Every year, the Double Decker Arts Festival features a lineup of musical artists that can range anywhere from regional Southern musicians to global, well-recognized artists. This year’s musical lineup includes 12 musical acts, 11 of which have music available to stream or purchase as festival attendees prepare for this weekend.
Here are some of those artists’ standout tracks to pay attention to.
The festival will kick off Friday at 5 p.m. with The Great Dying performing on the Nicholas Air Stage on North Lamar. The song recommended for listening is “Magnolia” from his 2018 album “Bloody Moses & Roses.” The instrumentation features beautiful acoustic guitar and calming nature sounds like birds chirping. Dreamy atmospherics are juxtaposed with the Mississippi native’s raspy vocals.
Texan rock ‘n’ roll group The Band of Heathens will take the stage at 6:15 p.m. Their most popular song is “Hurricane,” a track about the resilience of Louisiana and its people after disastrous storms. The dramatic intro featuring the piano and electric guitar gives the song an ominous feel, which is powerful when paired with lyrics like, “It takes a lot of water to wash away New Orleans.”
Next, Ole 60 is set to perform at 7:30 p.m. The group from Hawesville, Ky., blends grunge, blues and country styles to create a unique sound that has captivated millions of listeners. Their song “Smoke & A Light” reflects on missing an ex-partner who has found a new man and turning to vices to ease the pain of heartbreak. The lyrics may seem like nothing special, but driving vocals from frontman Jacob Young and powerful orchestration help create a catchy and addictive country tune.
Closing out the first day of the festival, Grammy-nominated Charley Crockett will perform at 9 p.m. For introductory listening, “I Am Not Afraid” is a good recommendation. The short and sweet tune about Crockett not being afraid to express his love for someone features tender lyrics and a simple guitar melody that is perfect for romantically swaying back and forth.
On Saturday at 11:30 a.m., blues musician Cedric Burnside will hit the stage. As the grandson of blues artist R.L. Burnside, Cedric Burnside grew up listening and playing blues music around his childhood home in Holly Springs, Miss. His song “We Made It” from his 2018 Grammy Award-winning record “Benton County Relic” is the perfect prefatory song. The lyrics are pretty straightforward, but they share an inspiring story of growing up poor and surviving off of what he had.
At 1 p.m., the Louisiana group Seratones will begin their set, best described as a soulful fusion of funk and R&B with strong vocals from frontwoman AJ Haynes. Their song “Over You,” arguably their most popular, consists of groovy, upbeat production and lyrics about getting over a past lover, seeing them in public and trying to avoid an interaction.
Water Liars, a rock band from Water Valley, Miss., will perform at 2:30 p.m. My recommended listen is “Let it Breathe” from their 2014 self-titled album. The track is traditionally more folk in sound compared to the rest of the tracks on the album. However, it shines the most out of the tracklist.
At 4 p.m., Cuban Grammy-nominated artist Cimafunk will take the stage. He is the only artist of the festival’s lineup to feature songs sung in Spanish. Cimafunk showcases elements of his Afro and Cuban identities in his music by combining funk, jazz, afrobeats and traditional aspects of Latin music. Our song pick,“Parar el Tiempo,” which translates to “Stop the Time,” is about wanting to freeze time to be with a loved one longer.
Blues band The Record Company will perform at 5:30 p.m. Opening for artists such as previous Double Decker performers Blackberry Smoke, The Record Company has made a name for themselves since debuting in 2011. Their song “Off the Ground” is a catchy tune about getting up when you have been kicked down repeatedly.
Houndmouth, an alternative blues band from Indiana, will be performing at 7 p.m. Their song “Sedona” features lyrics about an elusive girl, who seems to be an adventure waiting to happen, with bouncy and bright guitar-led instrumentals.
The final artist of the festival’s lineup is Grammy-nominated Grace Potter at 8:30 p.m. Potter’s commercially successful music career includes writing songs for popular show “One Tree Hill,” and movies including Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” and Disney’s “Tangled.” Her song “Something That I Want” that was featured in “Tangled” is a cheerful, easy-to-sing-along tune about not feeling satisfied and desiring to explore the wonders of life.
