Since I saw those ads around Nov. 6, here we go.

Actually, the folks at SunFest have themselves been putting up lists of potential artists on their Facebook page, trying to get some ideas as to which ones are drawing interest. A list they put out Wednesday included the likes of Joe Walsh, Counting Crows, Primus, Slightly Stoopid, Civil Wars, Bassnectar, All American Rejects, Band of Horses and Afrojack.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival has just released its list of artists for 2012. Considering that the fest is set for April 27-May 6 – while SunFest is set for May 2-6 – it’s worth a look at who’s going to be at least close by.

The major headliners are Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers and The Eagles. Now, let’s not get too crazy here.

Even though Petty’s tour not only stops in New Orleans and he’s got dates on May 1 in Estero and May 3 in Orlando, we know that the Florida boys would be a very tough get — for any festival. They’d also be a mammoth crowd-grabber, the likes of which SunFest has rarely, if ever, seen. It’s a longshot, though it might be a longshot worth pursuing.

And the Eagles? Considering how much they charge for their own shows? And considering they aren’t even on tour right now? I’m doubtful. (Although, Joe Walsh … solo … SunFest did ask on Facebook about him…)

Looking at who else New Orleans pulled in for its first weekend, I wonder if we might see at least one of these decide to wander south afterwards: John Mayer, Jill Scott, Al Green, Bon Iver, Janelle Monae, Iron & Wine or Feist.

The second weekend, which happens during SunFest, has a great list of performers as well: Foo Fighters, Zac Brown Band, My Morning Jacket, Herbie Hancock, Ne-Yo, Bunny Wailer, Bonnie Raitt, Paulina Rubio, Florence & The Machine, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Galactic, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Steve Earle, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Ani DiFranco and Bruce Hornsby. (The Jazz Fest’s full lineup is listed here.)

However, obviously, getting someone off that list is going to be a lot more difficult. That said, SunFest had both Rodrigo y Gabriela and Grace Potter & The Nocturnals on a list of artists they floated on Facebook in September.

Obviously, this is all idle speculation (and barely that), and we are — what? – six, seven weeks away from SunFest’s initial announcement. And SunFest will bring in a wide range of acts, trying to draw from South Florida’s wide range of tastes and backgrounds. So talking about even a likely yes or no seems foolish.

Let’s call this, perhaps, what might be the start of your holiday wish list for the 2012 show. Who would you want to see?

• On sale this week: George Benson, Hard Rock Live, Dec. 20 (today); Brad Garrett, Hard Rock Live, Dec. 30 (today); Whoopi Goldberg, Hard Rock Live, Jan. 13 (Friday); Evanescence, Hard Rock Live, Jan. 17 (Friday); Jeff Foxworthy, Hard Rock Live, Feb. 9 (Friday); Kelly Clarkson, Hard Rock Live, Feb. 16 (Friday); Coldplay, American Airlines Arena, June 29 (Saturday).

A founding member of the Allman Brothers Band, Allman has a book deal with William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Morrow announced Thursday that the “unflinching” memoir, currently untitled, would come out in the spring of 2012.

The Allman Brothers are one of Southern rock’s greatest bands and are known for such classics as “Whipping Post” and “Ramblin’ Man.” Allman, a singer, songwriter, guitarist and keyboard player, will write about everything from the death of his brother, Duane; to his brief marriage to Cher to his drug and alcohol problems.

Memoirs have come recently from fellow rock stars Keith Richards, Steven Tyler and Sammy Hagar.

O.A.R.: Chris Culos, Richard On, Marc Roberge, Jerry DePizzo and Benj Gershman.

Although O.A.R. band members called their first trip to SunFest on May 1 an “incredible experience,” concert-goers had no idea just how close the show came to not happening.

Marc Roberge, Chris Culos, Benj Gershman, Richard On and Jerry DePizzo, the five men who make up Of A Revolution — or O.A.R. — played a show the day before in Rochester, N.Y., and, shortly after it ended, made the 340-mile drive to Newark International Airport in New Jersey for a late-night flight (that they nearly missed) to West Palm Beach. The band made it to South Florida in plenty of time, but their luggage — including some guitars and other equipment — did not.

“They were able to get our stuff on another plane that landed at the Palm Beach airport at 12:55 p.m., but we had to be on stage at 2:30 p.m.,” said Gershman, the bassist for O.A.R. “We got pretty nervous, but our crew is amazing. They pulled everything together and we just walked out and had fun.”

For the record, Gershman says this is not the closest call they’ve ever had, and chalks up moments like those to “the life of a touring band.”
O.A.R. played 13 songs during their 90-minute set, ending with “That Was a Crazy Game of Poker”, which has become the band’s calling card and always lends itself to a tremendous amount of audience participation — as do almost all of their songs. The crowd remained on their feet, dancing and singing along, throughout the show — exactly what we’ve come to expect at an O.A.R. performance.

“We always have a good time on stage and we know people go to live shows because they want to have a good time, too,” said Gershman. “Our concerts are fun and positive, and we try to create an enjoyable experience for our fans who come out to see us.”

Although the band has jammed on stages across the country — and around the world — for the past 15 years, Gershman quickly added SunFest to his list of top venues.

“My favorite performances are the ones that are related to natural environments. I love to look around and see the beauty of the world while we’re playing,” he said. “Being right on the water in West Palm Beach definitely fits in that category, and it takes music to a whole different level for me.”

The crowd also helped endear SunFest to Gershman and his bandmates.

“Events like these are special because we get to play for a lot of our fans, but also for a lot of people who have probably never heard of us. There are probably others who maybe heard of us but didn’t really know our music and wanted to check it out,” he said. “It’s a cool opportunity to reach a lot of different people.”

As the show ended at about 4 p.m., the band walked offstage (drummer Culos tossed his drumsticks into the crowd), but this time, there was no hurried trip to an airport. Instead, it was an opportunity for the guys to join the SunFest crowd and become fans for a few hours — which they gladly did, splitting time between the Earth, Wind & Fire and Jeff Beck concerts.

“Earth, Wind & fire was awesome and Jeff Beck was sick,” said Gershman. “We were happy to have time to enjoy SunFest and spend some time with friends who live around here. We made some new friends out there, too.”

