Review and Photos by Max Stewart; Cover Photo by Moon Crush / Will Byington

There are countless music festivals all over the country… so much so that it could be argued that there is a saturation in the market. Some fests take place in suburban parking lots or in a muddy park or under a makeshift tent, with ‘destination’ not being the focal point of the event. And many times these new festivals are oversold and comfort is not even a consideration. Just festival promoters trying to squeeze as many attendees in as possible while chasing the almighty dollar.

Topeka Music Vacations and their most recent Moon Crush Pink Moon Festival in Miramar Beach, FL, however, has nailed a “curated festival experience” that truly stands out. Having covered dozens of festivals for Live Music Daily, you never really know about a festival until you are there. After the publicity nightmare of the Fyre Festival years ago, it seems there is a heightened focus on festival organizers getting it right from the get-go.

Obviously, what initially draws attendees is the lineup. And Moon Crush’s quality lineup that focused on true musicianship is what initially sparked my interest: Marcus King, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Charley Crockett, Larkin Poe, Wood Brothers, Lake Street Dive, and many others. That lineup alone could have worked on pavement in Topeka, Kansas.

The concept and destination of Moon Crush is what really sets this event apart. First, attendees are a 5-7 minute walk from the beach and close to many hotels and Airbnb options. Festivalgoers took advantage of the beach in the morning and early afternoon before enjoying the tunes at night. Second, the location is reusable / used for all Topeka events and therefore has an efficient layout, easily-accessible food and drinks, and a fantastic sound system. Topkea will be hosting more festivals like this at Miramar Beach throughout the year with artists that include Tedeschi Trucks Band, Brandi Carlile, Little Feat, Bonnie Raitt, Blackberry Smoke, and Avett Brothers (additional detail here and below).

As I was traveling down to Florida for a good friend’s bachelor party, we both agreed that we should attend given the festival was 25 minutes walking distance from our Airbnb and the lineup was stacked. Getting a crew of 10 guys to commit to anything is tough, let alone some folks that were jaded from past overcrowded festival experiences. After the performances on Friday night, the entire crew was blown away by the tunes and sold on the Topeka festival concept. As the bachelor himself Hunter pointed out: “This was the ultimate festival experience for a bachelor party by the beach – I could not recommend it more!”

Some of the many musical highlights included Marcus King’s powerful tribute to the Allman Brothers Band‘s late Dickey Betts on “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” and “Southbound”, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue’s always mind-blowing brass acumen, Charley Crockett’s retro sound over the Florida sunset, and discovering great new artists like songwriter Meg McRee and the UK’s The Wandering Hearts.

A few additional points about the experience, and why I will certainly return for a future event:

• Ancillary activities on the beach: Steps away from the beach and the Whale’s Tail Beach Bar, which hosted morning yoga, daytime games before the fest, and even a bonfire to kick things off on Wednesday night
• Curated Songwriter Sessions before the festival each day:
  • Seeing artists like Kevn Kinney of Drivin ‘N’ Cryin’, Paul Thorn, Glen Phillips of Toad the Wet Sprocket, Meg McRee and The Wandering Hearts in an intimate beach bar environment was a perfect way to get the day started
• Comfort is King:
  • No need to deal with “tarpers” or shoving your way to find space: each cove included chairs with the ability to order food and drinks directly to your seat via app
  • The venue was not oversold and was easy to navigate
• Most importantly: High-quality musicians being the focal point!

If you are looking to center a beach vacation around music without breaking the bank or going international, you should 100% consider Topeka Music Vacations! Some of the future event details below.