Dirty Impound

High Sierra Music Festival really is magic. Now, that’s a word one should use with the same constrained care as ‘genius,’ ‘love’ or any other power word, but HSMF has an aura about it that warrants invoking ‘magic’ (and this from the Impound, a spot not known for being big ol’ hippies). This annual July gathering in Northern California has developed an atmosphere that permeates the whole experience, where musicians and regular folks all seem to glow a bit, wearing their joy and laughter right out where anyone can see it. It’s a tough fest to put into words (though these two gents did their level best to shape the days into breathing prose over here), and like the saying goes, sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. This photo set from Whitney Bekolay is one of the strongest encapsulations of the ephemeral vibe at High Sierra we’ve seen. There’s a lot of personality afoot on both of sides of the lens, and one feels Bekolay’s enjoyment of the artists and fellow travelers through her lens as well as the good energy radiating off the performers and loose-footed freaks wandering the grounds. Whitney gets at a feeling that’s maybe impossible to put into words in these images, and Dirty Impound is happy to welcome her to our strange little creative family. If you haven’t experienced a High Sierra yourself, well, take a good look and see if you’re not aching to dive into these succulent currents next year.