Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park is pleased to announce additions to the 3rd Annual Suwannee Roots Revival which takes place Thursday, October 11 - Sunday, October 14 at the magical Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park (SOSMP) in Live Oak, Florida. Additions include Oteil & Friends, Leftover Salmon, Bruce Cockburn, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades, Shinyribs, Dustbowl Revival, Jon Stickley Trio, The Grass Is Dead, Jonathan Scales Fourchestra, David Gans as Artist-at-Large, and more! These superb additions join in on an already stellar lineup that includes Keller Williams' PettyGrass Featuring The HillBenders, Donna the Buffalo, The Seldom Scene, Samantha Fish, Peter Rowan Free Mexican Airforce, Jim Lauderdale, Verlon Thompson, Rev. Jeff Mosier, and Joe Craven & The Sometimers.
With multiple stages (Amphitheater Stage, Porch Stage, Dance Tent, Music Hall, and Music Farmer’s Stage) Suwannee Roots Revival is jam-packed with stellar music and dance and many bands will perform multiple sets. This family-friendly festival includes four days of music, camping, yoga, music workshops, a Kids Tent, as well as campground pickin’ sessions. Set in the midst of 800 acres of Spanish moss-draped oak and cypress trees along the Suwannee River, the venue is a playground for endless activities such as swimming, canoeing, kayaking, disc golf, and biking.
Oteil Burbridge will lead an all-star cast as Oteil & Friends featuring John Kadlecik, Weedie Braimah, Alfreda Gerald, Jay Lane, Scott Metzger [JRAD], and Jason Crosby [Phil Lesh & The Terrapin Family Band]. Oteil is no stranger to the Suwannee festival family, originally playing SOSMP with Aquarium Rescue Unit and Oteil & The Peacemakers back in the day, as well as his annual Allman Brothers Band appearances in April. With his current gig with Dead and Company going better than ever, he's making new fans everywhere he goes and Oteil & Friends will bring his vast and varied experiences into what promises to be a transcendental set that will be long remembered.
Festival director Beth Judy says, “Oteil has so many options right now, still he loves our festivals and he chose us. All his friends joining him are stellar musicians, but, I absolutely ADORE Alfreda Gerald’s voice! I can't wait!”
Leftover Salmon, also a longtime Suwannee favorite who has played multiple times over the years, is one of the great purveyors of Americana that dig deep into the well that supplies its influences; rock ‘n’ roll, folk, bluegrass, Cajun, soul, zydeco, jazz and blues. They will be traveling with a new album, Something Higher (released May 2018), in which they tap into everything from horn-blasting R&B to reverb-drenched desert noir, from the cosmic roots music sound they helped create to neo-New Orleans-meets-Appalachia liquefaction. We are so excited to hear some of the new tunes at Suwannee Roots Revival!
One of Canada’s finest artists, Bruce Cockburn has enjoyed an illustrious career shaped by politics, spirituality, and musical diversity embracing folk, jazz, rock, and worldbeat styles. For 40 years, this Canadian musical legend has been capturing in song the essence of human experience – while fiercely striving to make it better for his activism on issues from native rights and land mines to the environment and Third World debt.
Bluegrass mavericks, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades, will be traveling in from Wisconsin with their 2018 album release, The Ode. Shinyribs is the continuation of The Gourds’ Kevin Russell’s musical journey of country-soul, swamp-funk and tickle; a Shinyribs show is an exaltation of spirit: a hip shaking, belly laughing, soul-singing, song-slinging, down-home house party. An eclectic eight-piece, Dustbowl Revival mines an energizing vein of soul, funk and roots-infused rock. Jon Stickley Trio is a genre-defying and cinematic instrumental trio: innovative flatpicking guitar and sultry-spacy violin along with classically trained and heavily jazz-influenced drums. The Grass Is Dead will make us all smile, smile, smile… Pickin’ and grinnin’ is what they do best, and they have been adapting Grateful Dead songs in their own bluegrass style since 1998.
Known nationwide as a purveyor of literate, improvisational folk-rock with looping, singer/songwriter/producer/photographer/author David Gans has composed, performed, and written about music for the whole of his adult life and Suwannee Roots Revival is thrilled to host him as an Artist-at-Large. He has been on the road this year with The Grass Is Dead and Rev. Jeff Mosier and we are excited to see who else he will be sitting in with! Gans will also broadcast his Sunday SiriusXM Radio Show, Tales From The Golden Road, live from the festival.
