Hog Wild: Hops and Hogs Festival Day Two

It was another beautiful day in the Queen City as Day Two of the Hops and Hogs Festival got underway at the Park Expo and Event Center in Charlotte. Under a sunshine-filled Carolina blue sky, I arrived just in time to check out the opening act of the afternoon, Brett Wiscons. Based in Indiana, Brett is a singer/songwriter extraordinaire blending the best of acoustic pop with hard rockers and plenty of Americana roots. He has toured with a bevy of top-name artists including the likes of Jon Bon Jovi, Zac Brown Band, and Hootie & the Blowfish to name a few. His 2020 single “Late Bloomer” is featured on the soundtrack for the Nascar Heat 5 video game and his latest single and video for “Vertical City” was released this past June. Brett is definitely an artist that you’ll want to keep on your radar. You can check him out at http://www.brettwiscons.com/.

Next up was Jive Mother Mary, a staple of the North Carolina music scene for the last fifteen years. They label themselves “Soul ‘n Roll from the heart of North Carolina,” and I really can’t think of a better description for their sound. A rock and roll band with a straight mix of blues and plenty of soul, Jive Mother Mary has got the goods. The band consists of Mason Keck (guitar/vocals), Seth Aldridge (drums), Tyler Schulz (guitar/vocals), and newest member Keith Ingalls (bass). Their third full-length album 8 Tracks was released this year and put the band on a solid path moving forward. You can stream the new album and check out upcoming tour dates at https://www.jivemothermary.com/.

The day before I was chatting with another photographer in the VIP tent when I was introduced to the next band. I didn’t realize they would be performing at the festival so I was more than stoked when The Black Moods hit the stage on a fine Sunday afternoon. From that point on it was all “Sunshine” as the band ran through a rocking set of tunes that got the crowd pumped up and on their feet. The Arizona trio consists of Josh Kennedy (vocals/guitars), Jordan Hoffman (bass), and Chico Diaz (drums). Telling the story of being on the road and missing the people back home, their latest single “Home” is a beautiful and poignant acoustic number that has the band taking things to a whole new level of excellence. My prediction is that great things are just down the road for The Black Moods. They are currently on tour with The Dead Daisies and have a coveted spot on the lineup for Aftershock Festival in October. Listen to “Home” and keep up with all the news from The Black Moods at https://theblackmoods.com/.

So far things were off to quite the start so I decided to take a quick break and head to the Slop Stop to grab some lunch. After having downed some barbecue the day before as well as grabbing some Island Noodles to take home, I was leaning toward a burger. When I walked over to Bae’s Burgers and saw what they were offering, my decision was made. A giant, thick, juicy patty with gobs of melted cheese, lettuce, tomato, and a bit of onion along with the requisite ketchup and mustard and I was a happy camper. I noticed a lot of people crowding the Craft Corral and with over 40 different kinds of craft beers to try out, it’s no wonder. Now that my stomach was fully satisfied, I made my way back over to the stage for more music.

A band very familiar to those in Charlotte, DeCarlo was the next to hit the stage. For those that don’t know, lead singer Tommy DeCarlo was hired as the lead vocalist of the classic rock band Boston after the death of singer Brad Delp and after Tom Scholz heard a link of DeCarlo singing a tribute to Delp. Fast forward to today and while Boston is inactive, Tommy now has his own band performing here in Charlotte and along the East Coast. Their set was unfortunately full of technical difficulties as there was no sound of the vocal microphones at all. After attempting to sing without any amplification, Tommy finally grabbed one of the working mics and began belting out a set of Boston classics that had the crowd rocking. It was an unfortunate obstacle but handled with aplomb and proof that nothing can stop a “Rock &Roll Band” like DeCarlo. I also have to give a huge shout-out to young drummer Christian Sturt. It is not unusual to see someone with the technical skills that Christian has but to see the pure joy on this drummer’s face was pretty awesome. You can keep up with everything going on with DeCarlo at https://www.facebook.com/DECARLOROCKS/.

