Turnpike Troubadours Captivate the Crowd with Electrifying Set at Extra Innings Festival 2024

The Turnpike Troubadours came, saw and conquered at the Right Field Stage of the first ever Extra Innings Festival 2024. The Oklahoma-based country band showed the Arizona crowd why they possess such an esteemed reputation.

Lead singer Evan Felker and the boys were the last act to take the stage before Chris Stapleton's headline set, and you can't help but feel Stapleton is one of the few artists who could follow the encapsulating live show Turnpike have been perfecting for years.

Storming onto the stage with the lively, harmonica-heavy hit 'Long Hot Summer Day,' the passion Turnpike Troubadours play with clearly resonated with the audience. With folks leaning over barriers in the hopes of Felker hearing them sing each line word for word, Turnpike came out swinging and didn't quit till they left the stage.

Moving onto 'Every Girl', '7&7' and 'Before the Devil Knows We're Dead', Kyle Nix earned the admiration of all in attendance, becoming one with the fiddle pressed beneath his chin. Each note Nix plays is felt in the heart as it leaps up and down with every pitch change.

The Okies continued playing earlier tunes from their vault, following up with 'House Fire' and 'Gin, Smoke, and Lies.' Turnpike added a liveliness and enthusiasm to these tracks, more so than on the recorded versions, a common theme throughout their hour-long set.

Felker started the next song with an impassioned chant of '1, 2, 3, 4!' Felker then opened the door for Nix to steal the show again for the uptempo ‘Winding Stair Mountain Blues'. Not only did Nix flaunt his talents on the fiddle once again, but Ryan Engleman shredded some strings on the electric guitar, to the delight of the crowd.

The next tune on the setlist was 'Good Lord Lorrie', followed by a favorite of the Turnpike Troubadours faithful, 'The Bird Hunters'. With the opening fiddle lick emanating out of speakers, screams echoed and drunken fists raised in jubilation.

Turnpike continued to pour gas on the fire, following with their fast-paced jam 'The Mercury'. In a sea of people, there was a constant flow of heads banging, hands waving and bodies jumping as each band-member flaunted their wealth of talents with pride.

The focus shifted from past hits to newer tracks off their most recent record, A Cat in the Rain, to wrap things up. 'Brought Me' and 'Mean Old Sun,' released last year, rang through the park followed by the last song of their set, 'Whole Damn Town.'

Extra Innings Festival's impressive lineup consisted of artists such as Shane Smith & The Saints, Charley Crockett, Chris Stapleton, Noah Kahan, Ryan Bingham and Sheryl Crow, revered as some of the finest live acts in country music.

Turnpike Troubadours stood out as a highlight in a festival comprising a myriad of heavy hitters.

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