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.

Last day, bittersweet. 

This was the beginning of the crowd for Ricky Staggs, keep in mind it was over 90 that day.

Floydfest was a blast.  We definitely will go back and we will definitely cut back on what we bring because we just brought too much!!

Floydfest

I shared with you yesterday that T and I went to Floydfest with my Uncle and Aunt last week on our vacation.  Let me take you to the beginning...
We arrived on the property (which was previously a cattle farm) at approximately 9:30ish... we then were faced with lugging all the stuff we brought to our campsite about 1/4 mile away.  My Uncle rented us tents in the Show Sherpa village, and in case you are wondering it is pretty much a tent hotel (or the closest thing you are going to get without having an RV).  It was nice to walk up and not have to worry about lugging another thing finding a tent spot, setting it up, and hoping it doesn't fall down!  The tents were two person tents with two cots in each one.

The tent

My bed for three nights

When you arrived you got a wristband and a program

The programs really were a lifesaver especially for people who didn't know EVERY band performing since they gave information about the bands.  It also included a schedule so you knew what time the bands you wanted to see were playing and on which stage.

Realizing what I got myself into after my phone stopped working. 

T came and reminded me that we had no commitments for the next four days except to relax and enjoy ourselves!

Someone had the bright idea to put our pop up tent over the actual tent to keep it cooler - it did keep it a few degrees cooler but it wasn't like we were there to hang out in the tent all day!  Not to mention at night it was down in the 60's and with the breeze it felt even cooler.  We actually regretted not bringing jeans to put on at night.

tent + tent

My Uncle relaxing talking to Jay, the owner of Show Sherpa

After we got settled in our home away from home - T and I set off to do a little exploring around the festival.  We quickly learned how lucky we were to have the Show Sherpa camping since finding a camping spot was first come first serve and many of the "decent" (I use that work loosely) spots were already taken by 11am... not to mention they were on the side of a walking path, on a slope, or right on top of another tent.

Filling up pretty quick

By the end of day one - there were tents right up next to the walking path

Since we were out exploring I told T I wanted to see what we were working with when it came to showering.  We learned from Jay that they actually built 6 additional showers since last year to help with the length of the shower lines.  Upon walking up - they were pretty much what I expected... stalls with open tops to allow light in, shower curtains, shower liners at the bottom, a water hose and some had a sprayer while others just had a valve that you turned on or off.  I will say the water was warm!  Luxury right there!

I never waited in line standing, I was always able to sit on the log benches 

There was an area of the festival called the Global Village, it had more of the tribal, ethnic music... we didn't venture over here, but we hear that some of the bands were really good.

ENO hammocks were very popular here - this is a set up where you could go lay in them, sleep, whatever. 

This is where we should've gone at night because it was freezing

Dragon car that spit fire

Yurts - you could've stayed in one... if you were a baller

This campsite cracked me up - it was on our walk to/from the showers each day

My Uncle enjoyed relaxing in his fancy chair... typically he would do something and then sit int he chair for a few minutes, lol.

First drink of the festival :)  

Show Sherpa Campsite

It was pretty hippied out

We walked around the festival after lunch - there wasn't too much going on since the bands didn't start playing until 4 that day.  

Virginia is for Lovers <3

Aren't they cute? 

Over sized Chairs... that I almost fell off from. 

There were plenty of food vendors!!  A lot of them were local restaurants in Floyd that came to the festival.  My favorite was the Gouda Mac n Cheese (big surprise there, right?).

food vendors

walking up to the main stage

T and I did something smart and stupid at the same time when packing for the trip.  We learned that there were several water stations according to the 2012 Floydfest map that went out a few weeks prior to the festival so T decided he didn't want to bring a case of water, but instead bring out water bottles.  There was only one water station (with drinkable, filtered water) but it was okay since you walked by it to get anywhere.  That was a lifesaver!!  It was some of the best water I have ever drank too - there was literally a well there and a filtration system hooked up.

Klean Kanteen sponsored the water station

Massages, Yoga, AA classes... you know everything you  would expect to find at a music festival :) 

Honest Tea sampled their entire line, had a recharging station, and over sized bean bags

Is this not the cutest thing you have ever seen?

The porch - Uncle and Aunt's favorite stage

My Uncle thinks he's sneaky...

On the way back from exploring, we walked on a path through some of the camping area and found that people had set their tents up RIGHT BEHIND a row of bathrooms.  WHY?!?!?!  What in the world would make anyone think this is a good idea? Riddle me that...

Gross. 

Tomorrow I'll share as many bands as I can remember that we saw... there were a lot.