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The Funky Nuggets 2011.12.17 Kevro's Art Bar Delray Beach, FL

Winter live music sessions are in full swing as the temperature dips into the perfection range. A short lull in chaotic scheduling, due to the holiday weeks, presented a chance to catch up with some local acts that have been gaining momentum. Under the setting of an open air garage-turned-stage, The Funky Nuggets blazed through two sets at Kevro's Art Bar in Delray Beach this past Saturday. Their blend of alternative jam rock ranges from bluesy Grateful Dead sensibilities to fast-paced electronic dance grooves. It wasn't a forced effort to hear a rendition of Sublime's "What I Got"transition into "Home Again" by The Disco Biscuits before jamming back into the Brad Nowell anthem. To end the second set a full band switch with The Psychedelic Pubes provided for some invitingly off-kilter improv exploration. It also showed off the ability these young kids have in adapting to change in the sonic terrain. By cleaning up some of their transitions and changes, the threshold for potential is inspired, if not infinite, for the homegrown crew. 

After a break The Funky Nuggets returned for a more aggressive set that inspired the previously lackluster crowd to dance. An easy high light was a extended "Higher Ground" cover that caught legs into a spaced out jam. The open room, filled with choice street art and just enough prismatic lighting, was a perfect hang out spot for taking down some microbrews and soaking up the reason why Floridians deal with five months of summer to get two months of paradise. A great night with some worthwhile high lights from the Nugs. 

Orchard Lounge 2011.12.10 Vagabond Miami, FL

Not many places in the country can brag about a mid-70 degree evening half way through December, but in Miami this climate fact is a justification for the location. That kind of logic can also be applied to traveling musicians that want to escape their Northern strong holds for a respite in a tropical paradise of sorts. It doesn't hurt that the Magic City is musically inclined and on a Saturday night the city folk are ready to lace up their dancing shoes and let their hair down. On tap this past weekend was a Chicago three piece DJ collective that goes by the festival-familiar nomenclature Orchard Lounge. A blessing of perfect weather, a free buzz from Grand Central's Absolut party and a mind for getting down on the get down with one of my more favored electronic groups was where my head was at when my taxi arrived downtown. 

Comprised of Ben Silver, and spouses Spencer Lokken and Bethany Lokken, the trio has spent the last eleven years building their Chicago-based funky down tempo space disco party sound. Their dynamic of personnel switching out periodically through an extended set opens up a rare diversification in sound exploration, but still toes the line in maintaining thematic undertones and consistent soundscapes.  The uniqueness has landed them spots playing along side just about every top tier live electronic band on the circuit. Festivals are where they made a name for themselves, but experiences from this writer has shown they really shine in intimate club venues with unsuspecting on lookers.

In other words, sonically speaking, the experience is often contingent on the atmosphere of the audience in play. The Vagabond shares a block with the likes of Miami's famous dance club Space, but the area surrounding the club borders on gritty neighborhoods like Overtown.  Although repping a sketchy vibe, the setting of an underground danceplex specializing in a mixed crowd hell bent on late night shenanigans should have been a sure bet.  In truth, this was a perfect venue for Orchard Lounge to strut their stuff, but the fragmented club owners made the mistake of having two other rooms open with DJs spinning. The end game was the generic hipster and hip-hop DJs outweighed the attendance in the main room where OL was on the decks.

Despite that, the patrons that did venture into the mix of colorful lights, wall projections and thumping technical house drops shuffled and socialized to the mix. Spencer got the ball rolling closer to 1 AM, and then passed it to Ben and Bethany after half hour runs by each. This would be repeated a couple times. Their individual approaches varied with each turn, but the beats never stopped and seemed to get better as the night progressed. Of course, that could have been the cocktails catching up. As the early morning neared, the crowd grew thin and bored with the set. In truth it seemed to lack any far reaching directional innovation, which is usually a staple trait for the threesome. In Miami it is expected that the energy should be higher from the crowd, but the lack of that reality was most likely the cause for a standard set. Usually this would be grounds for OL to bust out something special, or will their overt talents into the ears of those fortunate enough to be in the room.  Despite that, anything pumping from the minds of Orchard Lounge is still worth the ride. Mark it an eight.

