Mud, Grit, and Glory: Friday at the Old Washington Music Festival Finds Its Footing After the Storm

The sky opened up around noon. Not in a poetic, country-ballad way, but in that bone-soaking, puddle-splashing, fried-dough-melting way that threatens to derail even the best-laid festival plans. A line of storms pushed through Guernsey County on Friday, July 18, 2025, delaying the start of Friday’s lineup at the Old Washington Music Festival by two full hours.

If Thursday night was about learning hard lessons in meteorology, Friday at Old Washington Music Fest was about resilience, adaptation, and the peculiar magic that happens when a festival refuses to let Mother Nature write the entire narrative. By the time the first chords rang out, a day that was supposed to ride high on five artists had been pared down some. An announcement was made that a revised schedule meant the first three acts—McKayla Prew, Davisson Brothers Band, and Danielle Bradbery would do an abbreviated set.

But here’s the thing about festivals like this one—when the clouds break and the music starts, folks don’t remember the delay. They remember the sound. They remember who showed up and gave it their all.

Starting nearly two hours behind schedule, rising country star McKayla Prew had perhaps the most challenging slot of the weekend.  Opening for a crowd that was equal parts relieved to finally have music, while folks are still making their way into the muddy field, the Michigan-raised, Nashville-polished singer-songwriter stepped onto the stage just after 3:00 p.m., and treated it like her audition for the Grand Ole Opry.

Prew sings like someone who’s seen things. Her original material and stage apparel swung between Disney sparkle and Miranda Lambert vibes, and her set was all about impact. She led with Keep Your Eyes Open, a gutsy anthem to self-worth, and brought other originals in her set like Mine, a confessional ballad that, by the reactions, more than one person in the crowd was listening.

With a voice equal parts clarity and smoke, she dropped in an ode to Dolly with Jolene, to Miranda with Mama’s Broken Heart, and closed with 2 originals in 21st Century Hopeless Romantic, and Growing Pains.  If you weren’t already watching McKayla Prew’s rise, now’s the time to start.

If there’s one act that deserved more time on that stage, it was The Davisson Brothers Band.

Hailing from Clarksburg, West Virginia, the band’s blend of southern rock, country, and mountain stomp is the stuff beer-chugging, boot-stomping dreams are made of.  They have spent two decades fine-tuning a sound that belongs equally in the backwoods and at a college football tailgate.

But on this Friday, they had to make magic fast.

They came out of the box at full steam, with the energy of a train powered by a Monster energy drink. The band tore through material from all of their releases, including Found Dead on a Fence Line, Big City Hillbilly, and Jesse James.

Hailing from the Mountain State and honoring those roots, they connected everyone listening with a spirited rendition of Country Roads.  (Surprisingly, the only time all weekend!!!)  Every note was played like it had to matter twice as much, and actually, it did! Donnie’s guitar licks burned through the muggy air, while Chris leaned into every line like it was a mission statement. It turned the soggy field into a choir, and right at the start of the last chorus, the sun finally broke through the clouds!

They may have been cut short, but The Davisson Brothers reminded everyone that it’s not the length of the set, it’s what you do while you are up there.

By the time Danielle Bradbery took the stage, the sun was fully shining and the fairgrounds were drying out.  The crowd was getting larger, and the group down front was eager to greet the winner of Season 4 of The Voice.  Having won the show at just 16 years old, Bradbery commands the stage with seasoned assurance and polish.

Her abbreviated set leaned into recent material, opening with Never Have I Ever, and slid into  Sway with a charm that loosened up the still-drying crowd.  By the time she got to her signature song, Heart of Dixie, the crowd was singing along.  The mix of old and new material showcased a more mature vision in songs that suggests she’s outgrowing the teen country star category.

Bradbery’s engages with the crowd like an artist who’s grown up both in front of cameras and in front of her audience’s eyes.  By the time Stop Draggin Your Boots popped up on the setlist, she had already won the crowd over and had them wishing she was invited back next year to do her full set.

When The Band Perry took the stage at 7 PM, they inherited a crowd that had been tested by weather delays, abbreviated sets, and the general chaos that defines festival life. What they delivered was nothing short of festival salvation in a full-length set that reminded everyone why they’d suffered through the rain and delays in the first place.

Kimberly Perry remains one of country music’s most compelling frontwomen, commanding the stage with the confidence of someone who’s headlined everything from county fairs to arena tours. Ripping into Better Dig Two, and hitting all the highlights in their recording career, Postcard from Paris, Comeback Kid, and You Lie, it was obvious they hadn’t lost anything in their polished sound while they were away from country music for a minute.

If I Die Young remains their masterpiece, although the song is both morbid and uplifting, delivered with Kimberly’s vocals floating over the instrumental support. The crowd, many of whom were singing along word-for-word, created one of those spontaneous moments of collective joy that you remember for years.

The set closer Done, with all attitude and stomp, made the crowd wish they were not, in fact, done. The crowd let them know their appreciation and that they are welcome to step back into the hearts of country fans who’d always kept the porch light on for them.

It was shortly after 9:00 p.m. when Big & Rich hit the stage. The crowd, newly energized after a day of rain and redemption, surged forward. They came ready for cowboy theatrics, for big hooks and bold declarations. They got all that and more.

John Rich and Big Kenny, now 20 years into their odd-couple reign as country music’s premier party preachers, were in fine form. They opened with Comin’ to Your City, lights blazing, guitars on overdrive, and the crowd was ready for it all..

They dipped into the red-white-and-boom of the 8th of November, inviting several local veterans to take the victory lap of appreciation for all veterans.  The often-guesting Cowboy Troy joined the duo for a song or three, and the energy never let up from start to finish.

John Rich and Big Kenny’s set was part country concert, part variety show, part motivational seminar, and completely ridiculous in the best possible way.  Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy) remains their calling card, and hearing several thousand people shout along to its absurd chorus under the Ohio stars was pure Americana.

By the time they walked offstage, Big & Rich hadn’t just capped a day, but put a bow on a day written and rewritten a few times. This is what makes the Old Washington Music Festival more than an event. A place where mud and melody hold equal footing. Friday proved that Old Washington Music Fest has the infrastructure, artist relationships, and fan loyalty to handle whatever challenges arise. In an era of over-produced, corporate-sponsored mega-festivals, there’s something refreshing about an event that can adapt, survive, and ultimately thrive when the original plan goes sideways.

And this was just Friday.