Reunion: Campout Series ~ jamtronic heaven!

bannerTrey Hebron needs to have his head examined. He is positive he can cram 30 DJs and bands into two days at the Spirit of Suwannee Music Park for Reunion: Campout Concert Series #1 on August 21 & 22. Perhaps he’s not so crazy, and maybe he has everything mapped out for an outrageous weekend of music. I’m going with that.

This has been a great summer for the music park and Paul Levine. Another new series, Roosevelt Collier’s Suwannee Getdowns, just had its second successful round, with a third just announced for September 11 & 12. At both of the Getdowns, DJs from the Reunion: Campout group provided music at the beach each Saturday and between Music Hall sets in the courtyard each night.

Hebron and company explained what they hope to do:

“Reunion Campout Concert Series aims to bring an intimate musical getaway to the Spirit of Suwannee Music Park and will be EXTREMELY limited in capacity. Each ‘Reunion’ will be different, and rather than annually this series will pop-up from time to time when it makes sense for our extended family to get back together. For our first installment taking place August 21 & 22nd, music will take place primarily in the Music Hall, however we will also feature a Saturday party at the beach and a late-night Silent Disco each night!”

So now we have the first of what will surely be a long series of Reunion: Campout Concerts. Trey has assembled amazing talent from the jamtronic, electronic, and jam genres as well as a host of great DJs. Consider the headlining act: The Stratosphere All-Stars.

This conglomeration of incredible talent features four stars of the scene. Steve Molitz is a frequent visitor to the music park as the keyboard wizard of Particle and Headtronics. Marcus Rezak (Digital Tape machine) plays guitar. Former STS9 bass player David Murphy joins Allen Aucoin (drummer for the Disco Biscuits) in the rhythm section.

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Add to that three leading exponents of the electronic/rock movement: Zoogma, Greenhouse Lounge, and DYNOHUNTER. We have already achieved ‘epic’ jamtronic status!

Gravity A: A Tribute to the Talking Heads is another great collaboration, this time with Cliff Hines (currently on tour with Mike Dillon), Luke Quaranta (Toubab Krewe) and
Rachel Murray. Quaranta and Murray are two of the artists at large for the festival. Other artists at large include Todd Stoops (keyboard maniac with RAQ, formerly Kung Fu, new band Oktopus), John Parkerurban (guitarist for the Parker Urban Band), Clark Smith (DYNOHUNTER), and Jason Hunnicutt.

Hebron also tapped into the awesome Jacksonville music scene for talent. Lucky Costello is a great ‘organic-electro-fusion’ band, and S.P.O.R.E. also slams electro-funk and jam. He reached out to superb jam boys Displace from Tampa and outstanding space-jazz group Captain Green from Baton Rouge.

The list of DJs assembled is overwhelming. Begin your list with Sir Charles and MZG/Monozygotik. Add to that Bells & Robes, Ardency and Lucidea. Rocks n Blunts is at the top of my list with their deep house and techno.

Then there is the DJ invasion from Jacksonville and beyond, truly impressive: Vlad the Inhaler, Matthew Connor, Universal Green, LeGinge, Blk Mrkt, Damballa, Lord Cornelius, Alexander the Great, Combustible, and Shwillwave Frat Party (OK, that’s just Vlad and Connor again!).

Two other bands ripped my head off while researching this festival, and you can be sure you’ll find me on the rail for both sets. Lava, from Jacksonville, is Alex Sears, Jeremey Nix, Kyle Piety, Joel Knoebel and Leo Kulishevskiy. Their Soundcloud music is simply amazing. Same for Space Kadet (from Auburn & Atlanta), whose ‘psychedelic space-funk’ will knock you out: Alex Etheridge, Rohan Prakash, Kyle Gissendaner, and Blake Catrair.

preparty

And I would be remiss were I not to mention the Reunion Fest pre-party — in St. Petersburg on Thursday, August 20. The Motet and Serotonic perform at the State Theatre, followed by an after-party at Fubar featuring Future Vintage.

For you marathoners, be sure to hit the Umphrey’s McGee show at Jannus Live in St. Pete on Sunday, with another afterparty, this time with Roosevelt Collier and Voodoo Visionary from Atlanta.

Then you can go sleep for a week.

http://suwanneereunion.com/

https://www.facebook.com/SuwanneeReunion

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