Faster Horses starts at Michigan International Speedway

BROOKLYN — Michigan’s largest country music festival entered its second day Saturday as the Faster Horses Festival drew tens of thousands of people to the Michigan International Speedway grounds.

Faster horses, who achieve their 11th place^e edition at MIS, is the kind of festival where you’re more likely to see Mardi Gras beads and Old Glory caps than boots and cowboy hats, and where the music DJ Rod Youree spun between sets included popular R&B and hard rock as well as classic country.

As Saturday afternoon wore on, fans began to take up their spots on the vast field in front of the main stage, equipped with beach towels and loungers, re-energized after a long night of partying on the festival grounds and surrounding campgrounds.

On the main stage, a late afternoon set from veteran quintet Sawyer Brown offered a rare taste of old-school country pop on a Faster Horses bill dominated by younger acts and up-and-coming artists. They included “Watermelon Moonshine” star Lainey Wilson, who was scheduled to close out the main stage Saturday night following a Friday headlining set from Jelly Roll, who was joined by Cody Johnson and Tyler Hubbard.

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Sawyer Brown, currently on a 40th anniversary tour, filled his set with songs from his own successful catalog, along with a tribute to contemporaries Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and the late Toby Keith.

Rising Texas band Shane Smith & the Saints, making their Faster Horses debut, found the connection between Celtic music and American country in a set of cinematic, traditionalist originals. It made for an impressive early evening on the main stage, highlighted by Bennett Brown’s driving fiddle and bandleader Smith’s rich baritone vocals.

California singer-songwriter Annie Bosko delivered a storming performance on the Next From Nashville stage, bringing rock energy and an old-school country feel to a 40-minute set that included a swinging “Boots On” and mid-tempo “Neon Baby,” which is now playing country radio. Bosko, decked out in cowboy fringe, paired a cover of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” with her own new tribute to the Man in Black, “Cash,” out August 2.

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She topped it all off with a dose of Michigan love: a cover of Bob Seger’s “Old Time Rock and Roll.”

Faster Horses closes out on Sunday with another round of music, including a headline performance from country rocker Hardy, followed by main stage performances from Riley Green, Ashley Cooke and Tigirlily Gold.