Get your Blackwater Early Bird Tix This Weekend

The Flaming Lips  are going to headline the Blackwater Music Festival September 22-24 at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Fl.

Early bird tickets are on sale through Tuesday, May 31 at $110 for 3 days, includes primitive camping. Ticket prices go up to $180 at the gate, so take advantage of the savings now if you can swing it. Kids under age 6 are free.


Other announced acts include Perpetual Groove,  Ghostland Observatory , Zach Deputy, Passafire, and Dub-Steppers The Easy Star All Stars.

Florida Folk Festival, Acoustic Cafe, This Weekend

The state's 59th annual Florida Folk Festival happens along the Suwanee River at the Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park in White Springs this weekend, and if you are willing to take a road trip, the incomparable Acoustic Cafe newgrass extravaganza and camping  fest happens in the hills north of Birmingham, Alabama.

The Folk Festival isn't a camping festival (unless you are already registered as a volunteer) but there are campgrounds and motels nearby. Adult tickets are $40 for the weekend, or $20 a day. Kids 16 and under are only $4 for the weekend. The folk festival has neat displays of Florida folk life and lots of country-cookin' food in booths run by various community groups.

I can't say enough wonderful things about Acoustic Cafe. I have seen  some of the finest playing ever there. It is intimate, for music lovers, and family friendly. People LISTEN and players RAGE. Click here to listen to some past sets.

In the past, it's been just one stage, with a second smaller one for sets between main stage sets. Here is a festgrrl post on it from last year. Headliners this year are New Orleans piano maven Marcia Ball, Dread Clampitt, the Red Stick Ramblers, Tennessee Firearms, and the Herb Trotman Band. Tickets are $60 at the gate, and you need to buy a $10 parking pass. Kids 12 and under are free.

Camping is primitive, and you can camp next to your car. There are no hookups for motor homes. They have showers. The picking at this festie is sublime, good thing they have free coffee!

Tallahassee Band Stranger Still CD Release Saturday

Nifty little bluegrass band Stranger Still will play from 7 to 10 at the Mockingbird Cafe in Tallahassee Saturday night to debut their new CD, "Road To Home."

Their shows are always a lot of fun -- Take this chance to go out and support local music!

Hangout Fesitval on the Beach in Alabama This Weekend!

Folks are rolling into the Florida Panhandle for the big-ticket acts at the second Hangout Festival in Orange Beach, Alabama this weekend. The three-day festival passes are sold out, and they won't be selling one-day tickets either. So good luck!

The pre-party starts tonight on a funky note, with Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Moon Taxi, Andrew Duhon, Kristy Lee and Romany Rye. Tickets are $15 and are on sale now HERE.

Headliners include Paul Simon, The Flaming Lips, The Black Keys, Widespread  Panic, and more. No camping on site, you have to book accommodations at Orange Beach.

Last year was the first year for this fest, and it was marred by the oil spill in the Gulf. Organizers donated all profits to help the communities affected by the oil spill. Good to see these folks back this year with a giant beach party!!

Orange Blossom Jamboree this weekend!

Head on out to the Orange Blossom Jamboree this weekend outside Tampa, an intimate, family friendly  fest in a lovely location, the Sertoma Youth Ranch outside Brooksville. This venue has hot showers, bathrooms, and vendors. It's $45 advance and $60 at the gate, kids 12 and under are free. That price includes primitive camping. Water an electric sites are $40 more, and you can pile as many folks on your site as you can fit.

The lineup includes 3rd Stone, the funk/blues world beat group out of Gainesville, talented Dead cover band Crazy Fingers, Orlando jam band funkUs, Tampa jam band Cope, Saltwater Grass, and national up-and-comers, The Heavy Pets.  

Music cranks up at 11 am Friday and goes through 4 p.m. Sunday.

The fest website has a free 3 CD download for your listening pleasure -- nice!

Purple Hatters Ball This Weekend!

Camp out this weekend at the Purple Hattter's Ball, celebrating the life of Rachel Morningstar Hofffman, a friendly fest girl who was lost in a senseless act of violence.

This little festie takes place at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Fl. Tickets are $45 advance and $60 at the gate. SAVE BY BUYING ONLINE THIS  WEEK. Music starts Friday at 5 pm and goes through Sunday at 5:30.

The park is offering a deal for an air-conditioned cabin (sleeps 4) and golf cart for $400 total. Primitive camping is free, and you can contact the park if you want to reserve and electric/water site. This will be a very intimate show, and the river swimming is super fine right now.

