JAB Fest 2022 Recap: The Best (and Worst) Things We Saw

JAB Fest returned to Lubbock for its 11th year for another weekend of great music on October 14 and 15.

This was the first year the festival expanded to a 2 stage format with a new venue at the South Plains Fairgrounds allowing them to make the change. Overall, the festival transitioned into the format nearly seamlessly with a few growing pains but none that distracted from the great performances across both days. Down below are what I considered to be the best and unfortunate worsts of the weekend.

The Good: The Early Sets

I’m not sure if Abbott himself personally curates the lineup or if he just gives someone in his team a giant list of people he wants to play but if it’s the former, he did an outstanding job of it this year. Going into the fest with minimal research done, I was really impressed by most of the early day performers. Whether it was a second dose of West Texas Exiles’ bluesy country, Angel White and Tyler Halverson’s fantastic voices, or Catie Offerman and Kylie Frey’s great songwriting and charisma. There weren’t a whole lot of misses for Friday and Saturday’s early day sets, the only one I would consider “meh” was Rodell Duff, mainly because he didn’t do much besides stand there and sing but I did really like his voice.

The Great: Alternating Stages

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The biggest upgrade in my opinion was the alternating stage format. To sum it up easily, as soon as an artist finished on one stage, the next artist on the other stage would start with no delays in between sets outside of an introduction from either Josh Abbott or JR from the Red Dirt Rebel. One of the most annoying things about going to a show or a fest is having to spend half of your time at the venue standing around and waiting. The new two stage format eliminated that need to wait but came at a cost as it’s the closest my camera has ever come to dying at any show or fest.

The Bad: The Size

Look, this is definitely something that seems to be a growing pain but everything felt so far away. The walk from the entrance to the stages was an awkward route that took you around the Coliseum before making a long walk (probably around a quarter of a mile) to the stage area. The food trucks on site were also a long way away from anything and the merch booth was tucked in a hidden corner behind the bar. I don’t want to go too hard on this point because yes, once again, new venue. But I hope little things like this can be fine-tuned and fixed next year. However, I will say that the walks were worth it because…

The Great: The Food

If you were gonna try and complain about anything, I guess you could say “wah wah, the food was too expensive!” but what festival food isn’t. The price didn’t matter, everything I ate was fantastic. The food trucks were all local restaurants and vendors and all of them had some great food. Nirvana Burger is a place that I’m going to need to seek out more often, Bubba and Brey’s had some wild Grilled Cheese’s with Zach and I both getting the “Pundejo” special. A grilled cheese with macaroni and brisket. It was an absolute mess to eat but it was so good. And while I didn’t get to try them, Outlaw Egg Rolls also looked really good. I know this is a boring thing to spend an extended amount of time talking about but when everything is this solid, it’s worthy of a paragraph.

The Riskiest: Surfaces and Waka Flocka Flame

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When I first saw the lineup for this year’s festival, Surfaces were the first band that really stuck out to me on the poster, mainly because they don’t make country music. However, I came to realize that they’re a band college kids love and the fest is in a college town so it makes sense. Then, out of nowhere, Waka Flocka Flame got added to the lineup. I had no idea how either of these acts would go over at this fest even as I entered the fairgrounds on Saturday. Fortunately, both of them were fantastic.

Surfaces’ set started with some technical issues that delayed them about 10 minutes and once they got on stage, the issue persisted which led to them awkwardly standing around for a few more minutes but once the set started, all transgressions were forgiven. While Surfaces might make super basic and at times cheesy pop music, they make up for it in my book by being a fantastic live band. One of my biggest issues with their studio material is that a lot of it feels stripped back and basic to the point where it’s annoying but when they play live and add live drums, guitars, and a saxophonist to the mix, the songs completely transform for the better. Take their opening song Heaven Falls for example. The studio version of the song is made up of a drum loop that doesn’t change for the entire song, some thick 808s, and Frank’s distorted voice along with some guitar chords. The live version has the benefit of live drums adding a ton of energy alone but also throw in a saxophone solo, Frank’s great voice live, along with the fact that crowd always sings that “Heaveeeeen fa-ah-ah-ah-allss” chorus back. Frank and Padalecki are also super engaging live, always trying to get the crowd to wave their arms, jumping down and getting in their faces, Frank even took a BeReal for one fan. Their set ended with a wild run of their hits and a cover of Ain’t No Mountain High Enough thrown in the middle for good measure. Closers Wave of You and Sunday Best were a great way to end the set and kept the energy bar high. If you aren’t sold on Surfaces as a studio band, go see them live, you’ll have your mind changed.

