It’s time to roll into Memorial Day weekend on Lake Martin with RXR Fest!

Night one will be OFF THE CHARTS phenomenal!

We will start the night at 6pm! From Florence, we kick off RXR with the smooth sounds of Belle Adair – an Alabama band named after a John Steinbeck reference. Combining mellow, atmospheric rock and swirling, retro power-pop, it’s more Big Star than Swampers, but it’s an ideal gateway into the blissed-out world of Belle Adair, a group that manages to make even worry and isolation sound inviting.

NPR praised the band’s “dreamy sound,” while SPIN said their music “glows with a deep, dusky aura,” and Uncut compared them to “Wilco, when the roots were still showing, with flashes of The Byrds and a note of country sadness.” Despite the group’s hectic schedule performing with others, they still managed to find time for gigs of their own, including opening slots with The Alabama Shakes (Belle Adair’s touring keyboardist, Ben Tanner, also tours and records with that group), festival performances from SXSW to CMJ, and multiple appearances at the annual Billy Reid Shindig.

Take a listen to some Belle Adair

Then at 7:45 AJ Ghent jumps on the Green Stage! AJ constructs a musical sound that can be heard howling from the church – to the streets – to the clubs. His style can be defined as fresh – mashing blues, funk, rock, and pop into a genre he calls, NEO BLUES. He can be heard picking, sliding and strumming all over those strings, whether it’s one of his custom built 8-string lap steel hybrids or his acoustic resonator.

AJ aims to create an unforgettable experience for music lovers, with the hopes of taking them to a musical paradise.  A little hip-shaking, finger snapping, head nodding is all you need for this tuneful travel excursion.

Colonel Bruce Hampton was a mentor to AJ, teaching him what mattered the most – “time – tone and space” for all his music and life journeys. AJ was invited to play in Hampton’s band, Pharaoh’s Kitchen, which he did for about a year — and like true Colonel Bruce style, the elder statesman always reminded AJ to be ‘true to himself.’

He has had a colorful career – playing and opening for legends like Zac Brown, The Allman Brothers Band, Derek Trucks, Robert Cray, and Gov’t Mule. He can be heard on various recordings with Luther Dickinson and is featured on Zac Brown’s 2013 Grohl Sessions Vol. 1 alongside Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters).

At the age of 31, AJ knows where his talent comes from and isn’t afraid to explore other sounds. His new album titled The Neo Blues Project is something different: A musical fusion form that takes art and skill to master, something that AJ Ghent [J-ent] has spent his whole life perfecting. The album debuted #7 on the Billboard Blues Charts on its release week in March.

Some NEO BLUES from AJ Ghent