Whippersnap Festival (a.k.a. Sooza Festival) was TOTALLY LIT!

Whippersnap Festival (a.k.a. Sooza Festival) was TOTALLY LIT!

The third iteration of Whippersnap Music & Arts Festival, Florida edition, was a non-stop dance party with incredible performances over the space of four days (February 18–21) at Florida Sand Music Ranch in Brooksville. The first and second versions were great, but this one was totally, completely LIT!

There were 29 official sets plus a half-dozen late-night jams. Trying to identify “highlights” is impossible when there were so, so many, but Sooza Brass Band and the proper subset Sooza Horns owned the weekend. The six-member Sooza Brass Band from Gainesville opened Thursday, and then The Sooza Horns sat in on at least a dozen sets and were part of the local super-collective Zenzi. The mind boggles imagining how much material they had to learn, because they nailed every appearance.

Confession: I caught all or most of every regular set, but there was no way I could manage the afters as well. Shout-out to local legend Daniel Pollack for arranging those sets and the amazing food!

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18

The gates opened Wednesday at 2, and by 6 p.m. DJ risKay was on stage knocking out a delightful dance set that already attracted a nice crowd. Brava for including the original “Black Magic Woman” (Fleetwood Mac) in the set!

The remainder of the evening’s menu was full of Eddie Roberts and The Lucky Strokes. In addition to Roberts, guitar wizard of The New Mastersounds, the group boasted young guitar slinger Shelby Kemp along with hometown stars Ashley Galbraith on bass and Taylor Galbraith on drums. They also tacked on Sam Farmer on drums and vocals to double our pleasure.

Set one featured a number of the singles and songs from their debut album, including “Whiskey Makes Me Strong,” “Sweet Dreams,” “Funny Little Games,” and “Everything I Do.” Kemp handled lead vocals, with Roberts on backing vocals. Farmer took the lead on several songs as well. There was a long story about robbery, a real shitkicker, and a blues shuffle rave-up in the mix.

Set two exploded immediately with their cover of “Grits Ain’t Groceries” and then a tune that featured a great Ashley bass solo and a nice vamp for the drummers to explore. Out then came Jam Queen Kanika Moore, whose talents spread across numerous genres. She and the band blasted through a stunning “Black Dog,” following that up “With a Little Help from My Friends”; Roberts had a fine solo here. After Kanika left the stage, Farmer had a nice solid vocal on a country blues tune.

Roberts acknowledges that this is a rock and roll band, but they certainly jammed out long and hard on “Sympathy for the Devil.” Kemp sang and shredded, and Taylor and Farmer had huge space to display their talents. Next Farmer sang “You Don’t Know How it Feels” before the quintet flexed again as a jam band, crushing Tom Waits’ beloved “Goin’ Out West.” Certainly my favorite of their shows I’ve seen — a remark I would be making throughout the festival!

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19

The aforementioned Sooza Brass Band can play anything they damn well please, and their day-opener was a blast. They are: Shawn Villanueva and Adrienne Widener, trumpets; Ryan Gamberino, saxophones; Brian Burwell, trombone; Biana Maesa, sousaphone; and Austin DiVito, drums. They rocked through rock standards and fun tunes, and Artist at Large Alex Steele joined them to sing “Sweet Dreams” and “7-Nation Army.” They also introduced a brand new song from their upcoming album. Lots more Sooza to go!

The Low Heavies from Tampa played an enjoyable set of originals and covers, led by Eric Sandalic on guitar and lead vocals. While instrumental “Fortune Cookie” was pouring out, we caught the first of many sightings of Dancing Chris! The quintet was augmented by Christian Ryan on saxophone. They offered a great version of “That’s What Love Will Make You Do” and a fine jazzy song before blasting (my favorite) funk anthem “Standing On the Verge of Getting It On,” the Funkadelic masterpiece.

