Best Donna Show Ever??

The above pic shows David Gans playing with Donna the Buffalo at Springfest '09! I think Saturday night's show was among the best Donna the Buffalo shows I have ever seen... and I've seen a lot of them. Jeb Puryear's playing was simply sublime, especially the way the band stripped down to just a few well-placed notes wafting on the swampy air in the ampitheatre during Everything Seems to Want to Hurt This Time. Just killer. Tara Nevin's vocals on the Sheryl Crow cover, A Change Will Do You Good, were kick-ass. Just great playing, great energy all around.

Other Springfest highlights this year were the Swedish string band Vasen, with Mike Marshall and Darol Anger -- wow! These string virtuosos created classical, jazzy soundscapes that gave me goosebumps. My only criticism was that they did not change the show at all when they played again, down to the same jokes. Ouch.

The Duhks from Manitoba, who got their big break at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park five years ago, were super fun as always and a definite crowd pleaser. The band's original lead singer, Jessee Havey, has been replaced by Sarah Dugas, and not a beat has been missed. Her vocals are awe-inspiring, and her drummer brother Christian Dugas is doing a great job on The Duhks' signature sound - Afro-Cuban-Brazilian beats played against traditional reels. They played some choice tunes off their excellent disc, Fast Paced World. Everyone I play that disc for goes crazy for it!

Tornado Rider from California was out of control per usual! I don't really have any words to describe it... grass-punk comes to mind. Rushad Eggleston is one hell of a player and the distortion he gets out of his instrument is mind-bending. Crowd surfing in skin-tight tights in a lightning storm while playing a distorted electric cello? Insane!

This is how the band describes their sound: "wild western neolithical cello banditry meets thunder-twinged yodeling elf rock of the 4th dimension."

Folk legend Richie Havens proved he's a true master and leader for peaceful people. I saw people crying during that show... maybe it was just the rain?

All in all another amazing fest, depite the rain storms. A good kickoff to a very very busy spring fest season. Next stop: Keel Family Function this weekend in La Fayette, Ga.

Here's the whole spring lineup

OK, you asked for it: Here is the entire spring lineup in one post:

Springfest, March 26-29, Live Oak, Fla. You can see the lineup here:

I am loving The Gourds and the legendary Richie Havens on the lineup this year!

Keel Family Function, April 3-5, Lafayette, Ga., Get the info here Colonel Bruce Hampton, Blueground Undergrass, and more.

Springing the Blues Festival, April 3-5, Jacksonville Beach, (not a camping fest, but a free fest on the beach) Info is here

Florida Earth Day Jam, Tallahassee, April 18, info is here

Stringfest, Brooksville, Fla. April 17-19, info is here The Waybacks, The Greencards, and more.

Gamble Rogers Folk Festival, May 1-3, St. Johns County Fairgrounds, more info is here

Florida Folk Festival, May 22-24, Info is here

Acoustic Cafe, May 22-24, outside Birmingham, Info is here. Dread Clampitt and more.

Wannee Festival, June 4-7, info is here. Killer lineup, Doobie Brothers, Allmans, Little Feat and more.

More information on these excellent festivals is available by looking back at my older posts in February and earlier in March.

The music is coming!

Wanee in the Summer!

Well now, Wanee Fest has moved to June! Tickets on sale March 7.

And the lineup? Please! It is off the hook! This is gonna be great.

Warning to out-of-staters! JUNE can be hideously hot in North Florida. Of course, we'll all endure, because of the music.

JUNE FEST TIPS:

Bring a sun shower and bungee it to a tree so you can cool off when you stop back at camp to grab a beer

Bring a little portable bottle mister for the blazin'-no trees-field.

Battery powered fan for your tent. I got one that has a magnet that you put on top of your tent and put the fan inside so it is a "ceiling fan." This has made a world of difference!

More later..

Fest Season Approacheth

The Spring Fest Season is fast approaching and festgrrl is mulling her many options! I outline the options for Southern festers below for your planning pleasure. Yes, times are tough, but still... if you get your advanced tickets, festing is still a pretty good vacation bargain. Magnolia Springfest advanced was $100, that's $100 for four days and five stages!

