Heading Off to String Break!

Looking forward to a great weekend in Brooksville, Fl. near Tampa at String Break. These are the same folks who do the Riverhawk Festival in the fall. It is $85, which includes camping. Music starts at noon Friday. Here's the lineup:

THE WAYBACKS

RANDY MCALLISTER BAND

LARRY KEEL & NATURAL BRIDGE

THE GREENCARDS

HOOTS & HELLMOUTH

THOMAS WYNN & THE BELEIVERS

HAVE GUN WILL TRAVEL

RADIO FREE CARMELA & the transmiters

GATORBONE

NOUVEAUX HONKIES

GYPSY WIND

Todd Charles

MUSTANG SALLY & THE HAMJO'S

BUGTUSSLE

HINDU COWBOYS

PICKFORD SUNDRIES

GRANDPA'S COUGH MEDICINE

I'll have a report uopn my return. We head home by way of Orlando, where we'll be seeing Fleetwood Mac!

Farm To Family Fest

What a sweet little fest outside Gainesville! We went to Farm To Family on April 4 and just loved it. Great vibe and kind folks. We loved reggae band Regwa, Third Stone, Umoja Orchestra, Quarter Moon, the singer songwriters Michael O'Meara and Brian Smalley. I LOVED the little band, The Bandits. Such gorgeous harmonies!

This is a great fest to bring kids to. It is very small and has a family feel. It's $10 or $20, sliding scale. There's a little open-air food place, some cool vendors, and real bathrooms as well as port o lets. You can come in to camp at 1 pm Saturday, show starts at 3pm, and leave on Sunday.

DRIVE SLOWLY PLEASE ON THE ROAD.... we don't want to perturb the neighbors and wreck the scene, now, do we?

Check the website, where they post dates. And also, they have an excellent You Tube channel (linked on the site) so you can check out the bands that you'll be seeing.

After going to this fest once, festgrrl is sure going back!

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!

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.

Now I have heard everything!

So, the Rothbury Festival in Michigan has a killer lineup, to be sure (Dead, Dylan, more.) But check out this unbelievable costly scenario--- you can go to the "Good Life" Village and pay $5,994 for you and three friends to sleep in a teepee! Or just $3,350 for you and one friend to sleep in a luxurious safari tent!

Festgrrl has sincerely heard everything now.

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!

EarthDay Jam in Tallahassee

Check it out, Earth Day Jam in Tallahassee April 18 at the Bradfordville Blues Club! You can see the lineup here

Great Ticket Discount for Keel Family Function

**********
KEEL FAMILY FUNCTION TICKETS TO BE DISCOUNTED TO $30 ADV (from $40 adv) from THURSDAY, MARCH 12 @ 10AM EDT to SATURDAY, MARCH 14 @ 3PM EDT. At that time, tickets will go back to their original fantastic advance price of $40.

This discount is a remarkable 40% off the gate price, so be sure to jump on it if you can!

Visit Ticket Alternative online at www.ticketalternative.com, charge by phone at 1-877-725-8849 or go to one of the outlets listed below if you're in the Atlanta area.
**********
Eye Dawg Productions is proud to announce the inaugural KEEL FAMILY FUNCTION 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)

The lineup is as follows:

~ 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
~ 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 some of New Orleans' finest! ~ 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 ~ Grayson Capps, Anders Osborne, Ralph Roddenbery, Donna Hopkins, David Via, Rev. Jeff Mosier, Larry Keel
~ BLOODY MARY MORNING BLUEGRASS JAM ~ hosted by Stop Drop & Roll, final details TBA soon! ~ THE LOW DOWN THROW DOWN ~ www.myspace.com/thelowdownthrowdown
~ NOTHING & THE NOBODIES ~ www.nothingandthenobodies.com
~ PAST PLUTO ~

Folks, this event promises to be just the right medicine, and we have been mindful to set the price of admission at a fair price so that no one is breaking the bank. We are excited to have Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. on board as a sponsor, along with our buddies Shimon Presents, Wildman Steve Radio and Tree Leaf Music.

http://www.keelfamilyfunction.com

Three more fests for your calendars:

Jacksonville Blues Festival April 3, 4, 5

No camping. It's free on Jacksonville Beach. Lots of very cool art vendors.

