Third Annual Big Orange Music Festival Serves Up a Lineup to Satisfy the Soul
The Big Orange Music Festival to be held on November 3 in Punta Gorda FL reaches high with a lineup that is positively delicious. New Orleans’ super-funk-soul genius Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue will be headlining along with one of the nation’s fastest rising stars, country-soul artists Lukas Nelson & Promise of The Real. They’ll be joined by a stellar supporting cast, including Honey Island Swamp Band, Sean Chambers Band, Ben Sparaco and The New Effect, and Michael Haymans and His Hibiscus Band.
Promoters Nick and Matthew Nemec have put together a tasty mix of diverse, eclectic talent who may very well set fire to the festival’s two stages. With The Peace River as the backdrop, fans can revel in some of the finest blues, rock, funk, soul, country and roots music offered anywhere in this hemisphere.
New Orleans’ ambassadors of funk and soul Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue don’t fit any category of music known to humankind. Trombone Shorty, born Troy Andrews, once called his music “superfunkrock,” which doesn’t even begin to describe what he does. Think Jimi Hendrix with a trombone backed up by AC/DC and P-Funk and you might get he picture. There are only two acceptable reasons for not dancing your face off to this band – you’re either dead or too drunk to get off the ground.
Made up of Andrews on trombone and vocals, Mike Bass-Bailey on bass, Pete Murano on guitar, Dan Oestreicher on baritone sax, Joey Peebles on drums and BK Jackson on tenor sax, the band incessantly tours the world spreading their magic to places far afield like The Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland and The Black Sea Festival in Tiblisi, Georgia. Closer to home, they have opened for big names like The Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Dave Mathews Band. They currently close out The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, an honor held by The Neville Brothers for 35 years until it was passed to Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue in 2013.
Lukas Nelson & Promise of The Real‘s meteoric rise to stardom was built on raw talent, hard work and a bit of DNA. An accomplished singer/songwriter, Nelson, 29, cut his teeth in the music business touring with his father, legendary country outlaw Willie Nelson. He and longtime band mates Promise of the Real, comprised of Tato Melgar on percussion, Anthony LoGerfo on drums, Corey McCormick on bass, Jesse Siebenberg on steel guitar and organ, and Alberto Bof on keyboards, have performed at hundreds of festivals and played backup for Neil Young.
Their heartfelt brand of spiritual country-soul and searing bluesy, Southern rock has won them a devoted following that grows exponentially with each show. Not long ago, they caught the attention of actor and director Bradley Cooper, who asked Nelson to contribute to the star’s remake of A Star is Born. Nelson developed a close working relationship with the movie’s lead, Stefani Germanotta (a.k.a Lady Gaga), with whom he and POTR recorded the hit “Find Yourself.” This will be the band’s much anticipated second appearance in Punta Gorda, having left their mark on a legion of new fans at Peace River Revival in April.
Drawing from far-ranging influences of world music, including artists like Jerry Garcia, Johnny Cash, Taj Mahal and Lowell George, New Orleans-based Honey Island Swamp Band whips it all up to create, memorable foot-stompin’ tunes that have been described as “Americana Bayou.” With Aaron Wilkinson on mandolin, guitar, harmonica and vocals, Chris Mule on guitar and vocals, Sam Price on bass and vocals, Garland Banks on drums and vocals and Trevor Brooks on keyboards, fans can’t help but break into spontaneous jigs.
Southwest Florida’s masters of powerhouse-blues Sean Chambers Band will be returning to The Big Orange Music Festival for the second time after last year’s blistering performance cemented their place as one of Florida’s must-see acts. Sean Chambers handles a guitar like a flame-thrower with sweat-soaked riffs that are raw and real and that blast the audience with shades of Elmore James, Keith Richards and Johnny Winter.
Ben Sparaco and The New Effect along with Michael Haymans and His Hibiscus Band round out the lineup, bringing bluesy Americana and roots music to the festival. Guitarist and vocalist Ben Sparaco developed his soulful take on Americana playing with such greats as Butch Trucks and members of the Tedeschi Trucks Band. Michael Haymans is a Florida roots musician whose up-tempo gigs make him a local favorite.
For more information and how to purchase tickets, click on the links below.