Sunshine Hootenanny Provides Another Spectacular Weekend of Music and Family
Sunshine Hootenanny marked the fifth outstanding event presented by the Sunshine Music & Arts Festival crew and the second Hootenanny on another chilly weekend mitigated by smokin’ hot music November 13–15 at Florida Sand Music Ranch in Brooksville, Florida. Production quality was off the charts, especially the sound engineers, and everything ran with a minimum of the usual defugalties.
Flood waters from last year had finally receded, allowing for more camping and vending space. The sun shone through brightly on the fabulous weekend about to unfold. Infinite thanks to Tony Brier of Brier Media Event Photography and Courtney Scout of Scout It Out Media for their amazing images of the weekend!
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13
The microphone crackled as Thor Bendicksen, MC on the Crescent 9 stage, called everyone to come check out some great music. Bendicksen hosts In the Groove, the jamband radio show Tuesdays on WMNF in Tampa.
Bonnie Blue, a venerable Southern rock jam band from Jacksonville, had the honor of kicking the fest off in style, and they did exactly that. Ever since their debut album in 2017, they have wowed audiences with their tremendous sets. Three original members – Willis Gore, guitar & vocals; Bradley Churchman, guitar & vocals; and Adam Kenneway, bass – were joined by the great Alex Sears on keyboards and David Silva on drums.
The set wove some choice covers into their great original tunes. Gore and Churchman split lead vocal duties; Gore is a superb blues shouter in the style of Gregg, JJ, JB, and other Southern rock vocalists. Early on, Widespread Panic’s “Tall Boy” was paired up with . Drummer Silva did a fine job singing Bobby Lee Rodgers’ classic “Outer Space,” and they thrilled with a back-and-forth romp through “Ride Me High > Low Spark of High Heeled Boys > Ride Me High > Low Spark of High Heeled Boys” (JJ Cale/Traffic).
[BB: 1, 2, Tall Boy > 3, 4, 5BC, 6, Outer Space, Ride Me High > Low Spark of High Heeled Boys > Ride Me High > Low Spark of High Heeled Boys, 7, Hot ’Lanta]
Then it was Matt Hillman’s turn to fire up the campers to head to the main stage. Hillman, a fine writer and photographer, has become a premier MC, calling for everyone to the Sunshine Stage to check out Ship of Fools. For most of the festival, Turner Moore covers the entire campground in his role as the king, but for this set he was on stage with his Sarasota band having a fine time. Ship of Fools for this performance were Nate Howell, guitar and vocals; Michael Hoffman, bass guitar; Alex Shames, drums and vocals; Doug Rogells, drums and vocals; Turner Moore, mandolin and vocals; Jeremy Egglefield, keyboards; and special guest vocalist Kara Nally.
Between sets, there was a very special event toward the back of the property near the field (that used to be a lake!). A tree was planted and dedicated to the memory of one of the community’s supernovas, Ben All. Candles helped to illuminate the special remembrance, with hundreds crowded around Ben’s mom and brother Sam and friends.
As this event approached, I made it clear that Colorado quartet Magic Beans were at the top of my list. That became even more true when the band announced November 3 that they have “reached the end of their collective journey.” They have four shows left this year and will hold their Beanstalk Festival one more time next August after 15 years bringing joy and music wherever they travelled. They have tried Orient Silk Road Express private train tours on one of their travels.
We were so fortunate to catch this fabulous burner of a set. Guitarist Scott Hachey and Chris Duffy on bass have this amazing deep vibe when they sing together, amply demonstrated as they opened with “Sharon is Karen.” Keyboard wiz Casey Russell took lead vocal on “What in the World,” which morphed into “Frontier.” Everything was working: pop, disco, rock, funk, all of it. “Handshake or Hug” contained the memorable refrain “Is this sex, or is this love,” and that drifted gloriously into The Cure’s “Lovesong.”
With a few minutes to go, drummer Kirk Larson kicked us into the magnificent country singalong “To Hell We Ride” (Kitchen Dwellers), and we were ALL singing:
‘Cause I’m gonna die,
You’re gonna die,
We’re all gonna die someday.
Might as well do what you want,
And say what you wanna say.
WE DID LISTEN!
[MAGIC BEANS: Sharon is Karen, What in the World > Frontier, Handshake or Hug > Lovesong > Hello, To Hell We Ride]
Eggy had the final word. It began with some slow chooglin’ through “Silver Steed (My Blue) > Sweaters for Strawmen > Reflections > Parceled Serotonin,” all strung together, with Jake Brownstein out front on guitar. Next they took a stroll through the Eric Clapton tune “Lay Down Sally” bundled up with “Shatter” and “Smile.” The vocals were fine, but they hadn’t really hit stride… yet.
