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<\/a>Before the show began, Cledus T. Judd came out to share his story on addiction and recovery. Once Judd was on stage, he made all the audience members stand; many, including WMUL-FM music director John Boggess, took their hats off as a sign of respect. Still, Judd pulled a fast one on the audience and said, \u201cI just wanted a standing ovation before Jeremy Short\u201d.<\/p>\nJudd did have a compelling message, stating he had been \u201c21 years clean from addiction\u201d, which really seemed to resonate with the audience. He offered hope to those in the audience who could face the same thing he once faced.<\/p>\n
After Judd\u2019s heartwarming message, Jeremy Short took the stage. He kicked The headliner for the night was Andy Frasco and The U.N. I have to say, they put on an amazing show. Frasco immediately jumped into performing some crowd favorites, such as \u201cTry Not to Die\u201d and \u201cLife is Easy\u201d. Frasco and the band had the crowd up and dancing as the night went on, and the performance continued to grow. The night was packed with fun music and testimonies from recovering addicts to bring hope to those who may need it.<\/p>\n<\/a> the night off with \u201cFalling into a Trance\u201d, one of my personal favorites. Short played a variety of funky-soul music throughout the night that offered soothing healing, which is what the festival is all about. Rocking a sky blue and maroon tie-dye shirt and vibrant purple boa, Short brought soul to the venue both lyrically and visually. Short played \u201cMidnight Train to Glasgow,\u201d about halfway through the set, offering some rock ‘ n ‘ roll to the night and one of John\u2019s personal favorites of the night. In addition to Short\u2019s outstanding vocals, his band helped elevate his performance even further with groovy instrumentals and pristine choreography, such as simultaneously turning in circles together while not missing a beat of music. A one-man mosh pit even formed in the middle of Short\u2019s performance. To close the night, Short honored the late Ozzy Osbourne, someone he said was a hero to him, with \u201cMr. Crowley\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/a>The night before Short\u2019s performance, he released a new album, \u201cLive from Healing Appalachia (Deluxe)\u201d. The album featured performances from his first Healing Appalachia performance in 2023 in Lewisburg. We were able to get our own copy of the CD, and that music can be heard during WMUL-FM 88.1\u2019s alternative hours in the near future.<\/p>\n<\/a> At one point, Frasco and the entire band switched instruments, their bass player started playing the drums, and their saxophone player started playing the keyboard. Frasco then shared that he was really excited to meet Tyler Childers. He said, \u201cI\u2019ve never met him before, but come on, it\u2019s Tyler Childers!\u201d While I didn\u2019t know too much about Andy Frasco and The U.N. before last night, I have to say, I am definitely a fan of their work.<\/p>\n