Row Jomah’s Talking Heads project Road to Nowhere (Clearwater) had a fine set back out on the Cookies stage (music alternated between the Whippersnap stage under the pavilion and this one). The great quintet was augmented as usual by vocalist Rochelle Saddiq and Dave Gerulat, percussion and vocals. The set was a great tour through the TH canon, beginning with “Girlfriend is Better” and hitting “Burnin’ Down the House” and “Life During Wartime,” among others. Everything was on, Siddiq particularly powerful, and, for the closing “Cross-Eyed and Painless,” artist at large Joe Marcinek sat in and soloed.

Festival darlings Sauce Pocket out of Jacksonville hit the stage, and their presence was felt. A recent personnel change added Kyle Sareyani on keyboards, flute, guitar, and vocals. For this show, superb multi-instrumentalist Joe Cosas was also there on keyboards, and there was a percussionist to boot. they decide song titles after the fact; suffice to say they kept the crowd dancing non-stop. Credit as always to Taylor Ivey on bass and Riley O’Brien on drums.

Then we had the first sit-in by the Soosa Horns (Adrienne Widener, trumpets; Ryan Gamberino, saxophones; Brian Burwell, trombone). As with every other appearance they made as artists at large, they understood the assignment and NAILED IT. In this case, it was tucking into the evolving jam. Cosas grabbed his trombone and jumped into the fray. As if it couldn’t get better, Queen Kanika Moore joined the groove. They did not work out any specific song (since Sauce Pocket isn’t built that way); instead, she just improvised and jammed with them for several “songs.”

We were already TOTALLY LIT, and it was still just Thursday afternoon.

Tru Phonic represented the East Coast in style with a killer set that included material from their new album, of course a guest slot from Sooza Horns added to the two Tru Phonic saxophones, and a great tune about Tampa traffic (many heads nodding in the crowd) with a great rap from Travis “TooTall” Young, who left his drum kit to go to the front of the stage. They knocked everybody out with their superb set.

Artist at large Joe Marcinek had his own set next, the stage littered with the usual suspects including Brain Emoji bandmates Vinny Svoboda (bass), Jamie Newitt (drums), and Mike Bryant (keyboards and synths and toys) plus Dave Gerulat back on percussion and… the Sooza Horns. The band came out smokin’, joined on the second tune by Rochelle Siddiq.

I confess I was hoping that Kanika Moore would come out to sing with fellow Jam Cruise artist Marcinek… and pair up with Siddiq. My supplications were answered as they paired up gloriously on “Boogie Oogie Oogie” and then a reggae-tinged romp through “Come Together.”

It went bonkers when Spafford members Nick Tkachyk (drums) and Shon Gordon (bass) took over those instruments with fest organizer Shane Lavigne on percussion AND more Sooza horns for Marcinek’s signature tune “George Washington” (best.version.ever). Meanwhile, The Snozzberries from Asheville were touring in the area but had their gig cancelled. COME ON UP! All we can confirm is that Ethan Heller sang “Sledgehammer”! They all settled done to finish with a beautiful Marcinek Siddiq song, “Before I Go.”

Indianapolis quartet Dizgo have been skyrocketing. They’ve toured extensively, with numerous passes through Florida. They were fabulous at Suwannee Hulaween and delivered two incredible sets on Jam Cruise in February. They did likewise at Whippersnap with a brilliant set showcasing their jamtronica and rock and funk in equal measures. Andrew Pickel, is such an engaging frontman on guitar and vocals with Kevin Hinnefeld blowing up bass and bass synth. Justin Clark is so rock-solid on drums, and Jake Evatt is an absolute keyboard wizard. They traded lead vocals through a dynamic set including their fan favorite “It’s Alright” (“HALLELUJAH!”).

The set exploded when they launched into a deep, deep jam that morphed into “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” as Queen Kanika Moore strolled onstage to send it stratospheric. She left as they continued with a brilliant jam. They called her back up to crush “Heart of Glass”… to everyone’s delight. Dizgo: you’re welcome here any time.