All four members of the group sang, and sang well. Drummer Alex Bailey was awesome on “You Can Call Me Al,” perfectly rendered. Mike Goodman’s bass was booming just right. Shortly, they played “Must Come Down,” which emerged into “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes.” Unlike “You Can Call Me Al,” which they played straight up, this “Suite” was an outstanding reinvention with magical vocals and a brief reintroduction of “Shatter.” Dani Battat was particularly effective on keyboards. The whole affair must have run 20 minutes. This was a bold and very successful experiment!
[EGGY: Silver Steed (My Blue) > Sweaters for Strawmen > Reflections > Parceled Serotonin, Lay Down Sally > Shatter > Lay Down Sally > Smile, You Can Call Me Al, Paper Bed, Must Come Down > Suite: Judy Blue Eyes > Shatter > Suite: Judy Blue Eyes, Voice of Them All]
The Wellness Pavilion was completely bedecked with oriental rugs, some chairs, lights, and other items. By day, it housed the yoga and meditation sessions. This night, Bonnie Blue returned for an acoustic jam. The members sat or stood in the center of the area as people gathered around. They began playing wonderful songs such as “Midnight Rider” and x, and many of those in the pavilion joined it. It was a magical vibe that capped off a great first day.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14
The Wellness Pavilion overflowed with activity Friday and Saturday mornings, first with sound meditation and yoga courtesy of Mallory and Dillon Reeder and then a variety of children’s activities.
Friday music opened with a flourish, an uncompromising and riveting set from Dandy Lush, an new entry on the Dunedin/Clearwater scene. Pam Middleton (Pam A Lama Songstress to some) fronts an outstanding group, recently fleshed out with excellent tenor sax man Austin Eunice. There were no cliches in this set, just a great variety of songs and vibes.
Middleton laughed later that I extracted “excited, perverted) from opening tune “Deserve It” before they played the group’s very first composition, “Excuses.”
Slojan Vidic and Tim Adger held down the rhythm, with Adam Barnett everywhere on keyboards. “Tantalize” was very mellow to open and kept its ethereal vibe; Joe King offered a great guitar solo. Most importantly, Middleton has an amazing voice, and she let it all out!
[DANDY LUSH: Deserve It, Excuses, Judgment Day, Tantalize, Trippin’ Over, Haunting, Melt, Inside Out]
Tampa’s Have Gun Will Travel play Americana rock, and the veterans lit up the Sunshine Stage early with fine original music, an excellent cover of “The Shape I’m In,” and “Mission to Nowhere” from new EP Voyager Golden (December 5). Matthew Burke (guitars) and Daniel Burke (bass) were in great form with Scott Anderson on electric & lap steel guitars and Sam Farmer on drums kit. Everybody sings!
The Sgammato School of Music filled their slot on the program with more wonderful teenage musicians showing us that the future of music is in GREAT hands. Face the Fence, who had performed at Sunshine Get Down in May of ’24, were back, and they were deluxe. They played numerous original band compositions and fine covers. Vocalist Jordan Orange has truly increased in power and effectiveness.
She owned that stage along with guitar shredder Brett Milan, with Nelson Garcia keeping everyone in line at drum kit. Their bass player was not available, but the spot was superbly filled by Maddie.
“Make Up Your Mind” was a killer rocker, and they did a fine job with “Stacy’s Mom” (Fountains of Wayne). They played with great enthusiasm and stage presence. Told they had more time, they decided on one extra song to end their great set.
[FTF: Hell Above, Not the Enemy, Dimensions, Creep, Puzzle Piece, Cute Without the E, Make Up Your Mind, Gone, Stacy’s Mom, Wanted You So Bad, Stuck Here, Destroyed]
Electric Kif are a livetronic prog jazz rock quartet from Miami, so it was odd to see only two of them on stage… with a different guitarist. No matter. They blew out a spectacular set. Keyboard guru Jason Matthews also handled the bass while drummer Armando Lopez continually pushed the pace. The surprise addition was guitarist Adam Robl, who was a monster player!
How you get everyone’s attention is to open with a crushing take on Billy Cobham’s “Stratus” before settling in a bit with “Chank” (Scofield with MMW). They hit some great improv before the first notes of arguably their great jam, “Labrats,” emerged. It was stunning. Robl, whom I discovered is also a huge Peter Green devotee (he has one of his guitars!), displayed some amazing effects in a jam before they crushed the song people mistakenly think is “In a Silent Way”; it was in fact “It’s About That Time,” the Miles Davis opus. The trio dialed it back a bit for a Radiohead cover before closing with the dance jam favorite “Jan Jan.” Bravo!
