New Fest on Spring Lineup

Fabulous Afrobeat Funkateers 3rd Stone, above, will play.

Hey folks, check out the Orange Blossom Jamboree, May 21-23 at the gorgeous Sertoma Youth Ranch in Brooksville (home of Riverhawk and String Break)

Looks like a great lineup with Gainesville-based 3rd Stone, Orlando's Funk Us (both bands have new CDs out, BTW), and the excellent Dead cover band, Crazy Fingers, among others.

This is a really nice park to camp at, with lots of bathrooms and showers, a pretty lake and a pretty creek running through it. It's also a small venue, very intimate, festgrrl recommended!

30A Songwriters Festival is Going to Be Amazing

Here's something to look forward to after the holidays. The weekend of January 15 (Happy Birthday Martin Luther King, Jr. and my late mama, Helen)is the 30A Songwriter's Festival. Details are here

This is in gorgeous Walton County, Florida, home of the fantastic Dread Clampitt, Waco Ramblers, and Green Hit. AND IT IS ONLY $40 FOR THE WEEKEND.Volunteers get half off.

(It's kind of pricey to stay/eat/drink around there, so be forewarned and be prepared for some North Florida sticker shock.)

This is Nashville on the Coast. We're talking about some major songwriters, including The Indigo Girls, Rodney Crowell, John Oates from Hall & Oates, newgrass God Sam Bush, Susanna Hoffs of girl-pop sensation The Bangles, Gary Louris from The Jayhawks, Shawn Mullins ("What a Beautiful Wreck You Are"), Mike and Ruthy of The Mammals, Nashville songwriting powerhouse Jeffrey Steele, Matthew Sweet of The Thorns, and country darling Chely Wright, just to name a few.

Your ticket gets you a wristband, and the performances are spread out among venues -- some bars/restaurants, some ampitheatres -- up and down 30A. Kickoff party happens Friday night at the cool and delicious Bud & Alley's restaurant.

Says the website: Plan on three days of non-stop, intimate concerts including solo performances and multi artist "in the round" singing and storytelling sessions. Your ticket/wrist band will allow you to travel up and down the Beaches of South Walton and freely access all shows in beautiful venues in Alys Beach, Rosemary Beach, Seaside, Miramar Beach, WaterColor and Grayton Beach.

I am beyond thrilled for this event, and ever so thankful to Jen Saunders and others for making it happen!

NEW YEAR'S MOFRO SHOWS COMING TO JAX

Hey y'all, JJ Grey and Mofro are going to give us all a little New Year's gift: A New Year's Eve show at Jacksonville Beach's Freebird Live club, with opener Snarky Puppy, followed by shows on New Year's Day (with Snarky Puppy) and Saturday, January 2 (with Klob.)

The New Year's Eve show costs $35 a ticket ($40 with the service charge) Tickets are $20 for the New Year's Day and Jan. 2 shows. Nice price for some truly awesome talent.

For my Central and South Florida friends, what a treat -- Mofro and Galactic at Orlando's House of Blues, Jan. 8, $27.75 a ticket (includes the service charge,) and Mofro and Galactic at Revolution in Fort Lauderdale, Jan. 9, $31, (includes the service charge.)

Head on over to Mofro's site to get your tickets for some fine Florida swamp stomping music. Just a great way to start the year!

Off to Magnolia Fest!

Festgrrl's gettin her Mag on early, gonna be a great bunch of shows, and see you all there in the beautiful woods where the sounds of funky strings waft through the campfire smoke. Yes!!

Magnolia Fest!

That's Scramble Campbell painting my friends Dread Clampitt at Magnolia Fest. Just a week or so away now! I can't wait to see my friends, make some music, hear great players,sleep under the stars and jump in the Suwannee. Aaaaaahhhhhhhh, heaven!

All the good details are here

Donna The Buffalo plays four nights so get your dancing shoes properly prepared.

Don't forget your pumpkins and don't forget to go to Slopryland to see their amazing jack o lantern's. And just remember: I saw yo mama at Slopry land and she couldn't find her shoes!

A Stellar Time Was Had

I just can't say enough good things about the Farm To Family Full Moon Fest. This one was held at the Lion's Club in High Springs. Standouts were: Brian Smalley, a singer songwriter who is so very talented, he writes like a poet and sings like an angel; The Burnin' Smyrnin's, who mix up Eastern European folk riffs with jazz with ska with punk with rock.....ya gotta hear it!; Femi Kako, killer Afro Beat that had everyone up and dancing; jammy bands Absolute Free and Juniper Spring, both of them with tasty licks; and Boss Lady and the Company, a groovefest for all.

Third Stone, a reggae/funk band out of Gainesville, continues to amaze, with soaring vocals, great messages and an all around cool-as-shit groove.

The fest crowd was small and intimate. The Santa Fe river was within walking distance. I was told there were a bunch of happy hippies in the water in the wee hours under the full moon, singing Amazing Grace!

I can't tell you how many times strangers drove by my camp asking if I needed anything at the store. That's the "family" part, and it warms festgrrl's heart!

FULL MOON FEST!

What a nice Labor Day weekend treat! For just $20, 3 days of world beat, ska, jam, funk, and steppy bluegrass at the Farm To Family Full Moon Fest. This month it has a new location at the Lion's Club Music Park in the lovely old town of High Springs. African jams tonight, Friday, bands from noon-10:30 Sat., and noon to late night Sunday.

This is a bargain! And though festgrrl isn't so excited about this part, they will have big screen TVs to watch the Gators play... whoever they play.

