Bootsy Explains It All Y'all

festgrrl has had occasion recently to see funk pioneer Bootsy Collins (of Parliament Funkadelic, James Brown, and Bootsy's Rubber Band Band fame)  throw down his Vegas-style funk show, at Bear Creek Music and Art Festival last fall, and on Jam Cruise at the beginning of the year.

So I was happy to find this unearthed brief interview where the slap-bass master discusses funk craft and how to hit it on The One. It's about 20 minutes and totally worth it. Enjoy!

This Week at Aura: The Resolvers

The Resolvers Killin' It At Bear Creek 

Let the spring festing begin! Aura Music & Arts Festival  kicks off with a pre-party Thursday night at Spirit of the Suwanee Music Park in Live Oak, Fla. Tickets are still available, and they include primitive camping.

It's going to be one booty-shaking party under the full moon, with  Lotus, Conspirator, and Papadosio headlining.

Today let's highlight one of the great groups playing at Aura, The Resolvers, a 10-piece reggae band out of Miami fronted by a brother and sister on vocals.You can see from the pictures I took at Bear Creek that their show is an absolute blast.

This high-energy band blew us all away at last fall's Bear Creek Music & Art Festival when they did an afternoon set at the campground stage.

At Aura, The Resolvers take the ampitheater stage at 3:15 Saturday. Here's a clip to chill to while you're packing for Aura:

This Week At Aura: Check Out Dopapod

One of the bands not to be missed at The Aura Music Festival this week at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Fla.  is Dopapod. This nationally touring live quartet is high-energy, mostly instrumental and they come equipped with a killer light show. Their music is futuristic, danceable, and hard to describe, so I'll let them do it in their own words:

"Dopapod is not so much a jam band as they are a band that improvises. They are an electronic band without computers. They are a metal band with groove and soul. They are a funk band that’s not afraid to get intricate. With no regard towards toward stylistic boundaries, the sound that emerges from the quartet both live and in the studio is as varied and diverse as the many influences that they adapt from."

Dopapod plays twice at Aura: Saturday at 6:15 in the ampitheater and Sunday at  6 p.m. on the porch stage.

Check 'em out here:

Suwannee Springfest Tickets Increase Next Week

Tickets for the magical Suwannee Springfest increase in price from $155 to $170 on Feb. 13, so get 'em now.

For lovers of stringed instruments and players who can really play,  this an experience not to be missed. This is the festival's 18th year, and the lineup is fantastic. It's four days of camping (March 20-23) at Spirit of the Suwanee Music Park in Live Oak. The campground all-night jams are legendary.

Some of the best newgrass acts in the nation will grace the moss-draped stages: incredible North Carolina singer-songwriters and kick-ass performers The Avett Brothers, as well as The Punch Brothers (a band of virtuoso players fronted by MacArthur Genius Grant award-wining mandolin player Chris Thile.) Also on tap is the man considered the father of newgrass, Sam Bush., who always puts on a great show, Donna the Buffalo, The Duhks,  The Del McCoury Band, Greensky Bluegrass, and more.

Check out this illuminating TV story about The Punch Brothers' genius front man, Chris Thile:

Superhuman Happiness!

Superhuman Happiness

In  just a few weeks, the New York-based seven-piece band Superhuman Happiness will be spinning us all into a dance frenzy, when the Aura Music Festival kicks off the spring festing season at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Fl. Feb. 14-16.

This band includes members of the fantastic Antibalas afro-beat group, and they lay down some infectious horn lines and dance grooves. They play Saturday, Feb. 15  at 2 p.m. on the porch stage

Check out this quirky video for their song "See Me on My Way."

Florida State A Capella Singers Crush "Royals"

Wow, is all festgrrl has to say about these chicas, the Acabelles,  from Florida State University.

Check out their version of  "Royals," New Zealand performing artist Lorde's song which won Grammies this week for Song of the Year and Best Pop Performance.

Deadheads Report for Duty: Dark Star Orchestra Touring South

Dark Star Orchestra, the excellent Grateful Dead tribute band, is coming south this winter.

If you like the Dead and you've never been to a Dark Star show, festgrrl highly recommends it! Sometimes, Dark Star plays a whole Dead concert setlist from a day in Grateful Dead history. Sometimes they hand-pick Dead songs to make their own setlist. But they don't play the same setlist twice, so the show is always a nice surprise.

Here are the dates:

Feb 12 - Cannery, Nashville, TN
Feb. 14 - Fillmore, Charlotte, N.C.
Feb. 15- Orange Peel, Asheville, N.C.
Feb. 16 - Variety Playhouse, Atlanta
Feb. 18- Iron City, Birmingham. Ala.
Feb. 20- Music Farm, Charleston, S.C.
Feb. 21- Plaza Live, Orlando, Fl
Feb. 22 - Jannus Live, St. Petersburg, Fl
Feb. 23 - Ponte Vedra Concert Hall, Jacksonville, Fl
Feb. 25 - Revolution Live Outdoors, Fort Lauderdale, Fl.

Then the band heads to Jamaica for Jam in the Sand -- a luxurious set of shows in Caribbean paradise.

Dark Star Orchestra