Ahhh, Wanee is close, so close, 3 days close. This year it is packed with great artists such as Lynard Skynard, Trey Anastasio Band, Gov’t Mule and Tedeschi Trucks Band. Other incredible bands are: Umphree’s McGee, moe., Dumpstaphunk, Soulive (see list below). And yes, this is a Thursday to Saturday festival, where everyone leaves on Sunday and is good to go to work on a Monday, unlike most festivals that start on a Thursday and end late Sunday night.
However, this year will be different.
This is the 10th Anniversary. It’s also the last year the Allman Brothers Bandwill be playing/on tour. I have a feeling this will be one of the most special Wanee’s ever. The anticipation is killing me.
Not sure where to start – the last two weeks have been a flurry of festival announcements, even I can’t keep up. However, the first festival to start off my 2014 (besides Jam Cruise, which is another post altogether) is WANEE FESTIVAL.
If you know me, you know this is my staple festival, I go for the great southern guitar twangs, the southern hospitality of The Spirit of Suwanee Music Park, and the southern charm. Not to mention the Allman Brothers host this event every year.
This year is the 10th anniversary Wanee Festival (how did that happen already?) and promises to be a star studded event. The line up consists of:
The Allman Brothers Band * Trey Anastasio Band* Lynyrd Skynyrd * Tedeschi Trucks Band * Gov’t Mule * Jaimoe’s Jasssz Band * Umphrey’s McGee * Ziggy Marley * Blues Traveler * The Chris Robinson Brotherhood * Hot Tuna Electric * Moe. * Rusted Root * Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk (Music of Led Zeppelin) * Soulive * Royal Southern Brotherhood * Walter Trout * Rob Garza (of Thievery Corporation) * Blind Boys of Alabama * Bobby Lee Rodgers * Melvin Seals & JGB * Futurebirds * Matt Schofield * Break Science * Sean Chambers * The Yeti Trio *
Once again, a heartfelt thanks to Rob Clarke and Scott Bernstein for taping the festival, and being so prompt in putting the out there for us to all relive again. Mucho gracias!
Getting my bearings and figuring out the scene: Woke up and started wandering for coffee on Shakedown Street. I began to get my senses and bearings, but still needed another cuppa. Over breakfast I began to get the breadth of the scope for Nateva. The first day was packed straight with music from 11:30am to 2:45am. I didn’t really realize how full on the music would be and I was beginning to get the first sense of how my music schizophrenia would be. I got out my pen and marked out my whole schedule for the weekend. My “wish list” per se.
While my friend was taking her time getting ready, and I had no intentions on rushing anyone, I decided to scope the place out. We were camped by the Port City Music Stage, so I was happy to have live music so close. I had water in my waterbottle, filled with ice and passed the horse stables, the RV set ups, the port-o-potties and real toilets to the left and the road to the stage to the right. I followed the sounds of Greensky Bluegrass and was told “no liquids.” I had to throw my deliciously cold ice water on the ground, darn.
Photo by LimboJim
To set the scene, there was two stages on this field, and another two stages outside the field. Vending galore and food awaited us. Rainbow colored pinwheels graced the skyways, and a ferris wheel closed the deal. Surrounding this was the word NATEVA on a hill, with huge beautiful trees, a big blue sky and clean air. This is Maine, and it is so beautiful.
I finished out the Greensky Bluegrass set, and have to say – it was nice to start the day with a little bluegrass. Went to get more liquid, it was scorching on the field and there was no shelter, so back to the camp I went. My friend was chilling with the new camp family we met when we pulled in and all was happy and smiles there. I chilled, had a little lunch and went back to the field for Umphree’s McGee. My friend stayed back and took a nap.
Photo by LimboJim
I have to admit, by 2:30 it was more than scorching out and I couldn’t deal with the heat. I decided to go back to camp, go to the vendors, do anything other than standing on a field in the squelching sun. I went to wander. I walked the perimeter, walked the other vending areas, and found a small little gazebo to watch people and be sheltered bythe sun. I then see my buddy Jimbo. Yep, just walking down the path. I truly love things like this, when you are supposed to see people…they just show up.
Finally getting back to my camp I can hear Keller Williams on the Main Stage area. He’s always fun to listen to, he’s got a great voice and he strums those guitars fast and furiously. I love him and was so pleased to hear him from camp. Soon after I heard some amazing beats coming from the Port City Music Stage, and I decided to check out Jimbo’s friends band, The Problemaddicts. I’d say these guys are like a hip-hop, reggae, in your face fun. Great beats. Great energy. I danced hard in that barn and I came out sweaty gross. We all were sweaty gross. There is comfort in that thought.
Photos by Britt Nemeth
Enough of the sweaty gross factor, I was off to find a true shower. There was only one I knew of and I wasn’t telling anyone about it. Unfortunately, when I got to the bath house, there was a slight line. Fine by me, a slight line is better than the line for the “official” $5 showers. As I waited on line, hanging outside the bath house, I saw another friend of mine walking across the way. Sometimes, it’s just that easy. “Jello shots at dark,” is what I was told. Yes ma’am, love ya. Oh, yeah – I lingered in that shower a bit.
Highlights of the day: moe. Ghostland Observatory. Ryan Montbleau Band. Silent Disco.
photo by Jeremy Hageman
Ghostland Observatory: light show extraordinaire. On par with Chris Kuroda from Phish. Seriously. That’s all I remember. No, I remember loving the music, but entranced by the lights.
Photos by Britt Nemeth
moe. Who doesn’t love moe.? If you haven’t heard of them, you should. They are a solid jam band, all I could think of was Widespread Panic + Phish = moe. Wicked guitar riffs. Amazing beat by the two drummers. Killer drums. We were treated to a 2 song encore, and the show ends at 12:30. Woo hoo, here we go, Day 1.
Photos by Britt Nemeth
Ryan Montbleau Band: The Barn Stage (the smallest of all the stages), was packed. Seriously packed. Ryan has great energy, funky beats and it was a lot of fun. I had begun my music schizophrenia mode and ran down to see Big Gigantic which wasn’t really my style as they are a Rave/Techno type band. But they had a sax. I’ve never heard a techno/rave band with sax. I was intrigued and I loved it.
Photos by Britt Nemeth
Silent Disco: OK. This was amazing. AMAZING. You would walk by this field and all these people would be standing around looking like zombies. Kinda scary. But once you went through with the headphones that was given to you upon entry, it all changed. You heard the DJ and the music that everyone else was listening to on the headphones. Immediately you were in another world, a shared experience with only the people with the phones on. The music was amazing, the DJ was amazing and I danced for a long time. I think I called it a night around 4am, leaving my friends behind. I was out. I needed sleep. We had two more days to party through.
I have to admit, I’m not a huge moe. fan. But, I know the music well enough and know the vibe of the tribe well enough to know I’d have fun. And fun, yes, was had.
I walked in to the Roseland knowing I had missed the first couple of songs already. I was watching the set list being tweeted to me by friends inside, and I looked up at the stage to see the boys all dressed up in suits and ties. I found out later this could have been for their 20th year playing in NYC.
I handed my ticket to the lady to scan and I noted the posting above her that said, “No Smoking Allowed.” I said, “hmm, no smoking, eh? Smells like funky smoke in here.” She laughed and scanned me in. Ah hah, nice Roseland.
Went to get a drink and find a place to call “home”. I noticed the tapers and smiled – ah, something about seeing microphones at a show makes me happy. Continue reading →
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