Tag: Big IV Amphitheater

Bootsy Collins & Bernie Worrell at Bear Creek

Bootsy Collins

Saturday, November 16, 2013 went down as a huge day in Bear Creek Music & Art Festival‘s history. The main stage lineup at the Big IV Amphitheater was STACKED for nearly 14 hours. Opening at noon with the Bernie Worrell Orchestra (as seen in the videos below) and proceeding with a strong set by Galactic (including a Bernie Worrell sit-in). Elsewhere at the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park, festival-goers were treated to mid-day sets by George Porter Jr. & His Runnin’ Pardners, Robert Walters’s 20th Congress, and the Mike Dillon Band.

Bernie Worrell Orchestra (Part 1 of 2) 11/16/13 Bear Creek Music Festival:
So Uptight (Move On), BWO Is Landing

Bernie Worrell Orchestra (Part 2 of 2) 11/16/13 Bear Creek Music Festival:
Red Hot Momma (with Freekbass)

Bootsy Collins

As the sun set, Bootsy Collins & The Funk Unity Band took to the Big IV Amphitheater and funked and rocked us till the sun went down, as you can see and enjoy in the video clips below.

Bootsy Collins (Part 1 of 3) 11/16/13 Bear Creek Music Festival:
Ahh…The Name Is Bootsy, Baby (inc. Bootsy? (What’s the Name of this Town), Bop Gun & Give Up The Funk), The Mothership Connection Is Here > Psychoticbumpschool > The Pinocchio Theory

Bootsy Collins (Part 2 of 3) 11/16/13 Bear Creek Music Festival:
Swing Down Sweet Chariot (with Bernie Worrell)

Bootsy Collins (Part 3 of 3) 11/16/13 Bear Creek Music Festival:
Roto-Rooter, I’d Rather Be With You (inc. What’s A Telephone Bill? & Everything Good is Nasty)

Bootsy Collins: bass, vocals
Erik “Elastic” Hargrove: drums
Mike Cobb: bass
Keith “Sun” Cheatham: guitar
Joel “Razor Sharp” Johnson: keys
Rashon “RaMu” Murph: keytar
Randy Villars: saxophone
Scott ??: trumpet
Candice “Candi-Yam” Cheatham: vocals
Dani “Razzberry Hershey” Cox: vocals
Zachary “X-Zac” Adams: vocals
Gary “Mudbone” Cooper: vocals, tambourine
Patricia “Peppermint Patty” Collins: dancer
Frankie “Kash” Waddy: announcer / master of ceremonies

Guests:
Bernie Worrell – keytar, Moog

After Bootsy finished his 90 minute set, the crowd looked both exhausted and invigorated (if that’s possible), and clearly ready to explore and party into the rest of the night. Only a few feet away at Uncle Charlie’s Porch Stage, the always salient and superlative MC Chali 2na hit the stage with his House of Vibe Band (albeit with Nikki Glaspie subbing on the skins). Videos right here.

Then it was right back to the Big IV Amphitheater for a contender for one of the absolute best sets in Bear Creek history, The Legendary Roots Crew. The Roots proceeded to burn it down for 100 minutes without pause, as evidenced in the videos here.

After The Roots, the evening continued for no less than 5 more hours with sets by Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, The Bear Creek All Stars (aka the annual Dumpstajam featuring members of both Dumpstaphunk and Lettuce), and a late night set by The Nth Power.

If you haven’t been to the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park or Bear Creek Music Festival to experience an exhilarating day such as this, all I can do is highly recommend such as an experience.

The Roots at Bear Creek Music Festival 2013

The Roots - Bear Creek Music Festivla 2013

The Roots – November 16, 2013
Live Oak, FL @ Big IV Stage – Bear Creek Music Festival
Introduction by Bee Getz

The Roots - Bear Creek Music Festival 2013

The Roots – November 16, 2013 (Part 1 of 3)
Live Oak, FL @ Big IV Stage – Bear Creek Music Festival
Hand Clapping Song [The Meters cover] > The Fire > Please Don’t Go > Get Busy > Jungle Boogie [Kool & The Gang cover] > Drums & Percussion > Jungle Boogie coda [Kool & The Gang cover], Table of Contents Part 1, Step Into The Realm > What They Do

