The 2005 Wakarusa Music and Camping Festival was held June 16 through June 19.
After losing money the first year, Wakarusa returned with more bands and stages.[1] The festival more than double the previous year with over 50,000 people attending and over 100 vendors.[2] The festival also improved its environmental impact by recycling over three tons with the help of volunteers.[3] While the festival proved it could be a success it was somewhat overshadowed by the death of William J. Pospisil, a 29-year-old attendee, who overdosed on methadone and cocaine.[4]
On June 16, the artists that performed were 56 Hope Road, Animal Liberation Orchestra, Arthur Dodge & the Horsefeathers, Backyard Tire Fire, Big Metal Rooster, Bockman, Carbon Leaf, Chubby Carrier, Deep Fried Pickle Project, Eckobase, Floodplane, Green Lemon, Groovelight, Hairy Apes BMX, The Helping Phriendly Band, Jeff and Vida, Jervis Jort, Lotus, Papa Mali, Perpetual Groove, The Schwag, Speakeasy, The Station, Sound Tribe Sector 9, Ten Mile Tide and the Two High String Band The headline act that performed on this day was Umphrey's McGee.
On June 17, the artists that performed were Animal Liberation Orchestra, Arkamo Ranger Moore-Healey Cindy Woolf Mark Blilyeu Band, Brother Bagman, Calexico, Carbon Leaf, Conspirator, The Gourds, The Grand Fiasco, Groovatron, Hairy Apes BMX, John Brown's Body, Madahoochi, Matisyahu, Moonshine Still, Mountain of Venus, North Mississippi Allstars, Ozomatli, Papa Mali, Particle, Perpetual Groove, Railroad Earth, Robert Bradley, Shanti Groove, Son Volt, Steel Train, Sound Tribe Sector 9, Tea Leaf Green, Ten Mile Tide, Tiffany Christopher Band and Umphrey's McGee. The headline act that performed on this day was The String Cheese Incident.
On June 18, the artists that performed were 4 Fried Chickens & A Coke, Ari Hest, Big Metal Rooster, Blueground Undergrass, Buttermilk Boys, Charliehorse, Donna the Buffalo, Galactic, The Gourds, Gov't Mule, Green Lemon, Greyhounds, Hackensaw Boys, Hot Buttered Rum String Band, Jazz Mandolin Project, John Butler Trio, Junior Brown, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, Lazy Joe, Matisyahu, Mocean Worker, MOFRO, Moonshine Still, Neko Case, New Monsoon, Particle, Pnuma, Risky Shift Phenomenon, Robert Bradley, Rose Hill Drive, The Samples, Shanti Groove, Split Lip Rayfield, Steel Train, The Stone Band, The String Cheese Incident, Tea Leaf Green and Yossarian's Lament. The headline act that performed on this day was Wilco.
On June 19, the artists that performed were Alabaster Brown, Ari Hest, Big Head Todd & The Monsters, The Big Wu, Blueground Undergrass, Chubby Carrier, Donna the Buffalo, Galactic, Greyhounds, Hello Superworld, Hot Buttered Rum String Band, Jazz Mandolin Project, Kasey Rausch's Winfield Revival, Little Feat, MOFRO, New Monsoon, Old Crow Medicine Show, Proto-Kaw, Pomeroy, The Samples, The Schwag, Shady Deal, Split Lip Rayfield and Xavier Rudd. The headline act that performed on this day was Matisyahu.