It’s Time. Time to Go to a Monster Mini-festival — Purple Hatter’s Ball

Perhaps you’ve never been to a festival at the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park before. You’ve read about Wanee and Hulaween and other big shows. The 2018 Purple Hatter’s Ball might be your very best opportunity to discover the park for yourself in an extremely intimate atmosphere.

The Purple Hatter’s Ball takes place in Live Oak FL Friday and Saturday, June 1st and 2nd. It’s a monster of a mini-festival, despite the fact that seems like an oxymoron. Superb music in a magnificent setting with friends you already know and friends you haven’t met yet await you this year.

And the schedule is simplicity to the power of perfection.

FRIDAY

Music starts Friday on the Amphitheater Stage at 4 PM and will take you deep into the night. It launches with a bang with Hive Mind, a jamtronic offshoot of Atlanta’s Space Kadet (who just did a quick whirlwind of Florida; they’ll be joined by Dave McSweeney, a regular player at SoSMP with Greenhouse Lounge and other collectives.

Memphis sends sensational “new” Southern Avenue, serving up funky soul; they’re on Stax Records, for Pete’s sake! Then we get the amazing amalgam of music from Mali and Appalachia presented by Toubab Krewe. This Asheville quintet is winding down their spring tour in celebration of new album Stylo.

The Heavy Pets are also supporting a new album, their excellent Strawberry Mansion. The South Florida five start at rock and branch out to funk, soul, pop, reggae, jazz and whatever else they want to do.

The Heavy Pets. Photo by kind permission of Nymania Productions

And finally — Spafford! This band represents the hottest rising star on the jam scene, and many have not yet heard them, so this promises to be very special indeed.

Spafford. Photo courtesy of Sean Schechter

SATURDAY

Music begins at the beach. If you have never attended a Purple Hatter’s or a Roosevelt Collier Getdown or similar event, you cannot imagine how much fun this is. The stage is set up at the top of the hill that leads by means of a sand dune down to the beautiful Suwannee River. Take a chair, a blanket, a cooler, and the right attitude and meet the cool kids there.

The versatile Vlad the Inhaler will crush the first set at noon (easy prediction!), followed by full-frontal punk reggae rock from Tallahassee’s Trial by Stone. These boys are just killer — and so much fun.

Tallahassee will also be represented by Catfish Alliance. It’s North Florida sex rock — full disclosure, folks! The beach session closes with a fine set from twins Charles and Zachary, the Weinert brothers, who perform their ethereal fusion of styles as MZG (Monozygotic).

Music shifts back to the Amphitheater for the remainder of the evening, with Dubconscious up first in their traditional slot. During a pause in the set, Mama Margie Weiss, mother of Rachel Morningstar Hoffman of blessed memory, will release butterflies in Rachel’s honor.

Roosevelt Collier and band are up next. There are few musicians who have played more sets at Live Oak and have more sit-ins than Collier, one of the kings of the sacred steel guitar.

AC & RC: Anthony Cole & Roosevelt Collier

Bassist Marc Brownstein loves his Disco Biscuits, but he also loves all sorts of collaborations such as Conspirator. This time, we get Breaking Biscuits. Let this sink in for a few minutes. Brownstein and Bisco compatriot Aron Magner on keyboards, joined by the Break Science boys, Borahm Lee (keyboards, DJ, programming producing) and Adam Deitch (drums, keyboards, programming producing). DAMN.

Finally, those Mt. Crushmore boys Lettuce will bring the funk down upon thee. Ditch won’t even have to move his drums. (And maybe we’ll get some of Witches Stew, the band’s cover of Miles Davis’s electric period.)