My first music festival experience at Bourbon & Beyond was amazing. The weather in Louisville, Kentucky was absolutely beautiful; very hot but with a cool breeze. In my opinion, it was the perfect weather for a weekend outside filled with live music.
Photo by Steve Thrasher. Courtesy of Bourbon and Beyond
My friends and I walked in right as Reignwolf was performing their set. I don’t know any Reignwolf songs but they were really good and energetic. As we walked through the fairgrounds, we picked up some incredible food and saw some breathe taking artwork. The festival had everything from little cowboy and cowgirl hat stands to the Greta Van Fleet cook off.
Sammy Kiszka and his brother Jake kiszka went head to head to see who could make the best Bourbon & Beyond burger. Drummer Daniel Wagner made a special appearance as one of the judges. The burgers looked amazing! Sammy made an impossible burger with mac and cheese and Jake made a blue cheese bourbon burger with bacon. Danny has said in many interviews that he loves Jakes cooking but Sammy’s burger won with votes from the two other judges.
Photo by Steve Thrasher. Courtesy of Bourbon and Beyond
The sun was beaming down on all of us when we hit the hottest part of the day as we caught a glimpse of Crowded House. We laid out in the sun as “Don’t Dream its Over” swooped us away into relaxation. Eddie Vedder even made an appearance. As the sun began to set we saw a very interesting set by St. Vincent. They were so entertaining and the three backup singers have such incredible voices.
Photo by Nathan Zucker. Courtesy of Bourbon and Beyond.
The night came to an end with Greta Van fleet. My friends and I swayed in unison to “Light My Love” as an old man came up to us and said in a very thick southern accent “I love you bitches and I love that y’all are making such great memories together.”
Photo by Steve Thrasher. Courtesy of Bourbon and Beyond.
One of my biggest goals in life is to make the most of my youth. I want to create memories that will last a lifetime so hearing that warmed my heart. It was unfortunate that we couldn’t stay to see Pearl Jam perform, but I am happy my first music festival was at Bourbon & Beyond. If you are looking to become a festival goer, Bourbon & Beyond is a good starter festival because it’s not too big but still has all the good vibes!
Bourbon & Beyond returns September 14-17, 2023. Check it out here.