The 72nd Annual Florida Folk Festival
This year’s version of the Florida Folk Festival at the Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park was a great three-day event. With 11 stages and 300 performances, lots of workshops, a kid’s area, a Seminole village, and the Suwannee River coursing through the campground, it’s always a Memorial Day tradition for music lovers. It’s a three-day celebration of the music, dance, stories, crafts, and food that make Florida unique. From Irish fiddle tunes, contra dancing, West African music, and root beer floats to the wide varieties of music of immigrants, the state’s cultural heritage reflects the lives of generations of Florida families and communities.
As is frequently the case, it was a hot one. Every stage had lots of ice water available, and the audience was frequently reminded to hydrate; many took advantage of a dip in the Suwannee to cool off. Volunteers staffed a fleet of golf carts that ferried attendees from place to place.
This year’s headliners were a great example of the diversity of the state. Sacred Steel legends The Lee Boys performed on the amphitheater, and for the second year the festival hosted the Sacred Steel Summit. “Sacred steel” is a type of music described as an inspired, unique form of Gospel music with a hard-driving blues-based beat. The musical genre is rooted in Gospel but infused with rhythm and blues, jazz, rock, funk, hip-hop, country, and ideas from other nations. While Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi didn’t make it this year, the Sacred Steel tent was rocking. Something to look forward to: The Lee Boys are recording a gospel album with bluegrass masters The Travelin’ McCourys, which should be quite an experience.
Multi-instrumentalist Ben Prestage has developed his own genre: deep South Swamp Music, a blend of delta and Piedmont blues. While he may be described as a one-man band performer, that novelty implication way underestimates his blues skills.
An emotional performance by The Peyton Brothers was on Saturday night. They attended the festival as children, first playing at White Springs in 1977, making this their 47th year. They have decided this would be their last performance, and their up-tempo bluegrass-based music and humor will be missed.
Other amphitheater performances included the West African band Dodo Awoko, dulcimer virtuoso Bing Futch, the wonderful Currys, father/son duo Jon and Zelton Kay, Bob Patterson, The Bullard Brothers, and country singer Sarah McCulloch. The high-energy psychedelic-party-grass band Firewater Tent Revival rocked the stage late Saturday night.
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Standout performances for me included a birthday celebration for Bob Dylan, curated by the great songwriter Grant Peeples, which included Passerine and The New 76ers. Starting off with “The Times They Are A-Changin’” and ending up with “You Ain’t Going Nowhere,” it was a great romp through years of Dylan songs.
Great singer/songwriter John R. Butler put on several fine solo shows, along with nationally-known Jim Stafford (of “Spiders and Snakes” fame). Karibbean Groove and Isa y el Combo Machete lit up the dance tent. Crucial Eddy Cotton and the Uncanny Valley Boys, a festival favorite, gave us three sets of great playing and harmonies. Never having seen them before, The New 76ers were one of my favorite finds of the weekend, with great harmonies and a great stage show.
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With such a broad palette of experiences and music, the Florida Folk Festival is a wonderful way for families to spend some time in a beautiful natural setting and take in a true picture of the cultural and musical diversity of the state. It’s a great way to spend Memorial Day weekend every year.
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Florida Folk Festival
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