After a long day and night, it was time to get up and do it all over again. Sunday was the second day of the fourth annual Sloss Music and Arts Festival, the weather had cleared and the forecast was promising with only a 20% chance of rain. That 20% grew as the day went on and what played out was the longest delay in Sloss Fest history. It wasn’t the weather that people were talking about that morning, it was the memorable sets of Arcade Fire, Moon Taxi and Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit from the day before.
Morning Teleportation got things going on the Shed Stage with a very chill set featuring jam sessions and a lot of crowd interaction. The band was formed in Bowling Green back in 2009 and have enjoyed recent success playing at festivals from coast to coast.
The party at the Shed continued with Patrick Droney next. The guy brought it that afternoon with a mix of R&B and rock that had the early crowd going. Based in Nashville and only 26, Droney has already built an impressive resume. It’s clear there is a bright future ahead for Droney.
One thing that Sloss Fest has always done is have the lineup filled with talented hometown acts like St. Paul and the Broken Bones, Lee Baines and the Glory Fires, The Burning Peppermints, and many more. This tradition continued Sunday with The Brummies. Now based in Nashville, The Brummies feature John Davidson and Jacob Bryant that are originally from the Birmingham area that had their own project named John & Jacob. They were joined by Trevor Davis to form The Brummies and just released a full-length album named Eternal Reach. The band showed off their exciting mix of folk and psych rock featuring lush melodies and unique arrangements.
The set to follow on the Steam Stage was another product of Nashville, Margo Price. The Midwest native made news a few years back by signing with Third Man Records, becoming the first country artist to do so. Her debut album titled Midwest Farmer’s Daughter was recorded at Sun Records in Memphis and has received high praise from all over the industry.
Just like Saturday, mother nature had her say and the festival was suspended due to inclement weather in the area. While waiting for PVRIS to take the Shed Stage, the weather suspension was announced. It obviously wasn’t received well thought the festival. To keep everyone safe, the festival (really the weather) created a very angry group of people. In reality, no one was happy about the situation from the fans, eager to see their favorite band, to the crew working and the performers themselves. The guys from Hippie Sabotage spent almost an hour taking pictures, hanging out and trying to make the most of the situation.
After a while it became clear that some bands were going to have to be dropped from Sunday’s schedule. When it was determined that AJR was not going to be able to play their set, they created one lasting moment that may have defined this year’s Sloss Fest for some. The decision was made to start loading up their gear and hit the road, but they didn’t just waive goodbye and say oh well. Instead, the members of AJR grabbed whatever acoustic instruments they could find and played a two-song set that blew away the packed crowd sort of lucky enough to be taking cover there. The set featured “Sober Up” and “Weak”. All the diehard fans were singing along to every word, which made this a standout moment during Sloss Fest 2018 that fans won’t soon forget.
The last set on what could be the best festival stage around, the Monster Energy Shed Stage, was Hippie Sabotage. The same two guys, brothers Kevin and Jeff Saurer, that we’re just casually hanging in the middle of the crowd during the weather delay, now had the entire place erupting from the moment they stepped on stage. The heavy bass beats and high energy duo made for a very thrilling set.
GRIZ was up next, putting a stamp on the weekend by sending the festival off in their dancing shoes. Saxophone player/DJ Grant Richard Kwiecinski had the entire Steam Stage crowd moving by covering classics like “Shout” by The Isley Brothers and “War” by Edwin Starr and mixing in his own hits like “Good Times Roll’. The familiar set list along with an incredible lighting/video display made for a lasting impression on Sloss Fest 2018.
Closing down the weekend was none other than Chris Stapleton, whose star has risen dramatically since releasing his official debut solo album Traveller in 2015. While Stapleton may have been a star more behind the scenes in country music as the former frontman for The Steeldrivers and as a songwriter for other artists, the last few years has seen Stapleton quickly earn respect from music fans of all kinds. That was clearly evident at Sloss Fest as Stapleton and his band, joined by his producer Dave Cobb on this night, played to a crowd of not just mainstream music lovers but music fans of all kinds. His 90 minute headline set included hits like “Tennessee Whiskey” and “Broken Halos”, showing off Stapleton’s roots music that incorporates everything from Outlaw Country, to Bluegrass, Soul, Blues, and Southern Rock. It’s Chris’s powerful and soulful vocals that soared throughout Sloss Fest that captured even the most causal Americana fan.
Even with the challenges that this year’s weather brought, the event shines bright. Sure, everyone would rather the festival was held in perfect weather with zero chance of rain but that’s not Alabama. There are plenty of blue skies but with that also come grey clouds and we must deal with both. No choice in the matter so next time you happen to be stuck at a festival during a rain delay, make the most of it by talking to the people next to you, have an impromptu karaoke competition or just find a quite spot to just relax and take it in because a suspended festival is still a festival.
All photos by Art Husband
