If Jane’s Addiction took the award for most elaborate set design this weekend, the Civil Wars may just have taken the most minimal. There was no band to back their melodies. No stage props to monkey around with. It was just our impeccably dressed duo Joy Williams and John Paul White. The pair met at a songwriting workshop in Nashville in 2008 and have been inseparable ever since. They’ve opened for Emmylou Harris and Adele as well as won the Grammy for “Best Folk Album” and “Best Country Duo/Group Performance.” They’ve even collaborated on a song with the newest queen of country/pop music Taylor Swift on the Hunger Games soundtrack.

The Civil Wars opened with the track “Tip of My Tongue” drawn from the Poison & Wine EP. Joy’s voice was as silky smooth as it flows off the album. The first thing that is evident is the chemistry and rapport between the two. They aren’t a couple in real life, but they play one in the musical universe. Joy was performing six months pregnant so that led to the inevitable “he thinks I’m fat” comment, and her threatening to fire him when he suggested they cover a Alison Krauss tune. This verbal wordplay goes a long way to making them likable and fun.

The set list was drawn largely from their debut album “Barton Hollow.” They played their contribution to the Hunger Games Soundtrack, “Safe & Sound,” which doesn’t get taken out of their musical bag of tricks often. They also played three covers; the first from their album (Cohen’s “Dance Me to the End of Love”), one inspired by their recent UK tour (an interesting acoustic take on Portishead’s “Sour Times”) as well as the least likely song you’d expect them to cover (Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” goes bluegrass). They all were reworked to make them their own.

The Civil Wars are a very talented songwriting pair. They steer to the lighter side of the musical spectrum with their acoustic sensibilities, but it is a beautiful sound. If there was a drawback to their set at Beale Street it is that their genre of music has a tough time competing in the festival atmosphere. At times, their acoustic set had to compete with blasting guitars from Herbie Hancock on the neighboring stage, but for the most part, the crowd was very courteous and quiet, focusing in on the softer nature of their songs. In fact, Joy commented that this was the best festival crowd they’d ever played for.

It was a very sharply executed show. They certainly play to their strengths and looked to envelope the crowd in the experience. Joy admitted the band would be taking a break for a while as life prepares her for the new joys of motherhood, but I look forward to seeing what the follow-up to their critically acclaimed “Barton Hollow” album sounds like. Avoiding the painful sophomore stumble is a challenge for any band, but they have the talent to keep building their audience one song at a time.

Join us tomorrow as we wrap up our thoughts on the Beale Street Music Festival and look for a Beale Street in Photos coming midweek.

The Civil Wars Beale Street Setlist
Tip of My Tongue
Forget Me Not
From this Valley
20 Years
I’ve Got This Friend
Safe & Sound
Barton Hollow
Falling
Oh Henry
To Whom It May Concern
Birds of a Feather
Sour Times (Portishead Cover)
Billie Jean (Michael Jackson Cover)
Poison & Wine
Dance Me to the End of Love (Leonard Cohen Cover)

So who is Buddy Guy? For those who aren’t plugged into the Blues scene, he is only a six-time Grammy award winner, a member of the Rock’N’Roll Hall of Fame and number 30 on Rolling Stone’s greatest guitarist of all time. Oh, did I forget to mention that Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix cite Buddy Guy as a key influence to making them the musicians they are? People throw around terms like icon and legend too loosely these days, but Buddy Guy is the real deal.

At 75-years-old you wouldn’t expect a Blues legend to be strutting the stage in the warm Memphis midday heat, but here he was, soaking up the crowd of people who penciled in Guy on their schedule of must see performances. He wasted no time kicking off the show with “Nobody Understands Me But My Guitar.”

Age may have set into his body but he can still rip into a guitar like nobody’s business. He stretched most of his songs out with generous guitar solos that show why he is a world-renowned strummer. He just has such control and finesse. His face contorts and puckers as he mines the notes from the guitar. The guy is just fun to watch because you can tell he is having a blast doing what he loves.

There were a lot of notable moments during the set. At one point, he disappeared stage right with the guitar still playing then suddenly the backstage gate flung open, and here he was, guitar in hand, walking out into the festival crowd. The crowd was stunned with excitement as they furiously snapped photos with camera phones and patted his shirt on his way through the slowly parting crowd. He also called up to the stage an up-and-coming local musician Scott Holt to jam out on “Fever.” He knows the Blues haven’t had the success of hip hop and R&B, but he was working hard to introduce the next generation to his art, in hopes of breathing new life into this ailing craft.

