NYS Music is celebrating the end of 2016 by posting staff and reader picks on 10 various categories, and today we are highlighting the winners of the Best Show by Region and the Best Venue in New York State.
The number one venue, according to our staff pick, is the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC).
SPAC is a focal point for music for areas like upstate New York, the Hudson Valley, Vermont, the Berkshires, and Connecticut. Originally instated in the late 1960’s, the concert venue has held some of the greatest acts of our age, including an iconic performance by the Doors in 1968, and others such as, Santana, Guns N’ Roses, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, KISS, Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd, Phish, Dire Straits and The Grateful Dead, to name just a few. Dave Matthews Band holds the title of the most sold-out performance at the venue.
This summer, SPAC had a full schedule of not-to-be-missed performances, in celebration of their 50th anniversary summer. NYS Music staff writer, Mike Kohli, wrote a preview to highlight the eventful 2016, that you can read here.
We are looking forward to seeing what summer 2017 at the SPAC will bring!
Our readers picked differently, however, and the winner this year for the Best Venue in NYS was the Brooklyn Bowl. The Brooklyn Bowl was opened in 2009 and has since become one of the more prominent venues in New York State.
Following closely behind it were The Capitol Theatre, SPAC, The Hollow and The Town Ballroom which all tied for second place.
Best Show by Region:
The staff pick for the Best Show by Region was Dead & Co. at the SPAC on June 21.
Pete Mason wrote the following in his review of the evening:
“With Dead and Company having started their fall tour in Albany this past October, Capitaland got the first taste of John Mayer in a Jerry Garcia role, one that brought criticism and concern from those who weren’t familiar with Mayer’s guitar prowess but experts in tabloid fodder. But to those in the know, musicians and real fans alike, convivial awe and heightened expectations were the emotions directed toward Mayer, and when the October show ended with “Touch of Grey,” any musical concerns were laid to rest.
And they were laid to rest over and over, as the tour wrapped around the country, culminating with New Year’s Eve in Inglewood, CA, and now a summer tour that began this month, including a stop at Bonnaroo. Four shows deep and the expectations for the performance at SPAC on June 21 were as high as ever, partially because three members of the original Grateful Dead were back in Saratoga for the first time in more than 20 years, and partially thanks to no repeats in the setlist during the previous four nights.”
To see a full recap and photo gallery by Jim Gilbert, go here.
The readers’ picks for the best show were Twiddle, TAUK, Holly Bowling and Matisyahu at Capitol Theater on May 7.
“Take the fastest rising jamband in recent years, add in a hot prog-rock band boiling over with talent, a classically trained pianist performing the music of Phish and The Grateful Dead, and a cross-genre reggae singer and you have the fixings for one of the best nights of live music The Capitol Theatre has seen this year, and that’s saying a lot.”
NYS Music had a chance to talk to Ryan Dempsey of Twiddle before the show, see the interview below:
New York is a great state for live music. With a variety of venues throughout the state in both small towns and big cities, music fans can find something happening any night of the week from all genres of music. We asked the NYS Music staff of writers and photographers, all of whom see a variety of music, along with our readers, for their opinions on the best towns and cities for music in the state.
The venues are not the only reason why New York is such a great place for music. With the amount of national, regional and local acts touring through the state, we get the chance see bands and artists rise from their infancy playing bars and small clubs to playing larger theaters and arenas. In addition to the best music towns, we also asked our staff and readers for what they think are the acts to which we should pay the most attention.
Best Music Town
The NYS Music staff represents every region of the state, and while they see the most music in their hometowns, they are not afraid to travel a bit to see quality music. When asked about the best music town in the state, there was a wide variety of responses. One would expect New York City, being, by far, the largest city in the state, to come out on top. However, that was not the case. The two cities with the most votes from the staff were Buffalo and Syracuse. Our readers, on the other hand, did choose New York City, which tied with Albany. Buffalo came in a very close third for the readers.
Buffalo, being the second largest city in the state and one of the largest in that region of the country, sees a lot of music come through its various venues, ranging from small clubs and bars to the large New Era Field. The Buffalove Music Festival takes place in the Buffalo area and feature a large number of Buffalo-based acts. Many popular music acts got their start in Buffalo including the Goo Goo Dolls, Spyro Gyra and one of the current popular bands, Aqueous, whose latest EP, Best in Show, was our staff pick for album of the year.
Syracuse, the fifth largest city in the state and home to Syracuse University, features a number of popular music venues such as Funk ‘N Waffles, the Westcott Theatre and the F Shed. The K-Rockathon, a music festival held by three related radio stations, has been held in the city for the past several years at the New York State Fairgrounds, though there was not one held this past summer. The Syracuse Jazz Festival boasts itself as the “Northeast’s largest free jazz festival” and has featured such artists as Aretha Franklin, Trombone Shorty, Wynton Marsalis and B.B. King. The Syracuse Area Music Awards, or the SAMMY’s, take place every year honoring musicians from Syracuse. Jon Fishman, the drummer from Phish who grew up in Syracuse, was awarded a SAMMY for lifetime achievement in 2015.
Albany, and the Capital District in general, received a number of votes from both our staff and our readers. The area is home to many musical happenings throughout the year, including the Alive at Five free summer concert series and the national and regional performances at various venues around the city sponsored by WEQX. The city is home to two venues with some of the best acoustics in the country, the Egg and the Picotte Recital Hall at the Massry Center for the Arts. The Times Union Center, originally the Knickerbocker Arena, has played host to numerous music greats. The Grateful Dead’s Dozin’ at the Knick features live recordings from their three night stand there in March 1990.
New York City, which took best music town last year, is one of the best cities in the world for music. A number of well-known artists and bands have called the city their home. New York City is also home to several world-class venues, including Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. It’s no surprise that the Big Apple was voted one of the best music towns in the state for the second consecutive year.
Bands on the Rise
Along with great places where music happens, New York is known for the musicians themselves. As many would expect of a state like this, some of the artists and bands become fairly well known on a regional or national level. While there were many bands chosen in the Bands on the Rise category, there were two standouts each from our staff and our readers. One commonality between the four bands highlighted here is that they are all from New York, even though the category is not limited to the state. Two of the bands represent a couple of the best music towns.