When the music stopped, the band exited SunFest after what Gershman called a “memorable day.” Little did they know just how memorable it was about to become…

ONE OF THOSE MOMENTS YOU’LL ALWAYS REMEMBER

Looking to enjoy West Palm Beach for a few more hours, Gershman and a few friends and band members made the short trip from Flagler Drive down Clematis Street, stopping at O’Shea’s Irish Pub.

“We were sitting at the long wooden table outside when somebody came out and said Osama bin Laden was dead,” said Gershman. “It’s definitely one of those moments that you’ll always remember where you were.”

For Gershman, 9/11 hits close to home. He was born and raised in Rockville, Md., but now makes his home just a few blocks away from where the World Trade Center once stood.

“For those who lost someone that day, hopefully they feel like justice has been done, and that’s fair in life,” he said. “I don’t rejoice in anybody’s death, but I feel like we’ve decreased the chances of something terrible happening again, which brings me some happiness and solace. It’s a victory, but it’s important not to lose perspective because there are still terrorists out there who we have to focus on.”

One thing’s for sure: Crossing Osama bin Laden off our country’s most-wanted list is great for the morale of not only American citizens, but also that of our troops — and supporting those men and women is very important to the members of O.A.R.

“We’ve always had a great amount of respect for the members of our military and what they are doing,” said Gershman. “They don’t ask for respect or even expect it, but they deserve it, and we want to help them anyway we can.”

In August of 2007, O.A.R. was invited to go on a USO Tour to Kuwait and three cities in Iraq. Although things were not going well in that region at the time, the band knew it was something they had to do.

“It was a big decision and it was scary, but it’s nothing compared to what our troops go through. They are over there in a crazy environment, far away from home and their families, and they deserve a break from their jobs for a little while,” said Gershman. “That’s something that we can give to the people who serve our country, and it’s an experience I’ll never forget.”

Gershman says the trip unified the band in a way that nothing else ever has — which speaks volumes considering most of these guys grew up together — or probably ever could again.

“They (U.S. troops) were just happy we were there, and that was amazing,” he said. “It showed us another side of what music is and what it can do. I’ve never felt like our music mattered so much to people, and it made me feel very grateful.”

When the band returned to the States, they were determined to do more for the men and women they had just visited. They wrote and recorded “War Song”, which was a tribute to their experience overseas, and also partnered with the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) organization — the nation’s first and largest group dedicated to the troops and veterans of those wars — to launch the Open Up Your Arms campaign.

A website — www.OpenUpYourArms.org — was created where people could pledge their support and also post photos and messages for troops to see.

“This is just the beginning of an initiative that could literally transform our country,” said IAVA founder and Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff at the time. “We’re taking action, raising awareness, and using music as an instrument of change.”

Open Up Your Arms T-shirts are also available for purchase at www.OfARevolution.com, with proceeds going to the IAVA.

“Our audience tends to be in the demographic that has friends and family going to war, and we hoped this would resonate with them and also benefit the IAVA and our troops,” said Gershman. “We were able to go over there and say thank you, and we wanted to give our fans an opportunity to share their support as well.”

For O.A.R., their first trip SunFest began as a show that almost didn’t happen, then quickly became one of the band’s favorite venues. It allowed them to perform for their fans, perhaps gain some new ones, and also become fans (of Earth, Wind & Fire and Jeff Beck). After the sun set, they shared some drinks with friends and then, while sitting at a long, wooden table outside a West Palm Beach hotspot, it became a day they’ll “always remember.”

“We had a great time at SunFest and we’d definitely like to get down here more often,” said Gershman. “It was pretty crazy, but it was an awesome show and we had a lot of fun.”

The Kinected, from West Palm Beach, edged out another local band, Dharmata, for the honor of being Taking Your Pulse voters' favorite SunFest act in 2011. (J. Gwendolynne Berry / Palm Beach Post)

Before SunFest began, the buzz may have been about the national acts. But afterwards, there were a few local bands entering the conversation.

And voters in our Taking Your Pulse poll took notice.

Two local rock bands beat out all of the national acts in the race for favorite SunFest performer.

The Kinected — a West Palm rock group who was also lauded back when some of this group’s members were part of Big Bang Radio, who played SunFest in 2006 — led the way with 25.5 percent of the vote.

More: More: Photos from SunFest | SunFest news

Meanwhile, Dharmata, the locally based metal band who’ve also played the festival before (back in 2009), finished in second place with 10.6 percent of the vote.

They beat out such well-established musical acts as Jeff Beck (7.3 percent), Earth Wind and Fire (7.1 percent) and Styx (6.6 percent).

Click here for the full vote.

Jeff Beck and Jason Mraz performing at SunFest 2011.

Now that we’ve seen five days of music by the waterfront, we’re curious to know which act you liked the most at SunFest this year.

Did you enjoy the funky soul of Earth Wind and Fire? Or was it the hard-driving rock of Taking Back Sunday? How about Cee Lo Green? Jeff Beck? Styx?

Let us know. We’ll post the results of the poll on Monday.

DJs work their computer magic during Saturday night on the 'Wild' middle barge. (Mark Edelson / Palm Beach Post)

When it comes right down to it, voters in our Taking Your Pulse poll just wanted to dance when they go to the SunFest party barges.

The middle barge, sponsored by Wild 95.5 and home to huge beats and DJs, was picked by our voters as the favorite among the barges in Captain Morgan’s Floating Oasis.

The “Wild” barge finished with 62.5 percent of the vote, while the south barge, with dueling pianos, had 25 percent, and the north barge, a sports-themed bar, had 12.5 percent.

Click here for the full results.

The chocolate covered Key lime pie, the winner of our poll. (Photo by Jonathan Tully)

Take two sweet foods — dark chocolate and key lime pie. Would you think they’d work together?

Well, according to our Taking Your Pulse voters, not only do they — the combination is the favorite food at this year’s SunFest.

Sold at an unassuming cart with a multi-colored umbrella near the art section, the chocolate-covered Key Lime pie was highly sought by a lot of hungry festivalgoers. And it was the overwhelming winner of our poll, finishing with 46 percent of the vote.

