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:

Kung Fu Can FUNK! At Aura Music and Arts Fest This Weekend

Wow is all I gotta say about the funk/fusion band Kung Fu, which pays Aura Music and Arts Festival at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park  (in Live Oak, Fl) this weekend. Tickets are still available for the fest, so get 'em and come on.

Kung Fu plays Friday 10:45 pm to midnight and Saturday with Nigel Hall (of the killer New Orleans funk powerhouse Ivan Neville's  Dumpstaphunk) from 4:30 to 6 p.m. -- the Saturday show is a tribute to Stevie Wonder! I defy you to sit still for this one:

Catch Perpetual Groove While You Still Can at Aura Music and Arts Festival This Week

This weekend may be one of the last times you'll get to see Georgia's Perpetual Groove lay down their licks at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park. The national touring band is going on an indefinite hiatus in April.

But this weekend they'll be gracing the Aura Music and Arts Festival stage Friday (midnight to 1:30) and Saturday (9:30 to 10:45. ) Founding member Brock Butler plays solo 11 a.m. Sunday.

The sad news for PGroove fans came on January 13th: The band announced it would be taking a hiatus in April. Here's the skinny on that announcement:

"Albert, Matt and Adam will continue touring and recording under the new name Ghost Owl. Brock apologized to fans saying he needs time off to break bad habits and create new good ones. Brock stated that a reunion is not out of the question at some point but he cannot promise or give any time frame."

So it will be some bittersweet jams this weekend, no doubt. Here's some PGroove  to get you primed:

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Aura Festival This Week: Check out Dopapod

So excited for the Aura Music and Arts Festival this week. This camping fest kicks off Friday and runs through Sunday night at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Fl. Tickets are $129 plus fees, and that includes free primitive camping Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. Water and electric spots are extra.

Perpetual Groove, Conspirator, Papadosio, and the Heavy Pets headline the weekend. (Full lineup and links to the bands below)

This week, Let's take a look at some of the interesting bands who will be raging for us on the beautiful Aura stages in the woods. Today, we'll listen to the excellent  Dopapod. They've got a funky, electronic, psychedelic, jam, jazz, dubstep thing going. At times it sounds a little like the lightning-fast jazzadelic riffs of the band Yes. They can work a groove.

Dopapod plays Saturday at 7 in the ampitheater and 6 Sunday night on the porch stage.


Check out this one, Trapper Keeper.

Here is the full Aura lineup with links from our friends at Jambase:

* Papadosio
* Conspirator
* Perpetual Groove
* The Heavy Pets
* Dopapod
* Kung Fu
* RAQ
* The Lee Boys
* Greenhouse Lounge
* DrFameus
* Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band
* Stokeswood
* Consider The Source
* Break Science
* The McLovins
* Jeff Bujak
* Brock Butler Solo
* Lingo
* Former Champions
* The Main Squeeze
* Newton Crosby
* Todd Stoops
* Nigel Hall
* Roosevelt Collier

Two Great February Fests Coming Up

Virginia Key Beach Park

February is upon us, and (at least in Florida) fest season begins again...

I've already previewed the first Florida fest of February, the funk-jam-jazz-and live electronica dance party that is Aura Music and Arts Festival (President's Day weekend, Feb. 15-17, at the beautiful Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak.) Tickets are available at the bargain price of $119 for the weekend.

Now I give you heads-up for February's second cool Florida fest -- the Virginia Key Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance, happening in a coastal park outside Miami February 21-24. This is a super-interesting eclectic fest with world-beat, Cajun, Latin, blues, old-time, and reggae on the lineup. Much-touring jamband Donna the Buffalo hosts this fest, now in its second year. The great Rusted Root is also on the bill.

This is a camping festival -- primitive sites only -- and there are a bunch of different things you need to know -- car passes, carpooling deals, etc. It's $50 a night to bring in your car and tent-camp, $25 a night to tent camp if you don't bring your car in. RV passes are $150, and there are no hookups. No campfires are allowed.

Four day tickets to the fest are $100, and there are daily ticket options as well.

Here is a great video from the fantastic Spam Allstars, who are playing the festival:

Get Your Tickets Now for Next Month's Aura Festival

All the funky dancers are getting ready for the next stop on the Southeast fest lineup: The Aura Music and Arts Festival!

It's happening February 15-17 this year at the Spirit of the Suwanee Music Park in Live Oak, Fl. 

Although the festival has been happening in Florida since 2010, this is the first year it is being held at Spirit of the Suwannee, a most excellent venue. 

This is a camping fest, and features an eclectic mix of live electronica, funk, jazz, rock, reggae, jam and hip-hop. Three-day tickets, which include primitive camping, are $119 online right now. (They started at the sweet early bird deal of $75) Single-day tickets are also available. Gate price is going to be $150, so buy now to save.  

It's usually an awesome time for camping in North Florida, and although festgrrl has not had the pleasure of attending Aura before, fellow festivarian reviews of past Aura fests have been wildly enthusiastic. 

Aura headliners include national touring bands Perpetual Groove, Conspirator, Papadosio, and the Heavy Pets. (festgrrl likes the funk -- her pick is Kung Fu's tribute to Stevie Wonder with Dumpstaphunk's Nigel Hall Saturday afternoon in the ampitheater; also Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band out of North Carolina.) 

Late-night will feature DJ's Silent Disco.

You can check out the full lineup below, and the schedule here. 

* Papadosio
* Conspirator
* Perpetual Groove
* The Heavy Pets
* Dopapod
* Kung Fu
* RAQ
* The Lee Boys
* Greenhouse Lounge
* DrFameus
* Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band
* Stokeswood
* Consider The Source
* Break Science
* The McLovins
* Jeff Bujak
* Brock Butler Solo
* Lingo
* Former Champions
* The Main Squeeze
* Newton Crosby
* Todd Stoops
* Nigel Hall
* Roosevelt Collier