The adage, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder,” could apply to anything, but it could not be more applicable to anything than it is for live music. Everyone experienced this during the Covid lockdowns, but lovers of the annual mountain party FloydFest had to wait an extra 365 days. With the 2023 edition being scrapped due to permitting issues, the festival made its very triumphant return to western Virginia with an exclamation point this past weekend. Although there was quite a bit that was new and novel about the 2024 edition, the underlying tenets of “music, magic, mountains” not only continued but thrived.
Set within seemingly the most rural area of backcountry Virginia, the environs of FloydFest could not have been more stunning. The big news in 2024 was the brand-spanking-new site for the festival. This year, FloydFest took place in Festival Park, an area roughly 20 miles northeast of the previous location. Though it’s not directly off the famous Blue Ridge Parkway like the festival’s previous home, Festival Park embodies the “mountains” aspect of the FloydFest creed. Ask any patron that attended this year and they will tell you that anywhere you wanted to go in the festival seemed to be uphill both ways. Of course, this led to some stunning views and breathtaking landscapes.
This year’s theme was “Horizon,” which lent perfectly to the new future at Festival Park. The “magic” was certainly present. The vibe was high all weekend, and the people in attendance helped make the festival truly unique—so much positivity, camaraderie, and overall happiness seemed to permeate the festival grounds and attendees.
The music this year was phenomenal. As with prior years, there was a plethora of styles to choose from: rock, country, bluegrass, reggae, Americana, psychedelia, and so much more. Much to the chagrin of Deadheads, this year was a little bit lighter in terms of Grateful Dead music. Even the local Dead cover band Dead Reckoning opted to play an Allman Brothers Band set. Nonetheless Joe Russo’s Almost Dead rocked the main stage Thursday night. “Tennessee Jed”, highlighting the neighboring state to the southeast of Virginia, opened up their set. “Dancing in the Street” got everyone moving and segued into a surprising “King Solomon’s Marbles”. The musical highlight of the set came in the form of a magnificent “Here Comes Sunshine” that slowly melted into the jam portion of “Unbroken Chain”. They wrapped up their set with an emphatic but rushed “Not Fade Away”.
Black Pumas – 7/27/24
[Video: collred]
One of the other headliners that put on a really magical show was Black Pumas. They opened with “Fire”, which was very fitting because it brought the heat immediately. Lead singer Eric Burton wasted no time before amping the crowd up by casually jumping off the eight-foot stage, crossing the little creek separating the stage from the audience and jumping over the barriers into the crowd. From there, he continued the performance, singing amongst the fans while giving high fives, hugs, and smiles to all. Upon returning to the stage, he continued the set with newer tracks such as “Gemini Sun”, “More Than a Love Song”, and “Ice Cream (Pay Phone)”, as well as older favorites like “Know You Better”, “Stay Gold”, and an absolute rocking version of “Colors”. They encored with an especially poignant version of “Fast Car”, where Burton was the only one on stage along with his guitar. Appropriately, they ended their set with “Rock and Roll”.
Sierra Hull – “Black Muddy River” (Grateful Dead) – 7/26/24
[Video: Art Lieberman]
This was also the year of some very strong female musicians, most notably the Sierras. Sierra Hull, the singer-songwriter and mandolinist, brought a beautifully delivered set. She got the crowd involved, asking them to sing along with “Out of My Blues”, then again pulling the audience in as she covered “Mad World”. Sierra Ferrell covered the main stage on Friday night. A number of influences were evident in her unique style of music and performance. You could hear notes of Latin, folk, jazz, and bluegrass with a distinct modern twist. She gave festivalgoers an amazing rendition of “Me and Bobby McGee”, and it felt like Janis Joplin herself was up there crooning to the crowd.
Sierra Ferrell – “Me And Bobby McGee” (Kris Kristofferson) – 7/26/24
[Video: DCRANGERFAN]
The Sierras weren’t the only female rockers that had top-tier sets. Maggie Rose electrified the crowd during the final set of the festival; Grace Bowers showcased her chops on the guitar during her sets; and even newcomer Addie Levy deserves an honorable mentioned. The mandolinist who only a few years ago volunteered at the festival as a way to attend finally arrived as an artist proper. She played a set celebrating the release of her very first album and then popped up among various other sets as a special guest. She is quite a talented young mandolinist, musician, and songwriter. In summation, one thing was for sure: The female vibe was strong on the mountain this year.
Grace Bowers – “Wine On Venus” – 7/27/24
[Video: Lee Crumpton]
The Buffalo Mountain Jam was another set worth highlighting. Having roots back in 2016 when Gregg Allman was slated to play the festival and had to cancel and subsequently passed away due to health issues, the tradition started to fill his slot and it continued in 2024. The jam was unofficially led by Keller Williams, but he had help from a number of different artists throughout the 90-minute set. Some of the musicians that joined in were members of Leftover Salmon, Maggie Rose, Caitlin Krisco, Grace Bowers, and Addie Levy, just to name a few. With such a rotating cast of musicians, it was uncanny how they created such a seamless set with basically no practice time together. The highlight of the set was probably the cover of “Scarlet Begonias”. The song featured Asheville guitarist Isaac Hadden, and it was fun to listen to his scorching solo while seeing Keller Williams and Vince Herman watch him shred with amazement and the utmost respect. Hadden was busy all festival, playing everyday with either his own band or other projects.
Keller Williams Buffalo Mountain Jam – “Scarlet Begonias” (Grateful Dead) – 7/27/24
[Video: kembra allen]
Many other bands made memorable appearances, as well. Eggy played two strong sets. Circles Around the Sun played two late-night heaters, with one having a fun sit-in from Roy “Future Man” Wooten on percussion. Neighbor rocked both their sets, especially their first one which saw Joe Russo’s Almost Dead guitarist Scott Metzger join along. The on-the-rise competition gave smaller bands exposure at the festival, and attendees could vote for their favorite ones to come back and play in 2024. Although many were very talented, Houseplant stood out. They played two electric sets that showcased their abilities at original songwriting and extended improvisation. With the festival located just outside Floyd, VA, it wouldn’t have been right to not include some local bands. A good amount of bands comprised the “local loves” portion of the lineup, and the most entertaining was Appalachian Space Train. The name alone tells you all you need to know about how awesome this band is.
And for those who needed a break from the music, there was plenty else to do over the course of the five days. Outdoor activities abounded, including an amazing 12-hole disc golf course onsite, hiking, classes such as outdoor cooking and plant family identification, flower crown workshops, and so much more. Kudos to those that woke up by 9 a.m. Sunday morning to participate in the 5K trail running race and daily morning yoga.
After the scrapped 2023 edition of FloydFest, it seemed possible the festival might go the way of Gathering of the Vibes, or 10,000 Lakes Festival, or All Good Music Festival. Thankfully, FloydFest is back and stronger than ever. This year was a massive success in every possible way. How the festival continues to fly somewhat under the radar is a veritable mystery, because anybody who has attended knows just how magical it is. With FloydFest 24~Horizon in the books, fans can look forward to many more years of this wonderful festival at its new home at Festival Park.
Click below to check out fan-shot video highlights and a gallery of photos from FloydFest 24~Horizon courtesy of photographer Daniel Ojeda.
Sierra Ferrell – “Fox Hunt” – 7/26/24
[Video: kembra allen]
The post FloydFest Returns Stronger Than Ever With Black Pumas, JRAD, Sierra Ferrell, & More [Review/Photos/Videos] appeared first on L4LM.
