The Original Duhks Are Back -- Catch Them at Magnolia Fest

The Duhks today

Way back when in the early 2000s, a band of very young Canadians blew everybody's minds at a festival at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Florida. They were The Duhks, tattooed and quirky with a sound that featured a fresh blend of traditional folk, gospel and Celtic tunes -- some of them French Canadian -- set against Afro-Cuban rhythms. The soaring angel voices of fiddler Tania Elizabeth and vocalist Jessee Havey were something special to hear.

Right away, The Duhks got swept up by the Music Business. They got a record deal, an international tour, a Grammy nomination (2007,) and a video on Country Music TV. The constant touring turned out to be a challenge. Some members left the band, others came into the band, and then in 2010 they all took a break and went to pursue other projects.

The very talented Tania Elizabeth toured with alt-country singer Mary Gauthier, Jessee Havey did some solo work, banjo player Leonard Podolok formed a group called the TurtleDuhks (among other things), and guitarist Jordan McConnell went back to his life as a sought-after maker of fine guitars.  (Seth Avett, of the Avett Brothers, played one his guitars on the Grammys and has purchased a couple more from McConnell.)

I'm happy to tell you that original Duhks are back together and sounding super fine. They will grace the gorgeous ampitheater stage at Magnolia Fest on Saturday, Oct.19 at 5:45. I also predict they will do some sit-ins with other folks over the weekend.

Here's a nice video of the reunited Duhks absolutely nailing the haunting tune Annabel, which was recently featured on the Western TV series  Hell on Wheels, on the AMC network.

A Great Interview With Graham Nash

Jambase.com

Top-jock Howard Stern did an absolutely wonderful interview last week with the legendary Graham Nash to support Graham's newly released autobiography, Wild Tales: A Rock and Roll Life  Graham talks about his life with Crosby Stills & Nash (& sometimes Young,) and even plays a few tunes in Stern's studio Below is the audio-only interview posted on You Tube for your listening enjoyment:

See The Great Bonnie Raitt

Lucky for us, Bonnie Raitt's national tour dips South this fall and winter. Tickets are on sale  now. She's touring smallish venues to support her excellent 2012 release, Slipstream, which won the Grammy for best Americana album.

Here are the Southern dates for the blues-pop songstress.

November 29- Florida Theater, Jacksonville
November 30 - Hard Rock Live, Hollywood, Fla.
December 2 -  Hayes Hall, Naples
December 3 - Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater
December 5 - Marina Civic Center, Panama City
December 7 - Saenger Theater, New Orleans

And Even More Fall Music Fests

Yes people, it's TIME to go play music in the woods, sit around the fire, and chill with your fellow music fans in paradise. We've got a passel of fall fests around the corner. Here's some more fests happening this fall that festgrrl hasn't previewed yet. (Click here for previous festgrrl fall fest previews.)

The bluegrassy-Americana festival called Riverhawk happens November 7-10 at the beautiful Sertoma Youth Ranch in Brooksville, outside Tampa. This place has a beautiful campground, and has the lovely advantage of having two stages which alternate, so everyone is watching the same show at the same time. It's very family friendly and laid back.

Sertoma Youth Ranch

This year's lineup is below. Four-day tickets are $122 advanced, $139 at the gate; 3-day tickets are $104 advanced and $115 at the gate; Two-day tickets are $72 advanced and $80 at the gate. There's a $15 charge to bring your car in also. You can buy tickets here.

CONNOR CHRISTIAN & SOUTHERN GOTHIC (sat) 

DELLA MAE (sat)

RYAN SHUPE & RUBBERBAND (th/fr)

CHRIS KNIGHT BAND (sat)

JIMMY LAFAVE BAND (fr)

THE RAMBLING ROOKS (fr)

RED MOLLY (fr)

FRANK VIGNOLA (fr/sat)

SEARSON (sat/sun)

RANDY MCALLISTER BAND (sat)

BILL BLUE & THE KEY WEST REVEIW (fr,sat)

SOL DRIVEN TRAIN (thur)

CARAVAN OF THIEVES (sat/sun) 

SOUTHERN EXPRESS (fri)

SCOTT KIRBY (fr,sa)

CAFFEINE CARL (fr,sa)

THE LAGERHEADS (th/sun)

CATHERINE BURKE (th)

Harvest Festival, hosted by national touring act Yonder Mountain String Band, happens Nov. 17-19 at Mulberry Mountain, Arkansas in the Ozark Mountains. It has a stellar eclectic lineup in a setting that looks gorgeous. (festgrrl has not field tested this festival but has beard great things from fellow festivarians.) Three-day advance tickets are $145 and two-day tickets are $105.

Yonder Mountain String Band, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Les Claypool’s Duo de Twang, Railroad Earth, Beats Antique, JJ Grey and MOFRO, Kacey Musgraves, Justin Townes Earle, Turnpike Troubadours, Greensky Bluegrass, Everyone Orchestra, Darrell Scott, Tim O’Brien, Gangstagrass, Steep Canyon Rangers, Elephant Revival, Hot Buttered Rum, Allie Kral, Cas Haley, Zach Deputy, Rayland Baxter, Delhi 2 Dublin, The California Honeydrops, Carolyn Wonderland, The Dirty River Boys, Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds, Kopecky Family Band, Ha Ha Tonka, American Aquarium, Wheeler Brothers, Andy Frasco, Uncle Lucius, Mountain Sprout, Dirtfoot, Head for the Hills, Hot Club of Cowtown, Star & Micey, Quiet Corral, Samantha Crain, Afrolicious, Shook Twins, Roadkill Ghost Choir, Useful Jenkins, Rosco Bandana, Kris Lager Band, The Deadly Gentlemen, Good Gravy, She’s A Keeper, Wood & Wire, Grant Farm, Ugly Lion, Deep Fried Pickle Project

The Albino Skunk Bluegrass festival happens in Greer, South Carolina (between Greenville and Spartanburg) Oct. 3-5. Three-day tickets are $94 advanced, and there are single day and other ticket options here.

