Not many things make me rise before 7:00 a.m. but, I confess, the chance to see the one and only Danny Worsnop sing Country did it. I have been a fan of Danny in his Metal music (Asking Alexandria) his Rock band (We Are Harlot) and now his Outlaw Country music. I must admit that I was a bit nervous as to what to expect, but was more than satisfied when Danny came out and put the balls into Country. He kicked off the first ever Driftwood Festival (a SGE production) with his his first ever live country performance.
Now that you know that seeing Wornsop do Country is a must, let me tell you about the rest of the day.
For Micro Brew Beer Fans, Wine drinkers, and BBQ lovers this was your day. Staged at the beautiful Doheney Beach in Dana Point, CA with the sand between the toes and the brews flowing, this was setting up to be a perfect California day in the sun. Beers, BBQ, and wine were not the only things being served up for the thousands of festival attendees. My personal favorite was the chicken kabobs and the coffee from Kicking Horse, who kept us highly caffeinated all day with their wonderful brew.
The live music lineup, in order of appearance, included: Danny Wornsop, Mariachi El Bronx, The White Buffalo, Parmalee, Thompson Square, Rodney Atkins and Jerrod Niemann. For me, the music was and always is the highlight and reason why I attend any festival. It’s no secret that I am more a Rock and Metal fan but this Country festival kept me intrigued, partly because there was something for a range of fans.
Mariachi El Bronx is what the name suggests, a Mariachi band.
The White Buffalo was more traditional country with a fist full of outlaw.
Parmalee infused modern country rock into their set and seemed to be a favorite amongst fans 25 – 45 years old.
Thompson Square reached the classic rock fans by mixing in countless mini covers of songs by bands ranging from AC/DC to Nirvana, and dabbled in some new country.
Rodney Atkins’ set was traditional country mixed with outlaw and then included a dash of contemporary country.
The headliner Jerrod Niemann topped the night off with a similar mix of outlaw, traditional, and modern country rock.
The event offered a VIP seating area for those fans that wanted to be closer to the action. There was no lack of action in the crowd. Fans danced the night away and one fan even brought there own stick horse to the show.
Driftwood covered the bases for a great chill day at the beach. Great eats, drinks, music and havin’ a good ol’ time was the theme of the day, and it was a banner day. Be sure to take part next year!
