FLORENCE — It was refreshing to see the Zac Brown Band — the first act on Country Thunder 2009's main stage — pull out some fiddles, a steel guitar and a mandolin. So many country acts nowadays, including many of the artists performing at the 16th annual festival here, ignore those traditional instruments.
But the shaggy-haired, bearded Brown uses those instruments for wonderfully delicious results, creating a folksy, twang-accented sound that has given the country music newcomers some traction in country's hugely competitive field.
Brown and his band on Thursday afternoon introduced their Georgia-born blend of folk and country that is subtly seasoned with tropical and Spanish accents. They also tip their trucker hats to folks such as Charlie Daniels and Bob Marley.
In an hour-long set, the band impressed with its musicianship and laid-back demeanor. The group's members are still new enough to remember that music brought them to the dance.
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In addition to covering much of its debut album, the Zac Brown Band sprinkled its performance with covers, most notably an endearing rendition of Marley's "One Love" and into Daniels' ubiquitous "The Devil Went Down to Georgia." Honestly, what's a country music festival without at least one take on that fiddle-burning classic?
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• Day 2 of Country Thunder USA at the Canyon Moon Ranch in Florence. The festival runs through Saturday at the ranch, 20585 E. Price Road, off Arizona 79, in Florence.
The festival starts at 1 p.m. today. Today's headliner is Tim McGraw, at 9 p.m.
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