Magnolia Fest Cheap(er) Ticket Deadline Extended

The folks behind the wonderful Magnolia Fest, happening Oct. 20-23 at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park, have extended their cheaper ticket prices until Sept. 4.

It's $150 for the whole weekend, with headliners moe., Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Donna the Buffalo, Railroad Earth, Lucinda Williams, Keller Williams, Cornmeal, Tornado Rider, the Infamous Stringdusters with Toubab Krewe (Infamous Krewe) Anders Osbourne, Seven Walkers, and a mess of fine musicians in the gorgeous Spirit of the Suwannee campground in Live Oak, Fl.

Tornado River Tomorrow at The Engine Room in Tally!

festgrrl unfortunately had the flu last week, and was delusional with fever. She listed the wrong Tuesday for this post about Tornado Rider at the Engine Room! It's tomorrow. Get yer dancin' pants on and bring your protective headgear, 'cause this show's gonna rage. Tally bluegrass band Two Foot Level opens, doors open at 9, and it's $10 cover.

Tornado Rider Tonight!!!

Punkgrass pioneers Tornado Rider hit the Engine Room tonight in Tallahassee.

You never know quite what will happen at a Tornado Rider show (high-voltage acrobatics, hilarious theatrics) but you can be sure that you've never seen anything like it.

Local bluegrass band Two Foot Level opens. Doors open at 9 and it's a bargain at $10. I can say with complete confidence that this show's gonna rage.

Magnolia Fest Was Sublime

Sunny days, cool nights, a full moon, and a ridiculous amount of talent conspired to make the 14th Magnolia Festival at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, FL. a lovely event. The park was full of happy campers, but as is usually the case, it never felt too crowded.

Suffice it to say -- whether on stage or in the campground in the wee hours, these folks were here to PLAY. Standouts were the super-fast picking of Keller & The Keels, Cornmeal, the transcendent Dread Clampitt-Tornado Rider late-night jam on Saturday night, the slow and easy Seven Walkers set, Wet Willie's rocking vocals and cool sax, the super loose Donna The Buffalo family show Sunday night, and Joe Craven, a unique performer with a big heart.

There was a lot of talk about this being the last Magnolia Fest, and a lot of folks have been asking me about what's next. That remians to be seen. Founders Beth and Randy Judy are transitioning out of their role as main producers. We're all so grateful for the fatastic events they've put on all these years, starting back with Big Cosmo's Sunshine Daydream.

Paul Levine anad Lyle Williams (of Bear Creek Music & Art Festival) are taking over for the March 2011 Suwannee Springfest, and they have already announced that The Avett Brothers will headline.YES!

Paul and Lyle have excellent taste and new energy, so I'm thinking it's all going to work out just fine.

I'll post some Magnolia Fest videos later, but in the meantime, here are some pics from the weekend!

Joe Craven plays the jawbone

Peter Rowan with Keller & The Keels

18 South Rocks It!

Scramble Campbell paints Joe Craven

Peter Rowan tells it like it is

Sam Bush plays with Dread Clampitt

Tornado Rider's New Video! Love it!

OK, I have to add this one, the time Rushad hung from the rafters at the tent at Magnolia Fest. I'm glad someone took video of it, because no one seems to believe me when I talk about it....it was a cliffhanger trying to figure out how he'd get .... DOWN FROM THERE, even knowing Rushad's fearless acrobatic nature.

Florida Folk Festival, Acoustic Cafe this weekend

The 58th Florida Folk Festival takes place in White Springs. This is a state-run festival, and you can only camp if you have signed up to be a volunteer. There is a campground pretty close by along the Suwannee River, however.

Headliners are Mel Tillis and Billy Dean, Michael Johnathon, and Ben Prestage. Tallly performers Doug Gauss, The Mayhaws, Frank Thomas, and dulcimer phenom Aaron O'Rourke will be there. Lots of cool folk demonstrations, foods, and a cool Seminle camp. Bring 'yo hand fan, your swimming suit and a bike... it's a warm one during the day.

The incomparable Acoustic Cafe outside Birmingham happens this weekend, with Sam Bush, Dread Clampitt and Tornado Rider headlining. This little festie is a real treat. Small crowd that really listens, stellar players, beautiful area in the mountains. They've moved to a new site this year. Seriously worth the drive. They only have one food vendor and no alcohol vendor, so bring what you need with you. You can car camp.