Instruments galore were being brought onto the stage as guitars, drums, plenty of keyboards, and a saxophone could be seen waiting for Sister Hazel to come and rock the house. With a terrific blend of alt-rock, jangling pop melodies, folk, and southern rock, Sister Hazel always put on a great show with a little bit of something for everyone. The band has remained consistent since their 1994 self-titled debut with the same lineup of Ken Block (lead vocals/acoustic guitar), Jeff Beres (bass/harmony vocals), Andrew Copeland (rhythm guitar/vocals), Ryan Newell (lead and slide guitar/harmony vocals), and Mark Trojanowski (drums) along with touring member David LaGrande (keyboards/saxophone) who was been onboard since 2012. They sounded fantastic and if you closed your eyes you could easily think it was 1994 all over again. Their set was full of Sister Hazel favorites including the iconic hit “All For You” which had people singing, dancing, and frankly, just happy to be experiencing live music again. Keep up with all things Sister Hazel including their brand new single “When Love Takes Hold” at https://www.sisterhazel.com/.

Fresh off a summer tour with Train, another nineties alternative rock band was about to bring the heat as Vertical Horizon was next. The lineup has changed quite a bit over the years with vocalist Matt Scannell being the only original member left. The crowd seemed to dig their vibe and drummer Ron LaVella was in pure beast mode form all set long. Their latest music the Lost Mile was released back in 2018 so perhaps something new will be coming down the pipe shortly from Vertical Horizon. We’d sure love to hear it! Keep track of tour dates and news from Vertical Horizon at http://www.verticalhorizon.com/.

There was enough of a time break to allow for one more quick stop to the Slop Stop. I heard an announcement about Italian Ice and ice cream being available and since I wasn’t partaking in the craft beers, I went to scope it out. Interestingly enough, what I thought was an ambulance parked on the side of the lot was actually a food truck called Emergen-Sweets which was great because it was hot and I was most definitely in need of a treat. I opted for some sweet, creamy, chocolate ice cream in a cup which not only hit the spot but provided some much-needed cool-down time for me.

To say that I am “Addicted” to the next band would be an understatement and I was so glad that I got to see Saving Abel. I have been a fan since their debut album and with lead singer Jared Weeks back in the lineup after an eight-year absence, I knew it was going to be awesome. The band was on fire and the fans were soaking up every second of it. Weeks dedicated “18 Days” to all the members of the military in the audience and urged the crowd to always support our troops. The most fun so far of the day and the only downside was that it was over too soon. The band released Shade of Grace- Twenty-Year Songs this summer and has tour dates scheduled through October. Keep up with everything Saving Abel at https://www.savingabel.com/.

Next up was singer Brett Scallions and his band. Brett is best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Fuel which first broke into the scene with their 1998 debut album Sunburn. He still sounds as good as he did back then, better perhaps as he treated the crowd at Hops and Hogs to a set of classic Fuel opening up with a little “Shimmer.” Brett and his band also did a pretty terrific cover of the Tom Petty song “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” which seemed to fit well into the rotation. My absolute favorite Fuel tune was also on deck as Scallions’ vocals shined on “Falls on Me,” soaring over the Park Expo Center lot as fans sang along. This really turned out to be a great addition to the festival lineup. Keep up with Brett at https://www.facebook.com/BrettScallionsMusic/.

As the crew was busy getting ready for the headlining band of the evening, it wasn’t long before the impromptu chants of “3-11, 3, 3-11!” began in earnest. Yes, it was almost time for everyone’s favorite musical mash-up band, 311, to take center stage. 311brings the best of different genres and blends them into a sound that is uniquely and instantly recognizable as 311. They’re a little rock, a bit of funk, a shot of reggae, a hint of rap, and a whole lot of fun all rolled into one.

The band is out on the road with their Live From the Ride 2021 Tour and kicked things off with crowd favorite “Beautiful Disaster” before rocking into “Freeze Time” and the hit “All Mixed Up.” There’s always a lot going on at a 311 performance with lead vocalist Nick Hexum running, leaping, dancing, and playing guitar all while sounding better than ever. Doug “SA” Martinez spends time behind the turntables as well as front and center singing and doing his signature robot dance moves. Aaron “P-Nut” Wills is situated stage left with his bass and guitarist Tim Mahoney is stage right.

Drummer Tim Mahoney is at the rear of the stage on a riser behind his massive kit. 311 also brought the best lighting show of the festival with plenty of dancing lights and fog to go along with their songs. A nice surprise was a very well-done cover of “Lovesong” by The Cure which I wasn’t expecting to hear. Of course, it wouldn’t be a 311 show without hearing the song that put them on the musical map, and to close out the evening and the festival we were all soon “Down.” It was a great performance and as I made my way out of the venue to the parking lots I truly felt Electrified by the sound! To keep up with all things 311, go to https://www.311.com/?frontpage=true.