• ©Travis Turner
• Indubious bassist/lyricist Spencer “Skip Wicked” Burton plays in the background at Summer Arts and Music Festival in Benbow. His newest, biggest, smallest fan approves.

According to the Mateel Community Center, summertime officially begins during the Summer Arts and Music Festival in Benbow. The festy-season opener was packed to the gills with good people and incredible music talent on Saturday, June 1. North Coast Journal freelancer Travis Turner was there and sent back a few images to make sure we knew what we were missing.

• ©Travis Turner
• Moksha vocalist Sam Lemos tends to the crowd at Summer Arts in Benbow by crooning with his heavy-hitting horn section.

• ©Travis Turner
• Local crafts people start an impromptu jam session while trying to stay cool at Summer Arts in Benbow.

• ©Travis Turner
• Los Angeles based Fiddle and Pine wows a rapt crowd with sincere and down-home bluegrass at Summer Arts in Benbow.

• ©Travis Turner
• Tree stage MC Jimmy Durchlag hangs out backstage with producer/performer Gaudi, who had traveled from France for this year's Summer Arts and Music Festival in Benbow.

• ©Travis Turner
• A couple sneaks away from the Summer Arts and Music Festival in Benbow to cool off and hold an informal smooching session.