Bear Creek 2010 was my initiation into the new era of music festivals. For anyone that doesn’t know, that annual November festival based at the gorgeous Spirit of Suwannee Music Park (SOSMP), was renowned for it’s smaller, family-feel and specialized in jam and funk music across 5 or 6 stages including inside at the music hall. Bear Creek had an eight year run from 2007-2014. The 2010 schedule caught my eye because I had been looking for places to see Maceo Parker (James Brown, Parliament/Funkadelic) and funk band, Lettuce, that I was a fan of but had never seen before live. Lo and behold, BC’10 was gonna have both of them AND the JB horns (Maceo, Fred and Pee Wee) with Lettuce! On top of that, the lineup also included another favorite of mine, The New Mastersounds, and Dumpstaphunk, George Porter Jr. and the Runnin’ Pardners, and The Legendary JCs. I went down to that festival and I was HOOKED FOR LIFE!
Similarly, Wanee Music Festival primarily hosted by The Allman Brothers, was held in the springtime at SOSMP from 2005-2018. Gov’t Mule or Warren Haynes Band was at the top of the bill for virtually the entire run. Dumpstaphunk and George Porter, Jr. were also repeat performers there.
Since Bear Creek ended in 2014, there’s been a dearth of funk/jam festivals although there have been some excellent spring events at SOSMP including Aura, Suwannee Rising and Resonate, among others. Now, as we see in the lineup poster, the organizer and MC extraordinaire has put together Suwannee Amp Jam with the banner “Feels Like the First Time,” which has real significance to me and a whole lotta folks who have been hoping for a Wanee/Bear Creek mashup. And man, this lineup is totally lit from top to bottom. It’s so much of a flashback to that first time for me at Bear Creek…and all taking place on the magical Amphitheater stage. I’m so looking forward to this one. Check out this preview of the whole shebang!
The Lineup
Gov’t Mule was cofounded in the early 1990s by its guitarist and singer Warren Haynes. Haynes, who is consistently on various lists as one of the top guitarists of all time, had been a member of The Allman Brothers Band since the late 80s. Mule plays a wide range of styles from jam to classic rock with a ton of improvisation. Heck, I’ve even heard them cover my all time favorite tune “What is Hip? from Tower of Power. It also gives me another chance to see my friend, Kevin Scott, on bass, up close playing some funky licks. It’s only fitting that Mule headlines as they participated in virtually every prior Wanee fest!
DAZE Between Band is an all-star amalgamation of Dumpstaphunk and the Guest Artists including John Scofield, Jennifer Hartswick, Eric Krasno, Ryan Zoidis and George Porter Jr. It’s a tribute set to GPJ, the legendary New Orleans bassist and one of the original members of The Meters. The lineup is unique, a once in a lifetime event having so much talent on stage and not to be missed.
Lettuce is a band I’ve been listening to since 2004 and they played at every Bear Creek Fest. For the last 20 years, they’ve been one of my favorite bands and have ascended to today’s funk royalty. They blaze new trails in deep space funk and house music and often pay homage with covers of Earth Wind and Fire, WAR, Tower of Power, Maze (Frankie Beverly) and The Crusaders, all favorites of mine. Most recently, they returned to the Amp stage at Hulaween for an evening set for the first time in 5 years and it was a fantastic set. It was all I could’ve hoped for, a deep funk set including Yearnin’ Learnin’ (Earth, Wind and Fire), Moksha (which I haven’t heard for a while) and a brand new tune, The Matador, which the video is cued up to, and was an absolute knockout. Now we have the chance to see two more funkified Amp sets!
Dumpstaphunk, the legendary New Orleans funk band is another Bear Creek OG band. They’ve been led by Ivan Neville for years and their sound is deep bass, pumping B3 organ, and punchy horns. They are slightly reconfigured following the untimely death of long-time bassist Nick Daniels III with the great vocals of Viveca Hawkins. At Hulaween, they were up on the Meadows stage so it’ll be great to see them back under the Amp trees.
Eggy is a new band to me, but one that I see rising fast on the jam band scene. They played late night at this year’s Hulaween but I missed it so nice to have another shot. From their website, “Eggy formed from a high school dream into a full-fledged reality. Aligning together in 2016, the lineup of Alex Bailey (drums, vocals), Jake Brownstein (guitar, vocals), Mike Goodman (bass, vocals) and Dani Battat (keys, vocals) has captured the ears of listeners across the USA and beyond.” Also, they have a new album out, “Waiting Game,” is set to arrive on September 6, 2024. Three singles (“A Moment’s Notice”, “Laurel” and “Gentle Clown”) have been released thus far. Co-produced by White Denim’s James Petralli, “Waiting Game” showcases the band’s artistry through a concentrated and refined studio approach as a compliment to their exploratory live shows.
The Headhunters are coming! That is simply amazing that this reconfigured, refined legendary crew is gonna be at Amp Jam #1. The Headhuters have the original members Bill Summers on percussion and Mike Clark on drums and add Donald Harrison on sax, Kyle Roussel on keys and Chris Severin on bass. Summers and Clark were in the band when Herbie Hancock cut the seminal albums Head Hunters, Thrust, Flood and Man Child. The band is OG funk-fusion and they’ve been forging their sound for 50 years. I’ve listened to their latest album a The Stunt Man a bunch, and it’s so gorgeous so looking forward to hearing some of those tunes in March.
