ZenFest 2016: An Otherworldly Experience
Last February at Gov-Fest, I had just been lured into the clutches of MusicFestNews as a writer. Very excited about changes that were occurring for me, I saw online information about a music fest the following weekend in Plant City FL called ZenFest. I was truly interested in seeing two of the bands scheduled and the opportunity to discover a new place.
I had seen Orchid Theory several weeks earlier and was very impressed, and I wanted to see them again. And I had not been able to connect with Row Jomah at that point and was excited that I would finally get to hear them.
It turned out to be a wonderful day. All of the music was great, the people were wonderful, the food was great, and… I met Donna.
ZenFest 2016 is right around the corner, February 19-21, at All World Acres. There is music and so much more in this intimate setting. ZenFest offers this invitation:
“Join us for our annual celebration of music, art and peace at All World Acres. This event is small and personal and you will never forget it.”
That is very accurate.
The musical lineup is truly diverse and excellent. Josh We Know brings their alt-acoustic folk, while Frankie Raye delivers folk pop. Jun Bustamante is a superb singer who can do anything: jazz, folk, rock.
On the rocking side, Ragged Old Souls play blues, soul and rock. Classic Southern rock comes courtesy of Tears of a Tyrant. The Reality blends rock, blues, funk and jazz into a steamy mix. And more blues and rock is presented by The Cruz Brothers.
shoeless soul has appeared at every ZenFest, so you know they will be there to show you what “Prozac pop” sounds like, but that’s not really accurate, because they guys rock out with great lyrics. Introvert will represent for hip-hop and rap.
One of the bands I was thrilled to discover last year was Troy Youngblood and the Soulfish. This band’s blues, rock and soul come from deep inside. In addition to the band’s superb playing, Youngblood has one of the best voices in Florida, a wonderful deep tenor that puts real meaning into songs such as “What the Hell Am I Doing Here?” The Soulfish keyboard player has a remarkable baritone to add, and he performs solo as well as Thee Eloquent Barbarian. And George Pennington III will likely play with Troy in addition to performing with his own band. Pennington is an excellent guitar slinger.
Also appearing will be Aaron Fields, Treblehawk Brian, These Hands and Nick Tumi.
And All World Acres should be called Other World Acres. The moment you turn into the property, you know you have been transported to a magical place. This is going to be a blast. See you there!
Find more information on the festival’s official website and Facebook page.
FRIDAY
3:00 PM Gates Open for Guests
7:00 PM US
8-11PM Open Mic Hosted by Christina Ungstad
12:00 AM Drum Circle
SATURDAY
9:00 AM Qi Gong – Josh We Know
10:00 AM Workshop
11:00 AM Native Drumming and Chanting – Workshop
12:00 PM Lunch
1:00 PM Aaron Field
2:00 PM Frankie Raye
3:00 PM Jun Bustamante
4:00 PM Thee Eloquent Barbarian
5:00 PM Ragged Old Souls
6:00 PM Tears of a Tyrant
7:00 PM George Pennington III Band
8:00 PM The Reality
9:00 PM Troy Youngblood and the Soulfish
10:00 PM shoeless soul
11:00 PM Drum Circle
SUNDAY
9:00 AM Qi Gong – Josh We Know
10:00 AM Workshop
11:00 AM Flowering of the Heart Blessing – Workshop
12:00 PM TrebleHawk Brian
1:00 PM Josh We Know
2:00 PM These Hands
3:00 PM The Cruz Brothers
4:00 PM Introvert
5:00 PM Nick Tumi