The annual favorite, tropical pineapple chicken, finished in a tie for a distant second place at 6.6 percent with arepas — the grilled cheese-on-cornbread sandwiches.

Click here for the full results of our poll.

I enjoyed this year’s SunFest. Was it my favorite of the eight I’ve attended? No. Was it the worst? Not even close. All in all, it’s still an amazing value for the money – there is nowhere else where I could’ve seen Earth Wind and Fire and Jeff Beck down the street from each other for under 40 bucks. I probably couldn’t have seen even one of those acts for that price. And yeah, so the parking and the food is expensive. Where isn’t it? Park and walk, y’all. Eat first. Get hand-stamped, go outside to eat and come back. No one is tying you to the gyro stand with a bungee cord and a hot poker.

I also don’t get people who say “It’s a scam.” It’s costly, depending on how you do it. But a scam is when you pay money for something and get bait and switched. You paid for a bunch of shows that you had the schedule for, so it couldn’t have been a surprise to you. You went to those shows or you didn’t. You didn’t pay for Jeff Beck and get his cousin Joe Beck.  You weren’t scammed. You had a good time or a disappointing one. But I don’t get how anyone was scammed.

Anyway, I’ve broken down my SunFest experience into a few categories, with a letter grade for each:

— Music: Grade B This year’s line-up seemed to either get raves for its diversity of genres and attention on up-and-coming or of-the-moment artists (Avett Brothers, OAR, Cee-Lo Green), or drubbing for too many acts that the mainstream hadn’t heard of. I’ll admit that Friday was the first in a long time at SunFest that I was only excited about one band (Cherry Poppin’ Daddies), and was, as a day, pretty weak. (Understand that I am talking about Friday being weak, not the whole festival). But what brings the score up is that the bands who were strong were REALLY, REALLY STRONG. Every single day, besides Friday, I had at least one out-of-body musical experience where I just gave into the transformative power of the sounds and feelings coming from the stage. My favorites were Jason Mraz and his Latin-jazz jam, the Avett Brothers’ happy dance, Ziggy Marley’s ethereal, hard-charging set, Earth Wind and Fire’s nostalgic soul party and how Toad the Wet Sprocket reminded me of that guy I dated that time in 1992 that reminded me of “All I Want.” Also, the representation of local bands was, as usual, excellent: Pee Wee Lewis and the Hues and the Kinected were two of my favorites. Check ‘em out, y’all.

— Art: Grade B- There was a samey-same, monochromatic sense to the art this year. I enjoyed some of the displays, especially the realistic paintings of rock icons like Jerry Garcia, and a lot of the pretty gemstone jewelry. But there was so, so much jewelry, and not as much photography as there usually is. For the first time ever, I wasn’t moved to buy a thing. Nothing against the people who were there. I just wish there had been more.

— Food: Grade B- I put this one into two mental categories, quality and selection. The food I sampled was fantastic. Truly. My favorites included the veggie muffaletta, the fried seafood platter with the crabs and the beignets with the powdered sugar. And don’t get me started on the chocolate dipped key lime pie. That dude is an evil genius and I want more of his food voodoo. My problem was with the glaring lack of vegetarian choices. And I’m not even a complete vegetarian, but what you’d call a pescatarian, who eats seafood but not red meat, pork or poultry, so I had some choices like the above seafood situation. But if you ate no meat at all, then I hope you like pizza, veggie sandwiches and side dishes. They didn’t even have one Asian booth with fried rice or egg rolls this year. At the food court behind the Bank of America stage, the only main dish without any meat was pizza. And if you didn’t like the looks of the pizza…well, hope you packed your walking shoes. And I believe this is completely fair to say, since it’s 2011 and it can not be a surprise that there are a lot of people who don’t choose to or can’t eat meat. Step it up.

— Timeliness: Grade A- SunFest wasn’t messing around this year. Most bands started on time, to the minute, or in a few cases, a few minutes early. Festivals don’t work if there’s a domino effect of lateness that tumble down into a puddle of late start times and waiting audiences. But with a few exceptions (Prince Royce, for instance) the bands kept it moving.

— Staff, courtesy and overall friendliness: Grade A I can honestly say that I have never had a better experience with the volunteers who make SunFest possible. All questions were answered. There wasn’t one surly person power-tripping just because someone gave them a walkie-talkie, at least that I encountered. And even though there were a few obnoxious guests, there was a lot more “Please,” “Thank you” and “Excuse me” than usual. Pat yourself on the back, America.

— Overall experience: Grade B Again, this is not my favorite SunFest year musically, but I gotta say that I had a better time than usual because it seemed to run so well, with schedules and actual logistics (Yay, wider sidewalks!) My most basic suggestion would be to really consider everybody that’s coming in terms of food – I know you can’t address every single dietary concern that everyone has. But “no meat” is not exotic anymore. I’m still grooving off of EWF from last night, so maybe I’m on a happy cloud. But I’ll take it.

See you next year! Going to go nap now!

(Bruce R. Bennett/The Palm Beach Post)

More: Photos from SunFest | SunFest news

A burst of exploding colors in the sky set to loud, pulsing classic rock and dance tunes signaled the end of the 29th edition of SunFest. But the several hours of music that preceded the fireworks show was arguably one of the best sets this year.

With headliners Jeff Beck and Earth, Wind and Fire , the day centered largely on jazz and funk, with a pinch of soul and one delightfully profane cover of Thursday headliner Cee-Lo Green’s current big hit.

SunFest has a good track record with a jazz brunch vibe on Sundays, and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, straight from New Orleans, set the bar high at the Tire Kingdom Stage. Absolutely comfortable in black suits, they sounded amazing, with sparkling horns, choruses sung in easy unison and a laid-back yet crisply elegant energy. History with a dash of class.

Maryland natives OAR drew an impressive crowd for a midday show on the Bank Atlantic Stage. Known for their jammy shows, they were creative without excessive pointless noodling. Songs included the fanciful Destination and the hit Shattered, one of the best tunes yet written about staying in a frustrating relationship. It became an instant sing-along, which is either because it’s a good song played a lot, or because a lot of SunFest audience members relate.

