Bruuuuuuuuce!

The Boss

Bruce Springsteen doesn't tour the South much, but he plays two dates in Florida this week -- the BB&T Center in Sunrise on Tuesday, May 29, and Tampa's Florida State Fairgrounds on Thursday, May 1. Then Bruce heads off to play the second weekend of New Orleans Jazzfest on Saturday, May 3.

Back in Florida this weekend, we've got the Big Guava Festival in downtown Tampa and the Gamble Rogers Festival in St. Augustine.

Big Guava is not a camping fest, it takes place at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa. They will have amusement park rides, food trucks, and four stages with a slate of national acts, including Outkast, Vampire Weekend, Cake, Foster the People, Slightly Stoopid, and more.  It's $75 for a single day and $191 for the weekend. If you bring five non-perishable food items to the Will Call window you can get a free Big Guava poster created by artist David Lebo.

The Duhks

The Gamble Rogers Festival honors one of Florida's folk legends, the late Gamble Rogers, and has a host of rootsy acts, including The Duhks,  Rev. Peyton's Big Damn Band, Pierce Pettis, Gatorbone and more. This is not a camping festival, it takes place  in various venues around St Augustine, including the municipal marina and  the large outdoor St. Augustine Ampitheater (which is adjacent to the campground at Anastasia State Park.) Friday tickets are $15,  Saturday tickets are $35, and weekend tickets are $45.

Here's a head's up on some fests coming right up:

Purple Hatter's Ball at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Fl. May 9-11
Great South Music Festival at Picker's Paradise Park in Ochlockonee, Ga.  May 8-10
Shaky Knees, in downtown Atlanta May 9-11
Hangout Festival, Orange Beach, Alabama may 16-18
Orange Blossom Jamboree, Brooksville, Fla May 15-18

Whodat? Jazzfest, Baby!

Here it comes people -- the biggest fest in the Southeast. 

New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival  kicks off Friday, April 25, for 10 days of constant performances. About the lineup --  Who ISN'T playing? Eric Clapton, Bruce Springsteen, Phish, Chaka Kahn, Public Enemy, Arcade Fire, The Avett Brothers, and on and on. 

A good place to start wrapping your arms around Jazzfest is NOLA.COM  and WWOZ.

And don't forget to visit the incomparable Maple Leaf Bar, which celebrates its 40th Anniversary with a  Funk N’ Stay Up concert series beginning at 3 am after the 11 o’clock shows end and proceeding on till the sun light comes shining down on Oak Street. Check out who is playing and get Maple Leaf show tickets here 

 

For those not hitting the Big Easy this weekend, the Counterpoint festival happens this weekend at Kiingston Downs, Ga. (near Rome, Ga.)  This is an electronica festival, headliners include Outkast, Pretty Lights, Foster the People, STS9, Big Gigantic. $180 advanced. Single-day tickets, $90.

The Fests of April!

I don't know these people but I love them

April is upon us, and the fests are breaking out all over the southeast (We're trying to cram as much outdoor fun in as we can before the HOT sets in.)

So you can plan, here's a look at some cool fests -- big and small -- happening in April:

Barn Burner April 5-6 -- A small camping fest, BYOB, outside Gainesville, Fl. Dance music, electronica, hip hop,  DJs. Only $25 for a weekend Early Bird ticket. Lucky Costello, Catfish Alliance, Grandpa's Cough Medicine, and more.

T-Dawg's Back Porch Hootenanny, April 5-6 Cherokee Farms, LaFayette, Georgia. Donna Hopkins, Ralph Roddenberry, Copious Jones, and more. T-Dawg is known for putting on great, laid-back musical gatherings with quality performers. I have not been to the venue, but hear great things. Family friendly. Weekend tickets (include primitive camping) $50 advanced, $65 at the gate.

Safety Harbor Singer-Songwriter Festival, April 4-6; Various venues around Safety Harbor, Fl. 30 acts over 3 days, with some nationally known performers, including James Taylor's son, Ben.  This is not a camping festival. Performers include Ben Taylor, Angel Snow (highly recommended by festgrrl), Ryan Montbleau, and more. $40 for a 3-day pass. 

Wanee  April 10-12 (with pre-party on April 9 for an extra charge) This is the 10th Wanee hosted by The Allman Brothers, and it is bittersweet since the band is quitting touring at the end of the year. This is a BIG festival at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Fl.The Allman Brothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Trey Anastasio Band, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Gov't Mule, Jaimoe's Jasssz Band, Umphrey's McGee, Ziggy Marley, Blues Traveler, Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Hot Tuna, moe., Rusted Root, Dumpstaphunk, Soulive, Royal Southern Brotherhood, Walter Trout, Rob Garza, Blind Boys of Alabama, Melvin Seals & JGB, Bobby Lee Rodgers, Futurebirds, Matt Schofield, Break Science, Sean Chambers, The Yeti Trio

Sertoma Youth Ranch

String Break April 10-13 Brooksville, Fla,  Sertoma Youth Ranch. This is a wonderful, small,  family-friendly venue. Performers include Ray Wylie Hubbard, Sons of  Fathers, Joe Craven (with his Afro-roots group Mamajowalie), Hoots & Hellmouth, The New 76ers, Roy Bookbinder and more. Three-day ticket (includes primitive camping) is $110 at the gate. More ticket/camping options here 

Tortuga Music Festival  April 12-13 Fort Lauderdale. Not a camping festival. Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Ziggy Marley, Hank Williams, Jr.,Train, Dierks Bentley,Brantley Gilbert,  Sheryl Crow, Slightly Stoopid, and more. Two-day ticket is $165.

Counterpoint, April 25-27, Kingston Downs, Ga. (near Rome, Ga.)  Electronica festival, headliners include Outkast, Pretty Lights, Foster the People, STS9, Big Gigantic. $180 advanced. Single-day tickets, $90.

New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, April 25-May 4. Who ISN'T laying this premier festival of the Southeast? Eric Clapton, Bruce Springsteen, Phish, Chaka Kahn, Public Enemy, Arcade Fire, The Avett Brothers, and on and on. Check out the website for the day to day schedule and pricing. Not a camping festival, just in case ya didn't know.

'Cause that's how we roll at Wanee