There were ten acts on two stages, plus a DJ before and after. Despite a bit of light rain off and on, it was a fun day of free music. There wasn’t a lot of country, but every act had members from the state of Alabama.
Achy Breaky Heart was one of the country songs represented in the DJ set (though it was a remix).
Lamont Landers Band was the first live act of the day, and I’d call it R&B/funk.
Then, I saw Jus Gruv, which is more R&B covers than not, but also covered Sweet Home Alabama, and even a Fleetwood Mac song.
The Blind Boys of Alabama we’re up next, and they’re one of Alabama’s greatest musical treasures (since 1939 !). Even if you’re not usually into “Jesus music,” please check these guys out. They’re fun, inspirational, and sing very well.
Early James and The Latest are a folk duo- one guy who sings and plays the guitar, and one who plays the bass fiddle.
Moon Taxi is mostly rock/pop, but they’ve recently opened shows for Zac Brown Band. Moon Taxi brought everything from confetti to inflatable tube men, so they were a great choice for a party atmosphere. They didn’t do the Kacey Musgraves cover that I posted their video for a while back.
The Allen Tolbert Unit is a bluegrass outfit that has been around for many years. Allen Tolbert regularly teaches guitar lessons, and is a well-respected picker. Their set was all covers, closing with Freeborn Man.
The mighty Commodores we’re next. No, Lionel wasn’t part of the deal, but this was still a treat. There were original members who have been in the group 51 years !
At that point, I had a decision to make. I had a nice seat for the main stage, which had two more acts, or I could try to run over to the second stage for it’s final act Matt Jones and try to get back. I decided to stay put, so he’s the only act I didn’t see.
St. Paul and the Broken Bones are a very large band. I’m not sure if you’d call them rock or R&B or something in between. They have a trombone and other horns, but the high, screaming vocals are towards the rock side.
Jason Isbell was the final act before the fireworks. Amanda’s fiddle playing is a highlight of the band. 24 Frames was the opener. To finish the show, he brought out the guitar that Ed King used to create the iconic Sweet Home Alabama. He said he wanted to play the guitar for audiences rather than just hanging it in a museum.
Robert's Country Blog 