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The Bear Creek Music and Arts Festival will return to the Spirit of Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Florida November 14 - 16 for what promises to be a memorable weekend of music, arts and revelry with an undercurrent of environmental awareness and charity. The fun will commence with an intimate “pre-festival" kick-off party, taking place onsite on Thursday, November 13. Early bird tickets for this festival are available until September 16 and can be purchased at www.bearcreekmusicfestival.com.
Florida's own JJ Grey & MOFRO is the most recent addition to the Bear Creek roster of artists, which already boasts Yonder Mountain String Band, Soulive and The Everyone Orchestra (featuring Phish drummer Jon Fishman, and String Cheese Incident multi-instrumentalist Michael Kang). These four headliners accurately frame the scope of this festival, with Grey's brilliant songwriting, Yonder Mountain's bluegrass and beyond, Soulive's smart funk and the creating-music-on-the-spot spirit of The Everyone Orchestra.
Bear Creek will also feature multiple “live art" painters during performances. Musically inclined regional artists will create paintings “in the moment" (in shared spirit with most of the musical acts) and bring forth works inspired by the music and created in front of the festival crowd. Some of the resulting pieces will be available during a silent auction (which provides a great way to support local artists, not to mention get early Christmas shopping done).
The Bear Creek Music and Arts Festival will deepen its environmental commitment (and take a cue from the venerable Magnolia Festival) by taking part in the debut of the ambitious Green Program. “The Spirit of Suwannee is an environmentally-friendly facility and is committed to enhancing its 'green' policies," says Park representative Robin White, “During the coming years festival goers will see improvements through the use of biodegradable materials, water conservation policies, habitat protection efforts, recycling and more."
Fittingly, there will be many nature-oriented activities offered during the Bear Creek Music Festival, most notably scenic canoe trips on the legendary Suwannee River, which will depart from the festival site. There will be a charitable Frisbee golf tournament and fervent sports fans will always have the option of a satellite-enhanced sports bar (yes, they will have ALL of that weekend's college and NFL games).
Bear Creek will also address a long-standing concern of festival audiences. Oftentimes fans are left wishing they could have had more music from their favorite band. Bear Creek answers this concern by offering multiple sets from nine bands. “We are very happy to be able to have bands playing multiple sets over the course of the weekend," says festival organizer Paul Levine. “It gives the artists and the audience a better chance to get to know each other and have a more personal experience." Among the bands that will perform twice are the New Orleans-rooted Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk, England's The New Mastersounds, one of the elite young funk bands, and the rabidly-pursued Georgia jam band Perpetual Groove. Also in this group are The Motet (who will be joined by Kyle Hollingsworth of String Cheese Incident), and the rarely seen in the south, veteran New York funksters, Lettuce.
A star-studded Bear Creek Super Jam will be unveiled onsite, and the hybrid act Dr. Claw will feature Ian Neville, Adam Deitch, Eric Krasno and other ace musicians - collaborations exclusive to Bear Creek. Thursday's pre-festival kickoff party will include sets from Perpetual Groove, The Motet with Hollingsworth, Dubconscious and others.
Lineup
Yonder Mountain String Band
Everyone Orchestra w/ Jon Fishman
JJ Grey & MOFRO
Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk x2
Soulive
Perpetual Groove x2
The New Mastersounds x2
Lettuce x2
The Motet with Kyle Hollingsworth x2
Dirty Dozen Brass Band
TR3 featuring Tim Reynolds
Big Sam's Funky Nation
Sam Kininger Band
Dubconscious x2
Robert Walter Trio
John Brown's Body x2
Zach Deputy x2
Dr. Claw (Ian Neville, Nick Daniels, Big Sam, Adam Deitch, Eric Krasno, Nigel Hall)
The Legendary JC's
The Brian Jordan Trio
The Afromotive
Jim Weider's ProJECT PERcoLAToR
Tommy Talton Band
Tishamingo
Chicago Afrobeat Project
The Pnuma Trio
McTuff featuring Skerik
The Windfall
The Soular System
Brother Bean x2
Bonobos Convergence
Rebecca Jean Smith
Cadillac Jones
Ancient Harmony
Fusebox Funk
Green Hit
Deep Blue Sun
Stop Drop and Roll
The Sarah Mac Band
The Malah
Dr. Louis Sullivan
The Low-Down Throw-Down
Trial By Stone
The Burnin Smyrnans
Corporal Boil
Donna Hopkins Band
Shak Nasti
Euro-Sluts
Strut
Warehouse Jazz Project
Polyester Pimpstrap
Tallahassee All-Stars
Curious Circus
Suwannee Bluegrass Mafia
Stillwood
Bear Creek Superjam
FSU Blues Band Skerik Artist At Large
Telepath - Thursday only
Ticket Information
Tickets are $125 until September 16 when they increase to $145. Price includes music, primitive camping, all fees, taxes and shipping charges.
Gate price $165.
Day tickets are $75 Friday and Saturday, $50 on Sunday and are only available at the gate.