At one point in the set, he commented about the state of hip-hop as it blared in from the Bud Light Stage behind him. You could tell its success, at the expense of the Blues, was rather tart in his mouth. He said he wanted to show everyone where hip-hop came from as he dug into “74-Years Young.” The lyrics allude to the fact that he’s 74 years young and still feels like he’s 21. No truer words have been spoken, as he has the youth and vitality of a man half his age.

He wrapped up the set with a collage of sounds by the greats like John D Hooker and Eric Clapton during his Cream days. He sat on the stool and told the story of the Blues as his ears had heard it over a lifetime of passion.

Buddy Guy is one cool cat and this was a special performance. He may not have had the glitz and pizzazz of some of the Beale Street headliners, but he outplayed them all in sheer talent. If Blues had the kind of following rock has, we’ve be buzzing about rumors of Buddy Guy’s next arena tour instead of the Rolling Stones. Regardless it’s a gift to see such a talented musician so at home with his craft, and I personally can’t wait to see him tame a guitar next time around.

The last time I saw Jane’s Addiction was on the “Strays” tour playing the Fox Theatre in Atlanta around 1993. Amazingly, not much has changed. Ferrell & Navarro are still shirtless. The boys still revel in elaborate stage art and they haven’t forgotten how to rock.

Jane’s Addiction did have the most elaborate set design and lighting of any band at the Beale Street Festival. In the background stood the naked busts of two women, and on stage were the lingerie clad bodies of two lusty young ladies. It seemed the motif was a massive tribute to “Nothing’s Shocking.” There were video boards and a raised platform that mini-melodramas were enacted on. I obviously have no issues with the ladies writhing along to the music and doing their best Carmen Electra routine on the band (Sorry Dave), but some of the Panic at the Disco-type theatrics did more to take away from the show rather than add to it. These bizarre elements took your gaze away from the music and instead you were left to ponder the meaning of a mock hanging, for example.

Some bands can get away with these over-the-top theatric elements, but to be successful, they have to weave them into the fabric of the music to ultimately augment the act. Jane’s Addiction’s setup lent itself more to distraction, and I felt the band losing the audience at times during these sometimes bizarre enactments. Perry Ferrell definitely beats to his own drummer and that creativity is a large reason why Jane’s Addiction’s popularity has persisted for so many years. Just don’t forget your audience wants to see you rock above all else.

The band sounded great whether they were ramping the crowd up on radio candy “Been Caught Stealin” or pulling back for a more introspective “Three Days.” Perry Ferrell had an intensity and a passion in his performance that was impossible to keep under wraps. Dave Navarro was similarly in the zone, yet it was harder to lock in on him since the spastic light display rarely pinpointed him, even during guitar solos. This was a disappointing element of the show, because to many he is just as big a star as Ferrell. The set list served up a little something for every generation of their Jane’s fans. Ritual De Lo Habitual fans could revel in “Ain’t No Right.” Nothing’s Shocking” fans could lock in on the album’s title track and new converts could wallow in “Twisted Tales.”

In all, it was a good set plagued by distraction. They rocked as hard as you’d expect from one of modern rock’s seminal bands, but the lighting and stage theatrics did detract from the music. A little re-jiggering to the formula would go a long way, but something tells me Ferrell’s eccentricity is on firm display and every touch is exactly the way he wants it. Ultimately, if you focus in on the music you won’t be disappointed.

Check back in with us later today and tomorrow as we continue our coverage of the Beale Street Music Festival.

Florence was beautiful as she hit the stage, red locks pulled away from her face, draped in a black chiffon cape, embroidered in gold and white. As she ran up and down the stage and danced by the microphone, the cape flowed and billowed in the wind. It was a very ethereal effect that was a small detail, but made a big impact in the overall show.

She launched the set with the bombastic “Only If For a Night.” For those familiar with Florence + the Machine’s MTV Unplugged release, the fully plugged in live show is much more epic and intricate, much as you would expect from her two studio albums. Florence’s stage presence commands you, leaving you transfixed on her, and her alone. She’s fascinating to watch in her body movements, and sheer intensity in which she belts out her notes, and at times you forget she was actually sharing the stage with her band mates.

