Florida’s Cup Runneth Over… with Music & Festivals
Most Floridians are quick to tell you how blessed we are here in the Sunshine State in terms of wonderful weather. Music fans will tell you the same thing… because of the wonderful music.
Consider March. Five of the eleven major festivals in the country took place here in Florida, including the Gasparilla Music Fest, Suwannee Springfest, and Ultra Music Festival. On the first weekend in March, two festivals at opposite ends of the state captivated fans with amazing events. Our MusicFestNews writers simultaneously declared the inaugural Okeechobee Music and Arts Festival and the AURA Music and Arts Festival as their favorite events of the year!
April promises to be another great month with events such as the Wanee Music Festival (April 13-16) and Tipper & Friends: A Full Moon Gathering (April 22-23). But you need look no further than this April Fool’s weekend to see why there is plenty to do for every music fan statewide. There are dozens of concerts, for sure, and then there are these big five events (with links to our previews).
Fool’s Paradise will feature two amazing days (Friday and Saturday) of music by the beach in St. Augustine, presented by Lettuce, Purple Hat Productions, and Live for Live Music. Headliners for this new major event include Lettuce; GRiZ; Chris Robinson’s Soul Revue featuring George Porter, Jr., Ivan Neville, Nikki Glaspie & Eric Krasno; Vulfpeck; Goldfish; The Nth Power; and Break Science.
The Little Manatee April Fool’s Jam Fest in Wimauma is another new event hosted by WMNF 88.5 Community Conscious Radio. Right on the Little Manatee River, headliners are Trae Pierce & the T-Stone Band, Bobby Lee Rodgers, the Bath Salt Zombies, Future Vintage, Voodoo Visionary and the Marcus King Band.
Over on the pier in Daytona Beach, master of all trades Russ Bowers, who manages the Orange Blossom Jamboree and runs Receptor Sound and Lighting, is hosting a wild Russ Bowers Isn’t Dead Yet weekend. You can probably guess what they play!
Doug Marris is putting on a huge sober event at the Maddox Ranch in Lakeland called Mind, Body & Soul. With more than 120 workshops on wellness, healing, yoga and spirituality, you might — for a moment — overlook an impressive array of musical performers scheduled throughout the festival as well. Among the many playing are Troy Youngblood, Dennis Stadelman, Jun Bustamante Josh We Know, Este Loves, Mama Gina, shoeless soul, and Row Jomah.
For those in the Panhandle, New Earth Army is throwing a one-day beach blanket party (Saturday) in Ft. Walton Beach with Come Back Alice, Funk You, Flat Land, Post Pluto and many more. The Okaloosa RevFest promises to be a blast!
Don’t you DARE sit home this weekend!