As Suwannee Amp Jam #1 draws near, the new concert series at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park & Campground in Live Oak, FL is set to bring an exciting lineup to one of the country’s most beloved festival venues. The weekend will feature two sets each from Suwannee staples like Gov’t Mule and Lettuce as well as rising jam stars Eggy and Humboldt County funk-soul collective Diggin’ Dirt. The lineup also boasts additional performers including Dumpstaphunk, The Headhunters, and Eddie Roberts & The Lucky Strokes.
Another highlight of the weekend will be the return of the Daze Between Band, an all-star supergroup that typically convenes between the two weekends of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Helmed by Eric Krasno (Soulive, Lettuce) with a powerhouse roster of NOLA legends including George Porter Jr. and Ivan Neville, plus John Scofield, Jennifer Hartswick (Trey Anastasio Band), and more, the band will bring its signature blend of improvisational magic beyond its usual setting for the first time ever.
With so much on the horizon, L4LM caught up with promoter and longtime Suwannee partner Paul Levine to dive deeper into the vision behind the new Amp Jam series and find out what fans can look forward to.
Live For Live Music: How did you come up with the name “Amp Jam?”
Paul Levine: Well, when we decided to have a series of shows at the Spirit of the Suwannee amphitheater, it just made sense. That’s what this is in the end. It’s not a festival, it’s a series of concerts.
A festival is by and large generally associated with a time of the year. With the Amp Jam, there isn’t any of that. It’s just the one stage and it could be any time. An Amp Jam can pop up whenever there is a whole in the calendar and a band wants to play.
L4LM: With a lot of the smaller festivals either taking a hiatus or, sadly, calling it quits, do you think this is a model promoters might start embracing more?
PL: I’m not sure I look at it like that, exactly. I do know that the Suwannee amphitheater is one of the finest stages in the country to see live music on. Festivals are great but people don’t always want a hundred bands.
The Amp Jam pares it all down and give folks a chance to just focus on the music. That’s what this is. It’s a simple formula—some great music and a great venue. We have some great bands, bands that the fans of the Suwannee will consider “Suwannee family bands.”
There’s a bunch of beloved bands that people remember from festivals like Bear Creek, Wannee, and so on, and those are the ones we are gonna focus on. There will be a lot of love on the stage and off.
L4LM: Having been behind so many of these events, you’re easily the most qualified person I can think of to do this. Also, as you said, the secret weapon you have here is the best headliner that doesn’t ever get listed on any of the lineups, the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park itself.
PL: These would definitely be harder to pull off if people didn’t already have such confidence in the venue. Whatever part of the year an Amp Jam pops up, people already know that the venue is solid and they love it. If we do a good job with the booking, then no matter when it is, people will know and want to come because they have confidence and love for the venue.
L4LM: And, of course, the Park has the staff and a cast of regular fest workers who know how to do this frontwards and backwards already. You’re calling this a series. Is the second Amp Jam already brewing in your mind?
PL: We want to get one of these under our belts before we start thinking about any second or subsequent event, ya know? We don’t really know how big the crowds will be or what have you. We do know a lot of people are excited for this lineup, and we do think this is gonna feel like a family reunion.
L4LM: So there will be the regular Park amenities and I’m guessing some food trucks and the like?
PL: Yeah, we’ll adjust the number of food trucks and the like but there will definitely be some options. It’s gonna be a low-key, low-stress event. If people wanna hang at their camp for a bit longer that’ll work, if people want to be there for every note that will be easy enough to make happen as well.
People can spend plenty of time seeing old friends, hanging together, and seeing music together without the pressure of five or ten stages running all at the same time. Oh, and none of the hard-to-make choices.
L4LM: Now that we’ve set the stage, so to speak, let’s look at the bands you have coming for the inaugural Amp Jam. You have an all-time main Wannee staple, Gov’t Mule, as your headliner. Mule’s return will be something folks familiar with the Suwannee’s events are sure to savor.
PL: Yeah, this is the first time Warren [Haynes] has been back at the Park since the last Wannee. I don’t think there’s an artist I have had more requests for than Warren. “Get Warren Haynes back in the Suwannee … him and Derek Trucks!” Those are the ones everyone wants to see.
Warren was the king of Wanee and he held that down like a champ. Beyond that, another fan favorite event from times past, Bear Creek, was often associated with aspects of the New Orleans Jazz Fest. Bear Creek wouldn’t have existed without Jazz Fest, and Warren and Gov’t Mule are fixtures there in New Orleans as well.
L4LM: To add to Gov’t Mule, you have some of the spine of all three events, bands like Lettuce and Dumpstaphunk, as well as artists like George Porter Jr., also on this stacked Amp Jam lineup.
PL: Well, we know by doing less acts we can focus on getting the ones people really want to see. Plus the Park is just a perfect place to chill and see music. It’s family-friendly, there’s tons of options for folks beyond the music, but if you want to hear some incredible music, we have you covered.
The bands that we chose for this first Amp Jam are ones that have been playing there for decades. These are the bands that are near and dear to our hearts.
It’s gonna feel like an old pair of shoes, or like an old pair of jeans; it’s gonna feel comfortable and look good [laughs].
Tickets for the first-ever Suwannee Amp Jam on March 6th, 7th, and 8th, 2025 are still available here. Check out the daily lineup below and find more information on the event here.