As one would expect, her voice was the true star of the show. Her register slowly crept up to a stirring crescendo in songs like the haunting “What the Water Gave Me.” She also knew when to dial it back to quietly simmer in the moment like on “Never Let Me Go.” Like the late Jeff Buckley, few vocalists let their voice stand alone against the musical tide. Florence is one of these few, and at just twenty-five, it’s amazing to think of the potential still wrapped up within her vocal chords.

To be fair it wasn’t always a flawless effort. Some of her vocal transitions faltered as she tried to jump from one musical point to the next. It wasn’t a pervasive issue, but more subtle missteps along the way. I would imagine when you are piercing the sky with your voice, it can be hard to dial it back to reality.

She took time away from her vocal styling to interact with the audience. She wanted all the ladies up on their men’s shoulders during “Rabbit Heart” and she started a synchronized hopping experiment during “Dog Days are Over.” I have to say it was a bit disappointing that the audience thinned out considerably after she wrapped her big radio single. They missed a stirring “No Light No Light” and downbeat “Never Let Me Go”

Florence is nothing short of a star in all its blinding glory. Anyone who doubted her talent after her ground breaking debut album “Lungs,” should feel foolish after her strong return on “Ceremonials.” She puts on a fantastic live show that doesn’t slow down for anyone. If you have the means I highly recommend checking out Florence + the Machine the next time they pass through your city. It is a stunning spectacle.

Keep checking in with us over the weekend and Monday as we continue our coverage of the Beale Street Music Festival.

Florence + the Machine Beale Street Setlist
Only If For a Night
What the Water Gave Me
Cosmic Love
Rabbit Heart
Spectrum
Lover to Lover
Hurricane Drunk
Shake It Out – about hangover
Dog Days are Over
Never Let Me Go
No Light No Light

In the case of Evanescence, Ben Moody and Amy Lee were a dynamic song writing duo that collaborated for the band’s break through album “Fallen” in 2003. David Hodges was also a key contributor of what became Evanescence in the early days. Their debut album showered the band with Grammy accolades and became one of the best selling albums of the past decade. Moody assembled compadres Will Boyd, John LeCompt and Rocky Gray to help flesh out the band’s dynamic sound.

Hodges departed almost immediately after fame came calling. Moody left the band mid-tour in 2003 and the rest of the cast stuck it out a few more years before becoming casualties of the music machine. Lee plugged onward, keeping the Evanescence moniker intact while reloading the line-up. The first post-Moody album “The Open Door” suffered the dreaded sophomore slump creatively though it did find an audience, selling an impressive six million copies. Their latest 2011 self-titled release seems to have more trouble finding its footing and that sharp decline bleed over into the band’s live show.

Was it a bad show? Certainly not. The Little Rock-based band was proud to be playing in the town they were discovered and the crowd showered them in adulation. Lee talked about how amazing it was that years before she was standing out in the audience at Beale Street dreaming of being on that stage and that dream had been realized. It was a very humble and heart felt thanks to her fans that have supported her throughout the years.

Evanescence was at their strongest when leaning back on tracks from “Fallen.” The band offered up a high-powered punch with “Going Under.” Amy Lee thrashed around the stage, hair flying to the pounding beat. There were plenty of “The Open Door” numbers included and a hefty helping of tracks from their latest self-titled work. The band performed these songs well yet these spots in the set list didn’t have the same umph as the “Fallen” numbers. The audience may have contributed to this feeling as well. They were plugged into the set from start to finish, but you could tell those old mainstays really resonated deeply with them.

In all, it was a good performance by Evanescence. Amy Lee still has the pipes that have become her claim to fame. She has a compelling stage presence that made the band great back in 2003. My only gripe is that maybe she should have wiped the slate clean and toured as Amy Lee and her band or created a new name to define this set of musicians who are clearly not Evanescence. That way the baggage of the ugly breakup and the lofty expectations of what the band was wouldn’t weigh down what could be a promising new chapter in Lee’s musical journey.

We’ll be covering the Beale Street Music Festival all weekend so be sure to check back with us throughout the weekend and Monday for our continued coverage of the event.

Day one is in the books and it featured performances from Black Keys, Refused, Arctic Monkeys and UK sensation Pulp. While they aren’t a household name on this side of the pond, Jarvis Cocker and Pulp have been put out a steady stream of solid albums through the 90s. I was introduced to the band while reviewing their seminal 1996 release Different Class for my college newspaper. It was raw, edgy pop rock that threw convention to the wind. After going their separate ways in the late 90s, Pulp reunited last year to play a handful of European festivals. Coachella was set to be the band’s first stateside show in fifteen years after originally scraping plans to debut at last year’s festival.

