Zac Brown Band, Alan Jackson and Many More at BamaJam 2012, Day 2!
After we had to deal with the big storm that blew through on Day 1 of BamaJam 2012, we were ready for a fresh start on Day 2! Luckily for us, there weren’t any other big hiccups the rest of the weekend, and the second day full of music and fun turned out great! Not only did we get to see the likes of Ronnie Milsap, Alan Jackson and Zac Brown Band live and in person, but we also discovered a lot of new and upcoming talent that we just can’t get enough of!
Southern Ground Took Over!
They could have easily renamed that second day of the festival “Southern Ground Artists” Day. This is Zac Brown’s label, and they basically just took over the Ram Stage for most of the day. We got to check out folks like Levi Lowrey, Nic Cowan, and Sonia Leigh, all with an amazing amount of talent and passion. The thing I love about the Southern Ground artists is that it is clear they are in it for the music and not the fame or fortune. This gives their songs a realness that you don’t get from just anyone. I look forward to hearing more from the all of these guys (and girl)!
Another high point for the day was getting to meet Casey James and then check out his set. You’d think that after Idol fame, and a few years in the business James might be a little weathered at this point. The reality couldn’t be further from the truth…he was ready to meet with fans and press in good humor and with a smile on his face! He even teased me a little for almost falling over (I’m clumsy…and the ground wasn’t stable!). My appreciation for Casey just continued to grow while watching him perform. He is a really great live performer and his music sounds just as good (if not better) live as on his record.
Three Unforgettable Performances!
As great as it always is to meet fresh and up and coming talent though, I was basically blown away by the next three acts we saw on stage…this being Ronnie Milsap, Alan Jackson and Zac Brown Band.
Ronnie Milsap is nothing short of amazing. His tunes are classic, but he performs them as if they just released yesterday! Besides the music though, I was really entertained by the commentary Milsap shared throughout his set. He took his time to introduce each of the band members, chatted about their music and records they are releasing, and the way he did it was just really funny, like he had all the time in the world. I guess you spend as much time on stage as he has, and you just kind of stop worrying about the schedules and the huge crowds and just kind of do your thing.
Continuing the iconic country music artist theme…Alan Jackson took the stage not long after Milsap, and again (I’m really starting to feel like a broken record here…), it was phenomenal. The fun part about Jackson’s performance is how much the crowd was into it. Everyone was dancing along as he sang hits like “Chattahoochee” and “Little Bitty“. It was especially fun when he performed “Where I Come From” and shots from the festival and around Alabama were playing on the screens behind him. Towards the end of the set Zac Brown came out and fans got to hear the two play their duets “As She’s Walking Away” and “Dixie Highway“. There are no words.
I can say pretty easily that my favorite performance out of the entire weekend was Zac Brown Band. They kicked off their set with an explosive entrance going from a dark to stage to brightly lit in seconds as they played the opening riff of “Keep Me In Mind“. From that point on it was simply an amazing performance. These guys were made to play live music (at one point the guitarist ran the length of the stage almost sliding on his knees rock star style…that’s some kind of showmanship!), and their songs really lend themselves to that environment. ZBB is definitely in my Top 5 favorite artists and catching this show was a bucket lister for sure!
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BamaJam 2012, Day 2 Complete Line-Up:
The BamaJam festival organizers did a really great job packing the line-up with as many talented artists and groups that the stage could handle. Unfortunately, that meant there was more music than one country music fan could listen in one day! So, not everyone is going to make it into this recap, but be sure to check out the complete list of performers below and take note of everyone on there!
- Tyler Denning Band
- Wheeler Boys
- Albert Castiglia
- Dugas
- Lyndsey Highlander
- Levi Lowrey
- Aaron Parker
- Nic Cowan
- Striking Matches
- Sonia Leigh
- Badfinger
- The Wood Brothers
- Casey James
- Stryper w/Micheal Sweet and John Elefante
- Ronnie Milsap
- NEEDTOBREATHE
- Alan Jackson
- Zac Brown Band
Big fan of this artist right here, Thank you for putting up this schedule.