Dread Clampitt Film Premieres in Panama City

(This video shows Dread Clampitt live at Magnolia Fest.)

Back From The Dread, a documentary about the fine band Dread Clampitt from Walton County, premiers at the Marina Civic Center in Panama City this  Saturday night (Oct. 1)

The film starts at 6:30 (Central time), lasts about an hour, and then the boys from Dread Clampitt will take the stage. It's a BYOB kind of party, and expect a big ole Dread family affair.

Filmmaker Kris Wheeler  followed the four-man band from 2005 to 2007 as they hit the road and played Gulf coast bars. The film - co-created by Wheeler and filmaker Wayne Franklin -- is illuminating and personal, with really strong performances by the band.

If you can't make it to the Panama City show, here's the link to buy the DVD. And while you're at it, pick up the band's fine CD, Learnin to Live, which features Newgrass Godfather Sam Bush shredding the fiddle in ridiculous proportions! You can catch Dread Clampitt playing at Magnolia Fest. The schedule isn't online yet, but Dread will be playing numerous times during the weekend, including the late night set Saturday in the Meadow after Tornado Rider.

Blues Festival This Weekend in Tallahassee

The little juke joint under the live oaks outside Tallahassee will be hopping all day and all night this weekend when the Pat Ramsey Memorial Benefit for Hospice happens at the Bradfordville Blues Club.

Ramsey was a great blues artist and truly a hell of a harmonica player who succumbed to cancer in 2008. He asked that his friends and fellow musicians help out Hospice, since they helped him in his final days.

Tickets for the event cost $20 per person or $30 per couple, and kids under 12 are free! There will be RV space available, silent auctions, raffles and plenty to eat and drink! The FSU football game will be broadcast. For tickets and additional information, please contact Steve Howell at 745-8340 or stevemissy711@comcast.net.

Here is the schedule:
MAIN STAGE

1pm Cheap & Easy

2pm Swingin' Harpoon

3pm Harvest Gypsies

4pm Road House

5pm Major Bacon ( Blues Disciples Guitar player Dave Renson & Bass player Eloise Davis with their new band, coming to town from New Orleans )

6pm Wiley Coyote Band

7pm Acme R&B

8pm JB Zydeco Zoo

9pm Lisa D and the Infidels (from Biloxi, Miss)

INSIDE THE CLUB

10pm Blues Disciples All Star Jam with special guests Duane Wader (drums) , Rick Perez (guitar) Choo Choo Charlie (slide guitar monster) Clyde Ramsey (Harp & Keys)

11:30p m Pepper Drive (with Steve Howell on drums

SOLO STAGE

2:45 pm Big Daddy

3:45 pm Drew Reid

4:45 pm Michael Brawer

5:4 5 pm Rick Perez

6:45 pm Steve Taff

7:45 pm Lori Kline


NO DOGS, PETS or COOLERS

subdudes in port st. joe??!!

Yes, it's true. Amazing New Orleans dance-o-matic band the Subdudes are playing a free concert in downtown Port St. Joe. Nothing ever happens in downtown Port St. Joe. We have BP reparations to thank for this cool occurrence in the middle of nowhere. No time's listed, but a friend says 5:30 to 7:30. There are other musicians as well, check out the link.

Neil Young: Just Wonderful

Photo of Neil Young by Starcasm

First, off, seeing Neil Young in a smallish theatre -- the Marina Civic Center in Panama City, was unbelievable. Second of all, walking up to the venue and seeing surpise New Orleans great Allen Toussaint on the marquee-- well, yipee!!!!!!

This was a very, very special show. Toussaint started things out with an intimate set on piano, running down his hit songs ("Yes We Can Can," "Workin in a Coal Mine.") He told an absolutely gorgeous story about growing up in the country with shotgun houses and moon glinting off the shiny oak leaves, which left everyone rapt and led to a rousing standing ovation.

There were numerous standing O's for Neil Young, who absolutely gave this crowd his stripped-down all, running through classics and newish songs. His voice sounds as clear and lonesome as it did 30 years ago. Young was solo with an organ, piano, and a suite of seriously bad-ass guitars that made him sound  alternately like an electric band shredding mercilessly and an old-school tender crooner in a piano bar.
The stage set was way-cool, with big ole fringy hippie lamps, a tie-dye painted piano, and a classic old pipe  organ on a platform (Hurricane -- natch!)

Festgrrl felt truly lucky to be there!!!

Young has a new solo record coming out, and you can stream it for free through Oct. 5 at the NPR music site

Here's the Panama city setlist, with thanks to Starcasm


1. My My, Hey Hey (Out Of The Blue)

2. Tell Me Why

3. Helpless

4. You Never Call

5. Peaceful Valley

6. Love And War

7. Down By The River

8. Hitchhiker

9. Ohio

10. Sign Of Love

11. Leia

12. After The Gold Rush

13. I Believe In You

14. Rumblin’

15. Cortez The Killer

16. Cinnamon Girl

 

ENCORE:

17. Old Man

18. Walk With Me

Jambando This Weekend

Just a reminder, folks, about the bargain Jambando this weekend at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park. Just $30 at the gate, and that gets you 2 days of bands and 3 nights of primitive camping. Sweet!

Tornado Rider's New Video! Love it!

OK, I have to add this one, the time Rushad hung from the rafters at the tent at Magnolia Fest. I'm glad someone took video of it, because no one seems to believe me when I talk about it....it was a cliffhanger trying to figure out how he'd get .... DOWN FROM THERE, even knowing Rushad's fearless acrobatic nature.

Jambando coming right up!

Here's a bargain and a fun time for sure -- Jambando Sept. 17-19 at Spirit of the Suwnnee Music Park in Live Oak. This is a compilation on jambands and get this -- it's only $25 in advance, $30 at the gate, and that includes primitive camping!

