18th Suwannee Springfest Brings The Good Stuff

Uproot Hootenanny- Whew, they are good! festgrrl photo

If I had a dollar for every smile I saw at Suwanneee Springfest – OK, make that $20 – I wouldn't have to work for the rest of the year.

As many musicians who play this fest at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Fl., over the years have told me, there is an indescribable something about that place, that gathering.

Well, I’ll describe it: the setting is gorgeous, the people who organize the fest are laid-back and kind, the food is good, the place has plenty of room, beautiful art is everywhere, you are with some of the finest string players in the world, it's the first whiff of spring for Northern performers, and the audience pays good attention.

Father of Newgrass Sam Bush. festgrrl photo

Multi-instrumentalist Tara Nevins, Donna the Buffalo. festgrrl photo

And so that is how we spent four days in the woods of North Florida by the Suwannee River listening, dancing, picking, singing, visiting, and swinging in hammocks under blooming dogwoods and Spanish moss.

Ahhhh.. hammocking in the ampitheater stage. festgrrl photo

And let’s not forget the legendary picking circles that go on all night, every night, in the campgrounds, because that’s the Suwannee sweet spot. In my neck of the woods, South Florida’s Uproot Hootenanny were hellacious late-night ragers. 

Adorable Del McCoury. festgrrl photo

Adorable  Del McCoury fan. festgrrl photo

2014 marked the 18th Suwannee Springfest, and the promoters were able to get four of the world’s current folk and Newgrass “it” bands – The Punch Brothers, The Avett Brothers, The Sam Bush Band, and 2014 Bluegrass Album-of-the-Year Grammy winners The Del McCoury Band. Each band gave a standout performance that had people buzzing all weekend. Canadian roots band The Duhks also performed a goosebumps-inducing set. 

 festgrrl photo

Another stellar show was Sunday’s Southern Soul Assembly, which featured a songwriter-in-the-round setup with JJ Grey (Mofro,) Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi All Stars) and Louisiana musicians Anders Osborne and Marc Broussard. The set drew a well-deserved standing ovation in the ampitheater.

Anders Osborne. festgrrl photo

Luther Dickinson (left), Marc Broussard. festgrrl photo

JJ Grey. festgrrl photo

One blow-my-mind Springfest moment was when Saturday night headliners The Avett Brothers took the old roots-music standard “Cluck Old Hen” and turned it into a dark, exhilarating punk throwdown with stage theatrics. 

That’s pretty much Springfest in a nutshell – the fest is rooted in a traditional form but, year after year, it brings innovation and a sense of humor. Like the hot young picker kids who showed up at my camp and played a bluegrass cover of Gloria Gaynor’s disco anthem, “I Will Survive.” Or one year, late night,  when Wisconsin bluegrass band Sloppy Joe broke out Beyonce’s “Put A Ring On it.” 

This is joie de vivre, people, the good stuff. Get it while you can. 

Wildman Steve. festgrrl photo

Camground pickin' with a washtub bass. festgrrl photo

Grant Peeples and Elizabeth Fravel. festgrrl photo

Jeb Puryear (left) and Kyle Spark of Donna the Buffalo. festgrrl photo

Willie Sugarcapps. festgrrl photo

The New 76ers - wowed the crowd. festgrrl photo

The Henhouse Prowlers, one of the best bands I saw. festgrrl photo

Fiddler, Singer Tania Elizabeth of The Stacks, The Duhks, and, we hear, soon joining The Avett Brothers
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Grateful Dead archivist and musician David Gans. We love him.
 festgrrl photo 

Steep Canyon Rangers
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'Til Next Time!
 festgrrl photo

Keller Williams, Craft Beer This Weekend in Fernandina Beach

Keller Williams

Singer-songwriter-looper Keller Williams headlines the one-day  Slide Into Spring Festival on Amelia Island at Fernandina Beach, north of Jacksonville March 29.

This family-friendly fest -- a fundraiser to build a mega-cool pirate's playground that will be accessible for all kids, including those in wheelchairs --- also features Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band, Herd of Watts, The Fritz, and Vagabond Swing. All this, and craft beer.

This is not a camping festival, so you'll have to get a place to stay (and there are plenty in this beachy place) or get a site at nearby Fort Clinch State Park. Here is info on ticket pricing and a schedule for your planning pleasure:

General Admission - $20/advance and $25/day of event. Ticket includes admission into event and souvenir tasting cup (if over 21)
VIP Ticket Option - $50 – Ticket includes preferred parking, admission into the event, souvenir tasting cup (if over 21), private tasting times in beer garden (12:00pm – 12:30pm and 3:30pm – 4:00pm), access to VIP Tent with special discounts on food and drinks, meet and greet with music acts. 
12 & under – Free

Click here for tickets

• 12:00pm – Gates open
• 12:00pm – 12:30pm – Bar Zin Beer Garden open for VIP’s only
• 12:00pm – 9:00pm – Amelia Island Runners Kid Zone open, food vendors open, arts and craft vendors open, VIP Tent open
• 12:30pm – 1:30pm – Herd of Watts performs
• 12:30pm – 2:30pm – Cornhole tournament registration

