Sweetwater 420 Fest returned for its second year at Atlanta’s Pullman Yards. Restored to a three-day festival, headliners included Greensky Bluegrass, Marcus King Band, and The Revivalists. Headliners may be the make or break decision for those unacquainted with festivals, but the under-card is usually the joy of a festival, with quite a number of fan favorites and undiscovered treasures, as well as emerging artists that warrant a larger audience. This year was no exception to that.
The siting of Pullman Yards remains unpopular for some, perhaps by those that are used to more accessible public transportation or who prefer the larger space when it was held at Centennial Park. However, those that recall the glory years in Candler Park when it was a smaller festival understand that the festival grew too large for that space. No longer targeting a “big” festival, Sweetwater is clearly favoring a more intimate, feel-good environment for fans of feel-good music. And their beer, of course. They continue their long-running support of the Waterkeeper Alliance through ticket fees.
Management has corrected two frequent complaints from last year’s festival, namely: Lines for restrooms were short. Beer/beverage lines were no-wait. Parking remains in short supply, an issue not likely to be resolved due to limited parking areas in the area. Assuming they will return to Pullman, a live video feed would be helpful for those in the rear of the audience, as well as on the screen in the Merch area, which was far off-sync with the live sound, likely a delay from downloading the live-stream web broadcast).
Any festival has its gives and takes, and Sweetwater 420 Fest offers a great time for those wanting to hang loose, enjoy music and alcoholic beverages, and take a break from the outside world. At this point, enjoying what is offered at Sweetwater 420 Fest far outweighs the nitpicks.
Southern rock, blues, soul, funk and jazz – Marcus King Band brings home, save psychedelic jams, the musical themes of the Sweetwater 420 Fest in one tight outfit. Headlining a glorious spring evening, King played two hours, touching on expected nods to the Allman Brothers Band, introducing two new songs, and including an acoustic piece. There’s a lot of variety, but what fans wanted to hear was sensational guitar solos and interplay, which Marcus King and Drew Smithers delivered in spades.
Setlist:
Boston’s enduring funk band, Lettuce, laid down an excellent, though not particularly animated, set anchored by a groovy bass and highlighted with brass. Their version of Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” stood out, perhaps for familiarity, but also because it was really well done.
Setlist:
Hiss Golden Messenger, aka MC Taylor, shared a fine set touching on spiritual themes and the human condition, though not in a dogmatic fashion. It was an entertaining set musically, but the joy of this band is in the lyrics, often lost in a live setting. “Sanctuary” and “Southern Grammar” were favorites.
Setlist:
Grace Bowers, an emerging guitarist and musician, has already toured Japan, played at the Grammy’s with Chris Martin, and jammed with every other musical luminary within reach during her travels. At Southern Skies festival in Knoxville in May, 2024, I could tell the band was fresh and finding their way. A year later, their growth has been phenomenal and are well on their way to finding their musical identity.
This was probably the set I looked forward to the most at Sweetwater and wasn’t disappointed. Two bonuses included a jam with Natalie Brooke on the main stage, plus a a stripped-down version of the band playing on a side stage later in the day.
Natalie Brooke? Why, yes! I hadn’t heard of her but she lit up the stage and gathered all the arriving fans. Jazzy, funky, fun… she and her band bring it, but it’s Natalie that is the star, a keyboard player who isn’t content to be cemented in place. And when she pulls out her Roland keytar synthesizer, she owns the audience. Also an “artist at large” for the weekend, she guested for multiple bands including Grace Bowers as previously mentioned. The following day, The Ries Brothers’ Jordan Ries, clearly delighted with their off-the-cuff jam, commented, “We hadn’t played together, and she nailed it!”
Maybe “feel” is the right word for it. Like Rory Gallagher on guitar, she has the ability do whatever the song or moment requires.
Brooke frequently reminded the audience of her new 11-track album coming out in October, 2025, certainly something to look forward to.
Atlanta’s honeyknife won Sweetwater’s Battle of the Bands competition. They certainly deserve a stage, but the Friday opening set wasn’t kind to them as fans were slow arriving. Still, there was a lot to like about this alt-rock band’s spirited performance, and it begs the experience of hearing them play off a larger crowd. Worth catching them locally before this two-year old band takes off.
