It’s hard to mention festivals and live music these days and not mention the fact that people have been hungry for both, due to a lingering pandemic that has made live music and large crowds an iffy situation. It’s also worth mentioning with festivals and promoters trying to make up for lost revenue, that holding a festival in 2021 can either be a dismal failure or a resounding success. Thankfully, the folks behind Born & Raised fall in the latter category. There were no water shortages, muddy campgrounds or freak weather to contend with on a balmy, late September weekend in Pryor, Oklahoma. Held at the same grounds as Rocklahoma, which occurred not even 2 weeks earlier, Born & Raised ran like a well-oiled machine. Schedules were kept, there were food vendors galore, and any last-minute artist cancellations were replaced before the festival even took place. The only negatives I witnessed were sound issues on more than one set at the Neon Moon stage and the overwhelming heat. The music was a mix of well-known and up and coming artists, and festival-goers spoke of the campgrounds and how they spent more time than usual there, foregoing music to hang out longer with new and old friends.

With so much great music, it’s hard to discuss everyone we saw perform, how do you even pick favorites? However, we are narrowing it down to our five favorite moments from Born and Raised.

1.  Chloe-Beth at the Horizon Stage on Sunday morning was the perfect thing to kick off the last day of Born and Raised. If you’ve never heard Chloe-Beth before, it might be a bit shocking to hear the voice on this tiny, young woman, but it packs a punch and so did her set. Backed by Isaac Stalling, these two local musicians wowed the crowd right off the bat. Kudos to Born and Raised for grabbing a stellar assortment of local musicians, as there are a plethora of talented performers within the state and they deserve as much attention as regional and national touring acts.

2. Zach Bryan on both Friday night and Sunday afternoon, drew huge crowds, some of the largest of the festival. Sunday’s performance was a stripped down performance with J.R. Carroll, another local favorite and friend of Bryan’s. The crowd, at Bryan’s insistence, sang along to almost every song, and many had waited hours at the Neon Moon stage, staking out the best spots along the rail to catch his set. Truly, Bryan likely should have had a set on the Big Sky stage to accommodate the massive number of fans that came out early to sing along to hits like, “Sweet DeAnn.”

3. Jamie Lin Wilson hosting a slew of artists at the Red River Saloon. After watching performers on the two big stages outside, those attendees with a Red River Saloon Pass, could catch those same artists hit the stage with Jamie Lin for an acoustic and intimate performance. With her affable attitude and laid back vibe, Jamie Lin was the perfect host for this tent. The biggest surprise guest of the weekend to hit the stage was none other than Cody Jinks, singing songs with not only Jamie Lin, but also Wade Bowen.

4. All the female artists on the lineup. It’s no secret that women don’t seem to appear as much on festival lineups, and although there wasn’t equal representation for this festival, there were more than just one or two female acts, which is always good to see. Besides the aforementioned Jamie Lin Wilson and Chloe-Beth, Nikki Lane, Kaitlin Butts, Kylie Frey, Holly Beth and Bri Bagwell were on the lineup as well. I’m hopeful that next year’s Born & Raised lineup will feature even more talented female musicians.

5. Shane Smith and the Saints - another performance that I was surprised not to see on the larger of the two stages. As always, the Texas-based Shane and the Saints took the energy level up a few notches and brought the crowd on a ride, as their energetic stage presence went through some of their hits like “Mountain,” “All I See is You,” and “New Orleans.” The harmonies are always top-notch and if I’m being honest, a thirty minute set just wasn’t enough. If Shane Smith and the Saints are back next year, I’m hopeful they’ll have a later set with some additional time. They’re that good and the number in attendance proves they can draw people in.

Overall, Born & Raised was a success in its inaugural year. There are many things they did well, numerous stages, plenty of food and water, a good location, campgrounds that fostered involvement, and a great line-up of artists. Next year, I’d love to see even more diversity and female artists added to the line-up and longer sets for some of the fan favorites.