Country musician Lee Brice performs on Friday night as of part of K-95's Countryfest at Meadow Event Park. (Photo by Erik Haugen)
When I was growing up in Southern Virginia, Lee Brice’s music popped up on nearly every CD player, stereo and Spotify playlist I ever came in contact with. His music was some of the first I downloaded on my old iPod shuffle. My mom blared his songs in the kitchen while cooking dinner most nights, and I can sing the lyrics to my favorite songs of his in my sleep. I’m very familiar with his music, and I was chomping at the bit to see his show at the Meadow Event Park in Doswell for K95 Countryfest last Friday night.
Looking around, I noticed an abundance of cowboy boots and hats, and I almost regretted leaving my Ariats at home. With my colorblock Vans on, I felt a bit out of place, but I was grateful for the breeze around my ankles. You can take a girl out of the punk rock scene, but you can’t quite take the punk rock out of the girl.
Lewis Brice, younger brother of Lee, opened for his sibling with a guitar and a smile. With a story behind each song, he played lively tunes such as “Best Ex Ever” and “Messin’ With My Mind” before ending his set with “Summertime Vibes,” which was perfect for the moment. After some tracks and commentary courtesy of DJ Ty Street (who piped up between sets throughout the night), rising country artist and TikTok star Andrew Jannakos took the stage. With a voice like melted butter, many of his songs, such as “Somebody Loves You,” “Wine Country” and “Like Yesterday,” were slow and hit close to the heart. He said that he valued the truth and personal experience in many of his lyrics because true stories are what country music is all about.
Jon Langston, the next act, gets as many points for charisma as he does for creativity. He bounced around the stage in a flurry of energy, charming fans from the front row to the back of general admission, taking pictures and giving high-fives while singing his heart out. His original songs, such as “Prob’ly at a Bar,” “All Eyes on Us” and “When It Comes to Loving You,” were solid, and I was swept away by the cover songs. I couldn’t contain my smile when the first notes of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers “I Won’t Back Down” played, and I cheered with the rest of the crowd through Ben E. King’s “Stand by Me” and Post Malone’s “I Fall Apart.”
As the sun set below the trees and the strobe lights flashed in a multicolored mirage across the grassy field, people stood from their chairs. Boots stomped and hands clapped as Lee Brice took his place on the stage with his song “Drinking Class,” and the vibe didn’t change through the rest of his set. Songs like “More Beer” and “Be My Baby Tonight” had me dancing, and there were two songs that took my breath away. The first words of “Hard to Love” reminded me of long drives down the highway in my mom’s Camry on the way home from school, and lighters and cell phones lit up the night sky as Brice sang “I Drive Your Truck” in honor of soldiers overseas.
As the last notes of the final song drifted across the field and into the parking lot beside it, I drove home in a bubble of nostalgia and memories of simpler days, the lingering notes in my ears reminding me of home. From beer to trucks to love gained and lost, stories are what country music is about.
