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| festgrrl photo. |
It’s hard to imagine a more intimate or heart-felt festival
than the Purple Hatter’s Ball. Going eight years strong, the 2015 Ball was
another musical Valentine for Rachel Morningstar Hoffman, a dedicated fester
who wore a purple hat, and a soul we lost too soon.
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| Elephant Revival. Rex Thomson photo. |
Right from the get-go, the Purple Hatter’s Ball (held at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak Fl. May
7-10) showed itself to be special with ear-to-ear smiles everywhere and a spine-tingling performance by the
haunting Americana band, Elephant Revival, at the Thursday night pre-party. The
night filled out with a blistering funky jam band out of Kansas called Mouth
(seriously
check them out,) the hilarious, booty-shaking disco juggernaut that is Space Capone,
Gainesville’s jazzy Flat Land, and Montana-grown Electro Thunder Funk from the band
Cure for The Common.
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| Carly Foster of New Earth Army. festgrrl photo. |
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| Sweet river beach. festgrrl photo. |
The temps were sizzling Friday as folks headed to the river
beach, where no less than nine acts took the river stage. Back at the
ampitheater and porch stages, New Earth
Army out of Destin, Fla. funked it up and the fabulous Austin,Texas funkateers, Mingo Fishtrap, brought their band of musical mayhem to the gathering. Love that band!. By happy hour, the ever-entertaining, hard-charging Tallahassee band Catfish Alliance with frontman
Sexual Manatee was tearing up the porch stage, and then headliners Nahko and
Medicine for the People took the ampitheater.
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| Nahko of Medicine for the People. Rex Thomson photo. |
Rarely have I seen such intense
energy between band and crowd, with what seemed like every soul there singing
along to Nahko’s positive message. After that emotional performance, The Malah, Trial by Stone and The Werks kicked it through the wee
hours, with the Silent Disco cranking from 2 -4 a.m.
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| Mingo Fishtrap. festgrrl photo. |
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| festgrrl photo |
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| Lots of folks painted on this baby. festgrrl photo |
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| Truth. festgrrl photo. |
The river beach was jamming again Saturday when Grandpa’s
Cough Medicine brought the high-energy bluegrass to the ampitheater stage and a
delightful afternoon of world-beat bands – Benyoro, Raja Kassis’s Humanbeing,
and Toubab Krewe began on the shady forest stage, which culminated in the epic
Supermande Jam, where more than 15 people -- African drummers, singers dancers,
and string players crowded onto the stage.
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| The Supermande jam. Josh Webster photo. |
Atlanta’s excellent
Cadillac Jones turned out a blistering performance at Happy hour time. This band is a funk instrumental outfit that just keeps getting better every time I see them. Super tight arrangements and a real cool groove. Cadillac Jones delivered one of the best shows of the music-packed weekend.
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| Cadillac Jones. festgrrl photo. |
In early evening, we gathered at the ampitheater so Rachel’s
mom, Margie, dad Irv, and friends could release Monarch butterflies for Rachel.
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| Rachel Morningstar Hoffman |
Margie
spoke about Rachel’s Law, which reforms the way police can use confidential
informants, and says she is advocating for changes nationally.
Rachel’s
story is a sad, sad example of the stupid drug war and police ineptitude. Rachel’s family has worked to make important change in the world. As
we held Rachel in our hearts, Dubconscious took the stage, the butterflies soaring into the live oak trees above us.
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| Rachel's parents, Irv Hoffman and Mama Margie. festgrrl photo. |
Improvisational band Tauk delivered an intricate set,
followed by the STAR TIME that is Charles Bradley and His Extraordinaires.
Bradley spent his life doing menial jobs, being homeless, and working sporadically as a James Brown impersonator before
breaking out as a soul singer in his own right late in life, in his 60s. His soulful Purple
Hatter’s set was a standout, and he was so overcome with emotion at one point that
he jumped from the stage to embrace Mama Margie and members of the crowd.
Bradley has been through heartbreak of all kinds, but he especially can relate
to the shock of someone in the family being murdered, since he lost his brother
that way. If you have not seen the film,
Charles Bradley – Soul of America –
please do. His story is amazing.
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| Charles Bradley. Rex Thomson photo. |
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| Lots of art everywhere! festgrrl photo. |
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| We all had Cheshire cat grins. festgrrl photo. |
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| festivarians. festgrrl photo. |
The up-and-coming Jacksonville funk powerhouse Parker Urban
Band dazzled with their soaring vocals and kept folks dancing. Greenhouse
Lounge delivered a dreamy prelude to funk-techno-prog-rock headliner Lotus, and you can hear that show
here.
Just before Lotus, I went back to camp for a minute and found myself marching along with a
full-on New Orleans brass second-line parade through the park, which was totally unexpected and FANTASTIC. Thanks to the band, Empire Strikes Brass,
for that treat.
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| Yoga people! festgrrl photo. |
Unfortunately, I had to leave before Adrian Crutchfield and
the Extraordinary Gentlemen, Shak Nasti, Roosevelt Collier’s Superjam, Future
Vintage, Aaron Lebos Reality and Sexual Manatee’s Basshole played Sunday afternoon
and evening. I drove away back to Real Life with my soulshine glowing from the sweet fest friends and inspired musical performances.
It was another one for the Suwannee record books. May the Purple Hatter's Ball lovefest continue for many more seasons!
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| Yes! Rex Thomson photo. |
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1 comment:
FYI: Photo Marked: Rachel's parents, Irv Hoffman and Mama Margie. festgrrl photo. Is actually Mike Weiss (Rachel's ESD [Evil Step-Dad a joke between me and Rach] and Mama Margie (Rachel's Mom). Irv Hoffman, Rachel's Dad is not involved with The Purple Hatter's Ball).
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