Penguin Prison 2011.12.05 Ricochet Bar & Lounge Miami, FL

Penguin Prison | Ricochet Miami

Much like it should, the Art Basel madness continued on all weekend. Friends and colleagues shared tales of their blissfully chaotic weekend in the Magic City over free Perrier and Big Macs. Midtown's impressive Ricochet Bar & Lounge was still going strong with the help of their aforementioned sponsors. No one told them it was a Sunday night after the biggest week long event in the city - that was a good thing. Patrons were noticeably on their last leg after exploring art all day and boogieing in the finest clubs in the South East all night. Bar conversation danced around sensory overload, and its welcomed effects were a general consensus between smiles and telling yawns. Only the hopelessly addicted could push through the fifth day of non-stop art and we used conversation and commentary on the house music as a means to keep our eyes open. The vibe was chill and the room felt like a comfortable corner bar. The contrast within the same space just days ago showed that this venue could transform with ease, and will really be a choice spot as they continue to bring great artists to their door step.

A rumored 10 PM start time faded into an anxious crowd when the New York City indie dance poppers took the petite stage an hour and a half later. With a sound that touches upon the youthful approach of MGMT, and the funk undertones of Chromeo, Penguin Prison connects the dots on polished dance rock that can translate incredibly well in a live setting. Even overcoming sound issues to the point of their front man scolding the engineers, "can we turn the monitors on, do you know what monitors are?," the band played through a majority of their hit-worthy catalog. Feeling more like a lounge and less like a packed club, the questioning audience on the dance floor slowly warmed up as the energy from the stage took on a contagious form.

A particularly elevated track came from the poignant "Don't Fuck With My Money," now couples and too cool hipsters on the couches jumped up to shuffle to the comical dance anthem. Keeping with the sarcastic money theme, "Multi-Millionaire" brought out the super-synth laden side of Penguin Prison. The effort was well received and that 70s Miami disco motif was in full effect. We were dancing and had lots of space to move. "Something I'm Not" switched gears and went into a heavy and dark gated synth section that washed a vocal harmonization over the instrumental. If the volume had been louder the track would have translated more appropriately. That would be true for almost all of their songs. The large stage festival scene, with massive high energy crowds, will be where there sound can really succeed. The intimate experienced was great on a personal level, but this genre really shines in numbers.

The band seemed a bit uninspired towards the end of the set. They were pulling out all their discography tricks but the crowd still seemed overtly lackluster beyond the few energetic front row dancers. I am not sure it was an intentional demeanor, as most seemed to be soaking up the tunes, but I would be lying if I didn't express the drawbacks of being at what seemed liked a listen session. As a result,  after announcing their last song the guys attempted to leave the stage but returned for one more to round out the 50 minute set. Look out for these guys on the Lollapalloza and Coachella type circuits.          

Art Basel 2011.12.01 Nas with Theophilus London at Richochet and Special Disco Version (James Murphy and Pat Mahoney of LCD Soundsystem) at Grand Central Miami, FL

It is beyond reason that this December is my cherry popping for Miami's most comprehensive city-wide art and music event of the year. Art Basel is a six day whirlwind of galleries, guerrilla artistry, intimate private parties and unique live music throw downs. Due to scheduling conflicts, last night would be my only shot at getting a proper taste. I would argue I got the whole food pyramid plus dessert. Fellow music and art pseudo-connoisseur Joan Rivers would be my cohort for the night and we were slipping into a North Miami Avenue parking spot some where around 8 PM. The plan was to not really have a plan, but rather to wander and exercise our options as the night progressed.

Within the first ten seconds of breathing in Miami city air, our good friends Tracy Block, of the recently launched melodysiac.com, and Lauren Perlstein, of the infamous musicobsessed.com, were sauntering down the street next to us with smiles and cocktails. We joined them as we made our way to Seven, which as it turns out, was closed. Many of the major galleries were closed. Having no back up plan we continued on with the girls to Graffiti Gone Global in Midtown. Despite a rather weak display of street art, no where near resembling graffiti up to par, we did score some stellar gift bags that included a personal sized bottle of 1800 tequila. Not too shabby.

