Bear Creek Music and Arts Festival announces lineup

Bear Creek Music and Arts Festival announces lineup

SPIRIT OF THE SUWANNEE MUSIC PARK, LIVE OAK, FLA - 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.

Early bird tickets for this festival are available until Sept. 16 and can be purchased at the festival’s web site (www.bearcreekmusicfestival.com ) – and the revelry will commence with an intimate "pre-festival" kick-off party, taking place onsite Thursday, November 13.

Florida’s own JJ Grey and 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). 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 Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park representative Robin White, "During the coming years festival goers will see improvements through the use of biodegradable materials,

Soulive

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. These trips 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 jamband 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.

New Orleans-rooted Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk

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 kick-off party will include sets from Perpetual Groove, The Motet with Hollingsworth, Dubconscious and others.

One way a festival endears itself to an audience over time is by providing a "deep" bill of musicians. Music fans will begin to rely on certain festivals to guide them toward great musical "finds" for those willing to discover them. The Jazz-curious types will enjoy the invigorating Robert Walter Trio and the southeast debut of McTuff, the latest marriage of funk and jazz from the mind of celebrated sax ace Skerik! Reggae fans will enjoy veterans from the north, John Brown’s Body, as well as fast on the rise to fame Dubconscious from Athens, Georgia. Georgia also brings the blues rock of Tishamingo and the deeply soulful, blues-based songstress Donna Hopkins. Florida itself will be represented by the high energy psychedelic funk rock of the Burnin’ Smyrnans and the Legendary JC’s will offer a taste of southern soul revue.

For more information, go to www.bearcreekmusicfestival.com , www.musicliveshere.com or contact Nancy Lewis-Pegel or Rob Turner at Brilliant Productions at 404-373-2299 for more information.