It was beyond cold with the strong wind blowing Saturday. Heavy rain Friday. Some sleet on Saturday mixed with sunshine. Finally clearing by Saturday evening. Wow! And through it all, the show went on! The musicians played their hearts out, the crowd, around 400 total, was dialed in and having a blast, plenty of kids running around with their faces painted, and the music stayed on schedule! All this despite some crazy weather conditions. THANK YOU to the staff and sound crews from Tree Sound Studios and Music On Main Street for their incredible ability to produce top quality sound for us under less than ideal circumstances, and THANK YOU to the Harvest Family Hoot staff and volunteers for helping make the Harvest Family Hoot a success. The bonfire, at the start 7 ft in height and about 10 ft in diameter, was lit mid afternoon and fire barrels were scattered around with plenty of wood to go around, so one was never too far from warmth. THANK YOU to Smokey and his crew for maintaining the fires and having the farm ready for us!
Blackberry Possum got the ball rolling Friday night with some fantastic energy that had everyone moving and shaking under the extended cover in front of the stage. If you have a chance to catch them, don’t miss that opportunity. Saturday morning was when the high for the day occurred, and the temperature dropped from then on. That didn’t stop the music from keeping everyone warm and fuzzy inside on both stages all day and into the late night. Pickled Holler, featuring former members of Blueground Undergrass – Rev. Jeff Mosier, Matthew Williams & Edward Hunter – and beautiful vocals and bass playing of Jessica Williams, was the ideal way to ease into the day. How lucky are we to have such caliber of talent to start the day?! Our friends in Spackle provided a nice rock 
edge. Dead Affect provided just the right set of Grateful Dead music to boogie through the afternoon. Honeywood continued that boogie with some high energy jamgrass. Rev. Jeff Mosier & Biscuit Tragedy laid down an absolutely beautiful set that really left me missing my good friend Col. Bruce, who would have certainly been performing at this one. The GMOs provided us with one of the best sets of the day; if you have an opportunity to catch this fresh outfit, don’t miss out! The return of Snake Oil Medicine Show to the stage was extremely special, and they laid out some incredible gypsy and reggae rhythms mixed in with their signature hypnotic sound. One can never underestimate a set when it’s led by the amazing singer/songwriter Ralph Roddenbery, and the wow factor was in full effect after his memorable set. Deep Blue Sun followed that with 90 minutes of purely hypnotic jams that was easy listening from the bonfire, and Strung Like A Horse made sure everyone was strung by the end of the night. There were sit-ins abound all day and night Saturday and for the Friday night set, which made for a ultra-special experience. Enjoy the snippet from Friday night below featuring Bobby Miller sitting in with Blackberry Possum for some fine bluegrass jams!
This particular Hootenanny left me with the hope that another might happen. The Hoot family is such an incredible gathering of folks that are friends, musicians, kids, Smokey & Debbie, and Cherokee Farms. I’m excited about what the future might bring, so stay tuned in and support live music!
As we get closer to THE weekend of The Harvest Family Hoot, I’ve been pondering what this event represents beyond a celebration of 20 years & going strong. We are gathering for what promises to be an absolutely amazing collaboration of musicians Friday night, all day Saturday and into the late night, yet I have come to the realization that this event is as much a segue way to another 20 years of reinvention and ways to bring music to the community, be it through the Frank Hamilton School or creating fresh community events that impact my immediate surroundings in the greater Atlanta area. I’m not sure what the future brings as far as camping events are concerned; I am certain that TDawg Presents will continue to provide a reason for folks with different ideals and beliefs – religious, political & otherwise – to enjoy the music together, as music is a strong common bond. It’s important to be reminded in such a polarizing world in which we live that there is more opportunity to unite than divide. I intend to do my part with the former rather than the latter.
That’s right y’all! Before you know it, the weekend of April 6-7 will be here, and you KNOW where you should be – HOOOOOOOOOOOOTENANNY!! I am grateful to still be able to bring quality live music to the community, and the Harvest Family Hoot is a celebration of that continuation. It’s been a long strange trip for the last 20 years, and I look forward to what the future brings on this level. (Blue Ridge) HarvestFest, the 19 editions of TDawg’s Back Porch Hootenanny that followed, the Annual Holiday Hootenanny, the free community events, and all the TDawg shows over the years in and around the Southeast have all had a strong common bond in the amazing talent that has always come together to produce memorable and transcending music experiences for just a few patrons or a few thousand and all points in between.
The Harvest Family Hoot welcomes singer/songwriter 