Captain Kirk Douglas - Bear Creek Music Festival 2013

The Roots – November 16, 2013 (Part 2 of 3)
Live Oak, FL @ Big IV Stage – Bear Creek Music Festival
Who Are You & Who is Your Crew? > Break You Off > You Got Me Intro > You Got Me > Captain Kirk Douglas guitar solo > Shame On You > Love To Love You Baby > Spottieottiedopaliscious > Shame On You > You Got Me > Sweet Child O’ Mine [Guns N Roses cover] > Bad To The Bone [Bo Diddley cover] > Who Do You Love > You Got Me > Immigrant Song [Led Zeppelin cover] > Welcome To Jamrock [Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley cover] > You Got Me

Black Thought - Bear Creek Music Festival 2013

The Roots – November 16, 2013 (Part 3 of 3)
Live Oak, FL @ Big IV Stage – Bear Creek Music Festival
Thought @ Work > How I Got Over > Here I Come > The Seed 2.0 > Move On Up [Curtis Mayfield cover] > Men @ Work [Kool G Rap cover] > Outro

Words by Bee Getz:

As a child, I would watch Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror” video and wonder why people would be so overcome with emotion that they would cry hysterically, faint and be carried out of the crowd lifelessly. That mystery was solved, twenty-five years later; when the ‘Legendary Roots Krewe from Philly’ obliterated Bear Creek’s Amphitheater Stage. After living out a dream (thanks to festival curator Paul Levine, who arranged for me to bring my hometown heroes onstage), I assumed the position riding the rail directly in front of emcee Black Thought. The entire Amphitheater was packed to the gills, people were screaming the band’s name with a vehemence! Ahmir ?uestlove Thompson led ‘The Illa-Fifth Dynamite Foundation’ as they launched into a gargantuan run of classics; “Table of Contents” gave way to “Next Movement,” ‘Hot Hot Music’ filled the dank air. The following seventy-five minutes was a whirlwind of unparalleled hip-hop fury: Capt. Kirk, Kamal Gray, Knuckles, Tuba Gooding Jr., Ray Angry and Mark Kelley followed their leaders thru the swamp and beyond. Roots chestnuts like “Proceed,” “Step into a New Realm” and “Mellow My Man” were delivered with vigor, the songs and style fresh to def.

See Black Thought on tha red carpet, steppin’ outta spaceships
Wit’ a glass of Chiraz, and two ‘around-the-way’ chicks!
©Black Thought of The Roots

The Roots - Bear Creek Music Festival 2013

A cauldron of my personal favorites was set ablaze; “Thought@Work”(with the “Apache” breakbeat and Beatles “Hey Bulldog” lick taboot!), the iconic Kool G Rap tune “Men at Work,” a jungle-infused “You Got Me,” Jr. Gong‘s “Welcome to Jamrock” and a ‘Fantastic’ excursion through “How I Got Over,” “Here I Come” > “The Seed 2.0” > “Move On Up” > “The Seed 2.0.” Yet it was during the undeniable Game Theory banger “Get Busy” that Riq Gz, aka “Black General Two-Fi’teen” (that’s Name, Rank, & Serial) asserted himself as the greatest emcee in the game, while simultaneously breaking down ‘The Concept’ of The Legendary Roots Krewe with one severely ill opening verse:

My squad half-Mandrill, half-Mandela
My band ‘bout seventy strong, just like Fela
We part Melle Mel, part Van Halen
And we represent Illadelph, where we still rebellin’!
©Black Thought of The Roots.

Legendary as advertised. Indeed, this writer is from Philadelphia; but please don’t get it twisted, this was fucking nuclear! The Roots headlining set on Saturday night is immediately on the short-list for greatest in the festival’s storied history.

The Roots - Bear Creek Music Festival 2013

Black Thought – MC
Questlove – drums
Frank Knuckles – percussion
Captain Kirk Douglas – guitar, vocals
Damon “Tuba Gooding Jr.” Bryson – sousaphone
Mark Kelley – bass
Kamal Gray – keys
Ray Angry – keys

AUDIO: Schoeps mk21/cmc6 > Sound Devices 788 by Steve Bazley
VIDEO 1: Canon G20 by FunkItBlog
VIDEO 2: Canon Vixia HF21 by FunkItBlog
VIDEO 3: Canon HF100 by Michael Allen

FULL AUDIO DOWNLOAD IN FLAC FORMAT: TORRENT or MEGA

2012 Bear Creek Orchestra At Large feat. Robert Walter, Will Bernard, George Porter Jr, Billy Martin, Jennifer Hartswick, Nigel Hall, Billy Iuso, Pee Wee Ellis, etc.

