After having a few days to reflect on the fifth anniversary of Barefoot Country Music Fest, it’s time to give some report cards for the good sets & the sets that left some to be desired.
Friday
A+: Warren Zeiders, Samantha Spano
Zeiders brought electric energy and an atmosphere that no other artist brought all week. His large fanbase accompanied him well.
Samantha Spano, the hometown Coastal Cowgirl, performed covers that matched perfectly with her hits, and you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between the two. Her energy was perfect to start the hot, sunny day.
A: Lainey Wilson, George Birge, LANCO, Lauren Davidson
As a headliner, Lainey Wilson crushed her role with great energy, vocals, band, and production. Her performance immersed the audience into her Whirlwind setting. Though much of the crowd didn’t know some of her newer tracks, she made up with it by her energy and audience interaction.
George Birge killed it with a good vibes main stage set. As simple as it may seem, energy goes a long way when the majority of the crowd doesn’t know your catalogue.
LANCO headlined the side stage at the 4:30 pm slot and had a bigger crowd than anyone else on the stage. Even up to 30 minutes before their set, a huge crowd was drawn, which is unique for this festival. The band brought huge 2015s country energy for each song.
Lauren Davidson went on early, and as a local country name, she did great. People were into her music.
A-: Kaitlin Butts
Butts had an interesting amount of pressure, performing late on the side stage with the OPRY name plastered all over the set design. She delivered with main stage energy, which went over well with the crowd.
B+: Avery Anna
Anna was also part of the OPRY Next partnership with BCMF, however she was one of the view from this group to perform on the main stage. She already had the younger crowd on her side, but won over the rest with covers of Toby Keith and Creed.
B-: Sam Barber
Sam Barber’s voice is powerful and, put simply, great, but the crowd either didn’t know his songs or just weren’t into him. That didn’t help his case. The only time the crowd was singing was during his biggest hit, “Man of the Year,” and the rest of his set slowed down the vibe of the festival. Other than that, he showed off his immense talent and skill and played a set of great songs.
Honorable Mention: Drone Show
The drone show that took place between Warren Zeiders’ and Lainey Wilson’s sets were a huge highlight of the festival. Last year, the debut of the show was delayed, so this was the first time that fans were exposed to it, and it was easily an A+ event.
Saturday
On paper, this wasn’t the most desirable day, but it really ended up being great all around.
A+: Chris Janson
Janson surprised myself, and what seemed like everyone else, with his set of hits and new songs. It seemed like everyone was having one of the best Saturday nights of their lives, and he was the perfect act to put on the “USA” theme night.
A: Boyz II Men, Chris Cagle, Larry Fleet
Who would’ve thought that Boyz II Men would be one of the better sets at a country music festival in New Jersey? The band brought throwback vibes and songs that everyone knew and even brought out Philadelphia Eagles superstar Landon Dickerson.
Chris Cagle not being a late night set on the main stage is a shocker. This guy has been in the business for years and years, and shined on the side stage with the perfect amount of old school hits and crowd participation.
Larry Fleet had a set reminiscent of one from Chris Stapleton. Blues, rock, and country mesh together into one. His songs were about five minutes each, but impressed the crowd and got them ready for the remainder of the day.
B: Austin Williams
Austin Williams had fun energy, but was put in a tough time slot and didn’t quite get the energy that he needed to feed off of. He was like if Morgan Wallen met HARDY in terms of his performance style. It was fun, but probably more fun if you were a few drinks in.
B-: Jason Aldean
In theory, Aldean should blow the roof off the place with his nearly three-dozen #1 hits, but his energy was low and seemed to do the bare minimum to get his paycheck from the festival. However, having every song he performed be a huge hit really helped in every aspect of the performance.
Sunday
A+: Jelly Roll
Many online said Jelly Roll was the best show in all five years of BCMF, and that wouldn’t be a surprise. Jelly Roll brough all sorts of energy for country fans and people who were just there for a good time. Plus, you can tell Jelly Roll has been happier and more mobile after his 100+ pound weight loss since his last show in NJ in 2024!
A: Jordan Davis
If you weren’t a fan of Davis before BCMF, you are likely one now. Not only did his set build in energy and never come down as the show progressed, but he also completely won fans over with his “burnt CD” medley, featuring tracks from Matchbox Twenty, The Killers, blink-182, and more.
A-: Ella Langley
Langley put on a rocking set, opening with her biggest new hit, “weren’t for the wind.” She was a little annoyed that other stages were louder than hers at the same time, but that is understandable. She will definitely be back at the festival in a later time slot!
B+: Bayker Blankenship
Bayker was great–a great voice, a great band, and great energy overall. However, I think the crowd was expecting higher energy at 5:30 pm, and that’s just not what they got. He had an amazing set, but it just wasn’t the right time or place for him. In fact, I think he would’ve benefited from being on the side stage or an earlier time slot, despite him being main stage material.
BCMF returns on the same weekend in 2026! Who do you want to see then?
NJ Music Festivals 