Jim’s Big State Wrap-up: Saturday

The beer is always free when you can’t drink it.

Lucky enough to be on the VIP list for last weekend’s Big State Festival, I was taunted by the endless supply of free golden-bubbly goodness available in the festival’s private lounges. Let me reiterate: Free. Beer.

But, alas, there were bands to see, interviews to conduct, and photos to take; and my love for you, The 9513’s readers (and for Country Music) surpasses even my love of barley and hops. (But just barely.)

The following is a brief recap of every band/artist I had a chance to check out on Saturday. Check back tomorrow for my Sunday recap.

Saturday:

Mice & Rifles, 11:45.
This Austin six-piece rocked the Verizon stage with a cool progressive sound, but I was surprised when they weren’t run off-stage for their openly anti-Bush lyrics.

Matt Caldwell, 11:45.
A typical country neo-traditionalist, Caldwell sounded just like (insert male vocalist here). The self proclaimed “beer drinking supporter” provided a suitable diversion while heading towards the food-tents, but his songs (including an awkward cover of Edwin McCain’s “I’ll Be”) and performance were as entirely forgettable as my $7 pulled-pork sandwich. (seriously, how can they serve that without barbecue sauce? It’s Texas for cryin’ out loud.)

Whiskey Brown, 12:30.
Yet another in the current flock of southern-rock flavored bar bands, Whiskey Brown managed to pull quite a few spectators away from One Mississippi and Farmer Jason, but I suppose that’s not saying much. The band offered up a high-energy, crowd-pleasing performance, but hey, sometimes those guys from Joe’s Pub in Boise are pretty good, too. Also, just so there’s no confusion, Whiskey Brown is in no way associated with the other new “Whiskey” band, Midas Records’ Whiskey Falls. It’s ok, my head hurts, too.

Eli Young Band, 2:00.
Did everyone in Nashville suddenly forget that bands are the toughest sell in the genre? Eli Young Band drew one of the more impressive crowds of Saturday afternoon, but I was underwhelmed by its bland performance of a series of mediocre songs.

Leon Russell, 2:00.
A bizarre performance which drew a moderately sized crowd, Russell sounded fine but was barely visible tucked behind a poorly situated piano.

The Barbwires, 2:15.
It’s not The Barbwires’ fault that the BMI stage was tucked away in a tiny, hidden corner of Texas World Speedway, but the fact that they only managed to draw a total of two spectators (no, I’m not kidding), makes me wonder why they were asked to play in the first place.

Luke Bryan, 3:00.
I was seriously unimpressed with Bryan’s debut album, but his live performance showed a ton of potential. Bryan commanded the stage confidently, but was hampered by a notable lack of material which forced him to perform three covers; “Good Directions,” (which he wrote), “I’d Love To Lay You Down,” (a surprisingly apt take on Conway), and “Fishin’ In The Dark.”

The Wreckers, 4:00.
One of the most “country” shows of the day, Michelle and Jessica brought the edgy side of Nashville to a field filled with Texas Country and Southern Rock. It’s a shame that their follow-ups to “Leave The Pieces” faltered at radio–sometimes artists are just too artistic for the format. Stand Still, Look Pretty is one of the best debut albums I’ve heard in a long time, and Country Music is worse-off for their departure.

Drew Kennedy, 5:00.
Kennedy managed to pull a whopping 49 people over to the BMI stage; they were rewarded well as the Texan gave one of the weekend’s best performances. At the same time Kennedy was on stage, Eric Church was singing about pregnancy tests only a few hundred yards away (and to a much larger crowd), and I wished I could have switched the two artists.

Dierks Bentley, 6:30.
An energetic and confident performance that breathed personality into a set of excellent but potentially monotonous songs, Bentley, looking every bit the rock-star with perfectly styled hair and dark wrap-around shades, delighted fans by coming down into the crowd during a rousing “How Am I Doin’.”

Chris Cagle, 7:30.
He talked. A lot. And the fact of the matter is that Chris Cagle isn’t a big enough star to ramble on and on about whatever he feels like.

Miranda Lambert, 7:30.
I don’t hate Miranda. Honestly. There was a six-month period during which Kerosene didn’t leave my car’s CD changer. But her performance on Saturday was pitchy, and watching her endless meandering back and forth across the stage bordered on nauseating.

Lynyrd Skynyrd, 8:30.
The same old show, but I have to give credit to the current incarnation of Skynyrd–what they do they do well, and fans still go crazy. By far the biggest show of Saturday, Skynyrd’s crowd dwarfed Lyle Lovett, who played across the infield at the same time.