Gamble Rogers Folk Festival May 1-3, 2009
Camping at the fest at St. Johns County Fairgrounds

Florida Folk Festival May 22 – May 24, 2009

No camping unless you are a performer or a volunteer.

Bear Creek Tickets Early Sale

The kind folks at Bear Creek Music and Arts Festival which will be held Nov. 13-16 are offering a "Get the Worm" ticket price of just $99 per person through May 31. Tickets will be $165 at the gate, so this is a super good deal. Get 'em while the gettin's good.

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..

Zach Deputy in Tallahassee, Fl.

Zach Deputy was one of the best acts at Bear Creek Music Festival in Live Oak this year, and what a super cool fellow he is. He plays at the Engine Room in Tallahassee Saturday night. $8 cover.

Anyone who dropped by Zach's tarp-shaded campground stage at Bear Creek left with a smile. The guy is just plain having fun, and he's got the groove going!

People compare him to Keller Williams because he uses loops and is a one-man band, but he's really not like Keller Williams. Anyway, go check him out!

Here's the promo from Zach's site:

"Truly a one-man band, he is a powerhouse of performance, technical chops, and one hell of a charismatic presence. Put simply, Zach Deputy does what is called live looping: layering sounds through the magic of technology to create a full band effect. He isn’t the only performer out there doing this, but he has taken the technique to the next level. First and foremost, however, Zach Deputy is a songwriter, a shredding guitarist and a soulful singer with a 4+ octave vocal range. He can also drop freestyle rhymes with the best of them. The Zach Deputy sound is essentially roots rock, but in his case the roots are in soul, calypso and dancehall, underpinned by driving hip-hop, rock steady, Motown and Stax backbeats created with his layered vocal beatboxing. On top of the backbeat, Zach Deputy’s nylon strings pull multiple duties as bass, rhythm and lead guitar. Riding over that, a plethora of sounds-- keyboard, steel drums and an entire horn section-- come pumping and grinding out of the speakers when Zach takes the stage. He is a one man dance party, but he can also bring an audience to rapt attention with a heartfelt love ballad."

One more fest on the spring lineup

Memorial Day Weekend May 22 and 23, Acoustic Cafe. This is a very small fest in northern Alabama, with some newgrass and bluegrass greats, including the great Dread Clampitt. We all basically camp in Steve, the promoter's, yard. It's a steep mountainside and he has ample acreage. He says: "the largest gathering of earthy tie-died people in Alabama. The music is what brings people to the mountain; the sense of village that we have created is what keeps people coming back. Among this colorful crowd of VW buses and dread locks is a real feeling of love. The children are polite, camp sites are clean, & we even sort the recyclables out of our trash. I continue to invite this crowd to my home because they know how to act and they leave the place as pretty as they find it. I dare say there is not a better crowd anywhere."

One band plays on stage at a time, which I love because everyone experiences the sme thing at the same time, and I don't have to make any decisions! Oh so relaxing. This is a very kid-friendly event. Very sweet spot, lots of cool rock ledges. You can only have tents up there, RVs have to park down the mountain. Steve makes an exception for VW busses.

We heard Dread Clampitt acoustic in Steve's natural ampitheatre, where the rocks seem to convey the music. The music was intricate and soulful, and the audience was silently awed. I will never forget it, one of the absolute highlights of my life as a music lover.

Steve has porta potties, a hose to wash down with, one food vendor, and free coffee - !! - on his porch. Best to come fully prepared with all your supplies and your smile. We met some of the most wonderful folks there last year and Steve himself is a gem and so generous to offer up his land for music magic.

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.

More Magnolia Fest pictures

One of two very cool Vassar Clement fiddle angels Scramble Campbell did for the Ampitheatre stage.

Magnolia Fest photos

Check out this wonderful painting artist Scramble Campbell, who now lives in Colorado, did of Jerry Garcia. It's a fitting image to start us on a travelogue of what was a real Grateful Dead-filled weekend.

