Ambar Ramirez Carmen Macri
Who We Saw, What We Thought
Words by Carmen Macri and Ambar Ramirez and Photos by Stayce Koegler
We have never claimed to be music critics, but for the sake of this article, we will pretend. Before we get into who we saw and what we thought, let’s talk about where we were — the Sing Out Loud Festival. In the heart of Downtown St. Augustine, Francis Field was transformed into a lively festival ground. For two days, locals and tourists alike flocked to this sun-drenched field to catch a wide range of performances, enjoy plenty of drinks, and spend much of their time in the cooling stations. September in Florida is a sick joke that never gets old. Not to be a Debbie Downer, but in the spirit of being honest, the festival could definitely use a few tweaks. The first thing that jumps out is the stage placement — specifically, the direction it was facing. With the main (and only) stage facing east, the entire crowd was forced to look west, straight into the evening sun with no escaping it. We all had to patiently wait for the sun to slowly submerge behind the stage —a very daunting task that resulted in many forehead sunburns. But hey, it’s Florida, what do we really expect? And don’t even get us started on the fact that the porta potties were all the way back at the entrance. Traumatic to say the least — especially when trying to wiggle our way back into the crowd after a close call with god.
Anyway, let’s get into why we braced the “fall” heat and packed crowds. Here’s who we saw and what we thought.
Sierra Ferrell
Ethereal, otherworldly, holy, spiritual, there are not enough words to describe the woman and artist that Sierra Ferrell is. From the moment Ferrell got on stage to the moment she got off, we were entranced. We don’t know what type of witchery Ferrell puts into her music, but there was not a single moment during the whole set where the crowd wasn’t dancing, crying or going feral for Ferrell.
There is no doubt in our minds that Sierra Ferrell was put on this earth to perform. Ferrell’s voice is rich with an old-timey twang that transports you to another era. Her vocals weave effortlessly between a haunting, Appalachian drawl and a playful, folksy charm, creating a sound that’s both nostalgic and refreshingly unique. And hearing her live performances of “Dollar Bill Bar,” “American Dreaming” and “Fox Hunt” was something out of a movie.
We also need to mention that nobody has musical range like Ferrell. Hearing her set was like hearing a jazz show, a country show, a bluegrass show and an alt show all wrapped into one. If you aren’t listening to Sierra Ferrell right now, what are you doing? Thank us later.
Marcus King
Wow. Just wow. We don’t know what we were expecting but Marcus King exceeded it. He has the voice of someone who would have graced the stage with the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Johnny Cash and Chris Stapleton. He is a natural-born rockstar through and through. King walked onto the stage like he owned it, and he very well could have.
We can only describe his music as rock with a hint of Southern twang. Not enough to be fully classified as a country singer, but enough to make a clear distinction that he is doing something unique.
As we were weaving through the crowd after Ferrell, trying to make our way to the water station, person after person was giving us shocked looks asking “Why are you leaving before Marcus King are you crazy?” and in the moment, we didn’t understand. We found a cozy spot in one of the –very limited– shaded areas and hunkered down. That was our bad, we will admit that because the second King graced the stage and began his performance, we wanted to do nothing more than get up and dance – and we did.
Norah Jones
Whoever was in charge of setting up the line-up for day two made a dire mistake by putting Norah Jones after Marcus King, and even after Sierra Ferrell. After the high we got from listening to Marcus King, we were immediately put to bed and ready to go home for Jones. And this is in no way a reflection of her soft, yet raspy voice, it was just bad placement.
Norah Jones has been in the music scene since her 2002 debut album “Come Away With Me” and has garnered a solid fan base over the years. We went to her set for one song and one song only— “Don’t Know Why.” Hearing that song live did not disappoint, we just can’t say the same for the rest of her hour-long set (that sounded like one continuous song).
Noah Kahan
Noah Kahan has a knack for making his audience feel homesick over places we’ve never been. We are Florida grown girls through and through but while listening to “Northern Attitude,” “Homesick” and “Stick Season”, we couldn’t help but long for a past we never had in New England. His music falls into the “y’allternative” genre—a perfect blend of modern folk and alternative.
Kahan seamlessly balances his sets with a powerful voice and sharp, quick-witted jokes aimed at the crowd. He has the stage presence of that awkward classmate presenting a project for the first time — charming, with just the right amount of self-deprecation. His voice is proof enough that he belongs on the stage, but his insecure nature brings a sense of relatability and humor to the audience.
It was obvious the crowd was there for Kahan as the event’s closer, and he delivered. As the sun finally set and our sweat began to dry, the anticipation only grew. It took just two strums of his guitar for the crowd to erupt, singing—more like screaming—along to “Dial Drunk.” It felt like we were in a full-on sing-off with Kahan. There wasn’t a single song we didn’t know by heart. Not one lyric fumbled, no missteps. It was like taking a final we crammed for—and we totally aced it.
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