Suwannee Hulaween returns to the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park October 22–25, and with another lineup that wanders freely between jam, electronic music, roots, rock, and just about everything in between, we’re spending the next few weeks getting to know a few of the artists headed to Live Oak.
Let’s start with a band that we kept “discovering” as we scrolled festival playlists until we finally remembered to save their music for later: Tire Fire.
Pronounced “Tar-Far,” the six-piece brings together Trey Miller on banjo, Dani Jaye on fiddle, Arrie Bozeman on mandolin, Justin Davis on guitar, Sean Hartley on bass, and Dave Gerulat on drums. The band calls what it does “bluegrass fusion” and “Appalachian tire burning music,” descriptions that make considerably more sense once you start listening.
There’s traditional string-band instrumentation at the center, but not necessarily traditional ideas about the type of bluegrass music they’re supposed to make. Miller’s own bio points to psychedelic rock, punk, and jazz influences, Hartley brings funk to the bass, and Bozeman’s approach is described as equal parts classical and punk rock.
The band’s newest single, “Doom Cocoon,” arrived in April. Even the band seems to have some fun trying to decide what to call it. Fiddler Dani Jaye described the song on Instagram as an exercise in genre bending and noted that Miller had offered up “tractor rap” as one possible description.
But for our introduction to Tire Fire, we’re going back a few years.
Released in 2021, “Flight of the Phoenix” gives the band nearly six minutes to weave a toe-tapping, ominously strung, yet positively emoted track. It’s the song that caught our attention and keeps us returning to their catalog.
Tire Fire is no stranger to Hulaween. The band has appeared on previous Hulaween lineups, and this fall sees them returning to a place where their particular brand of musical madness seems to fit so well. They will be opening up the Spirit Lake Stage at 3:30 on Saturday October 24th.
Suwannee Hulaween takes over the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Florida, October 22–25. Check out our Hulaween lineup preview and our more recent festival updates post for more on this year’s festival, and head to Hulaween’s official website for passes and more information.
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