[KIF: Stratus, Chank, Jam, Labrats, It’s About That Time, (Radiohead), Jan Jan]
It had been seven years (I think) since Blackwater Grease played this same stage at OBJ. MC Bendicksen called it correctly as we were swinging from Dade to DUVAL for some great music. Joe Verseput (vocals, guitar), Greg Sears (vocals, guitar), Alex Sears (keyboards), Shane Platten (bass), Brent Berryman (drums), and Joe King (guitar, no vocals) offered a solid and entertaining set. It was great to see the Sears Boys together, Verseput was a great frontman, and King shredded some more. They also invited Willow Osbourne (banjo) up for a solid “Cortez the Killer.” Daniel Donato even jumped up to grab some extra grease!
[BG: Hamish, No Crossroads > outro jam, Cry for the Bad Man (skynyrd), Voodoo Woman, Cortez the Killer, Dead Dying]
The Duval vibe continued as the Jessica Jones Project was beyond overflowing with talent from the Jacksonville area. The band included venerated rhythm section Shane Platten and Shaun Taunton and John ParkerUrban on guitar; the secret weapon was Marcus White on keyboards! Rick Benedetto from KC and the Sunshine Band also guested on trumpet.
Chanteuse Jones was joined by vocalists Juanita ParkerUrban, Jenn Burns, and Annessa Platten.
This was so special, so wide ranging, and so full of good vibes. The setlist tells you much of the story. Everything worked to perfection, and the comic relief came when Platten performed his wonderful “Jellyfish”! White was a gem, and this was the perfect vehicle for Jones to flourish.
[JJP: Liberation (Outkast), California Dreamin’ (Eddie Hazel), Virginia (The Marcus King Band), One Way Out (Allman Brothers Band), It Was A Good Day (Ice Cube) > Footsteps In The Dark, Pts 1&2 (The Isley Brothers), Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing (Stevie Wonder), Jellyfish (Shane Platten, Melody Trucks Band)), I’m Every Woman (Chaka Kahn), Home By Dawn (Jessica Jones, Chroma Donna)), I Would Die 4 U (Prince), Don’t Let Me Down (Marcia Griffiths)]
Mountain Grass Unit hail from Birmingham, Alabama, and this young quartet is skyrocketing (catch them next year at Delfest and Bonnaroo, among others). Their website says they offer “a fresh narrative’; we’d say that is a gross understatement. Drury Anderson (mandolin, vocals), Luke Black (guitar, vocals), Josiah Nelson (fiddle, vocals), and Sam Wilson (bass, vocals) knocked us over with a powerhouse rocking’ bluegrass/newgrass set. In the midst of their originals they threw in “Jack-a-roe” and “Ain’t Life Grand,” and there was a special moment when they were joined on stage by Daniel Donato and banjo player and singer Willow Osbourne.
Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country have been on a rampage of late, bringing the light everywhere they go. They had the honor of the final set at Suwannee Hulaween and knocked it out of the music park. This set was better!
After opening with a couple of favorites, he invited Willow Osbourne to join him for a solid 25-minute set including a marvelous take on Django Reinhardt’s “Minor Swing” and a final “Roll in My Sweet Baby’s Arms.”
Then the jamming began in earnest with deep support from his band. “Fortunate Sparrow” was a highlight, “Sugar leg Rag” an absolute shitkicker delight, and “J.J. Cale’s “Ride Me High” a deep dive. Nathan “Sugar Legg” Aronowitz on keyboards, Will “Mustang” McGee on bass, and William “Bronco” Clark on drums were outstanding.
[DDCC: Rose in a Garden > The Gold Rush, Tennessee Tumbleweed, Ride That Midnight Train, Minor Swing, Wayside (Back in Time), Roll in My Sweet Baby’s Arms, Fortunate Sparrow, Sugar Shack, Luck of the Draw > Sugar Leg Rag, At the Ball > Ride Me High, Chore]
Rich Sheldon had the evening’s acoustic jam, while DJ Morganja kept the silent disco-ers on their toes.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15
Mediation, yoga, and children’s activities filled the air again at the Wellness Pavilion.
The last morning began with a huge rush – a “Gold Rush” – as Moonstone Riders (Naples) rocked us awake and on our feet with their psychedelic funk. Singer Marcia Winslow stole the show with her powerful vocals and her awesome green body suit. Matt Benfield (guitar) and Jeffrey James (bass) were superb as they worked through great originals and dandy versions of “Good Times Bad Times” and “Frankenstein,” which featured key-tar AND trombone! You owe it to yourself to dance with this band.
