BayFest Music Festival—Mobile, AL—October 3-5, 2014
Written by: Rosemary A. W. Roberts
In its 20th Anniversary since its inception, BayFest kicked off on Friday October 3, 2014 in the streets of downtown Mobile, AL. Throughout these 20 years, BayFest has brought a widely varied lineup of talented musicians to the Port City, and 2014 would be no exception. Many music festivals across the country decide on one main genre to focus on, and occasionally pepper it with acts of a different style. Touted as Alabama’s Largest Music Festival, BayFest has never been tied down to one genre; instead, it gathers music lovers from all points in the spectrum, from Hip Hop to Country, from Rock-n-Roll to Folk, and everything in between. In addition to all the great music, BayFest is very family-friendly, with Bienville Square hosting a Children’s Area filled with activities and performers sure to please kids of all ages.
On Friday night, local band Phunk Blue Moon put on an energetic show for a pumped up crowd at the Launching Pad stage. Meanwhile at the Miller Lite Stage, old-school hip hop band Bone Thugs-N-Harmony threw down for their fans, performing a great set that included a tribute to rapper Easy-E. That stage would later find Ludacris rapping to close out the evening. On the Coca-Cola Stage, hardcore rockers AFI thrilled the crowds, followed by BayFest veterans 
Stone Temple Pilots, who have been hooked up for a while now with vocalist Chester Bennington of Linkin Park acclaim to round out their sound. By far, the pinnacle of the evening was when country music legends Alabama arrived on the AT&T/Southern Ford Dealers Stage, ready to rock their namesake state crowd. A pre-show montage informed the fans just how huge this band is, with a long spanning successful career studded with numerous #1 Hits. And Alabama performed an electrifying set, showcasing their great songs to their grateful fans. BayFest certainly hit a homerun inviting Alabama to help headline the festival.
Saturday came with a welcome coolness in the air, and the crowd knew it would bring another incredible day of music for Mobile. Shawna P, known from appearing on The Voice, shared her vocal stylings with the downtown crowd. A favorite in Alabama and 
beyond, Kristy Lee brought her band Dirt Road Revival to BayFest, performing a rousing set which the audience adored. Amos Lee has amassed quite a fan base, and his band sounded great on songs like “Windows Are Rolled Down”. It was a treat to see him deliver “Keep It Loose, Keep It Tight” with sweet tenderness. Joan Jett & The Blackhearts have been rockin’ with rebellious delight since the 1980s, and she maintains her commanding stage presence and edgy voice to this day. In a different vein, All That Remains brought seriously heavy metal to the stage, with headbanging intensity, thrashing guitars, speedracing drums, and the deep growls from bassist Jeanne Sagan; I still am amazed this petite woman can growl like that!
Saturday’s headliners had garnered a great deal of excitement, and though you would have to split your time just right to catch them all, there were many who did just that. Performing one of the best sets of BayFest 2014, super rockers Jane’s Addiction came onstage to thunderous cheers. These guys still look and sound amazing, and singer Perry Ferrell worked the crowd over all night, talking to a few front row folks; telling the story of Jane’s Addiction’s first visit to Mobile 20 years prior, and how some things have changed for the better; and even expressing condolences for the Crimson Tide’s loss earlier that day. The band even threw in a tease of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama”, with guitarist Dave Navarro totally nailing the classic riff. For me, a fan of Jane’s Addiction since I was about 13 years old, the best part occurred when after hearing excellent renditions of “Up The Beach”, “Ocean Size”, and “Had A Dad”, the band started the slinky disturbing “Ted, Just Admit It”; at that point I realized they were playing their 1988 album Nothing’s Shocking in its entirety, and I was ecstatic! In addition to the expertly delivered album tracks (with a gorgeous “Summertime Rolls”, an explosive “Mountain Song”, and the acoustic and steel drum rhythms of “Jane 
Says”), the band did “Been Caught Stealing” and “Ain’t No Right” from Ritual de lo Habitual. For the show-stopping climax, two scantily clad ladies danced on the stage, while two more were hoisted above the stage to provide aerial acrobatic dancing; and the electrifying “Stop!” ensued, putting an exclamation point on a fantastic show! Meanwhile, classic funkmasters The Roots had begun a non-stop dance party at the Miller Lite Stage. The Roots consistently play high-energy dance-driven shows, and are a band Mobile was lucky to have join the BayFest lineup. To close out the evening, Kid Rock drew a huge crowd, and performed hits spanning his musical career and styles, to the enjoyment of his fans.
BayFest continued to entertain all the way through Sunday, when The Ben Jernigan Band provided a lineup of long-loved Mobile musicians, including John Milham, Chris Spies, and Christopher Spies. A bit later, Blackberry Smoke brought more of a country flavor, while Trombone Shorty & the Orleans Avenue brought the funk factor from New Orleans. A relatively new band from Canada, MAGIC! already has a few hits that caused many young girls to squeal. A real pleasure on Sunday was watching and hearing Foster The People, an indie-pop band whose song “Pumped Up Kicks” has made them known worldwide. The lightshow and stage presence of this band was huge, as they were constantly switching instruments and never missing a beat. Meanwhile, living legends Earth, Wind & Fire performed all their greatest hits, and sound as amazing today as they did 20 years ago. A favorite of country music fans, Brantley Gilbert played his heart out to the large crowd at his feet, closing out another awesome BayFest celebration.
For 20 years, BayFest has provided an incredible opportunity for music lovers from Mobile and beyond, allowing us to gather in the streets of downtown Mobile, AL for music, food, and fun. This year’s festival seemed to reach even higher than past years, surprising us with huge stars, delivering major bang for your buck. Be sure to “save the date” and put October 2-4th on your 2015 calendar for the next great installment of BayFest; if this year’s festival is any indication, rest assured that it will be another awesome event!
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