LeBreton Flats was bustling in the July heat on Day 1 of Bluesfest 2025 — though temperatures were nothing bands and headliner Lainey Wilson hailing from the Deep South couldn’t handle.
At the LeBreton Stage, catchy blues outfit The Cat Empire brought energy to the first hour, with groovy brass and big vocals. Accompanied by dancing and many smiles, the band wore piano tile blouses.
“You should all still be at work — I am!” the lead vocalist joked.
There was no shortage of entertainment for country fans, with a mechanical bull and line dancing in the Crazy Horse tent.
Across the mulch, The Red Clay Strays took to the RBC Stage with southern swagger, playing their hit “Good Godly Woman.” Fans clad in turquoise, frills, jeans and leather murmured in anticipation of the band’s popular song “Wondering Why.”
The band ripped out electric organ solos and classic country rock guitars over “Stone’s Throw,” with frontman Brandon Coleman’s compelling voice passionately singing stories of being far from home.
The band struck an emotional chord with the piano ballad “Drowning,” telling fans struggling with mental health to “be sure to reach out to somebody, because you’re not alone in any of it.”
In a playful mockery of anything ironic or plain, Father John Misty began his set with the catchy but introspective “I Guess Time Just Makes Fools of Us All.” The artist brought a different country appeal, with nostalgic Appalachian descriptions over flourishing strings reminiscent of film music. Like a preacher studying his congregation, the singer knelt to connect with the crowd as his band jammed on synths and bluesy keys.
“The blues is all about problematic tales,” he said, going into his nursery-rhyme inspired song, “Josh Tillman and the Accidental Dose.”
Cheers broke out for the viral song “Real Love Baby,” the crowd swaying back and forth while couples watched from the hill nearby.
Meanwhile, a sea of cowboy hats awaited Lainey Wilson at the RBC Stage, just as she began with her famous “Keep Up With Jones.” The intro commanded the festival with warm sincerity and a little rasp backed by an orchestra of country sounds.
Wilson sported a signature pair of bell bottoms with boots (cowgirl boots, to be precise), fitting for her song, “Bell Bottoms Up,” with her band in traditional country vests.
“I’m a long way away from home, but y’all sure make people feel at home,” Wilson said, paying tribute to her 180-person hometown in Louisiana. Changing projections of wild mountains and prairies backdropped the musicians.
Mid-set, the singer’s in-ear monitor stopped working, but Wilson handled it with grace and professionalism, calmly mentioning the issue, disappearing momentarily off stage, and coming right back with a whoop.
Accompanied by mandolin and banjo, Wilson’s live rendition of “Whirlwind” brought the grit and glory of real life, turning into a jam rock session with an extended solo.
Next was “Good Horses,” and a moment of reflection for Wilson who took a moment to speak on how she got here: “I am who I am because of the people in the places that raised me,” she told the crowd with a country twang.
“That little girl had some big old dreams, and she somehow chased them down. And you can try to chase them down, but I’ll tell you what — it don’t mean nothing if you don’t keep your people close.”
The most anticipated part of the set was Lainey Wilson’s crowning of a cowgirl, where the singer gifted a hat to a young girl from the barricade. The moment drew tears from the recipient and the audience alike.
Shortly after, Brandon Coleman returned to the stage to join Wilson for a cover of Johnny Cash’s “God’s Gonna Cut You Down,” and the crowd went wild, stomping and clapping along.
Wilson took a more stripped back approach to “Watermelon Moonshine,” followed by “Heart Like A Truck,” about “those scratches and bumps you get on the way that make you who you are.”
“4x4xU” marked the end of the set, with thousands singing along and twice as many hands in the air.
With a tip of her hat and a wave, Wilson shut down the first day with cowgirl finesse.
Featured image by Emily Kapralik/the Charlatan
