Floydfest is Fantastic

Sept. 1, 2008

I went to Floydfest in July in Floyd, Va. It is one of the cleanest and coolest music festivals in the southeast. The mountain setting is so gorgeous. Headliners were Donna The Buffalo, Rusted Root, Railroad Earth and The Avett Brothers. The Avett Brothers, from Concord, NC, killed it!

They have just been signed by Columbia, and you can see why. For my money they are some of the finest songwriters working today. On stage, they are possessed! Their roots as a punk band are more than evident when they start it crank it up, whipping their heads around, falling down on the stage, jumping around. The lyrics are sly, bold, delicate, and searing. I just can't get enough of these guys. It was a particularly sublime show, right at sunset in the mountains. The crowd knew all the words, making it even more intimate. Now that The Avetts have signed with Columbia, I wonder how long we will get to see them in these smallish venues.

Check out the Avetts' new disc, Gleam II. Like the first Gleam, it is a soulful, stripped down melodic treat.

Also fantastic at Floydfest: The Rev. Peyton's Big Damn Band. It's actually a small band - the Reverend on bottleneck guitar, his wife on washboard, and his brother banging on a pickle bucket. But Lordy what a sound they make! They'd be moving along on a gospel tune or a blues tune and - wham! - they'd make a crazy racket and charge toward the edge of the stage like maniacs. Absolutely hilarious! I loved "Your Cousin's on 'Cops'" They reminded me a little of Rev. Horton Heat. I wasn't the only one bowled over by the Reverend: the crowds for this band got bigger with every show during the weekend.

I about had to have my hip replaced after seeing Yo Momma's Big Fat Booty Band from Asheville, NC. in the wee hours Friday night. These boys take a page from Funkadelic's George Clinton and Bootsie Collins. Loud, funky, pimp-attired and truly relentless. They made everybody get down on the floor at one point. Anybody who was still standing had to vouch that they had a knee problem. It was sweaty, bootilicious fun, the kind that makes you forget everything and just DANCE.

Josh Phillips, the adorable dimpled front man for the group, sat in Friday night even though he has -- sadly -- left the booty band. He says all the shouting in the booty band was wearing his voice out. He played a Floydfest afternoon set with his new group, Josh Phillips Folk Festival. I bought his pre-mix CD of six songs and it is very rootsy, folky reggae, real good. He's got a new CD coming out, watch for it.

My advice is to get advance tickets for Floydfest next year. The camping is great, the scene is clean and mellow, and the music is stellar. One cool aspect is the World Music village, which offers bands from ... around the world. You gotta hike down the hill, but it is worth it. This is also where the only fire pit at the festival is, and where all the late-night drumming and dancing action is.

Festgrrl's Important things to know:

CAMPING - You have to buy a car pass to camp out of your car, and you will likely still have to haul stuff to your campsite. The cars are in a field with RVs. If you wanna camp in the woods (I recommend it), you have to haul your stuff. So bring backpacks or a little hand cart or something.

If you don't buy a car pass, you park a little ways away and take a shuttle bus. When you get there, you will have to hike your stuff in to camp.

I use DANCIN DAVE's FESTIVAL camping (Google Dancin Dave), and when I get there, my tent is all set up and I have fabulous Dave to visit with. It is WAY LUXURIOUS, but behind the sometimes loud beer garden stage.

DRINKS - You have to buy beer in a beer garden and drink it there. You can't buy beer at the main stage at all. You have to listen to whomever is the beer garden stage band while you drink your beer.

On the other hand, there are no checkpoints to check your backpack or your cup anywhere in the festival. Like I said, it is a mellow scene.

ART - If you like art, and have money, Floydfest is a great art show, a cut above most fests I have been to. I have brought home treasures all three years I've gone.

KIDS - This is a very kid friendly event. The crowd is in no way obnoxious. They have a kids village and a kids parade. This year, they had a fantastic balloon art maker. One year, they had the kids do an advice booth for adults. I kept thinking up problems to bring to them because they were having so much fun telling the adults what to do!

WEATHER - This year was gorgeous, but some years it is mighty misty and foggy and chilly in the evenings. Pack accordingly.

MASSAGE - They offer 'em, get one! Then go dance some more!