Gentlemen Of The Road, Troy Stopover

On February 8th when tickets went on sale for the Gentlemen Of The Road I was frantically clicking to buy a ticket and camping pass. The initial lineup looked great and as they added artists it got even better. I’ll be honest though, when I was asked too shoot the weekend I had mixed feelings because I thought it might end up making the weekend feel too much like working. However, with a few friends, some new friends, a bunch or photographer friends and an amazing lineup of bands it was one of the best weekends of the year so far.

DAY 1 Highlights:

• Favorite moment: When Alex Ebert of Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros let a girl from the crowd sing at random and she nailed the vocal part.
• Least favorite moment: Setting up our campsites in the midday heat.
• Best show of the day: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.  These guys put on one of the most fun and happy shows I’ve ever seen.
• Best new discovery (for me): Half Moon Run.  Some new friends we met at the campground were from Canada and told us HMR was great.  They weren’t lying.
• Best surprise: An air conditioned media lounge with a private bathroom.  Thanks GOTR and Troy, OH!

DAY 2 Highlights:

• Favorite moment: I’m probably partial because he’s one of my favorite artists, but Justin Townes Earle playing with a full band and doing a lot of older stuff was a major highlight for me.
• Least favorite moment: Shooting most of The Vaccines‘ show with a poncho and a camera rainsleeve.
• Best show of the day: I hate picking the headliner for each night as the best show of the day because I don’t always think that it is the case.  However, Mumford and Sons were hands down the best show of the day.
• Best new discovery (for me): I was already familiar with nearly all of the bands on day two, but the best new discovery I would say is getting to hear more than just Wagon Wheel from Old Crow Medicine Show.
• Best surprise: A drum circle complete with colored corn starch (like the Holi festival or those color runs that are popping up everywhere).  Unfortunately I only snapped one photo of it as I was worried about taking a direct hit on my camera gear.