Monday's Music Moves Me: My Roadtrip

The wi-fi in my hotel room did not work very well. I've been going to the Voice of the Wetlands Festival each year for the last five years including this year. Even before I lived close enough to make going to the festival a reality, it was a festival I wanted to go to because of the music. Living four hours away makes it an easy decision. First it was the music and then the cause. Each year I added more to the trip. First it was hiking and exploring. Then it was hiking and the Gator farm. Then is was adding the fishing trip. Then it was the swamp tour. Then this year I went hiking everyday except Friday. I discovered a new hiking trail as well. I doubled up on the swamp tours. Music was the draw but enjoying the wetlands on my visits has caught up with it.

If the wetlands disappeared I could still enjoy the music maybe in New Orleans or support the artists when they play in my backyard. I would lose a place for a fishing trip. Yes I know I could possibly book one elsewhere. I would lose my hiking spots. Never enough hiking spots but yes I could find others. Swamp tours well if it is gone there isn't anything to tour. However, the guy I went with was continuing something his Mom started back around 1965. Something that has lasted over 50 years would be gone.

Tab Benoit "Whole Lotta Soul"

How about listening to a Grammy Award winning Zydeco Band...

Chubby Carrier "Zydeco Junkie"

Well if that doesn't capture where I am maybe this one will

Nonc Nu $5 a tail

Mike Zito came in from Texas

More information on the festival and charity can be found here.

Voice of the Wetlands Festival

This is where I went last weekend. Last Friday was pretty hectic preparing for the trip. Getting the oil change before the road trip, getting cash, and other errands. Saturday morning we got moving. An early start but not as early as I hoped. Yesc the Festival started Friday but I had work, my daughter had school and rehearsal so we knew Saturday was the day.

Why go? Here is the line up..

2015 Festival Line Up

FRIDAY NIGHT 10/9/2015

6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
MIA BORDERS

7:45 pm – 9:00 pm
SOUTHERN CROSS w/ RANDY JACKSON OF ZEBRA

9:30 pm – 11:00 pm
FRIDAY NIGHT GUITAR FIGHTS

Tab Benoit

Mason Ruffner

Lightning Malcom

Randy Jackson

Albert Castiglia

Josh Garret

Tyrone Vaughan

Bart Walker

SATURDAY 10/10/2015

1:00 pm – 2:15 pm
JOSH GARRETT BAND

2:45 pm – 4:00 pm
MASON RUFFNER

4:30 pm – 5:45 pm
HONEY ISLAND SWAMP BAND

6:15 pm – 7:30 pm
SAMANTHA FISH Feat. Albert Castiglia

8:00 pm – 9:15 pm
RAW OYSTER CULT

9:45 pm – 11:00 pm
TAB BENOIT

SUNDAY 10/11/2015

1:00 – 2:00 pm
HEATH LEDET BAND

2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
LIGHTNING MALCOLM

4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
MIKE ZITO & THE WHEEL Feat. Albert Castiglia

5:20 pm – 6:30 pm
ROYAL SOUTHERN BROTHERHOOD

7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
CHUBBY CARRIER & the Bayou Swamp Band

8:30 pm – 9:45 PM
VOW ALLSTARS

My goal was to get there early enough to see Mason Ruffner. I will date myself. The last time I saw him was in October of 1988 and he was the opening band for Jimmy Page on the Outrider Tour. Ruffner had also done some work with Bob Dylan.

I made it in time for that..



Next up was the Honey Island Swamp Band. Which is another band I dig based out New Orleans.
Here is a taste of that band performing "Cast the First Stone"..

Then there was Samantha Fish. I have featured her on one of my Battle of the Bands contests before. My daughter is starting to play the guitar and is taking voice lessons. So, I like to show her what girls can do! Besides the Top 40 and Country stuff.

Here is Samantha Fish and my daughter...




Here she is with her video for "Lay it Down"..















Raw Oyster Cult was awesome as well! They are band featuring former members of The Radiators.

Tab Benoit, the host of the Festival finished off the evening with his band! I've been guilty of making a trip to New Orleans just to see him!

Here is a taste of his Medicine!

Albert Castiglia made guest appearances with just about everyone. He was great on guitar and really brought the best out of Tab. Here is a picture of him and Samantha..



I went on a hike with my daughter and had a BBQ lunch on Sunday so we missed the first act, I had seen him open up for the North Mississippi All Stars.

Here she is sad that she didn't see any Alligators..



The festival is trying to save the wetlands so I thought she should see some of the Wetlands.

So our day of music started out with Mike Zito and the Wheel..

Yours truly with Mike after his set..




Next up was Mike's old band The Royal Southern Brotherhood. Zito would join them for a few songs as well! Here is their latest single..

Here is a picture of the group with Mike Zito..



Besides music they had a petting zoo...



Face Painting..



Bouncy houses..



Here is a picture of the kids area at night..



Chubby Carrier provides some Zydeco Swamp Music!



I also caught Tab on the other stage performing with a Police Tribute band called The Fuzz..Tab Benoit on drums!



The festival ended with the Voice of the Wetlands All-Stars which included Anders Osborne..



Here is another picture of the group..



Here is a video of the group from January..making a good gumbo!

It was a great festival! Free no cover! Kind of like a family friendly jazzfest with no hassles. If you use my pictures please give me credit. If you want to learn more about the charity and festival, Voice of the Wetlands check out the link here.

I'll be back soon with a new post!

Heartsoulblood The Latest from Royal Southern Brotherhood

The Royal Southern Brotherhood are back with  their second studio release Heartsoulblood.

I raved about the album in my review here. I am adding extras here in my blog like the album teaser.
Below they perform "Rock and Roll" from the album live. (No it is not the Led Zeppelin song.)

Of course with a band made up of Devon Allman, Mike Zito, Cyril Neville, Yonrico Scott and Charlie Wooten your expectations would be high. I think they delivered well!

The above song was from their first album. Read my review, listen, enjoy and let me know what you think!

A to Z: Royal Southern Brotherhood

Okay, I have followed the music of Devon Allman since I first heard him with his, then band Honeytribe, at the Wanee Festival in 2011. Since then he has toured with Honeytribe and currently has a brand new solo album. However, I want to talk about his other band that released their debut in 2012, called The Royal Southern Brotherhood which by the way is on tour.

Devon Allman is the son of Greg Allman from The Allman Brothers Band. I wouldn't call him the Prince of Southern Jam music based on his bloodlines. Devon, is a working class type musician who is one of the hardest working musicians out there. Check out his bands, tour dates, and productivity. Any way add St. Louis guitarist in Mike Zito to fill in the guitars.

Zito has recorded his own solo albums, in 2010 he won the Blues Music Award for song of the year for his song "Pearl River." He has also played with Ana Popovic and guested with many others.

The band also features Grammy Award winning percussionist/vocalist Cyril Neville. Like Devon, Cyrill has a musical bloodline. Cyril was a member of The Meters, The Neville Brothers, and The Voices of Wetlands All-Star Band.

On drums the band features Yonrico Scott who used to play for Derek Trucks. Charlie Wooton rounds up the band on bass. But more importantly, than who is in the band what does this band sound like?

Let me share with you what The Royal Southern Brotherhood sounds like...

Here is a teaser about their album...

Their first video...

Here they are live covering the Rolling Stones..

Give them a listen you will be glad you did. They set a record this weekend at Wanee Festival 2012 with over 10,000 people watching them on the smaller Mushroom State. They also had some special guests like Greg Allman, Tab Benoit, and Artimus Pyle join them. Another reason to see them you never know who might join them. Well I hope you enjoy and I will be back with a new post soon!