Stylistically, Waka Flocka is one of the most out-of-place bookings to ever even be considered for this fest and it reminds me of that time someone tweeted that Larry Joe Taylor Fest should add a day of rap and got absolutely flamed, except Abbott didn’t care what the perception of his booking was and god damn it this is a risk that had a huge reward. For starters, Flocka is an absolute pro. He raps over instrumentals, doesn’t miss a word, and still brings an insane amount of energy. It also helps that he has so. many. bangers. He opened his show with No Hands which is an insane way to open a show and sent the crowd into a frenzy. He then went straight into Wild Boy, a collab with Machine Gun Kelly which kept the energy super high and it never seemed to dip down once. However, at one point, Flocka told his DJ “I can’t stay up here, I gotta go party with them” before jumping down into the crowd and opening mosh pits and being a fan for 10-15 minutes while his DJ played a bunch of party songs. When he re-emerged and got back on stage though, he was determined to burn down the fairgrounds as the legendary horn intro started for Hard in Da Paint. I’ll never be able to describe how great the song is live, it’s just a blast every time. And as if everyone wasn’t tired yet, he closed his set with Grove St. Party which closed out the festival with a bang. Even though the show was great, I still think the best part of his set was, surprisingly, the energy backstage and in the wings as he performed. Josh Abbott, his wife Taylor, and Colin from Surfaces all stood side stage to watch his set while Kolby Cooper and his band, Kaitlin Butts, Catie Offerman, and Angel White all stood along the sides to take it in. Butts and Cooper both were having the times of their life and it was so fun to watch. I don’t know if the success of these sets will inspire Abbott to continue booking a non-country act or two each year but I’m not against it if he wants to. Speaking of Butts though…

Most Worth The Wait: Kaitlin Butts

I have been trying to see Kaitlin Butts for so long and I’m so happy I finally got my chance to. Her album what else can she do is one of my favorite albums of the year so far and her personality and social media presence have always been infectious to me. Butts shared one major trait with her husband, Cleto Cordero of Flatland Cavalry fame, on stage. I can count on one hand how many times she wasn’t smiling on stage. That positive energy was radiant but it also made her performances of the songs blood and her opener White River a bit more sinister since she’s singing about how much she hates her family and shooting someone abusing someone close to her all without losing her smile. White River was a hell-raising opener that I think gets played faster live than the studio version is, there were great steel guitar and fiddle solos with Butts also spinning around to let the tassels on her outfit flow. Other highlights for me included her performance of Marfa Lights which led one of the loudest sing-alongs of the evening, the performance of it won’t always be this way was an emotional high point of the show, and the key change in jackson was absolutely flawless and as a music nerd, it was one of my favorite moments of her set. She also pulled out a great cover of Shania Twain’s Any Man of Mine which did something I don’t see many covers of the song do, she matched the sass of it to a T. Butts set was so worth the wait and I can’t wait to see her again at some point.

Artists I’d Enjoy More at Their Own Show: Kolby Cooper and Treaty Oak Revival

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Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed both of these sets with Treaty Oak Revival trying their hardest to blow out the PA while Cooper performed a tight 45-minute set of bangers. I just think these two would’ve been better enjoyed at their own headline shows. Cooper was already a strange booking given he played last year. To come back a year later when he’s only gotten bigger to play for 15 less minutes and earlier in the day still confuses me but I was still happy with what I got, I just think he’s a lot better playing to his own fans for 90 minutes. Treaty Oak Revival was somewhat the same, mainly because JR from the Red Dirt Rebel came on stage to introduce them by saying that the last time they played The Blue Light, they knocked the power out. Their set honestly reminded me of the first time I saw Koe Wetzel. They were full of youthful energy and flailing themselves all over the stage to the point where you get exhausted watching them. However, the crowd for their set didn’t really match their energy with lead singer Sam Canty asking the crowd to get rowdy and get into it but they just sort of stood there instead. Maybe it was better up close but I think I’ll just plan on catching them the next time they’re at The Blue Light.

Most Nostalgic: Casey Donahew

When I say nostalgic, I don’t mean that Donahew is a throwback act or something like that. Donahew is one of the first artists I fell in love with from the Texas scene and I hadn’t seen him live in 3 years before his set at the fest. While I’ve been falling out of love with his music, he’s still a fantastic live performer and it was still great to see him again. I could complain about his setlist if I wanted to, there were a lot of songs I wish I could’ve heard rather than stuff from his latest album, but it doesn’t matter. On stage, Donahew is still as enthusiastic and energetic as he’s always been and his performances of songs like Double Wide Dream and White Trash Story took me back to riding in my dad’s truck blaring Donahew’s Live, Raw, Real Live Album. He also did something that I never thought I would ever see him do. Multiple times throughout his set, he put his guitar down, grabbed his mic off the mic stand, and walked around the stage while singing. I know this will sound super mundane but as someone who’s always seen him with his guitar on, it was cool to see him break out of his shell a little bit. Also, I have to point out that his band was fantastic as well. He’s always had a knack for finding incredible musicians to play behind him and this show was no different.

