Sunshine Get Down: No Sophomore Slump Here!
Florida Sand Music Ranch in Brooksville played host again to the Sunshine Get Down, a festival which made its debut last year. This delightful, small festival touched the hearts of everyone in attendance for its warmth, fellowship, and great music. There are many great aspects to explore, but one aspect in particular stuck out to me and to many in attendance. Follow me here.
The saddest comment I ever hear / the saddest comment I ever read on the interwebs is this, or a variation: THERE HASN’T BEEN ANY GOOD MUSIC MADE SINCE THE ’70s, or THERE’S NOTHING BUT HIP HOP AND AUTOTUNE NOW. (Please know I am NOT calling out hip hop here.) You’ve heard them, and you know they’re patently false, ridiculously false, absurdly false. And yet they echo at regular intervals.
Saturday, May 18, provided once again the purest evidence that nothing of the sort could be further than the truth, and we’ve got receipts, as they like to stay. This is the story of eleven teenagers, just the tip of the tip of the iceberg of millions upon millions of young people who love making music.
The day began with students of the Sgammato School of Music, the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Chris Sgammato, which seeks out great local musicians to help teach youngsters of all ages about playing real music on stage. For this event, Sgammato selected two quartets to represent. Represent is a gross understatement; these young people tore it up to the delight and admiration of all who made it there for the noon start.
BOYCOTT! were up first, four ladies who truly knocked us back with a fine set of covers. And what a brilliant band name! BOYCOTT! are: Julia Lloyd, vocals, guitar; Chloe Tort, vocals, keyboards; Lilli Grady, vocals, bass; and Lea Tort, drums. It was an all-too-short set of great cover tunes, superbly rendered by the ladies, who displayed great musicianship and even better showmanship, rocking the stage. Lloyd as frontwoman handled most of the lead vocals as they played music by Paramore, Straylight Run, Veruca Salt, and more.
Round two from Sgammato School of Music were Face The Fence: Jordan Orange, vocals; Brett Milan, guitar; Tripp Profant, bass; and Nelson Garcia IV, drums. They were equally impressive; anyone within earshot was totally knocked out by their set. They included four original tunes in the set: “Dimensions,” “Puzzle Piece,” “Make Up Your Mind,” and “Stuck Here.” I’ve hear Schoolmaster Sgammato sing Radiohead’s “Creep” before; he is no match for the tour-de-force vocals of Orange on that tune (just the facts, ma’am). With time left, they roared on Linking Park’s “One Step Closer” and then “House of Wolves” (My Chemical Romance).
I had the opportunity later to meet several of these young prodigies. And kudos to their band t-shirt-wearing parents beaming in the crowd!
During Minim’s set later on in the day, the band once again reminded us that they are the quintessential jamband. I think most of us were caught by surprise when a young woman joined them for a pair of tunes. Her name is Kat Hines, a stunning vocalist, and she absolutely tore the roof off on “Every 1’s a Winner.” Expect to see that name on the regular! (Minim review below during Saturday review)
That left it to Melody Trucks’ latest project, her collaboration with The Fitzkee Brothers. Trucks, daughter of the late Butch Trucks, founder of The Allman Brothers, is following in dad’s footsteps not just in the business of making music but also in expanding opportunities for young people (people of all ages) to become better players and to navigate the music business through Roots Rock Revival, an annual music camp in the Catskills in late July and early August. Melody and brother Vaylor Trucks are totally involved in this project, and they also participated in the Masters at Sea camp on Jam Cruise in February.
So it was that Vaylor joined Melody for this set. Melody noted that, after the dissolution of her outstanding Melody Trucks Band, she was not looking to put together another band, but it seems that the band has found her. Drummer Alex Fitzkee (17) and bass player Drew (19) have been playing with her for two years, with more of that amazing parental support from Chantal and Andrew Fitzkee. Both sing (and sing well), and they have released a number of fine original tunes. (Full set review later in article)
In fact, Melody and Sgammato have hinted at further collaborations in promotion of great young music.
THIS IS THE WAY.
And now for the full review!
THURSDAY, MAY 16
Day 1 opened with Southern-drenched rock and soul from The Tony Tyler Band. Rage Page Cantrell on drums and Sean Able on bass set the stage for Tyler on guitar and vocals. Dr. Linda Ann Kiley shone throughout the set on vocals and keyboards. They bounced through rock, blues, reggae, and more, the perfect way to open Sunshine Get Down, Second Edition.
