Formed in 1991, the Ohio-based jam band ekoostik hookah has hosted more than 50 iterations of Hookahville, a biannual festival usually held over Memorial and Labor Day weekends. Over the decades, the festival has featured national acts such as Ratdog, Gov't Mule, Umphrey's McGee, Béla Fleck & the Flecktones, Blues Traveler, and countless others. The group has achieved success and longevity largely without the support of mainstream media, corporate management, or even a record label.
To celebrate its 30th anniversary, the band will host a special socially distanced outdoor event on May 14 and 15 at Legend Valley in Thornville, Ohio featuring support from Keller Williams, Ed McGee, Glostik Willy, and more.
As part of the two-day concert, former band member Ed McGee (vocals, guitar) will join local favorite Nat Reeb (vocals, acoustic guitar) for a unique set consisting only of songs written by McGee and the late John Mullins, who co-founded hookah in 1991.
“The set will provide a once-in-a-lifetime experience for both longtime fans and newcomers alike, as the band pays homage to both Ed [McGee] and John [Mullins]'s legacies as former members,” reads a press release about the event.Hookah will perform four additional original sets across the two nights.
Social distancing measures will be in place throughout the weekend, and fans will enjoy the shows from "concert pods" which measure 8-feet-by-8-feet with 6-foot lanes between each pod. While inside their pods, fans will be able to enjoy the shows mask-free, per state and local health guidelines.
Concert pod tickets to ekoostik hookah's 30th anniversary concert start at $199.99, which includes pod access for two people for the entire weekend along with free parking. Legend Valley is also offering a limited number of campsites starting at just $100 per concert pod for the weekend.
The venue is located approximately 30 miles east of downtown Columbus. A mere 1,500 total tickets will be sold for the event.