The band opened the evening largely in the dark with “Do You Remember the First Time.” Two minutes into the set the lights finally come up just as you’re beginning to wonder if someone at Coachella forgot to pay the light bill. The Coachella crowd seemed fairly subdued. I don’t know if its the fact Pulp’s fanbase are more late 30-somethings or the fact that they never experienced the Oasis/Blur-type British invasion during the 90s. Hopefully they’ll use Coachella to springboard themselves into the American musical consciousness because once they’d bled into the racing “Misshapes” it was clear Jarvis and the boys haven’t missed a step since the band’s heyday.

Jarvis Cocker was every bit the glam hound that you’d expect him to be. He was preening and posing while dressed like a drab school teacher. He would mount the speakers to belt out his songs as if they afforded him a stage above the stage. Between the songs, he took the time to discuss the psychedelic lightning, the stories behind the songs and pondering Friday the 13th. Speaking of lighting, Pulp went into “Sorted Out for E’s and Wizz” and blacked out the stage to feature this trippy light extravaganza. It was very appropriate for a song about life cycle of a drug trip unfolding at a music festival.

The majority of Pulp’s Coachella set seemed to be drawn from Different Class (see the full setlist below) though they did a solid sampling from their catalog. The band’s hit single “Common People” seemed close to the band’s heart. The energy of the performance seemed particularly amped up as Jarvis banged the gong and manically bounced around the stage as the beat pounded from the speakers.

Pulp sounded great. Its a shame music as been without them for the past fifteen years. If I had a complaint about the set, it was its brevity. I know you have a lot of bands to sift through in an extravaganza that is Coachella, but given that this is their US comeback can’t we afford them a few more songs? Squeeze in a little “Live Bed Song” or “Razzmatazz.” These are matters outside of Pulp’s control so I won’t dock them an inability to bend the constraints of time.

If you’re in the California area and didn’t have the chance to catch Pulp at Coachella, they have a couple one off shows throughout the week before taking the stage Friday during weekend two of Coachella. Also if you want to catch the full Friday performance checkout the YouTube recording below. Things kick off around the 7:30 mark.

Pulp Coachella Setlist : April 13, 2012
Do You Remember the First Time
Misshapes
Babies
Disco 2000
Sorted for E’s & Wizz
F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E.
The Fear
This is Hardcore
Sunrise
Common People

Sara didn’t have to drive far. The Missouri native currently lives on the outskirts of Birmingham with her husband Jay Barker who is a bit of a legend around these parts being the quarterback who led the Crimson Tide to win the national title in 1992. He and her children were never far from her mind as she mentioned wrapping up a vacation at the beach with the family where her nose was firmly glued to the pages of “Hunger Games.”

Evans started off the evening with “As If.” She had the full band backing her including brother Matt on bass guitar. For those who aren’t aware, they’ve been playing together since about the womb. He also is the writer of “Anywhere,” the upcoming single off her latest album “Stronger,” and has co-produced other notable tracks like “Suds in a Bucket.” Sara teased at one point in the show that Matt tormented her mercilessly when they were younger, adding the nice dig that now he works for her. I’m sure its all good natured fun at this stage of their relationship.

Evans latest album “Stronger” was released almost a year to the day. The first single was the track “A Little Bit Stronger” that was written by none other than Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott. It was also a featured track in the Gwyneth Paltrow, Tim McGraw film “Country Strong.” Evans didn’t sample too heavily from this album, playing only three songs, but she did focus on her greatest hits. Chart toppers like “Perfect,” “Born to Fly” and the Edwin McCain cover “I Could Not Ask for More” made the cut.

In addition to the McCain cover and the Rod Stewart song “My Heart Can’t Tell You No,” Sara also closed out the evening with a duo of covers including a rousing “Stand By You Man” from Tammy Wynette and Cheap Trick’s “I Want You to Want Me.” I don’t think the audience minded too much that Sara strayed from her catalog as they were dancing in the moonlight. She even led the Toadlick faithful in singing “Happy Birthday” to her 72-year-old uncle who came down to Dothan to celebrate with her.

