Bites and Bands 2019

The Saint Simons Food & Spirits Festival returns in 2019 with Bites & Bands, celebrating the best the South has to offer in this quintessential coastal destination. Culinary excellence, leading chefs, beverage experts, popular bands and more will come together in one festive experience under the canopy of oaks at picturesque Gascoigne Bluff on March 23, from 4:00-10:00 p.m., rain or shine. 

About the Bites (and Beverages):          

Many of the best local restaurants, along with providers of spirits, craft brews and fine wines will be on site to share their top coastal Georgia dishes and libations with guests. Supplying the groceries for Bites and Bands are Uncle Don's Market, Cheney Brothers, Nlaws Produce, and Inland Seafood. Some of the restaurants participating at the time of print are Boulevard Café, Certified Burgers & Beverage, Del Sur Artisan Eats, ECHO, Georgia Sea Grill, Halyards, La Plancha, Southern Soul Barbeque, Tortuga Jack’s, and Tramici. It’s an all-you-can-eat affair, so bring your appetite! 

Craft beers will be on tap from Omaha Brewing Company from Omaha, Georgia (that’s right, Georgia), and Eagle Creek Brewing Company, Statesboro’s first brewery. Founded by owners Robert and Stephanie Lee in 2012, Omaha Brewing Company hired Nick Fowler (formerly of Atlanta’s Red Brick Brewing Company) as Brewmaster and Robert’s son, Rob Lee, to do sales and marketing. The mission of this family business is to brew a barrel of beer that feels like Southern comfort and the crisp mornings Georgia knows best. Eagle Creek Brewing Co. was founded in August 2013 with a focus on producing delicious, interesting and highly drinkable beers using the very best ingredients available. In November 2016, Eagle Creek was the first production brewery in Georgia to become a brewpub. 

If the grapes are your preference, there will be offerings from Zac Brown and John Killebrew’s bold, “uncaged”  Z. Alexander Brown wines rooted in the heart of California wine country and the uniquely Southern wines of Wolf Creek Plantation. While most people know Zac Brown for his music, his artistry and creative spirit are without boundaries. His lifelong connection to the land and passion for bringing music, food, and people together was a natural path to wine. Sharing a common passion and respect for the land with his partner, despite growing up on opposite ends of the country, Californian John Killebrew is able to tap into his desire to make things with his own hands, stay immersed in nature, and find each season’s expression through the vines in his role as winemaker. Wolf Creek Plantation owners Matt and Jerry English first learned to fish and hunt on this family land in Americus, Georgia. Wolf Creek was at one time a successful golf course, but was later abandoned, and the cousins purchased it and turned it into a winery and vineyard that now boasts over twenty five hundred vines covering more than twenty acres of beautiful vineyards with ten varieties of muscadine grapes. 

Or perhaps, you’d like to get into the spirit(s), with Four Roses Bourbon or Lit Vodka. Four Roses Bourbon has been made with the same passion in Kentucky since 1888 and is unlike any other Bourbon. Only Four Roses handcrafts 10 distinct and extraordinary Bourbon recipes. One has been selected by hand to become Four Roses Single Barrel. Four are expertly mingled by hand to create Four Roses Small Batch. And as many as all 10 are used to create Four Roses Bourbon. You’ll agree that the extra time and effort spent on this artistry is well worth it when you taste the results. Midland, Georgia’s Lit Ultra-Premium Vodka markets itself as a lifestyle brand for the modern thrill seeker who lives life without regret. In that case, we’ll be happy to see what they’re mixing up for cocktails at this fun event. 

About the Bands: 

If you get out to enjoy music in the Golden Isles, it’s likely that you’re no stranger to some of the bands that will be performing at this culinary celebration. The Pine Box Dwellers, out of Waycross, Georgia, play in local venues regularly and were the entertainment at the Saint Simons Food & Spirits Festival’s 2018 Taste of the Golden Isles event. Southern Rock royalty, Randall Bramblett has been a regular performer at Brunswick’s Blessing of the Fleet over the years and often appears for special concerts locally. Athens cover band Strawberry Flats fronted by John Keane has been known to appear at Gnat’s Landing, although it’s been a while. Now, you’ve got a chance to see them all at one event.

The Pine Box Dwellers had the distinction of being named “2018 Band of the Year” at the Georgia Country Awards and the American country-roots rock band was also popular at last year’s historic downtown Brunswick PorchFest. Dubbed “Swampadelic,” their music combines the  authenticity of folk and Americana with energetic rock and blues grooves. Many of the band’s original songs reflect how being raised in a small swamp town has shaped their love for family, life and music, and their covers of popular tunes range the gamut from classic country to “Purple Rain.” Fronted by Sean Clark on vocals and acoustic guitar, the band members include Jesse Herrin on bass, Connor Griffin on vocals and pine box, Jody Perritt on vocals, lap steel, and harmonica, with “extended Dweller family members” John Pope joining on electric guitar and Lee O’Neal on drums and vocals. C’mon out and do some Dwellin’!

Randall Bramblett is, of course, Southern Rock royalty, and has been a regular performer here at The Brunswick Blessing of the Fleet and other musical events and festivals. This talented multi-instrumentalist has graced stages with legends like Bonnie Raitt‬‬‪, The Allman Brothers Band, Steve Winwood, Government Mule, The Band, and Widespread Panic‬. His songwriting skills are equally as impressive, as he penned the title track for the Grammy nominated Blind Boys of Alabama’s new album, as well as an extensive catalog of songs covered by Gregg Allman, Bonnie Raitt, Delbert McClinton and more. Bramblett has 11 albums under his belt, and it’s in his career as frontman where his artistry is on full display. With “Juke Joint at the Edge of the World,” his most recent, and first solo, album, his storied career rolls on with continual reinvention and true conviction. With a commitment to the necessary evolution of music, Bramblett has kept his career as fresh as the day it began. Reason #528 he is Georgia’s Musical Treasure. His band is second to none and are the perfect team to bring his brilliance to life with tons of soul, funk and talent. Do not miss an opportunity to experience them live!‬‬‬‬‬‬

Grammy-nominated record producer John Keane is well known for his extensive work with R.E.M., the Indigo Girls, and Widespread Panic, among others. What you might not have known is that he fronted the Athens cover band Strawberry Flats! Strawberry Flats was founded in 1985 as a fun cover band to pay tribute to the psychedelic music era of 1967-1972 and the tunes by the likes of Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Steppenwolf, Cream, Deep Purple, and, of course, The Beatles. Original founder Wade Hester traded off lead vocals and lead guitar with John Keane until Wade’s busy professional schedule made gigging with the Flats impossible. The band took an 11 year hiatus until a few years ago, and, aside from Wade’s absence, all band members are the original members, with John Keane on lead vocals and lead guitar, Scott Sanders on vocals and bass; Tim White on keyboard, and Dean Quinter on drums. This show is sure to rock! 

The St. Simons Food & Spirits Festival is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization that highlights the best of the Golden Isles’ culinary bounty, scenic beauty and history while raising funds and awareness for its charity of choice, Hospice of the Golden Isles. Tickets for Bites & Bands are $75 each. Sponsors for the event include Beachview Event Rentals & Design, Elegant Island Living, First Coast News, The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort, The Park SSI, Saint Simons Music and Southeast Georgia Health System. Proceeds from the event benefit Hospice of the Golden Isles. For more information, call the event coordinator Beth Williams at 912.580.8771. Get your tickets online today at saintsimonsfoodandspirits.com.