The day’s revelation was the set by Adam and the Testifiers. Adam Chendley hails from Atlanta, as does his band. Except that, for this show, his band was back in Atlanta. So he recruited three Bay area studs who absolutely crushed this set with no rehearsal: Lloyd Thacker and Mike Nivens of Ajeva and Vinny Svoboda (Anthill Cinema, Row Jomah).
Adam explained that they were about to take a tour through soul and R&B and then delivered big-time on his promise. He is a fine drummer and consummate showman, and he covered the full vocal range of R&B singers and a particularly excellent setlist inclusion of Stevie Wonder’s “Keep On Running” as well as other favorites such as “Testify (I Wanna)” and “Kalimba.” WOW!
Harber Wynn (Hannah Harber and Thomas Wynn) offered a gorgeous Americana country folk set. The married couple were certainly married in music as their vocals and guitars swirled around each other in perfect harmony. This great duet should be regulars at all of the roots festival and far beyond. They offered many great originals such as “I Hate the Way You Love Me” and a stripped-down cover of “Life is a Carnival,” plus some great stage banter.
Mushroom Soup is an Allman Brothers tribute group led by Ted Isch, former drummer with Butch Trucks in his Freight Train Band. They were tackling the Allman Brothers canon for only the second time, featuring great readings of classics such as “Sweet Melissa,” “One Way Out,” a soaring “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed,” and “Midnight Rider” with one wickedly dark intro.
Wall of Echoes did their excellent Pink Floyd set. Perhaps a bit too much prerecorded stuff, but they were solid. So great to see Christian Ryan back on the stage he’s played dozens of times on tenor sax, flute, and Roland Aerophone. And Alanna Chuyan on vocals soared on “The Great Gig in the Sky” and provided stunning harmonies during opening tune “Shine On, You Crazy Diamond.” Floyd fans definitely need to put this one on your must-see list.
FRIDAY, MAY 17
Everything about Day 2 was right. Foolish Sextet unfoolishly combined four members of Ship of Fools and one each from Uncle John’s Band and Dead Set Florida for a great romp through the classics, including two of the festival’s main promoter/sponsors: Turner Moore and Alan Gilman! “Midnight Moonlight” was the perfect way to start the day — at noon! “Alabama Getaway” launched itself into “Helter Skelter,” and “The Harder They Come” was a fine addition. They topped it off with a great “Terrapin Station.”
Not many of us were familiar with The Low Heavies , a self-described groove machine from Tampa. CAN CONFIRM. They rolled out a fine set of funk with New Orleans accents, kicking off with “It Ain’t No Use” (The Meters). The group had just expanded to a sextet with the addition of the aforementioned Christian Ryan, whose excellent tenor sax colored the entire set. Great originals such as “Who Ya Foolin’” and “Flood Down in New Orleans” spiced up the set, which also included a great cover of the John Scofield/MMW joint “Hottentot.”
Ponder the Albatross transported their gypsy punk newgrass from the Rockies for a blast of a set. Fiddle, bass, drums, and mandolin combined for a truly magical set.
Row Jomah always delights. They are consistently one of the best performing bands in the area. Joe Roma led his troops through a fine set, with tons and tons of great guitar work from Melbourne Walsh. They capped off their set with a reprise of a tune they played during a recent tribute set to Quentin Tarantino movie music featuring Pam A Lama Songstress belting out “Bang Bang (I Shot You Down)” — the kickass version, not the wimpy one!
Free Range Strange expanded to seven members (plus artist at large Arrie Bozeman) for their deluxe and irreverent look at Americana and bluegrass. They offered up amusing tunes such as “In the County Jail” and a brilliant reading of The Offspring’s “Self Esteem” with help from Bozeman. Nilu attempted to keep them in line with her upright bass, and they closed with recent single “Adelaide.” Also in the set was a fascinating cover of The Beatles’ “A Day in the Life.” Sonny, Tim Ber, and the crew have earned their way to roots Americana prominence.
The Strangeways crushed a set of ska, reggae, and rocksteady that kept the crowd dancing. The mix was perfect, including a surprising take on Miles Davis’ “All Blues,” which turned into frantic ska with all three horns in unison. Also interspersed among their originals was a propulsive “Midnight Hour.”
