HAVE SOME FUN IN THE SUN!!!!!

Now that you've been introduced the the wonderful world of music festivals, the last step is to get out and enjoy yourself. This past weekend, I began my summer a few weeks early in order to catch up with The Allman Brothers and Widespread Panic at the Wanee Music Festival at Live Oak, Florida's Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park. The 3 day weekend included over 25 bands, as well as numerous artists, and crafts people showcasing their various talents.

Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park, which has become notorious for the Wanee Festival, as well as Magnolia Fest, and Bear Creek Music and Arts Festival, held its largest event with its 6th annual Wanee. With just short of 27,000 in attendance, the festival began with a pre-party on the 14th of April, and the music didn't stop till about 2 am on that Sunday morning. Thursday night was the official start of the event with artists such as Particle and George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelic getting the party in full swing.

Friday proved for some fun in the sun, as weather was exceptional, and a lineup of great performances promised for a wonderful day. Beginning the day with a visit to a show including Bill Kreutzmann of the Grateful Dead, and ending the evening with famed guitar legend Warren Haynes and his group Gov't Mule keeping the evening going until early Saturday. Saturday, the weather continued to be wonderfully beautiful! Spectacular performances by The Allman Bro's and Derek and Susan Tedeski Trucks wound down a weekend that in the words of a first time festival goer was "an experiance like nothing I've ever done in my life."

Pack The Car and Hit The Road! Surviving your first festival!

It's that time of year again.

Warm Weather, Summer Time, and Festivals!

The festival season is slowly getting into swing, and with events such as Wanee, Amberland, and plenty of others, its time to choose your route, pack your car and get your ass to a summer music festival. Although many are focused on jam band's and blues music, there is a festival for everyone if you can seek it out. However, there is a common thread to every camping music festival. Preparation.

When preparing for my own festival experience, I usually plan ahead for a few different things:

1. Beer is cheap: buy ahead of time and avoid high prices

2. Weather is unpredictable: be ready for anything

3. All in all, the more you bring....the better off you are.

Most festivals allow you to bring everything you need to your campsite not necessarily to the stages, so be prepared to spend a few dollars, but there is always a way to avoid costs additional to the weekend ticket purchased for anywhere from 40-$500 (VIP access can be in the thousands!). Food and Drink are your 2 largest cost's if you are totally unprepared, since many food vendors although delicious...can add up throughout the weekend. Coolers full of food and drinks are your #1 priority. Many festival goers are very friendly and when asked, most will gladly let you use their stove or grill if you don't have one to cook on.

Weather, although somewhat trackable, can always throw you a curve. Plan on having at minimum 1 poncho, and an air mattress can be helpful if for not only comfort, a raised platform in a flooded tent. All though many tents claim to be "waterproof" any air mattress prove as a defense against the puddle that happens to show up after a good down-pour.

Finally, if finances are not an issue. Bring extra. Not only does it create an opportunity to sell a case of beer and make a few bucks on your ticket back, but it assures that nothing that you need will diminish too quickly. Long story short, most festivals allow you to show up and spend as much money as you want, allowing you to be as unprepared as possible, however, for the conscious festival goer, purchasing camping equipment, and supplies allows for the best experience at the lowest cost! So no matter what your excuse, don't let money be a reason to not go to a summer music festival!