• 12:30pm – 3:30pm – Bar Zin Beer Garden open to the general public
• 2:00pm – 3:15pm - Vagabond Swing performs
• 2:30pm – 3:00pm - Pipeline Surf Shop fashion show
• 3:00pm – 5:00pm – Cornhole Tournament
• 3:30pm – 4:00pm – Bar Zin Beer Garden open for VIP’s only
• 4:00pm – Bar Zin Beer Garden closes
• 3:30pm – 5:00pm – The Fritz performs
• 5:00pm – 6:00pm – Home brew competition
• 5:15pm – 6:30pm – Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band performs
• 6:30pm – Home brew competition winner announced
• 7:00pm – 9:00pm – Keller Williams performs
• 9:00pm – Event closes

Get Your Wanee Tix Before the Price Goes Up

Ticket prices increase on March 28 for the 10th annual  Wanee Festival, which happens April 10-12 at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Fl. A weekend ticket, which includes camping Thursday to Saturday, is $228 (plus fees) advanced.VIP tickets are sold out. 

This is one of the biggest festivals at Spirit of the Suwannee, hosted each year by The Allman Brothers. And this year will be bittersweet for Allman fans because Gregg Allman has announced that The Allman Brothers Band will stop touring after 2014. Gregg Allman has been suffering health problems, and this week, Gregg's illness forced the band to reschedule its Beacon Theater run in New York.

Like I said, this is a big, rowdy festival, and one that's not so easy to bring little kids to. The trick for Wanee is to be as self-sufficient in your camp as you can, and get there as early as you can. 

There's a Wednesday pre -party for an extra charge. 

Here's a look at the 2014 Wanee lineup: 

The Allman Brothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Trey Anastasio Band, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Gov't Mule, Jaimoe's Jasssz Band, Umphrey's McGee, Ziggy Marley, Blues Traveler, Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Hot Tuna, moe., Rusted Root, Dumpstaphunk, Soulive, Royal Southern Brotherhood, Walter Trout, Rob Garza, Blind Boys of Alabama, Melvin Seals & JGB, Bobby Lee Rodgers, Futurebirds, Matt Schofield, Break Science, Sean Chambers, The Yeti Trio

Suwannee Springfest Spotlight: Sam Bush, Del McCoury

Sam Bush

They call Sam Bush the Father of  Newgrass. Bush will tell you that his definition of newgrass is simply "contemporary music played on traditional bluegrass instruments." That covers a lot of territory.

In the years since Sam Bush's 1970s breakout band, the Newgrass Revival (with John Cowan and banjo impresario Bela Fleck) started bending genres, the morphing of musical styles has grown to jazzgrass, bluesgrass, folkgrass, jahgrass, funkgrass, and now, there's even punkgrass. Those old Newgrass Revival recordings still stand the test of time, and Bush has remained a tireless performer, innovator, and heck of a nice guy.  

A child prodigy musician who was national fiddling champion when he was only 15 years old, Bush is known primarily for his mandolin playing today. But he shreds the electric guitar and the fiddle alike in his fire-fueled performances. He's a four-time International Bluegrass Music Association Mandolin Player of the Year, and has won three Grammy awards.

Bush has played with everybody -- Bill Monroe, Doc and Merle Watson, Emmylou Harris, Lyle Lovett, Jerry Douglas, and Garth Brooks, to name a few famous ones.

Bush is one of this year's headliners at this year's Suwannee Springfest , which kicks off today at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park  in Live Oak, Fl. Tickets are available, and other details about this amazing fest are here. 

The Sam Bush Band plays at 3:30 p.m. Saturday on the ampitheater stage. And it's a good bet that Sam will be part of the all-star McCoury Jam that assembles later Saturday night -- at midnight in the ampitheater.

Del McCoury

Del McCoury -- another bluegrass legend  who has played with just about everybody, including a host of bluegrass greats as well as contemporary bands like Phish, String Cheese Incident, Steve Earl, and even funkalicious Bootsy Collins (GrooveGrass Boyz) -- hosts that jam. 

The Del McCoury Band is hot, hot, hot --- they won this year's Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album ("Streets of Baltimore.") Besides hosting the late-night jam, The Del McCoury Band plays earlier Saturday, at  6 p.m. Saturday in the ampitheater.  

Suwannee Springfest Countdown: The New 76ers, Love Canon, The Honeycutters, The Stacks, and Holy Ghost Tent Revival

Suwannee Springfest, the Americana extravaganza in the North Florida woods,  kicks off at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park starting this Thursday, March 20. You can get ticket prices, schedule, and news about the headliners at my previous post.

Today, here's a look at some of the bands you may not know yet but, in festgrrl's humble opinion, you should not miss.

