Local Spins Rewind: Faster Horses Festival 2019’s country stars, revelry, sun and rain

With 2020’s festival canceled due to COVID-19, Local Spins looks back at a 2019 country music celebration in Jackson County that drew more than 40,000 fans for Keith Urban, Toby Keith, Zac Brown and more.

 

Faster Horses 2019 had it all: Established big-name icons (Keith Urban, Toby Keith, Zac Brown Band), hit-making newcomers, future stars, sunshine, heat, and yes, a fair amount of rain.

For the seventh year in a row and for three days (July 19-21, 2019), thousands of fans flocked to the festival grounds next to Michigan International Speedway in southern Jackson County for a hot and humid weekend chock full of country music.

Intense heat and intense performances greeted the 40,000-plus attendees at Faster Horses Festival who came to party and to cheer not only an impressive main stage lineup but also 14 up-and-coming artists on the Dish-sponsored Next From Nashville stage.

Take a look back at the 2019 festival by revisiting photos from Eric Stoike of On the Run Photography, with a day-by-day recap by Tabatha Grover.

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PHOTO GALLERY: Day 1 (Keith Urban headliner)
Photos by Eric Stoike

HIGHLIGHTS: Tyler Rich, who kicked off the festival Friday, performing his most recent single, “Leave Her Wild.” Lindsay Ell and lead guitarist, Dane Kinser, playing “What Happens In A Small Town.” Lanco, who previously played the Next From Nashville Stage, rolling out a high-energy take on “Greatest Love Story.”

Brett Young, dressed all in black despite the heat, performing “Like I Loved You,” “Mercy” and “In Case You Didn’t Know.” Maren Morris, in a sparkly dress, sparking a sing-along to “I Could Use a Love Song,” accompanied by cello player Jacob Braum. (She ended her set with the hits “My Church,” “Shade” and “The Middle.”

By the time headliner Keith Urban hit the stage, the crowd had grown exponentially. Appropriately, he delivered renditions of “When The Sun Goes Down” and “Long Hot Summer,” and late even invited a fan on stage, signed his guitar and gave it to her. Another unforgettable moment came when he asked fans to light up the stage with the flashlights on their phones. Near the end of his set, the crowd was treated to a shower from confetti cannons, before Urban wrapped up the first night of the festival by singing his hit, “Wasted Time,” with help from the happy crowd.

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PHOTO GALLERY: Day 2
Photos by Eric Stoike

HIGHLIGHTS: Danielle Bradberry performing “Goodbye Summer,” “Sway” and “Shallow.” Mitchell Tenpenny, dressed in swim trunks with a heat index approaching 110 degrees, singing “Alcohol You Later” and “Bitches.” Morgan Evans, armed with pedal looper, playing a cover of “Honey, I’m Good” as well as “Day Drunk” and “Kiss Somebody.” An approaching storm at that point forced an evacuation of the festival grounds, with strong winds and rain rolling in. Music didn’t resume until 9:50 p.m., with Randy Houser regaling returning fans in a shortened set with “We Went,” “How Country Feels” and “Runnin’ Outta Moonlight” (an obvious crowd favorite). Old Dominion uncorking fan-pleasers “Break Up With Him” and “No Such Thing as a Broken Heart” among other faves.

Headliner Toby Keith and his band unleashed hit after hit for a rejuvenated crowd that was ready to party. Highlights included “Red Solo Cup,” “Not As Young As I Once Was” and “I Love This Bar,” with an encore (wrapping up around 1:30 a.m.) that featured “American Soldier” and “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue” with a member of the U.S. military joining him on stage for that final song.

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PHOTO GALLERY: Day 3
Photos by Eric Stoike

HIGHLIGHTS: Cassadee Pope kicking things off and playing “Think of You” and a cover of Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody.” Michael Ray, who was very interactive with his audience, singing “I’m Gonna Miss You,” “Kiss You In The Morning,” “The One That Got Away” and “Think A Little Less.” Dylan Scott blending his hit “Hooked” with “I Gotta Feeling” and singing a medley of “Fishin’ in the Dark,” “I Like It, I Love It,” “Dust on the Bottle” and “Check Yes or No.” Dylan Scott wrapping up his set with “When You Say Nothing At All” and “My Girl.”

Kip Moore, who did everything from dance with the on-stage ASL interpreter to encouraging a fan to pass him a joint on stage, performing “Wild Ones,” “Beer Money,” “Somethin’ ‘Bout a Truck” and “Fly Again.” Brothers Osborne, with the rain beginning to fall, cranking out “Drank Like Hank,” “Shoot Me Straight,” “Hard Workin’ Man,” “Stay a Little Longer” and “It Ain’t My Fault.”

Despite the rain — with no lightning in the area — the Sunday night headliner Zac Brown Band took the stage, opening with “Keep Me In Mind” and “As She’s Walking Away.” Fans roared with excitement for fiddle player Jimmy Dee Martini during a cover of “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” with band members soaked by the rain and playing in puddles on the catwalk. Fans in ponchos, trash bags and bikinis sang along to well-known hits as well as newer songs. During “Chicken Fried,” the band brought a soldier on stage to thank him for his service and then performed “Homegrown” to close out the three-day weekend. An impressive 20-minute fireworks display followed, signifying the official end to the festival as fans made their way out through the still-pouring rain. – By Tabatha Grover

Copyright 2019, Spins on Music LLC