The 4th annual Suwannee Roots Revival will kick off on Thursday, October 10 at the Spirit of Suwannee Music Park (SOSMP) in Live Oak, Florida with Brett Bass & Melted Plectrum setting the tone for the weekend on the Amphitheater Stage at 3pm. Followed by female roots rocker Lindsay Lou, the dynamic presence of The Lil Smokies, chart topping and energetic Celtic bluegrass sensations We Banjo 3, and to close it all out, a nice long set from blues rocker Samantha Fish, fresh off the cover of the Rolling Stone! With opening sets from Sloppy Joe, Quartermoon, and Nikki Talley & Jason Sharp on the Porch Stage, the music will flow. The rocking Dance Tent will start the weekend with amazing sets from stellar festival family national touring artists Nicholas Edward Williams, Joe Craven & The Sometimers, The Grass Is Dead, and Jon Stickley Trio, as well as host the first of several daily contra/square dance sets from The Dunehoppers with caller Andy Kane.
On Friday, fans can start the day off with a stretch at the Dance Tent with the first of daily 9am yoga classes with Rhonda Bell and the sweet soothing sounds of Arvid Smith. Both Friday and Saturday offer workshops and performances in the Music Hall as well as educational hands on interactive workshops on The Music Farmers Stage sponsored by Live Oak Music & Arts Foundation Inc. Most of the lineup of festival artists perform on Friday and Saturday (See below for the full lineup by day). Friday brings high energy sacred steel jammers The Lee Boys for two sets, and first sets for masterful blues guitarist and sublime songwriter Seth Walker, genre bending virtuoso grassy band Front Country, force of nature rocker Donna Hopkins, the new age psychedelic rock n’ roll power duo Balkun Brothers, highly gifted and entertaining singer songwriter Ralph Roddenbery, and Hipbilly/ Funky bluegrass fusion from Dread Clampitt. The first of several family dance sets will take place in the Dance Tent with The Walker Family Band, who will also teach at the Kids Tent and bring them into the joys of dance.
A Friday only highlight is the Del McCoury Band, fresh off a 50-year anniversary celebration and forging into his 6th decade with new triumphs, new collaborations, and new music. The sensational band that offers everything you want in a roots band, festival favorite, Donna the Buffalo follows Del on the Amphitheater, for the first of three days of Donna!
Saturday brings more amazing festival friends and favorites, the talented and charismatic Rev. Jeff Mosier with the Jeff Mosier Ensemble, quintessential troubadour and unparalleled songwriter and instrumentalist Verlon Thompson, and songwriter, guitarist, and music journalist David Gans. Gans is also host of Tales from the Golden Road on Sundays 4-6pm ET on SiriusXM 23, which he will host from Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park on Sunday, October 13. Saturday also brings 2019 ‘Best Bluegrass Album’ GRAMMY Award Winners The Travelin’ McCourys, Festival Father and Buddha bluegrass cowboy Peter Rowan, Newgrass founder and Festival King Sam Bush, and closing out the night with Appalachian Psychedelic Bluegrass with Keller & The Keels.
Vassar Sunday honors the memory of our beloved festival fiddle master Vassar Clements and others we've lost along the way kicking off with a set from the talented kids of Tania & the Magic Moon Traveling Circus and ending with a rousing closing set from Donna the Buffalo that includes many other festival artists. Sunday is definitely a fun day!
Most festival artists will be around all weekend and you can catch many of them out at the campground stages, Bill Monroe Shrine hosted by Quartermoon and Slopryland hosted by Sloppy Joe. In addition, there are literally dozens of camps, many of them with clever fun names, that have their own style and vibe with everyone welcome to stop in and join them. The Suwannee Roots Revival community has something going on around the clock. That said, if sleep is important to you, there are plenty of camping areas where it’s low key, so sleep is a possibility. No recorded or amplified music is permitted in the campground during this festival, so any music happening is live and acoustic.
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 offers a multi-day Weekend Ticket that includes festival admission for four days of music, as well as primitive camping on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. Student / Military Tickets are available (with a valid ID). Children 12 and under are free if accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Single Day Tickets will be available at the gate only. Please note, Single Day Tickets do not include primitive camping. For all rates, please visit the website.
Tickets are on sale now at suwanneerootsrevival.com/tickets.