From there we somehow got pulled into a VIP showcase of an architect titled Economy and Ecology. The vibe wasn't exactly catering to a lowly writer in sneakers, but we took advantage of the access, and a lot of the work he had put together was worth a look. Ditching socializing for the pursuit of art, Joan and I made our way to Wynwood in hopes of catching some real graffiti and street art. Every corner was buzzing and unmarked doors granted access into half a dozen impromptu galleries. The works got better and better as we approached the Wynwood Walls. A jazz-funk quartet was playing a back alley stage but the table wanted five bucks, so we passed. I noticed a stack of artist Marc PaperScissor's cards sitting there and figured he had to be around. As we turned back into the chaos, we ran right into Marc slinging his inventory on the corner. The backdrop at this point was an outdoor house DJ party and a team of ruthless Occupy Miami protestors being belligerent in the street. The people watching was prime.

After we left Marc we pushed into the maze of large painted walls that comprise the fittingly named Wynwood Walls. A few impressive motifs were scattered throughout, but many seemed lackluster at best. The interior galleries on the other hand had some of the best we saw all night. A intricate red and black two piece set showed off an insane amount of detail, and a very neat use of rubiks cubes stood next to it. I was taking pictures of the better edifices when I came upon artist Brandon Paul and his crew. He had been set up at the Moksha Art Fair with half a dozen new pieces so we discussed his thoughts on the event. His feedback, like everyone's, was very positive and we parted ways after hashing out details on a custom piece he is going to do for me. Leaving there we followed the drunken and disorderly, that clashed entirely with the pretentious vibe of Midtown, and landed ourselves in a live mark up competition that pitted American and European creatives in a duel to produce the best wall using thick sharpies. In my humble opinion the Americans were winning.

That same building was filled with amazingly good pieces including a standout psychedelic muscled man-baby. Time was flying so we made the game time decision to head back to the car in hopes of catching some music. On the way, we were very popular among taggers spraying paint on back alley walls. We found out it was the bottle of tequila that was the attraction. We swiftly directed them to the posh side of town, and stepped into two more galleries on the walk back. One of which had some awesome New York takes on super heroes, and another had an intense collection of copper metal sculptures. Reasonably fulfilling my art craving, we hit the road towards Grand Central.

The line was long. Stretching around the corner, it was five people thick and at least two hundred people long. I guess that's what we get for chancing the hipsters wouldn't show up early for a free show featuring the electro-dance rock gods James Murphy and Pat Mahoney of the legendary LCD Soundsystem. I pocketed a beer and we rolled the dice on getting in. Things started taking a dive when I realized I had forgotten my ticket print out, and as I went to recover it on my phone, the damn thing died. Joan was unable to locate his entry form. After a good thirty minutes we had only progressed about two thirds of the way. A scout returned with news that they had shifted entry to one-in-one out. Having no proof of entry, and no guarantee of getting in, we opted out and jumped in the car to hit Ricochet.

Despite being a fraction of the size, and in a more choice Midtown location, there was no line to get in. Of course, it was an invite-only party with the likes of Nas and Theophilus London billed to perform. I had to pull a string or two to get in the door. Calling in the favor was the best decision I made all night. The beautiful lounge was comfortably full and Theo was on the intimate stage rocking the room. I walked around and couldn't help but think what a hidden gem this venue was for now, but would probably soon be a hot spot. London closed with "I Stand Alone" before jumping into a humorous full band dance party to Jay-Z and Kanye's "Niggas In Paris." A good sign that people were getting loose. The crowd was mixed, as would be expected, but the vibe was surprisingly good.

A set break allowed us to maneuver forward and we were within arms reach when Nas was ushered in by his posse. The crowd went berserk and the cameras started flashing. There couldn't have been more than 125 people in the entire room. For the next hour Nasty Nas put on an amazing medley of greatest hits with the help of DJ "You Shouldn't Have" and a live percussionist. The room pulsed, fans rapped along to hits "If I Ruled The World," "Hate Me Now," "Got Ur Self A Gun," "N.Y. State Of Mind," and "One love" just to name a few. His delivery was completely on point, flow in perfect unison with the beats and he switched between instrumentals with ease while hyping the crowd.

It was everything you would expect from one of the best rappers of all time, and it just happened to be unfolding five feet away. The set list spanned his whole discography and catered towards the true old school fans. When there was room the heads nodded to the staple beats and girls danced for the Big Apple rap king. Getting into the weekend festivities, Nas even produced a hilarious live painting that transformed into a mutated facial expression with a blunt in mouth. The promoters stopped the show for a minute and auctioned the piece off for $14,000. Yeah, it was that kind of crowd and that kind of night.

