Blazing through Sun and Rain at Safety Harbor SongFest
Review by Phil Sroka
Photographs by kind permission of Mike Lawton
The fifth annual Safety Harbor SongFest took place this year on Saturday, April 7th, in Safety Harbor FL. Put together by the SHAMc (Safety Harbor Art and Music Center), it was a wild day complete with a star-studded lineup and two stages playing staggered sets. Situated on the breathtaking Safety Harbor Waterfront Park, the venue was neatly divided by the marina, with the main Waterfront stage to the north and the TransAmerica stage set on the somewhat smaller but no less impressive southern pavilion side. Lining the northern park were a myriad of vendors, sponsors, and art events horse-shoeing the fairgrounds – offering food and entertainment for all to enjoy.
This was a very ambitious event with over a dozen artists scheduled to play in one day between the two stages and each act playing upwards of an hour. The acts went off wonderfully, with each stage’s performance slightly overlapping the other – allowing everyone not only their choice of many great artists, but the ability to hear them all without missing any. The gates opened at 11 am with a strong breeze and low-hanging overcast clouds offering a cool atmosphere, with the lapping of waves along the pier. Mountain Holler began the festival at noon on the TransAmerica stage. Channeling eastern and native philosophies, his earthy rhythms with soft, subdued, yet sincere vocals greeted the attendees as they entered the park and provided a masterful tapestry of sound to set the mood for those arriving.
The artist Meiko took the main stage shortly thereafter. As a correction to the preview that I wrote for the event, where I had written that this was Meiko’s second appearance at the Songfest, it was in fact her third. Returning now as a mother to a new baby boy, Meiko is the type of singer/songwriter that, seemingly no matter how large the stage, you feel as if you are listening to her play just for you in the comfort and intimacy of your own home. A transfixing and beautiful solo acoustic set with a final ukulele performance, Meiko was a wonderful intro to the main stage and set the tone for the powerful vocals and skill that would continue to grace the festival. Of particular joy to me was her cover of The Cranberries’ song “Zombie,” which she had recorded prior to Dolores O’Riordan’s death and was a heartwarming tribute. I had the pleasure of running into Meiko after her set where she described what the festival represented to her: “The Safety Harbor SongFest is therapy. I come stressed but leave revived and rejuvenated!”
By this time The Betty Fox Band had already begun their set on the TransAmerica stage. As we made our way over there a large crowd had already accumulated, and the pavilions were packed. This was the first full band act, and the crowd just ate it up. There was even a particularly intense couple swing-dancing along to the high-intensity blues melodies as Betty Fox belted out her impassioned lyrics on the stage. Towards the close of their set the drummer, bassist, and guitarist each took turns at spellbinding solos while the crowd pulsed with excitement. Speaking with Betty Fox later at the merch table, she spoke of how she has worked with the SHAMc before but that this was her first festival and described it as “going for the gut.”
The second act on the main Waterfront stage was Derek Hoke, who brought an equally impassioned but relatively more subdued set with a Telecaster. A musician from Nashville, he was performing at the Songfest solo. Although also part of a larger performing group, he talked later with us about the difficulties of traveling with a full team but had the opportunity to become enamored with the Safety Harbor area, lightly joking that he might just be “looking for real estate” in the area and that “he could get lost in this town.” The winds were picking up as he played, and the quilted tapestry behind him blew like a massive flag along with his music.
EZ-RA from Black Taxi was next on the TransAmerica stage. This act was a departure from some of the more bluesy folk artists in that he included synths and loops to his guitar playing along with a brass arrangement that he would adroitly pass between as he performed. Speaking to him after his set, EZ-RA told us of how, at first, he thought he might not be as much of a fit with the rest of the performers in the lineup. However, the organizers saw him as adding breadth to the festival, which he certainly did. A very dynamic solo act, EZ-RA talked about being the first artist in residence for SHAMc in 2017 and spoke glowingly of the community support he received while doing so.
It was now after 3 pm, with the festival not even halfway through, and our team made a short reprieve for sustenance. We enjoyed chili dogs and steak tips from Dog Dayz and Southern Steer Butcher and Deli, respectively. During our self-styled intermission, the crowd had gathered to catch Michael Glabicki of Rusted Root. The crowd carried their enthusiasm through the early spring sun and were treated to a virtuoso guitar duo with Glabicki singing and playing acoustic while accompanied by a partner on Stratocaster slide guitar.
