“Pleasing to the ears, easy on the eyes, and soothing to the soul, this is definitely one festival not to be missed.” –Miami Sun Post
Richard Thompson
The 5th Annual 30A Songwriters Festival stage is set for January 17-19, 2014. Taking place throughout South Walton, the event will feature 150 songwriters and over 200 performances at more than 25 venues in WaterColor, WaterSound, Alys Beach, Gulf Place, Rosemary Beach, Grayton Beach, Seacrest, Seaside and more — all set against the brilliant white sand beaches, turquoise waters and stunning architecture of Scenic Highway 30A.
EXPERT TIP: Download the FREE 30A Songwriters Festival app for your iPhone or Android phone now, so you’ll always have the performance schedule and up-to-the-minute festival updates!
John Oates
Just to name a few… The Gulf Place Amphitheater will host Richard Thompson, Loudon Wainwright III and Ani DeFranco on Saturday, January 18th. Then on Sunday, The Glenn Phillips Band, Tinsley Ellis and Robert Randolph and the Family Band will take the Gulf Place stage.
Kristian Bush will play a headline gig on his own, as well as a round with the esteemed Ellis Paul (with whom he has collaborated in the past). John Oates is back by popular demand and will play a solo set and a round with Jim Lauderdale. Jesse Harris (Song of the Year GRAMMY winner as writer of the Nora Jones hit “Don’t Know Why” and accomplished recording artist in his own right) will debut at the Festival this year.
Rusty Young — pedal steel player, guitarist and writer for the original and brilliant country rock band Poco — will be there too and will share the stage one night with Craig Fuller, who wrote and sang one of everyone’s favorite folk rock songs “Aimee” (and of course joined Little Feat and toured with them from the late 80’s through the early 90’s).
Of course, the 80’s wouldn’t be the same without Marshall Crenshaw’s “Cynical Girl” ringing in your ears, and NPR proclaimed that Teddy Thompson is “the musical equivalent of an arrow to the heart.”
Oh, and have we mentioned Jerry Douglas? Bob Schneider? John Gorka? Matthew Sweet? Jeffrey Steele? Mary Gauthier? Jonathan Edwards? Grant Lee Phillips? This is going to be one amazing weekend, folks!
For good reason, the 30A Songwriters Festival is known throughout the music community as a destination where writers who perform their own music, and performers who write their own songs, come together for a weekend of soulful melodies, powerful vocals and compelling lyrics.
Mary Chapin Carpenter at Gulf Place in 2013
“There is a profound meeting of the minds with everyone involved in the Festival,” said Russell Carter, Co-Producer/Festival Chair. “Musicians across the country have experienced–or heard about–the rewards of performing on 30A in unique venues in front of the best listening audiences possible.”
Festival weekend passes are now available and can be purchased online or locally on 30A at the Cultural Arts Alliance office and at Central Square Records in Seaside.
