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Headstash's WANEE 2012 Review Guide

: By Julia Stewart; Published on April 24, 2012

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Headstash's WANEE 2012 Review Guide

April 19-21 – Spirit of the Suwanee Music Park – Live Oak, FL
8th year – Estimated attendance: 20,000

Daily Coverage: Day 1 Recap, Day 2 Recap, Day 3 Recap

2012 Lineup: Allman Brothers Band, Furthur, Gov't Mule, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Jaimoe's Jasssz Band, Buddy Guy, Bruce Hornsby, Mickey Hart Band, Hot Tuna Electric, Ray Manzarek and Roy Rogers Band, Leftover Salmon, North Mississippi Allstars, Trigger Happy (Joan Osbourne, Jackie Greene, Steve Gorman, Audley Freed, Nick Govrik), SOJA, Conspirator, EOTO, Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk, Particle, Devon Allman's Honeytribe, Zach Deputy, Matt Schofield, Bobby Lee Rodgers Trio, Big Sams Funky Nation, Charles Bradley, Bonerama, Jacob Jeffries Band, The Yeti Trio, Bonnie Blue, Cope, Flannel Church, Juke, Beebs and Her Money Makers

Festival Website: http://www.waneefestival.com/

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Weather

Scattered thunderstorms on Thursday afternoon had festivalgoers fearing that Wanee 2012 would be a long, wet weekend. However, Mother Nature was a great host and the only other rain of the weekend came for a few hours on the last day.

On Friday, the sun was out in full force and temperatures were scorching by high noon.

Saturday afternoon brought with it torrential downpours that delayed sets by Gov’t Mule for nearly an hour. The rain finally subsided in time for an out-of-this-world Furthur set and attendees rejoiced as it turned into a cool, beautiful spring Florida night.

Highlights

The last unicorn. Let’s face it, in this day and age, electronic music sells. More and more festivals are giving in to the rapidly exploding world of EDM and it shows no signs of slowing down. The hardest hitting fests in the country grace the top of their bills with acts like Skrillex, Pretty Lights or Deadmau5.

With only two live electronic acts gracing the stages over the weekend, I must say it was a wonderful breath of fresh air and beyond satisfying to my jam band roots.

Photo Credit: Julia Stewart

While Conspirator and EOTO both played commendable sets, the untz at Wanee was totally minimal, giving music lovers a chance to soak in some actual instrumentation by the best in the game.

Paying respect. Tributes to the late and great Levon Helms was without a doubt one of the major highlights of the fest. There was not a single musician at Wanee that Helms did not influence in some way and many acts played homage to the recently passed legend.

The Allman Brothers played classic Helms tunes, “It Makes No Difference” and “The Weight.” Bob Weir and Susan Tedeschi even lent a hand during the latter.

The Brothers also played Dylan’s song “Blind Willie McTell” which Helm used to play regularly with his band. With the recent health scares of Gregg Allman, the entire weekend seemed to be about celebrating a generation of musicians that unfortunately will not be around forever.

The All-Stars. The Tedeschi-Trucks Band put on not only one of the best shows of the weekend, but also one of the best shows I’ve ever seen from the act. The Royal Family of Wanee, The Tedeschi-Trucks band is always in high demand for sit-ins at any festival at Suwanee and their set on Friday proved why.

Susan’s voice is flawless and in this writer’s opinion unparalleled by any female singer in the game. The chemistry between the two rivals the likes of famous duos like June Carter and Johnny Cash.

Their latest release, “Revelator,” gained enough attention to win a Grammy. The group played much of the new album at Wanee and the beautiful, sunny weather was an excellent backdrop for one of the best sets of the weekend.

Notable Sit-Ins

The SOSMP is perhaps best known for its artist interaction and accessibility. In the rootin', tootin' South, it’s always a family affair and Wanee 2012 was no exception. Dozens of artist sit-ins occurred over the three-day fest.

Most notably was the revolving door of musicians that lent a hand for a tribute to Levon Helm’s “The Weight.” Bob Weir wailed while Susan Tedeschi belted out vocals alongside her band’s horn section.

Atmosphere

The Spirit of the Suwanee Music Park is truly one of the best concert venues in the nation. Thousands of musicians have graced its stages over the last few decades, and the scenery and vibe is unparalleled.

Majestic rivers, sparkling lakes, winding dirt roads lined with massive oaks and Spanish moss – it it’s everything great about Florida. Southern Hospitality runs rampant and crunchys check all attitudes at the door.

Wanee is definitely geared towards older heads and the young to old ratio is considerably different. Being under 30 at Wanee makes you the minority and it’s a humbling festival for anyone fairly new to the scene.

Love is what defines the physical Spirit of the Suwanee and unless you’ve experienced it firsthand, it is tough to put into words.

Best Pictures