A Message from Our Magnolia Fest Friends

Here's a missive from the folks who run Magnolia Fest, lots of fun info in here:

Dear Festival Folks:
The 12th Annual MagnoliaFest is right around the corner and we are requesting that everyone on our email list help us spread the word about the festival. We've got lots of new for you today.
Today we're covering:

* MagnoliaFest History
* The Lee Boys & Oteil Burbridge @ Smith's Old Bar
in Atlanta this Friday October 10th
* Get your MagnoliaFest Advance tickets NOW
* Schedule - what Schedule???
* The MagMusic Radio Show
* MagFest Kickoff:Inca Maya & TNS Freebird Live Oct 18th
* Laugh, Love, Dance & VOTE

BIG COSMO'S SUNSHINE DAYDREAM WEEKEND AKA MAGNOLIAFEST
When we began MagnoliaFest 12 years ago as Big Cosmo’s Sunshine Daydream Weekend, it was dedicated to the music and spirit of the late Jerry Garcia. Beth and Randy were both longtime Deadheads with hundreds of shows attended between them. Jerry's untimely passing left a huge musical void for them and many of their friends. After establishing Suwannee Springfest in March of 1997, they planned a fall celebration with a distinct Dead-ish flavor. The first lineup included former Garcia collaborators like the Old & In The Way Bluegrass Reunion featuring David Grisman, Vassar Clements, and Peter Rowan, Merle Saunders & the Rainforest Band, and 60's San Francisco ballroom favorites Gary Duncan & Quicksilver Messenger Service. And Donna the Buffalo was introduced to the Florida & Southeastern GD crowd, too.

This year's MagnoliaFest marks a special tribute to the late Garcia with several more of his former band mates appearing. Thursday will find former Grateful Dead vocalist Donna Jean Godchaeux performing along with her new band the Tricksters. Donna Jean & the Tricksters concentrate on the Muscle Shoals R&B which she started her singing career with (Elvis, Aretha Franklin) plus some blues and Dead songs. On Friday, Melvin Seals and the JGB Band are scheduled to render those sweet Jerry Band tunes. And on Saturday, the new trio featuring former Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann will headline. Kreutzmann is joined by Allman Bros. and Aquarium Rescue Unit bassist Oteil Burbridge and Max Creek guitarist Scott Murawski. The group has been turning heads and opening ears across the nation this summer and they make their Southeastern debut at MagnoliaFest 2008. The band is called KBM and their repertoire includes some fresh original material with lyrics by former Grateful Dead songwriter Robert Hunter, along with other tasteful covers and plenty of classic GD music, too. The band is set to perform for 3 hours to close out the Saturday schedule. Then on Sunday Peter Rowan will be sure to honor both Jerry and Vassar as he deals out a solo set that will morph into our traditional Sunday Bluegrass Set.

MagnoliaFest will take place October 23-26 at the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Pa rk in Live Oak, FL. For secure tickets and complete information please visit the festival website www.magmusic.com


TICKETS FOR MAGNOLIAFEST
You may order tickets online or call 904-249-7990 to order by phone.
Our office hours vary tremendously, but generally Monday - Friday 10am - 5pm. If you get a voicemail, leave a message and someone will call you back. We do call backs at all kinds of hours!

All tickets ordered now are being held for pickup at WIll Call.
For complete MagnoliaFest Ticket information go to http://www.magmusic.com/ticketsformagfest.htm

SCHEDULE FOR MAGNOLIAFEST
< /U>
I have it from a very good source that the complete schedule will be posted within the next 24 hours.
It's not up as of the sending of this email, but VERY SOON!
http://www.magmusic.com/scheduleformagfest.htm
MagnoliaFest 2008 October 23-26
Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park Live Oak, Florida

THE MAGMUSIC SHOW
Join us every Tuesday evening from 7-9pm CT (that's 8-10pm in the East) for "The MagMusic Show". Hosted by Randy "Big Cosmo" Judy and Beth Judy. The show can be heard online at Wildman Steve Radio, www.wildmansteve.com. Go by and visit with Wildman Steve himself at MagnoliaFest.


MAGFEST KICKOFF PARTY
Come out to Freebird Live in Jacksonville on October 18th
Inca Maya with TNS & Late Nite Transfer
$5 cover gets you a free draft beer & free download of Inca Maya's new album
MagFest Ticket Holders get in free (we suggest you copy your tickets & don't risk losing them)!