The beautiful LEAF setting

The eclectic and amazing LEAF festival takes place at Black Mountain, North Carolina (near Asheville) Oct. 17-20. This is Americana, world-beat, jazzy -- you name it. The promoters describe it: "A range of world performers include the blend of voodoo mysticism, funk, rhythm & blues, psychedelic rock and Creole roots that is Dr. John & The Night Trippers; Belgian polyphonic Afrobeat queen Zap Mama; the voice of a country and the son of a legend, Mali’s Vieux Farka Toure; and Western North Carolina’s own folk rockers, Acoustic Syndicate, performing an official record release show for their first album in almost a decade."

LEAF has a lot of art, dance tents, and water sports as well.  Tickets are $159 advanced, and there are various day ticket options here. The rest of the lineup is here.

Catch Zach Deputy This Weekend

A Zach Deputy show is always a funky dance party, and you can catch this South Carolinian this weekend in Florida -- at Tallahassee's Side Bar Friday night, Sept. 27( $15 general admission, $30 VIP and $70 Super VIP. ) or at Freebird Live on Saturday Sept. 28 in Jacksonville ($15 general admission.)

Zach is a hard-touring one-man band who takes spirited forays into calypso, R&B, reggae and soul, laying down all the different parts using looping technology.

His latest album, Another Day, is a bit more singer-songwritery, love-songy, with a full-on studio band, than his past offerings, you can check out streaming tracks from that recording  here.

Just know that when you support Zach, you are supporting one hell of a sweet fellow who is spreading good in the world.

Catch Widespread Panic When They Head South This Fall

Jam-rockers Widespread Panic dip south on their tour this fall, with a three-night run in New Orleans Oct. 31-Nov. 2.

Then the band hits Florida for two shows --  November 5 at the Fillmore in  Miami Beach and Nov. 6 at the Moran Theater in Jacksonville.

Nov. 8 and 9 the boys are in Asheville, North Carolina, Click here to get your tickets!

Fall Fest Ticket Deals To Jump On

Hey y'all, the $155 price for 3-day tickets for the dance party that is Bear Creek Music and Art Festival Nov. 14-17 at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Fl.  is increasing at midnight this Wednesday (Sept. 18,) so get 'em now to save.

Just to refresh your memory, here is the funk-a-licious lineup for Bear Creek, which has become one of the essential annual funk gatherings in the U.S.(And if you don't believe me, just ask Ivan Neville)

The Roots, Bootsy Collins and the Funk Unity Band, Galactic x2, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe x2, Lettuce x2, Bonobo Live Band , Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk x2, The New Mastersounds x2, Antibalas, Lee Fields & The Expressions, Zach Deputy x2, Toubab Krewe  x2, George Porter Jr's Runnin Pardners, The Motet x 2 , Jennifer Hartswick Band x2 , Break Science , Mike Dillon Band, Pimps of Joytime x2, Robert Walter's 20th Congress x2, Bernie Worrell Orchestra, Roosevelt Collier Band, Dr. Klaw, The Revivalists, Kung Fu x2 , The Werks , The Malah x2 , Space Capone x2 , Nth Power , Flow Tribe , Dopapod , The Legendary JC's , Ron Haynes Game Changers x2 , Brownout x2 , Johnny Sketch & the Dirty Notes x2 , Jaime McLean Band , The Monophonics , Ghost Owl , Greenhouse Lounge, Cope , Chris McCarty and the Underground Movement , The Resolvers , Profit , Suenalo , Lucky Costello, SOUNDUO Artists at Large:, Oteil Burbridge , Karl Denson , George Porter Jr. , Skerik , Mike Dillon , Roosevelt Collier , Jennifer Hartswick , Natalie Cressman , Dave Watts , Joey Porter , Jans Ingber , Clay Watson, Pee Wee Ellis , Ron Haynes.

(Note: a 3-day Bear Creek ticket includes Friday, Saturday and Sunday. There's also Bear Creek music on Wednesday and Thursday nights-- Nov. 13 & 14 -- and you have to pay a little extra. Thursday night admission is now $40 --it will be $60 at the gate. A special Nov.13 Wednesday night musical benefit is $25 and that includes camping with The New Mastersounds, The Revivalists, Toubab Krewe and more.) 

There's also a special combo 3-day ticket for sale for both Bear Creek and The String Cheese Incident-hosted Suwannee Hulaween Oct. 31-Nov. 2. It's $314 for both fests. 

O.K. Got all that?

Here is the Suwannee Hulaween lineup and some links

Suwannee Hulaween Lineup:

The String Cheese Incident (3 nights)

STS9 (late night)

Big Gigantic (late night)

Emancipator

Conspirator

Steve Kimock & Friends

Suwannee Bluegrass Surprise

Brock Butler

Future Rock

Moon Taxi

Van Ghost

Jennifer Hartswick

Applebutter Express

Suwannee Hulaween Links:

www.suwanneehulaween.com

www.facebook.com/suwanneehulaween

Twitter + Insgagram: @HulaweenFL (#HulaweenFL) 

www.youtube.com/HulaweenFL