The last day of Louisville’s Bourbon & Beyond, the world’s largest bourbon and music festival was on Sunday, September 22. Festival-goers gathered in masses with record-setting attendance of 210,000 people over the 4-day event, making Bourbon & Beyond the largest music festival in Kentucky history! Sunday featured headlining artists Tyler Childers and My Morning Jacket. It rained a few times throughout the day, but the shows went on as planned and the music festival came to its end.
The Bacon Brothers, Michael and Kevin Bacon performed on the Barrel Stage in the early afternoon. Kevin, most known for his 40+ acting roles, is the lead singer and guitarist. Michael, is a musician and a professor. Their music is a satisfying mix of folk, rock, soul, and country. The brothers closed out their energetic set with a fun rendition of Kenny Loggins’ “Footloose” with Ren McCormack (Kevin’s Footloose character) on vocals and tambourine.
Opening the Oak Stage for the day ahead was Chicago based musician Neal Francis, a psychedelic rocker whose music is influenced by New Orleans artists. Francis played the keyboard while his bandmates accompanied him on guitar and drums. The band’s chill vibes and eclectic energy could be felt through the music in their jam session.
On the culinary stage, comedian Jim Gaffigan and Chris Blandford, a wine and spirits expert, engaged in a panel discussion filled with laughs and lighthearted moments. Gaffigan shared the story behind his own bourbon called Fathertime and all the struggles and happy moments behind creating a brand. Guests were able to learn about the intricate process of bourbon making from a comedian’s point of view.
The War and Treaty, music-duo couple Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter delivered their soulful country sound to the crowd. Michael wore a green vest decked out with gold tassels and Tanya wore a black silk top with a gold belt buckle at her waist to compliment Michael’s outfit. As the pair performed, Michael played the keyboard and Tanya shook a tambourine as the crowd went wild.
For the third year in a row, the sober area for Bourbon & Beyond attendees, 1 Million Strong, was once again a staple. Many festival-goers are sober and 1 Million Strong offers them a safe substance-free space to enjoy the same festival experience as those who choose to drink. A special bar sits in the tent, offering mocktails and cold brew coffee. The non-profit also puts on sober-supportive retreats, encouraging recovering addicts and substance-free people to continue their journey.
Chef Tiffani Faison and culinary stage host Chris Santos did a cooking demonstration together. Chef Faison is a well-known cook who has been a judge on Chopped, a contestant on Top Chef, and won the Food Network’s Tournament of Champions. She expertly showed the crowd and Santos the steps of how to prep and cook a huge halibut.
Five-piece indie rock band Mt. Joy jammed out on the Oak Stage. Lead vocalist Matt Quinn sang his heart out and played guitar accompanied by Jackie Miclau on the keyboard, Sotiris Eliopoulos on the drums, and Sam Cooper and Michael Byrnes on guitar. In the middle of their set, the band sang their debut single from 2015 “Astrovan” followed by “Mt. Joy” with snippets from ABBA”s “Dancing Queen.”
One of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful bands of all time, The Beach Boys, played some of their hit surf music on the Barrel Stage at 4 p.m.. Led by founding member and lead singer Mike Love, the band grooved around the stage with the same energy that had back during their formative years. Fans recognized all of their familiar hits like “Surfin’ U.S.A.,” “Kokomo,” and “Good Vibrations.”
Next, Cincinnati-based rock band The National took to the Oak Stage. The band consists of members Matt Berninger, twin brothers Aaron and Bryce Dessner, and brothers Scott and Bryan Devendorf. Berninger wore a black suit jacket and pants over a graphic t-shirt as he opened the set with “Don’t Swallow the Cap.” The band continued to rock out, with Berninger dancing around and making dramatic movements. The band finished out with their song “About Today.” Berninger proudly proclaimed his Cincinnati roots while simultaneously chanting “F*ck Pete Rose.”
Classic 80’s formed rock band Dinosaur Jr. lit up the stage with a rainbow-colored backdrop and strong vocals on the Yonder Stage. Lead vocalist J. Mascis played his guitar in front of six different amplifiers as he sang their famous hit “Feel the Pain.” Their classic rock tunes continued on and closed out with a The Cure cover of “Just Like Heaven” and Last Rights’ “Chunks.”
My Morning Jacket, Louisville’s own rock band, closed Barrel Stage for the last day of bourbon and music at the festival grounds. The crowd was truly massive to see the hometown favorites. Lead vocalist Jim James wore an all-white outfit with a pink rose pinned on his coat. During a cover of Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon” vocalists of pop group Lucius, Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig joined James. Accompanied by head bobbing and foot tapping, the band performed some of their more popular songs including “Aren’t We One” and “Wordless Chorus.”
Around 9 P.M. on the Oak Stage, country singer Tyler Childers sang a whopping 22 songs to a huge crowd. In the first half of his set, Childers garnered cheers from the crowd during favorites like “All Your’n” and “In Your Love.” Childers, in a white t-shirt and camo pants, held his acoustic guitar during the middle of his set for a trio of acoustic solos like “Lady May.” He finished out his amazing performance with a soulful run-through of “Heart You’ve Been Tendin’.”
After looking forward to a whole weekend full of music and bourbon, it’s hard to believe it’s over. Despite some very hot and sunny days and a bit of rain, we made it through and enjoyed all of the music and culinary demonstrations that made up Bourbon & Beyond 2024. This continues to be one of the most unique and diverse festival lineups in the world and we can’t wait until next year!
Words by Emily Cigan @emily.cigan and Amy Harris @thetraveladdictig