Heading Out To See the Punch Brothers

festgrrl is hitting the road this weekend to see sublime musicians The Punch Brothers at the Florida Theater Friday night in Jacksonville. If you haven't bought their album Antifogmatic, you really ought to.

I thought we could warm up with this choice little tune by these seriously talented lads:

A Pickers Paradise

The Tennessee Firearms Perform In the Music Hall

In its 15th year, the Suwannee Springfest festival at the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Florida this past weekend delivered a fresh sound and impeccable organization.

The longtime bluegrass festival was run for the first time this year by Big IV Productions, the team of Paul Levine and Lyle Williams. The duo produce a number of music events and festivals, most notably the funkified Bear Creek festival held at Spirit of the Suwannee in the fall.

There were a lot of worries among the crowd last year that the Suwannee Springfest would change when longtime bluegrass promoters Beth and Randy Judy bowed out. But the worries were for naught. Beth and Randy were present this year, with big smiles. Both hit the stage as performers themselves.

Levine and Williams added a fresh sensibility to the lineup. They had bluegrass legends Larry Keel, David Grisman, Joe Craven, and Jesse McReynolds. They preserved festival faves Donna the Buffalo, Dread Clampitt, Jim Lauderdale, Ralph Roddenberry, Sloppy Joe, Tornado Rider, and the Mosier Brothers.

They also added hot newgrass acts -- The Avett Brothers, Emmit-Nershi Band, The Honeycutters, Danny Barnes, Steep Canyon Rangers, Josh Phillips Folk Festival, Cornmeal, Greensky Bluegrass, and Trampled by Turtles.

The new twists came with kick-ass danceable additions like the funky horn-heavy Motet, the high-energy Holy Ghost Tent Revival, and the absolutely astonishing avant-garde Surprise Me Mr. Davis. Surprise Me Mr. Davis is a super group with singer Nathan Moore, the members of The Slip and pianist Marco Benevento. They delivered, hands down, the best shows of the weekend, and some of the best music I have heard at a festival - period.

What is beautiful is to watch this event grow in new directions while elegantly honoring the traditions that make people return year after year to see their fest families and their favorite acts. Once again, we managed to build a beautiful, loving paradise among the live oaks along the Suwannee.

You can catch some great videos from the weekend here and here and here


Here is a great song by Surprise Me Mr. Davis. Enjoy!

Springfest Gives Special Break this Weekend!

Let's say you procrastinated and didn't get your advance tickets for Suwannee Springfest this weekend in Live Oak, Fl....

Well, providence is shining on you, festivarian, the gate price has just been cut by $30 for two-day weekend passes. The Sat/Sun pass, which includes two nights of camping, is just $115. On Saturday, music starts at 10 am and runs until 9 pm Sunday.

Sweet!

Verlon Thompson At Springfest

Verlon Thompson is one of the best performers at Suwannee Springfest this weekend, if you ask me. He's just a straight ahead fantstic singer and songwriter, without a lot of extra flash and hullabaloo.

Here's a little video to get you ready for the show!

The Avetts!

One of the hottest acts at this year's Suwannee Springfest, The Avett Brothers, are really something to see live. They will be amazing playing in the tree-filled ampitheatre at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Fl. Here's a little show to get y'all psyched up -- Enjoy!

What if the Beatles Were Irish?

Happy St. Patrick's Day! If this doesn't make you laugh your ass off, there's something bad wrong with you!

Full Moon Festival This Weekend near Gainesville!

Just a reminder that the Farm to Family Full Moon Festival happens this weekend, March 18-20, outside Gainesville near Ginnie Springs. Such a lovely time to be had with fine folks for a mere $20 advance and $25 at the gate.

Read my previous festgrrl post about it and go if you can, you'll be glad you did!

Besides, you can do a little shakedown cruise for your camping gear to make sure you've got it together for Suwannee Springfest March 24-27!

R.I.P. Bear

Grateful Dead family member Owsley “Bear” Stanley died in a car crash near his home in Australia over the weekend. He was in his 70s, reports say. Here is a nice writeup from our friends at Jambands.com.

Will McLean Festival This Weekend

The gorgeous Sertoma Youth Ranch near Brooksville will host the  22nd annual  Will McLean Festival this weekend (March 11-13) Will McLean was a legendary Florida folk musician, and his legacy is celebrated by singer-songwriters every year.

The fest location can't be beat -- it is intimate, has nice campsites, nice bathrooms and showers, and super-friendly folk.

Weekend tickets are $30 online and $35 at the gate. Friday-only tickets are $15, Saturday-only costs $18 and Sunday-only is $15. Camping with hookups is $20 and primitive camping is  $10.

My friend Grant Peeples (check out his hot new CD, Okra and Eclesiastes) will be playing there, which gives me an excuse to post a You Tube of one of my favorite Grant songs. Trust me , you will laugh and you will love it!!

Langerado is Back

South Florida's Langerado Festival, which featured fabled performances deep in the Everglades during its hey day, then moved to Miami, then stopped for a year, is back.

It takes place October 8 and 9 in Markham Park, which spans more than 600 acres by the Everglades in Sunrise. The promoters are offering what they say is a limited amount of  2-day early bird tickets for $75 on sale at 11 a.m. TOMORROW (March 9.) Catch is, no lineup anouncement until June 1. Tickets will be $150 then.

Hmmmmmm.... what to do, what to do?

The Swamptown Getdown This Weekend

The new Swamptown Getdown Festival happens this Friday and Saturday (March 11-12) in Waycross, Georgia at the Okeefenokee Fair Grounds up there at the border of the great Okeefenokee Swamp.

The price is right, just $20 for the weekend advance, $30 at the gate. Here's a great blog post from Flagpole with links to the bands that will be performing. Having never been to the Okeefenokee Fairgrounds, festgrrl can't offer much intel on the fest site or fest crowd.