Which brings us to four sets, each of which was the best I’ve ever heard from that band. It began with HoneyWhat rocking an excellent set of original tunes. Danielle Mohr (lead vocals/guitar), Sam Adwell (killer guitar), Timothy Nichols (bass), and Andi Tafelski (drums/vocals) made this one so much fun. Also, we need to have a face-off between Tafelski and Michael Garrie (Antelope) for most joyous approach to the drum kit. Whether it was the drive of “Undercover Lover,” the power of “Atomic,” or the great compositions “Ticking Time Bomb” and “Aphrodite,” the band demonstrated once again their great range and musicianship.
Tand has been a mainstay on the Florida scene and beyond for some years. They came our rocking, then blasted off skyward about ten minutes into the set with jaw-dropping jams. Michael Garulli is a monster shredder, and new drummer Harley Galeano is kicking them into interstellar overdrive, in tandem with bass beast Jordan Richards. Taylor Godsey did a fine job with lead vocals, and Daryl Wolff’s impressive keyboard talents were on full display. After opening with “Opposite Attraction,” they tore into Garulli’s “Caribou” and never took they foot off the gas.
The Ain’t Sisters gave us a remarkable set of their screamers and rockers and numerous wonderful ballads as well. This set was so perfectly balanced. Better and better, these non-sisters get! Arrie Bozeman and Barb Carbon have been writing up a storm, especially these lovely new ballads. Drum king Richie Jones and bassist Justin Boudreau make the perfect rhythm section here. The set included early material such as “Marrow” as well as new songs. There was some discussion about “not cooking the bacon naked.” Valuable advice, that. “Shake Your Taint” was announced as “Shake Your Perineum”! Carbon’s “The Fighter” was a welcome set addition, and the entire sequence “Horses > Wellers > Let There Be Love” was heavenly.
And finally to Antelope: A Tribute to the Band Phish. I am not a huge Phish fan, but every time Antelope plays, they CRUSH. And this was, by far, the CRUSHIEST set from the quartet. Stunning. I am sure there is something Matt Weis on guitar and vocals cannot do; I just haven’t heard it yet. John Sabal (keyboards), Miguel Lantigua (bass), and Michael Garrie (drums) pumped up the magic, and everybody sings.
SATURDAY, MAY 18
We’ve already noted the wonderful, dynamic sets by the two quartets from The Sgammato School of Music: BOYCOTT! and Face the Fence.
The eclectic and profoundly engaging shoeless soul had the unenviable duty of following those youngsters, and the quartet did what they always do: play uplifting, bouncy music for the appreciative audience. “Peter Pan” and “Writer’s Block” were up first, the latter with the lyric “You’re the star in the movie you’re directing.” And there was another Arrie Bozeman sit-in as artist at large, and Tina Praino crooned as well!
The Wandering Hours play Americana string band music, and they have developed into a fine group. To the crowd’s approval, the band came out kickin’ hard. And what’s up with all these women on stage? Three of ’em! We say BRAVA, Gabby Hoover, guitar; Savannah Lee, fiddle; and Nilu, bass! Fine originals and covers such as “Cumberland Blues” filled the afternoon air perfectly, until the storms that had threatened earlier arrived right before the end of their great set to make things a bit damp-ish. The stage crew did an excellent job of dealing with the stage puddles, although Phil Ross and I got quite a bit damp-ish!
For many in attendance, this was our first look and listen to another very exciting new project with their indie folk rock from the heart: Light the Wire. The band features five very familiar faces: Dani Jaye (Tire Fire), vocals, fiddle; Alexa Toro (Moonbae), vocals; J.D. Simpson (Between Bluffs), guitar, vocals; Caleb Bone (The Reality), bass, vocals; and Dylan Chee-A-Tow (Row Jomah), drums. The group started as an acoustic trio before adding this great rhythm section.
Regardless of what I expected from this quintet, they surpassed that by a light year. Vocals and especially harmonies were superb, as was the music. Opening with “Come in from the Rain,” they caught everyone’s attention. There were so many wonderful lyrics in songs such as “Share the World Together,” “Rise to the Occasion,” and “White Hot Night.” Be on the lookout for Light the Wire!