Down at the way, way far FPL Stage (is it just me, or did it seem further away this year?), Australia’s Sick Puppies were encouraging audience closeness and emphatic profanity. There was a heck of a lot of cursing this year at SunFest, but the Puppies’ energetic set, including Nothing Really Matters and the aforementioned Cee-Lo cover, were a hand-pumping hit. Lead singer Shimon Moore gets extra points for describing band member Mark Goodwin as the “Ayatollah of Rock and Rolla.”

Back at the Tire Kingdom stage, British guitar legend Jeff Beck held court with a mesmerizing set of mostly instrumental songs, including his hit cover of the Impressions’ People Get Ready. The whole set was wailing, electric brilliance, but that song was the arguable highlight, that soared. I saw a lot of people singing the lyrics to Curtis Mayfield’s hopeful ode to peace and togetherness. The moment just felt right.

Earth Wind and Fire’s closing set on the big Bank of America stage had some peaceful moments, like the slow jam get down of After The Love Is Gone and the make-out classic Reasons. Well, maybe peaceful is the wrong word. While those songs are slow and smooth, there is nothing more energetic and grooving than a EWF show, even 40 years after their creation and with just three original members left. Phillip Bailey, Ralph Johnson and insanely upbeat bassist Verdine White and his fringey pants led the other approximately 35 people onstage, and the thousands in the crowd, in a quick but complete look at their long career.

Except for Fantasy, almost all of the hits were there –– from wedding and family reunion classic September to Shining Star to the happy Sing A Song and Boogie Wonderland, EWF left no funky moment unfunked. Bailey’s otherwordly falsetto is still in great form . And they got the whole crowd, which seemed to encompass fans of every race, age, orientation and fashion sense, to sing along. Sing a song, indeed.

Neon Trees lead singer Tyler Glenn said he didn’t think anyone would come south to the FPL stage. “I mean, Earth Wind and Fire’s playing tonight,” Glenn said.

He needn’t have worried –– fans streamed in to check out the group’s cheeky take on punky pop, singing along with their hit Animal and other songs from their initial album, Habits.

This has been the warmest day here at SunFest, but at least it hasn’t threatened rain yet. Of course it will the moment that I post this blog. And if that happens…sorry about that. It’s the Florida of it all.

Here’s just a few of my thoughts so far:

— I give the Preservation Hall Jazz Band credit not only for bringing some New Orleans heritage and history to the Tire Kingdom stage, but for doing it in black suits. Such, such fun! That, my friends, was a family show.

— Not a family show? Sick Puppies. The Australian band was plenty fun and blistering with the guitar riffs, but kept those F-bombs flying like beach balls at a Buffett show. They bring up one of my biggest SunFest conundrums – what to do about middle of the day shows where there are kids about when there are bands playing  who have a reputation for salty language and content? You hope that they don’t go overboard with it just because, but then again, you booked them knowing who they were, and what they did. And if parents hang around a show of a band they have never heard of and then get offended…it’s probably good to do research. I enjoyed Sick Puppies’ version of Cee-Lo’s “F… You” (yes, the non-radio version) but not so much the part right before it where the lead singer suggested kids swear extra loud.

— Speaking of Cee-Lo: Parents who were offended that he cursed a lot but didn’t know that his big radio hit is actually called “F— You” when it’s not on the radio? Come on. You should know that, and if you don’t? Not his fault. He’s not on the Disney Channel stage. And there isn’t one.

— O.A.R. was a breath of fresh, hamming air. It’s hard to feel cool and comfortable when it’s sweaty and gross and there’s no stage, but they achieved it somehow.

— Elements of Jazz are shaking the walls of the media truck. And it’s awesome.

I’m looking forward to Earth Wind and Fire and to Jeff Beck. And then to a very long nap! How about y’all?

MGMT's Andrew VanWyngarden performs at SunFest. (Mark Edelson / Palm Beach Post)

You could say it was a whisper to a scream, but it was far more joyous than that.

MGMT had one of the biggest mood swings I’ve ever seen at a concert when they closed out Saturday night’s bill.

First of all, the group has shown major improvements in their live persona over the years. Lead singer Andrew VanWyngarden used to sing in a barely-audible whisper at times, but these days his voice comes over much more clearly. In addition, he and fellow MGMT original member Ben Goldwasser have surrounded themselves with a strong group of musicians – drummer Will Berman, guitarist James Richardson and bassist Matt Asti.

However, MGMT now has to deal with putting out a much more subtle collection of songs in second album Congratulations and playing those songs live. And while their fans understand the nuanced songs, the crowd — many of whom weren’t nearly as familiar with the second album — seemed to lose a lot of energy as the band was coming off very quiet, though no less eccentric.

And then the energy level jumped unbelievably.

MGMT’s set did a 180 when they fairly leapt into “Kids”, an extremely fun song from their first LP, Oracular Spectacular. Where there was milling about by the crowd not seconds before, now dance circles showed up seemingly out of nowhere. Fans were grinning wildly, skipping around. It was as if almost 100,000 people decided to wake up at exactly the same point.

That energy jumped even higher when VanWyngarden and Goldwasser decided to visit the crowd. Excited fans smashed through barriers to get to their favorite band, and police had to do some work to regain order.

MGMT does have the kind of songs in their catalog to help the crowd achieve such heights – “Time To Pretend” and “Electric Feel” from the first LP, “Brian Eno” and “Song For Dan Treacy” from the second. Perhaps if their career continues down this path, their entire show can become one giant thrill ride.

But as long as we’re still partying, we’ll have plenty of tips, and we’ll also have plenty of tips available on our new SunFest-only Twitter account, @SunFestPulse. In addition, if you have any tips, leave them in the comments.

Fireworks: The annual final act of SunFest gets under way at 9 p.m. Having a spot along the firewall makes for a pretty good viewing spot, though the show is usually big enough to check out from blocks away.

Parking: For information on parking, check out our Taking Your Pulse on favorite places to park during SunFest. We include a link to the SunFest official parking map.

Traffic: As always, traffic will be heavier the closer you get to downtown. Click here for the latest information and news on local traffic.