Staff Pick: Space Carnival From: Ithaca
Space Carnival has been on the scene since 2013, but has been making waves in the scene. Their debut album, Drawn in By the Sun, was released in July.They release two professionally shot and edited videos of their song “Moon Boots” off the album, one from a show in April and one from October. They are currently wrapping up some fall tour dates, with the last scheduled show this Saturday, Dec. 17 at Stella Blues in New Haven, Connecticut with Chromatropic. Music fans can expect more from Space Carnival in 2017.
The Other Brothers, recently interviewed by our own Karina Verlan, is a “neo-soul” band that formed in 2012 while students at SUNY New Paltz. The band grew to its current six-piece formation this past year when they added percussionist Jared Nelson and keyboardist Gabe Marquez. While they have no shows lined up for the remainder of the year, they are in and out of the studio working on their debut album.
Today we are announcing what the polls revealed was the Best New York Festival and what was the Best Out-of-State Music Festival of 2016.
Best New York Festival
Our staff pick for the best festival in New York was Catskill Chill. This year’s line-up featured acts like Mike Gordon, George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Greensky Bluegrass, Electron, Lettuce, Dopapod, Perpetual Groove, Turkuaz, Kung Fu, Keller Williams Grateful Grass & many more!
The top choices after Catskill were Rock N’ Derby and Grey Fox, both tying for the second place.
NYS Music covered Catskill Chill this year, to see the review and photo gallery please go here.
The reader pick for the best NY Festival was an overwhelming win for the Mountain Jam Festival. This past year’s line-up included Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Steve Miller Band, Peter Frampton, Gary Clark, Jr., Michael Franti & Spearhead, St. Paul and The Broken Bones, The Revivalists and more. To see our review and gallery, go here.
The runners up for the reader’s pick choices for best NY festival were Buffalove, Mazzstock and Catskill Chill.
Best Out-of-State Festival
The staff & reader pick for the Best Out-of-State Festival was Lockn’, an annual festival held in Arrington, VA, which had a stacked line-up in 2016 that featured Phish, Ween, My Morning Jacket, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Phil Lesh & Friends, Umphrey’s McGee, Vulfpeck, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, EOTO, Lettuce, Galactic, and more.
NYS Music provided daily coverage of the festival this year, to see our review and gallery, go here.
As we give thanks for the awe inspiring musical talent living among us, we must also honor those who have left incredible music legacies behind. 2016 was particularly rough, having lost several pioneers and visionaries whose music has influenced not only other musicians, but has affected so many of us far outside the realm of making music. Their songs are the songs we queue in epic DJ mixes at dance parties, belt the lyrics alone in our rooms when we’re feeling melodramatic, and reflect on their lyrical wisdom in challenging times.
1). David Bowie
January 8, 1947 – January 10, 2016
2). Prince
June 7, 1958 – April 21, 2016
3). Leonard Cohen
September 21, 1934 – November 7, 2016
Staff and readers unanimously agreed David Bowie, Prince and Leonard Cohen were our three most cherished losses in the music community this year. All three were producing up until their heartbreaking deaths with Bowie’s Blackstar (2016), Prince’s HITnRUN Phase One and HITnRUN Phase Two (2015) and Cohen’s You Want it Darker (2016).
Other notable losses in 2016 include Leon Russel, Sharon Jones of Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Maurice White of Earth, Wind & Fire, John Berry of Beastie Boys and Merle Haggard.
Best Live Cover or Tribute Performance
It seems fitting to follow up Biggest Musical Losses with Best Live Cover or Tribute Performance as a way of honoring the work of past musical greats. In this year’s poll, we received so many noteworthy performances. Our staff voted on Dopakuaz’s Yacht Rock, Lotus’ Space Disco set at the Town Ballroom, Mirk’s Michael Jackson medley, Phish’s Ziggy Stardust tribute, Start Making Sense, James Brown Dance Party, Salt City Waltz and Twiddle’s cover of ALO’s “BBQ”
Readers chose Aqueous covering “Band on the Run,” JRAD’s performance at Lockn’, Phish’s Suffragette City cover, Pink Talking Fish’s Nov. 17 show in Denver, Twenty One Pilots covering “Cancer” and White Denim’s Prince Medley. Recap Monday’s staff and reader picks for Albums of the Year, and stay tuned as the series continues throughout the week.
In NYS Music tradition, as we count down the final days of 2016, we reminisce about the hours we’ve spent obsessing over music. Whether planning wild road trips to chase bands whose music feeds our souls, frequenting our favorite venues and exploring new ones, head banging to heavy jams and accidentally spilling drinks, dancing with strangers and making new friends, music is a common thread that unites us. Now it’s time to reflect on the soundtrack of 2016 and recognize the music that carried us through another revolution around the sun.
We polled the staff and asked our readers for their input in ten categories: Best Albums by NYS Artists, Best Albums Overall, Best Shows by Region, Best Venues in NYS, Biggest Musical Loss, Best Live Cover or Tribute Performances, Best NYS Festivals, Best Out-of-State Festivals, Best Music Town, and Bands on the Rise. Throughout the week we will present two categories a day highlighting the top picks. We’ll kick things off with Best Albums by NYS Artists and Best Album, Overall. Here we go!
Best Albums by NYS Artists
Receiving the most votes, Aqueous’ EP Best in Show was voted in as the top album of 2016. The Buffalo rock quartet released the record in October and it stands as “a four song reflection not only of the band’s time without a permanent drummer, but also a glimpse into the band’s future as drummer Rob Houk melts into the Aqueous groove with fluid rhythm that feels as if he’s always been here.”
NYS Music writer Kat Horton’s review offers this commentary:
“The four songs are highlighted by tiny nuggets of rightness; lyrically, musically and in its production Best in Show turns a pointed spotlight on how much Aqueous has grown in the two years since their last studio release. But more importantly, Best in Show is Aqueous’ resolve from the challenges they have faced and proves their tenacity to move forward while solidifying their line-up.”
This year our readers were in agreement with which NY artist released the best album, nominating Aqueous as their top choice. Queens-based hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest’s We Got it from Here… Thank You 4 Your Service and Brooklyn’s psychedelic funk band Chromatropic and their recent release, Abundance were also favored.
Though Phish’s live albums are what usually garner attention, this year their release of Big Boat left an impression on fans and the “13th studio recording is the most genre bending album they have released.”
