Brainquility 2020 Photo Journal

For the second year in a row Brainquility Music Festival descended on the Spirit of Suwannee Music Park in beautiful Live Oak. They came from all over to enjoy this three-day interactive music and art festival in the woods of North Florida. Once again the intimate vibe produced one of the headiest parties around with music, fun and friends on the banks of the Suwannee River. Welcome back spunito to Live Oak’s ferocious yawp as it heralds the first Suwannee festival of the year. It’s a picnic. It’s hammocks on the main stage. It’s a hot mess of fun. What did you bring to sacrifice on the altar?

Take this virtual tour and enjoy the happy faces on the participants. Note the freak flags unfurled in the Florida breeze. Thanks to everyone who contributed. It’s a blessing to see the special things that happen at this park. One doesn’t even have to go looking for it. It always manages to find you.

This is more than just a music festival. It’s a fully immersive experience.  With 30+ up and coming live artists, it’s a large scale festival production with an intimate festival vibe. Stroll around and look at the artwork community on-site or participate and join in! As if you had any choice. Folks dropping into downward dog with yoga, painting in a water-painting class and blowing glass pendants to trade and gift. Maybe it’s time for a little morning disc golf with friends. Does anyone remember the annual J.A. Digby invitational? It was quite the disk golf spectacle back in its day. If Ted McDaniels is still running the show somebody needs to knock him off his high horse. It would happen in-house but the golf cart and electric smoker go a long way toward humility. It’s time to watch the bats take over the sky at dusk, and wander through the lighted trees at night. These are the stories we’ll sit around the fire and talk about later so make em good.

SOSMP is more than just a venue. It’s the acorn that becomes the oak. With over 800 acres of breath taking campgrounds and amenities there is plenty of room to get down. The General Store offers golf carts (dangerous?) and  a convenient store to pick up any last minute items (407s). It’s obvious to anyone who let the funk slide down their back parts that Brainquility belongs at Spirit of Suwannee and that union is one we should all continue to cultivate.

“If you don’t know, now you know.”

It’s dirty feet and fingernails. It’s late night frivolity and early morning showers. Taking long walks around the Loop or all the way down to the river. It’s Bloody Mary’s and warm light beer for breakfast and cement chili for supper. Welcome to the magic house.

“She was a Booger Bear”

The cool temperatures and damp moments did little to derail the party train as it tore on through the night. So there was a little rain. All it did was make a clean spot on the ground glitter and one can always reapply face paint. The Floozies, Manic Focus, Russ Liquid and so many special collaborations kept the party going through the weekend to the wookish delights of everyone.

Check out some other wook wrangler submissions including The Spirit of Suwannee Music Park: A Pictorial History.

And while you’re at it, visit our friends at RoadtripMojo. Fellow festival bloggers who make a mean cup o’ joe. Festival hounds of the first order, to be sure.

The Spirit of Suwannee Music Park organizers noted that the park was super clean after the festival. Good job post party refuse crew. The Bud light-cigarette butt crowd. Maybe you can groundscore the world. It’s makes the whole thing shine when all the glampage gets cleaned up. It’s a good look Brainquility. The world is watching.

Thanks to Emma, Sarah and Garrett and all the other contributors. Thanks to everyone who helped make Brainquility a deliciously perfect festival. The performers, promoters, site, artists, vendors, volunteers audience and construction…It takes a village to raise a party. See you next year.

Keep up with the wook wranglers as we head to Suwannee Spring Reunion and Rising before embarking on the summer festival explosion. Floozies in the cavern, Umphrey’s in Ashveville, Backwoods, Floyd, Billy Strings everywhere. It’s time to get a little weird.  Hopefully we’ll meet on a quilt somewhere…