Good Local Bluegrass, Americana in Tally Tonight

Up-and-coming local bluegrass band Stranger Still plays Bird's Aphrodesiac Oyster Shack at 8 p.m. tonight in a show with Coon Bottom Creek called "Bluegrass on the Half Shell." cover is $5, and yes, Septemebr is an 'r' month if you are ready to commence bivalve consumption season.

The kick-ass New 76ers return to the stage tonight after a hiatus. They'll hit the Mockingbird's tiny stage at 7 p.m.. The show is free, but it is a good idea to reserve a table and eat there. The food's a bit pricey, but quite good.


Here's a nice video of this very excellent band. Kelly Goddard has such a beautiful voice!

Gram Parsons Guitar Pull This Weekend

If you're not going to the Blackwater Music Festival this weekend, you might want to check out The Gram Parsons Guitar Pull at the Okeefenokee Fairgrounds in Waycross, Ga.

This country-roots camping and music festival honors the late Parsons, who died in 1973. Parsons is a legendary musician who was a pioneer of the alt-country genre, singing partner to Emmylou Harris, brief member of The Byrds, co-founder of The Flying Burrito Brothers, and a pal of Rolling Stones wild man Keith Richards. He came from Waycross, and they've been honoring this hometown hero for several years now.

It costs $35 advanced for all 3 days. At the gate, it's $20 for Friday, $20 for Saturday, and $10 for Sunday. Primitive camping is $10 for the whole weekend. If you want an electric/RV site, it's $30 for the weekend. Kids 12 and under are free. Be forewarned, they want you to bring a stove or a fire pit for your campfire. Coolers are allowed. I'd imagine the picking in the campground is going to be fantastic!

Here's a neat website about Parsons

Blackwater Music Festival: 10 Things To Know Before You Go

Blackwater Music Festival hits Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Fl. this weekend. Here's 10 things you need to know:

1. There will be shade for your tent.

2. You can camp for free on a beautiful cypress lake -- choose primitive "lake camping." Reese Lake, lined with cypress trees, is close to the stages, it has nearby Port-o-lets, and the lake bathhouse and showers are a three-minute walk away.

3. Don't be discouraged by the roundabout kooky drive to get to lake camping. Keep a level head. Persevere. You'll find it. It's worth it:

4. Bring a baby pool for your campsite instead of firewood - fall's not here yet, y'all.

5. In the morning, the on-site Suwannee Music Park restaurant has a good breakfast buffet. They have nice bathrooms. Also a really cool hand-painted mural of local wildlife.

6. You can get fresh ice at the camp store next to the restaurant.

7. The Suwannee River beach is not to be missed (see top pic.)There's a rope swing. The river's a long walk from the fest site -- grab a ride or a golf cart.

8. The Suwannee River water is dark (dyed by tree tannins), but it is spring-fed and the river bottom is clean and sandy.

9. There's a giant bat house. It is just beyond lake camping in the field -- ask other campers where it is. At sunset, you can grab a beverage and go watch incredible numbers of bats fly out!

10. Bring a hammock. The ampitheater is full of trees!

A Little Reggae Tonight

Boston reggae funk band Spiritual Rez hits the Engine Room in Tallahassee tonight. Doors open at 9, cover is $10.

Local band Shoes and Laces opens.

Spiritual Rez opened last weekend's PoJo Festival in Port St. Joe, Fla.

That little PoJo fest was a gem -- listening to music while bobbing in the clear aqua waters, yes! Texas's Bob Schneider, indie darlings (recently on the cover of Rolling Stone) The Sheepdogs, Calfornia's ALO, and Honey Island Swamp Band out of New Orleans turned out stellar performances to a crowd that was pretty tiny.

Props to the organizers, and if they keep booking bands this good, this fest can only grow. There's plenty of room for more of us to float in that lovely bay.


Here's some Spiritual Rez:

The Flaming Lips

The Blackwater Music Festival hits Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Fl. this weekend. This fest draws a youngish crowd, with electronica acts STS9, Girl Talk, Eoto and Ghostland Observatory on the top of the bill.

Tickets are $165 through Wednesday, and $180 at the gate. That includes free primitive camping. (You could have bought 3-day tickets in May for the bargain advanced price of $110.)

You can get a one-day pass (no camping) for $40 Thursday, $60 Friday, and $70 Saturday.

The headliner is the incomparable psychedelic band The Flaming Lips, which puts on one of the best live shows on Earth. If you watch the excellent documentary about the band, Fearless Freaks, you'll learn that they used a motorcycle running on stage in tiny dive clubs to get a smoke-on-the-stage effect.

These days they have all the stage toys they can handle -- a plastic bubble to roll over the crowd with, clever cameras, confetti machines -- I'm writing this and it doesn't sound nearly as awesome as it is. Trust me, this will be one of the best live rock shows you will ever see.

Here's a little interesting video story about their shows featuring lead singer Wayne Coyne.

Goin' To The PoJo

Heading down to the Panhandle coast tomorrow for the free PoJo festival in Port St. Joe, Florida, which has a bunch of national acts and a few local ones as well. Did I mention it's free and on the coast? Here's my other festgrrl post on it and my other festgrrl post on it.

Check Out Lovely First Aid Kit

festgrrl took her daughter to see Bright Eyes in Tallahassee at The Moon this week, and was most blown away by the opening act,  Swedish pop duo First Aid Kit, who were playing Tallahassee for the first time.

These sisters play autoharp, guitar, and keyboard, and they are backed by a single drummer. They got discovered in a 2008 You Tube video they did covering the  Fleet Foxes' "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song."
Check 'em out!