NYS Music’s Neil Benjamin Jr. offered this review, commenting:
“Ever think Phish would start off a studio album with a sort of Brit-pop-punk sounding song? Me either, but that’s exactly what the band did by kicking off Big Boat with the Jon Fishman song “Friends,” which is the perfect lead-in to an album by a band that has built its fanbase by throwing it curveballs.”
A Tribe Called Quest’s album We Got it from Here… Thank You 4 Your Service also received recognition in this year’s poll. Smart lyrics and slick beats produced by this socially conscious group offers a dialogue that resonates with many listeners and “once again, the group has created something one of a kind a revolutionary, that listeners can only hope will inspire other artists to follow in Tribe’s footsteps.”
In a review of the album, NYS Music’s Dave Ostroff remarks,
“The production value of this album is immaculate. It feels like listening to a remastered, never released album, because Tribe led the public to believe their fifth album was their last breaking up in 1998. And even without all of the original members, their sound is still effortless and always moving.”
Bon Iver’s 22, A Million melts his hauntingly sweet voice into a pool of shockingly experimental effects that stings the ears with intrigue. “While experimenting with the auto-tune and synthetics, Bon Iver explores the world beyond the conventional three-minute song while staying true to himself.”
NYS Music writer Sammy Steiner reviewed the album, offering:
“The controversial album that is 22, A Million was successful in reinventing Bon Iver to the extent that he is compared to the works of Kayne West and Frank Ocean. With this album, Bon Iver reaffirms his ability to remain of interest to our scattered millennial generation and the contemporary world.”
Of course we wish we could highlight even more albums and celebrate all of the amazing music released this year, but stay tuned throughout the week for the remaining Best of NYS Music results to be released!
An exclusive to NYS Music, Space Carnival has released the video for “Moon Boots.” Filmed by Front Row Dave at Damn Sam’s Harvest Festival in Laurens, NY on October 8, 2016 and edited by Shane O’Sullivan, the song debuted as a single off the group’s recent debut album Drawn in By the Sun.
In retrospect, I am a bit surprised there was no carnival barker in candy cane-striped pants with a handlebar mustache shouting, “Step Right Up, Ladies and Gentlemen!” There was the obvious, the circus tent. And the carnie stilt walkers, acrobats and aerialists. But it wasn’t a circus. It was a beer festival. Or was it?
Last week, local Colorado brewers, Left Hand Brewing Company, sponsored their annual Nitro Beer festival on the lawn of an open park in Longmont. There were long lines of people holding shot glasses of nitrogen infused craft beers from several craft brewers around the country. But that is where the resemblance to typical beer fests ended. Left Hand instead threw a vaudevillesque party in which every participant was in formal masquerade/steampunk attire. There were fire performers, jugglers, hoopers, and acrobats hanging from fabric attached to the high tent ceiling. And there was Beats Antique. Their unique blend of Old World gypsy electronica, along with the dizzying visuals from fire and acrobat performances by Lunar Fire and Fractal Tribe, transformed a beer promotional event into a bewitching evening of stylish costumes, art and music.
Beats Antique closed out the evening on an intimately-sized stage while celebrating the birthday of their percussionist, Tommy Cappel.
Punctuated with a belly dancing stage show and throbbing gypsy beats, the stage shuddered with gale-force energy from inspired performers and rabid fans, jumping and clawing at the stage. Needless to say, I didn’t spend much time in beer lines for refills. The circus was in town, and I sure didn’t want to miss any of the razzle and dazzle. The Nitro Fest last week was the greatest show on earth of beer festivals.
Suwannee Hulaween brought together the most eclectic group of music lovers one could imagine in closing out festival season 2016 with a bang. The folks from Silver Wrapper teamed with Purple Hat Productions to transform The Spirit of Suwannee Music Park into a psychedelic imaginarium complete with mind-boggling art installations, a Ferris wheel, timely pyrotechnics and a silent disco which played host to the wildest weekend-long costume party in the east, featuring a star-studded lineup of the world’s best acts.
Without a doubt, the artists, presenters, producers and park staff created a dazzling festival, spectacular for its out-of-the-box design, lively collaborations, and action-packed schedule. But Suwannee Hulaween has also cultivated an efficient and functioning logistical infrastructure that offered attendees a pleasurable and convenient experience built on a system of freedoms and cooperation which eschewed many of the customary delays, shortcomings and traffic jams commonplace at other high-caliber festivals. The park is set up with multiple entrances, free trollies to and from the stage, several bathhouses with showers, general stores, lake and river access, VIP sections, a wide array of food vendors and craft beer by Lagunitas and dozens of other vendors, all conveniently arranged to give patrons equal and open access to the amenities. In lieu of the strict parking policies at many major events, which force campers to set up in order of arrival, thus making it more difficult to get a camping spot of one’s liking or to set up with late-arriving friends, at Spirit of Suwannee one is free to search the park at leisure to locate and carve out a one-off spot among the many acres of primitive forest or field camping.
The real charm of Hulaween, however, is not the grand masquerade of free spirits in costume, but the down-to-earth people who don the masks, most of whom are every bit as clever and farfetched as their various disguises. Among these dedicated showgoers, it was impossible not to learn some minuscule factoid about an artist, relive some major microcosm of a previous set or gain some fresh perspective on the whole scene just by exchanging stories. And it was indeed refreshing to see so many local and regional fans in full-throated support of one of the premiere venues in the South and equally encouraging to learn that thousands of fans journeyed substantial distances for the get-down. Walking from show to show, stage to stage, one was as likely to cross paths with a new friend from Live Oak, Miami or Tallahassee as one was to encounter an old friend from Oregon, New York or especially Colorado, a state so well represented at Hulaween that it deserves its own shoutout for sending such a huge, good-timing delegation of devoted fans and badass performers including The String Cheese Incident, Big Gigantic, The Motet, Sunsquabi and Grant Farm.
Thursday
The Spirit Lake and Campground stages hosted the pre-party’s first shows. Florida’s own, Grammy-winner, Trae Pierce and the T-Stones, lit the wick on the weekend, treating fans to their fierce style of funk. Meanwhile, Future Vintage delivered a hip-hop set to open the Campground stage. Marco Benevento’s dance rock trio brought out a solid crowd of earlycomers to the Amphitheater, colloquially known to Spirit of Suwannee veterans as the “Mushroom stage.” After three shows, fans had already been exposed to three genres of music, thus setting the tone early as radical genre exploration became an ongoing motif throughout, delighting the audience with shock after surprise in culling notes from the far reaches of artistic possibility.
