Bear Creek Music And Art Festival 2014 Review

First I will start by saying that this was my first time attending Bear Creek Music And Art Festival. I am not new to festivals, nor the picturesque Spirit of Suwannee Music Park and the events it hosts. This was hands down my personal favorite festival of 2014, and I will explain why.

Most Music and Art Festivals claim to be just that, music and art. I’ve only been to a handful that actually live up to that name, Bear Creek being one of them delivers by having an obscene amount of visual art displays along with showcased live art during the shows.

The Artists themselves are true ambassadors to the Music and Art Festival. If you happened to go down and watch the amazing talent unfold before your eyes to a funky beat, more than likely you got a High 5, hug or a heartfelt story about the artists life or work.

There was no way to walk by the art installations without being sucked into a vortex of light and energy that they produced. This amazing group kept me pumped up and recharged for every show! Do yourself a favor and check them out at every event! These guys Rock!

If you are not familiar with Bear Creek, it’s a Funk Festival of epic proportions. There isn’t a second during this festival that you are not infected with the Funk. The shuffle stepping to the beat completely takes over your gait within 3 hours of arrival. This effect soon takes over the entire body and induces High 5’s, smiles and hugs to complete strangers.

The weather did begin to get chili on Friday night but did not keep anyone from enjoying any single part of Bear Creek. I believe the chilly, clear skies helped me experience more than I usually would. I am guessing like most of you, you know what a summer music festival is like, hot, muggy, stinky, dusty and usually rainy, so this was a treat. First time in a while I wasn’t profusely sweating into my camera eyepiece.

The talent at this festival was over the top. The collaborations and sit in’s were random and timed perfectly. Legendary musicians jumping on stage with a band to create a timeless masterpiece that only you get to see. Some people I have talked to don’t understand going to a music festival. It’s hard to explain to someone who hasn’t experienced it for themselves. The only way I can try to explain it is the fact that you are going to experience a once in a lifetime event, or moment in history that can not be recreated. To me, that is priceless. Bear Creek brought this to a whole new level this past weekend.

I can only guess that the people behind the scenes made Bear Creek a really comfortable place for not only the fans, but also the musicians. Never on so many occasions as Bear Creek did I see musicians hanging out in the crowd. Unfortunately for you, I lower my camera when I notice this, out of respect. Sometimes these guys just want to enjoy a show themselves.

Another amazing topic I would like to touch on is the effect of falling in love with a band I somehow never heard before. I can honestly say that I have 5 new favorites. I even bought their I tunes albums on the way home from the festival. Talent from all over the country came here and didn’t hold back. It’s safe to say that the amazing crowd had something to do with this as they were the driving force behind the extreme energy that was amplified and re amplified over and over again throughout the festival.

I am a bit partial to the headliners of this festival as I have been lucky enough to cover them at a handful of other festivals this year. I will say that Bear Creek gave everyone a chance to experience their favorites in a more intimate setting. One where you actually have a chance to get close to the stage but also a place where people will let you get up front without the dirty looks. I received lots of smiles and nods as I made my way to the front for a couple shots.

I can say that every band performed a unique set that I will never forget. They brought energy, charisma and weren’t in a hurry to get off the stage. Again, that says a lot about the festival itself. I have been to venues that obviously rubbed the musicians the wrong way, and thats sad, but definitely not at Bear Creek.

Being part of, and honored to be on the press team, I got to head down and see the Brotherly Love Productions Press tent, where musician’s were giving interviews to my fellow press counterparts. The musicians weren’t in a rush, and smiles were abundant. It was a great experience and I am thankful to have such a great support system from Destiny and her team at BLP.

On the topic of Press, I had the opportunity to work all over the country at different music festivals, the camaraderie among the press teams and staff photographers was amazing and it’s safe to say I made a few friends at Bear Creek.

C Brian Hensley Photography Bear Creek-59

Umphreys Mcgee, Lettuce, Dumpstajam, Orgone, Budos Band, Tauk, Come Back Alice, Green Sunshine, The Nth Power, Sister Sparrow, The New Mastersounds and Copious Jones were my personal favorites at Bear Creek Music And Art Festival. This is tough for me, and I remember having this same conversation at Bear Creek. Picking my favorite band is like choosing my favorite food, or color. For me I have many favorites and there was not a single band at Bear Creek that I didn’t enjoy. I know that I have a lot of new music to download and for that I am grateful.

Thank you Bear Creek Music And Art Festival for the amazing experience, the new friends and the infectious grooves that are now a part our DNA. So much that future scientists will research the human genome to see what happened to so many people during November 13th -16th 2014.