The fourth installment of Sunshine Music Festival was a smashing success, bringing eight bands to two stages, from St. Petersburg to Boca Raton, Florida. The Tedeschi Trucks Band-hosted event is now an annual tradition of family and friends in their home state. This year’s roster held up some incredible acts, including Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers, Mavis Staples, Dave Mason, Railroad Earth, North Mississippi Allstars, and Greyhounds. From beginning to end, the music was perfect. In the beautiful 70-degree Sunday weather of Boca Raton, FL, it was worth getting there first thing to see the music take shape from early afternoon until the starry night took over. See below for some words, audio, video, and setlists from some of our favorite sets.

Tedeschi Trucks Band was an obvious highlight, as the twelve piece big band closed the night with a full 2 hour set of rock, soul, and funk-driven originals and covers to keep the crowd going through the night. The first portion of their set was mostly powered by their 2016 release Let Me Get By, giving songs like “Anyhow”, “Don’t Know What It Means”, “Just As Strange” and “Crying Over You” a life of their own before the covers exploded in undeniable force. Thanks to CHeeSeHeaDPRoDuCTioNS, you can watch “Keep On Growing” in the video below:

The band’s first guest of the night was Dave Mason, who sang his own original “Feelin’ Alright”, before Luther Dickinson joined the stage for a “Leavin’ Trunk” > “Volunteer Slavery” extended jam. Both sit-ins can be enjoyed in the videos below:

Trucks, Tedeschi, and company were again left alone to close out a strong set with Santana‘s Latin-driven “Soul Sacrifice.” When the band returned to the stage, Susan dedicated the entire encore to their fallen friend Leon Russell. It was touching to see the vocalist sing “A Song For You” with pianist Kofi Burbridge, before his brother Oteil Burbridge joined the stage for a surprising “Space Captain.” The band was once again left alone to finish out on a strong note with Joe Cocker‘s “With A Little Help From My Friends.” See below for a video of Burbridge’s fantastic sit-in.

You can enjoy Tedeschi Trucks Band’s full show in the audio link below, courtesy of CHeeSeHeaDPRoDuCTioNS:


Setlist: Tedeschi Trucks Band | Sunshine Music Festival | Boca Raton, FL | 1/15/17

Set: Anyhow, Don’t Know What > Keep On Growing, Within You Without You > Just As Strange, Crying Over You, Let’s Go Get Stoned, Feelin’ Alright*, Leavin’ Trunk^, Volunteered Slavery^, I Wish I Knew, I Pity The Fool, I Want More > Soul Sacrifice

Encore: A Song For You, Space Captain%, With A Little Help From My Friends

* = w/ Dave Mason
^ = w/ Luther Dickinson
% = w/ Oteil Burbridge

Earlier on the same stage, drummer Joe Russo, keyboardist Marco Benevento, guitarist Tom Hamilton, bassist Dave Dreiwitz, and guitarist Scott Metzger also impressed with their Day-RAD set, jamming heavily from one Grateful Dead song to the next. They were the perfect pick-me-up on a warm winter’s day under the hot Florida sun, charging through the anthemic “I Know You Rider”, “Sugar Magnolia,” “Sunshine Daydream,” “Fire On The Mountain,” and more. The amazing Alecia Chakour joined for “The Stranger (Two Souls In Communion)” before she took the stage later in the evening with TTB.

Thanks to CHeeSeHeaDPRoDuCTioNS, you can enjoy Joe Russo’s Almost Dead’s full show in the audio link below, as well as a few choice videos:

Setlist: Joe Russo’s Almost Dead | Sunshine Music Festival | Boca Raton, FL | 1/15/17:

Feel Like A Stranger (SM) ->
China Cat Sunflower (TH) ->
I Know You Rider (All) ->
Jam @ ->
Jack Straw (SM & TH) ->
Jam ->
St. Stephen (TH) >
Sugar Magnolia/SSDD (SM) >
Fire On the Mountain # (TH)
The Stranger (Two Souls In Communion) (AC)
Samson & Delilah (SM)

AC is Alecia Chakour (TTB) on Lead Vocals
@ – With Thrownin’ Stones Teases (MB, then Band)
# – With a Unknown Tease (MB)

Esteemed pianist and songwriter Bruce Hornsby, along with his band The Noisemakers, continue to endear themselves to fans everywhere with a soulful blend of Americana rock and roll. A splendid mix of originals and covers, Hornsby’s soulful music was only accentuated by the beautiful setting of the sun set, after Almost Dead and before Tedeschi Trucks Band. From a lengthy “Fortunate Son” > “Comfortably Numb” > “Fortunate Son” to a “Hoorah Hooray” with Hornsby on mountain dulcimer, the evening music was well-played in the grassy field and under the starry night.

In the late afternoon, singer/songwriter Dave Mason played through original tunes written for the band Traffic, including “Rock N Roll Stew”, “Dear Mr. Fantasy”, and “Low Spark”, along with his solo “We Just Disagree”, closing out with a soul-stirring “All Along the Watchtower” Jimi Hendrix cover. Mason made it over to the main stage to close out the night with TTB singing another original, “Feelin’ Alright” spreading the feel-good vibes throughout.

Railroad Earth held down the second stage for the daytime slot, churning out their positive and jubilant brand of jammy bluegrass and keeping spirits high. With an envious setlist that heavily favored older tunes, their set strung together crowdpleaser after crowdpleaser, including “Long Way To Go,” “Black Elk Speaks,” “Bird In A House,” “Dandelion Wine,” “Like A Buddha,” and “Grandfather Mountain.”

Thanks to Spyder9, you can enjoy Railroad Earth’s full show in the audio link below:

Setlist: Railroad Earth | Sunshine Music Festival | Boca Raton, FL | 1/15/17:

Set: Long Way To Go, Black Elk Speaks, Bird In A House, Stillwater Getaway, Day on the Sand, Dandelion Wine, Like A Buddha, Grandfather Mountain

With brothers Luther Dickinson and Cody Dickinson, and bassist Danielle Nicole, the North Mississippi Allstars broke into the Main Stage for an early afternoon traditional throwdown. Powering through songs like “Shake What Your Mama Gave You”, “Spoonful” into “Mojo Working” and “Drinking Muddy Water”, featuring Luther on the homemade tin can guitar, NMA’s set was the perfect way to start the day: with dancing, singing, and plenty of jams.

The fourth installment of Sunshine Music Festival was another great success, but it’s not the end of the road for Tedeschi Trucks Band. They head on to play the Orpheum Theatre tomorrow night in Memphis, before spending three nights at the Chicago Theatre, and continuing on their way. North Mississippi Allstars will stick with them for a number of shows, with Jack Pearson, Jorma Kaukonen, and more jumping in from time to time before TTB heads out on their European tour. Check the full tour schedule here.

[Photo courtesy of Tim Kohan]