Day three at the Larry Joe Taylor Texas Music Festival was one for the books as party ready fans saw The Damn Quails, Brandon Rhyder, Reckless Kelly, Wade Bowen and the Randy Rogers Band.

To start the day, The Damn Quails took the main stage. This was the first time I have seen them since last LJT and like last year, I dug their set. The band played favorites such as “Better Place To Stop” and “California Open Invitation” during their set. I liked this band because they have a folk sound to them.

Next was Brandon Rhyder. To me, Rhyder does not belong at LJT on the main stage. With his soft, melodic voice I think he would be better suited on the acoustic stage.

Following him, was my favorite band Reckless Kelly. Reckless Kelly is the band that got me into the Texas Music scene.

The band has musicianship that is second to none with Willy Braun on backup guitar and lead vocals, his brother Cody Braun on fiddle, mandolin and backup vocals, David Abetya on lead guitar, Jay Nazz on drums and newest member Joe Miller on the bass guitar. The band played favorites such as “Wicked Twisted Road,” “Crazy Eddies Last Hurrah,” “Ragged As The Road” and “Nobody’s Girl.” The band also covered the ‘greatest song about red heads and motorcycles’ as Willy said. It was a song written by Richard Thompson called, “1972 Vincent Black Lightening.” Reckless Kelly’s rock’n’roll/ country sound made me love him even more. This band is one of the best bands I have ever seen live.

Next was Wade Bowen. Bowen has always been a favorite of mine just for the fact that he is not afraid to put heavy, deep emotions in his songs and turn around and play a fast, upbeat song that has the crowd going nuts. Bowen played fan favorites such as “Red Headed Woman,” “Getaway,” “Keep Hanging On” and “Resurrection.”

The part I liked most about his set was when he played his church hymn like song “If We Ever Make It Home.” Before he played it, Bowen talked about growing up in Waco near West, Texas and how he walked through the town just a few days ago to see the destruction from the explosion, then he dedicated the song to everyone in West.

Next, he immediately went into the song “Hallelujah.” While he was playing this song, I had one of the most emotional moments I probably will ever have at LJT. I looked to my left through all of the beer and people to see a man and a woman standing on a cooler, I can only assume (because I never found him to talk to) that the man was from West or had family in West because the man was openly crying during the song.

I was moved by this man and Bowen’s thoughtfulness to dedicate that moment of his show to the small community in Texas. Though I have met and seen many of my favorite bands and gotten to hang out with some of them, seeing everyone come together to sing that song was probably my favorite memory of LJT.

Following Bowen was the band that helped create the Texas Music scene- the Randy Rogers Band. RRB came on and the crowd went ballistic and it seemed like the band fed off of it. Led by Randy Rogers on backup guitar and lead vocals, along side with Geoffrey Hill on lead guitar, Johnny “Chops” Richardson on the bass guitar, Shane Vannerson (formerly with Micky and the Motorcars) in place of Les Lawless Brady Black on fiddle and an unknown man on keyboard, the band was there for a reason, to rock the stage.

RRB played “Fuzzy,” “Trouble Knows My Name,” “10 Miles Deep,” “You Could Change My Mind” and “Kiss Me In The Dark” during their set. I loved the entire set. The band has a knack for writing music and they have such great chemistry on stage that it shows. Other than the loving the music, the fiddler, Black, is easily compared to the Energizer Bunny on crack, he is ALL OVER THE PLACE doing whatever shenanigans he can to fire up the crowd, not to mention the fact that he is a magnificent fiddle player.

Last night’s line up was without a doubt my favorite.

Tonight’s line up consists of Charla Corn, Mark McKinney, Josh Weathers Band, Six Market BLVD, Roger Creager and Kevin Fowler.