Statesboro Music festival to feature Perpetual Groove

The second annual Statesboro Music Festival will feature local music, arts and one of the final three performances from jam band Perpetual Groove on Saturday night.

The three-day festival will take place March 8-10 with 23 bands and musicians to perform at the Kiwanis Fairgrounds. Savannah’s local band Perpetual Groove will headline the event.

“We try to make it appeal to a broad spectrum of people. Music is the core and heart of all this, but there are a lot of activities for children and families as well,” Lehman Franklin, event director, said.

Performances will begin Friday at 5:30 p.m. with Georgia Southern University students Spencer Paul and Chris Youngblood. The two were chosen by The University Programming board to play a 30-minute set based on the notoriety they have earned through UPB’s weekly Unplugged concert.

“I was approached by Rachel Mulder about performing. It sounded like a wonderful opportunity to share my music with a much larger audience than I have at shows like Unplugged, which is something I have been looking for,” Spencer Paul, freshman music major, said.

The Tarlatons will play at 8:30 p.m. as the last performer of Friday night. Saturday’s performances will start at noon with Connor Pledger. GSU student band The Orange Constant will perform at 2:30 p.m

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Perpetual Groove will be the main performance later that night and will go on stage at 7:30 p.m. until 10 p.m.

“I think it’s going to be really cool to play at a festival. We’re also big fans of P-Groove, and it’s going to be cool to play on one of their last shows as a group. It means a lot to us as a band to get to play on the same day, at the same festival and get to see them afterwards,” Andrew Brantley, drummer of The Orange Constant and junior general studies major, said.

Sunday’s performances will begin at noon with performances from GSU students Robby Gadd and Jake Manahan.

Other festivities will include a rock climbing wall, a local arts and crafts exhibition, a classic car show, a silent auction and a pottery class.

There will also be many local art vendors, attractions and the first ever “Battle of the BoroQue,” barbecue competition.

Franklin said, “We try to have a lot of different entertainment aspects so the community can get behind this.”