The Long Road

Watching The Fantastic Negrito at this year's Long Road festival, it hit me just much more musically diverse the country music genre is compared to what people expect. This festival doesn’t just showcase Nashville, conveyer belt modern country, its umbrella is cast incredibly wide. And rightly so.

From the moment we arrived, it felt obvious the 2025 iteration of The Long Road was going to be different. The crowd was more diverse, and you could feel a real ramping-up in the energy. Honestly, it was up there with the best atmospheres I've ever experienced at a festival.

Everybody was smiling, dressed head-to-toe in cowboy hats and boots, and denim aplenty, and the artists, in turn, fed off this energy all weekend long. They gave it back in spades with consistently interactive and memorable performances.

However, mention country music to the average person and names like Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks and Johnny Cash tend to dominate. While they’re rightly legends, this weekend proved how far-reaching the genre truly is. Country is rock, blues, soul, and so much more. This year's lineup was a true celebration of that diversity, with bands across the board stepping up to deliver a genre hotbed.

The clear standout act of the weekend was The Crowe Boys from New Orleans. Their two sets — one on Buddy’s Good Time Bar stage and one on The Front Porch — were masterclasses in songwriting and live performance. They write with a maturity that most bands don’t reach until those latter day solo albums, long after the band splits up. They brought authenticity, emotional weight and raw talent, reminding us what it means to feel music, not just hear it.

Midland were another high point. Their laid-back charm and on-stage chemistry makes them one of the most enjoyable acts to watch on the entire scene. Their lyrics are clever and tongue-in-cheek, the melodies are addictive, and they somehow make everything feel effortless. From instrument swaps to casual banter, they looked and sounded fantastic. Country cool, personified. Honestly, to be 10% as cool as that singer…

Another real standout was The Fantastic Negrito. Not your typical “country”, but the band’s sound is rooted in the very soil the genre grows from. Think Black Sabbath riffs, Prince-esque swagger and delivery, Curtis Mayfield soul, all with a splash of Black Pumas vibes. The frontman poured everything into the set. He's raw and exposed, backed by a rhythm section that lock it all down with a truly natural groove. The band’s lead guitarist was probably the best player we saw all weekend, too.

Among the more — for want of a better word — “obvious” modern country artists, there were some real gems. Maya Lane's set grew stronger by the minute, proving she’s one to keep an eye on. Her cover of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘The Chain’ really was what the doctor ordered, coming later on in the evening, sung from the festival’s beautiful, flower adorned Front Porch stage.

Halle Kearns, was one of the first acts to play on Sunday delivered her set with some southern charm and grace. Her songs carry warmth and truth and come with some of that crucial edge. Even a dodgy guitar couldn’t throw her — she handled a tricky switch to electric with ease and humour. The festival might want to look at why that problem (with the acoustic guitars) happened a few times across the weekend, by the way...

Alyssa Bonagura gave one of the most accomplished sets of the weekend on the Buddy’s Good Time Bar stage. Her confidence, crowd control and hit-ready songs kept us going just as the festival energy dipped. She’s one of those artists that feels like she’s been out doing it every night for the last decade. And yet, she’s fresh and energetic, with songs that feel new and ready to be unleashed upon the world.

Closing things out in the best possible way was Chuck Ragan (Hot Water Music). While James Bay played the main stage, those who wandered to Buddy’s were rewarded with a soulful, stripped-back set full of grit and honesty. Ragan’s voice and the accompanying slide guitar cut right through to the heart. There's just something painful in the sound, but it's a pain you, rightly or wrongly, come away craving more of. It's Nebraska-era Springsteen (Bruce, not Alana) for us.

The festival wasn’t just about the music either. There was an American car show, excellent food, cooking demos and loads of interactive fun for kids, making it feel like a true family experience. On the downside, the toilets and showers could have used more attention. By Sunday, things were getting rough around the edges in that department. Especially in the campsites…

But overall, The Long Road 2025 was everything a festival should be. Yes, there was plenty of drinking and partying, but the real heart of the weekend was the music, the connection, and the celebration of a genre more diverse and exciting than many give it credit for.

If you're even half-curious about country, this is the weekend that will make you fall in love with it.


Photo credit: Chloe Hashemi