Five Very Good Reasons to Attend The 2018 FloydFest Music Festival July 25-29, 2018 Floyd, VA by Miles Hurley Check out the Live Music News and Review.com Facebook page for updates and announcements. To submit an article an article or review, or to just say hello hit us at [email protected] Check out Miles’ Floydfest 2016 review. FloydFest Music Festival will be making its return in a little over a month! Scheduled to take place once again in Floyd, Virginia from Wednesday July 25 to Sunday July 29, this year’s event will take on the theme of “wild,” and will be featuring headliners like Foster The People, Gov’t Mule, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, and Old Crow Medicine Show. But there’s a whole lot more packed into this one-of-a-kind music festival that make it a noteworthy and recommended event to experience. From the video channel of Mrburkett25 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkgxzjB6Mdo Here, from Live Music News and Review, are five very good reasons to attend FloydFest Music Festival:
- The Buffalo Mountain Jam
There are a number of musical experiences you can find only at FloydFest, and if you’ve been to this event previously, you may well agree that the Buffalo Mountain Jam belongs on a list like this. Back in 2016, when the late Gregg Allman (Rest in Peace) was unable to perform his scheduled set on the main stage, FloydFest rounded together the last-minute, collaborative efforts of Keller Williams and Leftover Salmon, for a surprise set. The result, which featured guests like the Monophonics’ horn section, Larry Keel, and Elephant Revival’s Bonnie Paine, was a magnificently organic two hours of progressive, cover-tastic, americana jamming. Due to its high reception, the “Buffalo Mountain Jam,” as it was dubbed, made a return last year, and is again scheduled for this year as well. Concerning unique musical things to see this year, this one should rank pretty high.
- Stories on the Side
For all the manic and vibrant energy pouring out of the dynamite sets from the bigger stages, FloydFest brings something unique on the quieter and more intimate side of things, too. At the festival’s Ferrum Workship Porch and VIP tent, artists play stripped down versions of their material to truly dialed-in crowds in an up-close and personal setting. These also often feature rare storytelling from the artists and sometimes even unique crowd-musician interaction. In the past, artists like Railroad Earth, Elephant Revival, The Infamous Stringdusters, Brandie Carlile, Chris Thile, and many more have played sets like these in addition to their big stage shows.
- Late Night Energy
Frequent festival goers know that one of the secret sauces to all the best music events comes after the sun goes down-late-night sets. In this regard, FloydFest stands out among the rest in terms of musical delivery, atmosphere and general, uplifting energy. For this writer, who has attended FloydFest several times, the late-night music experiences at FloydFest stand out even among the many, many live music highs I’ve experienced elsewhere in the country. It has to do with not only the sublime, raucous performances given from the artists, but also the infectious energy emanating from the groovy, amped up crowds. This year, late-night duties in Floyd will be in the talented hands of Horsehoes and Hand Grenades, Greta Van Fleet, The Lil’ Smokies, The Broadcast, and more.
- Upon The Blue Ridge Mountains
FloydFest is set in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, one of the most majestic mountain ranges in the entire country, and with an earthy, connected spirit, the Floyd family and crew make sure to let festival attendees take advantage of their unique geographical setting each year. FloydFest offers a range of outdoor adventure activities that put fest goers right in the surrounding nature and get their hearts and souls pumping. These activities range from guided biking and hiking tours, an annual 5K Trail Running Race, a full 18-hole Disc Golf course, and more. The festival is also partnering once again with local company On The Water to provide daily canoe and kayak trips on Floyd County’s Little River.
- A “Wild” Floyd Community
There’s a reason that FloydFest shows up on the radars of as one of the best music events of the year, and it’s a reason that can only be really understood by making the trip and experiencing this festival’s essence for yourself. It’s not exactly a secret that some festivals, as they get more mainstream and grow in size, lose or at least drastically change the essence that made them truly special in their early years. FloydFest, despite its rapid annual growth across its seventeen consecutive years, has retained that special sense of community and love that you find often in the more secluded, small-time musical happenings. If-or hopefully when-you make your way into Floyd for the weekend of July 25-29, take a break from the amazing music and visit the nightly main field bonfire, or check out what the incredible volunteer teams are doing, or have a drink with some strangers in The Pink Floyd Beer Garden. You’ll find a sense of kinship and belonging that any other musical event of this nature would be hard pressed to match to this kind of degree. To find out more information and to and purchase tickets, visit the event website at http://floydfest.com/ Check out Miles’ Floydfest 2016 review. Check out the Live Music News and Review.com Facebook page for updates and announcements. To submit an article an article or review, or to just say hello hit us at [email protected]
