Eight years into Boots and Hearts and the lineup this weekend has us incredibly excited. After a high octane kick-off on Thursday night Friday was primed to jump into high gear with plenty of amazing talent to keep the party going until well into Saturday morning.

Friday was posed to be a busy day with 5 interviews scheduled and countless must see performances so to say I got a lot of steps in was a bit of an understatement.

John Abrams performs at Boots and Hearts photo Morgan Nordskog

My day kicked off with our favourite Kingston boys, the Abrams, who kicked off the party on the Front Porch stage. If you’ve never seen the Abrams perform live you have to put them on your must see list. These two guys are loaded with energy and they let it all out when they hit the stage which is great if you’re a fan of live music, not so much if you’re a fiddle bow because Jack will pretty much destroy you every set.

Jake Rose performing at Boots & Hearts Music Festival. Photo By: Spencer Smye Photography

Next up was a quick trip to the Main Stage where Jake Rose was kicking things off for the day. This singer/songwriter originally from Minneapolis, MN quickly charmed the Boots and Hearts crowd making some new Canadian fans, us included, in the process. We only made it for one song but when the song is called “WD40 and Beer” you know it’s not going to be one that you’ll easily forget. We spoke with Jake after his set so be sure to watch for the full interview coming soon.

Levi Hummon performs at Boots and Hearts photo Morgan Nordskog

Following Jake I had the chance to chat with Levi Hummon before his set on the Front Porch stage. Son of Grammy award winning singer/songwriter Marcus Hummon (“Cowboy Take Me Away”, “Bless The Broken Road”) music wasn’t Levi’s first artistic passion. Levi started out as a painter before a broken heart led him to music as a refuge. This is one interview you’re not going to want to miss.

I caught Levi’s performance, shortly after our interview, and was pleasantly surprised to see that Hummon has already won the hearts of some Canadian country fans who were dancing and singing along. Look forward to seeing more from Levi in the coming years.

Drew Baldrige performs at Boots and Hearts – photo Morgan Nordskog

Up next was a bucket list performance by an artist I got hooked on a few years ago thanks to SiriusXM The Highway, Drew Baldridge. The first song I got to know from Drew was his duet with Emily Weisband “Rebound”. That song got me hooked and I’ve been a fan ever since. His live performance didn’t disappoint either. The downside to many of Friday’s daytime performances was that they were only 30 minutes long making it difficult to catch a lot of the set before having to make our way to another stage or interview.

Ryan Hurd, aka Mr. Maren Morris, hit the front porch next. He’s been out promoting his latest EP Panorama which was released earlier this summer. I managed to catch performances of “Her Name Was Summer” and “Diamonds and Twine” before having to head off to an interview.

My next two interviews were with Jake Rose and Drew Baldridge respectively. Jake made a strong first impression coming up and introducing himself right away as if we had known each other for years. My interview with Jake, who I knew the least about going into the interview, was probably one of my favourite interviews of the day. Drew Baldridge was also amazing to meet and chat with. Hearing the stories behind some of the songs I’ve been listening to for the last few years, in person, is always a treat. Watch for both interviews coming up shortly.

My last two interviews of the day were with a pair of Warner Music Canada artists. The Abrams and Kris Barclay. It’s always great to catch up with John and Jack Abrams. These two brothers are the closest thing to a home town act we’re going to get at Boots and Hearts this year. The Abrams hail from Kingston, Ontario which is just an hour down the road from our home base in Prescott. We chatted about the Kingston Music scene and new music including their new single: “Good Old Days” off their forthcoming EP Reminder due September 20 on Warner Music Canada.

Next up was 2018 Boots and Hearts Emerging Artist Kris Barclay. Kris and I have crossed paths numerous times in the last year so it was good to finally get a chance to sit down and chat about his experience at last year’s Boots and Hearts and the year that followed his big win. Watch for both interviews coming soon.

After a quick dinner break it was back out to the main stage for anticipated performances by Maren Morris and Cole Swindell.

Maren Morris performing at Boots & Hearts Music Festival. Photo By: Spencer Smye Photography

Ever since I first heard “My Church” on SiriusXM The Highway a few years ago I was on the Maren Morris bandwagon. Her vocals are outstanding and the songs easily become frequent additions to my playlists. Her stage setup was simple and the lighting was outstanding. Maren brought a lot of energy to the stage, clearly feeding off of the massive crowd that had gathered for her performance.

When she started into “My Church” near the end of her set I got goosebumps, it was even better live than on the recording. She capped off her set with her massive hit “The Middle”, a song she recorded with Zedd and Grey. More pop than country but does it really matter? The crowd loved it and sang and danced along.

Cole Swindell performing at Boots & Hearts Music Festival. Photo By: Spencer Smye Photography

Cole Swindell has been a long standing favourite of mine since before he reached headliner status. His songs, the lyrics, I could listen to Cole all day. He started his set with “Love You Too Late” and for the next 90 minutes cranked out about 15 songs including 2 mashups.

Highlights for me were his performances of “Hope You Get Lonely Tonight”, “Middle of a Memory”, “Breakup in the End”, and a gripping performance of “You Should Be Here” (we shared part of the performance on Facebook). Cole wrapped up his set with a mashup of “Chillin’ It”, “Old Town Road” and “This is How We Roll” before blowing everyone away with a powerhouse performance of “Flatliner”.

For the younger crowd the after-hours dance party kept the energy flowing for a few more hours at the Front Porch stage while us older folk, can’t believe I just admitted to that but after a day like today not even Monster could give me the energy to keep going much longer.

Our coverage of Boots and Hearts continues so be sure to keep an eye on our exclusive Boots and Hearts page: www.soundcheckentertainment.ca/bootsandhearts. Our 2019 coverage is sponsored by 1000 Islands RV – Life is Short, Live It Well

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