The sun was shining bright as the gates of Music Midtown opened to the long lines of people awaiting entry into Atlanta’s Piedmont Park. The day’s schedule only allowed a 30-minute window for crowds to enter and prepare for the long lineup of music that was scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m.
Georgia native Ron Pope had the privilege of delivering the first notes of the festival. “I grew up 20 minutes from this place,” Pope explained to the energetic crowd.
As fans enjoyed the guitar and vocal performance by Pope, crowds were also flocking to the Electric Ballroom Stage and Honda Stage for opening acts Mayer Hawthorne and Banks, respectively.
The crowds continued to pour through the festival gates enjoying the last few days of official summer weather.
The more established acts were fast on the scene. New Zealand artist Lorde pleased a large audience as the sun began to fade over Midtown Atlanta. The city skyline provided a picturesque backdrop as Lorde delivered her chart-topping hits such as “Royals” and “Tennis Court.”
Lorde catered to the younger generations specifically – discussing with the crowd her fears of growing up. Run DMC, on the other hand, took festivalgoers back to the hip-hop and rap days of the 1980s and 90s.
The night wrapped up with the much anticipated double headline feature. Jack White and John Mayer attracted what appeared to be equal shares of the total crowd. White treated viewers to his unique blend of rock and blues on the AT&T Live Stage. He particularly electrified fans with his loud and aggressive guitar riffs and several songs of his most recent album Lazaretto.
On the other end of the park, Mayer made a homecoming of sorts in front of a huge crowd. He reminisced about living in the city while playing some of his classic tunes along with some of his newer music. Mayer’s captivating guitar playing and smooth vocals ended the first night of Music Midtown with an optimistic feeling in the air, as he encouraged the audience to make the most of these finals days of summer.