Riding a contact high after a "One Mic" set closer, we bailed out of Ricochet and went back to try our luck at Grand Central. This time the line was nearly non-existent and we were in. As fate would have it, our make-shift after party would be hosted by the boys of Special Disco Version - and they were bringing it. It appeared the young hipsters had gone hard for the first four hours, but pockets of the dance inclined were still going strong as Murphy and Mahoney assaulted the club with deep cutting dance punk and their signature electronic delivery. We danced our way around the room and ran into friends that were equally enthralled by the performance. After an hour of grooving with them we decided to call it quits just before closing time.

  

Bear Creek Music and Art Festival 2011 Spirit Of The Suwannee Music Park Live Oak, FL

I am supposed to be on a writing hiatus of sorts, but after recovering some of my brain capacity following this weekend, I felt obligated to put down something about what transpired in Live Oak.

Design by Ariane B. Davis

The fallout of a gargantuan music event such as the Bear Creek Music & Art Festival would be nearly impossible to articulate into a comprehensive review for this writer. The sheer amount of world class talent and deep top-to-bottom scheduling literally makes for a whirlwind experience that requires sacrificing an ear for an ear and gambling on the greater of two greats. That is all before the artist start randomly collaborating and playing statement sets like the hump date 11.11.11 may be an actual end of the world party. For me, this event was made even more blissfully chaotic because it is a home state event that literally claims the weekend for a majority of the cult of music fanatics I run with these days. With that being said, a decision to offer up a top five type scenario is about as much as I could do while I continue to let my endorphins, neurons and ear drums recover from over forty-five hours of music in two days and three nights. Call it a cop out, but it's all I got for you.

1. Medeski, Martin & Wood
My (un)healthy obsession with the best funk-fusion trio ever put me in front of the Purple Hat Stage for my 52nd chance to catch the boys from New York City. Anticipation and a certain measure of angst coupled with giddy excitement. It had been a long stretch since my last time sharing time and space with John, Billy and Chris. This was partly on purpose due to my last show with them being the last music experience I shared with a good friend that was slain in the school shooting at my alma mater Virginia Tech. As if knowing exactly what transmissions my neurons might need, the set took the form of a retro throw back approach with my favored selections from my favorite of their albums. The mind bender mutated into ridiculous collaborations with power players like Will Bernard and Stanton Moore. It really does not get much better than that.  Ok, yes it does, how about a ridiculously jammed out "Where's The Music" with Pee Wee Ellis.  

2. Medeski, Scofield, Martin & Wood
How do you turn perfection into something better? Try adding in a guitar demi-god. How do you make perfection with a deity even better? Bring out one of the best lap steel guitar players in the business for an epic version of the eerie anthem "Hanuman." It helps that this is one of my favorite tracks ever put forth by the trio, but in the context of the infamous Big IV Amphitheater Stage, as the night enveloped the music park, the quintet truly hit some ethereal levels of bliss.

3. Trey Anastasio Band
My affinity for all things Phish place this set as a default must-see, but in the past I have not been entirely overwhelmed by Trey's solo efforts. The supporting members are extraordinary, that is for sure, but the material doesn't always hold up through the lens of comparisons to the Vermont jam legends. All of that went straight out the window from note one, and the full two hours and thirty minutes from Trey and the crew were nothing but a feel good dance party with more high lights than I could count. Above and beyond all other moments was a perfectly executed "Simple Twist Up Dave." My cohorts and I silently raged as a homage to our friend David that passed away days previous to that night. He was the ultimate Phish fan and the harmonious scents, sounds and setting at that particular moment was a much needed therapeutic outlet. One of the many reasons we all love Mr. Anastasio.

4. Papadosio
The talk of the town in the festival circuit sphere for those inclined to live electronic music, these guys have earned every bit of success coming their way. All summer they slayed the big events, even having a clutch spot at AllGood Music Festival, and the feedback was overwhelmingly good from that point on. I made the six hour drive up on Thursday solely to catch a late night P-dose set in the SOS Music Hall with my pals from Virginia. I then woke up early the next "morning" to catch their day set. In truth the approach seemed inverted with a more laid back, experimental take on the late night show, and then a all-out high energy face melter during the day. I posit that the 11.11.11 date was grounds for a statement set on Friday afternoon that didn't take into account anything other than playing one of the best shows I have heard from the Ohio kids. 

