Ft. Lauderdale, Florida’s Tortuga Festival kicked off yesterday to sunny skies and sunny faces. Cam took the Tortuga Stage early in the afternoon to an already-crowded beachfront, kicking off a the day with great music and good vibes.
Ryan Hurd took the Sunset Stage next to sample from his EP Panorama as well as play the hits he’s written for other artists, including Blake Shelton and Ashley Monroe’s “Lonely Tonight” and Rascal Flatts’ “Payback.”
“Oh my god it’s that guy from Sugarland,” Kristian Bush said, taking the Tortuga stage, and sharing hits like “Baby Girl” and solo singles like “Trailer Hitch.” “Music should either shake your hips or explode your heart,” Bush shared.
Tucker Beathard followed from the Sunset Stage, playing songs including his recent release “Rock On.”
With the sun still high in the sky, Randy Houser took the Tortuga Stage for singles from his latest album Fired Up, including upcoming single “Song Number 7,” and hits like “Goodnight Kiss” and “Runnin’ Outta Moonlight.”
Old Dominion and Dierks Bentley were scheduled for the later slots; however, heavy thunderstorms forced an evacuation of the beach and a re-scheduling of Bentley’s set for 9:45. Old Dominion opted for a surprise pop up set at Bahia Cabana, a seriously less soaked venue across the street from the beach. Bentley played a shortened set sampling from new and old material, and even took a break to bring a fan up on stage and shotgun a beer.
Day Two kicks off at 11:30am with Drew Baldridge, and features a star-studded lineup through Tim McGraw’s set, starting at 8pm. For more live from Tortuga, follow us on Snapchat, Twitter, and Instagram (@theshotgunseat).