The city of Savannah, Georgia is rich in culture and history. Anyone who has been there will tell you to be sure to visit at least once in a lifetime. Guitar Girl Magazine had the unique pleasure of attending Savannah Stopover and what a time was had. Let’s all go to Savannah Stopover.
Savannah Stopover is a music festival that is a stop on the way to South by South West. It attracts a variety of music enthusiasts and artist’s alike. In its eighth year, the three day music fest has more to offer than just great music. I didn’t know what to expect as a first timer to the fest, but after being there it will not be my last.
Upon arriving on Wednesday night, I could tell this was going to be special. There was a Stopover Kickoff to Benefit LLS and a Graveface Presents “The Night Before Stopover”! These events were wonderful and fun. After a good night’s rest, I woke to take in some of what Savannah had to offer- after all, I am a history nut. The best thing about Savannah is its walkability; you can get to places just by walking, and that means I didn’t miss out on exercise.
Let’s get going!
THURSDAY – March 8, 2018
The music began at six o’clock, so I had the day to take in the sights and experience Savannah. The first stop was walking through the historical district of Savannah and seeing all the beauty of it. The trees in the area have Spanish moss on them which make them even more spectacular. Then you will see magnolia trees, unfortunately not in bloom yet, although still beautiful.
Seeing all the outside on a sunny yet windy day makes one hungry. I looked around for some of the places to eat, I chose to go to a café called Two Cracked Eggs. I’m very happy I chose this place as I had a beautiful view of the river with a seat by the window. French toast and coffee topped off my visit and a shout out to Daniel who was a sweetheart of a server and I am happy to say new friend – I will be back.
After the yummy brunch, time to visit different shops in the area. The first stop was Cool Savannah Tours and Gifts. I love postcards, so I picked up a couple and I looked into a couple of the trolley and walking tours. I will definitely make a trip back to Savannah to do the walking tour. River Street on the waterfront is where I headed to which was, of course, on the waterfront. I do recommend going into the local shops and seeing all the different merchandise they have to offer. I picked up a new pair of very cool orange sunglasses since I forgot mine, as well as a white necklace which I don’t have a thing to wear with it yet. I really liked the staff at the shop Fabulous Finds Under $20. After shopping and eating at the riverfront, I made my way back to the hotel to change clothes and drop off bags.
Now, on to the music. A giant Thank You to Michelle King and staff who were great to speak with and helpful at the check-in point on Thursday for Savannah Stopover. The first venue to attend was Ships of the Sea Museum where Ruby Velle and the Soulphonics were first to perform. An amazing soulful, rock and blues filled set was well received by the crowd who kept pouring in. This is a band that you see once and become a fan of. Her shoes were amazing a shiny silver heel which sparkled in the light on stage. My favorite song is one called “Broken Woman” and it is even better live. The new album is titled State of All Things, so check it out. A great show was given by them. The night was getting a little cool, but the music made it hot! The next band to play at the same venue was Larkin Poe. I am happy to say that I have been lucky enough to see them perform from their first cd release party at Terminal West in Atlanta. They are just a good band pure and simple. The new album is Peach which is a great album in its entirety. Their cover of “Black Betty” is very good. They blew the audience away with their performance on this night. After Larkin Poe, I was getting kind of hungry again, so my search began for a place to eat or at the very least get a snack before the next venue and band. I came upon a place called The Portal. This is one of the best places ever! It is an arcade, bar, deli, expresso all in one. I got a sandwich and a coffee. Had a fantastic vegan slaw as well. Stop in and say hi to Mateo, very nice guy there. Off to Barrelhouse South for Okey Dokey show. The band put on a good show and the audience responded well. I did get to stop into a little happening place called The Treehouse. If you like to dance and don’t mind crowds, then check it out. After this it was back to hotel for sleep.
FRIDAY – March 9, 2018
It is Friday – YAY! It is the weekend and so again back to into historic section I go. I walked around for a little while and checked out a couple of things. Ate brunch again at Two Cracked Eggs and since the music begins later in the day, it’s off exploring I shall go. I figured I would go and check out Tybee Island, as it is around 40 minutes from where I was at in Savannah. I wanted to go to the beach, so I did. There is a nice little place there called Rock House which is a quaint little bar and grill. After that, it was off to the beach for a walk. I got to walk along the beach in jeans and a leather moto jacket which is something I haven’t done before. I found some sea shells and dead jellyfish. Even though I wasn’t there a long time, it was a nice way to let some time go by before a night of rockin’ out. The waves were refreshing to hear, but now back to Savannah for more music.