You could tell she enjoyed playing for the Alabama crowd. She was cutting up with the band, reaching out to the audience teaming around the stage and even handled a song false start with grace. When a truck was backing up behind the stage with its annoying beep, Evans halted the first notes of “Cheatin’” to have a quick laugh and restart the song in the way it was intended.

Sara Evans played a great set at Toadlick and was a nice change of pace in the male-dominated festival. She was beautiful and her voice was pristine as you would expect from this seasoned star. Be sure to check out the 47th annual Academy of Country Music Awards next weekend where Sara Evans will be performing along with Country music’s biggest stars.

Sara Evans Toadlick Setlist
As If
Perfect
Born to Fly
Cheatin’
I Keep Looking
Anywhere
Coalmine
My Heart Can’t Tell You No
A Little Bit Stronger
Happy Birthday
Suds in a Bucket
Could Not Ask for More
A Real Fine Place to Start
Stand by Your Man
I Want You to Want Me

This young up and comer definitely has a way with the ladies, and the fellas too, going out of his way to pump up the crowd by signing hats and tees, snapping photos with fans’ smart phones, even throwing the occasional high five. A pair of young men in the front row made a sign that made Jake roll with laughter. He read it to the crowd as it proclaimed that they had been arrested the night before trying to obtain “apple pie moonshine,” the subject of a feel good track from his latest album.

While his material doesn’t lack for carefree party songs like “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” and “Yeehaw,” he slowed the tempo of the set for a few tracks that venture out of the shallow end. “Alone With You,” is about wanting a deeper connection with a woman who is only interested in carnal pleasures, and “Starting With Me” that is chock full of regret for the careless actions one commits in their formative years.

His third album, Barefoot Blue Jean Night is having great success on the charts; the title track has been certified platinum and “Anywhere With You” is certified gold. He took a different approach on this album, utilizing Nashville’s songwriting talent rather than writing his own material, as he did on his first two albums. His approach is paying off, as many touring songwriters run out of steam by their third album. His third single from Barefoot Blue Jean Night will be “The One That Got Away” which is about a lost love, a natural hit for the summer charts.

Jake Owen seems to be everywhere all at once in 2012. In addition to a demanding touring schedule, he has made several television appearances including Jimmy Kimmel, Jay Leno, and Chelsea Lately, the later of which he was able to hold his own against the most deliciously inappropriate of late night hosts.

Jake Owen played above his billing at Toadlick, proving to be one of the most impressive artists to play the festival thus far. He has a real passion for the music and that flows through his performance. He’s having fun on the stage and that enthusiasm is contagious to his audience.

Jake Owen will be touring with country legends Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw all summer on their Brothers of the Sun Tour. With cross-over potential and talent to spare, Jake Owen is someone to keep a close eye on. My bet is he’ll be headlining a major tour before long. Be sure to check him out when the Brothers of the Sun Tour finds its way through your city.

Jake Owen Toadlick Set List
Anywhere with You
Keeping it Country
Starting With Me
Alone With You
Nobody Feelin No Pain
Yehaw
Journey of Your Life
Barefoot Blue Jean Night
Heaven
Apple Pie Moonshine
Jake (Lynyrd Skynyrd cover)
Don’t Think I Can’t Love You
Every Reason I Go Back
Mountain Music (Alabama cover)

The Toadlick Music Festival is being held at the National Peanut Festival Fairgrounds. Dothan is an inviting city for this event. Prior to this weekend, I’d only known it as a pass through on the way to sunny Florida. It’s much larger than I had assumed and has just about everything you’d want. The festival grounds on the south side of Dothan are setup nicely for the event with actual bathrooms rather than being forced into port-a-potties like most festivals. There are a variety of food vendors, places for the kids to cut loose as well as a 20,000 square foot ‘tavern’ that features local bands for your listening pleasure while you get your brew on. The festival is setup with two stages — the main Pepsi stage and Interstate Batteries serving as the side stage. The event oscillates acts between the two stages as the road crew takes turns setting up one band as another one enthralls the crowd.

Just as night descended on Toadlick Friday, Clay Walker took the main stage with a big smile, happy to see this Dothan crowd. The product of Beaumont, Texas has made a life in country music since he broke onto the scene twenty years ago with his self-titled debut. Since then, Clay Walker has had a Hall of Fame run, selling 11 million records and charting 11 number one hits on the country charts.

