Featured photo by Paige Mast
Story by Emma Burden
Music lovers strutted down the streets of Franklin, Tennessee, decked in their finest western wear for the second and final day of Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival. Rhinestone tops, cut-off shorts and white cowboy boots lined the roads. Day one of Pilgrimage, with its mud-covered rain boots, heavy jackets and sopping wet jeans, was long gone.
Though the sun wasn’t shining over Franklin, cloud coverage was more than acceptable. Music fans remained overjoyed by the overcast weather — thankful for the lack of rain. In addition to the drizzle, gone were the long entry lines of day one, the grumbles of cars stuck in mud and the lack of umbrellas. Festivalgoers were grooving and shaking as soon as doors opened, raising cans to the cloudy sky and dancing wildly to the beats of The Brevet, Grace Bowers & The Hodge Podge and Stephen Wilson Jr. early in the afternoon.
The grass of the Park at Harlinsdale was still replaced with mud, but that didn’t stop hordes of fans from pouring into the area surrounding the Midnight Sun stage. The crowd was noticeably larger at 2 p.m. for undercard acts than for some of Saturday’s evening headliners.
A dreary rain began around 2:45 p.m., but, lifted spirits carried over from the pleasant morning, and fans donned their ponchos to keep the party going. Crowds swayed with the rain, jumping to the music like raindrops falling in puddles.
The sky brightened as Steven Sanchez took the Midnight Sun stage at 3:50 p.m., serenading his audience to the sweet tune of “Evangeline,” his both voice brooding and welcoming.
“Hello there, Franklin, Tennessee,” Sanchez greeted. “Come rain or shine, we’re going to have a good time, folks.”
Sanchez braved Sunday’s muggy heat in a two-piece suit. He swung his electric guitar over his padded shoulder and rocked out in front of a graphic display resembling sparkling red stage curtains accompanied by his name in neon lights.
A blend of classic fair food and Spanish and Asian-influenced grub was the perfect mid-afternoon pickup for music lovers, with fans choosing their food in accordance to the weather. Instead of carrying paper cups with hot lattes, music lovers sipped ice-cold beers and lemonade.
“Finally, a sky that looks normal,” Kevin Griffin, lead singer of Better Than Ezra and co-founder of Pilgrimage said as he took the Gold Record Road stage at 4:50 p.m. “Am I right?”
Griffin may have spoken a bit too soon. A light sprinkle began during Better Than Ezra’s second song, a cover of The Ramones’ 1978 hit “I Wanna Be Sedated.” And, as dark skies began to crowd the sky, die-hard fans of Better Than Ezra crowded the stage. Fans shimmied their cowboy boots in fresh mud and held up their hands in celebration as the band continued to play.
COIN gave their crowd a lovesick feeling as they brought indie-rock to the Midnight Sun stage.
“It’s a dream to roll up in our own cars and sleep in our own bed tonight,” said lead singer Chase Lawrence. “It’s 6 o’clock on a Sunday in the pouring rain. I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”
The Nashville-based band played plenty of crowd favorites, but also performed some of their newer tracks, giving the Pilgrimage crowd a sneak peek at their tour that kicks off on Sept. 30. One of their most notable tunes, “Asking For A Friend,” featured on their newest album “I’m Not Afraid Of Music Anymore,” included a glitchy, peach and black graphic that also displayed the song’s lyrics.
As temperatures dropped and music fans began to bust out Saturday’s raincoats for warmth, Noah Kahan broke a sweat as he provided some somber, indie-folk tunes to close out the festival.
“My name is Noah Kahan, and I’m here to make you unhappy,” Kahan greeted, foreshadowing lyrics as dreary as the weekend’s rainstorms.
Sunday’s headlining set was the 225th show of Noah Kahan’s two-year tour, and his last show for the foreseeable future. Kahan sang both deep cuts and crowd favorites, ranging from his early track “Young Blood” to the now-iconic “Stick Season,” during which alt-pop singer Ashe joined Kahan as a special guest.
The final day of Pilgrimage saw much less rain and a generally more cheerful audience. An energy of persistence shined through this year, caused by the sour weather of Saturday’s sets.
“It was fun to see the passion that all the fans have,” Amy Hilton said, standing by the Midnight Sun stage as her daughter took photos of Kahan in the pit. “Even when it was pouring, and cold and miserable. How excited they still were.”
Emma Burden is a Reporter for MTSU Sidelines.
To contact the Lifestyles Editor, email lifestyles@mtsusidelines.com.
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