Way back in the cold days of winter last year I jumped on a chance to buy tickets to our second Louder Than Life music festival in Louisville, Kentucky. Michele and I have been going back east to this for the last three years. Last year’s festival was cancelled at the last minute due to a hurricane and the first year we went in 2017 was amazing.
The way festivals work these days is they promoters allow you to buy tickets months in advance and way before the release the line up. They even allow you to buy your tickets on layaway. Yes layway, just like K-Mart back in the day.
So I bought the tickets and then about a month later, the same promoter released that Foo Fighters would be headlining the Bourbon and Beyond festival the weekend before Louder Than Life. Without hesitation I bought those tickets too without even thinking of what kind of craziness we just got ourselves into attending two massive music festivals over two weekends.
As the date moved closer we decided that Michele would fly home in the middle of the two so that she could handle our business and she is enrolled in some college classes. I would stay with m aunt who lives about an hour away in Lexington.
We arrived in Chicago after an overnight on a red-eye from Alaska on Friday morning. The festival started at 2pm and it would be a six hour drive. We were both whipped and Michele had a major migraine and ended up getting sick several times in the rental car. We arrived at about four and headed inside. Foo Fighters were the headliners that night and one of the main reasons we came. They of course were amazing but what was even better was the hour and a half set right before Foo, John Fogerty. He was awesome! He played non-stop and Michele and I knew every song.
Thought the day we feasted on festival grub and I had mu shares of bourbon. This would continue all weekend.
On the second day Michele found a vendor that sold these cool way-too-expensive camp chairs but they were worth every penny. We spent the weekend rocking out and baking in the sun.
The highlight of he festival was the ZZ Top set. I have wanted to see them my whole life and it was so cool to see The Texas Trio. Man, Billy Gibbons does ooze cool, as Dave Grohl says.
Oh, since this is the rocknroller coaster tour we had to get in a theme park too. How cool is it that a massive rock festival and Kentucky Kingdom can be in the same parking lot! I will do a separate write-up on it too.
2019 Bourbon & Beyond Festival music lineup
FRIDAY, SEPT. 20
Barrel Stage
- 9:20 p.m.: Foo FightersÂ
- 6:40 p.m.: Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats
- 4:10 p.m.: Live
- 2:10 p.m. Lukas Nelson & Promise Of RealÂ
- 12:40 p.m.: The Record Company
- 11:30 a.m.: PearlÂ
Oak Stage
- 7:55 p.m.: John Fogerty
- 5:25 p.m.: The Flaming Lips
- 2:55 p.m.: Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
- 1:25 p.m.: Blackberry Smoke
- 12 p.m.: Preservation Hall Jazz Band
The Bluegrass Situation Stage
- 5:20 p.m.: Greensky Bluegrass
- 3:45 p.m.: Mipso
- 1:40 p.m.: The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys
- 11:45 a.m.: Amythyst Kiah
SATURDAY, SEPT. 21
Barrel Stage
- 9:30 p.m.: Robert Plant & The Sensational Space ShiftersÂ
- 7 p.m.: Trey Anastasio Band
- 4:50Â p.m.: Grace Potter
- 3:05 p.m.: Squeeze
- 1:40 p.m.: Samantha Fish
- 12:30 p.m.: Maggie Rose
Oak Stage
- 8:05 p.m.: Daryl Hall & John Oates
- 5:55 p.m.: Alison Krauss
- 3:55 p.m.: Jenny Lewis
- 2:15 p.m.: Del McCoury Band
- 1:05 p.m.: The White Buffalo
- 11:55 a.m.: Patrick Droney
The Bluegrass Situation Stage
- 4:20 p.m.: The Travelin’ McCourysÂ
- 2:55 p.m.: Fruition
- 1:25 p.m.:Â Cedric Burnside
- 12:05 p.m.: Ben Sollee
SUNDAY, SEPT. 22
Barrel Stage
- 8:40 p.m.: Zac Brown Band
- 6:20 p.m.: Leon BridgesÂ
- 4:20 p.m.: Little Steven And The Disciples Of Soul
- 2:40 p.m.: Margo Price
- 1:20 p.m.: Whiskey Myers
- 12:10 p.m.: Southern Avenue
Oak Stage
- 7:25 p.m.: ZZ Top
- 5:15 p.m.: Edward Shapre and the Magnetic Zeros
- 3:25 p.m.: Kurt Vile and the Violators
- 1:55Â p.m.: Edie Brickell & New Bohemians
- 12:45 p.m.: White Reaper
- 11:35 a.m.: Caroline Jones
The Bluegrass Situation Stage
- 4:15 p.m.: Dustbowl Revival
- 2:40 p.m.: Birds Of Chicago
- 1:20 p.m.: The Lil Smokies
- 11:50 a.m.: Front Country
**Just so you know, I have included some Amazon affiliate links on the artists. If you would like to buy, check them out.