Bourbon & Beyond 2024-Day Four

It was the final day of the Bourbon & Beyond Festival, and I was ready for an exciting one, with interviews to do and bands new and old to see.

My brother, Mark, and I checked out of our wheelchair accessible room at the Tru Hilton Louisville South and headed to the Kentucky Exhibition Center. The weather was still warm and humid, but it looked like we might be heading for some rain.

 One of the acts I was most looking forward to was first up at Bourbon & Beyond. I had always been a fan of actor Kevin Bacon and was looking forward to catching his performance with his brother, Michael.

The Bacon Brothers were fantastic, with Kevin as the lead singer. He also showed off his dance moves, especially when performing the title song from his most famous movie, “Footloose.” The growing crowd was dancing and singing along with them. It was quite a show.

After they were done, I went back to the press area for a while to get my questions ready for upcoming interviews.

I had met and interviewed Megan and Rebecca Lovell, a.k.a. Larkin Poe, at the 2018 Bourbon & Beyond Festival. It was their first time performing at the event. They had just started gaining recognition and they quickly won over those who hadn’t seen them before.

They remembered the last time well. We reminisced about how the festival has changed and talked about their latest accomplishments, which included a Grammy Award. (You can read the full interview here.)

It started to rain just about the time when they went on stage. I had a poncho that covered me and my wheelchair. I was invited into the VIP area, so it wasn’t bad. 

Larkin Poe was even better than I had remembered. The one thing that hadn’t changed at all was how comfortable the two sisters were with each other.

After Larkin Poe, I had fun, fun, fun watching the Beach Boys. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve seen them perform. The first time I was actually covering one of their concerts I was actually a teenager in college! 

Although all of us are moving a lot slower these days, it’s hard not to smile and sing during a Beach Boys concert.

When they finished, I headed to the press area to warm up with some coffee before Mt. Joy’s performance. I didn’t know much about them, but Mark told me they were my niece’s favorite group, so I was ready to learn. I accepted an opportunity to interview them after their performance.

I enjoyed watching Mt. Joy. They are an alternative rock band with roots in Philadelphia. They drew a huge crowd.

The rain caused some delays and Mt. Joy had to cancel our interview. I was disappointed, but ready to hit the road after a highly successful Bourbon & Beyond. Next year’s lineup looks just as exciting.

Bourbon & Beyond 2024-Day Three

My brother, Mark, and I both agreed we wanted to enjoy a good Kentucky barbecue meal in Louisville before we got started on the day at Bourbon & Beyond. I went online and searched for reviews. One place kept coming up: Shack in the Back.

It was clear we picked the right place when we saw the crowd at 11:00 am on a  Saturday morning. It was even clearer when we tasted the food.

I had a brisket sandwich, with a side of mashed potatoes and a side of corn. Mark went all out with the Sampler. It included brisket, pulled pork, ribs, and wings. He chose the mac and cheese and the green beans to go with it.

We didn’t make it through all the food, though it wasn’t for a lack of trying. We had to get to the festival as I had interviews to do and music to watch.

My first appointment was at Eastern Light Distilling. I was intrigued with this company and even more so after meeting with the owners. 

 
Eastern Light is not “a” bourbon company. It is a group that is locally owned in the foothills of Eastern Kentucky. This area is not an easy place for individuals to operate a bourbon distillery on their own. Instead, those interested in producing their own product have joined together to share one production building.

We met with Founding Partners Caleb Kilburn, who is the Master Distiller, and Cordell Lawrence, the CEO. They explained how bringing this option to a rural part of Kentucky has brought jobs and opportunities.

Eastern Light’s Oxmoor was on display with two cocktails for the event: Summer Punch, with Oxmoor Private Stock Kentucky Straight Bourbon, black tea, lemon, and spices; and 19^th Century Cocktail, with Oxmoor Private Stock Kentucky Straight Bourbon, sweet vermouth, Crème de Cacao, and lemon. 

We tasted the bourbon straight first and it was quite impressive, and really good with these unique drink combos.

We then headed over to see the pop duo Royal Otis on the Yonder Stage, one of the smaller (but, definitely not small) stages. I enjoyed them for a little while, but I was due in the press tent.

I arrived a little early for my interview with Dave Pirner of Soul Asylum and Young the Giant was there finishing up photos.

This was not the first time I had met with Dave Pirner and Soul Asylum. I saw them nine years previously at the House of Blues in Chicago. You can read all about my Bourbon & Beyond interview with Pirner here.

After the interview, I went over to a very packed Yonder Stage to watch Soul Asylum. I think the concert producers underestimated the fan base this band still had. The show was as good as I remembered.

The audience  cheered and sang, especially when the mega hit “Runaway Train” was performed. I confess I was singing then too.

The crowds were getting bigger, and the heat and exhaustion was getting to me. Mark offered to take me back to the hotel and then come back to see Zach Bryan. I did not object. I am not a huge country music fan anyway.

I took a bath and was resting in bed within the hour. In the meantime, Mark found a deck at Bourbon and Beyond to be able to see and hear Zach Bryan over what was a record producing crowd. After seeing the picture he sent, I knew I made the right choice staying in.

I was long asleep when he came back. He really enjoyed the last show of the night, and I got the rest I needed to make it through a busy final next day at Bourbon & Beyond.