When the Spotlight Stage, previously known as the Satellite Stage, arrived at C2C it became one of the highlights of the weekend. Highlighting emerging stars and those destined to appear on the Main Stage in the future, the Spotlight Stage is a rare chance for Country fans to see incredible artists before they too are selling out bigger venues on their own. This year’s line-up has been hit-and-miss with no true breakout moments in the style of previous performers such as Maren Morris and Ashley McBryde. That all changed on Sunday when the Spotlight Stage showcased its strongest line-up by a (no pun intended) Country mile.
First up was Harper O’Neill, the Dallas-born Nashville-based artist who is forging her own path with a soul-infused blend of Country and Americana. Her small stature perfectly throws you off and it’s one of those jaw-on-the-floor moments when she opens her mouth to sing, and a powerhouse voice comes out. First song “You Don’t Love Me” is an energetic soul Country number that is punctuated by O’Neill’s rich voice and puts her sonically in the company of the likes of Tedeschi Trucks Band. The audience lapped it up and O’Neill’s uplifting music came right after a darker and moodier Main Stage set from rising star Avery Anna. Second song ‘Somebody’ was driven by Blues elements and it was a slightly more playful affair than O’Neill’s first song while her third and final song, ‘My Love, My Love’ was a powerhouse moment that sealed the deal with the audience that had crowded around the stage to watch her. Honestly, I could have listened to her play for a lot longer and I know I’m not the only one that appreciated her unique musical blend, and stellar vocals.
Kashus Culpepper was the second artist on the Spotlight Stage and interestingly musically he was a very good match to Harper O’Neill. Following Shaboozey on the Main Stage can’t have been an easy thing to do but Culpepper refocused the audience with his soulful Country songs. The Alabama-born artist evoked Muscle Shoals with his sound and first song ‘Pour Me Out’ allowed him to let his gorgeous voice shine. Sounding like one of the greats of Soul, Culpepper provided the much-needed tonic to Shaboozey’s chaotic set. Second song ‘After Me?’ was the hookiest moment of the set and I spotted plenty of audience members grooving out as Culpepper sang. Recent single ‘Talk With Me’ closed out the set, and it was a homerun for the singer-songwriter. Culpepper is the embodiment of what C2C, and the Spotlight Stage, is all about – he’s an artist people may not have heard of but they’ll be a fan after hearing him.
The final artist on the Spotlight Stage, and arguably the most well-known of the day, was Californian powerhouse Kassi Ashton. Having been meant to play at the festival back in 2020, which was derailed by the pandemic, Ashton’s moment in the UK has been a long time coming and she absolutely crushed it. Armed with a huge voice and plenty of charisma, Ashton opened her set with ‘Called Crazy’ a twangy punchy number that showcases the sheer force of nature that Ashton is. The highlight came on song two, ‘The Straw’, which Ashton co-wrote with Lori McKenna and Luke Laird. The heart-breaking ballad is a highlight on Ashton’s ‘Made From the Dirt’ album and hearing it live is truly something special. Ashton’s ability to rip emotion directly from her soul is goosebump inducing. It’s one of those moments people will talk about for years. Her final song ‘Drive You Out Of My Mind’ was an uptempo finisher and by the time the song ended, Ashton had a few ore thousand fans than she did at the start of the weekend.
The Spotlight Stage artists knocked it out of the park on Sunday. This is what we expect from C2C and this is the breadth and quality of artists that have made the festival such a must-attend event in the packed yearly gig diary. All three of these artists have the potential to make the UK a staple on their touring agenda for years to come. Each is unique, each has something special and each added legions of fans to their ever-growing fanbases. What a way to close out this year’s Spotlight Stage.
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