Spring Ball – Festival Season Begins on the Banks of the Shenandoah River
Written by Kirby Farineau
Driving over the Low Water Bridge into Big Poppa’s Spring Ball has a mystical feeling to it, almost like crossing over from the bitterness of winter into the long awaited festival season. Last year’s inaugural Spring Ball was sensational, and knowing the work that Big Poppa Productions does, this year’s event is going to be even better.
The Spring Ball is everything you could want in a festival without the mayhem of tens of thousands of people. Too much of the current day festival circuit suffers from a lack of intimacy, but events like Spring Ball provide a smaller gathering for attendees to enjoy. Mountain jam bluegrass group The Larry Keel Experience, Appalachian roots band Furnace Mountain, and the high energy Ron Holloway Band are only a few of the many groups to grace the festival’s stage. Spring Ball is unique in creating an environment where the line between performer and audience is completely removed. You’ll see artists from some of your favorite acts blending in with the crowd while the next band jams. There’s also quite a bit of mingling among the performers themselves, assuring some unforgettable musical collaborations.
When the stage performances are done for the day, the festival doesn’t even begin to slow down. The music merely changes venues to the campground for some serious late night jams. With a little exploration, you’re sure to meet some new people around the many campfires. And even if Mother Nature is not quite ready to have a ball herself, Big Poppa has thought of a contingency with heated tents to protect attendees from inclement weather. It’s likely the sunshine will roll in, making Spring Ball the perfect opportunity to grab a kayak, a tube, and spend a little time floating down the river in between the jams. Though that might prove a little difficult seeing how many jams there actually are.
Emerge from the cold depths of winter, and join Big Poppa at the Spring Ball to kick your festival season off right! Tickets are available at http://bit.ly/2015_Spring_Ball
