![]() The first was a surprise “Surprise Valley > Changing Tide” (the latter original), and the second was a massive “Whipping Post” finale. The set included five fine originals plus two dynamite covers. Keehner’s powerful voice filled the campground. AnnaLee Keehner also played acoustic guitar, while counterpart John Carpenter also sang and played lead electric guitar. They blew out a great set, again with a female vocalist. If we were pleased by that opening set Wednesday by Grindstone Sinners, we were bowled over by Souljam, a Vero Beach quintet their name is quintessential truth in advertising. As a result, I also missed K2theC, Razed by Wolves, Flint Blade, and Honey Hounds. I had fully intended to hit the Skallop set but let rain (and not that much) deter me. I have lots of excuses, none of which hold any water. In the past, I’ve made the effort to get down there as often as possible. The setup for OBJ has the two main stages next to each other, while the Zombie Stage, operated by The Bath Salt Zombies, was toward the back of the Sertoma Ranch. ![]() They closed with “Box of Rain” and encored with “The Golden Road to Unlimited Devotion.” BRAVO! Johnnie Nichols & Rich Friedman THURSDAY As if to make the point, they launched into an amazing sequence with “Dark Star > The Other One > Drumz > The Other One > Breathe > The Other One.” Absolutely incredible. Crazy FingersĪfter a bouncing version of “In the Moonlight,” somebody said, “We’re just going to stay up here until the next band comes on” (yes, they were the last band of the night!). “China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider” was lovely. There was, amusingly enough, a rain delay right after they opened with “Here Comes Sunshine,” but once the rain abated, the boys jumped right back into it for a marvelous evening. ![]() Gregory Sears of Blackwater Grease at Orange Blossom Jamboree 2018Ĭrazy Fingers had played one of the best sets at the Wanee Music Festival on Happy Hour Wednesday, and their OBJ set was even more amazing. Dennis Stadleman of Sonic Stew at Orange Blossom Jamboree 2018 Stadelman’s sets are always a pleasure with his warm, inviting style and great lyrics, and this served as a nice warm-up for the two major events of the fest - headlining sets by CopE with both Stadelman and Elliott. The deadly rhythm section of Sean Hartley (bass) and Brad Elliott on drum kit always makes for a great set, and Nook rapped on a few tunes and sang some backup vocals. Grindstone Sinners at Orange Blossom Jamboree 2018 Grindstone Sinnersĭennis Stadelman’s Sonic Stew were up next. ![]() And, given discussions about not enough female artists represented at fests, it was great to see the very first band with fine vocalist Ashlyn Weidemiller backed by a solid trio. Their mix of originals and covers, most notably “Morning Dew,” was the perfect festival opening. ![]() This was just the first of many bands playing their very first OBJ, and they made a great impression. We arrived as Grindstone Sinners were beginning their set on the Citrus Stage. Poppy moving in – Mandi Nulph WOOKIEE WEDNESDAY The temperatures were actually really pleasant the majority of the time. And, on the very positive side, the dire weather forecasts we been watching from a week out were far less severe or long-lasting than anticipated. For the ninth time, Russ and Toby Bowers curated a spectacular festival featuring more than 60 examples of Sunshine State greatness.Ī cursory glance at social media posts confirms what we all thought - best one ever, from the music and sound engineers and lighting crews to the food vendors and PLAYshops and children’s activities. I’m curious to know whether other states have an event such as Orange Blossom Jamboree, a festival that highlights exclusively Florida music (OK, there were two interlopers, but still). Video recordings courtesy of FUGU, Volke Mon, Christopher Pack and John Wilson Photography courtesy of Matt Hillman, David Lee and Mandi Nulph Orange Blossom Jamboree Blows Away the Rain - and Us, Too! Audio recordings courtesy of Butch Almberg ![]()
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