30 years of peace, love and dirt: Why SLO County loves Live Oak Music Festival
As the artistic director of Live Oak Music Festival, Marisa Waddell has seen her share of memorable concerts.
The Los Osos woman has scores of stories about spectacular shows, such as a stunning solo gig by folk legend Richard Thompson in 2005 — "He captivated the audience with just him and his guitar," Waddell said — and a memorable sundown duet by Tex-Mex greats Joe Ely and Joel Guzman in 2007.
But the most moving performance Waddell remembers watching was by Grammy Award-winning gospel singer Mavis Staples in 2011.
"It was such a poignant moment" as Staples told stories of marching alongside civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., Waddell recalled. "It just brought tears to my eyes, (thinking about) what she has fought for in her life — and she's still fighting the good fight."
Staples returns to the Live Oak stage on Sunday, just in time for the 30th anniversary of the popular outdoor music festival. Held every Father’s Day weekend in northern Santa Barbara county, it's an annual fundraiser for public radio station KCBX-FM.
Michael Franti and Spearhead, known for their uplifting blend of reggae, funk and hip hop, will kick off the festivities early with a pre-festival benefit concert on Thursday.
"He really embodies the spirit of Live Oak — at least, the peace and love part of it," Waddell said of Franti. (The festival's motto is "Peace. Love. Dirt.")
Live Oak officially begins on Friday, with roots rocker JD McPherson in the headliner spot. Swing revival band Big Bad Voodoo Daddy leads a Saturday lineup that includes Con Brio, Joe Purdy and Rainbow Girls, while Sunday's main-stage acts include Flavia Coelho, Eilen Jewell and The Dustbowl Revival.
According to Waddell, director of programming and new media at KCBX, the Live Oak lineup reflects the eclectic mix of musical genres that listeners might hear on KCBX. "We try to get a little jazz in, a little soul and R&B, some folk, a little reggae, gospel, world music," she said.
"We're also looking for ... people who are really, really good at their craft," she added. "Our audience has come to trust that, even if they've never heard of these people, these are going to be excellent musicians on a big stage."
About 2,500 music lovers are expected to attend Live Oak in 2018 — about four times the number of festivalgoers who flocked to the first Live Oak at Biddle Park in Arroyo Grande.
"It was a lot smaller and a lot more informal," recalled Waddell, who started attending Live Oak in 1989.
That year, the festival moved to a 40-acre campground located about five miles south of Cachuma Lake that has served as its home ever since.
Over the decades, Live Oak has become a destination for music lovers across California — it attracts festivalgoers from as far away as Los Angeles and the Central Valley — and a key source of funding for KCBX. Over the past three decades, the festival has raised more than $3 million for the radio station, which reaches about 40,000 listeners a week in Monterey, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.
But the festival's greatest legacy is its fans, who return every year for concerts, camping, children's activities and jam sessions under the oaks.
"At the core of (Live Oak) is connecting with our community, engaging with other people ... in a fun setting," Waddell said. "It's like little family reunions happening all over the campground."
On Facebook, San Luis Obispo resident Susan Coward raved about her experiences as one of about 500 Live Oak volunteers, describing what it's like to "work side by side with friends and strangers to build a fully functional village and have a giant, amazing party with thousands of happy people enjoying days and nights full of music and laughter."
Leslie Thompson of Morro Bay made a list of Live Oak's virtues: "Friendliest crowd, dynamic entertainment, lots of ways to beat the heat." And Sarah Taylor Maggelet, CEO of the Templeton Chamber of Commerce, called the festival "hands down the best weekend for families all year long."
Waddell, who's attended Live Oak with her wife since the mid-1990s, agreed. "It's in my blood. It's part of my DNA now," she said. "I can't imagine not going to Live Oak."
Live Oak Music Festival
7 p.m. Thursday, 2 p.m. to midnight Friday, 8 a.m. to midnight Saturday, 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sunday
Live Oak Camp, Highway 154, Santa Barbara
$15 to $50 Franti concert, $20 to $70 day passes, $40 to $150 festival passes
805-781-3030 or www.liveoakfest.org
This story was originally published June 14, 2018 at 1:52 PM with the headline "30 years of peace, love and dirt: Why SLO County loves Live Oak Music Festival."