In July 2015, the country music festival Thunder on the Mountain, to be hosted on Mulberry Mountain in Ozark, was unexpectedly canceled a mere two weeks before its scheduled weekend. Lance Carpenter, a singer/songwriter from Nashville -- who grew up in Northwest Arkansas and is one of the artists on the lineup -- wasn't having it.
"I had a lot of friends and family coming in town for [Thunder]," Carpenter says. "A lot of them had taken off work, rented camp sites -- the whole thing. And I thought, 'I've got to do something.'"
Mulberry Lineup
Today
6 p.m. — James Robert Webb
6:30 p.m. — Apollo’s Crown
7 p.m. — Ashley Martin
7:30 p.m. — Barrett Baber
9 p.m. — Lance Carpenter
11 p.m. — Trailer Choir
Saturday
2 p.m. — Corn Hole Tournament
4 p.m. — RVO3
4:30 p.m. — Hard Cider Boys
5 p.m. — Whistlin’ Dixie
5:30 p.m. — Matthew Huff
7 p.m. — Devin Robertson & The Travelers
8 p.m. — Lance Carpenter & The Union
9 p.m. — Randy Rogers Band
The inaugural Muskogee Music Festival — G Fest — is happening this weekend. Four stages will fill with more than 70 country, rock and Americana acts from across the country. Up and coming acts, national headliners and even regional acts will share the stages for two more days of music, food and fun. (The festival started last night.) Single-day and three-day passes are still available, as well as reserved seating, VIP party pit tickets and RV and camping spaces. gfestmuskogee.com
G Fest
Friday, noon to midnight
30 bands, featuring:
Uncle Lucius, 2:30 p.m.
The Swon Brothers, 5:30 p.m.
Robert Randolph and the Family Band, 7 p.m.
Headliners: The Avett Brothers, 8:45 p.m.
Saturday, noon to midnight
30 bands, featuring:
Aubrie Sellers, 2:30 p.m.
Jason Boland & The Stragglers, 4 p.m.
Marty Stuart, 5:30 p.m.
Headliner: Turnpike Troubadours, 7 p.m.
Headliner: Kacey Musgraves, 8:45 p.m.
FAQ
Music on the Mulberry fesitval
WHEN — Today to Saturday
WHERE — Byrd’s Adventure Center, Ozark
COST — $45-$56
INFO — musiconthemulberry.…
Carpenter was able to bring together a surprisingly successful festival at the last minute to take the place of Thunder.
"What I thought was just going to be me and a few friends turned out to be a three-day, two-stage festival with 23 acts and about 500 people," he says.
Music on the Mulberry is back for its second year this weekend and will feature more local and regional acts in its two-day lineup. The festival has already doubled its ticket sales from last year, and Carpenter is excited to share his hometown with even more people.
"Something I want to do is to give people the opportunity to come out for an outdoor music festival," he says regarding the cancellation of nearly all the major festivals usually hosted on Mulberry Mountain. "I grew up on the Mulberry River, and it's just like I'm sharing my backyard with folks. I'm real proud of my hometown, and I love to introduce people to it.
"This is a chance for me to build something to help Ozark and Franklin County and hopefully give people something they enjoy," he continues. The second Mulberry on the Mountain will partner with Family Readiness Group, in support of those serving in the armed forces and their families, as well as a group that benefits abused and neglected children in Arkansas.
Carpenter and Texas country group The Randy Rogers Band will headline the festival, which also features local celebrity Barrett Baber in tonight's lineup.
"I like festivals because I like to get out and see the baby bands, the up-and-coming talent. I love music, and [festivals] open your eyes to things you've never seen before," says Randy Rogers, founder and namesake of the band.
The group has played all over the country during the past 15 years and is supporting its latest album "Nothing Shines Like Neon," released in January. Rogers says the album has a decidedly more "country" lean to it than previous albums, which can straddle the line between country and rock, with a bit of twang thrown in.
"I try to write songs for the common man -- things everybody can relate to," Rogers says. "The band that plays on the record is the band that tours. We play the record, and what you see is what you get."
Rogers Band will close the festival Saturday night, but he says he does hope to catch some of the other acts playing during the weekend. Carpenter will perform tonight and again Saturday night with The Union. He is looking forward to people getting to experience the new talent in country music, and perhaps even spend time talking to the bands after their sets -- something that gave Music on the Mulberry a very intimate feel last year.
"I'm really tickled with the lineup," Carpenter says. "I think everybody coming will see someone they know and love, and will see some new people they will continue to follow."
NAN What's Up on 06/17/2016