The next round of shows followed in suit, bringing two more musical perspectives into the mix as Grant Farm, a rocking Americana act with deep bluegrass and country-blues roots, played the Spirit Lake stage while Unlimited Aspect blazed the trail for the EDM acts to follow. Next, two String Cheese Incident SCIde projects took turns prepping the audience for the evening’s headliners. First up, Kyle Hollingsworth let SCI fans sample the funk ahead of SCI’s headlining sets, dropping a full dose of keyboard wizardry on the crowd. Eoto stepped in next, adding Borahm Lee of Break Science on keys and Jake Cinninger of Umphrey’s McGee on guitar, putting the night on the fast track with a crunchy set of improvised jams that left the audience raving and ready for more. Then, the Ohio-based rockers The Werks got in on the action, jolting Suwannee into the right frame of mind with a cover of “Frankenstein” before giving way to the pre-party headliners.
Umphrey’s McGee wasted no time and unleashed a first set loaded with classic cuts and rarities that had to satisfy at least some of the jaded Umphreaks out there chasing songs. Highlights included “Rocker 2,” “Blue Echo,” “Resolution,” “Robot World” and “Wife Soup.” Fruition, the almost acoustic and always soulful grass band, and Florida jam favorites The Heavy Pets kept the people dancing and/or otherwise raging before Umphrey’s returned for a second set of face melting funkmetal. The whole set flowed seamlessly, beginning with the dance track “Bad Friday” which transitioned into the headbanging anthem “Mulche’s Odyssey” that was followed by a raucous rendition of Bowie’s “Let’s Dance.” As the show progressed, people continued to stream in, joining the growing ranks at the Amphitheatre and filling the tightening space with an edgy, intense energy that seemed to feed into the band’s playing which took on a sinister tone and ferocious tenacity. Jake Cinninger’s ninjaesque guitarwork was on full display on “Nothing Too Fancy” which segued into “Speak Up.” Another fan favorite, “Ocean Billy,” allowed Brendan Bayliss to show off his vocal prowess and then went back into the end of “Nothing Too Fancy.” Umphrey’s then wowed fans with the encore by dropping a breakneck version of “Slacker” which went on to segue back into the finish of “Ocean Billy,” leaving fans awestruck, impressed and primed for the weekend. Check out fan shot footage below.
Greensky Bluegrass brought Thursday’s live action to a close with yet another genre-bending set of tunes, twice fitting a “Back Dat Ass Up” jam into their set which also featured a cover of Dire Straits’ “Money For Nothing” as well as fan favorites “Train Junkie” and “Windshield.”
Friday
Friday was easily the busiest day of the festival, offering attendees a more-than-you-can-eat buffet of performances collected from every corner of the musical universe. J4CK D4NK led off the afternoon with a DJ set, the first performance at the Patch stage, then Orlando locals Kaleigh Baker and the Groove Orient broke in the Meadow, Hulaween’s main stage, by effortlessly weaving rootsy grooves and soaring vocals into the placid breeze and pleasant afternoon vibes. Next up on the Meadow stage was the reunion of superband Russo, Benevento and Burbridge, featuring three of the tastiest players on the circuit, all of whom were coming together following deep water dives in the Grateful Dead tank with JRAD and Dead and Company, respectively. The set was essentially a master-level workshop of raw improvisation and complex musical expression.
Friday’s schedule was stacked high with major national touring acts, but organizers left plenty of room for a number of the up-and-coming groups that are well on the way to becoming household names in the near future. Mungion, a guitar-driven band hailing from Chicago, and their Windy City cohorts, the electronic rock group Future Rock, both impressed with sets at the Amphitheatre. The ascendant jamtronica trio Sunsquabi played a highly anticipated set to a packed house at the Spirit Lake stage which then went on to host the futuristic soundscape artist Slow Magic. And while Hulaween gave a plethora of new artists the chance to attract new fans, they had to earn it as many of them were in conflicting time slots. Live hip-hop/RnB group Anderson .Paak and the Free Nationals, master beatmaker and dance engineer Boys Noize and progressive jammers The Fritz all had to compete for their share of the audience in the 11 PM timeslot. But there’s nothing wrong with a little competition, especially since festivalgoers were free to navigate Hulaween’s choose your own adventure-style throwdown with relative ease and a little light walking.
Stashed between the emerging artists and the headliners were four of the tightest, big energy shows of the weekend. Coast-hopping funkateers Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe brought their talents from San Diego to Suwannee, packing the Amphitheatre full of shuffling feet for a mid-afternoon set; then Greensky Bluegrass blazed through a ripping list of bluegrass tunes on the Meadow stage, inviting Kyle Hollingsworth up for “Federico” and Roosevelt Collier up for the closing number, “Ain’t No Bread in the Breadbox;” then Gramatik set up shop at the Patch, hitting listeners with a lowtemp set that had the neighbors chirping all weekend; while Umphrey’s McGee returned to the Amphitheatre for a follow-up and uncorked a furious one-set heater that had the sextet going ham on catalog classics “In the Kitchen,” “Prowler,” “Cemetery Walk II” and “1348,” leaving their devotees waiting in vain for an encore that wasn’t to be.
My Morning Jacket, having already stolen the show, not to mention the hearts of hundreds of concertgoers at festivals all across America this year including Jazz Fest in New Orleans, Austin City Limits, Lockn and the Bridge School Benefit in California, drifted through Suwannee Hulaween on a magic cloud, enlightening and invigorating the massive crowd of animated characters, homemade cartoons and masked ghouls with a subtle, visionary, baleful blend of dark, delicate ballads. The opener, “Wordless Chorus,” set off a harmonious chord that would carryover into the uplifting but foreboding “Compound Fracture.” Then, under the direction of bandleader Jim James, MMJ slipped into more sinister territory on “Evil Urges” and “Lay Low” before caressing the fearful energy away with a moody take on Elton John’s “Rocket Man.” Medicated versions of “Steam Engine,” “State of the Art (A.E.I.O.U.)” and “Tropics” anticipated the resounding, joyous combination of “Circuital” and “Easy.” And, as Jim James led the audience through a singalong of the Commodores’ classic, he bared his hopes for the Hulaween gathering, saying “…I hope you love each other, I hope you tell your friends and your neighbors and your family how much you love them, how much you want us all to be free, to be equal, to treat each other with respect and dignity, everybody, with love, we can never have enough love…” before imploring the people to vote. Cloven-hoofed versions of “Run Through,” “Highly Suspicious” and “Touch Me I’m Going to Scream Pt. II” followed, then, invoking a wretched electoral prescience it turns out, MMJ sent the crowd into hysteria with a cutthroat rendition of Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall Pt. II.” They finished the stunning performance with their hit “One Big Holiday.”
