Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ perform at the 2nd Annual Rock-N-Ride Festival

Nine bands participated in the 2^nd Annual Rock-N-Ride Festival in Atlanta, with Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ headlining the evening

Review and photos by Danielle Boise

Miss Willie Brown, a country band that likes to rock out, was one of the many bands that opened for Drivin’ N’ Cryin (Julie Gribble, Kristy Lee, Paris Luna, The Deadfields, The Whiskey Gentry, Ty Bates, and Virginia Runnin’) for the 2^nd Annual Rock-N-Ride Festival in Atlanta on Saturday June 23.  Miss Willie Brown really knows how to have a good time, with light-hearted banter between singers Kasey Buckley and Amanda Watkins in between song sets. They are not only beautiful to watch interacting on stage interact but also they are talented.

For more information on Miss Willie Brown, visit www.misswilliebrown.com.

The annual Rock-N-Ride Festival is a benefit for Georgia First Responders (policemen, firemen, and EMTs), sponsored by Grady Health Foundation, Gold Shield Foundation and Hard Rock Café. The day started off with a bike ride from Roswell, and culminated on Peachtree Street in downtown Atlanta at the Hard Rock Café, where a free music concert was provided for fans to enjoy. Nine bands participated in the event, with Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ headlining the evening.

The hometown boys, Drivin’ N’ Cryin’, returned to Atlanta to perform on the Hard Rock Café Main Stage on Saturday. DNC performed both new and old material, including playing songs off their recently released EP, Songs From The Laundromat, like “Dirty,” “Ain’t Waitin’ On Tomorrow,” “REM,” “Clean Up” and “Baloney,” which they played twice as it is only a 31-second song.  They even performed a new song, “Won’t You Come Play With Fire?” from their next EP, Songs About Cars, Space and The Ramones, due out in September.

With Sadler Vaden acting as DNC’s newest addition to band, it’s like an ignited passion to the band’s performance; a lot of vitality in playing songs that spanned their entire catalogue, including older material like “Hot Wheels,”  “Fly Me Courageous,” “Innocent” and the last song of the evening ended with “Straight To Hell” before signing off for the evening. Fans were beyond excited to see their favorite band perform, screaming “we love you” in the humid heat, which left everyone a little faint.

Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ put on an excellent show with lots of vigor and enthusiasm. The fans adored every second of it, especially considering that DNC never puts the same show on twice; it’s always a new and fresh experience.

For more information Drivin’ N’ Cryin’, or to see where they will be performing next on their tour, visit www.drivinncryin.com.