The first artist that I was able to catch was Eric Paslay at the main stage. I wasn’t familiar with the name, but I ended up knowing a few of his songs, which is always nice.
Later in the night, when the Eli Young Band played, they even brought Eric out for a song with them. The pictures above, however, are for Eric’s own set.
I watched Ashley Monroe on the River Stage, which is great because almost every spot gives you a nice view. I wasn’t sure who Ashley was at first, but once she started talking about her career, I realized I already knew her in a way. She’s in the all-girl country group Pistol Annies (which also has Miranda Lambert). She sang one of their songs, as well as a couple other popular country songs that she helped write, but someone else sang. Of course, she sang a lot of her own work too, and I can definitely say I’m a fan now.
Ashley was a lot of fun live. She gave brief stories about some of the songs and how they came to be, as well as anecdotes from her life and career so far. It was nice getting to know her, while still feeling like there was enough music at the same time.
The Eli Young Band played on the Main Stage. They were pretty lively and upbeat; definitely a good band for their time slot since it was later in the night.
Alabama was the main band on Friday night. It was fun seeing generations of country fans, especially during this show. I grew up listening to a lot of songs from Alabama, so it was really cool recognizing so many.
For Buckle Up, my mom joined me because she is a big country fan and has been all her life. In fact, my mom and dad’s first date was going to an Alabama concert, so she was excited to see them live after all these years. She definitely enjoyed it, and I think that’s a plus for a festival like Buckle Up. It gives you a chance to see certain acts you might not normally be able to see live.
Thompson Square played at the River Stage. They are a husband and wife duo that my mom and I saw live a few years ago. They are definitely cute to watch live!
They mixed in some other tunes like “Say Something” by A Great Big World, which was cool to hear. I kind of think of them as a rock-country act in some ways. Their music is mainly country sounding, but their persona and look screams rock.
Thompson Square bumped right into The Band Perry’s set, so we had to leave a little early to try and get a good enough spot. My mom thought Thompson Square was a bit boring, but I think that’s mainly because The Band Perry had so much energy. Their set really screamed “main band” compared to TS.
Finally, we have The Band Perry. They were the main band for the Sunday night show, so obviously they were singing on Main Stage. The three of them are siblings, in case you didn’t know, and they put on an amazing show. I would definitely see them live again.
All of them were brimming with energy and I loved Kimberly’s stories in between songs. She knows how to keep a crowd’s interest.
They played a variety of songs from their albums, and I found I knew most of them, which is always fun. A couple songs they sang were “I’m a Keeper” and “Pioneer.”
Behind them were three big screens that often had one sibling in each as they performed, so you got a close up view. They also had some cool designs and things like the picture above, which is for the song “You Lie.”
I could probably go on about this performance for awhile now, but this post is long enough. I will say that my mom and I probably found The Band Perry’s performance to be the best over the weekend, but everyone seemed to be having a good time and all the acts put on good shows. I want to thank Buckle Up for allowing me to attend the festival and I’m definitely curious to see what artists they bring to Cincinnati next year!
I am a huge country music fan (much to the dismay of my children) and this looks like it was so much fun! Thank you for sharing all of the great pics with us!
Looks awesome! I haven't been to many shows (mostly just things at festivals) but I like when they tell us a bit about themselves or their music.
Lauren, this sounds like fun..and I like a few of the bands and would have been singing along for sure!
Looks like a ton of fun!
I haven't heard of any of these artists (hides) but country was never my thing so yeah. But I'm so happy you enjoyed at the festival and it seems like you had a great time! 🙂 Great pics, Lauren 🙂
Wow! Looks like you were treated to some fantastic artists. I wouldn't have minded seeing Alabama. Did they sing Cheap Seats?
I used to love country music so much. I've seen the Eli Young band and really enjoyed them. Alabama was my ultimate fsvorite as a kid. I got to see them when I was 20 and it felt like a dream come true. I'm so glad you had a great time, Lauren.
Thank you for sharing!
Though I love country music, I've yet to go to a concert in the genre. The Band Perry and the Eli Young Band would be so much fun!
How fun! That is so cool about your parents and Alabama.
I don't really listen to country music, but I also remember Alabama from years back. Great photos.
People are always talking about The Band Perry; but I have never heard their music before. :/
xx
Oh this looks like so much fun!
I've heard of the Pistol Annies!
Ooh dude this country girl loves the sound of the festival! I love the Eli Young Band! sounds like a blast!! 🙂
Not artistes I'm familiar with but then I'm not a big music fan. Thanks for a great introduction, I'll be sure to look these up on YouTube.
It sounds like you had a lot of fun! I'm not a fan of country music (I've spend too much time in choir, striving for tall vowels, to be able to deal with the wide, twangy, sounds), but if I were, I would totally want to come here. Ashley Monroe sounds like a fun, entertaining, engaging performer and a nice person to get to know!
That's quite a performance–well, many performances! I like it when musicians tell about how they came to create their songs. Those stories add so much interest to the music.
This sounds like a pheonominal experience! 😀 I'm not a huge fan of country music, but it sounds like this would be wonderful for those like you who are more into it. Thanks for sharing Lauren, and for giving us the inside scoop! 😉
~ Zoe @ The Infinite To-Read Shelf
I honestly haven't gone to any concerts in my life – choir doesn't count, lol – but it sounds like you had a lot of fun! 🙂
This sounds like such a fun festival! I'm not a huge country music fan, although other people in my family are, but I like The Band Perry. That's so cool that you got to see them 🙂
This looks like it was an awesome concert! I haven't been to one in a few years… you just reminded me on how much I'm missing!