2024 was my second time performing at the Will McLean Festival in Brooksville, FL. The annual event features continuous music on three stages. I was accompanied by guitarist Michael McKee. We performed two full sets of my original music on two different stages, on Saturday and on Sunday. Having Michael perform with me is a real treat. He rounds out the rough edges and puts a pretty polish on my songs. He adds a harmony here and there. We’ve only recently started performing together and I’m enjoying it – he’s a nice person who loves playing guitar. He’s got a great ear. We look forward to performing at Barberville together in April. Many of the same performers from Will Fest take part in Barberville’s annual spring and fall festivals.
I volunteered as an emcee on one of the stages on Saturday evening. What a treat! I got to see up close and personal, some incredible acts. My favorites included Lon and Lis Williamson, also known as Gatorbone. They came as a quartet with a fiddle player and a guitar player. Lis and her husband wrote the songs and did lead vocals. Everyone sang, and played extremely well. The songs and musicianship was so good they got a standing ovation and did an encore. Lis Williamson has an unforgettable voice – clear and sweet with a lovely vibrato she controls just perfectly.
Another songwriter I found particularly enjoyable was Carly Bak. She’s from South Dakota but has a Florida home as well. Her lyrics were solid, sassy and well delivered. Her whole band was a great compliment to her songs. She’s been performing at Will Fest for nearly 20 years. The festival has such a great community of writers and performers.
I look forward to next year’s event and the opportunity to emcee again. It is something I enjoy and they need people who actually want to do that sort of thing. For me, I feel like I have a backstage pass and I feel like I’m doing something good. For more about the Will McLean Festival, visit their website.
