Ted Freed is a savvy entrepreneur who's been in the real estate business for the past 22 years. But he's not your average wheelin' n' dealin' property-seekin' mogul. In fact, he's quite the opposite, a jovial soul who wears T-shirts to work and spends his time away from real estate singing and playing guitar with his band, The Freed, and nurturing the local music scene via Rising Jupiter, his Clearwater-based promotions, management, booking and financial planning company.
Freed has always been a music lover. His mother was a concert pianist and he, in turn, played the ivories for a time before switching to guitar at age 12. But it was his friend and neighbor, Steve Hark, who widened his musical tastes and influences, introducing him to artists like Jethro Tull, The Grateful Dead and Pink Floyd.
Many years later, it was also Hark who turned him on to Mountain of Venus, a band that quite literally changed his lifestyle. You see, this funky, psychedelic rock outfit, which landed in Dunedin after stints in other cities, motivated Freed to found Rising Jupiter, and they serve as the centerpiece of his largest undertaking to date: Uphonia, a three-day festival of tunes and jamming and casual camping that occurs next weekend on a scenic 450-acre farm in north Florida.
Many of the artists performing at Uphonia are connected to Mountain of Venus in some way – some have shared the stage with the band or appeared at the same festivals; some became acquaintances through gigs set up by Freed; some have helped the group along the way. It doesn't hurt that all the bands – with the exception of Keller Williams, The Grease Factor, Stillwood and Mofro – have worked with Freed in the past and were satisfied enough with his abilities to unreservedly accept an invitation to play at Uphonia.
The festival line-up features an assortment of Bay area acts, including Rich Whiteley Band, Cope, Rebekah Pulley & The Reluctant Prophets, Middle Rhythm Session and Buffalo Strange.
Also on the bill are Southeastern heavy hitters Perpetual Groove, Mofro, The Codetalkers feat. Col. Bruce Hampton, and The Grease Factor. National touring acts comprise San Francisco favorites New Monsoon, singer/songwriter Keller Williams, Vince Herman of Leftover Salmon, and former Grateful Dead keyboardist Vince Welnick with New York City's Gent Treadly. Additionally, guitar ace Steve Kimock sits in on a late Friday night set with Mountain of Venus.
"We're really excited about playing with Kimock again," says MOV lead singer Tanya Shylock. "It's a special sort of collaboration. He really brings out the best in our music and adds a unique dimension."
Freed's relationship with MOV began more than three years ago when Hark sent him one of their gig recordings. Freed was so impressed by the band's lively grooves and breezy harmonies that he hounded their manager for more live sound clips and eventually saw them play on a dreary Tuesday night in Tallahassee.
The size of the crowd (small) and the quality of the music (high) led Freed to the realization that he had to help this band somehow. So, he asked them what he could do. At that point, MOV needed to record a demo of their work to send out to labels, and while they were somewhat put off by the creative limitations of a studio album, they were interested in getting signed.
Eventually, Freed raised the funds to help them produce their self-titled debut, set up some gigs for them in Tampa, guided them through a few setbacks (including a worn-out van and the resignation of rhythm guitarist and singer Jody Cohen), and was generally a positive force throughout.
After moving from Colorado to Massachusetts to Arkansas, the roving band finally settled on Florida thanks to its lively, welcoming audiences and regular gigging opportunities courtesy of Freed. It also didn't hurt that Hark, the gentleman who originally "discovered" Mountain of Venus, offered them a place to stay in Dunedin free of charge, which allowed them to fully realize their dreams of making music without significant distractions.
Meanwhile, in the midst of all this action, word spread about Freed's tireless efforts to help MOV, and he started getting calls from other bands that needed various services. Soon, he was booking, promoting and representing local and national jam bands on a regular basis. Rising Jupiter was established as an official organization in mid-2003.
Later, with experience organizing some small local festivals and after attending numerous larger ones, Freed had a brainchild of his own. So he went to his favorite band and the initial plans for Uphonia unfolded.
The fest promises to be an enjoyable weekend of musical explorations and laid-back nature appreciation. Fundamentally, this is the reason Freed put it together. Not for the money – his real estate business pretty much subsidizes Rising Jupiter and at this point, he hopes to break even with Uphonia. Nor is he doing it for the recognition, although it helps when booking new bands. No, Freed does it because, "Music has been giving to me all my life and I want to give back."
Uphonia, Fri.-Sun., May 13-15, at Spanish Moss Farm, which is located in Quincy, Florida. Will call tickets are available for $75 per person until May 12; admission is $90 at the gate (children 12 and younger enter free with a paying adult; prices include camping). Single-day passes are available for $65 after 1 p.m. Sat., May 14; and for $25 beginning at 10 a.m. Sun., May 15. For a full schedule, directions and more information, go to www.uphoniafest.com.
This article appears in May 4-10, 2005.