Weather: WPTV’s Kait Parker reports it’ll be in the 80s today, with little chance of rain, but some wind:

Worth watching tonight: Tonight offers a much more classic look, with two superb bands of modern music’s heritage closing things out. On the Bank of America Stage, Earth Wind and Fire brings their well-honed mix of soul, funk and more onto the scene. Meanwhile, over on the Tire Kingdom Stage, guitar giant Jeff Beck has a ton of styles up his sleeve to entertain.

More SunFest stories:

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Follow @SunFestPulse on Twitter for live updates

Ziggy Marley performs on the Bank of America stage. (Jennifer Podis/The Palm Beach Post)

If you stayed at SunFest from the time the doors opened to the time they closed on Saturday, you know that the weather was a mixed bag — blistering hot one minute, powerfully windy the next and then dark with a threatening sky.

Saturday’s music was just as diverse, from party-fied covers to lyrical ’90s rock to powerful reggae, Latin pop and the most emphatically flourish-filled progressive rock. Like most Saturdays, that mix made necessary many, many long schleps up and down Flagler Drive from stage to stage. Not an easy trip, but mostly worth it.

Among the highlights:
• Local party band Pee Wee Lewis and the Hues bursting forth with covers of everything from Prince to Elton John to Morris Day and the Time to Bob Marley. They joked of when Huey Lewis and the News, the inspiration for the name, were “on the cutting edge” back when they won the talent show at Palm Beach Gardens High in 1986. There’s something so rewarding about seeing a bunch of guys truly enjoying themselves. They also got points for still being able to almost approximate the “Jungle Love” side-to-side shuffle dance;

• Bob Marley’s son, Ziggy, righteously raging through his hits, including “Look Who’s Dancing”, and his father’s. (“Get Up, Stand Up” seemed to last 20 brilliant minutes). The man doesn’t age, and neither does the music. Last year, his brother Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley and Nas ripped through what was arguably the best set of SunFest 2010, for pretty much the same reasons that Ziggy was so timeless – because of the total and utter commitment and tireless energy put into the performance. One of the day’s best.

• The emotive tenor of Toad The Wet Sprocket’s Glenn Phillips was unchanged from its pleasantly angsty 90s heyday as well, making hits like “Fall Down,” “Good Intentions,” and “All I Want” tuneful reminders of ones 20s – or last week, depending on your age. Phillips and the band made jokes about their proximity to the water, and how nice it would have been to have a song about the ocean (“Walk On The Ocean” was an eventual crowd favorite.) Phillips even took an instant stab at a creating a song that used the phrase “Intracoastal Waterway.”

• Unfortunately, Andre’s set at the FPL stage ran so long that Dominican-American singer Prince Royce’s show started almost 45 minutes late. But down on the Tire Kingdom stage, Styx was right on time and showing the kids how it’s done. They raised anthemic rock to new heights with “Come Sail Away,” “Lady” and the gorgeously loud “Fooling Yourself (Angry Young Man).” Broward County’s own Chuck Panozzo, one of the band’s co-founders and an AIDS activist and writer, showed up for the last half of the set to rock out as well.

More SunFest stories:
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]]> http://www.pbpulse.com/music/concert-reviews/live-shows/2011/05/01/sunfest-music-diverse-with-many-highlights/feed/ 12 http://www.pbpulse.com/events/2011/04/30/sunfest-thoughts-day-4-ziggy-toad-and-a-crowded-road/ http://www.pbpulse.com/events/2011/04/30/sunfest-thoughts-day-4-ziggy-toad-and-a-crowded-road/#comments Sat, 30 Apr 2011 22:47:21 +0000 Leslie Gray Streeter http://www.pbpulse.com/?p=87409 Enjoying SunFest? I am! The weather has been a little weird – either chilly wind, blazing sun or rain crowds that threaten (and at some points make good on their threats), but the music today has been my idea of a good party – reggae, covers and fond memories that make you go “Wah.”

— Pee Wee Lewis and the Hues, formed back in 1986 in Palm Beach Gardens when, they admit, Huey Lewis and the News “were on the cutting edge,”   were maybe the band having the most fun. Christening the far, far FPL Stage at 12:45 p.m., they breezed through songs from their favorite era (Morris Day and the Time’s “Jungle Love,” anyone?) some more recent jams (OutKast’s “Hey Ya!”), some Elton (“Saturday Night’s All Right For Fighting”) and even a John Mayer song.  They play locally – where have they been all my life?

— Toad The Wet Sprocket’s Glen Phillips has not aged since 1992. How is that possible? And neither, by the way, has “All I Want.”

— Ziggy Marley hasn’t aged, either, and there’s an intense desire to honor his music and to put on a fantastic, energetic show that almost shines off his skin. More on the show later…but rest assured, it was a good one.

— I know every Saturday at SunFest is crowded, but I would not be surprised to find that this one was particularly well-attended. Observational evidence and the number of times I almost got knocked down would seem proof. Or maybe people just like messing with me.

— There is an evil genius who figured out to coat a piece of key lime pie, coat it in chocolate and put it on a stick. WHO DOES THIS? Fiiiiie! (It was delicious.)

More later!

]]> http://www.pbpulse.com/events/2011/04/30/sunfest-thoughts-day-4-ziggy-toad-and-a-crowded-road/feed/ 1 http://www.pbpulse.com/music/2011/04/30/sunfest-day-3-fans-react-to-greg-allman-taking-back-sunday-anberlin-mike-poser-and-more/ http://www.pbpulse.com/music/2011/04/30/sunfest-day-3-fans-react-to-greg-allman-taking-back-sunday-anberlin-mike-poser-and-more/#comments Sat, 30 Apr 2011 21:54:27 +0000 Tiffini Theisen http://www.pbpulse.com/?p=87406 A monsoon-like rainstorm dampened some SunFest-goers’ spirits on Friday night – but not for long, as it swept out of the downtown area as quickly as it had swept in.

In the social mediascape, Day 3′s lineup drew swoons (Mike Posner), reverence (Gregg Allman), squeals of delight (Anberlin) and a few complaints about the sound mix (Taking Back Sunday).

