I’m not going to say it was always easy running around FloydFest, trying to see as much as possible, trying to post as much as possible, and trying to have as much fun as possible. 

There were a couple of early mornings that were just a scramble to get everything together, as I sat in a tent with a laptop, a data drive, and a rather inexpensive digital camera with the hopes of banging out some words and photos before heading up to the Cyber Cafe to wait in line for a computer and then post everything as quickly as possible.  But it’s done and overall I’m happy with what I got.  It wasn’t quite what I envisioned while heading down I-81 on the way to the festival, but what are expectations anyway?  Here are some final thoughts:

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• Ramseur Records–All in the Family:  Some of the best performances of the entire festival were delivered by artists currently signed to the small, independent record label based in Concord, NC headed up by Dolph Ramseur:   The Avett Brothers, Bombadil, the everybodyfields, and Paleface. 

  The only act I didn’t catch was the everybodyfields but I’ve seen them in the past and they are amazing.  Of the Top 5 artists I saw all weekend, three are listed above.  Someone would be smart to try and figure out a way to book an all-day show with just these four bands.  Not only would it be a sell-out but I wouldn’t want to leave my seat or even better yet, I wouldn’t want to be sitting at all.

• There’s No Place Like Home–Charlottesville at FloydFest:  I missed Kings of Belmont who performed on Thursday night and I missed Lasko & Pun on Friday afternoon.  (Sorry folks).  But here’s what I did catch:  Jan Smith on the Dreaming Creek Stage Saturday morning (she sounded fabulous! and Morwenna joined her onstage), Eli Cook & Electric Holy Firewater at the Pink Floyd Stage Friday night (Electric, Holy followed by Sh*t, and “on Fire” says it all), and William Walter’s acoustic set at Pink Floyd prior to the Avetts show (great crowd, a perfect setting under the trees in the Beer Garden, and a great performance) were all stand outs.

• Going Out for a Pass:  I passed on seeing most of the jam bands with the exception of Curious Strange from Blacksburg, who I hadn’t even planned on seeing but was glad I did.  Another example of the perfect band at the perfect time of the day in the perfect setting.  Otherwise I’d have to say that that time has passed me by and I’m cool with that.

• What I Caught:  I really wanted to see bands that were new to me or that I hadn’t seen before (with the exception of the Avetts).  As a result I saw Senegalese hip-hop (Gokh-Bi System), old-time music from Sweden (The Rockridge Brothers), local reggae (iRon Lion), bluegrass hip-hop fusion (Turbo Pro Project), and world funk/blues (The Superpowers).  I”m happy with that.

• First and Ten:  These bands I saw for the first time and they scored big:  Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Bombadil, and Paleface.

• 5 Songs for the Road:  Here are five songs I really enjoyed hearing live.  “Fat Bottomed Girls” by Amos Lee, “Go to Sleep” by The Avett Brothers, “Little by Little” by Paleface, “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go” by William Walter, and “Glory, Glory Hallelujah” by Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band.

• Best Band:  Bombadil

• Best Performance:  The Avett Brothers

• It Takes a Village:  I loved the campsite that hevenerlee and I discovered tucked away in the woods near the Village stage.  Our neighbors were scattered about, the sounds of drums and reggae put us to sleep both nights (but the fireworks scared the hell out of us), and the view was magnificent.  Sure it was a hike everyday up the hill to the heart of the festival, but that ain’t such a bad thing.

• The New Official FloydFest Sport:  Horseballs A.K.A. Horseshoes with Balls (all you need is a couple pieces of PVC pipe, a set of balls attached to each other by a piece of cord or rope, and a captive audience.  Beer not included.  I only watched from the sidelines)

• Best Festival:  FloydFest by a country mile (it’s a festivus for the rest of us!)

The End

[If you were there and want to add your own two cents to these thoughts or maybe you’d like to add your own, let’s hear what you got.  There’s no way for one person to see it all]

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