One of the largest crowds in recent memory packed the grounds of Eatonton’s City Center Stage on Saturday as the 3rd annual “Peg Leg” Howell BBQ & Blues Festival presented nonstop music, dancing, and fire-born dining all day long and well into the night.
Music fans stood 10 deep in front of the stage, shoulder-to-shoulder, dancing and swaying in time to an energetic mix of blues, dance music, and good ol’ rock-n-roll with a little gospel influence thrown in for good measure.
DJ “Magic Mike” started the party at 2 p.m., followed by Georgia’s own THUNDERGYPSY, a rockin’ blues quartet with the growing crowd up and dancing in short order.
Next came Cannonball Red & the Head Hunters, another true blues act featuring “Red,” said to be “a Blues brother with soul running through his veins.”
According to his website, originally from Douglasville, “Red’s true origin story lies in the gospel music ringing through Calvary Baptist Church,” just up the road from Eatonton in rural Madison.
By late afternoon, space on the lawn in front of City Center Stage was at a premium. It had all but disappeared as lawn chairs and blankets created a colorful mosaic occupied by an equally colorful and happy, feel-good crowd that had swelled to several hundred music fans. That’s when Atlanta-based DraKarr & An Experience took over and delivered a high-energy set that got Eatonton up and dancing.
Offering the perfect follow-up performance was a soulful but upbeat J-Wonn and his band, visiting Eatonton amid an extensive year-long tour that had already visited St. Louis, Houston, New Orleans, Chicago, Dallas, and Oklahoma City just one week before their “Peg Leg” appearance.
And finally, as day turned to night, just as she had at last year’s “Peg Leg” Howell BBQ & Blues Fest in Eatonton, West Love, and the 478 Band revved up the still-packed audience with a series of get-up-and-dance grooves, with just the right hint of a sexy, soulful revival vibe.
It was a remarkable event, bringing together an impressive collection of top-notch professional acts to entertain an energetic, well-behaved, friendly, and impressive crowd that showed off the best of small-town hospitality while enjoying a good time.