florida music festival live review

Florida Music Festival Live Review + Photos | It Simply Felt Right | Downtown Orlando | April 16-18, 2015

by • April 30, 2015

American Party Machine changed the entire mood of the Florida Music Festival. They came at Wall Street full force, emerging through a cloud of smoke with confetti cannons and beach balls, bleeding pure American pride.

All nine of them work as an unstoppable team, spreading their infectious patriotic energy to every soul witnessing their chaotic show. You watch them forcing smiles to faces and bodies to move and you get it: American Party Machine are the arenabowl of party metal.

“This one’s about the greatest man that’s ever lived … Rick Flair.” Followed by a proverbial “Wooooooooooo!” said the lead singer Mack Studly before thrusting into their song “Space Mountain.”

You can catch American Party Machine headlining the Shows I Go To stage at this year’s Smashington Interactive Art and Music Festival.

Britt Daley opened the night with her sultry tunes and a new single, “Move Me.” I think we’ll forever be fans of Britt’s hard work and obvious talent.

Saturday afternoon, before the music began, I attended a couple of the Florida Music Conferences at the Dr. Phillips Center. The man who was interviewed in the first keynote session, Jonathan Mayers, talked about this festival he created. He described how he risked everything. He spoke of sleeping on an air mattress in New Orleans and how just “going for it” was his only option. He talked about how he built up contacts and networked with everyone who would listen to him. He encouraged us to “find what feels right—the right people, places, experiences.” He informed us he was not in the “music business,” but rather the “experience business.”

His overall advice was simple.

“Trust your gut.
Trust your heart.
Find inspiration in everything.
Don’t risk your happiness.
Enjoy what you’re doing.
Gamble on yourself.”

The festival he created? Bonnaroo … one of the largest music festivals in the world.

The Florida Music Festival seemed to be very successful with its new format of free entry to all venues. They posted the following: “Record breaking Florida Music Festival crowd for The Supervillains at Wall St. Plaza to close out an amazing weekend of music, networking and culture… Thank you Otown!” The crowd was certainly thick on Wall Street Saturday evening and the Shows I Go To stage was busy. One of the most important things that Florida Music Festival got dead-on was the “feel” of the festival. It simply felt right.

shows i go to team

Of my personal highlights, catching Eugene Snowden (Legendary JC’s) perform with The Woolly Bushman at The Social to close out the This Little Underground stage was absolute perfection. I think the whole Shows I Go To team was there and dancing.

The other thing that rang very true throughout the day of performances on Saturday was another quote from Jonathan Mayers: “Lazy people—whether they’re artists or employees—will never make it.”

As American Party Machine would say, “Never Forget.”

Florida Music Festival Live Review by Mitch Foster.
Florida Music Festival Live Photos by Justin Fricke.

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