Tornado Rider!

What a band Tornado Rider is... Punkgrass balladeers crossed with Cirque de Slolei gymnastics, humor, kick-ass musicianship, and then, there's THE ACROBATICS.(pictued here is Rushad Eggleston, cellist of Tornado Rider, sitting in with Tania Elizabeth from The Canadiam newgrass band, The Duhks)

You will see some acrobotics.
Love, love, love this band, and so do many of my readers, yay!

If you are not afraid of loud straightout,  kick-ass punk music, come on out. Even though it is monday.

Stinky's Fish Camp Monday, 9 pm.

Today's Deadline for Acoustic Cafe Early Bird Tickets

If you like string music, this little festival in Alabama, outside Birmingham, will absolutely blow your mind. Promoter Steve Masterson is a sort of string scholar, and he picks his acts accordingly.  You are going to see some serious talent on the mountain,and you are going to be in a crowd that's really paying attention. The campground picking ain't too shabby either.

This year, Newgrass pioneer Sam Bush headlines the Acoustic Cafe. It also features the Herb Trotman Band, talented young punkgrass maniacs from San Francisco, Tornado Rider, and Walton County, Fl's own Dread Clampitt. Other acts: Missy Raines and the New Hip, The Brickroom Boys, Allen Tolbert, and the Blue Ribon Healers.

 I have gone for two years and seen some of the best and most intimate newgrass and bluegrass shows I've ever seen. The crowd is super sweet, the fest in family friendly, and Steve provides free coffee the whole weekend. The fest has always happened in Steve's yard on the mountain, but this year he's got a new venue 80 miles northwest of Birmingham near Natural Bridge, Alabama.

If you get your tickets today, it's $40 for the whole weekend (plus $10 for parking) After that, it's $50 (plus $10 for camping)

You will not be disappointed with the level of stellar playing you'll see at this fest. Sam Bush and Dread Clampitt will absolutley shred it, and with Tornado Rider in the mix, its gonna be epic!

Suwannee Springfest Early Bird Tix Still Available!

Early bird tickets --- at $126, up from $99 last year --- for Suwannee Springfest are available until Jan. 31. It happens March 25-28 at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak. Fl. (Paradise.) Kids under 12 are free, thank you very much.

This fest is heavy on newgrass as usual, with Cajun-influenced jam band Donna The Bufffalo and high-energy slamgrass faves Leftover Salmon (celebrating their 20th year) headlining. (You can read all about Leftover Salmon, listen to their music, and get special free downloads at Jambase) The insane Tornado Rider will also play, the incomparable Peter Rowan, and The Dirty Dozen Brass Band.

I am LOVING Springfest newcomers  18 South, (check out their mind-blowing cover of the Blind Boys of Alabama song "Run On") steppy, fun, Little-featish-Lyle-Lovett sound which has hot, hot, hot guitarist (and hell of a nice guy) Guthrie Trapp (who played with Dread Clampitt a bunch last year, and hot singer-songwriter Jessi Alexander, who is a good singer (and yes, she co-wrote Miley Cyrus' hit "The Climb." ) I'm pretty sure that's the only time you'll ever see Miley Cyrus in festgrrl's blog.


The Duhks, a young Canadian string band with a world-beat vibe, has broken up. Their cool and ridiculously talented fiddle player, Tania Elizabeth, has left the band. Duhks banjo player Leonard Podolok will be at Springfest with a new project, The Turtle Duhks, and former Duhks lead singer Jessee Havey will be there with The Jessee Havey project. Should be interesting, but I will really, really miss Tania Elizabeth. I still remember her amazing performances a few years ago when she was the only member of the band able to cross the Canadian border due to some bureacratic problem. She sat in with EVERYONE and absolutely killed it. Good luck Tania and hope we see you again soon!!


Here's Suwannee Springfest's lineup announcement:

"More than 30 of the finest performers in Americana & Roots Music will appear on the festival’s five stages with nearly 100 individual performances & workshops to be scheduled.


Leftover Salmon will make a rare Florida appearance Saturday evening at Suwannee Springfest in celebration of their 20th year performing together as a band. Salmon defined the contemporary Colorado bluegrass/newgrass sound which influenced groups like String Cheese Incident and later Yonder Mountain String Band. Their high-energy sets at festivals like Telluride Bluegrass, High Sierra, Merlefest and others helped to establish the band and those events’ reputation as well.

