With no future dates lined up, the band decided to take matters into their own hands and the idea for Belly Fest was born. It was agreed that there would be a festival of camping and music with the lofty goal of bringing the band and the fans closer together through a shared experience of love and harmony. The word began to spread throughout the jam band community and anticipation ran high. Unfortunately, organizing a three day festival was well beyond the skill set of the band members and the project was doomed from the start.

A remote location in Maine known as The Spoons was selected for its beauty, remoteness, and its complete lack of any permitting requirements. 

By dawn on the morning of the first day, fans had already begun to gather in the designated field where the band eventually arrived by midday and started setting up a small stage. Power for the instruments and speakers was to come from two 5 hp generators positioned behind the stage. However, upon setting up it was discovered that nobody thought to get gas for the generators. With the nearest gas station over three hours away, it was decided that the show was to go on as an acoustic performance.

Fewer than 50 people stayed that first night, and those remaining fans were driven out early the next morning by an irate cranberry farmer who came to spend the weekend at his hunting cabin. As no prior permission was sought or granted for the use of the festival site, there was no choice but to pack up and go home. 

The humiliating episode caused a rift in the band that took nearly 30 years to heal. Today, all of the original members are back and ready to pick up where they left off. And that’s the last we shall speak of Belly Fest.