Keel Family Function

Photo: Larry Keel and Jenny Keel at String Break 2009

I'm a big fan of the musical tastes of Georgia promoter T-Dawg. He's putting on the Keel Family Function (named for flat-picking phenom Larry Keel.) It happens April 2-3 at Dawg's Cherokee Farms, which is in Georgia up near Chattanooga, Tennessee. I've heard is a fabulous, intimate farm where strings masters get down. The ridiculously cheap early bird ticket price of  $35 ends tonight, then it goes up to $50.

Here's a look at the lineup:
~ LARRY KEEL & NATURAL BRIDGE ~ DJ LOGIC ~ JOSH PHILLIPS FOLK FESTIVAL ~ COL. BRUCE HAMPTON & THE QUARK ALLIANCE

~ THE MOSIER BROTHERS BAND ~ MICHAEL TOLCHER ~ BOBBY MILLER & THE VIRGINIA DARE DEVILS ~ DONNA HOPKINS w/ JEFF SIPE & CHARLIE WOOTEN ~ THE RAGBIRDS ~ RALPH RODDENBERY & THE SIDE EFFECTS ~ LEFTY WILLIAMS & FRIENDS ~ ZOOGMA ~ GRAYSON CAPPS & GUTHRIE TRAPP ~ POND FARM PICKERS ~ 3RD STONE ~ SUGAR KAYNE ~ SLIM PICKINS ~ DIGITAL BUTTER ~ TREY STEIN

** EYE OF THE DAWG SHOWCASE on Saturday afternoon, 4/3! Featuring Jeff Sipe on drums with Col. Bruce Hampton, Rev. Jeff Mosier, Larry Keel, Donna Hopkins, Josh Phillips, Michael Tolcher, Bobby Miller, Ralph Roddenbery, Caroline Pond, Scott Mecredy, Grayson Capps, Erin Zindle, and some surprises.

** PEPPERLAND KIDS JAM w/ Donna Hopkins, Caroline Pond & Erin Zindle, accompanied by a surprise group of musicians!


** SUNDAY EASTER EGG HUNT @ CHEROKEE FARMS

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!

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!