Everyone in the community has favorite jamsters, band who can just throw down wonderful, expansive jams. I would put Spafford at the top of that list, and they proved it in spades with a magnificent headlining set to shut down Thursday. They romped through “Double Time” before slowing the tempo for a reggae-ish “Be Strange.” Queen Kanika Moore made her appearance as the band opened up the Stone Temple Pilots song “Plush,” a powerhouse performance from all.

There was a killer vamp though “Neutrino,” chock full of Shon Gordon’s bass thumps. The big jam turned into the Men at Work hit “Down Under,” and that jammed even harder before returning to the head. After a fine “Sweet,” Joe Marcinek joined them for a bouncy “Spunkadelic” and then a brilliant version of Herbie Hancock’s classic “Cantaloupe Island”; Cory Schechtman really tore this up on keyboards.

What a great day! Two more to go!

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20

Outstanding Tampa Bay area quintet Light the Wire sparkled as they opened day 3. The wonderful trio of Alexis Toro (vocals), Dani Jaye (vocals, violin), and J.D. Simpson (guitar, guitar) rally upped the ante when they added this fine rhythm section: Caleb Bone (bass, vocals) and Dylan Chee-A-Tow (drums). This was the perfect way to begin with their wonderful selection of original songs such as “Caught in the Rain” and “Rise to the Occasion.” All four vocalists harmonizing on “Bright Hot Light” was glorious.

Whale Feral were relative unknowns on the schedule despite the fact that the band has been playing for years. They grabbed everyone’s attention on the Cookies stage with a killer set that began with J.J. Cale’s “Ride Me High.” The quartet, expanded to a quintet with a second guitarist, played a fine set of tunes; when they got to the one named “Nebraska,” talking about the avenue in Tampa, knowing heads nodded. Sooza Horns guested on “Into the Mystic” and then stayed for Tom Petty’s “You Don’t Know How It Feels.” Each horn had a great solo. Whale Feral is a really solid band. Put them on your dance card.

Madness was up next as Brain Emoji attacked the stage, the same crew — Vinny Svoboda (bass), Jamie Newitt (drums), and Mike Bryant (keyboards and synths and toys) — who jumped in with Joe Marcinek Thursday (Joe is also a BE). Their improv set was magic to behold, beginning “normally” enough with Joe Roma singing Talking Heads’ tune “Making Flippy-Floppy.”

And then, predictably, it went gloriously off the rails — in other words, a normal BE set. J.D. Simpson in a white robe came up, then Jon Ditty rapping, Svoboda on space bass, Marcinek with a huge solo, EVERYBODY working over Bryant’s bank of keyboards and synths including Kyle Sareyani, and finally Brain Doss’ tenor saxophone adding the perfect panache.

Those Antelope boys were doing their thing in tribute to the band Phish. When I arrived they were about to “Run Like an Antelope” and profess that they were “Down with Disease.” John Sabal on keyboards is perfect in this context, and guitarist Matt Weis can play anything, but he loves this music. A great jam twisted into “Tweezer” and eventually a wonderful “Stash,” pumped by the rhythm section (Miguel Lantigua and Michael Garrie), even more so on set-closer “Julius” (“Don’t blame it on yourself!”).

S.P.O.R.E., the Jacksonville prog rockers, haven’t been around nearly enough, so we were delighted to see them for this great set of tunes highlighting their Spontaneous. Progression. Of. Recurring. Energy. The old-school setlist matched their old-school lineup: Joe King, guitar; Alex Sears, keyboards, synths; Steve Rose, bass; and Chris Richard, drums. They were out early with “Domoto” before inviting Stephanie Perez to shred on “Tainted Pitties.” Kyle Sareyani and guitar joined in on “Hamster Hash,” and the set also featured favorites “Huddleston Shuffle” and “Origin of BIM.” Welcome back!