In the Round was in full swing during this time as well, and the two stages seemed to compete for the audience as attendees would pass between them. In the Round consisted of Jonnie Morgan and Kristopher James both on guitar and Ari Chi playing ukulele, with each taking turns. Theirs was a vibrant and mellow medley perfect to sit back at the halfway point of the day and catch up with yourself for the rest of the night.
Josh Ritter picked the event up with a soft, soulful, solo acoustic act, and there was already a sense of rain in the air as couples danced along with children in their arms. However, we were forced to cut our time there shortly after Ritter had taken the Waterfront stage so that we could leave the venue promptly at 5 pm to meet with and interview Fantastic Negrito at the Fairfield Inn and Suites. Unfortunately, we had to miss Danielle Mohr’s set, which was scheduled at 5:30pm, but we were able to catch up with her later in the evening and she recounted that “I had a blast! The audience was awesome; I love the community. I’m happy to be a part of that family.”
We got back around 6:30 pm to pouring rain. We took shelter at the check-in tent where we had a much-needed break from our trekking back and forth as well as getting a moment to decompress after our interview as an exodus of attendees using folding chairs as make-shift umbrellas made haste to the local bars and restaurants to take refuge from the rain. I thought that I had forgotten my press pass at the hotel (it actually turned out to be hidden in a pocket of my bag all along), so we made a quick run back and returned just as the rain began to clear.
The festival began allowing the audience back into the fairgrounds and scheduled Larkin Poe to begin their set at 7:45pm. By this time the TransAmerica stage had already been disassembled with no more acts scheduled there. Due to the rain, Selwyn Birchwood’s set had been cut. Talking with fans during the interlude, they greatly regretted this but were bursting with enthusiasm that SHAMc was resuming the festival with Larkin Poe and Fantastic Negrito.
As the attendees made their way back in, they welcomed Rebecca and Megan Lovell of Larkin Poe with a revitalized exuberance, anxious for the music to start again, having recovered their strength from their reprieve during the rain. While setting up and doing a quick soundcheck, Rebecca described her sister, Megan, as the “star child” of the band, which delighted the audience. The crowd erupted as they began their set, which more than made up for the somewhat diminished audience due to those who had gone home from the rain. This was my first time hearing Larkin Poe, and I was blown away as they began with high-hitting energy, moving into more blues and soul with songs off their newly released album Peach.
At one point, Rebecca broke a string and requested someone to fix it while she continued playing on another guitar. I immediately thought Mike Lawton, our photographer for the event, would jump at the chance (he having recently become enamored by the duo), but he was on the other side of the stage at the time and somebody beat him to it. Lightning was striking over the waterfront while the sun set, and Larkin Poe ended their performance with great energy that got much of the crowd up and moving along to their music.
Seemingly in no time at all, Fantastic Negrito got on stage for the final act sometime after 9 pm and started the set with the powerful song “Lost in the Crowd.” The audience immediately rose up and began singing along. The crowd would erupt after each song while the drummer kept time throughout the whole set. For the song “An Honest Man,” Fantastic Negrito spoke directly to the audience of the elusive, Sasquatch-like honest man. Towards the end of the set the whole crowd seemed to be up at the front of the stage as he encouraged them that, “No matter what you believe in, stand up together!”
For his cover of “In the Pines,” that beloved American folk song, he captivated with his rendition and dedicated the song to those “casualties of the ghetto war – the mothers.” Just as he was getting ready to play his final song, he was interrupted and told they had to quit due to the curfew (the rain delay had pushed back their start time, and it was already past 10:30 pm at this point). Undeterred, the band kicked into full swing. Just at the moment of the final verse, Fantastic Negrito’s mic was cut, but he managed to belt out for the audience the refrain from his new single “Plastic Hamburgers:” “Break out these chains, let’s burn it down!”
You can read Phil Sroka’s excellent interview with Fantastic Negrito here!
This was truly an incredible experience and one we won’t soon forget. Special shout-out as well to The Urban Gypsies of Florida, who graced the festival with their songs and kept the spirit going. Huge thanks to the Safety Harbor Art and Music Center for putting such a fantastic festival together! We can’t wait to be back!
