Blackwater Music Festival: 10 Things To Know Before You Go

Blackwater Music Festival hits Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Fl. this weekend. Here's 10 things you need to know:

1. There will be shade for your tent.

2. You can camp for free on a beautiful cypress lake -- choose primitive "lake camping." Reese Lake, lined with cypress trees, is close to the stages, it has nearby Port-o-lets, and the lake bathhouse and showers are a three-minute walk away.

3. Don't be discouraged by the roundabout kooky drive to get to lake camping. Keep a level head. Persevere. You'll find it. It's worth it:

4. Bring a baby pool for your campsite instead of firewood - fall's not here yet, y'all.

5. In the morning, the on-site Suwannee Music Park restaurant has a good breakfast buffet. They have nice bathrooms. Also a really cool hand-painted mural of local wildlife.

6. You can get fresh ice at the camp store next to the restaurant.

7. The Suwannee River beach is not to be missed (see top pic.)There's a rope swing. The river's a long walk from the fest site -- grab a ride or a golf cart.

8. The Suwannee River water is dark (dyed by tree tannins), but it is spring-fed and the river bottom is clean and sandy.

9. There's a giant bat house. It is just beyond lake camping in the field -- ask other campers where it is. At sunset, you can grab a beverage and go watch incredible numbers of bats fly out!

10. Bring a hammock. The ampitheater is full of trees!

The Flaming Lips

The Blackwater Music Festival hits Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Fl. this weekend. This fest draws a youngish crowd, with electronica acts STS9, Girl Talk, Eoto and Ghostland Observatory on the top of the bill.

Tickets are $165 through Wednesday, and $180 at the gate. That includes free primitive camping. (You could have bought 3-day tickets in May for the bargain advanced price of $110.)

You can get a one-day pass (no camping) for $40 Thursday, $60 Friday, and $70 Saturday.

The headliner is the incomparable psychedelic band The Flaming Lips, which puts on one of the best live shows on Earth. If you watch the excellent documentary about the band, Fearless Freaks, you'll learn that they used a motorcycle running on stage in tiny dive clubs to get a smoke-on-the-stage effect.

These days they have all the stage toys they can handle -- a plastic bubble to roll over the crowd with, clever cameras, confetti machines -- I'm writing this and it doesn't sound nearly as awesome as it is. Trust me, this will be one of the best live rock shows you will ever see.

Here's a little interesting video story about their shows featuring lead singer Wayne Coyne.

Get your Blackwater Early Bird Tix This Weekend

The Flaming Lips  are going to headline the Blackwater Music Festival September 22-24 at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Fl.

Early bird tickets are on sale through Tuesday, May 31 at $110 for 3 days, includes primitive camping. Ticket prices go up to $180 at the gate, so take advantage of the savings now if you can swing it. Kids under age 6 are free.


Other announced acts include Perpetual Groove,  Ghostland Observatory , Zach Deputy, Passafire, and Dub-Steppers The Easy Star All Stars.

Blackwater Festival Coming Right Up

I am getting psyched for the Blackwater Festival Aug. 26-28 in Live Oak. Check out the schedule here and make your plans accordingly!

Mofro Mini Documentary!

So check it out, JJ Grey and Mofro, who will be playing the Blackwater Festival at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park Aug. 26-28 have a new album in the works, Georgia Workhorse, and they produced a mini-documentary for it. (Click here for my previous post on Blackwater Music Festival)

This documentary is awesome. Here's how to see it: Go to the Mofro website, or to the  Mofro Myspace page . Well worth your while!

Mofro has Florida tour dates for the new record: Oct. 26 at the Engine Room in Tallahassee, Oct. 27 at Common Grounds in Gainesville, Oct. 28 at the House of Blues in Orlando, Oct. 29 at The Ritz Ybor, Oct. 30 at the Southern Monster Smash in Pompano Beach

First-Ever Blackwater Music Festival in August!

So, yes, it is hot as Hades in North Florida in August. But our good friends behind the new Blackwater Music Festival , Aug. 26-28 at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Fl. are luring us with a stellar lineup.

BUY 3-day EARLY BIRD TICKETS BEFORE JULY 4 for $125 (That's $50 off the $175 it will be at the gate.)

They assured festgrrl that they will schedule shows later in the day (so we can all go play in the river during the scorching hours) and that they will have misting tents to keep us chill, mon.  Roasty toasy steamy dancin' in the woods!

So, I'm down with it. The lineup is Sooooo worth it: Disco Biscuits, JJ Grey and Mofro, Toubab Krewe, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Galactic, Slightly Stoopid, STS9, Perpetual Groove, Matt Grondin Band, G-Love , Zach Deputy and more -- its fantastic, y'all!

Festgrrl tip: Bring along a baby pool for the campsite instead of a fire pit, plus lots o' fans and a bike to make trips for more ice at the store.

And don't hate me 'cause my hippie van's got A/C. You can come visit.