Foo Fighters at DeLuna Fest: Foo Fighters at DeLuna Fest
Joan Jett performs at DeLuna Fest on her 54th birthday. / Kira Ramos/GoPensacola.com
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DeLuna Fest, day two: Joan Jett, Foo Fighters rock the beach
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts should have been on the main stage.
Amassing a crowd so far only surpassed by Pearl Jam at this year's DeLuna Fest, the veteran rocker, who turned 54 today, treated thousands up a hard-rockin' set packed with hits like "Bad Reputation," "Cherry Bomb" and "Do You Wanna Touch Me." The crowd roared its approval for each new song, singing aloud with the iconic rocker.
Later, Jett joined the Foo Fighters on stage for a late-night surprise and rocked the beach on "Bad Reputation."
There were other surprises throughout the day. One of the best was a mid-afternoon set inside Pensacola Beach bar The Dock by rising country singer Maggie Rose and her band.
The dynamic Rose, a fireball with a giant voice, led her talented and tight band through a set of originals, including her soulful single “I Ain’t Your Mama,” and an eclectic grouping of country-tinged covers, including Fun’s “Some Nights,” Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain” and Styx’s “Renegade.” The packed Dock crowd roared its approval at each song. Rose has the pipes and presence to be a superstar, and she definitely walked out of DeLuna Fest with a few hundred new fans.
Day Two of the Pensacola Beach festival started slow, with a couple thousand earlybirds scattered across the festival grounds for the first round of acts today under pristine blue skies and boiling-lava sunshine.
It's the first day of fall, but you couldn't prove it by the look of these sweaty, sunburned music fans.
Still, it's a beautiful day for a mega music festival at Pensacola Beach, and crowds wouldn't be light for long. The main event, the Foo Fighters, will hit the stage at 9:15 tonight, but there's a ton of fun to be had before then. Tell us which acts you love today -- use #godeluna or post on our Facebook wall.
Parking has been hard to come by since early today. If you're not here now, consider taking the shuttle from downtown Pensacola too avoid the hassle. If you do drive, trolleys are running from Park East and Park West where it may be easier to park.
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Dixie Tucker, 25, of Birmingham, Ala., said that she has loved the weekend so far, whether she’s hanging out in the hammock tent, mingling with friends between sets or enjoying the live music.
“So far, so good,” Tucker said. “I’ve been sick this week, so it’s been a nice relaxing weekend to the end of a very long week. And it has been a rad party so far.”
Tucker said that the highlight for her would have to be Pearl Jam’s show last night, which drew a crowd of thousands.
“Pearl Jam was jamming,” Tucker said.
Dale Welch, 39, of Pensacola, said that the highlight of the weekend for him so far is Guided by Voices, especially getting to see them for the first time in about 15 years.
He said that overall, DeLuna Fest has been great this year.
“It’s really well organized, really well run,” Welch said. “It’s not bad crowds, and everything is accessible.”
Not everyone was as pleased with their festival experience, however. Several patrons who bought VIP passes, which include access to prime viewing areas, say they were ushered out of the VIP corner Friday night to make room for Pearl Jam fan club members.
Some of those concert-goers vented on social media throughout the day today, and were further riled when a fake "DeLuna Festival" Facebook poster put up incendiary replies on the real DeLuna's Facebook page. Festival organizers issued a statement this evening.
"We’ve heard from our fans and attendees, and we are aware of the circumstance that affected VIP viewing during the Pearl Jam set and about trolley system delays on Day 1," the statement says. "While we can’t change what has already happened, we are working diligently to address your concerns and improve your experience for the rest of the weekend. We’ve added more trolleys to the routes and they are already running smoother, plus our transportation partners have worked diligently to improve some of the obstacles that pushed the trolleys off schedule. We are also making all reasonable efforts to improve the overall VIP experience."
