Zach Deputy in Tallahassee, Fl.

Zach Deputy was one of the best acts at Bear Creek Music Festival in Live Oak this year, and what a super cool fellow he is. He plays at the Engine Room in Tallahassee Saturday night. $8 cover.

Anyone who dropped by Zach's tarp-shaded campground stage at Bear Creek left with a smile. The guy is just plain having fun, and he's got the groove going!

People compare him to Keller Williams because he uses loops and is a one-man band, but he's really not like Keller Williams. Anyway, go check him out!

Here's the promo from Zach's site:

"Truly a one-man band, he is a powerhouse of performance, technical chops, and one hell of a charismatic presence. Put simply, Zach Deputy does what is called live looping: layering sounds through the magic of technology to create a full band effect. He isn’t the only performer out there doing this, but he has taken the technique to the next level. First and foremost, however, Zach Deputy is a songwriter, a shredding guitarist and a soulful singer with a 4+ octave vocal range. He can also drop freestyle rhymes with the best of them. The Zach Deputy sound is essentially roots rock, but in his case the roots are in soul, calypso and dancehall, underpinned by driving hip-hop, rock steady, Motown and Stax backbeats created with his layered vocal beatboxing. On top of the backbeat, Zach Deputy’s nylon strings pull multiple duties as bass, rhythm and lead guitar. Riding over that, a plethora of sounds-- keyboard, steel drums and an entire horn section-- come pumping and grinding out of the speakers when Zach takes the stage. He is a one man dance party, but he can also bring an audience to rapt attention with a heartfelt love ballad."

Dr. Dog, out of Philadelphia, gave a fantastic show at FSU's Club Downunder Feb.18. (Thanks to Mike Bender for the great photo)What does Dr. Dog sound like? Sort of retro Beatles-psychedelic-meets 80's punk-meets Steely Dan-meets soulful indie-meets-hell, I hate to put all those labels on these super super talented guys, so look them up on the Net and get their CD, Fate. Beautiful vocals and kick-ass guitar work and infectious grooves. I also loved the excellent opener band traveling with them, Drug Rug. I say watch this band, they should be getting mroe well known as they hopscotch the country on the Dr. Dog tour.

One more fest on the spring lineup

Memorial Day Weekend May 22 and 23, Acoustic Cafe. This is a very small fest in northern Alabama, with some newgrass and bluegrass greats, including the great Dread Clampitt. We all basically camp in Steve, the promoter's, yard. It's a steep mountainside and he has ample acreage. He says: "the largest gathering of earthy tie-died people in Alabama. The music is what brings people to the mountain; the sense of village that we have created is what keeps people coming back. Among this colorful crowd of VW buses and dread locks is a real feeling of love. The children are polite, camp sites are clean, & we even sort the recyclables out of our trash. I continue to invite this crowd to my home because they know how to act and they leave the place as pretty as they find it. I dare say there is not a better crowd anywhere."

One band plays on stage at a time, which I love because everyone experiences the sme thing at the same time, and I don't have to make any decisions! Oh so relaxing. This is a very kid-friendly event. Very sweet spot, lots of cool rock ledges. You can only have tents up there, RVs have to park down the mountain. Steve makes an exception for VW busses.

We heard Dread Clampitt acoustic in Steve's natural ampitheatre, where the rocks seem to convey the music. The music was intricate and soulful, and the audience was silently awed. I will never forget it, one of the absolute highlights of my life as a music lover.

Steve has porta potties, a hose to wash down with, one food vendor, and free coffee - !! - on his porch. Best to come fully prepared with all your supplies and your smile. We met some of the most wonderful folks there last year and Steve himself is a gem and so generous to offer up his land for music magic.

Fest Season Approacheth

The Spring Fest Season is fast approaching and festgrrl is mulling her many options! I outline the options for Southern festers below for your planning pleasure. Yes, times are tough, but still... if you get your advanced tickets, festing is still a pretty good vacation bargain. Magnolia Springfest advanced was $100, that's $100 for four days and five stages!

