MagnoliaFest 2015 Delivers Fine Americana Extravaganza in Paradise

Keller Williams doing "Grateful Gospel." festgrrl photo.

Starting with the first few notes of the Lee Boys’ sacred  steel guitar throw-down on a blue-sky Thursday afternoon, and ending with the swaying love-fest for Donna the Buffalo Sunday night, MagnoliaFest 2015 delivered memorable performances from an nicely eclectic Americana lineup.

MagnoliaFest happens at the nicest time of the year, when Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park struts its fall colors. It’s still warm enough for a dip in the Suwannee River at the park’s beautiful beach in Live Oak, Fla. The nice weather seems to make everybody play with a little more verve.

Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi. Josh Webster photo.

Friday night headliners Tedeschi Trucks Band seemed to stretch out some, bracketing their hard-charging blues songs with improvisational jams that bent the mind. To call Derek Trucks a great guitar player is a massive understatement, and anyway, it doesn’t seem to quite capture it.  He and wife Susan Tedeschi and the band have mad soul chops and an infectious emotional energy that felt just right under the domed, starry sky of the park’s Meadow Stage.

The Motet's Jans Ingber getting down. festgrrl photo.

We’d already been treated to some fine performances Thursday night by headliners Lake Street Dive, and by the bands that went before, including the Ivey West Band, Band of Heathens, Parker Urban Band, The Congress, The Corbitt Brothers, The Motet, and Nikki Talley.  A fine night of music, indeed, with The Motet presiding over a massively funky dance party that set the weekend mood. Singer Nikki Talley had a tough job, following that party-time. But she took the porch stage with her husband, Jason, and, with a clear, strong voice, showed us all what gorgeous mountain music is all about.

Rebirth Brass Band. festgrrl photo.

The soulful Parker Urban Band out of Jacksonville gave another great showing, continuing their inspiring rise. The indie-rock band The Congress was new to me, and Woah! – I was blown away by the vocals of Jonathan Meadows, a bearded ginger-haired fellow who had a sound like Wilson Pickett. More show-stopping vocals came from Lake Street Dive’s Rachael Price. I saw this band at Floydfest in Virginia when they won the “Bands on the Rise” award several years ago – now they are headlining to adoring crowds.

Shannon Bliss, Applebutter Express. festgrrl photo.

On Friday, I caught The Applebutter Express, a bluegrass band out of Tampa with an infectious groove, a great lead singer in Shannon Bliss, and a sly sense of humor. Berry Oakley’s Skylab, which has lineage from the Allman Brothers, rocked the ampitheater stage before The Lost Bayou Ramblers got folks funky-stepping.

Col. Bruce Hampton. festgrrl photo.

Quirky Col. Bruce Hampton drew the faithful together for a solid set before two bluegrass powerhouses, the Steep Canyon Rangers and the Del McCoury Band, played on (unfortunately) competing stages.

Del McCoury Band. Josh Webster photo.

The night rounded out with another set by The Congress, Quartermoon, The London Souls, Doyle Bramhall II, the Travelin’ McCoury’s with steel-guitar star Roosevelt Collier, the afore-mentioned heavenly Tedeschi Trucks Band, followed by another balls-to-the-wall funk set by The Motet late-night.

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Saturday morning (OK, it was noon) opened with a wonderful ampitheater set by Steve Pruett’s Back from the Brink, a really good bluegrass band featuring mandolinist Steve Pruett and his daughter, fiddler Lindsay Pruett. One highlight was their killer bluegrass version of Bill Withers’ “Use Me Up.”

Dad Steve, daughter Lindsay Pruett. festgrrl photo

I always love a set by Wisconsin bluegrass originals Sloppy Joe, who graciously host the late-night campfire picking venue, Slopryland, each MagnoliaFest. They performed in the Music Hall Saturday afternoon, even though it was awfully hard to be inside ANYWHERE with the stellar fall weather. Folk artist Whetherman (the nom de plume of Nicholas Williams) hit the Porch Stage, this time bringing a band along with him and turning out tight harmonies and thoughtful lyrics.

Whetherman. festgrrl photo.

 Jerry Joseph and the Jackmormons then set the stage on fire with aggressive electric guitar. Bluegrass duo Grits & Soul and Americana legend Jim Lauderdale rounded out the day in the Music Hall.  Jeff Austin, former mandolin player (and co-founder) of Yonder Mountain String Band, kicked off the evening’s entertainment on the Meadow Stage.  Unfortunately, I had to miss this set.

The Quebe Sisters. festgrrl photo.

I caught the angel-singing and fiddle playing of the Quebe Sisters and the brass blast of New Orleans’ Rebirth Brass Band, the fast-as-hell picking of Grandpa’s Cough Medicine and the funky power of The New Orleans Suspects before Friday’s headliners, The Avett Brothers.

The Avett Brothers. festgrrl photo.

I am an Avett Brothers fan from way back, and I have seen a lot of Avett shows, and this one was a straight-ahead gift to the faithful. The band was in turns tender and folky, funny, punk frenzy, boy-band harmonizers, and even a nod to Arena rock. Fiddler Tania Elizabeth, formerly of The Duhks, did a haunting solo French Canadian fiddle and vocal song. The Avetts played some of my very favorite tunes, and came back for two encores  -- one during which they played a very cool old-time instrumental rag.

Donna the Buffalo's Jeb Puryear. festgrrl photo.

The rootsy New York state jamband with a Cajun flair, Donnna the Buffalo, took the ampitheater stage late night for a wonderful show. Jeb Puryear’s guitar playing is complex, soulful and just plain magical, and the band kept the groove high, turning out a passel of favorite songs to a packed, continually dancing crowd. Their music just makes me feel so good, and I love the energy from the dancing fans. Being in that crowd is one of my very favorite things in life.

On Sunday the fest always telescopes down to a smaller, more intimate experience. All the music acts happen on the same stage, the beautiful Spanish-moss draped ampitheater. Again, we had another picture-perfect day, blue skies, mild temperatures and puffy clouds. As most people packed up in the campgrounds, the rest of us grabbed beverages and hammocks and settled in. Big Cosmo, Grandpa’s Cough Medicine, and Jim Lauderdale entertained all afternoon, and at 4:30 Keller Williams Grateful Gospel took the stage.

Keller Williams' Grateful Gospel singers. festgrrl photo.

Keller brought along luscious lady backup singers, and they moved nicely through Grateful Dead covers during the afternoon.

Then it was time for the traditional closer, Donna the Buffalo’s Sunday evening set. One more band, one more dance-fest, and it was time to be on our way home, until the magic starts again next year. Lucky us.

festgrrl photo.