Cody Johnson to Martina McBride, Two Step Inn Wrangles Country Music’s Range

Cody Johnson at Two Step Inn on April 20 (Photo by Charles Reagan Hackleman)

This weekend’s second annual Two Step Inn was a tale of two Texas spring days. Saturday arrived cold and wet in Georgetown’s San Gabriel Park, with several sets canceled as the headliners were moved up two hours in anticipation of storms gathering on the horizon. Sunday, on the other hand, dawned a gorgeous and perfect day in the park.

The headlining sets from Cody Johnson and Turnpike Troubadours were as dissimilar as the weather. Both acts put on top-slot-worthy shows, but the distinction between Johnson’s contemporary country superstardom and Turnpike’s independent country songwriting showed starkly on the main stage.

Johnson, who opened the CMT Awards show in Austin earlier this month, drove full-horsepower out the gate with latest single “That’s Texas,” revving the crowd despite Saturday evening’s dreary weather and 6pm adjusted start time. The Huntsville native splashed across the stage in rain boots while slinging hits like “Dance Her Home” and “Me and My Kind,” but even more prominent than the music, he cultivated a sense of connection with the audience.

Cody Johnson (Photo by Charles Reagan Hackleman)

The Turnpike Troubadours, on the other hand, didn’t seem to truly connect with the much larger Sunday crowd until about a third of the way through, when they fired up a sing-along to “Every Girl.” The band was incredibly tight, throwing superb breakdowns around Evan Felker’s more staid front position. With his face shadowed deep beneath his hat, Felker just never looked completely engaged with the audience.

Part of the challenge may have been following Hank Williams Jr., who delivered an absolutely raucous and surprisingly spry hour of familiar, feral hits. With Ryan Bingham’s set canceled on Saturday, Johnson followed Colter Wall, whose sonorous cowboy tunes drew appreciation but exuded little main-stage charisma.

Two Step Inn’s biggest strength remains the combination of Nineties country superstars and emerging artists, and the fest succeeded again on both fronts.

Martina McBride (Photo by Roger Ho)

Like Jo Dee Messina last year, Martina McBride proved to still have a powerful presence, dominating the Showdeo stage in the rain with an affirmation-filled, joyful string of hits. Lee Ann Womack delivered a more straightforward set, though some of the crowd seemed to stick out Saturday simply to sing “I Hope You Dance.” Clint Black celebrated the 35th anniversary of debut Killin’ Time on Sunday, but John Anderson delivered the day’s highlight with an intimate acoustic set – his voice graveled, but still strafed with his distinctive twang.

Among the younger artists, Sam Barber impressed on Saturday with his understated, clenched-jaw drawl, along with Drake Milligan living up to the big stage with a confident and smooth George Strait croon. J.R. Carroll charmed Sunday behind his high twanging, down-and-out ballads, and North Texas standout Vincent Neil Emerson at times sounded like Hayes Carll crossed with Waylon Jennings.

Logistically, the second Two Step Inn improved in a number of ways on last year’s debut. Half of the main Big River stage was opened to the GA audience, and the crowd size was much more manageable, whether intentional or not. The smaller Pony Up stage still overflowed considerably, hindered by the downward slope of the park, but overall the platforms were better arranged in relation to each other. And though the skies blasted bad luck, it was handled with expert experience.

Sierra Ferrell (Photo by Taylor Regulski)

Before Saturday’s weather truncated the mid tier, Pat Green packed out the Pony Up stage, representing the OG Red Dirt songwriters, while Sunday’s main-stage double punch of Sierra Ferrell and Charley Crockett justified their breakouts.

Ferrell’s set interestingly divided between her old-time, hot-jazz-inflected roots (“Silver Dollar”; “Jeremiah”) and more recent, country-tuned songs (“Dollar Bill Bar”; “American Dreaming”). Crockett raced through his extensive catalog and struck a determined and defiant pose to knock down doors with new album $10 Cowboy. He may still feel like an outsider, but the crowd’s response showed full-throated acceptance.

Perhaps more than any other genre today, country and Americana is being pulled in a number of directions, both diverging and converging. Two Step Inn managed to explore a wide range of those sounds while still striking a mainstream Texas appeal.

Charley Crockett (Photo by Charles Reagan Hackleman)