Better Late than Never?

Ralph suggested a couple weeks back that I do a review of FloydFest, and I had every intention of doing just that, but I have been a bit too busy.

This won't be long. Suffice it to say that I had a great time at FloydFest and I would encourage everyone round here who likes music and having a good time to check it out.
It is not a bluegrass festival, but rather a music festival with all kinds of music, including bluegrass, represented.

I spent a lot of time at the Dance Tent, as I was there to help out Blacksburg's own Jugbusters. (My job was pretty much to tell the sound man to turn down the drums. Since the sound man was good, all I really did was dance around and listen to music.)

Over the course of the weekend I saw tons of fun bands, drank a fair bit of tasty local beers, did a little hula hooping, slept 2 nights in a tent, and got fired up to see music.

Hightlights:
Jugbusters - good job guys! Please invite me again next year.
New Familiars - can't remember songs other than an awesome Who cover to end their set. For those who know what I like about bluegrass, these guys had it. Ka-bam! They had a banjo, but were not really a bluegrass band. They looked like an Amish ZZ Top, and I guess played like it, too. They were all about attack. Loved it.

The Horse Flies -
Pyschedelic Old Time band. Not afraid of a digital delay or controlled feedback jam.


Grace Potter and the Nocturnals - Led by aforementioned GP on organ, funky rock n roll. Did an appropriate cover of Jefferson Airplane's White Rabbit around midnight.

Hot 8 Brass Band - Awesomely funky marching band. Oxymoron? The Tuba player played the funkiest bass I heard all weekend.

Nathan and the Zyedeco Cha Cha's - I only bother with Zydeco bands in the dance tent cause out in the open you lose that awesome feel of everything building up under the tent. Lost about 2 beers sweating dancing to these guys. (Attractive image, no?)

Peter Rowan - Sentimental favorite. Pearls before swine, maybe. When Pete played I was able to walk easily right to the front of the stage. No land of the Navajo, but a good Midnight Moonlight that made me yearn for the old JBs.

White Top Mountain Band - our old pal Jackson Cunningham sounded great with this fine old-time band.

The Smart Brothers - two actual brothers fronting a quartet that sounded like I imagine the Beatles sounded when they were in Germany. Lots of good noise and harmony = tons of fun.

I could keep on listing but why bother. The point is, there are literally dozens of acts who made it onto the festival roster by proving somewhere else they could move a crowd. I didn't see anybody I actively disliked.

So I'm starting recruiting today for next year. What made it REALLY fun was seeing lots of people I knew. The more the merrier.

This festival is not overstuffed with attendees like Merlefest. You can still hop from stage to stage with ease. There's plenty of room to roam and there's a nice vibe. I saw NO ONE having a bad time. Considering the numbers, that's amazing.