If you missed Fire in the Mountains this year, you didn’t just miss the festival of the summer – you also missed history in the making. To the delight of fans, some who have been waiting decades for this moment, Old Man’s Child made their first US appearance. Their performance was epic, but that’s not the history I’m talking about. The festival itself broke new ground with a revolutionary approach to what a metal fest can be.
In the 3 year hiatus since its last iteration, FITM swapped the Tetons for the Rockies, and moved up to Browning, Montana. Along with a new home, the festival has found a new purpose through partnerships with the Blackfeet Nation, who hosted this year’s festival on their land, and the Firekeepers Alliance, a non-profit dedicated to suicide prevention.
One of the major shifts, which brought initial grumbles but ended up being lauded by many attendees as an excellent decision, was the choice to hold a dry festival. The decision stems from the complex issues with alcohol in Indian Country and the overall youth oriented goals of the festival. There were a number of non-alcoholic beers and spirits to wet the whistle, and so much going on – from head-banging to kayaking to dancing – that most folks reported not even noticing something was ‘missing’. Indeed, many remarked they were happy to remember every moment, every conversation and every set – and wake up for 8am yoga! The sobriety of the crowd created an environment for true presence, meaningful discussions, cultural exchange, and the most youth friendly metal festival I have ever seen.
Let’s talk about the youth. They aren’t ok. How could they be in the world we’re handing them? But they’re learning that heavy music is really helpful in dealing with heavy feelings. The Buffalo Hide Academy. Browning Public Schools and the Firekeeper Alliance have created a Heavy Music Symposium class to teach students everything from metal history to instrumental and vocal performance. The program emphasizes the therapeutic properties of heavy music, and focuses on coping with suicidal distress. Suicide is an enormous problem on the reservation, especially amongst youth, this program aims to equip students with tools to process suicidal distress and grief.
The FITM festival offered students from the symposium career-building opportunities from designing limited edition t-shirts, to interning during the festival. Building on previous relationships created with performers who made guest appearances during the school-year, students were invited on stage during several sets to head-bang with Pan-Amerikan Native Front and drum with Inter Arma. There were more magical moments than I can recount here. Perhaps most important was the opportunity to join in community through very loud music, live performances, head-banging and churning moshpits. I’m not just talking about the students here – we all felt something rare and very special. Through several days of cultural exchange, deep connection to one another and to the land, discussion and confrontation of heavy emotions and experiences, and intentional sober vulnerability we created a space for extreme catharsis. I have never witnessed so much intense, raw emotion spilling from stage to audience and back as I did during the Converge set. The air itself tingled and snapped with electricity. When I called it history in the making I wasn’t exaggerating.
If you’re still not convinced that this fest sounds amazing, I can talk about three days of performances from crushing death metal (Blood Incantation) to spaced out synth (well, also Blood Incantation). The phenomenally curated lineup brought an eclectic set of sounds from Wardruna, Chelsea Wolfe, Panopticon, and many others. Exclusive opportunities like mountain view meadow listening parties for Blackbraid’s newest album. Speaking appearances, panels, and workshops on a variety of topics relating to heavy music, native sovereignty, MMIP, animism, ethnobotany and more, thoughtfully curated by the Firekeeper Alliance. Recreational opportunities including swimming, kayaking and biking. Lakeside yoga and meditation sessions to start the day. Song, drumming and dance by Pikunni tribal members. Daily barbeque offerings of locally grown and sourced foods, including smoked bison, duck and mushrooms (not to mention a slew of local food vendors offering fry bread, shave ice, and more). The only downside to this festival is that you can’t do it all in the mere three days you’re there. The good news is, you can bring some of that magic home with you and spread it around to everyone you see and touch and talk to.
It’s impossible for me to convey adequately in words and photos what happened at Fire in the Mountains this year. History was made, and if you weren’t there I really am sorry. But I’m certain it won’t be long before you run into someone who was there, and I’m certain they will tell you it was magic. And maybe they can explain a little more than I have here exactly how all of those pieces fit together, and maybe you can get to talking and figure out how to build some of those pieces in your own community to keep this magic going until next year.