Reigning Bay Area jam kings CopE returned to the location they have made home for more than a dozen years, blowing out a wonderful set for the faithful and newcomers alike. They opened with a jam (they ARE jam kings) before heading into “Sometime.” The Stadelman brothers — Dennis on guitar and Kenny on bass — were in prime form. They romped through “Creeker > noodle doodle > Creeker,” anchored by Dave Gerulat‘s superb time on drums. After “Into Mine” and “Love,” the Sooza Horns joined keyboardist Juanjamon, who grabbed his tenor sax to make it a four-horn attack tearing up The J.B.’s classic “Pass the Peas.” Outstanding!

Fest head honcho Shane Lavigne’s bandmates MimiM always lights up Whippersnap, and they certainly did this time with new addition Brendan Havens joining Michael Hibler on rockin’ guitars and bass monster Hunter Richey up front. They had completely settled into the set with “Layered Mirrors” and “Organically > Away.” A pair of artists at large — Alex Steele on vocals and Joe Marcinek on guitar — helped pump up “Crosseyed and Painless,” and then… you bet… Queen Kanika strolled on stage to blow up George Michael’s “Freedom,” replete with The Sooza Horns backup vocalists Steele, Kelsey Sharp, and Kat Hines. Still not enough? How about “Tweezer Reprise” to shut it all down!

Last year’s Whipper set by Guavatron was incendiary. How about this one? TOTALLY LIT! (I confess my prejudice.) They opened deep prog with “Planets > Reflection.” That killer rhythm section — Casey Luden and Cory Ricardy — were deep into it. The joyous bounce of “Spring Roll” energized the crowd even more, and then, just as last year, they too received a visitation from Queen Kanika. First up was the disco bounce of “Rhythm Of The Night,” the sort of groove they do so well.

Brief pause, and then the telltale guitar opening to Van Halen’s “Panama.” Adonis Guava TORE THIS UP, and Kanika was at her killer rock best. Keyboard wiz Roddy Hansen was grinning ear to ear, and the crowd exploded during Guava’s solo when Kanika lay down on the stage then rose to her knees as he dropped to his knees as he played. BOOM!

I just could not get off on Thumpasaurus. I’ve seen them before and liked them. Mine was absolutely the minority opinion here. I had just watched my favorite band crush a brilliant set with a Kanika Moore nightcap, and the set now unfolding missed me. Perhaps in a small club I might have preferred it, but not this night. The headliners had a packed dance crowd for this amusing set.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21

Not sure we’ve ever had a Bay Area supercollective before, but we certainly do now. Shane Lavigne will have to expound later on the origins of the band: From MiniM, Brendan Havens, guitar, vocals; and Shane Lavigne, percussion; Mike Nivens (Ajeva), guitar; Miguel Lantigua (Antelope, Tropico Blvd), bass; Kelsey Sharp (Joy Wagon), keyboards, vocals; Kat Hines, vocals; Mac Schmitz (Voodoo Visionary), drums; and the three members of The Sooza Horns: Adrienne Widener, trumpet; Brian Burwell, trombone; and Ryan Gamberino, saxophone.

What a wonderful wakeup surprise! They selected a dozen great hits from the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s and did ’em up right. From the first notes of “Spanish Moon” to the last strains of “What is Hip?”, you could see nothing but hugs, smiles, and dancing bodies. Havens, Sharp, and Hines handled the vocals, and Havens and Nivens traded lead guitar back and forth. The Sooza Horns were everywhere, and that rhythm section crushed.

Sharp is a fine keyboard player, but we’ve never seen her vocal skills so perfectly displayed. She sang “Getaway,” “Sledgehammer,” and “Move On Up.” Hines was equally superb, blowing us away during “Magic Man” while lighting up “The Letter.” Both ladies ripped up “Rock Steady” and “25 or 6 to 4.” When this band announces another show, put your face in the place!

