Welcome to the Mile 0 Fest daily recap by Pickin' Petals. We're here to give you FOMO (fear of missing out) & fill you in on the constant shenanigans of Americana's most free spirited festival in Key West, Florida.
For those of you new here, I'm Taylor! These recaps & reviews are full of funny commentary, wild accusations, & a honky tonkin' good time. This will be my fourth Mile 0 Fest, so I won't steer you wrong. To watch video coverage, you can find snips of most sets at @PickinPetalsMusic on Instagram.
Important Disclaimer: it is humanly IMPOSSIBLE to catch every show at Mile 0 Fest. Several artists are slotted at the same time at many bars across the tourist district to include Hanks Saloon, Rick's, Sunset Pier & more. These are the shows I (Taylor) personally caught between scheduled interviews.
Starting off the official unofficial Sh*t Show (yes, actual name of this event!) is solo artist Cliff Cody & full band Red Dirt Rangers at our favorite poolside bar Dante's. We missed Cliff Cody's set while romping about for lunch on the island, but made it just in time for the beginning of Red Dirt Rangers. This band is comprised of four seasoned gentlemen with magic fingers & a taste for country with some grit in it. The pedal steel player's sun worn skin & beachy aura sent us riding on waves of Red Dirt rhythm. The mandolin brought out the dancers (guilty as charged) & lightened the cloudy blanket covering Dante's courtyard.
Low Water Bridge Band kicked off official Mile 0 Fest Day 1 at the Truman Amphitheater with an electric sound & alternative country roots. Festival goers filled the lawn, buzzing with excitement for the start of a jam packed week. Dozens of vendors created an interactive walkway while Mile 0 Fest veterans like Uncle Bekah's Inappropriate Hats immediately had a line 2 miles long for their staple headgear. If you aren't wearing an Uncle Bekah hat, your coolness level is not to be taken seriously at this festival. We'll be sure to post our favorite hat slogans on our Instagram for your viewing pleasure. 
American Aquarium took a gentler approach to this year's set. BJ Barham is known for his thick soled work boots kicking around the stage, guitar pointing bullets into the crowd. But Mile 0 Fest is more of a home stage advantage for the festival veteran, using this years performance to feel more personal over big bad rock 'n roll. I stood up close & personal with the most darling dad moment as his daughter stood at the guard rail, waving her tiny hands at her rock star daddy while he blew her sporadic kisses from the stage. That's the kind of stuff that really warms your heart.
Finishing out the main stage for the first night was Wade Bowen, 8 time (that's all of 'em folks) Mile 0 Fest main stage performer. His vocals were perfectly crisp, per usual for the Texas Country singer. His spaghetti western background graphic set the scene for two stepping & side swaying. He pumped out banger after banger from his top hits discography. Barham joined Bowen in a Springsteen tribute, an unexpected surprise for the crowd.
Topo Chico Cowboys (Drew Kennedy & Josh Grider) brought back the late night concert series on Duval, a bar district that's like if New Orleans Bourbon Street was clean & socially polite. The Topo Chico Cowboys absolutely packed out Irish Kevin's bar, canning festival goers in like stinky sardines & drawing a line so big the entrance was one in, one out. The duo's comedic relief was insanely entertaining, juxtaposed to their beautiful & well thought out lyricism. Grider sang with that low twang, strumming honky tonk tunes. Kennedy has a way with creating a melody so catchy & pretty its hard not to sing along.
Cutting our time at Irish Kevin's a tad short, we hopped over to Durty Harry's to watch Johnny Mullenax. When I tell you this show was absolutely phenomenal, I say it with my chest. Mullenax brought a 6-piece band (acoustic/electric guitar, fiddle, keys, bass, drums) who all knew their instruments better than well enough. Their rock 'n roll meets backwoods country twang provided an electric energy throughout the packed courtyard. The band reminds me of Charlie Daniels but if the CD band head banged on the regular at metal festivals. The keys player deserves a raise. And a bible probably, since that kind of talent only comes from swapping souls.
Unfortunately we did not catch The Southern Brothers (Adam Hood & Jason Eady) or Django Walker's midnight sets, but we have plenty of opportunity throughout the week for their award winning songwriting & lively performances. We did, however, catch Red Twerk (somewhat of a Mile 0 Fest mascot haha) singing karaoke at Rick's. He absolutely killed that stage presence. 10/10 would book for birthday parties.
I'd love to have experienced it all, but it's only day 1! As us festival fanatics say, it's a marathon, not a sprint!
If you attended Day 1 & would like to add your experience, feel free to do so in the comments section below! If you couldn't attend Mile 0 fest this year, stay tuned for our daily updates around noon & our spotlight interviews next week!