SLN Goes to Toadlick Music Festival 2016

It's the little festival that could, only Toadlick Music Festival, located in L.A. (Lower Alabama), is far from being little.

Written by Tammy Ragusa
SLN Goes to Toadlick Music Festival 2016
Photo by Mark Broadway Photography

When it comes to music festivals in June, most thoughts turn to the premiere country music event, CMA Music Festival, or the multi-genre Bonnaroo, but there’s another weekend of fun for music lovers.

It’s the little festival that could, only Toadlick Music Festival, located in L.A. (Lower Alabama), is far from being little. The three-day music and camping festival just celebrated it’s fifth year of fun (June 2 through June 4) at the site of the National Peanut Festival Fairgrounds in Dothan, Alabama. Boasting nationally recognized country, rock and classic rock acts on the evening’s main stage, plus local and rising talent on the impressive side stage, it isn’t just music that makes Toadlick a must for serial festival-goers as we found out in our three-days in Alabama.

DAY 1:
Gates opened at noon and our group of fun-loving journalists arrived in ample time to set-up in the media tent and familiarize ourselves with the festival grounds (a/k/a – locate the bathrooms, cocktails and corn dogs).  While music poured from the side stage, we found the “World’s Best Corn Dog,” and contemplated hitting the inflatable water slides, but opted for the cooling properties of frozen sweet tea instead.

As hot as it was on the fairgrounds, it was about to be hotter on the main stage stage where the evening’s line-up consisted of newcomers Luke Combs and Riley Green, as well as Clare Dunn and Justin Moore.

Photo by Mark Broadway Photography

Photo by Mark Broadway Photography

Dunn stopped into the media tent and told us that she survives the balmy temps with a big fan on stage. “A couple of people have told me, ‘I love your Beyonce’ fan,’ and I’m like, ‘Thank you, but it’s because I sweat like a pig.’ I’m sure Beyonce’ doesn’t sweat like I do,” she laughed. She also said, “We just made a huge investment for me. Today we bought a $14 kiddie pool. It’s changed my life. So I say, if you can bring a kiddie pool, you have it made. Best survival tip I can think of. All the festivals this summer, we’re going to have the kiddie pool up and running.”

Photo by Mark Broadway Photography

Photo by Mark Broadway Photography

Newcomers Luke Combs and Riley Green may have been unknown to us, but there was a large group of attendees there just to see the newcomers and now we know why. Straight up country music and engaging performances have these two solo acts earmarked for Nashville. Clare Dunn was absolutely intoxicating with her “Beyonce’ fan,” delivering ripping guitar riffs and luxe vocals. Justin Moore aptly earned his headlining spot with one of the most high octane shows of the weekend. While Justin has his share of love songs, you can hardly call him a balladeer and his live show embraces that with a fantastic fury.

DAY 2:
It took a little less time to set up for the second day, but with a line-up that included Texas-based JB and the Moonshine Band, Aaron Lewis, Daughtry and Kid Rock we were chomping at the bit (and on giant turkey legs) to get started.

Photo by Mark Broadway Photography

Photo by Mark Broadway Photography

The always candid and hilarious Aaron Lewis stopped in and revealed that a reunion with his Staind bandmates was possible. “Me and Mike [Mushok] were just on the phone last week talking about a little sumthin’-sumthin’ we might do next year,” he revealed. “I feel like I’ve finally been in the genre long enough to stop hearing that I’m just dipping my toes in it to see what happens, so I don’t want to go and screw that up by jumping back into the whole thought process of being able to flip-flop back and forth between the two until I’ve really established myself here. I certainly think I have the capability of being able to play country music one weekend and play rock music the next weekend.”

Photo by Mark Broadway Photography

Photo by Mark Broadway Photography

The guys from JB and the Moonshine Band came by after their performance. As the opener, JB admitted, ‘When you start playing, there’s not many people and people are walking in and setting up their chairs and getting their coolers out. Nobody is really paying attention, so you do your best and it’s different every time. But ultimately, our ultimate responsibility is to go up there and have a good time and do what we do and just be ourselves and be authentic. Hopefully, people liked it.”

Photo by Mark Broadway Photography

Photo by Mark Broadway Photography

When it comes to versatility, JB and the Moonshine Band has it in spades, but as the opener for the mostly rock night, they amped up their set with a lot of electricity, a truckload of attitude and a raw, rockin’ set. Aaron Lewis’ performance may not have had the overt energy that his openers did, but his innate swagger oozed rock ‘n’ roll goodness and, as he promised, he kept a cigarette lit the entire time he was on stage. A hooded Daughtry bounded out with the most left-of-center show of the night, but only slightly left, and was fully engaging. But the night belonged to Kid Rock who promised fireworks and delivered. Everything a casual and an adamant fan would want from a Kid Rock show was realized…and then some.

Photo by Mark Broadway Photography

Photo by Mark Broadway Photography

DAY 3:
Exhausted, but excited for another evening of great music, we settled in to chat with a few artists before the evening’s line-up which included Anthony Orio, Ashley Monroe, Charlie Daniels Band, Eli Young Band and Alabama.

Photo by Mark Broadway Photography

Photo by Mark Broadway Photography

Charlie Daniels, one of the most anticipated acts of the weekend, speculated on what continues to make him a festival draw. “We’ve been blessed enough to have some songs that kind of transcend ages, generations and stuff because they mean the same thing now that they did 40 years ago. Whether ‘Long Haired Country Boy’ or ‘Drinkin’ My Baby Goodbye’ or ‘Legend of Wooley Swamp’ or ‘The Devil Went Down to Georgia,’ those songs mean basically the same thing now that they did then,” he explained. “One that kind of throws me once in a while, we had a song from 1973 called ‘Uneasy Rider’ and I still get requests for that song from people that weren’t even born when that came out, and if we ever had a song that you think would be frozen in a time warp, it would be that one.”

Photo by Mark Broadway Photography

Photo by Mark Broadway Photography

Eli Young Band held the coveted and critical spot between Charlie Daniels Band and Alabama. “They’re one of the most talented acts you’re gonna see. We’ve been doing this for 15 years and we still feel fresh and  young doing this,” EYB’s Jon Jones said of Charlie Daniels Band. “You watch those guys play and they’re killing it like they have been for 30-, 40-…I don’t know how many years Charlie’s been playing…(56)…wow, so we are new at this.”

Photo by Mark Broadway Photography

Photo by Mark Broadway Photography

One of only two females on the main stage, Ashley Monroe was unflappable as the opening act for Day 3. Sweet, charming, completely engaging, her performance was effortless and left us scratching our heads wondering why this songbird isn’t a bigger star. Although Charlie Daniels Band wasn’t the headliner, they left it all on the stage and took a few thousand fans with them. An insanely energetic performance for a 79-year-old…heck, for a 22-year-old, concert go-ers were on their feet for CDB’s entire show. Peeling off hit after hit left the band and the attendees were left wringing wet. Eli Young Band had big boots to fill wedged between Charlie Daniels and Alabama, and while they seem to have been lesser known to some of the audience, they certainly gained new fans as they made use of every inch of the stage and its catwalk into the crowd.

Photo by Mark Broadway Photography

Photo by Mark Broadway Photography

 

There was no need for Alabama to be introduced, nor was their any question of their popularity and importance in the landscape of American music. Often drowned out by the crowd who sang along to every word of every hit (and they couldn’t get to them all), Randy, Teddy and Jeff were lit up with excitement and energy. As if Eli Young Band had paved the way for them, they too raced up and down the catwalk and dazzled fans of all ages. Retirement? Psssshhh.