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]]> http://www.pbpulse.com/music/2011/04/30/sunfest-day-3-fans-react-to-greg-allman-taking-back-sunday-anberlin-mike-poser-and-more/feed/ 2 http://www.pbpulse.com/music/concert-reviews/live-shows/2011/04/30/local-band-the-gallery-gets-sunfest-going-with-early-set-saturday/ http://www.pbpulse.com/music/concert-reviews/live-shows/2011/04/30/local-band-the-gallery-gets-sunfest-going-with-early-set-saturday/#comments Sat, 30 Apr 2011 17:57:58 +0000 Jonathan Tully http://www.pbpulse.com/music/concert-reviews/live-shows/2011/04/30/local-band-the-gallery-gets-sunfest-going-with-early-set-saturday/

It may have been an unusual time for a rock gig, but The Gallery handled their 12:15 show like professionals with twice their experience.

Playing before about 200 early attendees, the Massachusetts transplants performed a strong set of songs that wouldn’t sound out of place next to the likes of Tom Petty or even Wilco.

Drummer Ryan Cooney said the group was thrilled to get the chance to play the local festival, especially on the heels of two other high-profile shows at Austin’s South by Southwest festival and Orlando’s Florida Music Festival.

“We were pretty pumped actually,” Cooney said after the set. “We’d just returned from South by when we heard about this. It was pretty exciting.”

Next up for the group are a few dates up north and a week of recording in Los Angeles, Cooney said.

But any chance to play in front of a home crowd is fun, said bassist Dave Mozdzanowski, who along with Cooney are graduates of Palm Beach Atlantic, right down the street from the Tire Kingdom stage where they’d been playing. (Band mates Brendan Cooney, the group’s lead singer and guitarist, and lead guitarist Shea Brennan are both taking online classes.)

“We have a lot of friends come out, when you play near home like at Respectable Street or here,” he said.

]]> http://www.pbpulse.com/music/concert-reviews/live-shows/2011/04/30/local-band-the-gallery-gets-sunfest-going-with-early-set-saturday/feed/ 0 http://www.pbpulse.com/music/sunfest/2011/04/30/sunfest-survival-guide-its-an-all-afternoon-party-from-here-on-out/ http://www.pbpulse.com/music/sunfest/2011/04/30/sunfest-survival-guide-its-an-all-afternoon-party-from-here-on-out/#comments Sat, 30 Apr 2011 14:53:25 +0000 Jonathan Tully http://www.pbpulse.com/?p=87365 It’s the first full day of SunFest – opening at noon, with three full stages, plus the art show. SunFest is definitely in full effect.

We’ll have plenty of tips all day, and we’ll also have plenty of tips available on our new SunFest-only Twitter account, @SunFestPulse. In addition, if you have any tips, leave them in the comments.

Cooking demonstrations: At the Robert Mondavi Discover Wine tent, beginning today and continuing through tomorrow, there will be cooking demonstrations and wine tasting classes scheduled. This is in addition to wine tastings at the Wine Garden in Trinity Park, over by the FPL stage.

Parking: For information on parking, check out our Taking Your Pulse on favorite places to park during SunFest. We include a link to the SunFest official parking map.

Traffic: As always, traffic will be heavier the closer you get to downtown. Click here for the latest information and news on local traffic.

Weather: Temperatures are going to be in the 80s, although it might be a bit humid and there could be some storms:

Worth watching tonight: For fans of the psychedelic variety of pop and rock, MGMT will be the one to watch on the Bank of America Stage. If you prefer your sound a little more in the classic ‘70s vein, check out Styx on the Tire Kingdom Stage.

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]]> http://www.pbpulse.com/music/sunfest/2011/04/30/sunfest-survival-guide-its-an-all-afternoon-party-from-here-on-out/feed/ 0 http://www.pbpulse.com/music/sunfest/2011/04/30/heights-rain-nothing-stops-taking-back-sunday-or-anberlin/ http://www.pbpulse.com/music/sunfest/2011/04/30/heights-rain-nothing-stops-taking-back-sunday-or-anberlin/#comments Sat, 30 Apr 2011 12:25:04 +0000 Jonathan Tully http://www.pbpulse.com/?p=87347

Anberlin lead singer Stephen Christian plays to the crowd during their set Friday. (J. Gwendolynne Berry / Palm Beach Post)

Adam Lazzara has no problem with heights.

The lead singer of Taking Back Sunday decided to climb the side tower of the Bank of America Stage during his band’s last song of their Friday night set, “MakeDamnSure”. Lazzara sang the song’s anthemic chorus while hanging upside down almost 30 feet off the stage floor.

It was the capper to a night in which rain swept through but didn’t keep the crowds away as both Taking Back Sunday and Anberlin brought loads of energy to the stage.

Taking Back Sunday’s set was also a showcase for the band’s newer music, as they have a self-titled LP coming out in June. The group recently reverted to its membership that put out its 2002 debut album Tell All Your Friends.

The camaraderie between old friends was evident throughout the set, as Lazzara bantered with guitarist/vocalist John Nolan and guitarist Eddie Reyes between songs.

Lazzara was a live wire during the show, making sure he connected with the crowd not only in front of him in the reserved-seating area, but also in the standing-room area to his right. He worked his way down from the stage and got into the crowd to sing during the show as well.

The newer songs the band previewed, such as “El Paso” and “Faith (When I Let You Down)”, were as at-home with the crowd as their older, more familiar songs like “Cute Without the ‘E’ (Cut From The Team)” and “What’s It Feel Like to Be A Ghost?” Taking Back Sunday even treated fans to more obscure cuts like “Existentialism on Prom Night”.

Prior to Taking Back Sunday’s set, Anberlin had put together its own high-energy party. With a strong breeze whipping in behind them, the group had the kind of wind-machine effect that would make a music-video director jealous.

Even when heavy rain came after the Winter Haven-based group finished their song “Impossible”, the fans were undeterred – many stuck it out to see this five-man group perform their pop-rhythm-inflected rock, although quite a few did so while trying to find some kind of shelter.

Lead singer Stephen Christian had a commanding presence on stage, undeterred by whatever the weather threw at him. Meanwhile, drummer Nathan Young proved to be the group’s most valuable player, maintaining a high tempo on songs written to get the crowd jumping.

