Deep What?

Downtown Milledgeville was completely transformed on Saturday, Oct. 20. My usual perch at Blackbird Coffee was infiltrated with families, while the Friday night bar crawl route from Amici to Chops was home to a slew of vendors. A booming stage filled the typically vacant and sometimes spooky lot on Hancock Street.

It was my first time having a go at the Deep Roots Festival.

As a senior, I felt it was my civic duty to experience the festival firsthand before launching into the “real world” next May.

Boy, am I glad I did.

I began my day at Deep Roots at noon with my family, slipping on an orange wristband and stepping into a new dimension of downtown Milledgeville. I nearly walked into a Georgia College Swing Dance Club street performance, but narrowly missed a kick to the face (thanks for the heads up, mom).

In my usual fashion, I made a beeline for the food vendors, landing at the barbecue tent in no time. I opted for a tasting plate, savoring a wide array of the barbecue offered that day. Beer vendors were located approximately every 10 steps, which didn’t hurt, either.

As the day progressed and the sun began to fade into dusk, I bid goodbye to my parents and began scoping out the nightlife that Deep Roots had to offer.

After making the rounds at Amici, Asian Bistro and The Velvet Elvis with friends, the headliners of the night began taking the stage.

I made it just in time to nab a front-row spot for South Carolina trio Dangermuffin, whose down home, soulful rock was a one-of-a-kind treat. The band interacted with the crowd well, and there wasn’t a dull moment between songs.

After dipping out of the performance a few songs early and skipping down the roped-off portion of Hancock Street with friends, it was back to the stage to catch a glimpse of headlining band Givers.

The band’s set was a non-stop string of upbeat songs, which prompted many in the crowd to dance. I witnessed a variety of dance moves, from the 1920s Charleston to the generic Capital City grind.

As the band played its final song, time stopped for an instant as I reveled in the light of my first – and last – Deep Roots experience of my college career. The annual festival was a magical experience for me; everything that I imagined it to be and more.

Posted by Lindsay Shoemake on Oct 25 2012. Filed under A&E. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.