Stick Martin and Jon Ditty have been weaving their onstage magic for years. I still struggle to define exactly what it is they do, only that I love everything about it. These are two gents who spit rhymes machine-gun style, full of socially conscious themes. Stick is a brilliant acoustic guitarist, Ditty plays keyboards, with their patented back-and-forth musical trade-offs and great sounds. Ditty is a brilliant rapper, and Martin’s guitar stylings and vocals are always a blast. [I stole all that from a previous review, with love.]

The set included all of that and more, especially “Don’t Be a Dick” and something like “You’re Too Whack to Not Stay Local.” There was an amusing delay when they invited Marcinek up, but he wanted to use Ditty’s keyboard for “Pink Lemonade.” And, of course, the Sooza Horns tucked precisely into a tune with their hip hop accents.

Tire Fire self-describe as “Bluegrass Fusion from the South-East.” CAN CONFIRM. This outstanding collective has been making beautiful music for years, and their infusion into Whippersnap was perfect. By the time I arrive, banjo king Trey Miller was singing about “Two Trains.” Mandolin maven Arrie Boseman played a fine song of hers. The group’s harmonies soar on song after song, and then we get fun excursions such as “GET OFF MY LAWN!”

Justin Davis (guitar), Dani Jaye (fiddle), and Sean Hartley (bass) all sing, while drummer Dave Gerulat adds the beat to their music which affirms life and love and joy. “I’m Alive” followed closely after “Pirate Ship,” and they finished with great song “Ashes.”

Joslyn and The Sweet Compression turned in the sleeper set of Whippersnap, a brilliant performance from a remarkable singer and kickass trio with great songs and even better lyrics. It was the perfect setup for a toasty afternoon set on the Cookies Stage out in the field. Unfortunately, too many people, wearing down on the fourth and final day of the fest, missed this one. We certainly hope they will tour this way again, but this was truly special.

On the day that featured seven outstanding female vocalists, Joslyn Hampton was one of the very best, with fabulous range and depth. Their set opened with the title track from the band’s second album Bona Fide (2023), the song assuring that this was “no imitation.” They next grabbed the first of seven track’s from their eponymous debut with “Changing Times.” “If I Break It Down” took notice with “then I don’t hear the sound of my breaking heart after all.” WOW

All of these song featured deep lyrics, including “Sticky Situation”: “I can’t get myself together.” The trio with her was really solid: Carter Scofield on guitar, Tyler Papierniak on bass, and Rashawn Fleming on drums and backing vocals. It was at this moment that a beautiful swallow-tailed kite began circling above the stage, just as Joslyn and the boys roared into the Rufus tune “You Got the Love,” full-on Chaka Khan. MC Nookis acknowledged it was a sign. He was correct.

“Wise Fools” from Bona Fide was another great confession: “A fool in love is what I want to be.” That was followed by more great song-writing with “What Did You Think Was Gonna Happen?” and then “Honey, Be.” Did I cry like a baby when she filled the entire campground with Chaka Khan’s signature “Ain’t Nobody”? YOU BET.

Everywhere backing vocals were needed, Fleming was on the job in addition to keeping superb time in tandem with Papierniak on bass. “Sunday Driver” talked about the need for somebody “taking me through the night.” WAIT! WHAT? “Iron Man”? Killer version, Scofield blistering on guitar and Joslyn holding nothing back. They made a jazzy transition to the second half of the tune, very cool.

Scofield roared again on “Love on the Double” before they ALL tore it up on the 1974 Funkadelic masterpiece “Cosmic Slop.” They closed out the set with “It’s About a Passion.”

Flow Tribe from New Orleans offered an enjoyable, bouncy set fronted by 1 on trumpet and 2 on trombone. They tossed in lots of dance favorites such as “Do You Think I’m Sexy?” and “Give It to Me Baby.” Of COURSE the Sooza Horns joined in on the fun.