Eddie Roberts and the Lucky Strokes had their SOSMP debut as the festival closing act at Hulaween 2023 on the Campground Stage. I’d been listening to that album on the trip down to the fest so I knew the set was gonna be a gritty, bluesy set with the vocals o of Shelby Kemp. I got to see them again up close at three shows of The New Mastersounds earlier this year as the opening act and they tore up the Brooklyn Bowl in Philly and NYC. Their debut album is great with memorable lyrics and lotsa hot licks. The Galbraith sisters form a helluva rhythm section and Chris Spies on keys brings some extra spice to the mix.
Diggin Dirt is the ‘new’ band I’m most looking forward to. They were at Hulaween 2022 in the afternoon but I missed that one. Diggin Dirt play a new version of old school West Coast greasy funk in the tradition of Jame Brown, Sly and the Family Stone and Tower of Power. Their two-piece horn section delivers a much larger sound, partly due to the deep scoops from the baritone sax. Zach Alder is an authentically talented soul singer with the raspiness of James Brown or chops of Mitch Ryder (look it up!). Their latest album ‘Old Growth’ is a winner and has been on repeat for a while for me.
The Legendary JCs are another throwback artist, playing old school soul musit for more than 20 years. I checked my poster and they indeed were on the Bear Creek lineup back in 2010. It’s such a great treat to hear that horn-laden sound. Check out the great video from Bear Creek 2013 from my good friend over at FunkItBlog.com with George Porter Jr on bass and Mike Dillon on percussion.
Electric Kif, out of Miami are a favorite of mine and they’ve performed at Hulaween and and have toured nationally and internationally. They’re one of the leading funk fusion foursomes of the early 21st century and, I believe, have the gravitas to be among those bands that are listened to for decades, as their predecessors, Weather Report and Return to Forever have been. That’s a lofty statement, for sure, but the textures and contours of their tunes merit such praise They just released a great new album, ‘ReThink’ that was reviewed here.
Guest Artists
John Scofield is a guitar legend and has played with a Who’s Who of jazz and funk royalty. It’s almost incomprehensible how many touchpoints he has in jazz over the last last 5 decades. He’s played with Miles Davis, George Duke, Eddie Harris, Lettuce, Medeski Martin & Wood, Billy Cobham and so many more. His 2002 album Überjam is a classic funk fusion album and featured luminaries Karl Denson, John Medeski, and Adam Deitch (Lettuce). The chance to see him playing with the Daze Between Band as potentially with Lettuce and other bands is incredible.
George Porter Jr. is a living legend that the DAZE Between Band will be celebrating his career. Of course he has been a fixture at SOSMP playing both Wanee and Bear Creek for many years. He established his bona fides early on as the bassist and singer of the New Orleans band The Meters. They are considered to be the founders of New Orleans funk. He’s been leading his own group, the Runnin’ Pardners, for many years now and I’m sure he’ll be popping up all around this fest with many amazing sit ins.
Eric Krasno is amazing guitar player who I’ve been a fan of for more than 25 years as a member of Lettuce and the funk-fusion band Soulive. I’ve seen him collaborate with John Scofield as well so I’m hoping for a grand reunion of sorts and perhaps hear ‘Keep the Same Old Feeling” from The Crusaders!?
Jennifer Hartswick is an amazing singer and trumpet player and is a great addition to the lineup. She was an Artist at Large at Bear Creek 2010 which I imagine is the first time I saw her perform. I’ve seen her at numerous sit-ins including Snarky Puppy at Hulaween and The Nth Power. Jennifer is a regular touring member of Trey Anastasio Band. I was so pumped to be able to see her in 2023 with her own band in support of her latest terrific album (see video).
About Suwannee Amp Jam
Spirit of Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Florida is loving home and proud host to dozens of eclectic music festivals dating back decades. Thousands of fans from around the world return time and again, flocking to frolic freely in this sacred space, to dance, commune, connect and coalesce around the intergenerational, genre-spanning live music gatherings. Centrally-located within the sprawling 800-acre campground venue is a celestial crown-jewel, the Amphitheater Stage, a majestic, tree-lined natural bowl with amazing acoustics, set amidst turkey oaks and dogwoods, framed by towering pines dripping in Spanish moss. The brilliant organic beauty creates crucial shade and an intimate container; familiar faces cultivate a familial atmosphere with filial traditions passed down from onstage to the rage. With world-class musicians blessing the Amphitheater Stage year after year, the sum of these sensory parts provide a unique, high-fidelity concert experience that rivals iconic amphitheaters like Colorado’s renowned Red Rocks or Washington’s breathtaking Gorge.
Taking place March 6-8, 2025, the inaugural Amp Jams is the first in a series of smaller, focused festivals that intend to spotlight the storied history of The Amphitheater Stage, showcasing numerous artists that are essential to the lineage, legacy, and timeless energy of this hallowed spot. Warren Haynes traces deep roots to SOSMP – and the granddaddy of ‘em all: Wanee Festival – performing extensively with the Allman Brothers Band and his own Gov’t Mule for many years. Certified OGs like Dumpstaphunk, George Porter Jr., Lettuce, and Eddie Roberts (New Mastersounds) each anchored the beloved Bear Creek Music & Arts Festival across a legendary eight-year run. The plan for Amp Jams is to facilitate a reconnection with the Suwanee musical family, congregate the faithful to the park, and to distill the peerless SOSMP experience into its most potent form. Remove the distractions and make only funky decisions on the mighty Amphitheater Stage all weekend long.
-B. Getz | Upful LIFE