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The Spirit of Suwannee Music Park was jam packed for the 17th annual Suwannee Springfest this year in Live Oak, Florida. High hopes Thursday and Friday that the weather would somehow turnaround from the previous forecast to give us all a dry weekend proved not so much. It was Saturday when the diehard festival goers came out in droves to brave the down pour and show their appreciation for the bluegrass and Americana lineups that were in store.
I arrived around midnight Thursday after a rather quick 6 hour drive from upstate South Carolina. The Spirit of Suwannee always gives me that true sense of home when I enter that front gate. It’s something about the draped Spanish moss, coffee tinted Suwannee River, the surreal beauty of its campground and all the great memories I’ve experienced here that makes this place so special. I settled into the same spot as last year’s fest just up the hill from the main amphitheater stage and took a stroll over to The Screaming Js camp to get our first taste of where a lot of the musical magic happens at this festival, the campground itself. The Screaming Js’ site adorned with various psychedelic artwork from wall to wall never faltered on drawing the late night crowd through the weekend. These guys from Asheville, NC really get down!
I’ve been waiting for years to be able to see the Hackensaw Boys and that opportunity came for my opening musical fest experience on Friday afternoon at the Meadow Stage. These guys really have a great energy to keep the crowd moving with their fusion of bluegrass and punk sound. We stuck around the Meadow Stage for one of my weekend favorites, Dangermuffin. These guys from Folly Beach, SC have really come onto the scene in the past few years since I first saw them at Nectar’s in Burlington, Vermont. Tony Furtado came on stage and displayed his banjo prowess in a Dead cover of “Franklin’s Tower.” Keller Williams joined in a couple tunes later, closing with a calypso tune “Jump in Line (Shake Senora). Elephant Revival is a great return group that played at last year’s Springfest. I really hope they keep the tradition alive coming back here as I made it a point to catch their Friday set and Saturday’s that was unfortunately cut short due to weather. The highlights Friday were obviously kicked off with Leftover Salmon. It’s a real treat anytime I’ve been able to see Vince Herman’s “FESTIVAL” antics combined with the powerhouse mando and guitar genius of Drew Emmitt. Andy Thorn’s banjo had the crowd energy boost maxed out throughout the entire set as well. Darol Anger joined throughout on fiddle, while Keller Williams and Larry Keel came in for a few tunes including a Keller and Keels cover of Cracker’s “Teen Angst.” I headed over to the Music Hall to catch The Shane Pruitt Band, another home state favorite of mine from Spartanburg, SC. To go from seeing Shane in small town pubs and regional venues to the festival scene has been an awesome experience to follow. With these guys I feel like you get a taste of Allman Brothers, Albert King, and countless delta blues greats all rolled into one. We headed back out to the Meadow Stage for what was undoubtedly one of the weekend’s biggest shows of tune deliciousness. Chi-town’s own Cornmeal blew me away! Newly arranged guitarist Scott Tipping and drummer Drew Littell fit in nicely to accomplish their new line up. The first time I ever saw Cornmeal they opened for moe. and I remember thinking there is no possible way that Allie Krall can get any better, playing a fiddle. I was way off! She stole the show throughout Friday and Saturday night’s sets as the band included some covers that registered with many including The Beatles’ “Dear Prudence” and Steve Miller Band’s “Swingtown.” The Travelin’ McCourys closed out Friday evening with their always welcoming traditional bluegrass appeal. Ronnie McCoury is one reason I ever even purchased a mandolin. Jason Carter’s fiddle work had a noticeable number of crowd jaws on the ground throughout their set as well.
The rain came hard all day Saturday. A friend and joined us for an all day down pour that proved to show just how diehard this festival’s fans can be. I was mildly bummed that the weather couldn’t hold off for Larry Keel & Natural Bridge out on the Meadow Stage and Elephant Revival’s set also was cut short. Old Crow Medicine Show got it started Saturday evening with “Alabama Slammer.” Other highpoints were “Take Em’ Away”, “We’re All in this Together, “Hard to Tell” and “Wagon Wheel “to close out. Leftover Salmon once again took the stage for the Stanky Suwannee Jam. Artists including Jeb Puryear (Donna the Buffalo), Allie Krall (Cornmeal), Bridget Law (Elephant Revival) and others joined in for the late night rage.

Sunday we were all greeted with the return of sunshine and you could hear the shouting rejoice throughout the campsite. Peter Rowan and Friends started the afternoon for me at the Amphitheater stage and I couldn’t have asked for a better way to kick off this Sunday Funday. What else can be said about this guy except that he’s legendary at what he does and happens to be one of my all time favorite singers. I especially enjoyed the arrangement with Darol Anger on fiddle, Bonnie Paine on washboard joining in for the Doc Watson tribute “Doc Watson Morning.” The king of the dobro in my opinion, Jerry Douglas also joined in for a few tunes. Sunday night was just as hard for me this year as it was the last. To see Donna the Buffalo take the stage as the final act, I feel I speak for all of us in saying we know they’re going to close this out with superb jams to end yet another great festival but its bittersweet knowing the weekend of greatness comes to an end once they leave the stage at 9:00.
It’s been another year’s success coming down to the beautiful Spirit of Suwannee; it definitely won’t be the last as I’ve already stamped this outing as my official yearly vacation. The music, people, food, and the magic experienced here for me are something that can’t be matched. I’m already looking forward to what 2014 has in store for us all.

Spring is just around the corner and what better way can one ask to ring in the season than making it down to the Spirit of Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Florida for the 17th annual, four day Suwannee Springfest? Clear your calendars for the March 21-24 weekend because this is one gathering that many consider to be the yearly kickoff for festival goers. This year’s line-up shows off a top notch array of performers in the Americana, Bluegrass, Cajun, Songwriter and roots music categories. Jerry Douglas, Peter Rowan, Keller and the Keels, Leftover Salmon, Donna the Buffalo, Elephant Revival and Cornmeal as well as many local acts including Grandpa’s Cough Medicine and Whethermanare just a few reasons to pack the car up and head out for this family friendly music and arts spectacle. The gorgeous spring weather, three band stages to accompany your dance kicks as well as the easy access to the coffee tinted spring fed Suwannee river to soak up a day of relaxation and tunes are unquestionably reason enough not to miss this one! The four night package with camping included runs $165 up until the festival. They can be purchased for $180 at the gate.

Stay tuned to Setlist.com for updates and photos to come. See you there!

-Brent Mill

Suwannee SpringFest 2013

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Suwannee Springfest 2013