Springfest, March 26-29, is the first fest on festgrrl's list. You can see the lineup at the link here:

http://www.magmusic.com/lineupspringfest.htm

I am loving The Gourds and Richie Havens on the lineup this year.

The weekend after Springfest, April 3 and 4, is the Keel Family Function in LaFayette, Georgia -- that's way up there near Chattanooga, Tennessee. It's at TDawg's Cherokee farms, and the price is just great -- only $40 for the whole weekend advanced. I have never been to the venue, but friends report great things. The lineup is simply stellar and you can see it here

http://www.keelfamilyfunction.com/

Promoter TDawg knows all about great music. Here's his post on it:


Eye Dawg Productions is proud to announce the inaugural KEEL FAMILY FUNCTION April 3rd- 4th at beautiful Cherokee Farms in LaFayette, GA. We are very excited about this first-time event and plan on having it around for years to come. Once again, we will be featuring the wind/solar power of Tree Power, a subsidiary of Tree Sound Studios and Tree Leaf Music (www.treeleafmusic.com)

Keel Family Reunion
Tickets: Fri-Sat $40 adv/$50 @ gate, Sat Only $30 adv/$40 @ gate, includes camping. Advance tix available online at KeelFamilyFunction.com. Music starts at 7PM on Friday, Noon on Saturday.

The Keel Family Function Lineup:

~ COL. BRUCE HAMPTON ~ featuring Jeff Sipe on drums, Ike Stubblefield on Hammond/bass pedals, Grant Green Jr. on guitar, plus a few friends I’m sure. www.bratoganibe.com/
~ BLUEGROUND UNDERGRASS ~ www.bluegroundundergrass.com
~ DONNA HOPKINS ~ SPECIAL ARTIST-AT-LARGE
~ LARRY KEEL & NATURAL BRIDGE ~ www.larrykeel.com
~ LAURA REED & DEEP POCKET ~ www.laurareedanddeeppocket.com
~ PAPA MALI w/ Jeff Sipe ~ www.papamali.com
~ RALPH RODDENBERY BAND ~ www.ralphroddenbery.com
~ GRAYSON CAPPS & FRIENDS ~ www.graysoncapps.com
~ ANDERS OSBORNE & NEW ORLEANS JUICE ~ www.myspace.com/andersosbornenola
~ DAVID VIA ~ www.davidvia.com
~ CAPTAINS of the INDUSTRY ~ featuring members of N.O. Juice, Susan Tedeschi’s band lineup, Scrapomatic
~ STOP DROP & ROLL ~ www.myspace.com/stopdropandrollband
~ CAROLINE POND ~ www.myspace.com/carolinepond
~ SAINT FRANCIS ~ www.myspace.com/saintfrancissong
~ EYE of the DAWG SONGWRITER SHOWCASE, lineup TBA soon!
~ BLOODY MARY MORNING BLUEGRASS JAM ~ hosted by Stop Drop & Roll, final details TBA soon!
~ THE LOW DOWN THROW DOWN ~ www.myspace.com/thelowdownthrowdown
~ PAST PLUTO ~

Tickets: Fri-Sat $40 adv/$50 @ gate, Sat Only $30 adv/$40 @ gate. Kids 12&under are admitted FREE. Camping included in the cost of the ticket. $10 additional if you wish to come in on Thursday night. Advance tix available online at http://www.TicketAlternative.com/Venues/302.aspx or by visiting the outlets listed above. Music starts at 7PM on Friday, Noon on Saturday. NO DOGS PLEASE.

We are excited to have Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. on board as a sponsor, along with our buddies Wildman Steve Radio and Tree Leaf Music.

Then it's down to Tampa area, for Stringfest on April 17-19. This is the same venue as Riverhawk in the fall. See the lineup here: http://www.lindentertainment.com/StringBreak/SB09/stringbreak_2009
The Waybacks and The Greencards and Larry Keel are standouts in the lineup. This venue, I hear, is very, very sweet. And April is a great time to be in Florida. Tickets are $65 advance for two nights of camping, $85 if you want to stay Sunday night.

That's all for now, I've got another fest to preview and will do it next post.