Funshine Festival @ Florida State Fairgrounds May 4 2013

by Mitch Foster • June 8, 2013

I got drunk and passed out in the grass while Ted Nugent was playing [Cat Scratch Fever]. The last thing I remember ‘The Nuge’ saying was “I killed so many deer last year with my bow and arrow, that I sent One Ton of venison meat to the troops in Iraq.” That was the point where I said “Fuck this, I’m going to sleep.” I woke up in the shadow of a stranger, hungry and less drunk. Bet you never slept while Ted Nugent was playing [live] in the background.

Funshine Festival. 3 days. 30+ bands. All the state fair rides. One price. Sound awesome?!

There is normally a charge for every ride at the fair. Nope, not here. They’re all included! What a great mix of bands too. They had something for Mom & Dad as well as something for their emo kids. Here’s a shitty pic while I was on the sky ride:

I only went on Saturday. The Saturday bands I saw were: Tallhart, The Weeks, Kevin Devine, Bad Books, Chris Carrabba & Twin Forks, New Found Glory, Ted Nugent, and We The Kings. I missed Styx & REO Speedwagon (they were playing at the same time as other bands I wanted to see).

Tallhart.
I’ve written a Tallhart live review before. Like stated in that post: Tallhart fucking rocks. It was good to see them. A perfect start to my day. They echoed through old songs and new ones. I’m looking really forward to the new Tallhart album coming out July 16th!

The Weeks.
The Weeks got their own review. Check it out here: The Weeks Show Review.

Kevin Devine & The Goddamn Band.
Goddamn. This band rocks harder than I remember. It’s been a few years since I’ve seen them live. Kevin has been steadily gaining popularity since his very successful Kickstarter campaign. I’m excited about his new albums. Here’s one of my favorites – Kevin Devine Cotton Crush Live

Bad Books.
I’m in love with Forest Whitaker. (it’s a song). This is what many consider a “super-group.” Kevin Devine + Andy Hull & Manchester Orchestra. Pretty rad. If you’re not a Bad Books fan yet, check out the Bad Books Forest Whitaker (Acoustic) Video & Check out the full version on Spotify.

Chris Carrabba of Dashboard Confessional & Twin Forks.
Twin Forks is Chris’ new project. It is such a fun band! Although he didn’t play any Further Seems Forever, he rocked through some old classics from the Dashboard catalog – Hands Down, Screaming Infidelities, etc. I have to say – Hats off to their drummer! Dude played 3 full sets that day – with Kevin Devine and Bad Books before joining Chris. Hopefully he got paid the most that day. So Twin Forks has a free 4-song EP! All you have to do is email [email protected] and you get an auto-reply with the EP! Do it!

We The Kings.
This band is from Florida. Right down the road from the venue actually. Gave their performance a ‘hometown’ feel. After seeing them perform, I get it. Tongue in cheek pop punk at it’s best. More girls liked this shitty pic I posted of them on instagram than any others I posted that day. So they must be doing something right!

New Found Glory.
I have to say: New Found Glory takes the cake here. There were the best band in terms of crowd participation and performance. Rocking through old punk classics, covers, and fan favorites. I was thoroughly impressed. Toward the end of their set, Jordan jumped down to sing with the crowd. Here’s a shitty pic:

I hope the Funshine Festival is NOT a one time thing. This festival was badass. If it comes back next year, I highly recommend you get your shit together and check it out!