Texas singer/songwriter Robert Earl Keene comes to Suwannee Springfest on the heels of his recent CD “The Rose Hotel” which held the #1 position on the Americana airplay charts for several weeks.

Dirty Dozen Brass Band will bring the funk to Thursday evening. Donna the Buffalo will rock the Suwannee Springfest stage for the 13th time beginning on Friday (they were not at the very first Suwannee Springfest).

Peter Rowan is marking his 14th Suwannee Springfest maintaining his role as the Festival Patriarch. Veteran bluesman Roy Book Binder also maintains a perfect reco rd as he performs for the 14th time. 2010 Blues Grammy nominee Ruthie Foster will bring her sultry tones to Springfest on Saturday. Mr. Get Your Mag On Jim Lauderdale, another Grammy nominee as well as multi-instrumentalist Joe Craven will appear on Saturday and Sunday.

Suwannee Springfest will also present several exciting new projects from other Americana favorites. While the Duhks take a brief hiatus, band leader Leonard Podalak is featuring his trio, The Turtle Duhks. And a brand new project featuring former original Duhks vocalist Jessee Havey will debut at the festival, too. Blueground Undergrass is also on hiatus, so Rev Mosier, Johnny Mo and David B will treat us to the new adventures of The Mosier Brothers with David Blackmon.

Another powerhouse new Americana band with deep bluegrass roots appearing is 18 South. The organic and earthy quality of their sound rings with overtones of Blues, Bluegrass, Jazz and Gospel. Larry Atamanuik and Mike Bub hold down a deep and unmovable groove behind Jimmy Wallace's rich vocals and slamming New Orleans Style Piano that in turn gives Guthrie Trapp the opportunity to freely express his fluid and versatile guitar style. With Jon Randall's mournful tenor vocals and solid guitar playing, the band provides a perfect venue for Jessi Alexander to nail the audience to the wall with her smoky heart wrenching vocals.

A young Louisiana group with a bluegrass background, The Belleville Outfit comes to the festival after a nomination for an Americana Music Association award last year. And pure bluegrass will be represented on the bill by The Steeldrivers and their popular new songs.

Expect the unexpected with Tornado Rider bringing smiles to all on the Amphitheater Stage on Thursday night and don’t miss the Emerald Coast favorite sons Dread Clampitt on Friday.

More acts will be added soon. For complete information, visit the Suwannee Springfest Lineup Page on MagMusic.com."

Extra Early Bird Tickets for Suwannee Springfest On Sale For One More Week

That's Tanya Elizabeth from The Duhks and Rushad Eggleston from Tornado Rider jammin' it HARD at Magnolia Fest. Believe it or not, Suwannee Springfest is just around the corner, March 25-28, 2010, at the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Fl.

I wanted to give everyone a HEADS UP up that Springfest extra-early bird tickets (which used to be $99) have gone up to $125. You can get the $125 tickets until December 16 here. What a nice present for someone you love -- stellar music, and a wonderful long weekend away in paradise among kind folk.

Special $100 Magfest Tix this week!

That's Rashad from California band Tornado Rider playing with Canada's The Duhks!

So, check it out: Magnolia Fest has a one-week special sale on ticket prices that will save you big-time.

Here’s the info from the folks at Magnolia Fest: "Out of necessity, our MagnoliaFest 09 ticket prices will increase and early bird tickets will go on sale later this month. In the meantime, we have a special offer for this week only. We are offering 500 Extra Special Early Bird Tickets for $100 each. These MagnoliaFest Extra Special Early Bird Tickets are on sale now until 500 are sold or thru Sunday, April 12th, whichever comes first. These are available online only - no phone orders are being accepted as our office will be closed this week. If you are in a position to purchase, we'd be especially grateful if you went online and did so sooner rather than later. We will distribute MagnoliaFest tickets ordered in April May & June in late June.

Click here for MagnoliaFest 09 Extra Special Early Bird Tickets:
http://www.magmusic.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=MTM&Category_Code=FT
We invite everyone to join us Tuesday evenings from 7-9pm central time (8-10pm eastern) for our Internet radio program "The MagMusic Show" on Wildman Steve Radio: www.wildmansteve.com!