Orchestra At Large

Every year since 2007 the Bear Creek Music & Art Festival has brought together a huge family of artists from around the country who are steeped in the underground funk scene. This festival prides itself in having more sit-ins than any other festival and this is encouraged by having several Artists At Large that roam around the festival, jumping in and playing with as many different acts as they can.

In 2012, the Artists At Large included Alecia Chakour, Andrew Block, The Atlanta Funk Society Horns, Billy Iuso, Freekbass, Jennifer Hartswick, Natalie Cressman, Michelle Sarah, Pee Wee Ellis, Robert Walter, Roosevelt Collier and Will Bernard. The Orchestra At Large set, an annual tradition begun in 2011, gives all of these artists, plus others, the chance to really come together and play in unique formats. For 2012, the Orchestra At Large set took place at 12:30pm on Sunday morning at the Big IV Amphitheatre. While most festival-goer’s were not quite up and out of their tents yet, I was able to capture most of the set with 2 video cameras for your viewing pleasure.

Nigel Hall & George Porter Jr

It was truly a pleasure to see the once in a lifetime rhythm section of George Porter Jr & Billy Martin. Other highlights included Jennifer Hartswick belting out Led Zeppelin‘s Whole Lotta Love over a psychedelic haze of guitar fuzz, Michelle Sarah showing her vocal chops on a cover of Bill Withers‘ hit When I’m Kissing My Love, as well as the interplay, respect, and love between George Porter Jr & Nigel Hall during their cover of Billy Preston‘s Will It Go Round In Circles. ENJOY THE ENTIRE SET BELOW IN 6 PARTS:

PART 1:
Song 01. Play It Back [Robert Walter] (Robert Walter, Billy Martin, George Porter Jr, Will Bernard, Billy Iuso, Andrew Block, Pee Wee Ellis, Jennifer Hartswick, Natalie Cressman & The Atlanta Funk Society Horns)
Song 02. Zig Zag [Pee Wee Ellis] (Robert Walter, Billy Martin, George Porter Jr, Will Bernard, Billy Iuso, Andrew Block, Pee Wee Ellis, Jennifer Hartswick, Natalie Cressman & The Atlanta Funk Society Horns)

PART 2:
Song 03. Whole Lotta Love [Led Zeppelin] (Jennifer Hartswick, Freekbass, Robert Walter, Billy Martin, Will Bernard, Billy Iuso, Andrew Block, Pee Wee Ellis, Natalie Cressman & The Atlanta Funk Society Horns)

PART 3:
Song 04. Love Having You Around [Stevie Wonder] (Nigel Hall, Alecia Chakour, Freekbass, Nikki Glaspie, Robert Walter, Will Bernard, Billy Iuso, Andrew Block, Pee Wee Ellis, Jennifer Hartswick, Natalie Cressman & The Atlanta Funk Society Horns)
Song 05. Will It Go Round In Circles [Billy Preston] (Nigel Hall, Roosevelt Collier, George Porter Jr, Nikki Glaspie, Will Bernard, Andrew Block, Pee Wee Ellis, Jennifer Hartswick, Natalie Cressman & The Atlanta Funk Society Horns)

PART 4:
Song 06. Trippin Over Dragons [Billy Iuso] (Billy Iuso, Freekbass, Nikki Glaspie, Robert Walter, Will Bernard, Pee Wee Ellis, Jennifer Hartswick, Natalie Cressman & The Atlanta Funk Society Horns)

PART 5:
Song 07. When I’m Kissing My Love [Bill Withers] (Michelle Sarah, Roosevelt Collier, George Porter Jr, Derrick Freeman, Wil Blades, Will Bernard, Andrew Block, Pee Wee Ellis, Jennifer Hartswick, Natalie Cressman & The Atlanta Funk Society Horns)

PART 6: (shot by CHeeSeHeaDPRoDuCTioNS)
Song 08. He Bite Me (The Dragon) [The Meters] (George Porter Jr, Roosevelt Collier, Terrence Houston, Robert Walter, Billy Iuso, Will Bernard, Skerik & Pee Wee Ellis)

George Porter Jr & Billy Martin