The New 76ers play Friday at 4:45 on the porch stage and 5:15 Saturday in the Music Hall.  You can see my previous post on this most excellent Americana band out of Tallahassee, Florida, here. Outstanding vocal  harmonies, heartfelt lyrics, and beautiful musicianship. Check out this gorgeous tune:



Love Canon, plays 12:15 Thursday night in the ampitheater. These guys are a blast -- supremely talented string players uniquely cover '80s tunes. Check out this version of the Grateful Dead's "Touch of Grey:"




The Honeycutters, out of Asheville, N.C., play at 2:15 in the Meadow on Saturday. Expect catchy hooks, intricate guitar work, and beautiful singing.





The Stacks are a new-ish deo comprised of Tania Elizabeth, well known as the fiddler for the Canadian Americana band The Duhks, and her husband, guitarist-singer Andy Stacks. They play at 6:45 Thursday  in the Music Hall.



Holy Ghost Tent Revival play at 11:15 on the porch stage Friday night. The Holy Ghosters are a hard-working fun touring Americana band out of North Carolina with horns that will have you moving and smiling.

Suwannee Springfest Countdown: The Avett Brothers

They make you cry, they make you laugh, they make you dance, they make you think. A single show takes you on a journey through folk, pop, semi-classical, and even punk. The Avett Brothers are amazing.

festgrrl has had the good fortune of seeing a lot of Avett Brothers shows over the years. The first time they came to our neck of the woods was at a fledgling music festival called Down on The Farm (which later morphed into the successful Bear Creek Music & Arts Festival) in a wide-open field in Quincy, Florida. They were little-known band out of North Carolina  back then, and they left me stunned (and obsessed with their music.) Some favorite older recordings are Gleam,  Emotionalism and The Four Thieves sessions.

The Avett Brothers' talent has now risen to the top and rightly so -- the band  (Brothers Scott Avett (banjo) and Seth Avett (guitar), as well as Bob Crawford (double bass) and Joe Kwon (cello). Mike Marsh (drums) and Paul Delfigia (keyboard) is appearing on national TV, headlining huge shows, and touring all over the world. And we get to see them next week at Suwannee Springfest at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Fl. (For more details on the Suwannee Springfest, click here.)

So aren't' we lucky that they will be playing the ampitheater on Saturday, March 22 at 8:45 p.m. This is a show not to be missed.

This Avett Brothers clip is kind of old -- 2008, but it shows their unique blend of gorgeous vocals, poignant lyrics, unusual phrasing, musical chops, and at the end, full-on stage raging. Yes!!!

Countdown: Suwannee Springfest!

This time next week, lovers of stringed instruments will be seizing life at its finest ---- gathering together in the North Florida woods for Suwannee Springfest, March 20-23 at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Fl.

festgrrl can't recommend this shindig -- now in its 18th year--  enough. Some of the best newgrass acts in the nation will grace the moss-draped stages: incredible North Carolina singer-songwriters and kick-ass performers The Avett Brothers, as well as The Punch Brothers (a band of virtuoso players fronted by MacArthur Genius Grant award-wining mandolin player Chris Thile.) Also on tap is the man considered the father of newgrass, Sam Bush., who always puts on a great show, Donna the Buffalo, The Duhks,  The Del McCoury Band, Greensky Bluegrass, and more. (Click the link or scroll down for the full lineup.)  The daily schedule is here.

Expect lots of campground picking. This is a great fest to bring kids to. Advanced weekend tickets are $170 advanced ($190 at the gate) and include primitive camping alongside your car. There are lots of amenities in the park, including a pretty river beach, a pool, camp store, cabins, golf cart rentals, and a restaurant. Also hotels close by.

festgrrl is particularly excited about the Punch Brothers. They play Friday night at 9:45 in the beautiful outdoor oak-studded ampitheater. Here's a little taste of  Punch Brothers tastiness as part of our Springfest countdown:  

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Here's the full Suwannee Springfest lineup:

The Avett Brothers

Del McCoury Band

Punch Brothers

Sam Bush

Southern Soul Assembly

Jason Isbell

Donna the Buffalo

Steep Canyon Rangers

Jim Lauderdale

Greensky Bluegrass

Willie Sugarcapps

The Duhks

Aoife O'Donovan

Floodwood

Rev Jeff Mosier

Ralph Roddenberry

Rumpke Mountain Boys

David Gans

Honeycutters

Town Mountain

Royal Tinfoil

Holy Ghost Tent Revival

Grant Peeples

Sloppy Joe

Uproot Hootenany

Big Cosmo

Habanero Honeys

New 76's

Jackson Vegas

Quartermoon

James Justin

Roscoe Bandana

SOSOS

Whiskey Gentry

Bibb City Ramblers

2 Foot Level

Henhouse

Come Back Alice

Gypsy Wind

The Stacks

Canary in the Coalmine

Whetherman

Grandpas Cough Medicine

Nook n Cranny

Beartoe

Tammerlin

ARTISTS AT LARGE

Steve Pruett

Lyndsay Pruett

Jon Stickley

Bobby Miller