Much like last year, it was a rainy start for the 2013 Boots and Hearts Country Music Festival. On Wednesday of last week, organizers announced that the three-day passes sold out and anticipated approximately 100,000 people to attend during the 4-day event.
Unfortunately, it was the calm before the storm as the torrential downpour, on Friday, resulted in the municipality shutting down the day parking and general admission camping on Saturday. The Boots and Hearts Facebook Page was a flurry of complaints and demands for a refund.
All Hands on Deck For Boots and Hearts Damage Control
Midst the havoc, what people didn’t know is that organizer, Shannon McNevan and his management team were all on deck at Gate 5 to explain the situation to every attendee who arrived while trying their best to accommodate. Some people left while others chose to park at the side of the road and walk to the venue. When I heard about this, it gave me a renewed appreciation for the Boots and Hearts organization. Good job guys!
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Great Music For the Young and Seasoned Festival Goer
The Boots and Hearts organizers delivered a stellar lineup this year that patronized to younger country music fans and seasoned music festival attendees. Personally, I knew of Joe Diffie, Rascal Flatts and Miranda Lambert. After this weekend, I have added Dierks Bentley, Jason Blaine, High Valley, and The Band Perry to my iTunes playlist.
Thanks to GM, a surprise performance from Blue Rodeo took place on Saturday afternoon. Although it was only three songs, it was a pleasure to finally see this Canadian sensatation in person. (Am I the only one?)
The Band Perry’s lead vocal Kimberly Perry was on her A-Game Saturday night as she strutted around the stage with sassiness and verve. The eclectic style of The Band Perry is sure to bring great success to this dynamic trio. If you ever have the chance to see them in concert, I would highly recommend it!
Dierks Bentley was by far the greatest performance of the weekend. From interacting face to face with adoring fans to giving a signed guitar to one admirers, his energy and appreciation for his fan base was proven time and time again throughout his performance.
Of course, headliners Jason Aldean, Rascal Flatts, and Miranda Lambert brought in thousands of people every night and delivered amazing acts. Despite several disappointing reviews online, I thought Rascal Flatts was by far the best of the three. Jason Aldean had the most dirtiest audience as when the rain stopped the mud sliding began. Truck Yeah!
The best part of the weekend is that all the acts were relatively on time and, as media, we had very few stipulations in regards to photography.
After reviewing the twitter feed #BootsandHearts, when the clouds of negativity passed and the sun came up, the mood of the event changed. From the hard work and dedication of the organizers to the artist’s performances at Boots and Hearts, I think that the hurdles, albeit tough, were minimal and the event was an overall resounding success once again.
