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nailtravels · 6 years

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They stared at the news reports all week and tuned in to NOAA satellite footage for Hurricane Michael updates. It had been true for years, but now these people could honestly say they were in the cone of uncertainty. The category 2 storm had just left the Caribbean and was gaining strength as it plowed north through the Gulf of Mexico, heading straight to the Big Bend area of Florida and Suwannee Roots Revival at the Spirit of Suwannee Music Park. Ask Dog Island and Cedar Key what it’s like when a hurricane smashes into the beaches in this part of the world. Ask Mama Lila’s guesthouse on Fort Morgan beach. When hurricane force winds lift the water up and out of its basin, things disappear. Maybe not the best place to ride out a hurricane. With folks from Tallahassee evacuated all the way to Fort Myers, what kind of derainged animals would drive straight toward the storm to go camping in the woods at a music festival? A rare breed, to be sure and it certainly boggles the mind.

It was a family reunion in every sense of the word. Friends made at Suwannee Music Park are as strong as the bonds of kin folk and tend to last for years. As time passes, the family membership continues to swell to the point where there are no strangers in the park. Welcome to Suwannee Roots Revival 2018: Feeder Band Family Reunion

Oteil and Friends, Suwannee Roots Revival 2018: photo by Jason Nail

000 WTNT34 KNHC 082041 TCPAT4 BULLETIN Hurricane Michael Advisory Number 9 NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL AL142018 400 PM CDT Mon Oct 08 2018 …MICHAEL BRINGING HURRICANE-FORCE WINDS AND HEAVY RAINFALL TO WESTERN CUBA… …STORM SURGE AND HURRICANE WARNINGS ISSUED FOR THE NORTHEASTERN GULF COAST…

A Hurricane Warning has been issued for the Gulf Coast of Florida from the Alabama/Florida border eastward to Suwannee River.

Folks like Moonshine Gary and Shannon traveled east on I-10, navigating fallen trees on the interstate with emergency vehicles close behind them. Others drove straight through the eye of the storm, headed for Live Oak. The group that met up Tuesday night, set up camp in the woods and waited together for the worst of the storm. By that time it had strengthened to a category 4 and it was anyone’s guess what was going to happen if the storm landed near Live Oak. As it would turn out, the hurricane turned left as the night went on and smashed into Panama City. Other than a few, light sprinkles, the park and party crowd remained untouched. The rest of the weekend showcased weather so perfect it could only be Suwannee Roots Revival.

Once again, the Kamp Happiness relaxation installation served as a commons area for this year’s family reunion. Friends made at Suwannee Music Park can be as stout as any kin folk and as the years pass, festival friends end up at each other’s weddings and funerals. They came all the way from South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia and all parts Florida. They brought their vans, trucks and recreation vehicles and surrounded each other like a wagon train. The RV crowd hooked up by the bat house, giving everyone a reason to occasionally visit the farm field. Thank you Peanut for the purple butterfly and the mad skins.

Thugish behavior to be sure, Suwannee Roots Revival 2018: photo by Jason Nail

Keller Williams’ PettyGrass Featuring The HillBenders, Suwanee Roots Revival 2018: photo by Jason Nail

Royal, Josh and Smiteesha

Tim looking sharp, Suwannee Roots Revival 2018: photo by Jason Nail

Leftover Salmon, Suwannee Roots Revival: photo by Jason Nail

Little Steve, Suwannee Roots Revival 2018: photo by Jason Nail

Oteil and Friends, Suwannee Roots Revival 2018: photo by Jason Nail

Josh cooking Sunday breakfast, Suwannee Roots Revival 2018: photo by Jason Nail

Kamp Happiness, Suwannee Roots Revival 2018: photo by Jason Nail

Moonpie and Sunshine enjoying some time, Suwannee Roots Revival 2018:

Cierra and Shannon, Suwannee Roots Revival 2018: photo by Jason Nail

Dirt bath, Suwannee Roots Revival 2018: photo by Jason Nail

New at Suwannee Roots Revival:

Roots Welcomes Darth Waffle: The newest member of the Suwannee Roots Revival media team hit the dirt running and covered the entire festival from withers to brisket. Katie Walthall could be seen dragging her camera to and fro, backstage and yonder, catching great photographs of the performers and festivarians. A media pass will only get you so far. For some places, it takes a lanyard and a great pair of legs. Check out the beautiful writing and photographs on her website and like her social media outlets on Facebook and Instagram.

