Suwannee Spring Reunion ’24: The Family Returns

The extended family that attend Beth and Randy Judy’s spring and fall roots festivals were back in force for this year’s Suwannee Spring Reunion. In spite of some rain on Friday, the festival went off without a hitch, with surprise collaborations and the relaxed atmosphere that is a hallmark of these festivals. The Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park is a one-of-a-kind location perfectly suited to the family atmosphere of these festivals.

New Jersey-based headliners Railroad Earth provided several progressive sets with dedicated fans dancing up a storm in front of the stage. The band is one of the pioneers of progressive bluegrass/jam songs, and that’s right in the wheelhouse for many fans. Their sets included some gems: ‘Runnin’ Wild,” “The Great Divide,” “Head,” and songs from all of their seven studio albums.

It wouldn’t be a Spring Reunion without Sam Bush, and he and his band provided a great set that included some straight-ahead Bush regulars (“All Night Train” and “Roll On Buddy”) and some extended jams. Guitarist Steven Mougin and banjo master Wes Corbett were in great form.

One of my favorite bands headlined the Thursday night schedule. I first saw the Steel Wheels at Merlefest in 2014; their closing song, “Rain in the Valley,” was an a capella show-stopper, and I became a fan. Leader, mountain banjoist, and primary songwriter and vocalist Trent Wagler is a remarkably productive songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Jay Lapp and fiddler Eric Brubaker are seasoned veterans; they’ve been together for many years. They did manage to get in one of my favorite songs, “Scrape Me Off the Ceiling,” a fine song that defines the word “hook.” And they even closed with “Rain in the Valley,” still a show-stopper.

The Steep Canyon Rangers returned this year, and Aaron Burdett has settled into his lead singing duties. Replacing original founding member and lead singer Woody Platt would be a challenge for anyone, but Burdett was right there this year, on top of his game. Michael Guggino, Graham Sharp, and Nicky Sanders are solid performers, and Sharp has taken on more lead singing responsibilities. They were very tight and entertaining this year as they did a dusk set at the amphitheater.

Verlon Thompson‘s set in the Music Hall was memorable. Taking some time to honor long-time Florida singer/songwriter Kathryn Belle Long, who passed away last year at the age of 42, Verlon performed one of her songs that she wrote when children asked her about heaven; there wasn’t a dry eye in the building.

There are always some artists who show up for the first time and grab the audience. Last year it was The Ain’t Sisters, who returned for a set and some collaborations. But one newcomer who had the Music Hall going wild was Leon Timbo and his Family Band. A friend had seen him a week earlier on the Cayamo Cruise and messaged me to make sure to catch his set. If you can imagine Otis Redding singing Jackson Brown, then sashaying to R&B gospel rock with dynamic stage presence, you’d be part-way there. I’ve never seen a Music Hall crowd with this much energy.

Another great find for me was the young retro phenomenon Colby T. Helms. Coming from an impoverished area in the foothills of Virginia, his songs echo the old-style country music that has been embraced by many Americana fans. He reminds me a bit of Tyler Childers; like Tyler, his songs describe hard-scrabble work, but Helms is more than that. He did a guitar workshop that covered multiple historical examples of guitar stylings; he’s a true historian, remarkable for someone his age. Demonstrating early country, western swing, Travis picking, blues and bluegrass styles, he’s a special talent, and with his band the Virginia Creepers, I think he’s going to be heard from a lot. I did notice he’s also playing at Merlefest in April, so if you’re headed there, make sure to catch his set.

There were lots of great performances: Keller Williams joined up with The Hillbenders for their Tom Petty tribute set Pettygrass. Fireside Collective and master singer/songwriter Darrell Scott were fantastic, and  bluesman Seth Walker had a great set. But among the main characteristics of these festivals are the committed artists who return every year, in many cases for decades. Donna the Buffalo, Peter Rowan, Jeff Mosier, Verlon Thompson, Jim Lauderdale, Jon Stickley Trio, Nikki Talley, The Grass is Dead… these acts are near and dear to the extended family. They are much more like friends than isolated performers, with inside jokes with the audience, jabs at each other, and always willing to collaborate. Returning Artist-in-Residence fiddle player John Mailander was all over the venues, playing with everyone from Jeff Mosier to Darrell Scott to Verlon Thompson. He is a treasure.

The spring and fall roots festivals are different than any festival I’ve attended. I’ve heard people describe them as “Woodstock Light”… the tie dye everywhere, lots of old hippies as they like to describe themselves, the frequent whiff of banned substances. But the characteristic that is most similar is the community ambiance. If you ask any of the performers why they love performing at these festivals, the words “family” and “community” come up constantly.  Special thanks to Sam Sanger, David Lee, and Erin Scholze for their help in covering this festival.

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