VOTE VOTE VOTE
We want to gently remind you all to exercise your citizenship and get out to the polls for this upcoming election. It's important - like laughing, loving and music! Please Vote!

Thank you for your time. We appreciate your support and commit to bringing you quality events that feature great music, a joyful community spirit, healing vibes, and that are just plain fun!

In Harmony,
Iris Blooms (speaking for Beth & Randy)
Magnolia Music & Events, Inc.
www.magmusic.com
904-249-7990













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Magnolia Fest Camping In Style

That's my friend Dancin' Dave in the picture, dancing with Kristen from Uncle Earl.
For those who don't want the hassle of hauling gear to Magnolia Fest, Dave offers festival camping services.

Just google Dancin Dave and his web site will come right up.

All you have to bring is your suitcase, and he takes care of the rest. Plus, he's one heck of a cool guy.

Magnolia Fest lineup

Expect transcendental jams at Magnollia Fest,October 23-26. Newgrass pioneer Sam Bush is coming, and he's always great to see sitting in with whomever, as well as his own excellent Sam Bush band. He recorded on Dread Clampitt's new CD (not out yet) He played fiddle -- not madolin. Dread Clampitt's talented Balder Saunders held down the smokin' mandolin for the new record. Dread's fantastic fiddle player, Justin from Australia, has left the band, so we'll hear a new sound this Magfest when the boys come over from Walton County, Fla.

I'm psyched to see Donna Jean and the Tricksters, old deadhead that I am. Here's the skinny on the band from their website:

"Donna Jean Godchaux MacKay was born to sing, and over the course of time she’s done so with people like Elvis Presley, Percy Sledge, Boz Scaggs, and Jerry Garcia. Now she has a new band that she’s quite certain is on a creative par with anything she’s ever done. “This band is a perfect fit for me as a singer/songwriter,” she said recently, “and I hope to be doing this for a long time to come. We’re having so much fun with this music!” The Grateful Dead alumna has joined up with six members of the next musical generation – Mookie Siegel (David Nelson Band; formerly Phil & Friends, RatDog), Wendy Lanter (Hope in Time), and Jeff Mattson, Tom Circosta, Klyph Black and Dave Diamond (Zen Tricksters) to form Donna Jean and the Tricksters."

Yeah!!!!!

A number of the Suwannee favorites have new CDs out.

The Duhks, out of Winnipeg, Canada, have a stellar new release called Fast Paced World. Girl singer Jessee Havey is gone, as is the fantastic Afro-Cuban drummer Scott Senior, replaced by Sarah and Christian Dugass. The new disc has a lot more production on it. I'ts slicker than their earlier releases. Sarah Dugass really shines here, but I kind of miss young fiddler Tania Elizabeth's background vocals, they are not as prominent on the new disc. And she really has an angelic voice. How about this for spooky coincidences --- the single off the album, 'Mighty Storm," is an old folk song about a hurricane hitting Galveston, Texas. Who knew?

Donna The Buffalo has a new CD out, Silverlined. It turns out I already knew almost every song on it, because they've been playing them live. A few new treats, though, from this infectiously danceable band. I like the "Superstar" song, it has an old rock and roll feel to it. No doubt the herd will be jumping.

Also new release out from The Avett Brothers, called Gleam II. I reviewed it in the earlier post about Floydfest. It is great, and I can't gush enough about these boys.

Col. Bruce and The Quark Alliance will be in the house, certain to blow everyone's mind. And of course our favorite lion, Peter Rowan. He did a REALLY trippy set at Springfest in the ampitheatre. I hope he brings some of the greats on stage with him, he always does.

TIPS FOR MAGFEST:

The river is really high, so be careful.

Don't forget your radio, they have a lo-fi broadcast from the main stage.

Don't forget your hammock to put up at the ampitheatre stage.

If you have a sun shower, pack it. The showers get gross and they are cold.

Don't miss Slopryland's after-hour stage by the lake in the campground (see picture below) At Wannee, Ralph Rodenberry tore it up back there, and who doesnt love Sloppy Joe and their pre-dawn hospitality! Drikk your coffee and stay up for the late night fun!

Bring pumpkins to carve!

I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE ALL MY FESTY FRIENDS!!

