The Bear Creek Music and Art Festival took place from November 12 to 14 in Florida’s memorable Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park. The weekend was filled with funk music and creative sit-ins with artists such as Umphrey’s McGee, moe., Lettuce, The New Mastersounds, Soulive and many more performing throughout the weekend. Seventeen of the bands on the lineup played two sets, which gave plenty of opportunity for collaborations.

Music started on Wednesday night, but the crowds really started rolling in on Thursday. The afternoon highlights mainly took place in the indoor Music Hall stages. Billy Iuso and the Restless Natives brought the energy early and got everyone singing along with a rousinging “Fire On The Mountain” encore. Reggae-infused John Brown’s Body took the stage later that evening for a more intimate setting, but the crowd was still dancing like crazy.

Thursday night’s feature was two sets from Umphrey’s McGee. Their warm up was an hour and fifteen minute set where they played Umphrey’s classics like “Cemetery Walk” and “Bright Lights, Big City.” After a quick thirty-minute break, the Umph returned with an hour and a half set that kept people dancing until 2 a.m. Midway through the set, the band broke out their Michael Jackson tribute with a “Everybody Wants to Rule the World/The Way You Make Me Feel” mash-up. The set came full circle when Umphrey’s broke out “Cemetery Walk II” for their last song before encoring with “All in Time.”

The daytime artists on Friday really brought the energy. Bouncing between the Porch Stage and the Amphitheater all afternoon was dance party after dance party. The London Souls from New York were fired up for their second set of the weekend. This got people excited for Big Sam’s Funky Nation, which immediately followed down in the shaded Amphitheater. John Brown’s Body came next, followed by Toubab Krewe back on the Amphitheater. Artist at large Chali 2na (of Jurassic 5) joined the band on stage for a funky, Afro-beat rap. While Toubab was playing, dance-y, electro jamband, Papadosio tore up the hidden Campground Stage.

Later that evening, Matt Butler’s improvisation project, Everyone Orchestra, took the stage. Butler conducted about a dozen of the weekend’s best musicians including Jennifer Hartswick, Joel Cummings, Fareed Haque, Kai Eckhardt, Jans Ingber, Jeff Mosier and more. The sound varied throughout the performance from a slow, chiming trance to an upbeat heavy jam and back again. Immediately following was Chali 2na’s DJ set. The rapper brought out some of his original works as well as playing some classic favorites like “What’s Golden.”

Umphrey’s third and final set of the weekend was filled with sit-ins. Artist at large Roosevelt Collier of the Lee Boys came out on slide guitar during “Women Wine and Song.” “Nothing Too Fancy” was next and Ivan Neville and Bernie Worrell gave Joel Cummings a break and double-teamed the keyboards. The final sit-in occurred during the last song. Jennifer Hartswick came onstage and took charge of lead vocals for a cover of Heart’s “Barracuda.”

While Umphrey’s was rocking out in the Purple Hat Tent, Soulive was keeping things funky at the Amphitheater with plenty of sit-ins. Throughout the set, the stage was graced with the likes of Chali 2na, Sam Kinninger, Pee Wee Ellis, Nigel Hall and Kofi Burbridge.

The New Mastersounds closed out the night with a late night dance party in the Purple Hat Tent where they were joined onstage by Jennifer Hartswick and Roosevelt Collier.

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