Check the Re-Cap from the perspective of one of our contest winners!!!
When my alarm went off at 5:30 a.m I murderously tapped snooze on my phone until my alarm ceased its obnoxious jingle. It was still dark outside and my head was regretting that last and ill-advised game of darts and the ensuing Jameson shots from the night before. I pulled the covers over my head and seriously considered sleeping the rest of the day. Then I remembered: it was a special weekend!!! The Wild Honey Pie’s: On The Mountain 2! I threw on my clothes, squirted some drops in my eyes to hydrate the contacts glued to my retinas, brushed my teeth, and threw my snowboard bag over my shoulder. I was lucky because I lived just a few blocks from where the OvRride buses were waiting to take me and the rest of the Honey Pie guests and crew to Stratton Mountain Resort
When i got to McCarren Park in Brooklyn, I was stoked that the Honey Pie crew was handing out complimentary Chameleon Cold-Brew Coffee, which I mainlined as I picked out a comfortable seat on the bus to settle into for our trip. After all the guests were accounted for and organized, we were notified that we had an extra-special treat waiting outside for us – boxes of sick, limited-edition Jansport backpacks in all different styles and colors! I picked out a black and white pack, decked out in geometric shapes, with tan suede trim. Inside it I found a tee and a sweet sweatshirt, which came in handy for some cozy road-napping and keeping super warm in the sub-freezing temperatures on the mountain.
We arrived to six inches of fresh snow – thank you early winter Nor’easter! We were off to a great start. Spirits were high as we got introduced to Dan and Eric, our Honey Pie point men. We were pumped up for our first run on the mountain and the first live show to perform friday afternoon, Magic Man.
With their first major full-length release earlier this year Before the Waves, scoring them a tour with Panic! At the Disco, and a spot opening up for the Victoria Secret Fashion show this year, Magic Man is clearly a band to watch. I loved their vibe and especially enjoyed their playful musical improvisation between the filmed out-takes for On the Mountain 2, a show for the The Wild Honey Pie’s youtube channel. They definitely care about their fans and gave an electrifying and energetic performance. The crowd was having a blast dancing and interacting with the cameras. I’m a fan after seeing them for sure.
The next day I was excited to get my gear on and head for the mountain. I’m a pretty green snowboarder so I started with a few runs on the bunny hill before graduating to the gondola. As the little glass and steel box crept up and up and up the mountain I started to get nervous. By the time we broke through the clouds and kept going I felt panicky. How high is this thing, I thought!? But once I strapped in at the top of Upper West Meadow, breathed in the clean air, and launched myself down the mountain it was pure bliss. It was already almost 3 o’clock and this was my last run. I took an indulgent moment to stop, lie down, and stare up at the snow-laden bows of the trees and listen to… absolutely nothing. Living in the city, you don’t get many opportunities to experience total silence. It was magical. It took me, a novice, an hour to get down the mountain, but it was well worth it (even if my thighs were burning like crazy).
After a full day of shredding I was tired, but still pumped to go see another impressive and soon-to-be-very famous act, Tei Shi, at Black Bear Lodge. This Brooklyn-based, argentinean-born performer absolutely mesmerized the audience with her famous single: See Me. Performing in-the-round in a lowly lit and intimate room, this was a very different performance and mood from the day before at the Magic Man show. Her vibe was mellow and contemplative, and the audience was rapt- content to absorb her haunting and transportive vocals and melodies. The cameras rolled and moved swiftly, darting in and out of people on the floor and quickly it was a wrap. After Tai Shi packed up, my new friends and I eventually called it a night by soaking our sore muscles in the hot tub. With a flask of Rumple Minze, we alternated between running outside to make half-naked snow angels and then jumping, screaming, with flesh flushed and steaming back into the hot water.
With a full-weekend of snow, music, and fun under our thermals, we were all ready for the highlight and headlining band of weekend, Ra Ra Riot, who performed their show on a Weezer-inspired set at The Sun lodge. Even though the show started a little late, the crowd was treated to free pizza and beers and went wild for their favorite tracks. The show was definitely a crowd-pleaser and everyone went home happy.
Ovvrride and The Wild Honey Pie teams absolutely killed the On the Mountain Season Two weekend. I also saw two other bands, including The Orwells who played during a 80’s themed snowball fight and Yellerkin who did an amazing performance at Grizzles Midday Saturday.
Though I missed Modern Rivals and Wilsen because I was out making turns on the mountain, I heard from people on the bus ride home that they did an amazing job. Either way, everyone had a blast and were stoked to be there. Getting the opportunity to watch my new favorite bands, and also hang out with them in an intimate setting like Stratton Resort was a truly singular experience. The conditions were amazing for upping my snowboard game and I couldn’t really ask for better snow all weekend.
If you want in on this action, make sure you check out The Wild Honey Pie’s contest to win tickets to next year’s On the Mountain, Season 3. Ovrride will be there to take care of you!!! BIG THANKS TO THE WILD HONEY PIE, ALL THE BANDS AND OvRride for getting me up there and back safe!!!
Words: Mariel Booth @MARIELBOOTH
Photography: Christopher.W.Martin @CMARTPHOTO