Thomas Dolby
Thomas Dolby
Southern Ground: Musical Grab Bag
• Any Nashville native has grown accustomed to two highly polarized breeds of music festival the city hosts. The state capitol boasts its moniker “Music City” from the country music artists playing the ever-popular CMA Festival. And for some time, before the likes of Soundland and Live on the Green, any festival seeker outside the “Grand Ole” demographic had to make the trek to Manchester for the widely known “hipsters gone hippie” festival, Bonnaroo.
Enter Southern Ground Music & Food Festival, an event that not only marries country and alternative music, but also wraps it in a four-course meal and serves it up with some Jack.
This year’s Southern Ground Nashville lineup is truly all over the map with scheduled performances from Zac Brown Band and Alan Jackson to indie heavyweights Edward Sharpe and The Lumineers. Among the big-ticket items you’ll find Sheryl Crow, Gregg Allman (left) and Blackberry Smoke (recently deemed a modern-day Lynyrd Skynyrd by one music writer). For $349 a pop you can also purchase a front-porch stage box with amenities including a four-course meal served by Zac Brown Band’s executive chef, Rusty Hamlin, complimentary Jack Daniels cocktails and a private restroom, which any festival buff may consider the most impressive luxury.
Southern Ground Music & Food Festival will be held in Nashville from Sept. 21-22 and Charleston, S.C., from Oct. 20-21. For ticket and line-up information go to southerngroundfestival.com.
Flee The Noog for Moog in October
• Moogfest, a music festival conceived in memory of synthesizer developer, Robert Moog (rhymes with “vogue”), will open a number of venues around Asheville, N.C., to music lovers and an impressive line-up of musicians.
It’s no surprise that electronica will predominate the weekend with performances from Primus 3D, Squarepusher, Four Tet and Orbital, as well as cult favorite Thomas Dolby. The line-up is peppered, though, with some hip-hop and psychedelic dance bands from the likes of Santigold, Bear in Heaven and Nas. (Warning: Moogfest 2012 calls for a healthy dose of dancing.)
An underlying mission geared toward future generations and developed by the Bob Moog Foundation to marry music and science fuels Moogfest (proceeds of which directly benefit the foundation). Artists aren’t obligated to use Moog instruments, but selection to play Moogfest is based on a style and performance that runs parallel to Moog’s ideals.
Along with the 30-plus performances at venues all over Asheville, tickets to see “Invisible: The New Obsolete” performance and installation piece will be available to festival goers at a discounted price.The Pulse will also be giving away Moogfest tickets soon, so keep your web browser pointed toward our Facebook page.
Moogfest will be held from Oct. 26-27. For tickets and the full schedule of performers and events, visit moogfest.com.