Here's a nice story about the festival from Connect Statesboro
Swamptown Getdown music festival
Waycross hosts hot bands from the Southeast


March 02, 2011

WAYCROSS, GA — The first annual Swamptown Getdown Music Festival will take place on the vast Okefenokee Fair Grounds, just minutes from the fabled Okefenokee Swamp on March 11 and 12.

This 2-day event is the perfect way to kick off Spring Break and will be a celebration of regional artists as well as the decades-strong artistic talent from Waycross.

"We really wanted to support bands from the Southeast, which is why we have so many area favorites playing at this festival," said Chris Johnson, of Safe @ Home Productions.

The Swamptown Getdown music festival will be playing host to an eclectic mix of more than 20 acts from all over the Southeast. From Country to Jam, Funk, Blues, Americana, Jazz and points in between. The Getdown's diverse line-up includes Levi Lowrey (Lawrenceville, GA, of Zac Brown Band), The Woodgrains (Athens, GA), Laney Strickland (Waycross, GA), The Fritz (Jacksonville, FL) and Betsy Franck (Athens, GA) to name a few.

The weekend will offer the full festival experience with RV parking as well as primitive and powered camping available on site.

Many vendors will occupy the grounds including food and drink, jewelry, music, clothing and original artwork. Two-day weekend passes available NOW for ONLY $20.00 at www.swamptowngetdown.com. Tickets are half-off with a student ID.

Swamptown Getdown is beign produced by Safe @ Home Productions. Safe @ Home has been presenting events for 15 years running.

It's productions include the nationally acclaimed Gram Parsons Guitar Pull which draws artists and attendees from all over the world. The Parsons tribute festival focuses on his musical impact and the artists who've been influenced by his "Cosmic American" take on music.

As well as providing a good time, the Getdown strives to give back to the community by donating a portion of the proceeds to the Ware County High School music program. It is hoped that the proceeds from this event will also facilitate the growth of the already established music scene in the Southeast. So come on out and enjoy the show.

Bear Creek Tickets on Sale Today!

Yes, it may seem like a long way off, but tickets for the full-on funky Bear Creek Music and Art Festival, held Nov. 11-13 at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak., Fl, go on sale today. Early bird tickets will be sold through March 17, then the price starts going up.Buy now and you can save $70 off the price of a 3-day ticket, $85 off the price of the 4-day ticket, and $95 off the price of a 5-day ticket.

And the fest is offering a new EZ Pay Payment Plan that allows folks to spread their ticket payment out over a period of 5 months or 5 equal payments.  Here's how they explain it: On the day you purchase your ticket, your credit card will be charged 1/5th of your ticket fee. Every 30 days for the next five months, your card will be charged the same amount. For example, the $115 early-bird three day ticket will be billed at $23.00 a month for 5 months.


Early Bird tickets (which include primitive camping, taxes and fees included) are available in three levels: Wednesday – Sunday ($160), Thursday – Sunday ($150) and Friday – Sunday ($115) If you buy a 3-day ticket and end up deciding you want the extra days, you can call the Spirit of the Suwannee Park and upgrade. Wednesday and Thursday acts have not yet been announced, but last year the pre-shows were outstanding and intimate.

Plus, let's face it, the park is magical and a great place to have a five-day vacation! Time to pre-plan, people!

Here's the lineup:

Medeski, Scofield, Martin & Wood

The Funky Meters

Medeski Martin & Wood

Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe

John Scofield & Piety Street

Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk

Lettuce

George Porter Jr.

Jon Cleary: Piano, Bass & Drums

Pimps of Joytime

Soulive

The New Mastersounds

Anders Osborne Trio

The Coup featuring Boots Riley

Zach Deputy

Beats Antique

Break Science

Breakestra

Dr. Lonnie Smith

Marco Benevento Trio

Eric Krasno & Chapter 2

The London Souls

Spam All-Stars

Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band

Orgone

Papadosio

Jennifer Hartswick Band

Snarky Puppy

Nigel Hall

The Lee Boys

Shane Pruitt Band

Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad

Rubblebucket

Juno What?

Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds

Van Ghost

Gramatik

Zoogma

Sub Swara

3rd Stone

Turkuaz

Catfish Alliance

Greenhouse Lounge

Dopapod

Flight Risk

Zongo Junction

Strange Arrangement

Trial By Stone

Jazz Chronic

Green Sunshine

DJ Craig Heneveld

Monozygotik

Scott Campbell Band

Earphunk

Cypress

Klob

Saint Francis

Gaslight Street

Betsy Franck & the Bare Knuckle Band

A Good Fest For a Good Cause This Weekend!

The Greater Good Music Art and Children Festival happens in Milton, Florida near the Blackwater River at the Adventures Unlimited camping resort this weekend -- March 4-6.

Headliners include pychedelic blues/rock legend Colonel Bruce Hampton (Friday), funk/hip hop band Entropy (Saturday) and bluegrass pickers The Mosier Brothers (Sunday at 4 pm). Tickets are $65 for three days, $50 for two days, $25 for a day pass Saturday or Sunday and $15 for a day pass for Friday night. Kids under 13 are free. Proceeds benefit children's organizations. Pensacola's public radio station, WUWF, is a sponsor.

Camping is extra -- it is first-come first serve, $5 per person per night. All sites have access to water, if you want electric, you have to pay $10 a night. RV sittes are $22 a night. There are a couple of cabins left -- one sleeps 2, and it is $87.70 a night, and one sleeps 8, and it is $243 a night.

Here's a cute song -- " I Wonder if Trees Talk To Each Other?" by the Moon Shine Babies, who are scheduled to appear Sunday at 3:.