Saturday kicked off the final night of the annual Revelree Music Festival; the evening was primarily filled with a country music line-up including Strange Times, Buck Twenty, The Castellows, Gavin DeGraw, and Brett Young.
First on stage was Sarnia’s own Strange Times, giving a taste of alternative rock to cleanse the palette before diving into the country acts. The group was one of two winners in the “Road to Revelree” contest. Not only does the group celebrate this win but also the release of their first EP “STEP 1”. For the small group of viewers to a slowly filling venue, they were given quite the show, setting a tone that maintained throughout the festival.
It wasn’t long until Buck Twenty started their set. The duo is currently on tour with this being their second of many performances spanning until late August. Their setlist featured songs formally released just a month prior with their new EP “Do It for a Living.” Not only was their connection with their touring members evident but the duo managed to get the crowd rowdy and full of energy.
Sister trio, The Castellows, were next on the bill for what was their first performance on Canadian soil. The sisters hail from the US, specifically Georgia state, having risen to popularity through social media during the summer of 2022. Their performance brought a classic southern country sound into the park, a sound that was quickly embraced by the audience. Sections of their sets included a variety covers interspersed alongside songs from their first and only album to date “A Little Goes A Long Way”.
Iconic 2000s singer-songwriter Gavin DeGraw was second to last on the bill for the night. Not only were many in the audience ecstatic, but so were many of the other performing act.
“If it weren’t for his [DeGraw’s] album ‘Chariot’ I would not be up here performing for you now.” - Brett Young
DeGraw’s earned fame from his popular song “I Don’t Want to Be,” which became the theme song for the television series “One Tree Hill.” Although the singer was backed by a talented band, it still did not stop DeGraw from performing the keys, and rhythm guitar intermittently on top of vocals. DeGraw performed a variety of songs spanning across his seven studio albums – ranging from his 2003 debut “Chariot” to his most recent “Face The River."
Finally capping off not only the evening – and the festival as a whole – was the highly anticipated performance from country music star Brett Young. Well known for his songs, “In Case You Didn’t Know,” “Like I Loved You,” and “Here Tonight," the Californian singer sang inspiring lyrics backed by themes of heartbreak.
In addition to several smoke machines, Young also had a special screen displaying unique visuals double exposed to live video footage of the performance. Between the crowd interaction and the presentation, this was a set that would intrigue those regardless of musical preference.
Young’s smashing performance gave a perfect send off to the 2024 Revelree Music Festival.