Some great bands are playing and here is the lineup:

The Legendary JC's ( You can;t beat a band with a lead singer who can do the James Brown split multiple times in a row), Cope,Thomas & Olivia Wynn with Chris Bell, The Burnin' Smyrnans, Junkie Rush, funkUs, Middle Rhythm Session, The Funky Seeds, Rob Irie,Marley's Collie, Kaleigh Baker with Nathan Anderson,Green Sunshine, Jeff White with Fancy Pants,Acoustic Swamp Project, Legacy, All Capital KYLE

The shows will be in the ampitheatre, the music hall, and the porch stage -- no meadow for this one. Should be nice and intimate. Here is the schedule

If ya wanna get fancy, The Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park is offering a special cabin & golf cart deal to guests during Jambando In The Park. 4 people can enjoy a cabin and a golf cart Friday and Saturday night for only $400. The cabins have a queen sized bed, a pullout couch, a kitchen, bathroom, shower and air conditioning.

Bear Creek Extends Early Bird, Sets Daily Schedule

The magnificent cornucopia of funk and jam that is Bear Creek Music & Art Festival has extended early bird pricing  and released its daily schedule. Look at that sked and you'll agree that you better get the time off now and go Thursday to Sunday, y'all. No foolin.  This is gonna be a big time at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Fl.

Early-bird ticket prices will stay at $125 until 11:59PM on Tuesday, September 14. They go to $145 after that, and $175 at the gate.

IMPORTANT: There are pre-fest shows on Wednesday and Thursday nights, and these require additional tickets -- Wednesday is $20 (includes camping)  and Thursday (includes camping) is $40. This is on top of your regular ticket. Your regular ticket covers camping Thurs-Sun., but you can't see the Thursday show unless you buy the $40 ticket.

The "Back From The Dread" premier

A few lucky Dread Clampitt fans got to walk the Dread Carpet last night for the premier of a new documentary, "Back from the Dread." at Seaside Repertory Theatre in gorgeous Walton County, just west of Panama City.  Filmmaker Kris Wheeler (in video above -- not sure why it's black, ust hit play) followed the four-man band from 2005 to 2007 as they hit the road and played Gulf coast bars  -- and, as their reputation for fine musicianship and kick-ass shows increased. The film - co-created by Wheeler and filmaker Wayne Franklin -- is illuminating and personal, with really strong performances by the band. Can't wait to see the full production which will  showcase Oct. 1 at the Marina Civic Center in Panama City Beach.

Here's a description of the film from the Back from the Dread Facebook page:


" From 2005 to 2007, Kris Wheeler chronicled the band Dread Clampitt as part of his first feature-length documentary project, Bayou Country. To truly do justice to the stories of those connected to this film, Kris decided to divide Bayou Country into multiple companion projects. Back From The Dread is the first of those to be released, and is a joint production with friend and fellow filmmaker Wayne Franklin.

Back From The Dread brings into focus the challenges of pursuing success on your own terms, the difficulty of classifying the band’s sound, the wear and tear of the road and the ever-present battle to avoid the record store’s “speed bin.” These early years in Dread Clampitt’s journey are captured through a series of entertaining and behind-the-scenes interviews with band members, highlighted by live performances at the Acoustic Café Music Festival (Hayden, AL.), the Funky Blues Shack (Destin, FL), The Grey Eagle (Ashville, NC), Magnolia Music Festival (Live Oak, FL), WDVX Radio (Knoxville, TN.), and Workplay Theatre (Birmingham, AL). Back From The Dread also features a special quest appearance by the band’s friend and mentor, Duke Bardwell, a former bassist for Elvis Presley.

As with most bands, the lineup and musical style of Dread Clampitt continues to evolve. This film is intended to pay tribute to the band’s history, and is dedicated to all the loyal supporters and fans of Dread Clampitt — past, present and future."

The film was followed by a raging live performance by the boys. A great time with a great band!

festgrrl: Preview "The "Back From The Dread" priemier"

festgrrl: Preview "The "Back From The Dread" priemier"

festgrrl: The Dread Carpet Saturday

festgrrl: The Dread Carpet Saturday

festgrrl: Big & Hearty Festival this Weekend

festgrrl: Big & Hearty Festival this Weekend

Big & Hearty Festival this Weekend

Now that the University of Florida is back in fiull swing, it's time for Gainesville to get down -- at the Big & Hearty Festival this weekend on 100 acres outside the city near the airport.

A ton of electronica, dubstep, reggae  and jam acts are performing. Tickets are $50 at the gate -- and that includes camping. Music starts at 6pm tonight anf goes til 2 a.m. Monday.Click here for the lineup and have fun!

The Dread Carpet Saturday

The picket-fence environs of upscale Seaside, Florida will be invaded by music freaks carrying 40-ouncers covered with paper bags (redneck coozies) Saturday night for a very special event -- the premier of a documentary about Newgrass pickers Dread Clampitt. The sneak preview of the documentary, "Back From the Dread" will be followed by a live performance by Dread Clampitt. It's $20 and all takes place at the Seaside Repertory Theatre, which is a very small and intimate venue with great sound.

Oh, and I forgot to mention -- besides the 40-ouncers, they'll have boiled peanuts.

Dread Clampitt came out with their new CD this summer, Learnin' to Live, which has Sam Bush playing on it. There are some great gems on the CD, including "Lord let these chest pains be heartburn from Saurday night," the hippie anthem, "Sisters and Brothers," and a steppy dance number by former Elvis Presley band member Duke Bardwell called "Bayou Country." These are songs Dread Clampitt has been playing at their great live shows for some time, it is lovely to have them recorded. Here's where you can get Learnin' to Love.