Springfest, March 26-29, is the first fest on festgrrl's list. You can see the lineup at the link here:

http://www.magmusic.com/lineupspringfest.htm

I am loving The Gourds and Richie Havens on the lineup this year.

The weekend after Springfest, April 3 and 4, is the Keel Family Function in LaFayette, Georgia -- that's way up there near Chattanooga, Tennessee. It's at TDawg's Cherokee farms, and the price is just great -- only $40 for the whole weekend advanced. I have never been to the venue, but friends report great things. The lineup is simply stellar and you can see it here

http://www.keelfamilyfunction.com/

Promoter TDawg knows all about great music. Here's his post on it:


Eye Dawg Productions is proud to announce the inaugural KEEL FAMILY FUNCTION April 3rd- 4th at beautiful Cherokee Farms in LaFayette, GA. We are very excited about this first-time event and plan on having it around for years to come. Once again, we will be featuring the wind/solar power of Tree Power, a subsidiary of Tree Sound Studios and Tree Leaf Music (www.treeleafmusic.com)

Keel Family Reunion
Tickets: Fri-Sat $40 adv/$50 @ gate, Sat Only $30 adv/$40 @ gate, includes camping. Advance tix available online at KeelFamilyFunction.com. Music starts at 7PM on Friday, Noon on Saturday.

The Keel Family Function Lineup:

~ COL. BRUCE HAMPTON ~ featuring Jeff Sipe on drums, Ike Stubblefield on Hammond/bass pedals, Grant Green Jr. on guitar, plus a few friends I’m sure. www.bratoganibe.com/
~ BLUEGROUND UNDERGRASS ~ www.bluegroundundergrass.com
~ DONNA HOPKINS ~ SPECIAL ARTIST-AT-LARGE
~ LARRY KEEL & NATURAL BRIDGE ~ www.larrykeel.com
~ LAURA REED & DEEP POCKET ~ www.laurareedanddeeppocket.com
~ PAPA MALI w/ Jeff Sipe ~ www.papamali.com
~ RALPH RODDENBERY BAND ~ www.ralphroddenbery.com
~ GRAYSON CAPPS & FRIENDS ~ www.graysoncapps.com
~ ANDERS OSBORNE & NEW ORLEANS JUICE ~ www.myspace.com/andersosbornenola
~ DAVID VIA ~ www.davidvia.com
~ CAPTAINS of the INDUSTRY ~ featuring members of N.O. Juice, Susan Tedeschi’s band lineup, Scrapomatic
~ STOP DROP & ROLL ~ www.myspace.com/stopdropandrollband
~ CAROLINE POND ~ www.myspace.com/carolinepond
~ SAINT FRANCIS ~ www.myspace.com/saintfrancissong
~ EYE of the DAWG SONGWRITER SHOWCASE, lineup TBA soon!
~ BLOODY MARY MORNING BLUEGRASS JAM ~ hosted by Stop Drop & Roll, final details TBA soon!
~ THE LOW DOWN THROW DOWN ~ www.myspace.com/thelowdownthrowdown
~ PAST PLUTO ~

Tickets: Fri-Sat $40 adv/$50 @ gate, Sat Only $30 adv/$40 @ gate. Kids 12&under are admitted FREE. Camping included in the cost of the ticket. $10 additional if you wish to come in on Thursday night. Advance tix available online at http://www.TicketAlternative.com/Venues/302.aspx or by visiting the outlets listed above. Music starts at 7PM on Friday, Noon on Saturday. NO DOGS PLEASE.

We are excited to have Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. on board as a sponsor, along with our buddies Wildman Steve Radio and Tree Leaf Music.

Then it's down to Tampa area, for Stringfest on April 17-19. This is the same venue as Riverhawk in the fall. See the lineup here: http://www.lindentertainment.com/StringBreak/SB09/stringbreak_2009
The Waybacks and The Greencards and Larry Keel are standouts in the lineup. This venue, I hear, is very, very sweet. And April is a great time to be in Florida. Tickets are $65 advance for two nights of camping, $85 if you want to stay Sunday night.

That's all for now, I've got another fest to preview and will do it next post.