On The Mountain, a packed weekend-long event of live music and food pop-ups produced by The Wild Honey Pie, is coming to the Catskills for its fourth occurrence—and the first in almost a decade.
“We felt like now was the right time to take a giant leap forward and take a chance on something really experimental,” says Eric Weiner, The Wild Honey Pie’s founder, citing company growth and a new team in its most capable iteration yet. This year’s event is the culmination of more than two years of planning; early bird tickets sold out in less than two days.
And no wonder. The lineup is stacked, with performances from Local Natives, Gus Dapperton, Rubblebucket, Fat Tony, Salt Cathedral, Runnner, Toledo, Girlpuppy, Saint Hippo, and Planetarium Party. Last running in 2015, On The Mountain has returned to the stage with its most popular artists yet. Four hundred attendees will gather from March 22 to 24 at Hunter Mountain and Glen Falls House for an ‘80s-themed après ski-meets-wellness retreat weekend. Mornings are occupied with yoga, somatic breathwork, and sound baths to set an intentional pace for participants.
Moonburger, a Swiss Alpine menu from chef Elizabeth Heitner of malli, and Vegan Nom, Weiner’s favorite breakfast tacos from Austin, Texas, provide the nourishment; brand partners like OLIPOP, New Belgium Brewing, and Beam Suntory, the libations. “Pairing music and food comes down to the most important thing: the universal language,” Weiner says. “It’s how we come together as a society. That’s why we chose to dive in and make that our bread and butter, our entree, our main dish.”
On The Mountain is The Wild Honey Pie’s reimagining of—and arguably improvement on—the music festival model. By swapping tens of thousands of people for a few hundred, The Wild Honey Pie traded sweaty, raucous crowds for an energy even more electric: intimacy.
On The Mountain goers can “experience the music in a way that just isn’t possible elsewhere at this stage of these artists’ careers,” says Weiner. “We’re giving superfans the opportunity to interact with these artists in a way that isn’t possible elsewhere.” It’s about fan-to-fan connection, too; Weiner wants attendees to leave with “10 new best friends” and the feeling that they’re grown their community.
The bands at this year’s On The Mountain fall in line with The Wild Honey Pie’s taste, which Weiner calls “easy listening indie,” folk, and pop, sometimes assimilating electronica and hip-hop, that you can play for your parents or a 10-year-old. Weiner pushed for the inclusion of some of his favorite acts; Local Natives made The Wild Honey Pie’s songs of the year list in 2009.
Weiner founded The Wild Honey Pie that year, as he was graduating college and transitioning the focus of his personal blog from food to music. Beginning as a music journalism and discovery outlet in the peak years of the blogosphere, The Wild Honey Pie evolved into a creative agency that worked directly with the artists they were once writing about. By crafting music videos, directing artists’ visual identities, and producing close-knit brand-funded events, The Wild Honey Pie breaks down the barrier between artist and fan to propel artist success—the outcome that means the most to Weiner.
“We’re at a phase of the music world and industry where that intimate connection between the fan and the artist is so much more important than ever before,” he says. Music streaming’s ascension also gave rise to an increase in passive listeners; those who listen to a song without knowing its artist and are therefore less likely to be engaged. Across all its projects—dinner parties and pizza parties among them—The Wild Honey Pie endeavors to create an opportunity for artists to “tap into their fan bases and turn casual listeners into superfans who buy every record and will do anything for that moment of connection.”
On The Mountain takes place from March 22-24 at Hunter Mountain and Glen Falls House, with a hotel room discount available. Weekend and single day tickets are going fast.
