Went to the Wanee music festival in Live Oak, FL this past weekend. My first time to Suwanee Music Park, and it is truly a beautiful place, and a badass setup for a fest. Two stages: the Peach stage in a large field, and the Mushroom stage in a natural amphitheatre filled with oak trees.
Friday:
The Radiators - Can’t believe I’ve managed to live this close to New Orleans for just under three decades and never see this band, but this was my first time. Good stuff, like a hippie bar band. I’ll probably go see them next time they come through Mobile.
Hill Country Revue - For those that don’t know, this is Cody Dickinson’s (of North Mississippi Allstars) side project. It’s basically NMAS sans Luther with a different singer. Musically they are very talented, honestly the singer gets on my nerves a bit. Very loud blues rock, good times.
Little Feat - Classic band of course, but it seems obvious they are playing the old stuff to their old fans. They drag “Willin’” waaaay out to the point that is a bit cheesy. Having said that they all were having fun, and it was cool hearing some of my favorite Little Feat singles.
Umphrey’s McGee - I’ve spent years knocking this band, saying they don’t write good songs and they don’t have any soul. Well after this brief performance I’m a bit humbled but pleased to admit they have a new fan. Last time I saw them was several years ago, opening for moe at the Orpheum in New Orleans. I was blown away then, and am blown away again. Soulful or not, these guys are ridiculously talented, and they have a blast on stage. My musician friend was explaining to me the hand signals they use to indicate where they are going in a jam, and pointed out the microphones standing behind them they use to communicate to each other’s earpieces. Neat stuff. They busted out a “Fool in the Rain” because they heard it on the radio on the way to the fest.
Col. Bruce Hampton - had to show some love to the good Colonel. He looks a bit older and a bit plumper since I last saw him, but his voice is strong and he was smiling. Talented band as well.
Buddy Guy - first time seeing Buddy Guy, we all enjoyed this one. Very much like a B.B. King show but with more energy. Lots of blues and storytelling, lots of showmanship. I could have done without him playing “Mustang Sally” but other then that, good show.
Gov’t Mule - Disappointed. Dan had said the Mule has turned into a watered down jambandish thing, but I didn’t want to believe him. Maybe one festival set isn’t a fair way to fully judge a band, but the first half of the set was real weak. None of the raw strength of old mule. Things picked up significantly in the second half, with a Beautifully Broken, and then Hunger Strike > Dear Mr. Fantasy > Hunger Strike > Thorazine Shuffle, which was tight.
Allman Bros. Band - Sickness. 2009 is the Bros. 40 year anniversary, and the current line up is so unbelievably tight. The Dead certainly can’t claim the same.
Derek Trucks Band (midnight set) - We had got up at 4am to drive from Mobile, and so at this point were going on 20 hours no sleep. Made it about another two hours before we drove back to the hotel. Having said that the two hours of DTB we saw did not disappoint. Incredible as always, with appearances by Warren and of course Susan Tedeschi (Derek’s very talented wife, for those who don’t know)
Slept in a bit Saturday, and Denny’s took forever, but we made it to the park by two o’clock to catch:
BK3 - Kreutzmann’s project. Hearing some great jamming and some Dead was a perfect way to start our day. I was loving the female fiddle player, she was great and really put a cool spin on the sound. We left during the last song (He’s Gone) to make our way over to the Mushroom stage for:
Dumpstaphunk - Woah, talk about a spiritual experience through funk, these guys are awesome. I saw them open for Panic the night after Halloween in New Orleans, but seeing them up close was much more fun. Check these guys out if they come to your town, for sure. Non stop dancing and even some fart jokes.
And here is where it started pouring down rain. It rained for a little bit the day before, just enough for things to be fun, but this was a true torrential downpour. Luckily I had my poncho and my hat. I put these on and watched:
Jorma Kaukonen - Just him and a mandolin player, a wonderful act to watch in the rain, playing to a very appreciative crowd. I bounced back and forth between him and:
Susan Tedeschi - Hell of a voice, great guitar player, awesome backing band. Great sultry blues, and she’s a cutie and a sweetie to boot. Good stuff.
Drive-By Truckers - I am a huge DBT fan, but haven’t seen them since Isbell left. I missed Isbell for sure, but Patterson and Cooley have lost none of their energy. Absolutely awesome set, including favorites like “Women Without Whiskey” and “The Company I Keep”.
Allman Bros. - Tore it up again for another night.
We bailed before The Wailer’s late night set because who cares about reggae?
A few thoughts: I’m glad we didn’t camp. Those who say you miss out on the whole experience when you stay in a hotel, eh, maybe there is some validity to that, but the truth is my friends who did camp missed a hell of a lot of music because they had to nap in the afternoons because of noisy neighbors and late night discos setup near their camp site. Couple that with sleeping in a wet tent because of the rain, and I say forget about it. I’d much rather drive to my hotel at 2-3am, shower and crash in a bed, so I’m fresh and full of energy the entire next day.
Also, big kudos to the fest organizers. The park is very well laid out, perfect for festivals, and everything went smoothly. And the food vendors rocked! Prices weren’t that bad, and there was tons of way tasty choices, from Mellow Mushroom pizza to one of the best falafels I’ve ever had.
Bottom line is I didn’t want to leave on Sunday, I wanted more Wanee. Just a completely kick ass weekend.
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