With stunning, virtuosic technique, multi-instrumentalist and composer Jonathan Scales is likely the most innovative steel drummer on the planet and his mesmerizing compositions and tasteful, avant-garde improvisation that set him apart from the pack. Bela Fleck, in considering Scales’ cover of his composition “The Imposter,” remarked “To say I am impressed would be a gross understatement…”
Katie Skene and Cosmic Kind is Skene along with John Molo (drums), Kevin Scott (bass), Rick Lollar (guitar) playing blues, soul, and rock under the influence of Col. Bruce Hampton. Hailing from the mountains of western North Carolina, Nikki Talley’s gorgeous voice and thoughtful songs are as eclectic as the state that boasts the mountains and the sea. Brett Bass and Melted Plectrum plays bluegrass with an edge, SYZYGY is the Gainesville, FL rock trio led by Suwannee favorite Tom Nelly, and The Corbitt Brothers are a trio with a hard-driving, southern rock sound.
The dance tent will continue to build a program of organized dance hosting bands for Contra/Square, Waltz, and Salsa. The Dunehoppers, from St. Augustine have been a staple of North Florida folk festival the past decade with a tasteful blend of high energy bluegrass, folk, and old time dance music. LPT is a 10-piece orchestra delivering salsa and Afro-Cuban music with their high-energy live shows. Based in Piedmont North Carolina, The Walker Family Band delights audiences with Irish dance and American old time music with a forward reaching attitude and will be your Waltz connection at the Dance Tent.
Take one part standup comic, mix in a bit of Penn & Teller, add a dash of Cirque Du Soleil, and you may come close to describing Jeff Bradley’s show. No matter if Jeff is on stage or holding court in the festival area, his comedy + cool stuff is not to be missed.
Hosted by long time friends of SOSMP, Randy Judy and Beth Judy, Suwannee Roots Revival focuses on amazing roots music that ties together a weekend laced with community based fun, growing friendships, laughing families, and that feel good feeling you get from hanging out in such a beautiful natural setting.
Early Bird Tier 1 Tickets are on sale now. $140 gets a 4-day Weekend Pass which includes music, primitive camping (where is most cases you can camp right by your car!), all taxes, and handling fees. Kids age 12 and under are free. There are also military and student discounts available. See all rates and tiers and get tickets at www.suwanneerootsrevival.com/tickets.
SOSMP offers guest comforts including a general store, full service restaurant, free showers, indoor bathrooms, and water stations. Upgraded camping, including RV hook ups and cabin rentals, as well as golf cart rentals are currently on sale. Reservations may be made by calling the Park office at (386) 364-1683. SOSMP is located between Jacksonville, Florida & Tallahassee, Florida about 30 minutes south of the Georgia State line, about 45 minutes north of Gainesville and is host to a variety of events. Please visit the park's web site at www.musicliveshere.com for further information.
Suwannee Roots Revival 2018 (New Additions in Bold)
Oteil & Friends
Leftover Salmon
Donna the Buffalo
Keller Williams' PettyGrass Featuring The HillBenders
Peter Rowan Free Mexican Airforce
Bruce Cockburn
The Seldom Scene
Horseshoes & Hand Grenades
Samantha Fish
Shinyribs
Dustbowl Revival
Jim Lauderdale
Verlon Thompson
Rev. Jeff Mosier
Jon Stickley Trio
The Grass Is Dead
Joe Craven & The Sometimers
The Lonely Heartstring Band
Jonathan Scales Fourchestra
The Lee Boys
Katie Skene and Cosmic Kind
Tornado Rider
Sauce Boss
Belle and The Band
Whetherman
Sloppy Joe
Quartermoon
The Adventures of Annabelle Lyn
Brett Bass and Melted Plectrum
The Corbitt Brothers
Nikki Talley
SYZYGY
The Dunehoppers
LPT
The Walker Family Band
David Gans - Artist-at-Large
Jeff Bradley
Suwannee Spirit Kids
Tania & Magic Moon Traveling Circus
Further information at www.SuwanneeRootsRevival.com. Also visit us on at www.facebook.com/suwanneeroots, Twitter & Instagram: @SuwanneeRoots (#SuwanneeRoots)