All that and no mention so far of the belle of this strange ball, The String Cheese Incident. The energy was tangible stagefront in the buildup before the first SCI set of the weekend. A mob of purple costumed Cheeseheads had the whole Meadow abuzz with anticipation by the time the guys came out, led by Bill Nershi in goggles and glistening turquoise who hit the stage running before quarterbacking a handclapping intro to “So Far From Home.” SCI standards “Rhythm of the Road” and “Dudley’s Kitchen” had the crowd amped before the sixteenth ever performance of “Love is Like a Train.” Lengthy takes on “Betray the Dark” and “Lonesome Fiddle Blues” showed everyone in attendance that the String Cheese Incident has a tendency to set the bar high for themselves, even given the fact that they had six sets yet to go. In true Hulaween fashion, SCI boarded the genre-jumping shuttle and closed their first go-round with Kyle Hollingsworth’s funkrap favorite “Let’s Go Outside.”
The second set started with Michael Kang taking up the fiddle to lead the band through “Hi Ho No Show” and handling lead vocals on “It Is What It Is.” The real story of the set, however, is the three monster jam vehicles that were rolled out in quick succession. “On the Road” clocked in at just under twenty-five minutes while “Shine” and “Howard” both topped the fifteen minute mark. Then, much to the trippers’ delight, the guys encored their wacky mushroom boogie “Johnny Cash.”
Long after the headliners had packed it in, the party raged on. Quixotic threw down a late night set at Spirit Lake, giving partiers all they bargained for and more with their exotic concentrate of drums, violin and EDM, then the Jon Stickley Trio closed it down with one last genre-bending performance of jazz-tinged Americana instrumentals. But the silent disco stayed open as the party animals soldiered on deep into Saturday morning.
Saturday
Much like Friday, Saturday’s lineup offered no respite for the weary and more than enough action to keep the hardiest partiers lit. Nashville rapper MZG fired up the next one at the Spirit Lake stage only hours after the silent disco had cleared out, ushering in another full day of farflung performances. The de facto battle-of-the bands created between the Amphitheater, Patch and Campground stages gave Hulaweeners endless chances to see a broad variety of the most dynamic young acts on the scene, just not all at the same time. Come Back Alice, a fiddle-funk outfit from nearby Sarasota, FL, shared the noon-thirty timeslot with the electronic artist Artifakts; Louis Futon and Marvel Years split the crowd with dueling electronic sets at 2:30; and Manic Focus brought the live band to the Amphitheater while Brooklyn born Snarky Puppy treated an oversized crowd to an artful set of improvised jazz fusion at the Patch. Enjoy footage Snarky Puppy’s set below.
Later in the evening, Rüfüs Du Sol, the chart-topping dance trio from Sydney, Australia, excited fans at the Patch with their sultry vocals, daring leads and exotic beats, while Spirit of Suwannee mainstays Lettuce pumped out the funk for the booty shakers at the Amphitheater, then brought out Alecia Chakour to add her towering vocal talents to “What Do I Have to Do?” and Syl’s Johnson’s “The Love You Left Behind.” The 11:00 time slot hosted simultaneous dance parties sprung from entirely different ethos. Logic laid bare his verbal acumen over a bed of club beats, while frequently engaging the people in amateur-hour stage banter. Then there was STS9, who uttered hardly a word, electing instead to immerse their rabid fan base in deep waves of dope grooves and dense clouds of supersonic subtlety, delivering a relentless set of Tribe favorites, from the opening track “This, Us,” which segued into “When the Dust Settles Reprise,” all the way through the “EHM” encore.
With so many electro-tinted perfomances taking place, the rootsier offerings at the Meadow stage made for a palatable juxtaposition. Iconic picker Larry Keel joined forces with Drew Emmitt, of Leftover Salmon fame, in keeping the grass growing thick and blue, unraveling a set of melancholy mountain music that included covers of Janis Joplin’s “Take Another Piece of My Heart” and Blind Faith’s “Can’t Find My Way Home.” Next up, Brooklyn product Antibalas, an afrobeat jazz ensemble, invigorated listeners with a sunny, swinging show that primed Suwannee for the String Cheese Incident, who then took up residency on the Meadow stage for three full sets.
The revelry began with SCI cutting loose on a relatively new tune, the disco-flavored “Stop, Drop, Roll.” The fellas traded off vocal duties throughout the first set which saw them trot out a pack of fan favorite jam vehicles including “Restless Wind,” “Turn This Thing Around” and “Joyful Sound.” Cheese brought the first round to a close with “Can’t Wait Another Day” which had the audience discombobulated with anticipation for the carefully calculated “Stringier Things” themed set of covers that would follow.
The “Stringier Things” set was an over-the-top production designed to be the climax of the weekend’s festivities. The stage featured the ominous “Stringier Things” text blazoned across the screen, peals of sinister laughter blaring from the speakers, a fireworks display and the whole band in costume, plus SCI invited guest vocalists Rhonda Thomas and Tony White, as well as their friends from the Antibalas horn-section, Martin Perna, Jas Walton, Jordan McLean and Jeff Pierce, to lend a hand on some hits from the 1980s. The show attracted the weekend’s largest crowd and despite a shortage of open space, it was evident that nearly everyone had a costume and an inability to resist the urge to Cheese out. Some of the highlights were “Should I Stay or Should I Go,” The Clash hit central to the first season of the television series Stranger Things, Thomas Dolby’s “She Blinded Me With Science,” GnR’s “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” the B-52s smash hit “Love Shack” and a medley that began with Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust.” They tricked fans with a “Thriller” tease that segued into “Never Gonna Give You Up,” thus signaling to the Hulaween faithful that they had been Rickrolled, before finishing with the Human League’s “Don’t You Want Me.” Lastly, Cheese encored the only song appropriate to cap off their “Stringier Things” set, the Talking Heads’ anthem “Burning Down the House.”
