The night was young as Morgan Wallen stepped onto the stage of the Tailgate N’ Tallboys in Bloomington, IL. Although every day of the festival had thousands of music-lovers in attendance, Friday (June 17) was especially full after 1,000 extra GA tickets were opened up to the public at the last minute due to the demand of the festival. This ticket release gave fans the chance to attend the sold-out day of the festival, which featured with an outstanding lineup, plenty of food and fun activities for everyone to take part in.
Fans who had been there since the gates opened found themselves perched as close as they could get to the stage, hoping for the best view of the “Wasted On You” singer. The rest of the crowd filled in the gaps throughout the lawn, ready to enjoy the headliners of the night.
Following main stage acts ERNEST and Kameron Marlowe, HARDY came out strong, ready to warm up the crowd for Wallen. During his set, a true summer sunset fell, creating the perfect setting for a Friday night concert. From singing his fan-favorites to his latest releases, the “Sold Out” singer gave the performance his all. Without skipping a beat, HARDY showcased his wide range of musical stylings, from hard rock and classic country.
“Y’all sound pretty damn good out there” he yelled as the crowd sang every word of his 2020 hit, “One Beer” right along with him. When his set came to an end, people were left wanting more and hoping he might make another appearance later on in the night. Nightfall quickly overtook as thousands of people packed in even closer, hoping to catch a glimpse of Wallen’s warm smile.
Eventually, the bright white initials, “M.W.,” shined on the screens, earning a roaring ovation from the excited audience that could most likely be heard far beyond the festival site. Smoke filled the stage as Wallen began singing the opening lyrics of “Up, Down” acoustically, before he finally made his appearance. The band took over as he stepped on stage sporting a casual white t-shirt, jeans and baseball cap. This was the moment fans have been waiting for and there was no sign of disappointment in sight.
Opening up with this energetic hit was a change for Wallen, who has been starting off his previous sets this year on a slower note and featuring his piano. Eventually, he did bring this instrument to the center of the stage to give a heartfelt performance of “Sand In My Boots.”
Once the ballad concluded, he was back to his feet, bouncing from one side of the stage to the other, making sure to never leave a section of the crowd hanging. Fans kept up with him throughout each song, showing extra enthusiasm when he played three of his latest releases, “You Proof,” “Thought You Should Know,” and “Don’t Think Jesus.”
In conjunction with his record-breaking double album, things got “dangerous” in the best way when the crowd realized their hopeful predictions of surprise guests were coming true. First, Ernest joined Wallen for a passionate performance of their duet, “Flower Shops.” Before parting ways, both artists threw the roses that hung off their mic stands to lucky fans out to the crowd.
Next, It was HARDY’s turn to make his way back to the stage. The two longtime friends brought things back up a notch with their electric performance of the Hixtape Vol. 1 collaboration, “He Went to Jared.” Strobe lights, fire and smoke emerged from the back of the stage while Wallen and HARDY jammed out as hard as they could. Although they didn’t have roses to give out, in true country music fashion, they did shotgun their beers together on stage and then throw the empty cans out into the crowd. Both Ernest and HARDY had performed earlier in the day, so the crowd had no complaints when they made another appearance.
Finally, the night ended with Wallen singing two fan-favorite – “Whiskey Glasses” and “Wasted On You.” Fans then made their way back to their cars, hotels and camping spots still feeling high off the energy that just came from Wallen’s performance. It was an unforgettable evening for those who planned to the party among the Illinois cornfield and those who made the last minute trip with the added tickets.
Kameron Marlowe, ERNEST, BEXAR, Cooper Alan, John Morgan and DJ Cliffy D also performed during day two of the highly-anticipated festival.
The festivities kicked off on Wednesday (June 15) pre-party concert at the Station Saloon Tent with performances from Chase Matthew, Ashley Cooke, and DJ Cliffy D.
Promoted by USA Concerts, the three-day music and camping festival, which took place from Thursday, June 16 through Saturday, June 18 in Bloomington, Illinois, drew concertgoers from across the United States.
Tens of thousands of fans took over Interstate Center at the McLean County Fairgrounds for a weekend of non-stop country music at Tailgate N Tallboys Festival, powered by Altorfer.
While some festivals can seem a bit overwhelming with several stages and coinciding performances, which make it difficult to see every artist that you want to see. Tailgate N Tallboys sets themselves a part from their competition with just two stages (a main stage and a side stage), making it for fans to be able to enjoy every artist’s set.
The event, which has been named Central Illinois’ top country music festival for the past five years, was hosted by Chelcie Lynn a.k.a. Trailer Trash Tammy, who is best known as a stand-up comedian and for hilarious antics on social media.
Fans were also treated to several unique opportunities, including mechanical bull riding, custom printed t-shirts, meets and greets, Instagram-worthy photo areas, and much more for a fun-filled weekend.
See more photos from day two of Tailgate N’ Tallboys Bloomington below.