[MRIDERS: Gold Rush, Identity, He Don’t Know, FL Man, Oz, The River, Cowboys in Chinatown, Lonely Nights, The Jungle, Average Day, Virgil Greyson, Good Times Bad Times, Frankenstein, Be Here Now, The Shift, Black Sand]
Things quieted down for a bit with a fine set from Prodigal Sons – Dana Lawrence (Kettle of Fish) and Tom McNulty and Johnny Mac (the Verge). They chose a wide-ranging set of tunes for two guitars and mandolin, from traditional songs such as “The Weight” and Jerry Garcia pieces to a truly fascinating take on The Who’s “Eminence Front”!
Seranation from Treasure Island have been playing their blend of pop/reggae rock since 2014, and they tour nationally. Adam Hocker handled lead vocals and played guitar, with Josh Hasak ruling the tempo. I was going to note that the bass was a bit loud, but that’s a requirement for reggae; Bianca Schlosser was excellent. The set included “Angel of the Morning,” “The Joker,” Sugar Ray’s “Fly,” and “What’s Going On.”
Round Trip brought their indie rock from Boston to share, although we heard a couple of the boys are originally from Florida. Jake Stevenson (guitar, vocals), Chris Cooper (keyboards), Drake Millhausen (bass), and Walker Macmillan (drums) made the most of their time. After a great opener, they threw in a nice “Take the Money and Run.” At some point, like on PeeWee’s Playhouse, they had us all SCREAM REAL LOUD! They mixed in ska, prog, “Hungry Like the Wolf” and more.
Louisville indie rockers Houseplant jammed through a great set of music on the Sunshine stage. Tavis Conley’s mandolin in particular helped to keep the vibes rolling. Bass player Tommy Arnspiger matched up so well recent addition Ben Atkind on drums. Great harmonies were the feature throughout the set, including great vocalese during “Find a Way Back Home.” Sam Richardson added a variety of keyboards to the mix, and there were some solid moments from Chris Rodahaffer on guitar.
At the ripe old age of 22, Brandon “Taz” Niederauer needs little introduction. We’ve been seeing him play since he was 11 at Bear Creek Music & Arts Festival, some even before that. He’s been on Jam Cruise, played in Trouble No More, and starred on Broadway in ‘School of Rock,’ and his resume continues to expand. Beyond his spectacular guitar-playing, Taz is all about love and unity and community and more love, and that was evident throughout his funk-filled set.
His tight backing trio romped through “Say Something,” a delightful “Blackbird > Hey Ya,” “Wanna Have Sex with You,” and D’Angelo’s “Chicken Grease.” All the while, Taz’s guitar prowess was on display, and his vocal chops are solid. After “All Come Down” and band intros, they knocked us out with “I Would Die 4 You.”
The final night’s headliners were the Terrapin FAmoe.LY Band, a special edition with the insertion of Al Schnier and Vinny Amico of moe. to the band. They made an easy entry into the set with a laid-back “Jackstraw,” following with “Eyes > Scarlet,” a great transition. Likewise “Mississippi > Sweet Lazy River” brought smiles. Schnier and the moe. boys like to do Dylan, and “Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues” was outstanding.
“New Speedway Boogie” always gets the crowd energized. At some point, keyboard wiz Jason Crosby and Schnier on guitar switched places, and suddenly the band was playing Nirvana’s “Lithium.” Except that, when the words came out they were “Friend of the Devil”! BRILLIANT. What a great set to send everybody off to campfire jams and rest.
[TERRAPIN: Jackstraw, Eyes of the World > Scarlet Begonias, Mississippi Half-Step Toodeloo > Sweet Lazy River, Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues, Bertha, New Speedway Boogie, Friend of the Devil/Lithium, Help is on the Way, Deal]
DJ True Self did the silent disco thing.
And, with that, the second Sunshine Hootenanny finished as a raging success. There are so many people to thank, beginning with T. Cronin Moore (Turner), owner of the festival, and the one and only Jillian Grant. Thanks to MCs Matt Hillman and Thor Bendickson, the park crew for their breakfast offerings, the Sunshine Music crew, the vendors, and the volunteers at the gate and maintenance throughout the park.
Sponsors included: Crescent 9 Seltzer, Renewal by Andersen, cegpresents, US Tent Rental, GoTonight.com, Central Florida Local Live Music Listing Service, SWFlorida Live, WMNF Community Radio, Music Compound, Sweetheart Carts, and WUFT Media.
A special nod to Neighbor Nate Riggs of Music Festivals Podcast for streaming all weekend long with his amazing setup!
Infinite thanks to Dancing Chris for joining us all weekend!!!