Greenhouse Lounge plays approximately one show per year. We were glad to catch this one. Master bass blaster Dave McSweeney was pumped to be back, too, along with the relentless Jason Hunnicutt on drums. The majority of their set is deep prog featuring the ubiquitous Steven Rose on guitar (guitar with Sauce Pocket, bass with S.P.O.R.E.) and the truly amazing keyboard and synth work of Billy Bagley. McSweeney jammed up his space bass as Chris Sgammato on alto sax and Kyle Sareyani on guitar jumped in for a wild ride. The band also offers a segment with rapper Daryl Green.

Florida’s reigning jam kings The Heavy Pets are celebrating 20 years in the biz, and once again they lit up the pavilion they’ve played so often. “Real News” from Strawberry Mansion popped up early, and Jeff Lloyd and Mike Garulli dove into the jams, guitars blazing. Shout-out (every time) to Jim Wuest for his amazing keyboard work… and faces! Queen Kanika helped them blast Led Zep’s “The Ocean” throughout the campground. Jamie Newitt and the incredible Chris Patsis form a killer rhythm section (yes, it IS all about the rhythm section), and the Sooza kids helped turn a jam toward New Orleans. This was a superb set from the Pets.

Consensus in these here parts is that Ajeva, the St. Pete band on the scene for more than a decade, truly belong in the national conversation. They are adept at funk, jam, rock, pop, livetronica and more, but their recent shift to include mind-blowing metal has people crowding to their shows. This set was, by many accounts, their best yet. Guitarist Mike Nivens is a beast. Period. The end. The quintet roared start to finish, opening with “Kiwi” and finally dismissing us with “The Sherpa/SAGARMATHA.”

Reed Skahill with his chameleon voice is the perfect frontman, and Lyndon Thacker on keyboards adds great depth and the color to the music. A long take on “Lady (Hear Me Tonight)” exploded, and then Queen Kanika appeared in robe, ready to rock out. As the band played the first notes of “Highway to Hell,” Kanika tossed off the robe, showing off her black body suit and blue fox tail. WOW! After she left, that rhythm section (again the rhythm section!) led the blistering “RODENTMOUTH.” Founding member Taylor Gilchrist rocked the bass, and recent addition Tucker Sody continues to surprise and delight at drum kit. BRAVO!

That left it to Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe to shut down Whippersnap 2026 (well, except for the afters, of course). Denson and entourage had just crushed two magnificent sets on Jam Cruise. For my money, this one was better. This band is remarkably tight, with Ricio Fruge on trumpet,  Ricky Giordano on guitar, and Rashon Murph on keyboards right up front with Denson. After opening “Mighty Mouse,” they offered a monster “Hang Me Up to Dry.”

On a day filled with superb female talent, add one more: spectacular young vocalist Danielle Barker, who sang “Satisfied” with Denson, who had a fine flute solo; Fruge and Giordano also had great space. Barker matched up perfectly with Kanika Moore for “Yes We Can Can.” [Moore remained in the wings, cheering on Barker for part of the set.] Barker and Denson also paired up on “Baby Love” before she soared with “I Believe.” Giordano had numerous great solos throughout.

For more than 20 years, I have had the pleasure of hearing KDTU dozens of times, but not until this should did I finally catch the magnificent undulating Afrobeat of “Elephants Are Big as Hell.” This version ran at least 15 minutes, with solo space for everybody. The song is built first on a repetitive guitar figure set up perfectly by Giordano with propulsive backing from Parker McAllister and Alfred Jordan (you know, the rhythm section). When Denson on tenor sax and Fruge fall in, it is pure magic.

At this point, my notes went all to pieces, but for sure Danielle Barker presented an ethereal “I Can’t Stand the Rain.”

WOW!

Ready for Whippersnap 2027? Better thank these folks:

THE MUSICIANS!

Of course!

THE ORGANIZERS, TECH STAFF, AND VOLUNTEERS

Because nothing can happen without them!

YOU!

Because there is no festival without festies!

See you in 2027!