If the first FloydFest ever, 9 years ago, was 'groundbreaking' in its
genre-defying globally-infused line-up (not to mention its meteoric rise from
the humble one-stoplight-town of 'Floyd' Virginia) FloydFest 9, in 2010, is
still "Breaking Ground." FloydFest re-images itself annually, unveiling new
graphic artwork and a thematic tag line every December, with the advent of
ticket sales for the new season (2009 was 'Revival', 2008 'A Family Affair'),
and this year's theme of 'Breaking Ground' seems to have both literal and
metaphoric meaning. Metaphoric in the sense that in its near-decade of
existence, this festival has been nurtured and tended, willed into full flowery
fruition, by the grassroots energies of its faithful followers, and literal in
the sense that, with a strong emphasis this year on performance art, patrons
will gasp in awe at the "dazzling public spectacle of daredevil acrobatics,
pyrotechnics, and mastery of light, air and fire" that best describes Flam
Chen theatre, a performance company based in Tucson, Arizona, that will be
showcasing their considerable skills throughout the four day festival.
Over the years FloydFest has grown to near-capacity of its 80-acre venue off
the Federally-owned Blue Ridge Parkway - accommodating more than 12,000 patrons
and featuring no less than eight stages of music. The beautifully timber framed
'Dreaming Creek main stage' will this year host the Grammy award winner for best
Traditional Folk album (and long time drummer and frequent vocalist for The
Band) Levon Helm, as well as Grace Potter and the Nocturnals,
recently named one of the 'Best New Bands of 2010' by Rolling Stone magazine, as
well as festival favorites Railroad Earth, to name a few. Throughout the
weekend, action on other stages, which include an equally beautiful timber
framed 'Hillholler' stage (which sits delightfully at the bottom of a natural
bowl), a 'Blue Ridge to Bayou' dance tent, a funky 'Beer and Wine Garden Stage'
a 'Global Village' stage and a traditional Appalachian 'Workshop Porch,' range
from the likes of the funk/jazz trio Soullive, to west African instrumentalists
Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni ba, with a multitude of the hottest up-and-coming
acts- Deer Tick, Low Anthem, Cornmeal, and a score of others- sandwiched in
between.
FloydFest has a hard-fought and well-earned reputation as a uniquely
family-friendly festival, which their policies of contained alcohol
consumption and 'absolutely no drugs' help to preserve. In 2007 promoters locked
horns with federal parkway officials over roadblocks that had been set up to
stop festival-bound drivers, and which resulted in a number of vehicle searches.
Unable to prove reasonable cause for the activity, however, Rangers were ordered
by government administrators not to repeat the action, and FloydFest has carried
on merrily with a uniquely diverse demographic of attendees and myriad of family
entertainment offerings- from gaming tents to children's workshops,
performances, and play equipment. Adult offerings do include a beautifully
landscaped Beer and Wine Garden, which has its own dedicated stage, and which
offers local wines by the glass and bottle and mico-brews from Starrhill, Magic
Hat, Foothills and River Company Brewing.
In short, FloydFest is somewhere you can take your family and feel cool,
where you can come for the music you know, and leave feeling like you've just
discovered the next best new bands, where for four days in the heat of summer
you can come to kick back, unwind, and recharge your artistic and eclectic
tastes.
FloydFest's full 2010 roster includes: The Levon Helm Band, Old
Crow Medicine Show, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, Galactic featuring Corey
Henry of The Rebirth Brass Band, Railroad Earth, JJ Grey & Mofro, Karl
Denson's Tiny Universe, Soulive, Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni ba, Konono No1,
Deer Tick, Tift Merritt, The Low Anthem, Hackensaw Boys, Cornmeal, Eric Krasno
& Chapter 2, Pimps of Joytime, Mountain Heart, Flam Chen, Budos Band, Joe
Pug, Bearfoot, Rockridge Brothers, WIYOS, Solas, Spiral, Rising Appalachia,
Dangermuffin, Miss Tess & the Bon Ton Parade, Christabel & the Jons,
Boulder Acoustic Society, Holy Ghost Tent Revival, Packway Handle Band, Alexis P
Suter Band, Soulhound, Two Man Gentleman Band, Butch Robins' Imagicnation, The
Mantras, Sol Driven Train, William Walter & Co, Thunderdrums, Papadosio,
Folk Soul Revival, The Barefoot Movement, Kat Mills, 3 Minute Lovin, Adrienne
Young, The Steel Wheels, American Dumpster, Dirty Horse, Blue Mule,
Scintillation Fire Troupe, Old Sledge, Kill Basa Bill's Roadshow, JP Harris
& the Tough Choices, The Hot Seats, Dance Afire, White Top Mountain Band, My
Radio, Sauerkraut Band, Danny Knicely, Farm Use Only, Hoorah Cloggers,
JuggleThis!, Rocknoceros, Miss Kitty's Society for Wayward Cosmonauts, Charles
Eisenstein, Dharma Rebel w/ Jason Murphy, James Justin & Co., and Musicians
of the Crooked Road.
More info at: http://www.floydfest.com
EPIC DAZE. This event will feature an all-star music line up with celebrity appearances, live art, political speakers- all coming together in a nationally recognized platform.