Most Likely To Come Back and Headline: Corey Kent

Yeah, I have no doubt in my mind about this. Outside of the fact that Wild as Her has done incredible numbers since its release in March, Kent just commands the stage like a headliner. He’s confident, has a great voice, and had some of the most passionate fans of the weekend. Performing in Lubbock for the first time, Kent had nothing but gratitude for the people that showed up to see him and you could tell he loved being on stage. Kent is a rising star in the scene and his profile seems to be growing at the rate of someone like Cody Johnson where you know if they can get in front of the right person or if they grind for just long enough, they’ll be a superstar. I had never listened to Kent before this set but I’m gonna need to make a deep dive into his output after this set and after getting multiple messages from friends saying “OMG I LOVE HIM!!”

Friday’s Best Set: Randy Rogers Band

Is it unfair to call the headliner the best set of the day? Probably, but I don’t care. This was my third time seeing the Randy Rogers Band this year and it hasn’t gotten old yet. I still believe Brady Black is one of the best fiddle players on the planet, I think the band as a whole is still full of extremely talented individuals and their chemistry together is still unmatched. However, I did go into this show worried that given their latest album Homecoming had come out the same day, the setlist would rely mainly on that album but luckily they stuck to just a few songs from it here and there with Nothing But Love Songs being the best sounding song live. Still, they have so many great songs in their back catalog that they could’ve played for 3 hours and still had everyone engaged. From high-energy songs like This Time Around, Last Last Chance, and Too Late For Goodbye to slower and more mid-tempo songs that encouraged dancing like In My Arms Instead, Tonight’s Not The Night, and of course, Kiss Me in The Dark, the band didn’t play everything I wanted to hear, but I loved hearing everything they played. The band also had the most packed backstage area I saw the whole weekend with Abbott and his wife Taylor dancing backstage to In My Arms Instead and Colin from Surfaces watching them and posting on his Instagram story that the band was “Texas legends.” Also, about halfway through their set, Abbott brought the band a homecoming mum to celebrate the new record. It was a super funny moment but also showed just how casual the whole thing was. Everyone on the bill was friends with everyone and led to fun moments like that. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of seeing the band live and I’m eagerly anticipating the next time I get to see them.

Friday’s Worst Set: Chancey Williams

Look. I tried, I really tried, but I am so sick and tired of the “I’m a cowboy and I make cowboy music” trope. I’m not trying to say Williams isn’t actually a cowboy, a quick Google search says that he used to be a saddle bronc rider, I’m just saying that when everybody tries to claim that they’re a cowboy and that they make cowboy music, it just gets old. Also not helping matters, Williams’ voice was so high in the mix that everyone else in his band sounded like they were playing on the other stage while he sang. About halfway through his set, I got hungry and I walked away from his set with no remorse. Williams seems like a nice guy, his band was pretty great, but please, I’d rather we bring bro-country back in full swing than have people trying to out-cowboy each other.

Best Party Host: Josh Abbott Band

As soon as the Josh Abbott Band finished their first song, My Texas, I knew this set was going to be extremely special. This was my third time seeing Josh Abbott and their performances have been slowly leading up to this point for me. The first time I saw him was pretty rough but I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt as he was performing the night after the Midland/Odessa shooting. Still, the entire night felt super flat, the crowd seemed extremely bored, and it wasn’t a great show all around. I saw him for the second time at Raider Alley last year and he seemed in much better spirits but it was still missing something and I’m not sure what that something was. Then, closing down the Sunset Stage on the second day of his own fest, everything clicked for me, and Abbott and his band played an incredible set. Everyone was in a great mood, Abbott had an energy possessing him that I had never seen before, stomping down on stage, spinning around and dancing when he wasn’t singing. He also brought out guests every chance he could, bringing out Catie Offerman twice, Angel White, and Kaitlin Butts for an awesome performance of Oh Tonight. However, the best guest of the entire evening was his daughter, Emery, who stole the show and stole hearts as well. About halfway through Abbott’s set, he and his band did something they’d never done before, they stripped everything down and played a bluegrass section that was actually pretty great. The song I’m Your Only Flaw was especially fantastic in this section of the show but I think the song has always been made to be performed acoustically. I’m cautiously optimistic to see Abbott again, mainly because I don’t know if he’ll top this show. Part of me wonders if he puts a little extra into his Lubbock show. Between how hard he was going on stage and the fact that he lost his voice halfway through the set, it’s easy to see that his hometown shows mean a lot to him.

I want to thank the Josh Abbott Band and their team for letting Zach and I run all over their festival. I want to thank Abbott himself for being extremely kind both times I got to talk to him even though I made a complete fool of myself both times. Every artist I got to talk to was extremely kind, especially Waka Flocka Flame who stayed for nearly 30 minutes after his set finished taking pictures with whoever wanted to backstage and saying “I see rappers all the time saying no to pictures and saying ‘Nah I don’t have time’ like where the f*ck you gotta be that you can’t stop for five seconds to take a picture??” I want to say once again that I chock most of the issues this year up to new venue growing pains but outside of that, I can’t wait to see what the fest does next year!!

All photos taken by Andrew Watters and Zachary Sorrels. If you’re an artist wanting to use any of the photos in the article, please reach out to us via email at andwatte@ttu.edu and zsorrels@ttu.edu and we’ll be happy to send them to you!!