So that picture above is Tara Nevins from Donna the Buffalo, playing with the Bill Kreutzmann Trio at 2009 Wanee festival in Live Oak, Fl. In a weekend of stellar performances, this one was a standout. Tara sang lead on Grateful Dead classic "He's Gone," and she did a kick-ass job of it, the trio also did one of my fave DTB songs, "...Walking, Talking, too Far from the Light, Living, Breathing, in Colorless Black and White..."
Wanee was a mudfest, but none of the shows were cancelled by weather, amazingly. The crowd was super-giant compared to other Spirit of the Suwannee fests. There was also an abundance of what I call "Bowlegged Whiskey Walkers," some of them fixin' to fight. Mostly peaceful, though, and a hell of a lot of fantastic music! Here's a few show reviews for ya:
The Doobie Brothers - They did some classic old tunes, my favorites were Black Water, Listen to the Music, and Takin' it to the Streets. What struck me was really how great their playing is (and was) beyond just being catchy. Their 70's hair --completely unchanged! -- was hysterical.
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals - This was my first time hearing Grace, and she ROCKED it! She's a super-sultry bad-ass with the attitude of Marcia Ball, and the sound of Bonnie Raitt and Nora Jones. Her band was impeccable.
The Wailers - Did the entire Exodus album at midnight on Saturday as the show closer.Their sound system was curiously low-fi, but it was awesome to hear those old tunes live.
The Allmans, Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi -- This is what the crowd came for, and they delivered -- blistering guitar solos, soulful singing, nice long, fat sets.
Little Feat - Were a disappointment, and I'm a real fan. They seemed bored, and Lowell George's daughter, who had been wailing out lead vocals last year, wasn't with them. The set was predictable and forgettable.
The Radiators - LOVED that New Orleans sound! Ditto Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk, I had to sit down after that funk-fest!
Col. Bruce Hampton and the Quark Alliance - Never disappoints! He laid it DOWN with fancy riffs and super soulful vocals. The thing about Bruce is, even though he's been performing for so long, he never seems stale to me. He's just got that funky thing going, deep inside. I had a HUGE smile on my face and a spring in my step!
Arc Angels - Lots of people were loving this band, I was not one of them. Sounded like boring Southern rock to me, I left.
Keller Williams - Was just precious and fascinating to watch his one-man band, plus his very ardent fans.
Umphrey's McGee - One of the best shows of the whole weekend. Their jazzy, jammy riffs were tighter than tight, and they just played the hell out of their afternoon set. Super standout in a weekend filled with Guitar Gods.
I've only got one real complaint -- there were very few sit-ins. With all that talent, I expected a little more cross-pollination among groups. Warren Haynes was stage-skippping for sure, but he was the rare one.
I'll be back next year!
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