Floydfest is Fantastic

Sept. 1, 2008

I went to Floydfest in July in Floyd, Va. It is one of the cleanest and coolest music festivals in the southeast. The mountain setting is so gorgeous. Headliners were Donna The Buffalo, Rusted Root, Railroad Earth and The Avett Brothers. The Avett Brothers, from Concord, NC, killed it!

They have just been signed by Columbia, and you can see why. For my money they are some of the finest songwriters working today. On stage, they are possessed! Their roots as a punk band are more than evident when they start it crank it up, whipping their heads around, falling down on the stage, jumping around. The lyrics are sly, bold, delicate, and searing. I just can't get enough of these guys. It was a particularly sublime show, right at sunset in the mountains. The crowd knew all the words, making it even more intimate. Now that The Avetts have signed with Columbia, I wonder how long we will get to see them in these smallish venues.

Check out the Avetts' new disc, Gleam II. Like the first Gleam, it is a soulful, stripped down melodic treat.

Also fantastic at Floydfest: The Rev. Peyton's Big Damn Band. It's actually a small band - the Reverend on bottleneck guitar, his wife on washboard, and his brother banging on a pickle bucket. But Lordy what a sound they make! They'd be moving along on a gospel tune or a blues tune and - wham! - they'd make a crazy racket and charge toward the edge of the stage like maniacs. Absolutely hilarious! I loved "Your Cousin's on 'Cops'" They reminded me a little of Rev. Horton Heat. I wasn't the only one bowled over by the Reverend: the crowds for this band got bigger with every show during the weekend.

I about had to have my hip replaced after seeing Yo Momma's Big Fat Booty Band from Asheville, NC. in the wee hours Friday night. These boys take a page from Funkadelic's George Clinton and Bootsie Collins. Loud, funky, pimp-attired and truly relentless. They made everybody get down on the floor at one point. Anybody who was still standing had to vouch that they had a knee problem. It was sweaty, bootilicious fun, the kind that makes you forget everything and just DANCE.

Josh Phillips, the adorable dimpled front man for the group, sat in Friday night even though he has -- sadly -- left the booty band. He says all the shouting in the booty band was wearing his voice out. He played a Floydfest afternoon set with his new group, Josh Phillips Folk Festival. I bought his pre-mix CD of six songs and it is very rootsy, folky reggae, real good. He's got a new CD coming out, watch for it.

My advice is to get advance tickets for Floydfest next year. The camping is great, the scene is clean and mellow, and the music is stellar. One cool aspect is the World Music village, which offers bands from ... around the world. You gotta hike down the hill, but it is worth it. This is also where the only fire pit at the festival is, and where all the late-night drumming and dancing action is.

Festgrrl's Important things to know:

CAMPING - You have to buy a car pass to camp out of your car, and you will likely still have to haul stuff to your campsite. The cars are in a field with RVs. If you wanna camp in the woods (I recommend it), you have to haul your stuff. So bring backpacks or a little hand cart or something.

If you don't buy a car pass, you park a little ways away and take a shuttle bus. When you get there, you will have to hike your stuff in to camp.

I use DANCIN DAVE's FESTIVAL camping (Google Dancin Dave), and when I get there, my tent is all set up and I have fabulous Dave to visit with. It is WAY LUXURIOUS, but behind the sometimes loud beer garden stage.

DRINKS - You have to buy beer in a beer garden and drink it there. You can't buy beer at the main stage at all. You have to listen to whomever is the beer garden stage band while you drink your beer.

On the other hand, there are no checkpoints to check your backpack or your cup anywhere in the festival. Like I said, it is a mellow scene.

ART - If you like art, and have money, Floydfest is a great art show, a cut above most fests I have been to. I have brought home treasures all three years I've gone.

KIDS - This is a very kid friendly event. The crowd is in no way obnoxious. They have a kids village and a kids parade. This year, they had a fantastic balloon art maker. One year, they had the kids do an advice booth for adults. I kept thinking up problems to bring to them because they were having so much fun telling the adults what to do!

WEATHER - This year was gorgeous, but some years it is mighty misty and foggy and chilly in the evenings. Pack accordingly.

MASSAGE - They offer 'em, get one! Then go dance some more!