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Review and photos by Frances Sealy The sophomore edition of the Oro Valley Music Festival was split between country and popular music. The 97.1 The Bull new country music radio station and My92.9 sponsored the event by bringing some of the most popular acts in music today.The music festival not only offered some of the hottest music artists of 2016, but it has brought huge financial benefits to the local area. Some of the proceeds went to a local charity, The Lerner and Lowe Gives Back Foundation that supports community organizations that serve children and struggling families. A $1500.00 check was presented to the foundation during the festival. The festival has grown tremendously since last year. There was more food, more booths with local venders, two days of music instead of one day, and more food offerings. The VIP ticket packages had many more perks as well. Saturday was all about country and it was close to being perfect for an outdoor concert. This was a rain or shine event and the weather was perfect and the scenery surrounding the grounds at The Golf Club at Vistoso was breath taking. There were greater than 6,000 fans that showed their support for country day as a result. The most important offering of the two-day festival was the music. Local Tucson teen country singer, Kaylor Cox, opened the festivities on both days with a short set of her songs. Brett Young is a California native whose breath taking good looks pleased the ladies in the audience as he sang some songs from this years' self titled EP release on Republic Nashville records. The third season Voice winner, Cassadee Pope, demonstrated her multifaceted talent as she took time off from her tour with Chris Young. Fan favorites Dan + Shay followed Cassadee with a powerhouse set that revved up the energy even higher. Chris Janson was the showstopper for the day and could be described as the country music's answer to Mick Jagger. His set was a nonstop tour de force of leaps, jumps in addition to his humor and personality. His hit record, "Buy Me a Boat" has dominated the airwaves. David Nail's set of ballads and up-tempo songs kept the fans appetites satisfied while they waited for the headliner, Billy Currington to take the stage. Billy Currington finished the evening with a set of his familiar hits. His curly-headed mop, svelte physique, and laid-back demeanor was a winner for the inebriated crowd. The crowd connection was apparent even though he did not spend a lot of time with banter. Sunday's fest was dampened by intermittent showers during the day. The rain was light, the intervals were short and it kept the temperatures very moderate. The entertainment was a conglomeration of popular artists and sets that leaned in the direction of acoustic sets. Howie Day and Ben Rector started the day with peppy sets that showcased their self-penned songs. French Canadian pop punk band, Simple Plan, presented a high octane set having the crowd jumping and singing to their old hits. Colbie Caillat started the acoustic trend of the festival. The fans were there to support the singer by singing along with all of her hits and a few new songs.American Idol winner, Phillip Phillips' laid-back demeanor did not affect his passionate singing and acoustic guitar. The audience was enthralled with his well-known performances like "Gone, Gone, Gone." Daughtry was the last act of the night. Three members of the band including Chris Daughtry played acoustic guitar. Chris gave such an impassioned performance, one could forget that it was an acoustic set. This is another band that should have won American Idol. |
 Kaylor Cox |
 Kaylor Cox |
 Brett Young |
 Brett Young |
 Billy Currington |
 Billy Currington |
 Billy Currington |
 Billy Currington |
 Simple Plan |
 Simple Plan |
 Simple Plan |
 Ben Rector |
 Ben Rector |
 Colbie Caillat |
 Colbie Caillat |
 Dan + Shay |
 Dan + Shay |
 Dan + Shay |
 Dan + Shay |
 Chris Jensen |
 Chris Jensen |
 David Nail |
 Chris Jensen |
 Chris Jensen |
 David Nail |
 Daughtry |
 Daughtry |
 Daughtry |
 Daughtry |
 Cassadee Pope |
 Cassadee Pope |
 Cassadee Pope |
 Phillip Phillips |
 Phillip Phillips |
 Phillip Phillips |
 Phillip Phillips |
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