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]]> http://www.pbpulse.com/music/2011/04/29/sunfest-day-2-fans-react-to-jason-mrazs-performance/feed/ 0 http://www.pbpulse.com/music/sunfest/2011/04/29/sunfest-survival-guide-day-3-its-music-bikes-and-runners-oh-my/ http://www.pbpulse.com/music/sunfest/2011/04/29/sunfest-survival-guide-day-3-its-music-bikes-and-runners-oh-my/#comments Fri, 29 Apr 2011 14:53:57 +0000 Jonathan Tully http://www.pbpulse.com/?p=87182

(Jennifer Podis/The Palm Beach Post)

Day 3 of SunFest not only brings music to the waterfront today, but also a special motorcycle and the event’s first-ever 5K race.

We’ll have plenty of tips all day, and we’ll also have plenty of tips available on our new SunFest-only Twitter account, @SunFestPulse. In addition, if you have any tips, leave them in the comments.

SunFest’s TGI5K: The festival’s first ever 5K race will begin at 5:15 p.m. at the intersection of Flagler Drive and Edmor Road and work its way north into the festival grounds. There will be a special concert and awards ceremony at the end of the race at the Tire Kingdom Stage.

American Chopper bike: Tonight, between shows by Anberlin and Taking Back Sunday, the motorcycle-building crew from the Discovery Channel series American Chopper: Senior vs. Junior will unveil a custom built chopper. Commissioned by security firm Fist Enterprises, the bike will be the first custom biometric chopper designed.

In addition, follow @SunFestPulse tonight and you will have the chance to upgrade your seat for Anberlin and Taking Back Sunday. Make sure you’re following the Twitter account at 5:30 p.m., and we’ll tell you where you can find your upgrade.

Parking: For information on parking, check out our Taking Your Pulse on favorite places to park during SunFest. We include a link to the SunFest official parking map.

Traffic: As always, traffic will be heavier the closer you get to downtown, especially during rush hour. Click here for the latest information and news on local traffic.

Weather: WPTV’s Glenn Glazer reports there may be some evening showers and thunderstorms, so be ready to bring an umbrella or find quick shelter if needed:

Worth watching tonight: Tonight, it’s between two generations of rock — either the modern sounds of Anberlin and Taking Back Sunday, both of which are familiar to fans of the Buzz Bake Sale, or the more classic sounds of Gregg Allman. Allman’s solo set will not only dive into Allman Brothers songs, but also his solo stuff and some choice blues cuts.

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]]> http://www.pbpulse.com/music/sunfest/2011/04/29/sunfest-survival-guide-day-3-its-music-bikes-and-runners-oh-my/feed/ 0 http://www.pbpulse.com/music/2011/04/29/sunfest-bands-play-through-the-rain/ http://www.pbpulse.com/music/2011/04/29/sunfest-bands-play-through-the-rain/#comments Fri, 29 Apr 2011 06:19:05 +0000 Leslie Gray Streeter http://www.pbpulse.com/music/2011/04/29/sunfest-bands-play-through-the-rain/

Day 3 at Sunfest in West Palm Beach. (J. Gwendolynne Berry/The Palm Beach Post)

 

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Rain, rain went away and didn’t ruin SunFest’s day.

OK, so gray skies and wet weather tried to hamper the third day of West Palm Beach’s annual waterfront music and arts festival, but the crowds seemed to find refuge under various forms of shelter – a Captain Morgan Floating Oasis here, the Robert Mondavi wine tent there – and still stay in force to enjoy the music.

Before the rain, Cherry Poppin’ Daddies, part of the ’90s swing resurgence, got the party started with a set of retro numbers that were energetic, frenetic fun. Lead singer Steve Perry (not the guy from Journey) is rocking significantly less hair than when he originally sang the line “Run a comb through your coal black hair” in their hit “Zoot Suit Riot.” What he lacks in follicles he more than made up for in swagger (check that boss yellow suit) and in seductively low-throated, animated vocal style.

Even a brief pre-emption to allow for the announcement of winners for the first annual TGI5k race didn’t stop the music, which included the upbeat “Swinging With Tiger Woods,” which Perry insisted was written in pre-scandal 2002, the cleverly romantic “Soul Cadillac” and of course “Zoot Suit Riot,” bringing all the swing dancers onto the Tire Kingdom stage lawn.

The wind whipped behind the Florida rock group Anberlin as if it were a music video, but then the weather got a little too real during the set, as rain sent some concert-goers scurrying. To Anberlin’s credit, they kept the show moving with their high-energy rock. No such problems hit Taking Back Sunday, as lead singer Adam Lazzara took command right away, seeking out the fans and delivering a seasoned performance.

Pop R and B singer Mike Posner was delayed slightly by the rain but burst onstage at the far FPL Stage in a letterman’s jacket and a slew of dance tracks that seemed at time to blend into one long club jam. It was a good jam, mind you, but the same jam, starting with “Baby Please Don’t Go,” continuing into “Cheated” and then into “Do U Wanna.”

Unlike Posner, the legendary Gregg Allman didn’t move much, seated behind his organ on the Tire Kingdom stage. But that deeply soulful timbre in his ever strong voice was moving in a different way. His set included both Allman Brothers tunes (“Dreams” and “Sweet Melissa”), solo songs (“I’m No Angel”) and the brand-new original “Just Another Rider” from his album “Low Country Blues,” a collection of vintage American Southern blues songs. Allman looked and sounded solid, especially considering his 2010 liver transplant.

A funny thing about good blues – a few heartfelt tunes and you don’t even mind the rain.

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Jonathan Tully contributed to this story.

]]> http://www.pbpulse.com/music/2011/04/29/sunfest-bands-play-through-the-rain/feed/ 11 http://www.pbpulse.com/music/sunfest/2011/04/29/sunfest-close-to-home-for-styx-co-founder/ http://www.pbpulse.com/music/sunfest/2011/04/29/sunfest-close-to-home-for-styx-co-founder/#comments Fri, 29 Apr 2011 04:00:09 +0000 Leslie Gray Streeter http://www.pbpulse.com/?p=86696

Chuck Panozzo (third from left), one of the founding members of Styx, will be appearing with the band on Saturday. (Frazer Harrison / Getty Images)

Like the rest of Styx, bassist and co-founder Chuck Panozzo will be front and center stage at SunFest on Saturday.