After a much deserved break, the sextet returned for a third set, jumping immediately back into standard Cheese fare with 2014’s instant classic “Colorado Bluebird Sky” which was followed by a fresh one, with the always smooth Keith Moseley taking the lead vocals on “Sweet Spot.” The next sequence began with “Rivertrance,” then moved into a “Believe>Way Back Home>Miss Brown’s Teahouse” combo complete with a Rubik’s cube jam which saw the audience passing around several giant inflatable Rubik’s cubes, pressing SCI’s authentic improvisational and songwriting chops to the forefront. Another one from 2014’s Song In My Head, “Colliding,” gave the crowd one more well executed jam, then SCI asked their guests back onstage and sent the people into the night on a high note with Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours.”
While the String Cheese Incident took center stage on Saturday night, organizers did keep the options open for festivalgoers in search of something different. Washed Out threw down a chilly set of ambient jams that won over the crowd at the Spirit Lake stage as did Vancouver-born livetronica band Bob Moses, performing in costume as Guns n’ Moses. And after SCI finished, the Meadow hosted Disclosure’s DJ set. Hailing from Surrey, England, the Grammy-nominated electronic duo kept the heads bobbing late into the night. Meanwhile at Spirit Lake, New Orleans rockers The Revivalists dropped in with one of the strongest performances of the weekend. Their set was funky with a twang, kept up a stomping groove, included original, deliberate lyrics served up in grave rock n’ roll vocals and garnished with two Nine Inch Nails covers, “Closer” and “The Hand That Feeds,” which brought the stew to a hard boil. After The Revivalists, Spirit Lake housed the evening’s final live air performances as Larry Keel and Jon Stickley collaborated for an Americana styled guitar freakout, then South Florida natives Grass is Dead brought it all to a finish with a set of bluegrass-leaning Grateful Dead arrangements.
Sunday
Hulaween’s final day, although a much shorter affair, stayed in sync with its predecessors, providing a bevy of diverse performances across the several stages. The Travelin’ McCourys initiated the early afternoon action on the main stage, bringing their storied bluegrass chops to the Meadow, while El Dub impressed at the Spirit Lake stage with his hip-hop infused one-man band project. Spirit Lake also welcomed a full roster of arists of the rise, including reggae funk rockers Spritual Rez, San Francisco-based electronic artist Illenium and experimental Australian DJ What So Not, all of whom added their efforts to Hulaween’s burgeoning pool of creativity.
Once again, the Patch, Spirit Lake and Campground stages split up the audience with a variety of peak performers. Standouts amongst the numerous options were The Motet, who crafted a designer set of Rocky Mountain funk for the Amphitheatre, while Thriftworks followed the previous night’s fire-domed set with an afternoon jump-off at the Patch. Adding yet another layer to the mosaic, Rebelution administered a dose of roots reggae that had everyone swaying in unison. Meanwhile at the Patch, the Brit-pop duo Oh Wonder stitched yet another genre into the Hulaween quilt, giving fans a taste of their catchy originals. The final round of shows on these secondary stages pitted up-and-coming Chicago electronic duo Louis the Child against newly instated superband The Claypool-Lennon Delirium who mesmerized a hard listening audience with a brooding set of feverish psychedelic sludge, one that included the uncanny pairing of Primus’ “Southbound Pachyderm” with the Beatles’ “Tomorrow Never Knows.”
As they did the two evenings prior, the String Cheese Incident put on their big shoes and held down the Meadow for the bulk of the day. Taking the stage a little earlier for a 3:00 set, the battle-tested jamsters got down to brass tacks once more with “Song In My Head.” On a night when SCI enlisted a number of friends to lend a hand, Tyler Grant of Grant Farm was the first, helping to nail down “Get Tight,” a new tune he co-wrote with SCI bassist Keith Moseley. The first set ended with a blistering “Rain>BollyMunster” pairing that had the battle-weary crowd bouncing like astronauts to Michael Kang’s cosmic fiddle work.
Paying tribute to their bluegrass backstory, SCI invited the whole Travelin’ McCoury gang up for the start of their seventh and final Hulaween humdinger. They led off with the oft-covered Stanley Brothers’ classic “How Mountain Girls Can Love,” dusted off the traditional folk ballad “Shady Grove,” then tackled the Rusty Wier tune “Don’t It Make You Wanna Dance.” More rousing jams and sit-ins followed as Dominic Lalli, of Big Gigantic notoriety, and Joey Porter, from The Motet, joined SCI for a sexy strut through “Freedom Jazz Dance,” then Jeremy Salken, also from Big G, came out for the “Round the Wheel > Percussion” segment before Dom Lalli returned for the String Cheese Incident’s final sendoff, laying down sax on the boundary-defying rager “Beautiful,” a fitting finale as the tune perfectly encapsulated the eclectic Hulaween adventure in one nugget.
After Sunday headliners The Claypool-Lennon Delirium and the String Cheese Incident tore through Hulaween, it was up to festival closers Twiddle and Big Gigantic, featuring the Motet, to clean up the debris. Vermont trailblazers Twiddle packed it in for the final time at the much beloved Spirit Lake stage, opening with “Subconscious Prelude,” a lyrical, piano-led ballad which bled into the saucy reggae-dressed number “Jamflowman.” The alchemic foursome tested their improvisational limits, only walking out five songs for the entire set which also included the uptempo “Doinkinbonk,” guitarist Mihali Savoulidis’ vocal romp “Every Soul” and one of 2016’s trippiest new releases, the no holds barred headbanger “Blunderbuss.”
Meanwhile, over at main stage, Boulder-based livetronica duo Big Gigantic, featuring members the Motet, was busy taking the opposite approach as Twiddle, helicoptering through a dizzying magazine of new material, standard jams and radio hits that had the Meadow breathing hard and screaming for more. Highlights from the set included a combination starting with a remix of Kanye West’s “Get Em High” which moved into the new song “Highly Possible” and was followed by 2014’s “Blue Dream” and a soaring take on Fat Joe and Remy Ma’s “All the Way Up.” Big G also paid homage to SCI’s Rickroll prank by wheeling out Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” but instead of merely teasing it, they let it ride and added a drum jam to boot. In bringing it to a smashing finish, Big G whipped the audience into a frenzy one last time with new songs “Miss Primetime” and “All of Me,” then closed with the always raucous “Touch the Sky,” sending the cast of Hulaween characters out of the upside down and back into the real world again.
