First ‘Country Calling’ Done Right
The Country Calling festival, sister to rock-laden Ocean’s Calling, kicked off its birthday on October 4th and 5th in the quaint beach town of Ocean City, Maryland. Yes, the beach. Heavy, sinking sand and oppressive sun included, despite its placement in mid fall. The two day festival held no punches with its debut lineup, including the “Chief” Eric Church and the one and only Tyler Childers to bookend each day.
Production companies take great pride in running their theme throughout the festival, and Country Calling was no different with having drink specials (I’ll let you guess what they pushed: hint, rhymes with cheer and brisky) and stage names tying in songs from the genre. The three stages were named “Boot,” “Scoot,” and “Boogie,” maybe in reference to Asleep at the Wheel’s 1990 dancehall hit “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” or maybe even paying tribute to Brooks & Dunn’s cover of the same tune or maybe, still, honoring a cover of a cover when The King, George Strait performed it for Brooks & Dunn’s retirement tour in 2009. We may never know.
The days usually started around noon with up and comers like Florida native Hueston and Sam Barber-esque newbie Waylon Wyatt then leading into throwbacks like Clint Black, Martina McBride, Dwight Yoakam, and Tanya Tucker. I had never seen any of those big names in their heydays, partly because I wasn’t as into live music back then but mostly because I wasn’t into anything besides diapers and nap time. So I never knew Tucker was a riot as she took the stage and let the crowd know she had just come from Mexico so if Montezuma’s Revenge strikes, we would know why she had to leave the stage. She also looked f-a-n-t-a-s-t-i-c in her fringed blouse, teal jewelry, cowboy hat and silver buckles as she danced across the stage during her set.
Riley Green played to a packed beach on Friday night and was a great surprise to me. I have listened to his music before and liked what I heard, but gosh darn, he is a great and gracious performer. I actually don’t know how he sang as much and as well as he did through his perpetual and perfect smile. The “Hell of a Way to Go” singer acknowledged all the help he has had throughout his career and how grateful he was for his fans. I think you can get a real sense for when artists genuinely keep their roots with them and it’s always so sweet to see. His backdrop was also down to his roots with hay barrels and images of farm life back home in his native Alabama. He brought Jelly Roll, Clint Black, and breakout star Ella Langley on stage throughout his performance. Green and Langley hit the charts earlier this summer with their “looks like you love me” duet, which the crowd felt was coming since they knew Langley was in town having only performed hours before Green at Country Calling. Even I anxiously awaited the diddy as he brought her on stage to first sing their other duet, “Don’t Mind If I Do,” the titular track on Green’s newest album. Green and Langley teased the crowd as they ended their second duet, a Merle Haggard cover, by saying goodnight and pretending Langley was walking off the stage as Green said to the crowd “unless you wanted to hear that other song we have,” to which the crowd obviously erupted in a euphonious agreement.
On Saturday, Paul Cauthen, half of the Unrighteous Brothers with Orville Peck, had an unforgettable performance. His crowd work included an anecdote about how he has been on the road since 2007 and has earned every single one of his fans. The best way I can sum Cauthen up is, if you know you know. He is a well-guarded gem that I almost hate to share, but like the parental poignancy of letting go of their growing children, I want my favorite artists to be successful, even if that means they become less accessible to me. Swirl together Johnny Cash’s baritone, David Bowie’s stardust flair, and Merle Haggard’s f*#k you, country boy attitude and you got yourself Paul Cauthen. In an interview with country music blog Holler., he speaks of his quest to constantly evolve, push boundaries, and reach fans he hasn’t before, which explains his disco-funk, country-rock sound that he does so incredibly well.
As the sun set each day, you could not have painted a better picture of the stage and the ferris wheel lit up against a dimming sky imbued with the soft pinks and oranges of fall. Even though my calves were cramping from sludging through the sand with 20 pounds of gear trying to photograph the first three songs of the next artist at the other end of the beach, I had to stop to take in the panorama moment as the stage lights competed with the sky and the waves crashed with the chorus.
And of course Church and Childers. I had never seen Eric Church before, but apparently he puts on an incredible show and I will be tracking his tour for my next fix. The “Springsteen” singer announced the weekend of the festival that all the royalties from his newest song “Darkest Hour” would go to Hurricane Helene relief, which ravaged his home state of North Carolina the week before. As abundantly as the grains of sand packed on the shore, excited fans lined the beach to capacity as Tyler Childers took the stage. Still on his Mule Pull tour, Childers’ stage design consisted of an analog television playing clips from older Childers music videos, the “Cluck Ol’ Hen” rubber chicken, and a full band for the Food Stamps to shine on. Every time I see Childers and crew it’s like the first time.
Next year’s dates have yet to be announced, but based on its inaugural attendance, you can bet they will be back. Check out their website or subscribe for the mailing list to stay in the loop so you’re ready to answer when it’s Country Calling.
Check out the festival here: https://www.countrycallingfestival.com