But he won’t have to travel as far as the rest of them.

“I’ll just drive myself to the performances. I live in Fort Lauderdale, in Wilton Manors, a funky little place where you can walk to everything so I haven’t felt the gas crunch yet,” reports Panozzo, from his home.

“Then again, I’m never here. Last year, we had 107 shows. But I’m grateful. I love working. What would I do if I didn’t do this? Sit around here, drink, look outside? I helped build a band with some of the best performers in rock and roll and beyond, and I get to see this thing happen. I have the best job.”

And he’s held that job, off and on, since 1962 — “That’s four decades of music” — beginning when he and late twin brother, John, united with neighbor and singer Dennis DeYoung in Chicago. The band that became Styx, whose current lineup includes longtime singer Tommy Shaw, guitarist James “J.Y.” Young and singer Lawrence Gowan, rocked the charts with big, booming, full-bodied classic prog rock. Hits include Lady, Foolin’ Yourself (The Angry Young Man), Come Sail Away, Too Much Time On My Hands and Mr. Roboto.

“When you go to work, when someone announces that you’re working, does the entire place stand up and give you a standing ovation?” Panozzo says, knowing that the answer is probably negative. “Is there someone there to make sure your clothes are right, because if they’re not, they’re gonna get hollered at? I’ve given so many years of my life to making good quality music. I look at myself and think ‘How did that happen?’ For me to retire? It’s like… ‘For what?’ ”

More: Photos of bands, festivities, faces | pbpulse.com’s SunFest coverage | SunFest itineraries

Then again, it wasn’t always such a foregone conclusion that Panozzo would remain a member of Styx. As he wrote in 2007’s The Grand Illusion: Lies, Love and My Life With Styx, the musician’s tenure was affected by a serious health crisis. Diagnosed with HIV in 1991, he didn’t seek treatment until almost a decade later, when he got very sick and was sidelined. Two years later, he came out as a gay man, and eventually rejoined Styx part-time.

“I weighed 132 pounds at the worst of it. I was really sick,” he recalls. “I look at the lyrics of Fooling Yourself, and I realize how angry I was for a certain time, even at the height of Styx. I was so isolated, and was not having a great time because I couldn’t be who I was. There’s a line that says ‘Get up on your feet,’ and in the world today, I want people to have that at any age. It’s a quintessential thing. Who doesn’t want to be able to sing about their girlfriend or boyfriend (publicly)?”

Panozzo says that since coming out, he’s used his position in the band “as a platform for HIV education,” and as an example of how rock and roll can accommodate everyone.

“It’s been important to me — the band hugs me, I hug them. There’s no horrible stigma. It’s very healthy. Part of it is the music, and part of it is our friendship,” he says. “When they were doing (the album) Brave New World I was having issues, and their encouragement and complete understanding made my recovery (better). When you have people on your side who want you to be there, you don’t feel so lonely. No one can get through this by themselves. As long as I can sit in my rock ’n’ roll pants, I’m good.”

If you go

STYX: 9-10:30 p.m., Saturday, Tire Kingdom Stage

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]]> http://www.pbpulse.com/music/concert-reviews/live-shows/2011/04/28/cee-lo-green-takes-audience-all-over-his-musical-map/feed/ 0 http://www.pbpulse.com/music/2011/04/28/sunfest-acts-deliver-on-big-hits-eventually/ http://www.pbpulse.com/music/2011/04/28/sunfest-acts-deliver-on-big-hits-eventually/#comments Fri, 29 Apr 2011 02:39:05 +0000 Leslie Gray Streeter http://www.pbpulse.com/music/2011/04/28/sunfest-acts-deliver-on-big-hits-eventually/

Jason Mraz performs on the Bank of America stage at SunFest on Thursday. Photo by Bruce R. Bennett/Palm Beach Post.

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It’s not uncommon for evenings at SunFest to seem to have a musical theme, but they’re usually thematic: three ska bands here, two soul groups and a smooth jazz band over here.

Thursday’s headliners, Jason Mraz and Cee Lo Green, were on different stages, but their sets shared a theme as well – artists with long careers whose massive hits differ some from their earlier catalogue. While both singers initially packed ‘em in like music loving sardines, both lost some audience members after a few song when it was apparent that every song in their respective arsenal was not just like The Hit.

No matter – Green, current judge of NBC’s new hit “The Voice,” singer from Gnarls Barkley and the man responsible for the inescapable “Forget You” and its original un-radio-playable version, kept a good happy chunk of his audience through hip-hop, pop and all the flavors of his funkiness.

Ditto Mraz, whose mellow, Latin-tinged jams differed from both his early stream-of-consciousness hits (“The Remedy,” “Geek In The Pink”) and his recent island-tinged singles like “Lucky” and the massive “I’m Yours.” But like Green, he has enough confident charm to keep most of the crowd comfortable that whatever unfamiliar territory he led them through. It was gonna end up OK.

Green, who started about 20 minutes late on the Tire Kingdom Stage, began in gleefully profane mode, with “Bright Lights Bigger City.”

“How many of you recognize this handsome face” he asked jovially before inviting his first band, Atlanta’s Goodie Mob, to the stage.

The question over which version of Green’s popular hit called “Forget You” he would sing was answered by the overflowing crowd at the Tire kingdom stage, as he allowed them to sing the famous swear word.

The more interesting part of the show was Green’s ability to don and shed various musical disguises. Green shifted from hardcore hip-hop to the danceable alt-pop he made as part of Gnarls Barkley to the more smooth Motown style in his solo act, with those flourishes of pop that have made him a big name these days.

Down at the Bank of America stage, Mraz’s party was a blissed-out, feel good collection of songs as varied as the brass-filled “Make It Mine,” the Latin/opera/jazz melange of “Coyotes” and the funk of “Mama Says.”

Again, the fans waiting for the big hits had to wait, but Mraz’s perfect pitch, amiable smile and connection to the crowd and the music made it worth the wait. And by the time that “Lucky” gave way to a reggae-fied “The Remedy” and finally a delicious singalong “I’m Yours,” the vibe was a collective, sympatico love fest.

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Jonathan Tully contributed to this story.

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