Soul Man Charles Bradley Touring Florida

Electrifying soul performer Charles Bradley has three Florida dates this week -- Tallahassee on Feb. 23, Ponte Vedra on Feb. 24 and Gainesville  Feb. 25.  He will do a fourth  Florida show at Tampa's Gasparilla Festival on March 13 before he heads off on a European tour.

Bradley was born in Gainesville, and he'll be playing a FREE concert at a downtown  plaza dedicated to another Gainesville legend - Bo Diddley -- on the 25th.(The Savants of Soul and Little Jake & The Soul Searchers also play this free outdoor show, which runs 6-10 p.m.)

If you've never seen the documentary about Bradley's life: Soul of America, you should check it out. Bradley led a hardscrabble life and worked for years as a cook and a James Brown impersonator called "Black Velvet" before a Daptone record producer caught his James Brown act in a New York club and asked him to start recording for Daptone.

Expect killer pipes, lots of theatrics, and a show you will be talking about later.

Coming Right Up: Virginia Key GrassRoots Festival

Virginia Key Beach Park

One of the coolest roots and world-beat music festivals in the southeast is happening at a little county beach park outside Miami  Feb. 18-21. The Virginia Key GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance has camping, dancing, and a roster of more than  40 bands over the weekend.

This year's lineup includes The Family Stone (of Sly and the Family Stone infamy,) Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires, The Wood Brothers, Donna The Buffalo, Danay Suarez, Holy Ghost Tent Revival, The Magic City Hippies, Big Mean Sound Machine, Locos Por Juana, and many more.

There's also a hands-on "culture camp" that happens in the days before, February 14-17, with instrument, dance, movement & cooking workshops on the beach. This is a very family-friendly fest, with kids' activities available.

This is the fest's 5th year, and it is run by a nonprofit group affiliated with the Cajun-inspired New York jam band, Donna the Buffalo. They say: "GrassRoots works to nurture local artists and talent while reaching around the globe to bring world music and culture to new audiences, creating environments that inspire creativity and foster community building. The impact of GrassRoots expands far beyond that which occurs during these four-day festivals. For over 25 years, GrassRoots has served to both engage and give back to the local and regional communities in which we exist by providing financial and organizational support to impact positive change."

Donna the Buffalo. festgrrl photo. 

Donna the Buffalo. festgrrl photo.

Believe it or not, this fest includes actual camping in Miami! It happens in a coastal county park with a beach. The campgrounds are located on the festival grounds, a very short walk from the beach. The festival site has big shade trees, palms and grassy lawns. The organizers note: "We encourage Tent Campers to bring drop cloths or tarps to lay under tents – the park’s native plant landscaping is beautiful, but a little prickly sometimes! Camping is primitive, there are no water or electric hook-ups. There is a bathroom and shower building nearby as well as portable toilets. No campfires allowed."

Virginia Key Beach Park. Miami Aerials photo.

Weekend tickets are $100 advanced and $120 at the gate. A 4-day youth ticket (ages 13-15) is $50. Kids 12 and under are free. Single day tickets are also available, and there are separate fees for camping, parking, and for the culture camp. Click here to peruse the options. 

Dumpstaphunk This Week!

Tony Hall of Dumpstaphunk. Duimpstaphunk photo

Florida funkateers, I bring you good tidings: Our friends from New Orleans, Ivan Neville and Dumpstaphunk, are playing some shows this week in our neck of the woods!

The band plays Jan. 28 at Pensacola's Vinyl Music Hall,  on Jan. 29 with moe. at Tabernacle Atlanta, on Jan. 30 at The Charleston Pour House in Charleston, S.C.  and Jan. 31 at The Side Bar Theatre in Tallahassee.

Ivan Neville, festgrrl photo.

Go see 'em and shake what your mama gave you, 'cause life is short and this band is flat-out great.

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Sunshine Music Festival Hits Florida

Husband and wife shredders: Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks

For the past three years, the Sunshine Music Festival, a traveling concert headlined by the Grammy-winning Tedeschi-Trucks Band, has consistently provided one of Florida's best winter lineups. 

Lucky for us, the streak continues this year.

On January 16 &17, Tedeschi-Trucks will be joined by the Indigo Girls, Trombone Shorty, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, the Jerry Douglas Band, Hot Tuna guitarist Jorma Kaukonen,  The Revivalists, Hard Working Americans  (Todd Snider, Widespread Panic bassist Dave Schools , Neal Casal from Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Chad Staehly of Great American Taxi, and Duane Trucks, Derek Trucks’ younger brother,) Joanne Shaw Taylor, and the Bobby Lee Rodgers Trio.

The great Trombone Shorty

This fest (not a camping fest) happens in St. Petersburg's Vinoy Park on Jan. 16, and then travels to Boca Raton's Mizner Park on Jan. 17. There are craft beers, a wine bar, and catered lunch is available from noon to 2 p.m. General admission tickets are $50 plus fees and reserved seats range in price but are over $90. You can search for yours here at Ticketmaster.   Kids under 5 get in free.

Doors open at 11 a.m., and your lovely day of music starts at 11:30 a.m.