On Our Own: Floydfest: more...

I will be the first to admit that I didn't discover Floydfest, my Uncle actually invited T and I to go with him and my aunt. I will also be the first to admit that I am not a music "guru" or "fanatic" by any means, I love music and appreciate that some people have the patience and the talent to create. I wanted to share our experience with y'all and our pictures we managed to take...

The first night, the stage all lit up was amazing! It's hard to describe because you aren't at a huge over sized standard venue but instead in the middle of a huge field with timber built structure.

Although you can't see - it was Jackson Brown

There was gospel music

Friday morning after what felt like the best shower of my life we ventured to the Porch to see a group of musicians that have won several competitions. Let me say that these guys usually do not play together and we were amazed at how great they sounded together, one would think they were in a band together.

Hot Licks from the Crooked Road

These two couldn't be more than 11 years old and could play almost as good as anyone there - wow!

Shortly after this it decided to DOWN POUR.... and then stopped.... and then rained some more....
David Wax Museum still played despite the rain, thunder, and lightening (yes everyone stayed out there because the other option was under trees in your tent that was supported by metal poles). I took the pictures below through my pancho, lol, I'm sure I was a sight!

David Wax Museum

I guess I should clarify that I usually look like I DO have hair, that I do wear makeup, and that I do LOVE my free hat I'm wearing! This picture shows the one time while I was there that T thought I was going to throw a fit because we were both cold, wet, and felt dirty..... but we had no responsibilities.... not even a working phone!!!

Their last song they walked out in the crowd, she even got on someones shoulders - very cool.

Friday after we grilled the best sliders I have tasted in my life we caught the last few songs from White Top Mountain Band, a local family band that were my favorite bluegrass band of the festival. The old man would stand up and start them off and then sit down. They were also some of the best dancers I've seen.... maybe next year T and I will be up there dancing with them (...right).

White Top Mountain Band

Michael Franti

Saturday we listened to several bands Under the Radar... which meant that people recommended them to come and if they received the most votes from the people at Floydfest then they would be back next year on a larger stage (I think they also won some money too).

Cabinet

Lizzy Ross Band - from Chapel Hill

Staying cool in the shade at the garden stage

I was fully prepared to see many sights that I had never seen before and instead they were few and far between, there were plenty of hippies and there were some people that were just drugged out but no real "sights." There was a band that performed on stilts which is something that I haven't seen before!

March Fourth Marching Band

Punch Brothers

Random Drum Circle, sure?!

Brandi Carlile

You could sit in the beer tent with your beverage of choice in the shade and still have a great view of the stage

The guy with no shirt on and the blue hat thought I was Jessica from last night, lol.

One of my favorites for years - ALO <3

T and I had one band that we WANTED to see and that was SOJA, we've seen them before and we loved them. They are probably some of the most down to earth, grateful, and appreciative people that we've ever see perform. They told a story how 4 years ago they were playing on a Friday in the morning on one of the smallest stages at Floydfest and now because of their all their loyal fans they were invited back to perform on Saturday at the main stage at 8pm... it was touching.

Jacob Hemphill

Bob Jefferson always goes a little crazy with his dreads - but we love it.

They were our fav so we went down front and stood up about 15' from them.

He came back on stage to perform one last song that will be on their new album (he was like "y'all don't record this now")

After there were lit lanterns being released in the sky as the sun set, gorgeous.

David Wax Museum (again, at a different stage)

Another one we both wanted to see was Matisyahu. He used to have the long hair and beard and be dressed in full traditional jewish attire and recently in the past year he has cut his hair and dresses like any other performer would so he can now go out and not be recognized by the public. While he did have a great concert - he didn't have a connection with the crowd like most artists do - for the most part of his concert. Several people successfully got on stage with him before the security guards pulled them off and Matisyahu did not look the least bit pleased. His concert almost sounded like a rave with all the electronic beats.... much different than his albums and pervious live music we had listened to. His drummer had one of the most impressive drum set ups we've seen to this day. Towards the end he actually crown surfed into the people and stood on someones shoulders. If you took your eye off him for a minute you wouldn't know where he was.... and he would be on the speakers sitting, walking, just carrying on like it was the norm.

This is how he opened up

It was impossible to get a decent photo - they all moved every second

Sunday the big deal was Ricky Staggs.... and then Jerry Douglas was sick and didn't make it so they talked about his life for an hour. I hear he's a legend and I was hoping to hear him...but no offense, I didn't come to listen to a book on tape.

Telling his life story about how he got a guitar

Sam Bush was pretty good too...after he literally walked by everyone and just got in his van.

Sunday at 3pm we were ready for a beer and to sit in the shade, I accidently packed my hat up when we were packing that morning to take our stuff to the car so my scalp was fried. I didn't have too much trouble talking T into heading over to the beer porch and watching Ricky Stagg's second show.