5. Anders Osborne Trio
Beyond the obvious shredding capacity that Osborne has been proving over and over to me the past year, this festival performance seemed to have a much fuller feeling than before. It may be a case of set and setting, as is the reality with anything that happens at The Spirit of Suwannee Music Park, but even his staple tunes like "Cortez The Killer" seemed to go deeper and heavier into the void. The push over the edge was a sit in with George Porter of the Funky Meters that turned into an epic cover of "Sugaree" with Stanton Moore of Galactic (and a million other bands) on the drums. Jaw replacement surgery would have been necessary if only we could have found our faces.

I could go on and on and this is just the tip of the iceberg, but those that were there already know, and those that weren't should make sure they are there next year to find out.

Honorable Mentions: The New Mastersounds, Soulive, Dr. Klaw, Big Gigantic, Dopapod and Michael Menert.

A huge special thanks to Adam, Mark and Steve at Cheesehead Productions, and Taper Steve, for archiving this special moment in music history.  

Bear Creek Music & Arts Festival: Off The Radar

The highly reputable Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Florida may be getting its biggest event yet this weekend. The hype for 2011 Bear Creek Music & Arts Festival has been building since they announced the initial lineup during last year's installment. A pre-party kicks off today while a frenzy of ticket trading, schedule swapping and last minute travel arrangements have the Florida and South East music community buzzing about what should prove to be a five day party featuring some of the most talented musicians in the land.

Any festival vet will tell you that a top heavy event like this creates the Scylla and Charybdis scenario of choosing who to see during overlapping time slots - tough life, eh? Even more brutish is rolling the dice on an act that no one in your crew has heard or heard of, but yet you have that feeling they might be the one you talk about all year as a jackpot find. Consider this your cheat sheet on what could be that up-and-comer you saw on the side stage with a handful of other fortunate souls.

Zongo Junction 
Campground Stage - Thursday - 2:00 PM
Big IV Amphitheater - Friday - 11:30 AM

Boiling up from Brooklyn's already vibrant Renaissance of sorts, it is no coincidence that world music in the vein of afrobeat is among the many genres being represented by the borough. These guys are as tight as a square knot and can bang out a Feli Kuti cut as good as anyone. If you like layered horns (if you're at Bear Creek, you like horns) and meditation-driven feel good funk music with the uber-pro grit that the Big Apple commands, this is what you need in your life.

The Pimps of Joytime 
SOS Music Hall - Thursday - 9:15 PM
Uncle Charlie's Porch Stage - Friday - 3:15 PM

Instantly danceable and transcending their funk roots to reach into the world of psychedelic synthesis and groove pop, the Pimps prove that it may not be easy, but bringing the friction to the soul of dance shoes is what they are all about. Oh, and don't be surprised when they slap a little smooth calypso or latin rock sensibilities on your face. Whose got the baby powder?

Anders Osborne Trio
Big IV Amphitheatre - Friday - 4:30 PM

No, he of no relation to the half-dead rocker, but certainly has a propensity for shredding and raising hell on stage. Anders Osbourne has been making a name for himself all year, especially on recent ventures out West with a life changing sit in with moe. at Telluride Blues & Brews and a killer collaboration with legend Karl Denson (who will be playing the fest too, so look out for some sit in action) covering the Stones on Halloween. Truth be told, Os may be the most slept on secret the jam rock scene has in its arsenal, but the gig is up and the man is ready to show you how a guitar can scream. I would say don't miss it, but the whole park is going to be blasted by this one. 

Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds
Full Sail Stage - Friday - 5:45 PM 

With all the hybrid takes on the spectrum of funk that fulls the gaps at Bear Creek, sometimes visitation rights to the core of the genre is necessary. Lead by a sibling tag team, Arleigh and Jackson Kincheloe mix their soulful superpower of friends and family to produce a cross-coast sound that is a showcase of Arleigh's soaring vocal range and Jackson's elite harmonica efforts. Much like their grandparents, these New Yorkers are ready to take over the Sunshine State.

