Inside the South Florida Jamtronica Scene with Guavatron

In Episode 70 of the Music Festivals Podcast, I am live on the ground at Whippersnap 2026 with a featured spotlight on rising South Florida jam-funk band Guavatron, while also announcing on-site coverage of the Peace Love & Vans 2026 van life gathering as festival culture and nomadic community continue to intersect.

If this post feels slightly… time-warped… that’s because it is.

Whippersnap 2026 is literally happening all around me as this episode drops. There’s music bleeding through the trees, golf carts buzzing past, and somewhere nearby I’m probably live-switching a camera angle or lining up the next interview. Which technically means… I’m in two places at once.

Kind of trippy, huh?

This week’s episode is a special one. We’re digging into a South Florida band I’ve personally come to love — Guavatron — who are taking the stage at Whippersnap this weekend. If you’ve spent any time in the Florida jam and funk scene, you already know these guys bring the energy. If you haven’t yet experienced them live, you’re in for a treat.

But that’s only half the story.

Because while we’re streaming and documenting everything happening here at Florida Sand Music Ranch, we’re also turning our cameras toward something a little different — and a little further up the road in Dade City.

Peace. Love. Vans. — A Different Kind of Festival

Over the past decade, van life has gone from fringe subculture to full-blown movement.

What used to be a handful of DIY builds and off-grid dreamers has evolved into a growing community of builders, founders, entrepreneurs, weekend warriors, and full-time nomads redefining what modern mobility looks like.

And if you’ve been following along with this little nomadic ethnography we call Music Festivals Podcast, you know I’ve dipped my toes into it myself.

Back in 2024, when we traveled out to Renewal in Buena Vista, Colorado, I rented and camped in a van for the first time. That weekend changed how I think about festival camping. Efficient. Self-contained. Community-forward. It delivered.

Which brings us to Peace Love & Vans — Florida 2026.

Taking place March 6–9, 2026 at Withlacoochee River Park in Dade City, this festival transforms a scenic wooded park just north of Tampa into a full-on vanlife village. Hundreds of vans circle up. Workshops unfold under the trees. Vendors showcase builds and gear. Raffles, music, and community activities stretch throughout the weekend.

It’s not just a gathering — it’s a culture in motion.

And we’re excited to announce that Music Festivals Podcast will be on-site documenting it all:  The builds, the founders, the DIY stories, the culture, the people redefining what nomadic community looks like in 2026.

Honestly? I think we’re among them.

If mountains are more your thing, Peace Love & Vans also heads west June 12–15, 2026 to Hummingbird Ranch in Spanish Peaks Country, Colorado. Two completely different backdrops. Same spirit of freedom and community.

We’ll be rolling out more details in the coming weeks, but if you’re even van-curious, this is one to put on your radar.

Back to Whippersnap — and Guavatron

Now let’s bring it back to where I (technically) am right now. 

Whippersnap is in full swing, real-time podcasting at its finest.

In this episode, I sit down with Adonis Guava to talk about the band’s evolution, their sound, and what it means to play festivals like this — where the line between artist and audience blurs and the community feels tight-knit and intentional.

Let’s talk about Guavatron.

South Florida’s Guavatron blends funk, rock, jam, and groove-driven psychedelia into a sound that’s both danceable and exploratory. In this episode, I sit down with Adonis Guava.  We get into the band’s origin story and evolution, how they built momentum in the Florida festival circuit, what it actually takes to level up from local stages to major festival slots, the energy they bring to events like Whippersnap, and why live performance is still the heartbeat of this band.

You can feel the hunger. These guys aren’t dabbling — they’re building.

There’s something powerful about catching a band on the rise in an environment like Whippersnap. It’s intimate, it’s immersive, and it’s rooted in the kind of festival culture that prioritizes connection over chaos.

If you haven't watched the live stream yet — tune in. We’re live all day with performances, interviews, and even a few Tiny Fest Concerts sprinkled in.

Next Week…

You guessed it.

We’re coming back with a full Whippersnap recap. The moments we could stream. The ones we couldn’t. The behind-the-scenes magic. The stories from the campground.

Until then — subscribe to The Neighborhood email newsletter at musicfestivalspodcast.com for live stream announcements, documentary drops, and subscriber events at a festival near you.

Festival Performance of the Week: Goose at All Good Now 2025