Folks hoping to go to go the funk-filled Bond-fire Art and Music Festival starting this Thursday and stretching over New Year's Eve got the odd news last night that the entire outdoor camping festival is instead moving to indoor venues in downtown St. Peterburg -- The State Theater and one other facility, Local 662. This fiasco keeps unfolding.
After howling from patrons who paid for an outdoor camping festival (some buying tickets last summer), some traveling by air and some rolling down to sunny Fla in RVs with kids in tow, the promoters got on Facebook this morning and said they have a 50-50 chance of some other outdoor venue -- still unidentified -- and asked fans for ideas. For the latest, check the Bond-fire's Facebook page.
The festival went on the ropes this week when the Lake County Commission denied its permit, citing lateness of application and safety concerns.
It looks like the Bond-fire Art and Music Festival, scheduled outside Orlando over New Year's Eve weekend with George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, The New Mastersounds, and North Mississippi All Stars, will have to move at the last minute.
Hectic talks are underway after the Lake County Commission denied the promoter's permit. Whew, wouldn't want to be in those folks' shoes right now! The fest is suposed to kick off in eight days.
If you can make it over to Seaside, Fla (between Panama City and Destin) on Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend (Jan 13-15) you'll be treated to the excellent 30A Songwriter's Festival, now in its third year.
The past two years have been a talent feast. This is a showcase for hot songwriters, many of them working in Nashville. But it isn't a country festival -- here, songs are stripped down to their bare bones. The audience (for the most part) really listens.
Headliners include Rodney Crowell, The Bangles, Shawn Mullins, Sam Bush Band, Amy Ray of The Indigo Girls, and Matthew Sweet.
The thrill for me, though, has been listening to the "unknowns" performing there, and finding some incredible gems. Angel Snow was one of them last year. Madison Violet was another.
This is not a camping festival, and it isn't a great place to lug kids around, either. Performances are held in a variety of venues, including bars and restaurants, along the coastal highway there -- 30A. You can hop from place to place eating and drinking along the way. Tickets are onsale online at $125 for the weekend. The gate price is $150.
David Wilcox, Steve Forbert, Mary Gauthier, Sam Bush Band, Randall Bramblett, Tommy Talton, Jeffrey Steele, Chely Wright, Chuck Cannon, Tim Nichols, Corey Smith, David Olney, Davin McCoy, Lori McKenna,Tommy Womack, Kevn Kinney, The Shadowboxers, Larkin Poe, Emily Lynch, Joseph Arthur, Matthew Mayfield, Rachel Platten, Callaghan, David Berkeley, Garrison Starr, Jeff Black, Joe Leathers, Ben Glover,Billy Montana, Chas Sanford, Brian and Karyn White, Greg Barnhill, Forrest Williams Band, Kyle Jacobs, Kelsey Anna, Reed Waddle, Meg Hutchinson, Brigitte DeMeyer, Daphne Willis, Shannon Whitworth, Suzi Ragsdale, Georgia, Ashleigh Flynn, Joanna Cotton, Matthew Kahler, Over The Rhine (Karin Bergquist & Linford Detweiler), Bryan Kennedy, Nicole Witt, Granville Automatic, Angel Snow, Chatham Street, Deux, Birds, Jesse Terry, Michael Witty, Sterling Fletcher, Grant Peeples, The Tall Pines, and over 75 more.
Here is an amazing performance of one of my favorite songs, "Mercy Now," by Mary Gauthier -- that's Tania Elizabeth who used to fiddle for the great Canadian newgrass band, The Duhks, performing with Mary. There's a long and funny intro by Mary congratulating country star Chely Wright (who is onstage but out of the frame) for coming out as a gay woman.
If you like dub step and live electronica, check out Jacksonville Beach's Greenhouse Lounge, playing Thursday night at The Engine Room. This band is known for its late-night rages at festivals.
For this show, doors open at 8 p.m. and cover is $8. Remember, they don't let ladies wear high heels at The Engine Room. They just don't, OK?
I can't say enough good things about this festival. Super chill, kind people, family friendly, totally relaxing, with just one stage. Set down your chair and your cooler and enjoy the show. You can check out the lineup of regional acts here.
You may not have heard of some of these performers, but trust me, you will enjoy them. It's a mix of folk, jazz, ska, blues, bluegrass, world beat and jam. This is a lovely event, and it is a bargain -- $20 advanced, $25 at the gate. Kids 13 and under are free. Nice spots for shaded camping, a good place to let kids run around. The Grilled Cheese Wagon and a few other vendors provide vittles. There are some great vendors also with handmade items for holiday shopping.
That was fast. Early Bird tickets for the Allman Brothers' annual Wanee Festival April 19-21 sold out in a day at $165 (plus fees.) The early bird sale was supposed to run through Dec. 10 at 10 p.m. woder how many the promoters set aside for this promotion?
And no, they don't have an announced lineup yet. This is just how Wanee rolls. This is one of the largest of the festivals at the gorgeous Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Lilve Oak, Fl., with fans rolling in from all over the country for some Southern rock and Florida springtime...and gnomes.
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