The London Souls 
Purple Hat Stage - Thursday - 3:15 PM
SOS Music Hall - Friday - 7:00 PM 

Raw, hard and heavy is not just a questionably suggestive statement, but really the best way to paint the picture of what a take no prisoners approach to gritty rock might be for the London Souls. Fittingly named, the band reincarnates that missing bit of heaviness that came across the pond and changed the world. That might be the only thing they fit as their sound switches from blues to punk, and will be a welcomed change of pace for the musically attention deficit.

Of course, you could just chase the headliners and you won't see one less than stellar note of music all weekend. See you on the front lines! 

Interview With Ryan Nall of Zoogma for NewTimes Broward/Palm Beach 2011.10.28

Repost of my interview with Ryan Nall of Zoogma for the NewTimes Broward/Palm Beach found here.

Q&A

Zoogma's Ryan Nall Explains What the F*ck His Band is About

By Adam Smith Fri., Oct. 28 2011 at 7:44 AM

Categories: Q&A

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The live electronic five-piece Zoogma has left its Northern Mississippi home to tear it up all festival season. In between touring, some noteworthy appearances included major festivals like Wakarusa to Camp Bisco X. The quintet utilizes the auditory diversity and pinpoint musicality of DJs to reproduce a traditional dance music intonation that is porous enough to skillfully dab on traces of rock, jazz and hip-hop. The end result is a high-energy, well executed sound that continues to evolve and push the boundaries of exploration.

This weekend, the band returns to one of its favorite places to perform. Prior to tonight's performance at Culture Room, Zoogma's Ryan Nall (bass/synthesizer) took some time with County Grind mid-run to discuss what the fuck Zoogma actually is, and the future of live electronica.

County Grind: Zoogma offered your music for free in the past, and plan to do the same in the future. How important has that approach been in explaining your success from a touring perspective?

Ryan Nall: We like the idea of giving our music away for free, and we believe that has helped expose our music to a lot of people. We believe in our live show, in the distinctive experience that is a Zoogma performance, so much so that we feel like if we give away our record people will be driven to see the music executed live. We take the material in a lot of different directions live, freeing it up and improvising, so you get a similar experience to the album, plus a lot more.

Anyone that went to a Florida music festival in the last year is familiar with your slogan, "What the fuck is Zoogma?" How did that phrase come about and is it safe to ask about the enigma?

We started the campaign at Bear Creek 2010 as a way to raise awareness about our band and festival slot. The viral success of it has been amazing and more successful than we could have imagined. Now we feel as though you only ask if you already know, a kind of battle cry of our fans and mantra of the band. Plus it's always fun to say it at a festival and see what response you get.

Do you see direct correlations between grassroots marketing and word of mouth tactics in regard to the traction Zoogma has gained since the first studio release?

The fact that last year we started asking people at Bear Creek "What the fuck is Zoogma?" and now people all over the country use that slogan as a battle cry at shows make me think that we're onto something.

You are hopping around the state on a four night run, including a date at the Culture Room. What have your experiences been like playing to the Florida crowds?

Florida has been very good to us, the fans we have here are some of our most diehard. Also, as a state in general, the crowds are very grateful and appreciative and always ready to give us the energy we need to create the best versions of our music. The festivals we play here, Bear Creek, Aura, Blackwater, Purple Hatters Ball, and Big & Hearty are usually some of our rowdier festival sets. The connection between the crowd and our band is profound. We're very grateful and proud to be a part of the music tradition here.

Where do you see the future of the live electronica moving in a world dominated by producers, and more importantly, where does Zoogma fit in?

It's tough to say, I believe a lot of the music community have been surprised by the success and influx of DJs and producers across the scene. We see it as a good thing that so much electronic music is being produced and that the genre itself is gaining popularity. We also look toward the future and see that our live instrumentation and abilities as producers is what sets us a part and makes our show a more dynamic electronica experience. Because we can replicate the sound and aesthetic of a DJ as a group of live musicians we feel we offer fans of electronic music a very unique and powerful thing, something they don't get with most DJ and producers.

Have you ever considered attempting to devolve the mash-up technique back to the instruments and execute that approach to electronic music with a full band?

Interesting, kind of a live band Girl Talk concept? It would certainly be interesting to tackle a project like that as a group. We like reinterpreting other artists, and kind of adding our own Zoogma edge to their music. We currently have been playing around with a similar concept. A DJ or producer takes recorded music and remixes it and we've been taking DJ's and producer's music and rearranging it for a live band. We've experimented [with] a Sub-Focus track most recently and have had a lot of fun realizing there music as a live band. In most cases this has never been done before because their music was composed by one person using a digital audio workstation.

