The penultimate night of the Barefoot Country Music Fest in Wildwood continued Saturday night with throwbacks, honky-tonks, and an emphasis on patriotism.
Don Louis kicked things off in the early afternoon with a taste of southern Texas music. He lit up the Patrón stage intro a true party.
Chris Cagle followed to headline the same stage. Cagle has been around the country scene for over 25 years, and he and his band were able to command a ‘90s style country set for the entire hour.
Following Cagle, Larry Fleet kicked off the Main Stage with music comparable to Chris Stapleton. Fleet’s band was accompanied by his powerhouse voice, which allowed for a mix of blues, soul, and country on stage.
For a change of pace, Boyz II Men continued the day and brought the high energy, despite not fitting in with the genre.
Everyone knew all of the words, and the group, local to Philadelphia, were able to command a huge crowd of over 40,000.
Right before Boyz II Men, the festival ran a military appreciation ceremony, showcasing different military and first responders.
The showcase featured the Special Forces Association Parachute Team, who dove above the Main Stage, a military flyover, and military and Wildwood Fire Department appreciation.
As the sun began to set, Chris Janson hit the stage, who is a fan favorite for many in the country scene. Janson’s crazy energy was matched both vocally and on the piano, during his partial covers of “Great Balls of Fire” and “Piano Man.”
Janson also debuted two songs off of his upcoming record: “Me & a Beer” and “This Flag.”
After bringing his 11-year-old son on stage to sing, and after performing his biggest hit “Buy Me a Boat,” Janson concluded with covers of “God Bless the USA” by Lee Greenwood and “Courtesy of the Red, White, & Blue” by Toby Keith.
Right after Janson, headliner Jason Aldean hit the stage on one of the first stops of his “Full Throttle” tour.
Aldean opened with a few old tracks, like “Hicktown,” “Amarillo Sky,” and “Why,” but turned it around with newer singles like “Trouble With a Heartbreak” and “Whiskey Drink.”
Although he drew the biggest single crowd so far at this year’s festival, his energy was lower than it was when he performed here a few years ago. He sounded tired and low energy, but he still kept his spirits up for the festival.
“I can’t believe Boyz II Men are opening for me, but here we are,” Aldean said.
Jelly Roll and Jordan Davis will headline the final night of BCMF, along with Main Stage acts Ella Langley and Bayker Blankenship.
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