On October 22, the musical jam spirit in New York will be at its height when the sold-out Brooklyn Comes Alive festival comes to three venues in the heart of Williamsburg. This one-day event features a veritable who’s who spanning the jam band, funk and electronic scenes
Members of The Disco Biscuits, Medeski, Martin & Wood, The String Cheese Incident, Lettuce, Break Science, Greyboy Allstars, Mike Gordon Band, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, The Tedeschi Trucks Band, Soulive and the Trey Anastasio Band are just a few of the more than 50 artists slated to perform.
This event promises to feature performances from hand-selected super groups, impromptu jam sessions, and very rare collaborations, kicking off with brunch and running well into the depths of the evening. The venues that will host this monstrosity also happen to be Brooklyn’s most popular venues – Brooklyn Bowl, The Hall at MP, and Music Hall of Williamsburg, which are all conveniently within a 10-minute walking distance from each other.
With the festivities kicking off at noon at The Hall at MP, brunch will be hosted inside at the MP Taverna, featuring an amazing dining experience from Michelin Star chef Michael Psilakis. For those that are worried about missing out on some of the action while fueling up, live audio will be pumped into the dining room to keep the grooves going.
Also featured are members from groups such as The Knux, Ne-Yo, Snarky Puppy, RAQ, Nth Power, Stanton Moore Trio, Kung Fu, Primus, Dopapod, Garaj Mahal, Dub Trio, Gov’t Mule, The Black Crowes, The Stepkids, Deep Banana Blackout, Matisyahu, Organ Freeman, and Santana. In addition to the collaboration of band members from different groups, established solo artists will be making an appearance including Samora Pinderhughes, Raul Pineda, Farnell Newton, Chauncey Yearwood, Ian McGuire, Wiley Griffin, Luke Bemand and Dan Lyons.
Holly Bowling, the solo pianist who takes Phish and Grateful Dead classic jams and transcribes them arranged for piano, will open the festivities just after noon at The Hall MP of Brooklyn. Highlights include the All Brothers Band — featuring Oteil and Kofi Burbridge, and Neal and Alan Evans — Tim Palmieri and Friends, DRKWAV, which features John Medeski, Adam Deitch and Skerik, and Horizon Wireless.
Reed Mathis and Electric Beethoven is a new group that takes inspiration from Ludwig Van Beethoven, and has arranged some of his classic pieces for a rock group. This is one of the must see acts of the festival. The Rhythmatronix, featuring Jason Hann, Oteil Burbridge and Sting and Garage Mahal guitarist Fareed Haque, are the late-night group at The MP. This is just a small smattering of the incredible lineup put together by Live 4 Live Music.
A few hours after brunch is concluded, Brooklyn Bowl and Music Hall of Williamsburg will open and will stay open throughout the night.
Full List of Performers: Joe Russo (Joe Russo’s Almost Dead/Furthur/Benevento-Russo Duo) Oteil Burbridge (Allman Brothers/Dead & Company) Marc Brownstein (The Disco Biscuits) Aron Magner (The Disco Biscuits) John Medeski (Medeski Martin & Wood) Borahm Lee (Break Science) Natalie Cressman (Trey Anastasio Band) James Casey (Trey Anastasio Band) Chris Bullock (Snarky Puppy) Scott Metzger (Joe Russo’s Almost Dead) Kofi Burbridge (Tedeschi Trucks Band) Alan Evans (Soulive) Neal Evans (Soulive) Eric “Benny” Bloom (Lettuce) Jesus Coomes (Lettuce) Adam Smirnoff (Lettuce) Ryan Zoidis (Lettuce) Roosevelt Collier Michael League (Snarky Puppy) Skerik Todd Stoops (RAQ) Nate Werth (Snarky Puppy) Nikki Glaspie (The Nth Power) Nick Cassarino (The Nth Power) Nate Edgar (The Nth Power) Courtney J’Mell Smith (The Nth Power) Manic Focus Will Bernard (Stanton Moore Trio) Tim Palmieri (Kung Fu) Jay Lane (Primus/Electric Beethoven) Rob Compa (Dopapod) Eli Winderman (Dopapod) Adrian Tramontano (Kung Fu) Holly Bowling Rob Marscher (Matisyahu) Brasstracks Fareed Haque (Garaj Mahal) Cochrane McMillan (Tea Leaf Green) Andy Hess (Gov’t Mule/The Black Crowes) Eric Slick (Dr. Dog) Dan Edinburg (The Stepkids) Jen Durkin (Deep Banana Blackout) Johnny Durkin (Deep Banana Blackout) Jason Hann (The String Cheese Incident) Adam Deitch (Lettuce/Break Science) Robert Walter (Greyboy Allstars/Mike Gordon) Reed Mathis (Electric Beethoven) Rob Somerville (Kung Fu) Benny Rietveld (Santana) Jake Sherman Raul Pineda Farnell Newton Danny Sadownick
Summer time is what NYS Music considers their busy season. With outdoor venues in full swing, festivals across the country, and every band that is touring out on the road at this time hitting the Northeast during the warmer weather, it becomes quite hectic keeping readers up to date on the latest of happenings. Sometimes once things settle down a bit, it is better to just reflect back with a cup of pumpkin spice coffee or a great Saranac Oktoberfest, and enjoy these highlights after the fact. In this case, it’s time to reflect on the 2016 Great New York State Fair.
With a brand new entrance, the Fair welcomed more than 1,117,620 visitors through its gates this year, breaking all previous records. With the new found space acquired after the demolition of the Grandstand area, the Fair was able to spread out a bit more giving fair goers more elbow room with its new configuration. With all concerts now completely free to Fair goers, it was a pleasure to be able to see a wide variety of acts as they visited Central NY this year.
The lineup this year offered a little something for everyone. Newcomers X Ambassadors made an appearance as well as Kesha, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Toto, Survivor, Macy Gray, Brian Wilson, Herman’s Hermits, Flo Rida, Culture Club, Rachel Platten, A Great Big World, and Chicago together with a multitude of other national and local acts from today and yesterday throughout the fairgrounds.
