Monday, August 26, 2013

Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk Tours Florida This Week


(left to right) Ivan Neville, Ian Neville, Nick Daniels III, Tony Hall, Nikki Glaspie

Incomparable New Orleans funkateers Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk will be laying down fat grooves in Florida this week with performances in Orlando, St. Petersburg, Fort Lauderdale,  Jacksonville, and shows next week in Charleston, S.C., Atlanta and Athens, Ga. (See details and venues below.)

Dumpstaphunk has just put out a new album, Dirty Word, a superfine followup to their compulsively listen-able 2010 Everybody Want Sum. You can have a listen to Dirty Word's deliciousness here.

Dirty Word has guest performances by Art Neville, Trombone Shorty, Rebirth Brass Band (all on "Raise The House"), Skerik (with Trombone Shorty on "I Wish You Would"), Grooveline Horns ("Water" and "I Know You Know"), Ani DiFranco ("Dirty Word") and Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers ("If I'm In Luck").

A Dumpstaphunk show is always a rowdy funk party, just like you'd expect from New Orleans funk originals like these cats. This fall, they'll be presiding over the massive booty party that is Bear Creek Music and Arts Festival Nov. 14-17 at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Fla.

Until then, catch them at these shows: 

Southeast Summer 2013 Tour:
8.29 - Orlando, FL - The Social
8.30 - St. Petersburg, FL - Local 662
8.31 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - B.E. Easy Music & Arts Fest
9.1 - Jacksonville, FL - Jack Rabbits
9.2 - Charleston, SC - Brick House
9.4 - Athens, GA - Georgia Theatre
9.5 - Atlanta, GA - Terminal West

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Killer Fall Festivals Bring Musicians From All Over the World


School's back in session, summer's almost ending, time to think about FESTING. Three killer fall festivals will bring talent from all over the world to our corner of the North Florida woods, specifically, to The Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, where you can camp under the trees with your friends, and pick around the campfire under the stars. Aren't we lucky?

Ampitheater Stage
If you do 'em all, it's works out like this: A weekend festing, a weekend off, a weekend festing, a weekend off, and a weekend festing. You just keep all your camping stuff in a pile and do a load of laundry every other weekend.  Ride this lucky live music train while it lasts people, ride it while it lasts.

Magnolia Fest happens Oct. 17-20 with Willie Nelson, John Prine, Mavis Staples, Kris Kristopherson, Stephen Marley, Railroad Earth, Drive By Truckers, The Travelin' McCoury's, Keller Williams, The Duhks, Donna The Buffalo, Tornado Rider, Col. Bruce Hampton, Honey Island Swamp Band, and more. This Americana festival could not be more sweet. It's family friendly, lovely in the fall, and, as you can see,  has some real towering musical giants playing this year.

A 4-day weekend ticket , which includes primitive camping, is $155 and the price goes up September 1.

Suwaneee Hulaween happens Oct. 31-Nov. 2. This fest  is hosted by the incomparable  improvisational band, The String Cheese Incident. These cats can PLAY, and they will -- all three nights. Also playing: Emancipator, Conspirator,Steve Kimock & Friends, Suwannee Bluegrass Surprise, Future Rock,Brock Butler, Jennifer Hartswick, Van Ghost, Moon Taxi and Applebutter Express, One of the coolest things about this festival will be the special electric forest light and art installation along the park's already beautiful cypress lake in the campground. The promoters say: "Fans can expect an epic fusion of dazzling lights, art installations and performance art that morphs the Spirit Lake waterfront and adjacent forest into a vivid dream-like space that fully engages the senses. Working with some of the Southeast’s most talented sculptors, fire/metal workers, painters, performance artists and lighting designers, the Spirit Lake Promenade will also host a Silent Disco and other astonishing Hulaween creations." So you're going, right? Right?

Weekend ticket is $159, and that includes primitive camping.

