This spring, Paste Studio’s “On the Road” set up shop beneath the moss-draped oaks of northern Florida, capturing live sessions amidst the magic of the Suwanee Spring Reunion. Held annually at the Spirit of the Suwanee Music Park – located midway between Jacksonville and Tallahassee – the festival served as a poignant and meaningful return to tradition. After a challenging year marked by the passing of its co-founder Randy “Big Cosmo” Judy, and the cancellation of the 2024 festival due to Hurricane Helene, the 2025 reunion felt both like a necessary homecoming and a collective healing. For anyone attending, it’s not hard to experience the true spirit of the festival; With music spilling from stages, campgrounds, and firelit circles late into the night, Suwannee once again became a haven for pickers, poets, and anyone chasing a great song.
Full Session
Away from the mainstage, down a winding trail off the beaten path, the Paste team was lucky enough to capture an intimate and familial session between songwriting wizards, Steve Poltz and Jim Lauderdale. The session unfolded beneath a 175-year-old live oak dubbed “The Mother Tree” by the park’s owners. Perched 40 feet above the ground in this behemoth of a tree is an old rustic treehouse, making the setting feel less like a performance space and more like something straight from a Floridian fairy-tale. The environment was intimate and almost otherworldly, with Spanish moss scattered everywhere and the Suwanee River meandering behind the tree.
The session was a musical conversation between two friends, who clearly know how to keep things loose and full of life. Steve Poltz opened with “Come Dance With Me,” a showcase of his quirky, wonderful sense of storytelling. He followed this with a quick, improvised tune “Back of My Neck,” inspired by the arrival of Jim Laduredale—an outtake that shows Steve’s instantaneous knack for witty, wacky, and intriguing songwriting. “Dream House” brought things into softer territory, showing off Poltz’s unique fingerpicking ability, as well as his ability to turn daydreams and thoughts into melody. The tone of the session came through not just in the songs, but in the spaces between. As they prepared for their duet of “At It Again,” a speedboat ripped past them on the river behind them, momentarily drowning the set in noise. Without missing a beat, Poltz and Lauderdale leaned in, pretending to share a secret, and Jim deadpanned, “And that, my friends, is the secret of life,” prompting all those around to laugh. The chemistry shown between them in humor translates over to their musical ability. During their duet, they traded verses as effortlessly as two friends would trade jokes, and when they sang together in the chorus, the real magic of the duo became clear. Their voices together conveyed a spirit of humor, deep wisdom, and joy. Jim closed the set with “Artificial Intelligence,” a dry and funny tune that landed somewhere between a warning and a playful jab. The whole thing felt spontaneous, generous, and exactly right for a relaxed treehouse jam in the Florida woods—just two masters of their craft playing for the love of it.
Huge thanks to festival director Beth Judy and the entire Suwannee Spring Reunion team. Beth’s passion and care for this music community is woven into every corner of the festival, from the big stages to the quiet late-night jams. And a special shoutout to Erin Scholze for making the connections and sharing the campfire stories. Keep an eye out—more Suwannee x Paste sessions are still to come!