Grindstone Sinners out of Jacksonville skyrocketed into their incendiary set with great original band compositions and from choice covers, including “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” and Santana’s “Europa.” Jay Umlauf shredded until there was simply nothing left to shred!
22 years in the business, Earth Bombs Mars specialize in “original songwriting, head-friendly covers, and primal improvisational exploration.” And that is precisely what T.J. Glowacki, Dan DeGregory, Rich Whiteley, and John Zias brought to a very tuned-in audience. After their second song, Zias observed that this was ten years to the day the last time EBM played the main stage here at Florida Sand Music Ranch (formerly Sertoma). There were so many great tunes in the set, especially “Treetop Flyer,” “Cannibal,” and the “Cream Puff War” finale. Bravo!
Tire Fire, for my money the best definition of the Florida-Georgia line, blew out a magnificent set of amazing bluegrass fusion. The decision a while back to add drummer Dave Gerulat pushed this band from A to A+; he works so well with bass titan Sean Hartley. Everybody sings, and banjo, guitar, mandolin, and fiddle encircle around the stage in a whirlwind of wonderful sound. Lead vocalist Trey Miller is an engaging frontman, and he led the troops through many of their classics, with “Two Trains,” “Emanon,” “Get Off My Lawn,” and “Lawn Chair Tycoon” among the favorites. Did we mention Arrie Bozeman, Dani Jaye, and Justin Davis? We should!
Looking in a dictionary or encyclopedia (have you heard about those?) under “jamband,” and you might just see a photo of Minim, the group roaring out of St. Petersburg. They have blossomed during their relatively short time on the scene, and they rocked out on the main stage with another great set. They rocked lots of familiar tunes from their collection, including “Strollin’” and personal fav “Ascend.” Ross Borgas’ distinctive voice rode atop the fabulous guitar work from Mike Hibler and Dave Rakower’s multiple keyboards. That guest slot by young vocalist Kat Hines was a showstopper. And Hunter Richey is bass player extraordinaire!
The night closed with Rainbow Full of Sound from Asbury Park; they are the Grateful Dead tribute/jamband creation of keyboardist Waynard Scheller. Their DeadZep set was exactly as advertised, with some real gems in the mix. Right from the start, they began juggling setlist items with “Help On the Way > Rock & Roll > The Music Never Stops” and then “What Is and What should Never Be > Not Fade Away > Ramble On.” I kept losing track of the number of musicians on stage, as some would come and go. This was really entertaining, capped off with “One More Saturday Night > Beat It On Down the Line.”
The last set on the Blueberry Patch Stage featured Melody Trucks & Friends, which we mentioned at the outset. Melody was joined by brother Vaylor, one of the best guitarists you might never have seen, The Fitzkee Brothers, and two great Maryland boys, Nick French on keyboards and Otto Grundman on guitar. I thought I was prepared for any eventuality, but I confess I was NOT prepared for a blistering “Too Rolling Stoned” as they came out swinging for the fences. Fences obliterated.
The brilliant set featured two Fitzkee brothers tunes (“Lake Song” and “Give You All My Love”), Chris Sgammato on alto sax for Traffic’s “Medicated Goo,” Alex Fitzkee and Melody trading vocals on “Live Your Life,” a fine Arrie Bozeman residency, Vaylor and Grundman stratospheric on “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed,” Nick French’s piano owning “Southbound,” a wonderful dedication to Butch Trucks with Melody’s “Freight Train” (and a “Les Brers in A Minor” tease, and Grundman, Vaylor, and late-arriving Tony Tyler tearing up “Whipping Post.”
So THAT’S how you do Sunshine Get Down!!!
There was plenty beyond the music, with yoga, a Dead song lyric contest (Mazel Tov, Phil Ross!), good food, nice crafts, superb lighting and Laser Fox, and artists galore. We really enjoyed connecting with artist Coconut Kevin Martin. Most (if not all) of the sets were videoed, and Mitch Levine Photography and Brier Media caught all of the action. Thank you to Florida Sand Music Ranch for your hospitality! The sound in the main pavilion was very good; the sound on the Blueberry Stage was impeccable!
Last but absolutely not least: our weekend hosts, Alan and Ann-Marie Gilman, Turner Moore, Harry Popick, and Queen Jillian Grant.
Rumor has it that Sunshine Hootenanny will be November 21-23. Is that true???