But the music will be fine! Burnin' Smyrnans on Sunday night not to be missed. I'd describe them as a Klesmer punk band and they are definitely high energy and a lot of fun. Also, Boss Lady's funky reggae grooves are bound to please. 3rd Stone is an enormously talented reggae-ish band that shouldn't be missed. I also really like Brian Smalley, a singer-songwriter who will kick things off Sat. at noon.

This is a family-friendly event. Usually there are one or two food vendors and some excellent hippie wares to buy. People are super chill, and Don sets up a tent facing the stage to keep folks out of the sun. Just a lovely group, lovely tunes, and a beautiful weekend to enjoy it!

If you get too hot, you can always head over to the nearby Poe Springs and dip yourself in the Florida's cold, cobalt heart.

DreadFest

That's Dread Clampitt from Walton County, Florida playing with Sam Bush. Bush is playing on their upcoming CD. On October 3, about 40 miles northeast of Birmingham, Alabama, there's an all-Dread Clampitt festival called Dreadfest.

This festival is being run by Steve Masterson, the genius behind The Acoustic Cafe festival outside Birmingham. (See my posts from May and June for reviews of that wonderful event!)

You won't be disappointed with any show Dread Clampitt puts on. Talent, talent, talent, and a bunch of super-nice folks. This show will be smokin.'

The Avett Brothers!

The fantastically talented and entertaining Avett Brothers are coming to The St. Augustine Ampitheatre Thursday evening, July 16. The show is $27.

Paste magazine did a cover story on The Avetts and their breakout popularity, their recording sessions with producer Rick Rubin (he produced Johnny Cash), their upcoming album, and their new grueling tour-all-the-time schedule.

I return to The Avetts recordings again and again to taste their fine musicianship and talented lyricism. Frankly, if anyone is talking while The Avetts are playing, I have to shut it off until I can listen intently. They are just that good.

Things to know about the venue (from the only other time I was there, to see Mofro):

The ampitheatre is covered, but outdoors
Only beer was Bud and Bud Light, and it was like, $6 or $7 a pop. So sad.
You can't leave the venue once you've gone in.
You can't bring anything in there with you (they even prohibit strollers?!WTF!)

There is cheap camping at nearby Anastasia State Park, and you can reserve a site online.

The Economy Isn't Hurting Fests

Check out this article from Billboard, which reports that music festival ticket sales are strong. I would argue with a couple of the conclusions -- One, that the cancellation of Langerado in South Florida was a sign of the economic times. Langerado's failure had more to do with the fact that they moved the festival from the wilds of the Everglades into downtown Miami. Nobody wanted to fest in downtown Miami. Billboard also mentions that ticket sales for Rothbury in Michigan are down. I think that has to do with the hefty $250-plus ticket price. Festivals that have kept prices reasonable are thriving, because they are a good value, and that's what folks are looking for these days.

A Lovely Time at Full Moon Fest

The weekend crowd at the Farm to Family Full Moon Fest was pretty small, but the bands were smokin' and the vibe was sweet. It was HOT out there, y'all. Thanks to Don and the organizers for the misters and the generous shade tent.

Standout performances came from 3rd Stone, with fat and funky reggae grooves and killer vocals; The Duppies, kick-ass ska band that that got the crowd up and moving under the glorious moon, and Boss Lady and The Company,whith Boss Lady's strong and heartfelt vocals. The Glass Camels and Crazy Fingers laid it down with two super solid Dead sets late night on Friday and Saturday. Festgrrl also has to prop her fave band, who raged it as usual, Dread Clampitt

I am also loving the little acoustic duo The Bandits!

This was an inaugural show for the Farm to Family folks OFF their usual location, and it was an expanded three-day fest. Since turnout was kind of low, they cut things short on Sunday and asked people for donations to help pay the bands.

I kind of missed the smaller venue, to be honest. Next month it's back to the old farmstead, I'll post the date when I get it.

BUDDAH SAYS KEEP ON FESTING WHILE THE WEATHER'S FINE!

May is JUMPIN, Y'all!'

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

Full Moon Festival, Alachua (outside Gainesville) May 8-10. $40 for the weekend. $15 to $20 sliding scale for the day. This fest is normally just one night, but this is a special three-day show at a different venue, just 5 miles from the old one. Rowan Brothers, Gator Bone, Crazy Fingers, Glass Camels,Third Stone, Quartermoon and more. More info is here

Mossy Headz, DeFuniak Springs, May 14-17, Pre-sale tickets are $66 for 4 day pass, $80 at the gate. Oversize vehicle pass is $25. Fabulous lineup: DubConscious, Ralph Roddenberry, Burnin' Smurnin's, Rebecca Jean Smith, Green Hit, Waco Ramblers, Fusebox Funk, and more. More info is here

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

Acoustic Cafe, May 22-24, outside Birmingham, Alabama, $40 for the weekend. in a gorgeous intimate mountain setting. Edgar Meyer & Mike Marshall, Dread Clampitt and more. VW busses or tents only on the mountain, other RVs have to park a ways down. To car camp, get an up the hill pass while they last. Info is here.

Wannee Festival, Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park June 4-7, info is here. Killer lineup, Doobie Brothers, Allmans, Wailers, Little Feat and more.

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!

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

Dr. Dog, out of Philadelphia, gave a fantastic show at FSU's Club Downunder Feb.18. (Thanks to Mike Bender for the great photo)What does Dr. Dog sound like? Sort of retro Beatles-psychedelic-meets 80's punk-meets Steely Dan-meets soulful indie-meets-hell, I hate to put all those labels on these super super talented guys, so look them up on the Net and get their CD, Fate. Beautiful vocals and kick-ass guitar work and infectious grooves. I also loved the excellent opener band traveling with them, Drug Rug. I say watch this band, they should be getting mroe well known as they hopscotch the country on the Dr. Dog tour.