“It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”

 

Finally, it’s that time of year again when Live Oak, FL is the place to be. The Spirit of Suwannee Music Park (SOSMP) hosts almost a dozen quality festivals each year, and many are just getting kicked off in the Fall. With String Cheese Incident’s Hulaween, and the ultra-hip Bear Creek Music Festival just around the corner, it was unclear how Magnolia Fest’s attendance would be affected. As a SOSMP regular, I know it as a perennial favorite. But to the concert-goer that must choose between one festie or the other, I imagine it was a difficult decision. Yet the festival prevails.

 

You see, Magnolia Fest has a subtle, inexplicable magic; an alignment of environmental variables that truly set it apart. The circumstance that makes Magnolia Fest wonderful, and one of my favorites, is simply the weather. It really is the most wonderful time of the year in North Florida. I caught myself humming the Andy Williams’ Christmas classic all weekend, because during this time of year, SOSMP comes to life! I’ve joked in the past about how it seems like the promoters have the ability to control the weather. But I suppose it’s no accident that both Magnolia and Springfest fall on two of the nicest weekends of the calendar year. The park is beautiful and the temperature is nearly always perfect.

 

This year’s headliners weren’t too shabby either, featuring heavy hitters like Willie Nelson, John Prine, Kris Kristofferson, Stephen “Ragga” Marley, Railroad Earth, Drive By Truckers, Keller Williams and The Travelin McCourys. It was a pleasure hearing Willie sing “You Were Always On My Mind”, and John Prine’s storytelling and stage banter was exceptional.

 

The festival is based around ‘Americana’ themes, and this can manifest as a ‘rockier’ festival, or a ‘rootsier’ event. This year the energy seemed more focused on the Singer/Songwriter genre, and while I was satisfied by each of the headlining acts, I was really more impressed by the lesser known bands on the bill. In particular, Jason Lamar & the Rig, Seth Walker, and JacksonVegas all caught my ear. But that’s to be expected in a place where good tunes are waiting around each and every bend. You couldn’t walk to the bathroom without being invited to sit and hear a good campfire jam.

 

I camped with a good friend, Albert Simpson, who was playing at the Cafe every morning. I spent most of my afternoons on my friends’ cabin porch, listening to musicians come and go; playing as they please. At one point there were members of Ivory Lounge, Grandpa’s Cough Medicine, Parker Urban Band, JacksonVegas and Canary in the Coalmine all under the same roof, picking collectively. Magical moments like these exemplify the feeling of Mag Fest.

 

The event has this magical recipe for success that has taken me years to figure out. I’ve touched on a lot of the themes already, but I think it really boils down to bluegrass. It could be argued that bluegrass is truly the best live genre that a festival can feature. The genre’s energy brings family-oriented crowds, and it seems like the music brings out the inner troubadour in all the acoustic musicians. By this, I mean the opportunity for guest sit-ins, campsite jams and sheer musical versatility is abounding at Magnolia Fest. Sure there are still powerful speaker arrays pumping the banjo to the back of the crowd, but the power is in the essence of the music, not the decibel level. This is what I call the “Bluegrass Ripple Effect”.

 

When you combine the beautiful weather, reasonable price, and family-friendly atmosphere with top tier musical talent, you get the Bluegrass Ripple. The conditions make it comfortable for everyone to attend and feel safe. The festival is not overrun with drugs, the campsites are sufficiently private and convenient, and with such an encouraging atmosphere, the Bluegrass Ripple Effect is inevitable. It ripples from the stage to your tent, and a big smile spreads across your face as you doze off to the sweet sounds of the Spirit of the Suwannee.

Written by: Joey Pye

Photos by Joey Pye and Buck Bankston

Edited by: Rosemary A.W. Roberts