THROUGH THE LENS: Could Two Southern Roots Music Festivals Be the Wave of the Future?

Could two festivals, Moon Crush Pink Moon at Miramar Beach, Florida, and High Water in Charleston, South Carolina, be models for future fests? As this column reported last year, the former bills itself as a “connected music vacation” next to the Gulf of Mexico. The music does not begin until late afternoon, leaving attendees time to spend the day at the beach or the pool or take long, leisurely naps to rest up for the evening’s shows. With reserved seating, personal food and drink delivery, and air-conditioned restrooms, “pampered” is the word that comes to mind. Pink Moon is just one of Moon Crush’s themed fests at this posh location.

High Water also takes a less-is-more approach. In addition to two comfortably spaced stages that allow fans to catch every act and a lineup that is extensive without being overwhelming, there are also splendid examples of South Carolina cuisine. As with Moon Crush, the High Water organizers pay particular attention to the comfort of festivalgoers, who enjoy the added bonus of the festival being held in a historic, picturesque location.

One other thing both fests had in common this year was Noah Kahan. As reported below, and as with everywhere he goes, the Vermont folkie has quite the following among younger roots music fans.

As he did last year, Justin St. Clair shares his photos and experience at High Water, and Boom Baker does the same from Moon Crush Pink Moon.

High Water Festival by Justin St. Clair (April 20-21)

High Water Festival has become one of my favorite two-day music events. Held annually on the banks of the Cooper River, the festival is curated by the Charleston-based duo Shovels & Rope (Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent), who assemble an eclectic lineup of roots and roots-adjacent performers. From emerging artists like Al Olender and The Heavy Heavy to crowd-pleasing headliners Noah Kahan and Hozier, the fest offered concertgoers a bit of everything — as did Mother Nature. With temperatures reaching the 90s on Saturday and falling into the 40s (along with a steady rain) on Sunday, the weather proved as diverse as the music onstage.

Photographing Kahan on Saturday night was an experience I won’t soon forget. From the photo pit I could barely hear the band, everyone onstage drowned out by Swiftie-style shrieking and scream-shouted singalongs. As his music doesn’t particularly resonate with me, I asked a teenage attendee what all the fuss was about. Kahan’s songs, she explained, put into words emotions that she couldn’t articulate. It seemed a well-reasoned response.

The generation gap was noticable, even among the media. While only a handful of mostly gray-haired photographers braved the rain to shoot The Wallflowers, for example, every last youngster in the media tent bundled up for Briston Maroney, with whom I was entirely unfamiliar. A slightly older crowd showed up for The Walkmen as well, who tore through an impassioned set that included a stellar version of their Bob Dylan homage, “The Rat.” Lead singer Hamilton Leithauser recognized that much of the audience might not know the band, and joked that they were touring in support of their “new” record, Heaven, released in 2012. Likewise, when The Flaming Lips did “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots,” Wayne Coyne stopped to offer an explanation of the album’s conceit to those who hadn’t even been born when it was originally released in 2002. 

Of the younger acts I hadn’t before encountered, it was the Linda Lindas, an all-girl band from Los Angeles that I was most delighted to discover. Ranging in age from 13 to 19, the foursome was exuberantly frenetic, bounding around the stage with joyous abandon. Their performance couldn’t help but put a smile on your face.

Other standouts: Courtney Barnett and her power trio were fantastic; hosts Shovels & Rope dusted off some deep cuts to the delight of their hometown audience; Kevin Morby, Grace Potter, Leyla McCalla, Fleet Foxes, and The Heavy Heavy were all superb. 

With its mixture of newcomers and familiar faces and a well-synchronized, two-stage layout, High Water’s cross-generational approach is incredibly compelling. I’ve already penciled it in for 2025.

Moon Crush Pink Moon by Boom Baker (April 18-21)

This year’s Moon Crush Pink Moon was another amazing four days of music. While the main stage performances began late afternoon, this year there were morning and afternoon Storyteller shows with three performers sharing a small indoor stage for each session. Going with the music vacation theme, there was morning yoga along with beach fun and games.

Moon Crush is the brainchild of Andy Levine. He named the company Topeka not after the city but a line from the movie Almost Famous when a fan asked Billy Crudup’s Russell Hammond character if he wanted to “hang with some good people looking to have a good time. We’re just real Topeka people, man.” Topeka, thus, became shorthand for people connecting in a real and meaningful way, beyond the lights and stages.

Looking like they would have been recording for Sun Records back in the ’50s, The Red Clay Strays won us over on Day 1 with their “gothic country” downhome vibe. Six-foot-six lead singer Brandon Coleman bore a striking resemblance to an Elvis Presley-Johnny Cash combo. Friday night kicked off with a wonderful set from London-based band The Wandering Hearts, followed by a blistering performance from Larkin Poe, who burned down the stage with their stinging guitars and a powerful connection with the audience. Then came Marcus King’s stratospheric tribute to Dickey Betts, a soul-stirring version of “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed.” That evening’s lineup was a favorite for many festival goers.

Saturday night was perhaps the most eclectic, with The Wood Brothers, Trombone Shorty, and The Revivalists. Having mastered the circular breathing technique that jazz saxophonist Rahsaan Roland Kirk perfected, Shorty stunned us with his virtuosity and ability to sustain notes for an extended time.

Sunday night drew the largest crowd, with many there to see Noah Kahan. It seemed that every teen knew all the words to his songs. Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors delivered an dazzling high-energy set that had folks dancing. As we walked out of the venue the final night, “Tiny Dancer” was playing over the sound system and hundreds of concertgoers were singing along, bringing another scene from Almost Famous, when Hammond, after that drug-fueled good time in Topeka, gets on the band’s bus and everyone sang this song. What a way to end a fest.

Click on any photo below to view the gallery as a full-size slideshow.