Perfomers include Papadosio, Zoogma, Catfish Alliance, The Malah, Russell Batiste Band, Big Gigantic, Burnin' Smyrnans, Dubconcious and more.

The Drug War is stupid and Rachel unfortunately lost her life because of wrong-headed public policy and incompetent authorities.

Time-Lapse Video of Jazzfest!

This is pretty cool!

New Record and a Cool Radio Interview With Warren Haynes

Warren Haynes debuted his new band -- the Warren Haynes Band -- at the Wanee Festival last month at Spirit of the Suwanee Music Park in Live Oak, Fl. A veteran player with The Allman Brothers, Government Mule, and the Dead, Haynes' new solo CD, "Man in Motion"  focuses on his soul roots.

It's official release is this Tuesday. His all-star band that performed on the recording includes several New Orleans musicians -- Meters bassist George Porter, Jr., keyboardist Ivan Neville and drummer Raymond Webber -- as well as Austin-based keyboardist Ian McLagan ("The Faces,") singer Ruthie Foster and tenor saxophonist Ron Holloway.

Today's National Public Radio show, Weekend Edition Sunday, had  this conversation and performance by Haynes. Check it out!

Streaming Jazzfest This Weekend, Plus Two Nifty Down-Home Tally Shows

Allen Toussaint, one of NOLA's best songwriters

This weekend is the second and final for New Orleans Jazzfest, and Rolling Stone magazine is offering a live webcast of selected shows Saturday and Sunday, starting at 6 p.m. both days. (I've posted the lineup below.)

You can also stream the great New Orleans radio station, WWOZ, to hear some Big Easy sounds from Jazzfest this weekend.

In Tallahassee, there are also a couple of good shows to check out:

Tonight, local newgrass band Two Foot Level plays The Warehouse, show is at 9:30 and it is $5.

Saturday night, Free Hugs  (featuring stellar players Aaron O'Rourke, Mickey Abraham, Mark Russell & Erik Alvar) open for The Sarah Mac Band at The American Legion Hall, show starts at 8 p.m, tickets are $8 advance and $10 at the door.

If you're staying in, here is the lineup for the Rolling Stone webcast:

Saturday May 7th

Jumpin' Johnny Sansone
Fredy Omar con su Banda
Renard Poche'
Soul Rebels Brass Band
We Landed on the Moon!
The Dixie Cups
Zachary Richard
George Porter Jr. & Runnin' Pardners
Wayne Toups & Zydecajun
Jon Cleary
Bonerama
Jeff Beck
Galactic
Wilco
Arcade Fire

Sunday May 8th

Gov't Majik - the Dirty South Arfo-Beat Arkestra
Johnny Sketch & The Dirty Notes
Vivaz!
Russell Batiste, Jr. and Friends
Anders Osborne
Marcia Ball
The Dirty Dozen Brass Band
Cowboy Mouth
Voice of the Wetlands All Stars
Lucinda Williams
Irma Thomas
Better Than Ezra
Allen Toussaint
Robert Plant & The Band of Joy
Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band
The Neville Brothers

Dancy Thursday

Live electronica and dub fans might want to head over tonight to hear Greenhouse Lounge  at The Engine Room in Tallahassee with Jacksonville jam band, The Fritz  and DJ Bomber. Doors open at 8:30 pm. Not sure of the cover charge, they haven't posted it.

Gonna be a dance party to get you set for the weekend.

Funk Me Silly!

One of the best shows at last fall's Bear Creek Music and Art Festival  - fabulous funkateers Lettuce at the Spirit of the Suwanee Music Park's ampitheater stage-- is online for streaming or downloading.

Thanks generous tapers, and thanks Internet Archive!

Shakin' my booty to House Party during that awesome show was one of the highlights of my year!

Living Jazzfest Vicariously

JazzFest gets off to a rousing, rollicking start

The incomparable Dr. John -- A National Treasure

Oh, Man, I wish I were in New Orleans for Jazzfest! Check out this wonderful rundown of last weekend's magic from HoumaToday.  My fave part:

"Dapper in a panama hat and guayabera shirt, John Boutté held the jazz tent spellbound with his angelic voice, an instrument of stunning purity. The singer paid tribute to the city with Arlo Guthrie’s City of New Orleans and Basin Street Blues. He created a communal warmth with the frisky Good Neighbor and silenced the hall with a slow, deliberate take on Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah."

Sounds like bliss!

Rolling Stone has a Jazzfest blog and a link for live streaming of some of the shows. I'd say it's the next best thing to being there but I don't think there is a next best thing to being there...boogie on, festers!