Photos & Review by Deidra Pinion
Perfect spring weather, kites flying in the air, a nice game of Frisbee between friends, and the sound of kids laughing and playing…the Atlanta Dogwood Festival had arrived at Piedmont Park. Tents lined the sidewalk, with artwork, jewelry, photography, and crafts for sale. A lot of amazing rides filled the park. The Atlanta Dogwood Festival has been around for a long time, in fact, they celebrated their 77th anniversary on Saturday!
The Kurt Thomas Band opened the festival, arrived on stage, and immediately had the crowd on their feet dancing! Kurt Thomas, a Dahlonega native, talked about his memories with his friend, Zac Brown. Kurt is very proud of his country roots, and his song “I’m Just Country” was written just for that purpose. They performed that song, along with “Wasting My Time”, which is from their Six Strings and a Prayer album. The song “Daddy’s Girl” was definitely a favorite, it really tells the story of what dads do to protect their daughters. The band performed an amazing cover of “Footloose”, where Kurt and a band member demonstrated how to do the dance. They didn’t waste the opportunity to get the crowd to join in with them! The band ended their show with “The Devil Went Down to Georgia”, and the park echoed with the crowd singing along! I’m eager to see these guys again, and anxious to see what the future holds for them. Their album, Six Strings and a Prayer is on available iTunes. For more information on the band, and their upcoming shows, visit Kurt Thomas’ website.
The minute that Sara Evans took the stage, the crowd gathered at the front. Sara had such a glow and presence on stage that I have never seen before. As she was singing, she waived to all of her fans. Even the younger fans were acknowledged. She stepped to the corner of the stage, and shook hands with several little girls. Sara sang a couple of crowd favorites, including “Suds in the Bucket”, and “No Place That Far”. She talked about her large family. Between her and her husband, the couple has 7 children. Glowing with pride, Sara also talked about her new niece that was welcomed into the family recently. She played a great Rod Stewart cover, “My Heart Can’t Tell You No”. Sara’s performance was such a great way to end the night. For information about her albums, and tour information, visit Sara Evans’ website.
