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28 AUGUST 2010 | eu jacksonville monthly<br />
Blackwater Music Festival<br />
Just west of here, down I-10 for a little under<br />
80 miles, is the Spirit of Suwannee Music Park, a Michael Franti<br />
lush, 500+ acre property that boasts everything an<br />
outdoorsy type could want: cabins and camping,<br />
swimming, canoeing, horseback riding, hiking trails.<br />
It’s also home to some of Florida’s most popular<br />
musical gatherings: Wanee Festival, Suwannee River<br />
Jam, Springfest, Magnolia Fest, Bear Creek Music &<br />
Art Festival. This year we can add one more to the list.<br />
The Blackwater Music Festival, named after the river<br />
that the park is situated on, is one Spirit of Suwannee<br />
event you do not want to miss. The three-day musical<br />
extravaganza takes place from Thursday, August 26th<br />
to Saturday the 28th.<br />
You might recall a similarly named music fest<br />
that took place in St. Augustine not long ago. That’s<br />
no accident. “Originally we had planned to take the<br />
[JJ Grey &] Mofro Blackwater Sol Revue over there as<br />
a two or three day festival,” Judy Van Zant, owner of<br />
Freebird Live and co-organizer of this event, explained.<br />
“When we started booking bands it sort of took on<br />
its own life and went in a different direction than the<br />
Blackwater Sol Revue had been going, so we talked with Mofro and just decided to do our own<br />
festival.”<br />
Together with Bear Creek Fest’s Lyle Williams, Van Zant has pieced together an all-star lineup<br />
including STS9, G Love, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Slightly Stoopid, Toubab Krewe, Matt Grondin<br />
Band and many more. Local favorites like Greenhouse Lounge, Son of a Bad Man, JJ Grey<br />
& Mofro and Fusebox Funk will also be performing. Most of the acts scheduled have played the<br />
Freebird before and all of them have Judy’s seal of approval.<br />
“I like all the bands, which is a good thing,” she said. “Michael Franti & Spearhead are one<br />
of my favorite bands. I’ve had Slightly Stoopid many times at the Freebird, I really like them. Rebelution.<br />
Mofro, of course, is one of my favorites. The Lee Boys. Really, everybody [playing] are<br />
bands that I like and that Lyle likes also.”<br />
Those who have attended multi-day festivals know that listening to killer tunes is just half the<br />
fun. If you truly want an unforgettable experience you need to camp. Thankfully, primitive camping<br />
is included in the three-day fest passes, lightening the fi nancial load a bit. Campers are encouraged<br />
to bring their own gear (but leave the illegal substances, weapons, pets and fi reworks at<br />
home) and will have access to restrooms, ice, water, showering facilities and the park’s general<br />
store. If you don’t feel like roughing it the park itself offers upgraded ac<strong>com</strong>modations like RV<br />
sites and cabins. You can contact the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park offi ce at (386) 364-1683<br />
for reservations or for more info.<br />
Tickets to the Blackwater Music Fest aren’t cheap (see the handy “If You Go” box for prices),<br />
but with all of the fantastic bands performing it’s sure to be well worth raiding your piggy bank for.<br />
Still, if you’re looking to save a few bucks you might consider joining the Work Exchange Team.<br />
Marketing fi rm Shimon Presents offers fans a chance to catch all of their favorite bands for free<br />
in exchange for working three 5-hour shifts before, during or after the festival. In addition to free<br />
entrance into the event, volunteers will also receive a festival t-shirt for all their hard work. Not a<br />
bad deal. Visit www.workexchangeteam.<strong>com</strong>/blackwater for all the details.<br />
Thanks to a stellar lineup and an unparallel location, the Blackwater Music Festival is sure to<br />
be a great way for music lovers to wrap up their summer.<br />
Blackwater Music Festival Schedule<br />
THURSDAY<br />
The Malah, Greenhouse Lounge, Perpetual<br />
Groove, STS9<br />
FRIDAY<br />
Cope, Tea Leaf Green, Toubab Krewe, JJ<br />
Grey, Disco Biscuits, G Love, Rebelution,<br />
Michael Franti & Spearhead, Saltwater<br />
Grass, Boombox, Thomas Wynn & the<br />
Believers, Son of a Bad Man<br />
If you go...<br />
BY KELLIE ABRAHAMSON<br />
3 Day Festival with Camping- Advance: $160, Gate: $175<br />
Thursday Day (No Camping)- Advance: $50, Gate: $60<br />
Friday or Saturday Day (No Camping)- Advance: $75, Gate: $90<br />
VIP Access- $300 (includes admission to the 3-day festival, camping, VIP parking, a<br />
VIP laminate, artist-involved activities and access to the VIP tent with restrooms, cash<br />
bar and festival merchandise)<br />
Festival website: www.blackwatermusicfestival.<strong>com</strong><br />
Park website: www.musicliveshere.<strong>com</strong><br />
SATURDAY<br />
Groundation, Zach Deputy, Lee Boys, The<br />
Beautiful Girls, Galactic with special guest<br />
Cyril Neville, Particle featuring Michael<br />
Kang, JJ Grey & Mofro, Slightly Stoopid,<br />
Darryl Hance, Snarky Puppy, Fusebox<br />
Funk, Matt Grondin Band
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