coleman, DJ tres dos, Lemuel aka Lemluv

Experiences/Workshops Lineup:

Yoga with Robin Rita
Sound Bath with Hiko Konami
Wine tasting with Giancarlo Luiggi
Kimchi workshop with Mama O's Premium Kimchi
Ajvar making
& More TBA

The Location:

New Lebanon NY, on the border of Massachusetts, 2.5 hours from NYC & Boston, on sacred land tended for hundreds of years by Sufis, Shakers, and First Nations. Bordering state park, there are myriad hiking trails, a swimming pond, a farm, gardens, and structures for meditation and contemplation.

Kid Friendly:

You don't have to have kids to come, all are welcome, but this gathering has special setups to make sure kids have a good time so that their parents can too. Arts, crafts, games, and activities give the kids space to play, explore, discover, and form friendships and bonds. The big kids take the small kids under their wings and it's magical to witness. On Saturday Night: kids lounge with movies, treats, and childcare while the main stage music is on.
Sunday morning: inspired by the music of the previous night, the children organize their own music showcase where everyone who wants to gets a chance to perform.

Intimate:

Total capacity is 250 people.

Accommodations:

TENT CAMPING: Included in the ticket price. All participants who are camping must provide their own tents, sleeping pads and sleeping bags.
CABINS: Additional $20 per person. There are a few single and double occupancy cabins on site. The cabins are rustic and don't have electricity. They feature a simple mattress
PRIVATE ROOMS: Additional $100 per person. The venue has a limited quanity of well-appointed rooms with capacity of 2-5 persons per room, in beautiful old shaker buildings with linens, electricity, running water, bathrooms and showers.
The Event Site has electricity, running hot and cold water, showers, and flush toilets.

Food:

Meals are included in the ticket price. Vegetarian, vegan, kid-friendly and gluten free options at every meal, prepared by world renowned chef Michael Sherman, each meal uses ingredients sourced from the farm ON THE LAND with a focus on creative showcase of seasonal vegetables, whole grains, and international culture. We also make sure there are simple options for even the fussiest kids at every meal. Meals include Friday dinner, Saturday breakfast, lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch.

Getting There:

We are a 3 hour drive from NYC or Boston. Parking is available on site. We will set up and announce a carpool website closer to the date.

Shuttle Bus:

A shuttle bus leaves NYC on Friday at 4 pm. Another leaves on Saturday at 9am.
Return bus will be on Sunday at 4 PM. Tickets to the shuttle bus will be on sale closer to the date.

Artists

Underground System: The glorious grab bag of internationally-grown members of Underground System (who take their name from a Fela Kuti song) reads like a roll call of musical and cultural diversity. Conceived in Brooklyn, this unstoppable female-fronted corps of neo-afrobeat-deconstructionists has cultivated a sound as inimitable as its members. Hinged on a tight, seamlessly executed stage show, this group astonishes wherever they go, compelling crowds to dance with unbridled vim.

Combo Chimbita: An eclectic quartet comprised of first-generation New Yorkers from Colombia, they describe themselves as “tropical futurists.” Their experimental psychedelic jams have cumbia as a starting point, but draw on everything from champeta and porros to Afropop, calypso, dub, and even Haitian kompa.Inspired by Sun Ra and the concept of Afrofuturism, the members are envisioning a sound that broadly centers the global south: Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America.

DJ Captain Planet: the masked moniker of BK/LA beatmaker Charlie B. Wilder, steadily flips & injects rare vinyl samples from across the globe into his signature ‘gumbo funk’ productions. Wilder’s beats are typically culled from an arsenal of records & styles — NY hip-hop, NOLA funk, Zimbabwean chimurenga, Nigerian afrobeat, Brazilian samba. Captain Planet’s trademark sound has matured into a truly unique form of electronic music- bridging gaps between worldwide music diasporas as well as contemporary dance music sub-genres (house, hip hop, dubstep & breaks). Throughout every Captain Planet song, it’s clear to hear his inspired appreciation for breaking the boundaries between genres and bridging continents through rhythm.

Eva Salina has been studying, teaching, and performing Balkan traditional and traditionally-based music for over 25 years. Recognized for her expressive, agile voice, Eva sings in many languages, making each song her own in the process. She will share some of her favorite songs accompanying herself on accordion.

DJ Bongohead: Cuban-American DJ, writer, historian, percussionist, artist, designer based in Massachusetts & New York City. Specializes in Latin and funk music. Co-founder (along with DJ Andujar) of Peace & Rhythm, a vinyl record label.

DJ DRM: As co-founder and label manager of Brooklyn’s Bastard Jazz Recordings, DJ DRM has been fortunate enough to travel the world representing one of NYC’s longest running and most respected boutique record labels. His DJ sets are wildly eclectic, bringing in sounds from the tidepools of Dub & Reggae, Hip-hop, B-Boy Breaks, Latin, Disco, House, Afrobeat and more….and always aimed straight for the dancefloor.

DJ Nickodemus: New York City-based DJ/producer Nickodemus made a name for himself as the resident DJ of the long-running @TurntablesOnTheHudson club night, and he also released numerous productions over the years, most notably the full-length albums Endangered Species (2006), Sun People (2009) & Moon People (2012). In addition, he has remixed a wide variety of artists such as Bob Marley, Nina Simone, Billy Holiday, Thievery Corporation, Mr Scruff, Quantic, The Pimps of Joytime, Balkan Beat Box & Natasha Atlas to name a few.

DJ Tres Dos: from Puerto Rico and New York and currently living in Brooklyn, he enjoys playing old and new afrotropical dance music in his roaming Manifiesta parties.

Lemluv: A passionate record collector and long time selector, Lemluv has a deep and broad understanding of soul, funk, and afro latin music that is reflected in his deep crates of impossibly rare vinyl.

History:

Present Present was established in 2012 by Nat Busquelo Rahav. A father of 3 girls and veteran NYC DJ, he has been selecting sublime global beats for 25 years. He is a member of the Turntables on the Hudson crew since its inception and was a resident DJ at BEMBE - Brooklyn NY for 5 years. He created Present Present as a family friendly festival alternative where top tier international talent can be experienced in an intimate setting.
Present Present is committed to showcasing true innovators who are of the highest caliber of musicianship.

Previous years performers include:
Innov Gnawa, Alsarah & The Nubatones, AMAYO'S FU-ARKIST-RA, M.A.K.U*, Quantic Music, Hailu Mergia, DJ Monk-One, DJ Scribe, Chris Annibell, SriKala, Jamison Harvey, Mickey Pérez, DJ tres dos, Nickodemus, Tasha Guevara DJ Tabu, Sarth

WHAT TO BRING:

• If you're camping: Tent, Sleeping Bag, Sleeping Pad/Camping Mattress
• If you're in a cabin: Sheets, blankets or sleeping bag, pillow. Flashlight! The cabins have no electricity.
• Layered Clothing
• Bug Spray (yes, there are some ticks)
• Rain Gear (just in case)
• Waterproof boots or hiking boots
• Musical instruments for fireside jam
• Mason Jars for taking home pickled goods
• Yoga Mat
• Blankets for sitting outdoors
• Comfortable long pants and long sleeve shirt
• Jacket
• Towel
• Flashlight

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