Additional Photo Coverage by: Neff Conner
It’s finally summertime for a lot of folks in Fort Worth,
and the weather finally allows us to soak up some of that Texas sun, all while
enjoying some of the best in local music and beyond at the Fort Worth Music Festival.
Friday
After a bit of a delay, Panther Island Pavilion started to
get some listeners trickling in, setting up lawn chairs and blankets and
getting ready for some good ol’ Southern rock.
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Down the hill, The Longshots were bursting out their own version of solid Texas rock ‘n’ roll with their own modern hard rock twist, and upward The Southern Renaissance appealed to the Americana lovers out there (but really, aren’t we all?).
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The hour-long blocks started with the city’s own Quaker City Night Hawks, a pride and joy of Texas soul and blues. Just like at Big Folkin’ Fest, these guys didn’t waste a minute in silence and were met with equal enthusiasm from the crowd.
Especially from one of their new tracks, “Queso Blanco” which is as funny as it sounds, but doesn’t skimp out on musicality for humor’s sake – lyrics which include the words “taco,” “burrito” and “tomatillo” blended it seamlessly with the group harmonies and raucous drumming that the silliness just made it all more worthwhile.
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Mixing it up a bit, Dirty River Boys brought into play the traditional upright bass (adorned with raccoon pelt and bird feathers) and cajon for a genuinely rowdy set.
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The crowd was packed for Old 97’s, whose drum set had been set onstage for a few hours and getting the anticipation going. Beloved by Fort Worthians, the band got people of all ages shouting and nearly jumping over the barricades – in some moments, you would have thought some of the band would have jumped off stage, too.
These guys have been around for a while and have made plenty of records, so seeing them rock out for over an hour provided a real treat for festival goers eager to reminisce or play up their rebellious, country rocker alter egos.
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But the big name of the night, Drive By Truckers, were coming up next, and after the energetic set by Old 97’s, the excitement was palpable. Crowd members attempted to start a round of “Drive By!” “Truckers!” to get the guys onstage, and shouted out track requests at any opportunity the band would hear them
If you didn’t already, check out our exclusive interview with the band, previewing the festival.
After a bit of a hiatus, the Fort Worth Music Festival was the perfect way to get the group ready and raring to record new tracks in August and stir up some public commotion as well.
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