DAY 2: Frank Turner, Dawes, Flogging Molly, She & Him, Zac Brown Band
GRADE: B+
Bluesfest's first Friday kicked off the weekend in rollicking style. England's hiply-accented Frank Turner was my first show of the day, getting the energy flowing, and Dawes set the stage with a hint of the genre-blending that was to come. Their psychedelic country alt-rock was refreshing, laid back, danceable and very enjoyable to listen to. These guys are up-and-coming stars (check out the cover of last month's Relix magazine for the proof) and now i understand why. They're a band ill actively try to see again.
After a catching more than enough of Flogging Molly (a few minutes' worth), we staked out a spot for ZBB and partied for two hours! These guys just straight-up know how to have a good time, whether you call them country, rock, crossover, jam-band, or whatever. They seem to be a country-rock group on the surface, but the beautiful melodies and soaring uplifting jams say otherwise - not to mention a medley cover of Van Morrison's Into the Mystic and, later, an awesome version of Metallica's Enter Sandman (would a country band try THAT???). Not to be outdone, their encore consisted of Led Zeppelin's Kashmir and closed out with Charlie Daniels' The Devil Went Down to Georgia. which had most of the crowd in a frenzy.
Any way you slice it, ZBB puts on a highly entertaining show. Even the die-hard AC/DC fan in front of me was having a good time, which is saying something. Overall, it was a solid B+ of a day with one new discovery for me (Dawes) and one crazy-good-time of headlining show - which is really all you can ask for out of a fest.
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