He started the evening with an oldie but a goodie in “If I Could Make a Living.” He had the support of his eight-man band that was shuffling about the stage seemingly waiting on the next opportunity to come together and rock out. “When She’s Good She’s Good” was one of these instances where the band joined together at the front of the stage, wielding guitars as if posing for a photo op. Walker even ended the song with a forceful ‘Roll Tide’ for the Bama faithful who view fall weekend for God and Crimson Tide football.

Walker channeled his inner-Jimmy Buffet at several points during the evening to bring a Caribbean flair to lower-Alabama. “Live, Laugh, Love” kicked off with streamers bursting from the stage to blanket the crowd. Just when they’d settled to the ground another wave took off. The song sparked an 80-year-old man near me to rise up and break into a spontaneous jig. The playful “Then What?” brought huge beach balls onto the stage. Walker said he wanted to see them kicked around through the air until they reached the last audience member on the back of the hill. While the temperature had dipped as evening firmed up, he sure brought that warm feeling rippling through the crowd. All that was missing was a round of pina colatas in Solo cups.

Clay Walker’s set list (see below) was a good sampling across his hefty catalog of music. He gave us three tracks from his most recent release “She Won’t Be Lonely Long.” He was sure to preface the title track by saying “gentlemen if you have a fine woman hang onto her. If not, lock one of these lookers down because they won’t be lonely long.” That was one of the few he introduced. Largely, he let the music speak for itself.

Clay Walker played a solid set. He and his band dug deep into the songs, feeding off the energy of the crowd. He may be settling into his role as an elder statesmen of country music, but he was rockin’ out as hard as the young guys.

Clay Walker Toadlick Set List
If I Could Make a Living
Wrong Enough to Know
Live Until I Die
She Won’t Be Lonely Long
When She’s Good She’s Good
‘Fore She Was Mama
Jesse James
Live, Laugh, Love
Dreaming with My Eyes Open
Rumor Has It
Then What?
Cold Hearted
I’m in the Mood for You
Fall
What’s It to You

He wasted no time launching into his set, kicking off with the 1998 bluegrass hit “The Hole.” He had his full band in tow and they were marching along to his groove.

Randy Travis frequently took pause between songs to tell a joke about the perfect driver or to explain how the youngsters love Carrie Underwood’s “I Told You So” and he has to remind them that it is his song first. These brief asides helped pull Travis off the stage to make it feel like he was in a lawn chair beside you, catching up over a few beers. It was a pleasant reminder that he’s just a regular guy blessed with an extraordinary gift.

Travis’ 25th anniversary album is a series of duets with the friends he’s played with and inspired throughout the years. It features heavyweights like Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood. It is a collection that leans heavily on his classics and it should come as no surprise that his set at Toadlick did the same. Timeless hits like “Diggin’ Up Bones” and “Too Gone Too Long” were front and center. The crowd seemed to love this stroll back down memory lane as Travis pressed rewind through the best moments of his storied career. He even pulled out the mashup he collaborated with Alan Jackson on “Better Class of Losers/She’s Got Rhythm.”

The one thing that is most noticeable about Randy Travis is his genuine humility. Travis is unquestionably a very talented songwriter, but he realizes why he’s endured 30-plus years when other artists with similar talent have long since fizzled out. His fans are the key to his longevity as an artist he is appreciative of their support.

Randy Travis closed the evening with the beautiful “Forever and Ever, Amen.” It was a fitting song to wrap a great snapshot of this legendary artist. Randy Travis may not be burning up the Billboard charts like he was when he first burst onto the scene in the 80s, but he’s still got that fire. He is a great showman who does it without the light shows and the pyrotechnics. Instead he focuses on the rawness of the music, exploring the depth of his voice and the connection he makes with his audence. Randy Travis is an institution in country music, and he was the perfect choice to highlight the first evening of the Toadlick Music Festival.

Check back in this weekend as we cover all three days of the Toadlick Music Festival come rain or shine with concert reviews and photos of your favorite country acts.

Randy Travis Toadlick Setlist
The Hole
Hard Rock Bottom of Your Heart
Better Class of Losers/She’s Got Rhythm
Diggin’ Up Bones
On the Other Hand
Everything and All
I Told You So
Deeper Than the Holler
He Walked on Water
More Life
Before You Kill Us All
It’s Just a Matter of Time
Too Gone Too Long
Three Wooden Crosses
If I Didn’t Have You
Forever and Ever, Amen