Aura Fest Happening in Central Florida

The Aura Festival happens March 9-11 in St. Cloud, north of Orlando. This fest is a mix of live electronica, jam, funk, rock, reggae, and deep House.

Performers for this year -- the fest's third -- include Papadosio (x2) • Brothers Past (x2) • The Heavy Pets (x2) • Zoogma • The Malah • Kung Fu (x2)• DrFameus feat Allen Aucoin of The Disco Biscuits • Dopapod • The Werks • BioDiesel feat Johnny Rabb & Clay Parnell • COPE • Damn Right! • DJ Craig Heneveld •Aquaphonics • Brother Bean • UV Hippo • EP3 • ArtOfficial • Former Champions • BANG BANG feat Todd Stoops & Scotty Zwang • Sonic Spank • The Mantras •J2K • FLT RSK • Newton Crosby • Sounduo • The Fritz • The Resolvers • Third Nature • Elephantgun • Ketchy Shuby • Fusik • Saltwater Grass • Green Sunshine • Sosos • The Short Straw Pickers • Nick Noyes • Marc Paper Scissor & Friends • The Funky Nuggets • Psychedelphia • Ancient Intelligence


Aura is a camping festival at the 4,700-acre Forever Florida eco-ranch. When you go in to the festival, make sure you have everything you need, because you're there to stay. There's no re-entry.  And you camp where they tell you -- right outside your car. You can't pick your site and you can't save sites. So to make sure you can camp with your crew, best to all to meet outside and go in caravan-style. RVers have to buy a $50 parking pass to get in, but all sites are primitive -- there are no electric or water hookups.

No campfires or fireworks allowed. (There was an unfortunate fire last year which totalled a car.) You can bring a grill, but it has to be up off the ground.

A 3-day ticket is $90 through March 8. A 3-day ticket for kids age 5-12 is $50. Kids 5 and under are free. Aura sold out last year, so if you plan to go, I'd be smart and get your tickets now.

New Grassroots Festival in Virginia Key

Chaka Khan is one of the headliners

A new festival has arrived in Florida. New York state roots jam band Donna The Buffalo has been putting on roots/Americana festivals in New York state and in North Carolina (Shakori Hills). On February 9-12, they are rolling out the first-ever Virginia Key Grassroots Festival. This is a camping fest at  Miami’s Historic Virginia Key Beach Park.

The four-day event will have four stages with roots rock, reggae, hip-hop, Latin, funk, Cajun, bluegrass, African, Kompa, world beat and zydeco on the bill. Chaka Khan, The Del McCoury Band and Arrested Development will headline along with ska/reggae band, Fishbone, Donna the Buffalo, BeauSoleil avec Micheal Doucet and several South Florida local favorites Locos Por Juana, Suenalo and ArtOfficial. (Full lineup is pasted below.)

Organizers say they will have a Kids' Village with interactive programming and a Healing Arts Area with movement workshops and massage. Local and visiting artists will sell handcrafted wares.


4-Day Tickets are $100 for adults and $50 for teens (13-15). Individual day tickets are available for Thursday- $30, Friday and Saturday -$35 and Sunday -$30. Children 12 and under free. If you want to camp on site, you have to pay. You can tent camp for $50. If you want to camp with yout car, it's $100. And if you have an RV, it's $150.

Here is the full-on lineup:
 
* Arrested Development


* Artofficial

* BeauSoleil Avec Michael Doucet

* Big Brass Juke

* Big Cosmo

* Bill Kelly

* Chaka Khan

* Christabel and the Jons

* Cope

* Crazy Fingers

* The Del McCoury Band

* Donna The Buffalo

* Driftwood

* Elastic Bond

* Fishbone

* Giant Panda Geurilla Dub Squad

* Greg Humphreys

* The Habanero Honeys

* The Heavy Pets

* Hindu Cowboys

* Hobex

* Immortal Technique

* The Jacob Jeffries Band

* Jahfe

* Jah High Towa

* Jewels

* Jim Lauderdale

* Keith Frank and the Soileau Zydeco Band

* Keith Secola and his Wild Band of Indians

* The Lee Boys

* Locos Por Juana

* Mishka

* Mixed Culture

* Omniscient

* Preston Frank and his Zydeco Family Band

* Raffa and Rainer

* Revelation Mizik

* DJ Richard McVay

* The Rowan Cunningham Band

* Rubblebucket

* Sim Redmond Band

* Son Salvaje

* SUENALO

* The Sunsetters

* Thousands of One

* Toubab Krewe

* Willie Watson and the Evil City String Band

Wanee Tickets on Sale Friday!

Fire up your keyboards -- tickets for the Wanee Festival at Spirit  of the Suwannee go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday. They are $189.50 at this point (plus fees.)

This year is going to be a Deadhead's dream, with Phil Lesh and Bob Weir's Furthur co-headlining with the Allman Brothers Band. With Dead drummer Mickey Hart's band on the bill, and also former Dead keyboardist Bruce Hornsby, just about everybody's accounted for save Dead percussionist Bill Kreutzman (and, of course, the late and beloved Jerry Garcia.)

You can check out Wanee's fantabulous lineup here

Day of Protest for Net Freedom

See Some Great Jam Cruise Performances Here

Were you amog the many of us music lovers who couldn't swing the Jam Cruise this year? Thanks to generous videographers, Cheesehead Productions, some of the great performances on the boat are now available for your enjoyment on You Tube. Check out this gem - Soulive with Karl Denson, Trombone Shorty and Robert Walter.

Wanee Festival Lineup Is Out!

Wanee announced today: Sharing the stage for two nights (April 20 & 21) with The Allman Brothers Band is Furthur featuring Phil Lesh and Bob Weir. The rest of the line-up includes: Bruce Hornsby, Mickey Hart Band, Gov’t Mule, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Jaimoe's Jasssz Band, Buddy Guy, Electric Hot Tuna , Ray Manzarek & Roy Rogers Band, Leftover Salmon, North Mississippi Allstars, Trigger Hippy (featuring: Joan Osborne, Jackie Greene, Steve Gorman, Audley Freed & Nick Govrik), Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk, Devon Allman's Honeytribe, Bobby Lee Rodgers Trio, Soja, Conspirator, Eoto, Particle, Zach Deputy, Matt Schofield , Big Sams Funky Nation, Charles Bradley, Bonerama, The Yeti Trio, Jacob Jeffries Band and Bonnie Blue.

THREE DAY GENERAL ADMISSION FESTIVAL TICKETS:

$189.50 (plus applicable fees) from January 20th– February 19th (After February 19th price will increase). Price includes (1) pass to the Festival (Thurs.,Fri. & Sat.) with music beginning at 2:30PM on Thursday and 3 nights of primitive camping (Thurs., Fri. & Sat.)

  

Crawlers Crawling Tonight

Love Tallahassee's  Crawlers. They'll tear it up at Bird's Aphrodisiac Oyster Shack in Tallahassee at 9 p.m. tonight. Special guests include Scott Campbell, Drew Matiluch, Deb Berlinger, and Chelsea Chason. They're calling it "the best neo-retro-acoustic-swamp-funk-grass in town."  Get you some oysters, a grouper sandwich, a cold beer, and settle in for a good show.