Tonight the first up to see for me is a band from Tel Aviv Israel, the band Lola Marsh. They were the first to play at Trinity United Methodist Church. This was an experience that I will not soon forget nor do I want to. The first time seeing a band from Tel Aviv and inside a church. Lola Marsh is a band that is fascinating to me, a band that began as a duo and is quite good. The charisma of the frontwoman Yael Shoshana Cohen is wonderful. This indie pop band knows how to get the audience into the feeling of the music. A very good way to begin a Friday night.
Afterward, I hit up The Portal for a snack and off to see Caroline Rose at Ships of the Sea Museum. A little punk and a little rock thrown in for a good time. The audience was responding well to her performance. The next was a performer that I had seen at Shaky Knees in Atlanta the first year of that festival. It is the highway queen, Nikki Lane, an artist who is a great guitarist as well as performer. Check out her latest album Highway Queen. I recommend just watching her play live at least once. It is a fun show and anyone who wears the cow print jacket with a cowboy hat is pretty wonderful in my book. Now it is off to The Jinx to see The Bones of J.R. Jones. His new album is coming May 11 titled Ones To Keep Close. This rock show was great and was worth going to. I had never heard his music before that I could remember but was pleasantly surprised and became a fan. The audience was a good size and then began to dwindle after his set and then more of a crowd began showing up at The Jinx. The next performance was from Sarah Shook and The Disarmers. Their new album is Years and it is good.! The song that stands out to me is “Good as Gold.” This country /rock badass is one of the reasons why I like festivals like Savannah Stopover. It has a little bit of everything any music lover would like. Their show was well received, and a good time had by all. It was late, and it was time to sleep because Saturday was a big day.
SATURDAY – March 10, 2018
Wake Up Sleepyhead it all begins at noon! This was my first thought waking up Saturday morning. Some more sight-seeing with some food was first on my agenda on Saturday morning and then off to see some bands. The food was quick and simple to keep my energy up. I went to a place that I was interested in seeing what it was, after all, the name itself made it interesting– Wet Willies it was nice. I got a slushy and then headed to The Juliet Gordon Low House – she was the founder of Girl Scouts. Let’s face it Girl Scouts rock!
The afternoon food was my big treat for the day. I had heard about a place called The Pirate House and so my tummy said to check it out. I did. I had fried green tomatoes and they were so good. After eating, I went to meet up with Pronoun at The Coffee Fox for an interview, which will be coming to Guitar Girl Magazine shortly. Now off to Social Club to see Plastic Picnic. This is a band that really impressed me and the vocalist is not afraid to climb trees. A great band and good people at the venue. Thank you Pronoun for the invite to see them with you.
I had some time to spare, so I went walking and decided to go to the Prohibition Museum. If you like history, then this is good. What can I say, I am a nerd. I set off to hear more music but got a bit distracted due to a really cool street festival with fire dancers, food trucks, cute dogs, and nice people, too! Now back to the music, Becca Mancari played the Social Club and did well, before that it was TWEN at Ships of the Museum. Gus Dapperton played at Ships of the Museum as well and was great to see live. Ryan Jones played Barrelhouse South. It was again a good show.
It was now time for one of my all-time favorite bands ever- Of Montreal. This was a fabulous show. The album White Is Relic/Irrealis Mood is wonderful. I love the theatrical nature of this band and it is all genuine. Look out Flaming Lips you have competition in performance. lol. A magical show in a wondrous setting like a museum – this was perfect. The stage diving, the performance artists coming out, the balloons going up in the air and kept up from the audience – it was magical and fantastical. This was the best party of the weekend.
After this excitement, I made my way over to Club One for Jonny Couch. A good performance. At Club One I found Waldo and met a couple of the guys from the band Illegal Drugs, too. It was great fun and now I was off to The Vegabonds show at Social Club. The Vegabonds are more of an alternative band with southern rock music that just rocks. A good live show. After that I went back to Club One for Twisty Cats, another band I had not heard of but fell in love with their vibe and music. “Have The Pain” is a great song. The show was great fun. The last show I hit up for this weekend was Pronoun. The new EP is There’s No One New Around You. The music is emotional and lovely. Her performance was well received and everyone had a good time. A memorable performance and a nice way to end my journey through Savannah Stopover.
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Savannah Stopover is one of the few experiences that makes one appreciate all music and all artists in all ways. It is a great way to find new music and a great way to meet others that have a common interest. I have always believed music brings us together like nothing else. This is a great festival and I will be back next year. Savannah is a beautiful city rich in culture and in history. Thank you for the great time and Rock On!
You can see all my photos at the Savannah Stopover album on GGM’s facebook page at the link below which includes the some of the historic sights of Savannah and the music venues and artists:
https://www.facebook.com/pg/GuitarGirlMagazine/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1703276063086406
~ Tiffini Taylor