Hometeam New Year’s Rally Schedule is a Blockbuster!
Joe Roma (Row Jomah) was explaining the problem with festivals that do one-hour sets.
You’ve played 3-40 minutes, just gotten warmed up, and then you say, “Well, we just have time for a couple more.”
That was in praise of 90-minute sets. Just imagine how the musicians — and we music fans — must feel looking at the Hometeam New Year’s Rally schedule and see two-hour blocks! The Rally runs Saturday through Monday, December 29-31 at Maddox Ranch in Lakeland, Florida! This is wonderful. With two side-by-side stages, there will be no down time, AND you don’t have to miss a single note (unless you want to, or NEED to)! And there is a late-night stage for even more music. Those sets are listed as 90 minutes — I’ll take that bet.
SATURDAY
Saturday is tribute set day, and it starts magically with Russ Bowers Isn’t Dead Yet, pumping out exactly what they purport to play, and play so very, very well. Juanjamon is up next, presenting a Marley tribute featuring outstanding vocalist Derrick McDonald.
Tony Tyler Trance, a ridiculous Hometeam collective, will reproduce the Dazed and Confused movie soundtrack (and you might oughta check out the setlist), followed by Antelope: A Tribute to the Band Phish. Matt Weis and the boys will make this one split open and melt!
Finally, Row Jomah again reprises their outstanding tribute to Talking Heads, which they debuted last spring at Dunedin Brewery Spring Beer Jam and blew up at the Bungalow Entertainment show at Crowbar “Stop Making Sense.”
The ubiquitous and non-stop Custard Pie will take the music into the night on the Late-Night Stage. Just try stopping them at 2:30. And good luck with that.
SUNDAY New Year’s Eve Eve
Trey Miller and his fine new band Blübop Fandango will get you started early with the Mornin’ Pickin’ Circle. Get up and get with it!
There’s really no telling which usual suspects Sean Maloney has rounded up for his Legacy Collective Orchestra, but it will be fine, regardless. Row Jomah comes back for a set of their excellent original music (and likely a few great covers as well). And The Applebutter Express, all five of ’em, will delight next, most likely with outstanding grandparental support!
When you see The Jones Ain’t Modified on the schedule, you really ought to run, and we recommend running — right up to the rail! The Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) have run smack dab into The Ain’t Sisters, heavy on the Copious Jones! Look for Mikhail Petersen, Chris ‘Critter’ Ricker, Justin Boudreau, Arrie Bozeman, Jon Cowin, and Barb Moose Carbon.
Ajeva came out swinging at Suwannee Hulaween with the first set of the weekend, and their recent show opening for The Fritz was superb. The Melody Trucks Band has been powering through lots of shows, but perhaps none as memorable as their Maddox Ranch debut at Great Outdoor Jam 2017 and at last year’s Rally. They also tore it up at Orange Blossom Jamboree. Little by little, they are increasing their national profile.
That leaves the headlining slot to The Main Squeeze., bringing you their Chicago-style rock’n’roll funky soul. They’re squeezing this one in between a show at Tipitina’s and headlining New Year’s at 1904 in Jacksonville. They will be a most welcome sight — and even more welcome sound!
Michael Lyn Bryant’s Electric Jungle grabs the late-night spotlight. The Dunedin Brewery proprietor has a wild and woolly night prepared just for you.
MONDAY New Year’s Eve
Blübop Fandango again jumpstarts your morning before Este Loves and her Church of Love rock the morning. She consistently delivers world-class shows, and this will certainly follow suit. The elegant Ella Jet & Future Soul are up next, as they peel sound engineer extraordinaire Dillon Reeder from the sound booth to put him at drum kit.
The Reality returns for more crazy funk madness, likely involving some of their History of Funk revue. (And for the record, and because they will ask, again this year they were my most-seen band: this will make 11 times, 13 last year.) Dot Line Projekt returns. What does that mean? Chris ‘Critter’ Ricker, our favorite Georgian and member of Copious Jones, runs this. Enough said.
https://www.facebook.com/Music4Pina/videos/1663624750342116/
Come Back Alice also blew up a brilliant Hulaween set and return to the Rally as one of Florida’s most recognizable exports — and with good reason. Tony Tyler, Dani Jaye and company will again amaze. Miami’s Electric Kif stake their claim with “post-nuclear music.” We’ll agree that their funk fusion is the bomb!
Time to get the F rid of 2018 once and for all, and who better to do that — again — than our dear friend Roosevelt “The Dr.” Collier, because you know that The Dr. has the cure for exactly what ails you! This will be a Hometeam Superjam. He works often with the Electric Kif boys (again, with good reason), but the stage will be slammed with Hometeamers of all shapes and sizes.
We’ve saved the best for last. Our godfather, our mentor, our heart, and our soul, Darryl Quesenberry, will present Funky D’s Deja Voodoo, That’s a New Bandung. Nothing we can add will make it any better than that.
CAN I GET A HOMETEAM?
See you all in a week!