Waffle and Splenda, Suwannee Roots Revival 2018: photo by Jason Nail

Dead Cat Pleasure Palace Hours of Operation: Since MagnoliaFest 2002, the Dead Cat Pleasure Palace has been providing a “sense of place” for festivarians everywhere and most certainly at the Spirit of Suwannee Music Park. It’s open-air relaxation station serves as a perfect place to enjoy a cuddle puddle next to the roaring campfire. For years this commons area has effectively served the needs of festival participants while also meeting the needs of Kamp Happiness personel when it comes to the much needed and deserved rest that comes after a day of intensly passionate sillineszs. Up until this year, everyone’s consideration and personal responsibility had been appreciated, but due to this year’s repeated incidents and a few bad apples, new guidelines have been enacted. Imagine the scenario; It’s 5:30 am and you’ve finished playing bluegrass music at Slopprygrass. Your head hurts and your fingers are cracked and tired. It’s all you can do to drag your dirty, bare feet back to your own campsite. As you get ready to crawl into your tent for a few, scant hours of rest, you notice a form sleeping under the covers, in the darkness. Who could this be? You came here by yourself and playing “hard to want” has worked out predictably poorly. But this could certainly be preceived as some kind of overt message. perhaps a seriously flirty advance by a desperate, unknown caller. It would be stranger than fiction. Only after inspecting closer and finding the dirty, bare feet were probably size 11 and belonged to a young Auburn graduate who had drank too many shots of warm crotch whiskey. Precious he was, all bundled up in great grandmother’s quilts. With a cool front, pushed in by the storm, it was going to be a chilly night and no one needs to catch a sniffle. There’s always tomorrow night.

Ask your mom if all cops are racist.

Hey bitch, get out of my tent. Lady, you’re fine right where you are. Suwannee Roots Revival 2018: photo by Jill Wickham The next night would prove to be no better. A lovely causasian couple found their way into the palace toward the close of the night, in hopes of finding some Wifi and complete some photo editing discuised as soft-core pornography. They would close out the evening popping each other’s chigger bites and again, fall into a blissful slumber in a hotel whose blinking neon sign clearly read, “No Vacancy”. Check our website and social media sites for updates, but until further notice, the Pleasure Palace hours of operation are from nine until nine. Thank you, in advance, for your consideration.

Free Range Strange: The brightest and best in bluegrass and hippy-funk wasn’t always playing on the main stage. Tim, Sunnie Rae and Chase from Free Range Strange took a break from their busy Florida touring schedule to visit the jam circles of Roots Revival. Thanks to all who participated in sharing a beautiful noise, especially Sunnie Rae, who helped make everyone look a little better. Both Tim and Chase were lovely additions to nearly every bluegrass circle, and other than a few scattered instances loosely labeled as “moral terpitude”, confusion and tweakish behavior was unusually scant.

Roadtrip Mojo: After several festivals, we finally hooked up with Jeff from RoadTrip Mojo. Through Spring, Wannee and Lockn’, it was time to band with our new brothers in the Florida social media intereweb. Check out their website and get in on one of their sweet camping giveaways. If the statute of limitations has, indeed passed, there promises to be more foot-stomping fun at Hulaween in just a few days. Eeeek.

These flowers are just one of the reasons Kamp Happiness installation has been so successful, Suwannee Roots Revival 2018: photo by Jason Nail

Personal Fires: Don’t get all heady just because someone in your camp wants to have a personal fire. Sometimes things can get a little intense around the group fire and it’s a pleasure to back into your own space while your head unwraps itself. Unfortunately, in this case, a new Hawaiian shirt from Eddie W. caught fire from a candle in the Dab Den and filled the room with carcinogenic rayon gas before emergency services arrived. Considering the levels of responsibility usually associated with the Dead Cat Society, the reason for this incident has been traced back to Beth’s Million Dollar Bacon.

