Floydfest, situated on private property just off the Blue Ridge Parkway near Floyd, VA is a totally sweet phest. Right when you walk in, there’s a small stage known as the Workshop Porch. This turned out to be our favorite stage. Seeing Jim Lauderdale with his old buddy Zan McCloud in this intimate setting on Friday night was, in a word, spectacular. Jim is one funny, talented and interesting guy. I’m sad to say I only learned about him recently, and then only because he worked with Robert Hunter on his Headed for the Hills release.
Larry Keel, Jorma and Corey Harris at the Workshop Porch.
See my Flickr set from the weekend.
We saw Railroad Earth twice, in the Dance tent and on the Main Stage. They’re tight. I can see them going phar. We saw Xavier Rudd and Donna the Buffalo on the Main Stage, as well. Xavier is a madman in the best of ways, belting out aborginal rythms and conscious messages on his array of instruments, including his voice. Donna the Buffalo from upstate New York had a certain presence about them, maybe it was a rock star thing, but it didn’t make me dislike them. I liked them just phine. However, we did ditch out of DTB early to see Porter Batiste Stolz at the Hill Holler stage. When Nawlins is in the house, you move to it. Know what I’m sayin’?
We also saw Larry Keel & Natural Bridge with a guest appearance from none other than Jim Lauderdale, DJ Williams Projekt and Zan McCloud with Fred Boyce.