Suwannee Hulaween | The String Cheese Incident Afterlife

Colorado’s The String Cheese Incident pulled out all the stops for their Afterlife-themed Halloween cover set -pyrotechnics, fireworks, confetti, massive skull balloons flying in the crowd and a giant animated figure of Michael Jackson that rose from the stage during “Thriller.” The band was joined by the Antibalas horn section and backing vocalists for the final two sets of their three-set performance.

[Photo by Josh Timmermans]

Following a first set heavy on originals at The Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Florida; SCI’s Afterlife-themed second set included covers of such songs as Bob Marley’s “Time Will Tell,” Paul McCartney’s “Live and Let Die,” The Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy For The Devil,” Blue Oyster Cult’s “Don’t Fear The Reaper” and Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway To Heaven” before the “Thriller” (Michael Jackson) finale. The title of each song dealt with death or the Afterlife in some form.

The String Cheese Incident and guests’ third set was again heavy on originals with the notable exception of Kool & The Gang’s “Hollywood Swingin’,” which was debuted during the band’s String Cheese & The Gang set at Lockn’ in September. SCI finished off the show with a “Superstition” (Stevie Wonder) encore. Suwannee Hulaween continues today and runs through Sunday.

Setlist

Set One: Restless Wind > Joyful Sound > Pygmy Pony, Piece Of Mine > Give Me The Love > Valley Of The Jig, Can’t Wait Another Day

Set Two: Sympathy For The Devil, Ghost Busters, Time Will Tell, Live and Let Die, Just Passin Thru, Stairway To Heaven, Don’t Fear The Reaper, Break On Through, Heaven > Live and Let Die (reprise), Thriller

Set Three: Miss Brown’s Teahouse, Hollywood Swingin’, You’ve Got The World, Hotel Window > Rosie > Zombie > Rosie, Way Back Home > Just One Story

Encore: Superstition

NOTES: Set Two and Three with Rhonda Thomas & Tony White on vocals, Antibalas Horns: Martin Perna -Baritone Sax, Flute Jas Walton -Tenor Jordan McLean -Trumpet Jeff Pierce -Trumpet, Trombone