By Dave Parsons
The 2024 Country Calling Festival in Ocean City, Maryland kicked off its highly anticipated first year with a weekend full of a variety of country music acts. Country Calling comes on the weekend following the already successful Ocean Calling Festival that features rock and pop acts at the same ocean front venue.
Fans lined up in the early morning down the boardwalk, and the city sidewalks, around the festival area. They ran for their spots at either the Boot or Scoot stage, located at either end of the area, about 200 yards apart on the sand. The third stage, aptly named Boogie, would be filled to capacity throughout the day as well. The Boogie stage provided some relief for audience members who didn’t want to trek clear to the other end of the festival but still wanted some music non-stop. The food and drink vendors were well placed and ready to serve a large variety, at slightly below the usual festival prices.
There were some extra perks as well. The shops on the Boardwalk were open as if it were peak season in this tourist town. Having two festivals at the beginning of the off season has to be a huge boost for these businesses and to the local hotel trade. The boardwalk also provided some relief away from the massive crowds that filled the beach area for the concerts, and yet you could hear the show and see the large screens from there. I saw quite a few older fans enjoying the sights and sounds from that vantage point, as well as one concert goer who was 8 months pregnant. She said she had bought tickets before she knew she was expecting, but still wanted to experience it.
Another major perk was having the Jolly Roger at the Pier amusement park rides open, as well as the giant Pepsi Ferris Wheel. Not only were they open, but they were FREE to concertgoers. With the weather a little breezy, with a 70-degree sun in the sky the entire day the lines for the rides never stopped.
I’m inserting a small disclaimer at this point. Because some shows overlapped each other’s set times, and some acts just did not grant media access, it’s impossible to photograph and review every act at the festival. I photographed as many as was possible each day.
On to the music!
Being the first act, on a first-year festival, has to be like walking in new snow. It’s something you want to do, but is intimidating all the same. Will Jones was up to the task, taking the stage in a denim jacket, jeans and t shirt, at 12:30 on a Friday afternoon, and Jones with his music made the statement that country music will be played on this beach this weekend.
Jimmy Charles is a legend in the region around his hometown of Ocean City, and most of the state of Maryland. Thanks to a very tight band, and songs with clever (and sometimes painfully local) lyrics it was clear that those in the crowd who had seen him before, knew what kind of a fun-loving party show they were in for. From original songs like Fish On, They Grow Up Too Fast, and It’s A Maryland Thing, You Wouldn’t Understand to a few more modern covers, it is apparent that Jimmy Charles is proud to be a country music artist and for those that had not seen Charles before, it seemed they were pleasantly surprised. I am sure his social media numbers jumped after this show.
Country newcomer, Alexandra Kay, bounded onto the stage in aqua shorts, a white blouse and white boots and never let up. Opening with Easy, Backroad Therapy and I Hate Airplanes she remarked several times that she was an unsigned independent artist, and how much she appreciated everyone in the audience who was singing the words back to her. She launched into a medley of 90’s country classics, that got the crowd going. She went back to her current music, with the crowd still singing with her through versions of Skip This Part, How Do We Go? and the set closer Painted him Perfect. By the time she reached the finish line, the crowd was already wishing her set were longer, and looking forward to seeing her show live again soon.
Ella Langley ran out to the microphone in a denim top and black skirt duo, sunglasses and a stage presence that told the crowd they were about to be entertained. She worked both sides of the stage, dancing while playing guitar, with her hair swinging in the afternoon ocean breeze. Known for female empowering tunes, she had them all singing along to Cowboy Friends, while the men joined in on the chorus of You Look Like You Love Me, the duet she had out with Riley Green. (She later did the song live during Green’s set that evening.) Her last song, one she wrote for Koe Wetzel, called That’s Why We Fight had the crowd engaged until the last note rang out.
Kylie Morgan delivered a memorable showcase of her unique blend of heartfelt storytelling and infectious energy. Her set featured songs that showed her vocal strength and range, most notably Independent with You and If He Wanted to He Would. She bounced around the stage, pumping up the crowd with the ultra-catchy bop Shoulda. Her energy never slowed down, as she took the crowd through sing along’s like Gucci and Bad Girlfriend, Good Wife. By the time she was done, it was evident she would be rocking the stage at festivals for a long time to come.
The Red Clay Strays delivered a fun performance, mixing their Southern rock and country sound, to the delight of the audience. The band’s blend of storytelling and excellent instrumentation stood out on tracks like Doin’ Time and Wondering Why. These guys have stage presence, good vocals and great harmonies. They are ones tro watch in the future.
Warren Zeiders is one of the hottest up and coming artists in country music today. His live shows are a mix of country and southern rock. He delivers a powerful performance with great energy, especially on songs like his hits Pretty Little Poison and Relapse. With his all black attire of t shirt, jeans and cowboy hat to match, Zeiders took the crowd on an upbeat journey, as the sun started to go down.
The legendary Clint Black took the stage ahead of Jelly Roll with a setlist full of his greatest hits. Signature songs like A Better Man, Killin Time and When My Ship Comes In, had the large crowd singing with every word, and reliving memories. Backed by a band that was has been with him for most of his career, the hour time slot went by way too quickly for those that were with him since he began his career in the late 1980’s.
Jelly Roll had held an oversized crowd mesmerized about 200 yards down the beach, immediately before Green. It was evident that a lot of the crowd on Day one came to see Jelly Roll and he did not disappoint. His concert feels like part church service, part therapy and delivered by a man happy to be there. Between hits like Son of a Sinner, Need a Favor and Save Me and a covers medley featuring Friends in Low Places, Green Day’s Good Riddance, and his duet with Machine Gun Kelly of Take Me Home, Country Roads, Jelly Roll fulfilled his earlier statement that Tonight will be a night of healing…..Tonight will be a night of love…. Tonight will be a night of redemption… And, it was…..
The day one lineup of Country Calling 2024 had a roll call during Riley Green’s set. 4 songs into his set, Jelly Roll, who had just finished his set 20 minutes earlier on the other end of the festival, walked out to sing a tribute to the late Toby Keith. A few songs later, another performer who was on earlier in the day, Ella Langley came out to do her duet with Green, and a few songs later, the legendary Clint Black dueted with Green on Killin’ Time. In between and after the guests, Green packed his set with his hits like Hell of a Way To Go, If It Weren’t For Trucks and I Wish Grandpa’s Never Died. No one who had camped out at that stage all day, waiting to see Riley Green, went home unhappy.
As attendees made their way home, sun-kissed and smiling, they couldn’t help but look forward to what day two of the festival would bring. And if day one was any indication, it was sure to be another day filled with unforgettable moments and memories that would last a lifetime.
