MojoFest @ Tussey Mountian - Autumn

LocalMojo has come back to Penn State to start off October the right way.

Once again on the Hills of Tussey Mountain, LocalMojo hosted a follow up to their previous festival earlier this year. This year the roster held an equal balance of DJ performances and bands to cover their mainstage. Starting at 2pm, the fest ran until 10pm, alternating between both kinds of performances throughout the day. What was changed most about this festival since their last hosting this Spring was that the bands showed a lot more love to their audience. DJ’s learned from what the crowd like, bands would play covers that they knew the crowd wanted, and jam bands made sure the fans were having just as much as they were.

The Penn State music scene is noted for it’s surprise celebrity appearances on tour. People will show up and draw in a large crowd for one set and move on. But Mojo is providing an opportunity for Students and Locals to get involved and stake their claim in the conversation. This year, the festival was opened and followed up by almost entirely PSU students. The DJ’s were almost made entirely of Students as well showcasing that anyone at any point in their career can get an opportunity like this.

The night was filled with covered, songs by “The Killers” “The Backseat Lovers” “Elton John” and many more, back to back to back. The rail was FILLED with ecstatic fans singing the lyrics to every song they knew. With a wide variety of genres showcased too. From Grunge to Country to Rock to House, Mojo provided a variety for every kind of music fan who was at the slopes this weekend.

Mojo has grown a lot since their previous festival, with several more festivals under their belt including one in Boston. It’ll be interesting to see what happens in the future since it’s clear that they’re on the up and up. Who knows where they might spring up next, and who knows what band’s will get the opportunity to highlight their first festival performance with names bigger than they imagine. Because the beauty of Mojofest is that anyone can go, and anyone can get to a point where it’s them up on the mainstage.

Photos by Tristan Reiser