Samantha Fish, Suwannee Roots Revival 2018: photo by Jason Nail

Suwannee is for lovers: Congratulations to Zane and Dr. Jen who got engaged at this year’s party. Be wary single festivarians. Music weekends in the woods are great places to meet crazy hippy chicks and before you know it, you’re proposing during Keller’s Bluegrass Gospel Church. It’s about as dangerous at a gondola at Telluride.

Kamp Happiness and friends, Suwannee Roots Revival 2018:

Where’s TooMuch?: For the fifth year, the folks at Kamp Happiness were good enough to let us dangle in their camp and share in their fellowship and music. Their blinking art installation served as a musical campsite and meeting spot for many of the Suwannee regulars. String music could be heard flowing from the camp all hours of the day or night. Morning versions of “New Dehli Train” set the stage for greatness into late night jams as the Kamp Happiness Family Band somehow managed to hold togerther a lengthy set of bluegrass classics in four-part harmony. Kamp Happiness VIP award winner for 2018 was Thomas Gerard Larose, who managed to entertain the troops with his morning Deadhead lounge piano stylings and prepare homemade barbecue tempe in spite of his recently debilitating hot tub injury. Thanks to Peter, Darth Waffle and Moonpie for assisting with the loading and unloading of his production equipment. Who knew one could use a handicap trailer to sneak contraband booze into the venue? if you’re self medicated and attempt a swan dive into a hot tub, you may well end up braking your shell. Especially when the bones are so old as to render modern, carbon dating equipment virtually useless. After a certain passage of time, one’s bones become brittle and maintain the structural integrity of burnt paper.

Leftover Salmon playing Dr. John, Suwannee Roots Revival: photo by Jason Nail

Let Oteil Sing: Roots welcomed Bassist Oteil Burbridge and his Oteil & Friends project featuring guitarists John Kadlecik and Scott Metzger, multi-instrumentalits Jason Crosby, drummer Jay Lane, percussionist Weedie Braimah and vocalist Alfreda Gerald. They tore up Thursday night with their unique sound and set the tempo for a long night of music and laughter.

Oteil and Friends, Suwannee Roots Revival 2018: photo by Jason Nail

Golf carts: Thanks to Kendall, Ted, Cameron and Kent for keeping the golf carts rotating timely and efficiently throughout the park. It can be a long haul from the bat house to the Loop and it’s nice to catch a lift, especially with some hillbilly driving while blind. From now on, local officials have mandated that remote breathalyzers be attached to the ignition systems of every golf cart in the park. These protective measures were put in place after Kendall drove his golf cart off the metal bridge into the Suwannee River. As time passes, his memory shall never fade.

Some go for the music. The rock and roll jams on stage, Leftover Salmon and all the late night pickin’ circles one can stomach. Some come for the sauce. The handles of warm crotch whiskey and double IPAs along with one of the best combos of the festival, sangria and Aderol. Have no illusions dear heart, these are worthwhile pursuits, but the last real reason to see this and most other festivals is the family. Goofballs and slack jawed rednecks from the contiguous U.S., all heading to the same place, in spite of the hurricane west wind.

As always, thanks to Erin Scholze at Dreamspider Publicity and Events for letting nailtravels and Kamp Happiness be small cogs in the larger machine of beautiful fellowship and fun. Best job ever.

So take a nap and a shower. Get those feet clean and wash the smoke out of those clothes. Hulaween is next week and it will be another round of finest and brightest anywhere. Look for the South Florida charter of Kamp Happiness next to the Poncho Tree and Luke’s Lake. Live

Suwannee Roots Revival 2018: Feeder Band Family Reunion They stared at the news reports all week and tuned in to NOAA satellite footage for Hurricane Michael updates.

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