Being a child of the 80’s, Air Supply was one of those bands that dominated the airwaves during that time singing ballad after ballad touching the hearts of many. This Australian duo have been making beautiful music since 1975 and this long lasting duo was widely welcomed by fairgoers this year. Choosing from their expansive catalog of hits, such as “All Out of Love,” “Even The Nights Are Better,” and “Every Woman In The World” to name a few, Roger Hitchcock and Graham Russell jumped around the stage in the heat, waving and pointing to fans just as they did back in the height of their careers back in the 1980’s. Those in attendance were well entertained, and it was a pleasure to take the time travel back to my 7th grade dance once again.
Another band extremely popular in the 70’s and 80’s drew a huge crowd when The Commodores played on Day 5. Still moving and grooving like they did all those years ago, William King, Walter “Clyde” Orange and J.D. Nicholas played favorites such as “Nightshift,” “Easy,” “Three Times A Lady,” and their signature song “Brick House.” The electric experience had the crowd up on their feet the majority of the night singing and dancing along.
Bruce Hornsby and The Noisemakers also drew a large crowd. Playing favorites such as “Mandolin Rain” and “The Way It Is,” this musical master proved to be so much more than the pop star one expected. Traveling around in the early 90’s, Bruce joined the legendary group The Grateful Dead on tour, and has performed with legendary country performer Ricky Skaggs since 2007. You can see the influences of these two genres reflected in his new body of work which pleased me beyond belief. Concert attendees anticipated a remix of music that brought him to light and he delivered that and so much more with his new sound of bluegrass music. Amazingly entertaining was Mr. Bruce Hornsby and The Noisemakers. Yes indeed.
On the final Sunday fair goers had a nice mix of rock and blues as they welcomed legendary blues guitarist Robert Cray at the early show. Cray’s music was uplifting and catchy as he worked cute comparisons of love and food and animals into a mix of bluesy goodness that brought a smile to your face. With numbers like “Side Dish,” “Chicken In The Kitchen,” and “Great Big Ole House,” Robert Cray’s ability to work puns into his lyrics was endearing and his musical genius proved to the packed crowd that he is one of the greats.
Daughtry packed Chevy Court, as thousands of fans waited for the former American Idol star to take the stage. Surprised by the size of the crowd taking in the show,Daughtry howled at the crowd claiming that he “Did not know we had this many friends here in Syracuse. Damn, Ya’ll ready to have fun with us tonight? You ready to party with us?” Daughtry then led the crowd in clapping their hands as the band played “Feels Like Tonight.” Taking a quick breather after the song “Superman,” he shared with fans that the band was in the process of writing a new album and joked that the band didn’t have a new song yet to play for them, but all he knew was that it would be a rock album. Daughtry held the mic over the crowd several times as fans were singing along with him. Giving a shout out to his keyboardist, Elvio Fernandes, Daughtry shared that this local hometown hero was born and raised in Rochester. A very fan oriented musician, it was not a surprise when he called a fan to the stage to sign his guitar, and better yet, to have the entire band sign the guitar.
For fairgoers each year, there are tried and true exhibits, agriculture competitions, events, and food vendors one must visit to truly experience the fair. Whether it’s fried dough, wine slushies, rides, horse competitions, or the Indian Village, the Great NY State Fair has something for everyone’s taste. One of the new events that was most popular was the food truck contest. This event went over amazingly well as thousands took advantage of the $2 tasters all day long as the food trucks lined Chevy Court. From was peanut butter and jelly to meatballs, there was literally something for everyone. After a day long of tasting each purchase gave you an entry ticket to win prizes for both the taster and the food truck owner.
Literally thousands of new yorkers and tourists from beyond, visit the Great New York State Fair for 12 days at the end of summer, each year. Traditionally, the last day is reserved for the best deal, $1 admission. What appears to be the biggest day for attendance, has now become the busiest day for the Chevy Court. On Labor Day, Chicago entertained just over 30,000 people with a fantastic performance full of rocking guitar licks, heavy horn-playing, and soaring vocals. Beginning their 2-hour long set, the band embraced the stage for the first time in 26 years with an instrumental introduction before kicking off with “Questions 67 & 68” as “Dialogue (Part I & II)” followed. Throughout the whole show members took turns strutting their moves at the front of the stage, bringing fans deeper into their performance. Highlights of evening included their super hits, “Beginnings,” “Free,” “25 or 6 to 4,” and “Saturday in the Park” followed by a spectacular fireworks display at the front gate as attendees exited the fair for the last time.
Bruce Hornsby and The Noise Makers Setlist: On Western Skyline, Across the River, Funhouse, Tennessee Jed, Celestial Railroad, Pretty Polly, Every Little Kiss, Over the Rise, Jacob’s Ladder, Life in the Psychotropics, Mandolin Rain, The Way It Is, Encore: Rainbow’s Cadillac
Robert Cray Setlist: Chicken in the Kitchen, Poor Johnny, It Doesn’t Show, Nobody’s Fault but Mine, On the Road Down, Phone Booth, Two Steps From the End, Side Dish, Great Big Old House, I Shiver, Right Next Door (Because of Me), Strong Persuader, You Move Me. Encore: Time Makes Two
Daughtry Setlist: Go Down, Outta My Head, Feels Like Tonight, Waiting for Superman, Renegade, In the Air Tonight, Crazy, Tennessee Line, Home Sweet Home, Diamonds, It’s Not Over, Over You, Home, Long Live Rock & Roll. Encore: September, Purple Rain
Without a doubt, the artists, presenters, producers and park staff created a dazzling festival, spectacular for its out-of-the-box design, lively collaborations, and action-packed schedule. But Suwannee Hulaween has also cultivated an efficient and functioning logistical infrastructure that offered attendees a pleasurable and convenient experience built on a system of freedoms and cooperation which eschewed many of the customary delays, shortcomings and traffic jams commonplace at other high-caliber festivals. The park is set up with multiple entrances, free trollies to and from the stage, several bathhouses with showers, general stores, lake and river access, VIP sections, a wide array of food vendors and craft beer by Lagunitas and dozens of other vendors, all conveniently arranged to give patrons equal and open access to the amenities. In lieu of the strict parking policies at many major events, which force campers to set up in order of arrival, thus making it more difficult to get a camping spot of one’s liking or to set up with late-arriving friends, at Spirit of Suwannee one is free to search the park at leisure to locate and carve out a one-off spot among the many acres of primitive forest or field camping.
