Friday marked the first day of the seventh annual Nelsonville Music Festival, and might have inadvertantly marked the passing of a torch in country music.
Justin Townes Earle, one of an emerging breed of country artists who combine the classic elements of the genre with blues, folk and other genres, stole the show from Friday headliner George Jones.
While the crowd may have been larger for Jones' performance, the singer's weathered voice portrayed his age at several times throughout the show.
At one point, Jones said, "Have you noticed they just quit altogether playing the good ol' drinking songs? And the shooting songs? I've got a fair amount of those buggers for you guys tonight."
While Earle may not have sung about drinking and shooting, he did sing about drowning and moving with "Harlem River Blues" and "One More Night in Brooklyn," as well as his complicated relationship with his father with "Mama's Eyes."
Earle's more modern approach toward country seemingly proved easier for the crowd to connect with, as his continual banter with the crowd demonstrated.
Other notable happenings from the first day of the Nelsonville festival, located at Robbins Crossing on the campus of Hocking College, include:
—Jones' set was backdropped against both a live feed of the show and a photo slideshow displaying important moments from the singer's life and career.
—Technicians were filming the performances throughout the day, but the sun's rays washed out the white screen during the early performances. Jones' was the first where the screen was completely visible.
—The area closest to the stage was divided into standing and sitting portions, with roughly half of the lawn devoted to each. This may continue tomorrow, but it could be tough to maintain during performances such as The Flaming Lips'.
—The lead singer of Octopus & Owl described the No-Fi Cabin — a replica of a log-cabin schoolhouse devoted to acoustic sets — as a "sauna-type atmosphere." It was very warm in the building, but the intimate setting proved worthwhile. (Also, Drakkar Sauna ironically played immediately before Octopus & Owl.)
—Octopus & Owl's singer also read her set list by electric candle light, as the band's set began after the sun set and the building did not have any installed electric lights.
—Some apparently nonpaying members of the audience decided to watch Jones from a set of bleachers at a baseball field across the street. Their sight lines may have been slightly obstructed, but between the large screen and the stereo system they likely experienced as much of the show as the people on the festival-site bleachers.
—Stuart's Opera House did a very good job bringing in bands across different genres for the first day of the three-day fest. With headliners ranging from Bomba Estereo's Latino dance music to Jones' legendary country to Earles' country-blues hybrid, there was an interesting act for fans of many genres.
—Overalls and straw hats proved to be ideal fashion choices for many of the event's attendees.
—As at any festival, funnel cake and fries were common food choices. But the festival also featured local and regional restaurants.
—Columbus' Mickey's Late Night Slice offered large, delicious slices of cheese pizza adorned with basil.
—The Fresh Burrito had a tasty taco offering, albeit one that was overly packed with toppings. Furthermore, they had offerings on their sign that they were not prepared to actually sell and their service was rather confrontational.
—Blue Moon Catering, from the Columbus area, offered patrons a variety of wraps and quesadillas filled with organic, local ingredients. The Quesadilla Florentine, aka The Popeye, came replete with fresh spinach, mozzarella, feta and pesto.
—Hawaiian Shave Ice provided a necessary refresher to the day's 84 degree heat. With a $4, 12-ounce offering and a $5, 17-ounce offering, prices were slightly high but not out of line with standard festival fare.
Check back tomorrow for a recap of Day Two, including reaction to The Flaming Lips' headlining gig.
—John Nero, Bridget Mallon and Adam Wagner contributed to this story.
