Creating a scene up north

A. Two years ago, my company shut down my division, leaving me time to think about what to do with my life. My family and I go to hear live music a lot, so I looked at that marketplace. There were no big festivals in northern New England, which has a large group of sophisticated music fans. Risky? Sure. But everything worth doing has risk.

Q. You’ve been working on creating the Nateva Music & Camping Festival for two years?

A. We thought we could pull it off in 2009, but you’ve only got one shot to do it properly. Not just for the customer but for the town, venue owners, sponsors — everyone. Pushing it back was difficult. Now I’m thinking, were we nuts?

Q. Why central Maine?

A. First, because most bands have radius clauses. If they’re booked in Boston, they cannot be booked in Worcester. Second, we looked around Vermont, but it has a significant entertainment tax. Oxford is 45 minutes from Portland and 3 hours from Boston. It’s a town facing economic challenges that’s open to new ideas. Footnote: In 1988 at the Oxford Plains Speedway, the Grateful Dead played two epic shows. I know, because I was there.

Q. Are locals worried about nightmare traffic jams?

A. We’ve worked very diligently on traffic, parking, and security concerns. Will it cause disruptions? Yes. But anything with a positive economic outcome requires some disruption, and the town understands that.

Q. Big crowd expected?

A. We expect 10,000 to 15,000. I’m not staging one event, though. I plan on building a business that’s sustainable year after year.

Q. What happens if it rains for three days?

A. (laughs) I lose sleep over that. If it rains, though, it’ll just be a different kind of party.

Q. Does your lineup reflect your own eclectic tastes?

A. To be successful, you can never model it solely after your own tastes. Why jam bands specifically? Because their fans are used to packing up and going where the party is. But we also have big-time indie bands like the Flaming Lips, plus bluegrass, electronica, and local bands, too. A music festival is both about seeing bands you really want to see and being introduced to new ones, like Grizzly Bear and Drive-by Truckers.

Q. Will you get to enjoy the music?

A. Probably not. That said, I’ve brought in professionals to run all my operations. It’s my job to delegate, empower, and get out of their way.

Interview was condensed and edited.

Joseph P. Kahn can be reached at jkahn@globe.com.