Article and Photos by: Nick Durcholz

Franklin, Tenn. – From a patron’s perspective, the chicken and waffles of a gleeful music festival experience are the seemingly flagrant flavors of compromise and perseverance.

To keep these two ideals from completely spoiling amid a major hurricane that had near inexhaustible energy in the form of a North American monsoon, is nothing short of a supreme feat. The second day when Helene’s grip was beginning to loosen – after a long, saturated night – one of the producers of the festival took to the third, smaller stage. A stage devoted to towns integral to the musical heritage of America and he laid out an earnest homily on the altar of live music. In an instant, it was felt by everyone under that tent the passion radiating from the top down to everyone else on the Pilgrimage team.

Tucked between the mountains that are older than blood and watching the mists float about, I do not know that I have experienced such a poignant outdoor audio experience. It was church. It was temple. It was mosque. Add to the celestial image patrons and musicians alike fanning themselves on the second day, and I thought to myself: This is what a revival should be. It was such a powerful feeling that it made me think that religion stole its irrigation of the human psyche from music.

Reality kneading vibes aside, let us slice into the ingredients that give festivals their tang. The artists.

I finally navigated my way into the festival and settled as Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue were searing the monochrome palate of the sky with their jazzy cayenne. When you can inject that type of serotonin into a crowd in such a bland atmosphere, that is some powerful shine. That is a true gift. The instrumentation and vocals were packed with brightness and tethered with contagious grooves. It was my first time seeing them live, and they were everything I imagined them to be, and more.

Next in the steady pour was the gentle, Irish elf-prince Mr. Andrew John HOZIER-Byrne in all his fantastical glory.  Like a being created in Middle Earth by Aretha Franklin and William Butler Yeats. I might be slightly biased, because I have met the guy, and he is incredibly kind. Honk, honk on my horn. It also helped that he played the one song I wanted to hear the most: “Angel of Death in the Codeine Scene.” It is an underrated Hozier track possessing lyrics and a groove both equally hypnotic and poignant. Of course, this is a common trait of his music overall. Either way, he and his band lit up the dreary night. Also notable was Allison Russell coming onstage for a duet on “Work Song.” An incredibly beautiful and powerful experience.

Then Sunday came around, and I settled in a bit more smoothly, welcomed by the big band blasts of Stephen Sanchez. Let me tell you, this guy makes David Muir look homely. His sound is as smooth and crisp as his appearance. I enjoy the fact that his music is not just pop for the sake of popularity. It has some real soul to it. A crooner with substance. This is how pop music should be! But seriously, he was so attractive that even Helene lifted her skirt a bit. His set was the only time the sun came out.

Next was the ‘90s core sound of Better Than Ezra. I was thrilled to discover that these guys had a positive and uplifting energy about them without being too cheesy. The era of music BTE comes from is extremely important to me, and I was very satisfied with the precision of the instruments and the vocals. Their sound was a sort of homecoming, like relaxing in your childhood home. Aside from the great tunes, they were also able to lift the spirits of the crowd in a palpable way.

Enter COIN, a vibrant group of young lads with dance-y, bombastic sound with a bit of an edge. It is a truly contemporary sound, but not pretentious in any way. Very warm and welcoming. You can feel the love. I noticed that they can wield this sound and really project it like classic rock bands from the 70’s and 80’s. The performance was exhilarating and refreshing. They give me hope for the future of music.

Rounding out my weekend was NEEDTOBREATHE. The first thing that grabbed me was a cool neon piece that they had as a focal point of their stage appearance. Very slick. Their sound was largely classic rock with a touch of country. Typically, it is a taste I never enjoy in my musical diet; however, it had a type of aggression and energy I could see as appealing to rock fans such as myself. I appreciated the sound, but could not get into it fully because of my own biases. In general, they did put on an entertaining show!

I recall walking back to my vehicle at Pilgrimage in 2018, completely dejected to have found out that the festival was canceled after a couple acts performed and the weather turned. Rain and a lightning bolt or two killed that experience – unjustifiably it seemed to me – and I held onto that feeling for a long time. Don’t get me wrong, there definitely was chaos. Even with the intense efforts of the Pilgrimage team, it was chaotic. But this year, I’m so fulfilled by my experience that the letdown of 2018 has been completely and absolutely absolved. Rain or shine, I can’t wait to go back to the park at Harlinsdale!