Day one of High Water Festival was one to remember for all who entered North Charleston’s Riverfront Park. A full day of incredible artists and Day two’s lineup was just as exciting.
Gigi Perez
High Water Festival day two began with an artist, Gigi Perez, who I was particularly excited to see. I listened to and reviewed Gigi’s debut album on the plane ride to Charleston for the festival. Having been moved by the album and her incredible songwriting, I was excited to see her take the Edisto Stage. I was excited to see how her piercing vocals translated to a live performance. You wouldn’t know this was a three o’clock festival set by the crowd’s energy to see Gigi Perez. Fans filed into the park early to see one of the most prominent up-and-coming artists. Perez has had the help of her music going viral on TikTok, but her success can be attributed much more to her powerful songwriting and stellar vocals. A combination that held true in her live performance and the realization while watching this is the last time Gigi Perez will be a smaller name on a festival lineup.
The War & Treaty
Husband and Wife duo The War & Treaty took the main stage early in the day field of excited fans. Michael Trotter Jr. has been known as one of the best gospel singers for nearly a decade and has continued to add to his catalog with blues and country records. Where he really shone on the Stono stage was behind the keys. A remarkable story: Trotter fought in the Iraq war and began to learn to play the piano while his unit was encamped in one of Saddam Hussein’s private palaces, which had a piano in the basement. A commander encouraged him to play, and now the artist is selling out tours and playing festival main stages with his wife. Tanya Trotter’s vocals were impressive, carrying throughout the festival grounds and to a sea of dancing fans. This set was a wonderful early jam in day two.
Wild Rivers
Wild Rivers is a band that is a personal favorite of mine. They are one of the bands I reviewed early as an intern and was wowed by their performance and I’ve never stopped following them since. From Wandering Child to their now Juno Award-nominated album ‘Never Better,’ for which they were touring. Just as they did eight years ago, Khalid Yassein and Devan Glover’s vocals shined in how they complement each other and have songs from their perspectives and voices throughout the setlist. Their songwriting is excellent. Their stage presence was impressive the first time I saw them as an opening act, but it has only improved. They were one of the strongest performances in the Day Two lineup.
Trampled by Turtles
Trampled by Turtles is always a fun festival experience. The band’s vibe often differs from others on the lineup, and it’s fun to see festivalgoers discover their music through their sets on these stages. Whether you dub their genre as bluegrass or not, what is always easy to decipher with Trampled by Turtles is that they put on a hell of a live show experience. You see them do things with acoustic instruments that you’re not used to seeing. It’s always impressive, and it always has fans going from hearing the group from afar to migrating closer to the stage to see and dance to tunes like ‘Codeine’ and ‘Wait So Long.’
Waxahatchee
Backed by a five-piece band, Katie Crutchfield, the lead singer of Waxahatchee, took the Edisto stage. It was a highly-anticipated set for the day that brought great energy and Crutchfield’s always stunning vocal performance. It was amazing to hear it live, and the vibes were incredible with a cool breeze as it began to feel more and more like summer with music that you want to listen to while driving with your windows down. A personal favorite was ‘Lilacs’, and I listened to it countless times on the way home.
Counting Crows
Fun fact about Counting Crows, naming this website Roadtrip Playlists was partly due to me discovering my love for music while making playlists for long trips friends and I would drive on in college. It expanded my taste beyond what I had listened to in my youth. However, one of the few CD’s my mom would play in car rides growing up was ‘Hard Candy’ by the Counting Crows. Seeing them for the first time live was a big deal for me. The soundtrack to genuinely great memories that I have with my mother. Adam Duritz’s voice isn’t what you hear on the record, and I knew that going in and that helped, but he does put on a great show. They began with their Grammy-nominated hit ‘Round Here’ and as the set went on you remember just how many hits the band has. The Crows were getting ready to tour a new album, and it was a pleasure to see their return show. I expected ‘Big Yellow Taxi’ to be the most memorable cover song the band sang, but there was a surprisingly beautiful rendition of Taylor Swift’s ‘The 1.’
Flipturn
A friend of the show Flipturn took the Edisto stage as that stage headline act. A well-deserved slot for the Florida band that started as college friends. I saw Flipturn and interviewed them following their set at the Shaky Knees Festival a few years ago. A smaller band midday act that weekend that you felt grew an instant fanbase. Now, they have their rightful slot at a headline stage fresh off the release of their new album ‘Burnout Days.’ Similarly to The Backseat Lovers on Day One, there was a palpable energy of fans rushing to see the band as they continued to skyrocket. A big part of their surge comes from their live show. One of the better live performances you will see. Dillon Basse’s vocals are always magic, especially with the high energy he brings with his electric stage presence.
Listen to our interview with them:
Arcade Fire
Arcade Fire headlined the festival. If you want to read a review, you’ll have to read it elsewhere. My only qualm with High Water Festival was Arcade Fire’s billing as headliner following Win Butler having five accusers of sexual misconduct. Reading the reporting on the allegation it is alarming to see the acclaim the band still receives on major stages, especially with most of the misconduct allegations coming from a power imbalance beyond bands. The festival and SNL may have platformed Arcade Fire to promote their new album, but Road Trip Playlists won’t be.
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