March is a curious thing here in Savannah. For some, it means the height of the college basketball season. For others, it’s the time of year when the entire town is drenched in green in preparation for month long St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.
And for some of us, it brings about one of the best music festivals in Savannah. Of course, I’m talking about Savannah Stopover, the now six year old festival that’s been bringing both big and up and coming acts to Savannah stages as they make their way to SxSW and other parts of the country. I’ve been giving you an in depth view of some of the acts that we’re excited for over the last week or so, but now it’s about time for the lightning round. With over 80 bands, trying to traverse the schedule can seem like a daunting task. Luckily, we’re here to give you a little bit of insight into who might be up your alley and who might be the sleeper hits of the festival.
Here’s a little run down, sorted by day, of the sets you’re more than likely to see me catching, with a few thumbnails from some bands from previous years.
Thursday, March 9th
Garden Giant – Local Savannah alterna-pop/indie rock.
The Dig – Psychadelic rock laden with synths and trippy riffs from NY.
Kishi Bashi – Multi-instrumentalist Kishi Bashi combines a love of modern electro-pop with his expertise of classic instrumentation.
Taze Daze – Surf meets synth with the newest project from Savannah’s own Hunter Jayne.
pronoun – Emotive and airy lyrics fused with lo-fi bedroom pop out of Boston.
*repeat repeat – Surf inspired rock and roll out of Nashville, TN.
Daddy Issues – Greensboro punk rock drawing influences out of everything from garage rock to a little bit of surf rock.
Hockey Dad – An Australian duo straddling the line between lo-fi pop and surf rock.
JEFF The Brotherhood – Slightly psych, slightly garagey rock from Nashville.
Friday, March 10th
Tall Tall Trees – I’ll guarantee you’ve yet to see the banjo played in a style like this.
Becca Mancari – Mancari’s style is rooted in Americana while also sporting a definite rock influence.
Ambrose – Savannah locals with a sound firmly rooted in funk, R & B, and hip hop.
The Paperhead – The Nashville trio have honed a retro-psychadelic rock sound that dips a bit into southern rock as well.
Gracie and Rachel – Orchestral indie-pop combining violin, piano, and stellar vocals.
Alanna Royale – A bit of soul, a bit of retro-rock, and a whole lotta dancing.
ESS SEE – An electro-pop project spearheaded by one of SCAD’s very own alumni.
Miggs Son Daddy – Alternative hip hop that combines NY flair with southern lyricism.
High Waisted – Retro, surf rock, party rock and rollers out of NYC.
Floco Torres – Having cut his teeth in Macon, GA, Floco Torres’ brand of hip hop is uniquely his own.
Cusses – Savannah’s very own rock and roll trio that brings more energy to the stage than most venues can handle.
Allison Crutchfield and The Fizz – Philly based indie-pop infused with a bit of bite from a rock based backbone.
Walker Lukens – Lukens takes the singer-songwriter genre and flips it on its head crafting a sound unlike any other artist in the field.
Saturday, March 11th
Lyn Avenue – An interesting take on alt-country music blended with a bit of folk as well.
Best Behavior- I think garage pop would be the best description for this Brooklyn based project.
Lulu The Giant – The solo project of Savannah’s own bass virtuoso Rachael Shaner
Charly Bliss – A fusion of grunge and pop that’s got me pretty stoked to check out.
Chris Paul Stelling – The Brooklyn based singer-songwriter is no stranger to Stopover and always puts on amazing sets.
Belle Game – If you didn’t think that pop music can have a darker side, check out the Belle Game and I think you may change your mind.
Julien Baker – A little indie, a little folk, a little singer-songwriter, and a whole lot of emotion.
Rude Dude and the Creek Freaks – A newer band on the Savannah scene infusing garage rock with psych sensibilities.
AJ Davila – A definite turn from Davila’s other project, Davila 666, his solo work instead focuses on a decidedly more indie rock sound.
Crocodiles – San Diego based noise pop drawing from the likes of Jesus and The Mary Chain.
Hopefully by now you’ve gotten your schedules all worked out and the only thing left to do is hit the ground running! Be sure to check back in with us during and after the festival for reviews, interviews, photos and more! And if you see some of us out and about, say hello!