Hitting The N.W. Florida 30A Songwriters Festival by Jeep…   by Mitchum Verte

in Entertainment / Music    (submitted 2011-01-15)

Hitting The N.W. Florida 30A Songwriters Festival by Jeep…

It’s probably prettier than it should be, It’s a lot smaller than you’d expect, and even with the somewhat over-the-top retro-Victorian doll-houses, condos and resorts that litter the beaches, it somehow seems to work.

The 30A Singer/Songwriters Festival of Northwest Florida, is an anomaly in a sea of otherwise gritty musical events that usually nuance the national touring stage. This is a festival perhaps best defined by what it is not. Absent is the double-barrel branding of the Lollapalooza-Lilith-fair type of event, with writhing teens stacked against stages, and amped-up performers performing sophomoric political discontent. No, this is not that, but rather something far more surprising, a legitimate festival that is actually about music. An intimate series of venues that stretch up a spell of 2 or 3 miles, along arguably one of Florida’s prettiest two-lane coastal roads. From fish-restaurants, to coffee-houses, and small Grecian styled outdoor amphitheaters (you sit on the lawn), the venues are quaint, unpretentious, and seemingly devoid of artificiality – you walk in, you sit, you listen, and the performers are glad you’re there – it’s a perfect recipe for a successful event.

At the farthest end of the festival, this past Friday, in a small wine-house, I found one such performer playing along side his pal. The bar was neatly filled with intent faces, and loosely strung chairs and sofas made the scene feel even more relaxed than it already was. Up on a stage, that hung perilously close to being halfway out onto the road, stood Jeep Rosenberg and Effron White. The two men had just finished a song and were in the midst of a conversation with some bar patrons. It was an easy give and go, there was no sycophantic behavior, no sloppy drunks yelling “Freebird,” just a simple exchange about life and music. After a few brief moments both men returned to what they came to do…

The music was instantly riveting. Not because it was catchy, toe-tapping, or titillating, but because it made you listen. You knew right off the bat you weren’t’ just getting a tune - but a poem as well – a musical 2-for-1. Not necessarily Dylan-esque, or Cash-esque, or country-esque, or any kind of –esque, It was simply something American, something in between, and something on the outside. As you watched the faces in the crowd, you could sense the pie-eyed concentration as people strained not to miss a word, as the storyteller sung his tale. The music was rich, full of context, and entertaining, and everyone in the room knew it.

The 30A Songwriters Festival may be small in scope, but like the area in which it resides, it’s anything but small when it comes to originality, uniqueness, and creativity. The talent is first-rate, the audiences are authentic, and the location is, well… it’s January, you’re just dang lucky to be anywhere where it’s not snowing.

About the Author

Mr. Verte is an international freelance correspondent who has written for Paris Match, The Trib, La Posta, The Toronto Star and a host of other international publications. He currently resides in Canada and the Northern Panhandle of Florida.