The cypress lake

Da Bears
Bear Creek Music and Arts Festival, Nov. 14-17 (It actually starts on Nov.13 with a special musical benefit for $25 that includes camping with The New Mastersounds, The Revivalists, Toubab Krewe and more.) Bear Creek is the creme de la creme of Southeast festivals if you like to dance. It's a funky throwdown of epic proportions. Lineup is: The Roots, Bootsy Collins and the Funk Unity Band, Galactic x2, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe x2, Lettuce x2, Bonobo Live Band , Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk x2, The New Mastersounds x2, Antibalas, Lee Fields & The Expressions, Zach Deputy x2, Toubab Krewe x2, George Porter Jr's Runnin Pardners, The Motet x 2 , Jennifer Hartswick Band x2 , Break Science , Mike Dillon Band, Pimps of Joytime x2, Robert Walter's 20th Congress x2, Bernie Worrell Orchestra, Roosevelt Collier Band, Dr. Klaw, The Revivalists, Kung Fu x2 , The Werks , The Malah x2 , Space Capone x2 , Nth Power , Flow Tribe , Dopapod , The Legendary JC's , Ron Haynes Game Changers x2 , Brownout x2 , Johnny Sketch & the Dirty Notes x2 , Jaime McLean Band , The Monophonics , Ghost Owl , Greenhouse Lounge, Cope , Chris McCarty and the Underground Movement , The Resolvers , Profit , Suenalo , Lucky Costello, SOUNDUO Artists at Large:, Oteil Burbridge , Karl Denson , George Porter Jr. , Skerik , Mike Dillon , Roosevelt Collier , Jennifer Hartswick , Natalie Cressman , Dave Watts , Joey Porter , Jans Ingber , Clay Watson, Pee Wee Ellis , Ron Haynes.

Four-day weekend pass is $155, that includes camping, and the price starts going up Sept. 15.

So excited to get to Suwannee for the fall!!


Camping on the cypress lake













Tuesday, August 20, 2013

OK It's Not Music But....


Festivarians, just in case you find yourself wondering what the hell you're doing living where you live and doing what you do every day between fests, it's worth knowing The Best Cities for Hippies in America. Just in case.

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Suwanee Hulaween Announces New Artists



Suwannee Hulaween, the new festival happening Halloween weekend at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Fla  just added some new acts. 

In addition to headliners The String Cheese Incident (our hosts, playing 3 nights,)  organizers have added to the roster, and here it is:

STS9 (late night)
Big Gigantic (late night)
Emancipator
Conspirator
Steve Kimock & Friends
Suwannee Bluegrass Surprise
Brock Butler
Future Rock
Moon Taxi
Van Ghost
Jennifer Hartswick
Applebutter Express

And listen to this delicious descrption of a light-art installation that will be happening around the park's already beautiful cypress lake:



Set in the midst of 800 acres of Spanish moss-draped oak and cypress along the Suwannee River, SOSMP is one of the most beautiful live music venues in the country. During Suwanee Hulaween the space will transform into the first rendition of the Spirit Lake Promenade, a visual arts extravaganza never before seen at SOSMP.  Fans can expect an epic fusion of dazzling lights, art installations and performance art that morphs the Spirit Lake waterfront and adjacent forest into a vivid dream-like space that fully engages the senses. Working with some of the Southeast's most talented sculptors, fire/metal workers, painters, performance artists and lighting designers, the Spirit Lake Promenade will also host a Silent Disco and other astonishing Hulaween creations. “I'm extremely thrilled and honored to have been brought on as the Art Director for the Spirit Lake Promenade 2013! It's a very exciting project on a remarkable chunk of land. My intention is to bring the local art community together in a way that unifies us all creatively while blowing people’s minds,” said Andrew Carroll.

Tickets are currently available or $163 including all taxes and fees but prices will go up soon. Stay tuned for info on Ultimate Incident VIP Packages and additional details. To join the wait list for cabins, golf cart rentals and RV hook-ups, please contact SOSMP at 386.364.1683. 


Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Aura Festival Initial Lineup Announced


Aura Music & Arts Festival, a romping fest which happens Valentine's Day weekend 2014 at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park, announced its initial lineup today, plus a limited number of super-early bird weekend tickets for just $125. This dance-a-thon will feature:

Lotus (two nights)
Papadosio (two nights)
Conspirator
Zoogma
The Werks (two nights)
Marco Benevento
Mike Dillon Band
Kung Fu (two nights)
Dopapod (two nights)
The Heavy Pets
Superhuman Happiness
Start Making Sense:  A Tribute to The Talking Heads
COPE
Juno What?!
Twiddle
Jimkata
Brock Butler
The Resolvers
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong

Polyester Pimpstrap

One of the great bands who played Aura last year (and also Bear Creek Music and Arts Festival) were Connecticut funkateers Kung Fu. Here they are with Nigel Hall from last year's Aura, where they did a set-long tribute to Stevie Wonder:

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Tallahassee's New 76ers

From left to right, Danny Goddard, Kelly Goddard, and Brian Durham
















A band to watch:

The  New 76ers, who hail from festgrrl headquarters in Tallahassee, Florida,  are one of the best emerging Americana bands working the southeast scene today. The New 76ers hit a trifecta with inspired songwriting, soaring harmonies and a sweet family connection.

Kelly Goddard -- What a voice!
Lead singer Kelly Goddard's voice is clear, dynamic, and has real star quality.  (Have a listen in the video at the bottom of this post.) She holds down lead vocals on most songs, with her husband, Danny (guitar), and her brother, Brian (upright bass) delivering tight, sweet harmonies. They all know their way around bluegrass tunes for sure, and their big strength is vocals as lush and rich as a pecan grove in late summer light.

The band delivered a stellar show Saturday night at The Mockingbird in Tallahassee to a packed house, with an especially gorgeous cover of Peter Rowan's Dustbowl Children.

They have a new 8-song EP out, Demolition Man, available at their website. The official Demolition Man release happens  Aug. 17 at a show at the American Legion Hall, where Belmont & Jones and Bedhead Betty round out the bill.

The New 76ers are on the roster for Suwannee Springfest, March 20-24 at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park  in Live Oak, Fl. along with heavyweight newgrass headliners The Avett Brothers, The Punch Brothers, Sam Bush Band, and others.

You can keep up with the band's latest at the The New 76ers Facebook page

And check out this YouTube video of the title track of one of their excellent CDs, Superhighway:




Friday, August 9, 2013

Friday, August 2, 2013

Yes! Avett Brothers, Punch Brothers, Sam Bush to headline Suwannee Springfest


festgrrl has heard rumors about the amazingly fantastic Newgrassy  lineup planned for Suwannee Springfest in March, and now she can say it is true: Here's the official, initial lineup announcement:

Avett Brothers, Punch Brothers, Sam Bush Band, Southern Soul Assembly with JJ Grey, Anders Obourne, Luther Dickenson and Marc Broussard, Jason Isbell, Donna the Buffalo x 2, Greensky Bluegrass x2, Steep Cannon Rangers x2, Jeff Mosier, Town Mountain x 2, The Royal Tinfold, Uproot Hootennany, Big Cosmo, Habanero Honeys, Holy Ghost Tent Revival, The Whiskey Gentry, New 76ers, Jackson Vegas, and more!


Tickets go on sale today at $140 for 4-day admission to the festival, which happens March 20-23 at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Fl -- a lovely time for camping and picking around the fire in the North Florida woods. 

If you go to the fall Americana festival at Spirit of the Suwannee, Magnolia Fest, (Oct. 17-20 -- Wllie Nelson, Jon Prine, Kris Kristofferson, Mavis Staples, Steven Marley, Railroad Earth, Donna the Buffalo, Drive by Truckers,  and lots more) you can get a 4-day Springfest ticket there for the special price of $125.  Student and military tickets are also available. 



Lucky us!!!!