Zoogma. With Sounduo and Beat Thief Inc. 9 p.m. Friday, October 28 at Culture Room, 3045 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale. Tickets cost $10. Click here.

MagnoliaFest 2011.10.20 - 2011.10.23 Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park Like Oak, FL

Design by Ariane B. Davis 

The Fall season in Florida might not have the aesthetic transformation of our Northern counterparts, but the music climate certainly changes and takes a turn for the great. Dedicated patrons flock down to the peninsula for moderate temperatures balanced by choice weather and copious amounts of sunshine. The Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park becomes the ideal venue for music spectating and camping for East Coasters hell bent on pushing the congested festival season a few months further.

This past weekend a smaller, more intimate gathering of bluegrass enthusiasts, folk faithful and jam rock addicts invaded Live Oak to witness four full days of power players like moe., Bela Fleck & The Flecktones, The Travelin' McCourys with Keller Williams, Railroad Earth, Cornmeal, Steel Pulse, 7 Walkers, Col. Bruce Hampton and a collaboration between Toubab Krewe and The Infamous String Dusters.

After a stacked day proceeding them, moe. set the pace on Friday night with a standout marathon set pushing close to two and a half hours. When they took the stage the crowd couldn't have been more than 200 people, but an explosive twenty minute "Meat" opener got the ball rolling in the right direction.

A string of segues came from the Wormwood pairing of "Not Coming Down" and "Wormwood" before slipping into the monster twang-rock anthem "32 Things."  The temperature dropped significantly during the 47-minute sequence, and bassist Rob Derhak was quick to point out, "damn it's cold, I think my oranges are frozen."

The set coasted to a particular strong "Wind It Up," but the true highlight was a smothered "McBain" sandwich with an extended "Time Ed" serving up the heat that "Meat" had started at the beginning of the set.

The combination of cold and an older crowd didn't provide much in the way of a post-party beyond personal camp fires and RV private sessions. An unusual, yet calming quiet camping experience where I was set up allowed for a good nights rest and an early start on Saturday.

Catching up on my exploring, a wandering mission from each of the four stages to the next provided a better representation of the individuals that comprise MagFest. Most of them are Southern baby boomers using the weekend as a vacation with activities geared towards setting up camp chairs in front of stage and watching some of the most talented musicians in the country show off. Booze were flowing in a moderate fashion and the energy is subdued yet intent on catching each note.

A series of sit-ins and unsuspecting collaborations defined the marathon of foot stomping good sets. Jim Lauderdale welcomed the String Dusters to the Amphitheater Stage for a few true blood bluegrass songs. The Lee Boys brought out the bass master Victor Wooten for an earth shattering guitar duel. The Infamous Krewe, a Toubab Krewe and The Infamous String Dusters super-group, has some sound problems but eventually the combination of the two groups resulted in an interesting melding of the former's psychedelic afrobeat and the latter's string work.

Back in the enchanted forest vibe of the Amphitheater, Cornmeal was setting the stage on fire and took it to fifth gear with an extended sit in by Bela Fleck during "Shady Groove."

When Bela reunited with the Flecktones later that night they would bring out violist extraordinaire Casey Driessen to add some textures and build up to more than one peaking jam during the 90-minute set. Just when the uniqueness of seeing all these musicians creating and improvising with each other couldn't get much better, lap steel guitar prodigy Roosevelt Collier stole the show when he sat in for "St. Augustine" and "Downward Facing Dog."

That would be the highlight of the night, along with a 25-minute "Recreational Chemistry", as the Buffalo jam rockers took a more relaxed approach, and played their all too familiar standard festival set style.

A lazy Sunday brought multiple encore presentations from bands booked the day previous. All in all, MagnoliaFest is an unsuspecting weekend with lots of room for fun and lacks the hectic nature that comes with bigger events boasting taller lineups and higher capacities. Having braved the weekend solo, I managed to make some new friends and for once a festival felt more like a vacation. Suggestions for future attempts would include a prime recreational vehicle, a crew rolling deep and more whiskey.

A big thank you to Marcus Barnett for getting these recordings of moe. up so quickly and letting me post them here.