Well that’s a wrap on Boots and Hearts 2014, and all i can say is WOW!
I decided it would be best to cover the event day by day so here is the recap on Day 1 (Thursday July 31st) of Boots and Hearts.
Hard to believe that over 24,000 people took in the Coors Banquet Kick Off Party on Thursday night with The Reklaws, Natalie Stovall & The Drive, Brett Kissel & Dallas Smith rounded out the Front Porch Stage Line-Up.
First to the stage, but no stranger to Boots & Hearts was last year’s Emerging Artist Winner , The Reklaws @thereklaws. I think Jenna & Stuart must have been waiting on this one for awhile they were so excited to hit the stage and it showed with every note. Watching a group like this grow from one year to the next along with the growing fan base was amazing. This brother and sister duo has a unique sound that you just can’t turn off. With a new single released by BMLG Canada “Seeing Stars” now on iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/seeing-stars-single/id894762439) and a video to follow on CMT in the very near future it seems that this duo are going to make waves in the coming months. We hope to have a follow up interview with The Reklaws sometime next week so watch for it.
Next on stage was one of Nashville’s own Natalie Stovall & The Drive @NatalieStovall Being a fan of country music and XM Radio I know of Natalie and was looking forward to this set. She didn’t disappoint. With her white electric fiddle in hand and a voice that seems to be able to carry with or without a mic in hand with such strong vocals her and the band ripped through a set of action packed, hip shaking songs that won the crowd over. Being the only non-Canadian on the Boots & Hearts Kick Off Party line-up she had some ground to make up with the patriotic crowd, but when she kicked into Devil Went Down To Georgia that crowd was clearly won over! It was great having Natalie and the band in Canada and hope to have more coverage on Natalie and the band in the very near future.
Natalie Stovall & The Drive @BootsandHearts
When Brett @BrettKissel hit the stage the crowd had swelled to well over 20,000 people and they were ready for this growing Country star. The rise of Brett Kissel in the past 18 month has been unbelievable, but his stage show is only one reason this guy has a growing fan base. With his charming charisma on the stage and how this guy really knows how to get the crowd going at such a young age still floors me. Also Brett’s commitment to reaching his fan’s through social media (Facebook & Twitter) is unparalleled in the industry that I have seen. This was my 2nd time seeing Brett this year but I can tell you he does well with BIG crowds. He worked the stage and played his hits “Started with a Song” and “3-2-1″ to a crowd that was singing at the top of their lungs. Brett had the first real “Sing Along” of the weekend. I found out from speaking with Brett that he attributes his high energy, electric performances to the energy he feeds off of from the crowd. I did have an opportunity to sit down and talk to Brett so be sure to watch for that interview later this week.
Brett Kissel @BootsandHearts Kick Off Party
The Headliner for the kick off party was none other than Vancouver based Dallas Smith @DallasSmith. Dallas hit the stage and the 24,000+ people were not disappointed. Dallas is no stranger to large crowds, having had the chance to open for Florida Georgia Line earlier this year on a few of their West Coast dates so this party was right up his alley. Dallas’ recipe for success at this venue were most notably his catchy lyrics, smooth voice, dropping consecutive hits for his fans and throwing in some of his Default tracks for good measure. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the kick off party this year as last year was well received, but was designed for those earlier arrival people that were just looking for a party before the show really kicked off. All in all Day 1 of Boots and Hearts was just the tip tip tippin’ point to get us started and boy oh boy did it go off!
Dallas Smith @BootsandHearts 2014
Corey Kelly / @CoreyKelly76
For more information on the artists above the website address are below.
