This article originally appeared in PureHoney Magazine. Check them out here.
Drummer Tyler Schwarz spent a decade behind the kit and on the road with West Palm Beach’s most celebrated indie band, Surfer Blood, until Covid descended on the world and prompted Schwarz to rethink his priorities. With the music trade reeling from disruption, Schwarz found himself in Northern California pursing his other passion, for cannabis cultivation. As he embraced agricultural life on another coast, making music seemed like a part of his past.
But not forever. After two years out west, Schwarz decided to bring his cannabis craft to Florida. His musical side came back with him. “Delving deep into that scene,” Schwarz tells PureHoney about his time in California, “I fell in love all over again (with music and weed).”
And that’s how the seed took root for Cannavision, an epic, one-day, cannabis-themed music festival that Schwarz is putting together at Terra Fermata in Stuart with help from supporters including concert promoter Al Beltran of Treasure Coast Live and a trio of cannabis enterprises: Sunnyside Dispensary, Cresco Labs and MMJ Health.
Cannavision is promising an adventurous live experience for the cannabis- and music-inclined. Taking inspiration from freeform radio stations such as New Jersey’s WFUM, the inaugural lineup encompasses rock, rap and jam. Performers include Truphonic, Sir 7000 & Ambeeka, DirtBike and TC Silk. And yes, Surfer Blood.
He calls the vendor array at Cannavision No. 1 “an experiment.”
“We have community garden center Pinder’s Nursery with beautiful florals for sale,” he says. “Live flash sheet tattoos by Dots Noah, Sara Glass Ceramics offering amazing pottery, Salt & Pine Vintage with curated festival looks, food trucks, glass blowers from across the region, and to top it off a half pipe and skate jam with crews from all over Florida.”
Schwarz hopes it’s the first of many CANNAVISIONs. “I’d love to make it an annual event,” he says. “I’ve dreamed of bigger venues but I love the grassroots feeling of its home at Terra Fermata.” He’s already thinking about future muscal lineups. “Anything goes,” he says, “from polka and metal to deep house and roots reggae. We welcome everyone!”
CANNAVISION is 4 pm Saturday, July 6 at Terra Fermata in Stuart.
GET TICKETS! instagram.com/cannavision772
What exactly is Cannavision?
Cannavision is an epic one-day only cannabis themed music festival taking place at the luscious outdoor music venue Terra Fermata in the heart of downtown Stuart, Saturday, July 6th! It’s a fusion of my two passions, music and weed.
Could you share how you got involved with putting together the festival?
For sure! Since I was 13 I loved being part of a local music scene. Playing my first show with my middle school punk band “Inspected By 6” at Spanky’s on Clematis Street and later in highschool with my hardcore band “Hearts Over Rome” at venues like Ray’s Downtown Blues and the Chili Pepper (all three are long gone). In my 20’s, together with JP Pitts, we formed Surfer Blood and gained success beyond our imagination. It was a life affirming accomplishment and that experience really made me believe anything is possible.
Fast forward to touring for about a decade and covid comes along stopping all of it. I decided it’s time for a change and head West to Northern California, the epicenter of cannabis in our country, to learn to grow weed and enjoy that sort of lifestyle. Delving deep into that scene I fall in love all over again and imagine creating my own festival. I get wind about a large cultivation facility near Okeechobee. After 2 years I decided to head back to SoFLo and learn to grow in a big agriculture environment where I work today. I consider the operation an incubator for ideas where many 420 minded individuals meet. I’ve met so many awesome people there with brilliant forward thinking and diverse ideas for the industry. Being there has really been an inspiration to get CANNAVISON going.
Who else, if anyone, is involved with putting on the festival?
I’ve partnered with Al from Treasure Coast Live. He’s been a guiding light the last 6 months of planning this. I really owe it up to him in believing in the vision and me. He’s great! Such a kind, welcoming and respectful soul. I could tell from day 1 we were going to make something special together. Sunnyside Dispensary / Cresco Labs have also been a big help too! I’d love to give a shout out to the people there who’ve helped me along my path. As well, MMJ Health!
Do you have a specific vision for artists and vendors for the festival?
For sure! The goal is to organize a highly curated experience as diverse and open-minded as the plant. This is a music festival foremost, but themed in cannabis. My inspiration musically is the oldest running freeform radio station WFMU out of New Jersey. Anything goes. From polka and metal to deep house and roots reggae. We welcome everyone. This year’s lineup is Rock, Rap and Jam focused but in the years to come we definitely want to expand into more genres.
As for vendors, this is an experiment! We are so excited to have community garden center Pinder’s Nursery help with beautiful florals for sale (like hoya, alocasia, begonias, and monster plants,..), live flash sheet tattoos by Dots Noah , Sara Glass Ceramics will be bringing some of her amazing pottery, Salt & Pine Vintage with their curated festival looks, local food trucks, glass blowers from across the region will be on the torch and to top it off a half pipe and skate jam with crews from all over Florida. It’s going to be an epic time for sure!
