Bear Creek Fest Recap

Monday, 16 November 2009 11:21

The Bear Creek Music and Art Festival was a three-day celebration of sight and sound at the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Fla.  INsite was there to capture some of the most memorable moments.  Check out our photo slideshow and recap below! 

By John Davisson; Photos by Sarah Hsu

The Bear Creek Music & Art Festival’s third year was another success. The weather was perfect all weekend with no rain and comfortable temperatures during the day (a little chilly at night but not cold). Dozens of bands kept the music fans dancing all day long and there was interesting art to check out. Much of the music was New Orleans-style funk, some jazz and electronic music featured, plus a host of other genres over 6 stages.

Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue was a special late-night set on Friday, but local band Third Stone also drew a nice crowd in the Music Hall. Artist at large Bernie Worrell, founding member of Parliament/Funkadelic and onetime Talking Heads member known for his innovative keyboard/synthesizer style, sat in on most of Third Stone’s set, and they included the Talking Heads gem “Crosseyed and Painless.” Hearing Bernie on that nugget was a real treat, but even without Bernie, they put on a nice high-energy set.

Saturday, Bernie Worrell was one of several guests who also joined Papa Mali for a few tunes on Uncle Charlie’s Stage near the vendors. Then Robert Walter’s 20th Congress was back together for some nice jams at the shady amphitheatre in the woods. Robert’s organ work made for a nice afternoon in the woods. Next up was a choice between Steve Kimock Crazy Engine for the Deadheads or the more modern Garage a Trois in the Purple Hat Tent with a light show. Lettuce also overlapped Garage a Trois and Derek Trucks showed up as a surprise to join them.

As darkness settled in, Galactic played Uncle Charlie’s stage and Roosevelt Collier (from the Lee Boys and playing with Shak Nasti) added some pedal steel to the end of the set. Primetime was Ivan Neville’s Dumpstajam at the Amphitheatre Stage, with numerous guests including Bernie Worrell. Derek Trucks also added some nice slide to a cover of the Stones’ “Miss You” at the Dumpstajam. Late night was another difficult choice: you could check out the epic Pink-Floydian jams of Perpetual Groove (a sure bet) at Uncle Charlie’s Stage or gamble on the Bear Creek Mystery Show in the Purple Hat (it turned out to be Soulive). Whatever the choice, you won.

Saturday night also featured a costume contest, although you could also check out many of the costumed fans in the audience dancing to the grooves throughout the day and evening. Between sets in the Purple Hat Tent, Zach Deputy entertained with mini-sets of his one-man band (using looping technology to flesh out the sound) while a machine cranked out a stream of bubbles. The night ended with Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe bringing more funk to the Purple Hat while Zach did a stealth set in a vendor’s tent.

Sunday was a lot mellower with people winding down and packing up between sets. The day opened with Perpetual Groove’s Brock Butler serving a morning Brockfast set. The Yonrico Scott Band featured several guests, including Eric Krasno, Nigel Hall, and Roosevelt Collier. Galactic closed down the Amphitheatre Stage with JJ Grey of Mofro joining them for “Sympathy for The Devil.” The New Mastersounds, from the UK, closed down Uncle Charlie’s stage with some rock, but the Purple Hat continued the funk after I left, exhausted but musically satiated, with sets by Dr. Claw and Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk.