A fun job perk of mine is getting to attend festivals, concerts and lots of other really cool events. One of my favorite venues to cover is the CCNB Amphitheater at Heritage Park.
Back in the spring, Laurie and I were sitting in the living room when she said, “Oh my gah, Sierra Ferrell is coming to Simpsonville! Do you think we could go? I would DIE!” I told her I was sure we could work it out and that I would ask. Two days later, my cousin calls me, “OMG, Marcus King is coming to Simpsonville, I’m gonna buy tickets, but I thought I’d check and see if you were going!” The whole time I’m thinking, who are these people? LOL
Clearly, these bands are big. I began seeing stuff all over social media, leading up to the weekend. I was not dreading it, by any means. Who doesn’t love sitting in the evening air, listening to music.? Although I didn’t have a clue who Marcus King or Sierra Ferrell were, it thrilled me to see my family so ecstatic!
Fast forward to this past weekend. You may want to sit down for this next statement. I loved this festival more than any other concert! No kidding. Better than Billy Currington? Better. Willie Nelson? Better. Kip Moore? Better. Brooks & Dunn? Better. Alabama? Better. Garth Brooks? Better. Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown, Little Big Town, Blake Shelton… the list goes on and on. Better, better, better!
The company was perfect, the vibe was chill, the music was phenomenal. Marcus King REALLY reminds me of Chris Stapleton. Sierra Ferrell was eccentric and folksy, with the most unique voice. I enjoyed the Band of Horses and Richy Mitch, but I went to sleep thinking of The Avett Brothers!
I’m doing a deep dive into their story and falling hard! We stayed till the very end – it wasn’t long enough. I wanted more. The energy was ELECTRIC. I said to Laurie more than once, why have I not been listening to these people my whole life. You know how if you really love someone, you tell them if they have something on their face or if their “butt really does look big in their jeans?” I feel like someone should have told me YEARS ago that The Avett Brothers are the best thing to happen to my world since peanut M&Ms.
Needless to say, this will not be the last time I see these boys. I plan on becoming a groupie. Can you make money following your favorite band around? I figure if I stalk them hard enough, I could at least get a couple of free meals in jail.
Waking up with a sore back, swollen ankles and a throbbing knee has me wondering why I didn’t start this gig in my twenties. Forty six (almost seven) is not conducive to rolling in after midnight two nights in a row.
As magical as the weekend was, I’m definitely packing the pain meds for the Earle Scruggs Festival this weekend!