DAYTONA BEACH — The Canadian James Barker Band wasn't used to the heat of Memorial Day weekend in Florida.
The remedy the band shared with the audience gathered at the opening of the Country 500 music festival at Daytona International Speedway on Friday: drinking a lot of beer.
While water would be a better way for fans at the three-day festival to stay hydrated, plenty of people gathered under a partly cloudy sky were taking the band’s advice. As the evening went on, the crowd would eventually swell into the thousands.
The James Barker Band opened the event’s main stage Friday before an evening of performances headlined by Dierks Bentley.
On Saturday, country stars Billy Currington and Chris Stapleton will perform before Sugarland and Toby Keith close out the festival on Sunday.
Early at the barrier
As the James Barker Band took the stage, a small crowd gathered around the barrier near the stage — growing larger as the band performed.
“This is my first ever music festival, so I wanted to be close as possible,” said Lauren Robinson, a 23-year-old from Melbourne.
In addition to being close to the band, Robinson made stops at some of the festival's vendors.
“They gave me this koozie, because ‘This Bud is for you’ even though I drink (Michelob) Ultra,” she said.
Drinking at the barrier would sound right in line with Barker, who before the festival said his band is “kind of used to playing for a bit of a drinking crowd.”
Another fan was even more in that spirit: “I’m drunk. D-R-U-N-K,” he initially said when asked how to spell his name.
In the campground: rooftop views, pools and ice luge shots
Scott Pennell took in the concert sounds from afar: He listening in a chair on the roof of a recreational vehicle in the Speedway's campground.
“It’s a great view,” said the 51-year-old Daytona Beach resident. “We get to watch all the people. The outfits that people wear are the best.”
Farther away, Steven Davis, a 30-year-old from Fort Myers, chilled in an inflatable pool as he enjoyed his third year at the festival.
“It’s a great time to relax,” he said.
The country music festival has also been a good place to meet people for Davis, especially with the neighboring campsite pouring liquor down a carved, large block of ice known as an ice luge.
“Our neighbors over here have an ice (luge),” he said. “You sit down on the bottom and you drink the alcohol when it runs over the ice. So they’ve attracted some people.”
Family time with the mechanical bull
Also out during the evening performances was "The Voice" semifinalist Kaleb Lee.
The 32-year-old Ormond Beach country artist greeted and took photos with fans who recognized him at the festival.
By the time Randy Houser took the stage at 7 p.m., the crowd had grown along with the cloud cover.
As Houser performed on the main stage, 6-year-old Joseph Brace enjoyed riding a mechanical bull.
“I liked … when I didn’t fall off and I kept staying on,” he said.
He was enjoying the ride with his grandfather, 53-year-old Jimmy Mohammed, on a family trip from Punta Gorda. Mohammed said the rides and games at the festival help to create more family time.
“It brings out more of a family experience, other than a bunch of drunks that’s partying,” he said.
Country 500 schedule
SATURDAY
DJ Dirty, 3 p.m., Bluebird Theater
Brandon Ray, 4 p.m., Country 500 Stage
Faren Rachels, 4:20 p.m., Bluebird Theater
Midland, 5:05 p.m., Country 500 Stage
Jimmie Allen, 5:25 p.m., Bluebird Theater
38 Special, 6:15 p.m., Country 500 Stage
Dylan Schneider, 6:30 p.m., Bluebird Theater
Billy Currington, 7:40 p.m., Country 500 Stage
David Nail, 7:50 p.m., Bluebird Theater
Chris Stapleton, 9:10 p.m., Country 500 Stage
SUNDAY
DJ Dirty, 3 p.m., Bluebird Theater
Runaway June, 4 p.m., Country 500 Stage
Clare Bowen, 4:25 p.m., Bluebird Theater
Michael Ray, 5:05 p.m., Country 500 Stage
Brandy Clark, 5:20 p.m., Bluebird Theater
Tyler Farr, 6:10 p.m., Country 500 Stage
Craig Campbell, 6:25 p.m., Bluebird Theater
Sugarland, 7:30 p.m., Country 500 Stage
Colt Ford, 7:50 p.m., Bluebird Theater
Toby Keith, 9:15 p.m., Country 500 Stage