Hometown Rising LIVE COVERAGE

Hometown Rising kicked off it’s first ever annual event Saturday, September 14th. Gates opened at noon, with 70,000 fans flocking to the Louisville based festival over the span of two days.

Two days packed with Kentucky bourbon and live music, what else does a person need? The experience of Hometown Rising is beyond any other experience you’ll encounter. Speaking of bourbon, tents of Boone County, Jack Daniels No 7 Sports Bar (where Kentucky almost pulled off a win over Florida), and The Kroger Bourbon Bar, a massive place with all your bourbon needs, were set up as far as the eye could see. These were only a handful of pit stops to wet your whistle with some of Kentucky’s finest.

Hometown Rising also paid homage to the more cultural side of music and art alike. Art of Bourbon- a gorgeous display focusing on music artists. Canvases lined the edges of the tent as you walked through, getting a glimpse of some amazing moments in music history. Another. was Hometown Honky-Tonk where fans were able to “kick the dust up” and two step…or for some folks “attempt”.

Hometown Rising featured country music superstars as well as many up and coming artists that are giving it their all, to make a name for themselves. Saturday featured headliner Tim McGraw, Little Big Town, Trace Adkins, Jimmie Allen, Lindsay Ell, The Cadillac Three, Frankie Ballard, The Steel Woods and many more!

The Steel Woods performed early in the afternoon with their southern country sound. “Let The Rain Come Down“, and “Axe” are just a few of the hard hitting southern country hits that carry that southern-rock, soulful vibe. Lindsay Ell is a fast rising female artist with a killer stage performance that had fans engaged the whole set. Lindsay gives a performance that is all her own, and is paired with a voice that connects with the crowd.

Long hair and trucker hats; who else but The Cadillac Three. These artists did what they always do when fans come to see them live…ROCK! This southern-rock country band brought their “All About The South” persona to the Ville for a hell-of-a-good time. The most impressive performance, for myself, was that of Frankie Ballard. Frankie has an awe-inspiring voice, but this guy is electrifying and fun to watch live. Truly an entertainer he threw out a little “Sunshine and Whiskey“, while dancing and slashing out guitar riffs. This guy was, definitely, the wild card performer of the day.

Trace Adkins is one of those artist that can shake you to the core with his gravelly voice. The “Arlington” singer/songwriter did just that in his signature black cowboy hat. Bringing out hit after hit, fans cheered with drinks and hats in the air the entire set.

Grab on to your Pontoon and hold on for the epic ride that is, Little Big Town! Their unmatched sound and stage set up,along with their diverse lighting and smoke, illuminated the sold out crowd. They awed with some of their best singles such as, “Bondocks“, “Girl Crush“, and “Day Drinking“.

The time of the night came for the headliner; country music icon and the biggest superstar in country music, TIM MCGRAW! McGraw gave fans a monumental experience while attending Hometown Rising music festival. He gave a performance that they won’t forget and, in my opinion, he couldn’t top. There wasn’t an inch of the stage he didn’t cover, even getting off stage and singing alongside the ASL interpreter, that was positioned between the Barrel and Oak stages. McGraw made it “One of Those Nights” thousands would remember forever. “Truck Yeah“, as well as “Humble and Kind“, are just a few of the #1 hits he performed that night in front of the ecstatic and mesmerized crowd.

Overall, Hometown Rising was a memorable and entertaining experience! With the first year under their belt, we are all looking forward to seeing the line up for years to come. Who will be headlining? What other experiences will they bring fans? Stay tuned in to Music Matters Magazine as we will keep you up to date with all the info you need, and bring the experience of great music straight to you!

The Steel Woods