LIVE OAK — The fourth annual Suwannee Roots Revival begins Thursday, Oct. 10, at the Spirit of Suwannee Music Park with Brett Bass & Melted Plectrum setting the tone for the weekend on the Amphitheater Stage beginning at 3 p.m.
They will be followed by female roots rocker Lindsay Lou, the dynamic presence of The Lil Smokies and chart topping and energetic Celtic bluegrass sensations We Banjo 3. To close out this first day will be a nice long set from blues rocker Samantha Fish, fresh off the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine. With opening sets from Sloppy Joe, Quartermoon and Nikki Talley and Jason Sharp on the Porch Stage, the music will flow. The rocking Dance Tent will start the weekend with amazing sets from stellar festival family and national touring artists Nicholas Edward Williams, Joe Craven & The Sometimers, The Grass Is Dead, Jon Stickley Trio and the first of several daily contra/square dance sets from The Dunehoppers with caller Andy Kane.
Friday, fans can start the day off with a stretch at the Dance Tent with the first of daily 9 a.m. yoga classes with Rhonda Bell and the sweet soothing sounds of Arvid Smith. Friday and Saturday offers workshops and performances in the Music Hall as well as educational hands-on interactive workshops on The Music Farmers Stage sponsored by Live Oak Music & Arts Foundation Inc. (LOMAF). Most of the lineup of festival artists perform on Friday and Saturday (See the full lineup by day below). Friday brings high energy sacred steel jammers The Lee Boys for two sets and first sets for masterful blues guitarist and sublime songwriter Seth Walker, genre bending virtuoso grassy band Front Country, force of nature rocker Donna Hopkins, the new age psychedelic rock n’ roll power duo Balkun Brothers, highly gifted and entertaining singer songwriter Ralph Roddenbery and Hipbilly/Funky bluegrass fusion from Dread Clampitt. The first of several family dance sets will take place in the Dance Tent with The Walker Family Band, who will also teach in the Kids Tent to bring the joys of dance.
A Friday only highlight is the Del McCoury Band, fresh off a 50-year anniversary celebration and forging into his sixth decade with new triumphs, new collaborations and new music. The sensational band that offers everything you want in a roots band, festival favorite Donna the Buffalo follows Del on the Amphitheater for the first of three days of Donna.
Saturday brings more amazing festival friends and favorites such as the talented and charismatic Rev. Jeff Mosier with the Jeff Mosier Ensemble, quintessential troubadour and unparalleled songwriter and instrumentalist Verlon Thompson and songwriter, guitarist and music journalist David Gans. Gans is also host of Tales from the Golden Road Sundays from 4-6 p.m. ET on SiriusXM 23, which he will host from the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park on Sunday, Oct. 13. Saturday also brings 2019 Best Bluegrass Album GRAMMY Award winners The Travelin’ McCourys, Festival Father/bluegrass sensation Peter Rowan and Newgrass founder and Festival King Sam Bush. Closing out the night will be Appalachian Psychedelic Bluegrass with Keller & The Keels.
Vassar Sunday honors the memory of beloved late festival fiddle master Vassar Clements and others lost along the way. This last day kicks off with a set from the talented kids of Tania & the Magic Moon Traveling Circus and ending with a rousing closing set from Donna the Buffalo which includes many other festival artists.
Most festival artists will be around all weekend. You may catch many of them out at the campground stages of the Bill Monroe Shrine hosted by Quartermoon and Slopryland hosted by Sloppy Joe. In addition, there are literally dozens of camps, many of which have clever fun names and/or have their own style and vibe with everyone welcome to stop by and join in.
The Suwannee Roots Revival offers a multi-day weekend ticket which includes festival admission for four days of music, as well as primitive camping Thursday-Sunday night. Student and military tickets available (with valid ID). Children 12 and under are admitted free if accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Single day tickets available at the gate only and do not include primitive camping. For all rates, please visit the website. Tickets on sale now at suwanneerootsrevival.com/tickets.
