The 2019 Tortuga Music Festival opened at Fort Lauderdale Beach Park on Friday, packing the shoreline with music fans looking for a cold drink and a chill vibe under a persistent sun that gave the bikinis extra sizzle.
Now in its seventh year, the festival continues to evolve beyond a point of pride for locals into a travel destination, its purpose still primarily boozy vacation communion, but not exclusively.
Friday night’s headliner set the tone for the weekend during a Tortuga Facebook Live Q&A shown on a massive screen bracketing the Main Stage a few hours before he was scheduled to go on. What does Aldean do to prepare to perform onstage, he was asked?
“I drink,” Aldean said, the beauty of his brevity celebrated with laughs and applause from the crowd.
Now a hooky-playing tradition, Opening Day at Tortuga seemed to fill the sand in numbers comparable to previous years, though tickets were available for purchase late in the afternoon on Friday.
“It’s where the girls are, man,” said heavily tattooed Brooklyn resident Jimmy Piscatelli, less than half as old as the Connie Francis film he unwittingly referenced.
The lineup was a lesson in the diversity the Tortuga Music Festival has come to represent. Early on its three stages simultaneously were home to young Nashville firebrand Tenille Townes; Bob Marley’s old band, the Wailers; and the thick baritone of Cody Johnson on the Main Stage. Friday’s other top acts included Kane Brown, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and headliner Aldean.
With all due respect to the girls of summer in front of the stage, Johnson gets the award of most daring outfit, performing hits including “Me and My Kind” and “Long Haired Country Boy” under a blistering sun in full Wranglers.
In their first performance at Tortuga in six years, the Wailers described the atmosphere as “amazing.”
“There was one energy between the audience and the band together. When we become one, that’s when it’s good,” said longtime Wailers member Donald Kinsey, smiling.
While drinks and good-natured rowdiness were the order of the day, Bob Kohuth came to the Tortuga Music Festival with a different motivation
A native of Youngstown, Ohio, now living on St. Thomas, Kohuth had avoided traveling to Tortuga for five years, but relented this year. His younger brother died recently, and Kohuth decided to finally give in to daughter Alexa’s request to see Kenny Chesney for the first time.
“Life’s too short. What’s money?” Kohuth said. “What am I going to do with the money, save it, not spend it until I die?”
Alexa had planned to go to Tortuga with a group of sorority sisters from the University of Central Florida, where she’s a sophomore studying dentistry. Until her father sprung for VIP tickets.
“He’s the coolest dad ever,” she said.
The Tortuga Music Festival continues through Sunday. Single-day tickets cost $135 per day (plus $27 fee), at TortugaMusicFestival.com or at the box office at DC Alexander Park, 505 S. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd. Kids 6 and younger get in free.
Performers scheduled on the Main Stage (M), Sunset Stage (S) and Next From Nashville Stage (N), include:
Saturday, April 13: Natalie Stovall (N 1 p.m.), Mitchell Tenpenny (S 1:20 p.m.), Lindsay Ell (M 1:35 p.m.), Everette (N 1:45 p.m.), Cassadee Pope (S 2:20 p.m.), Lauren Jenkins (N 2:30 p.m.), Raelynn (M 2:50 p.m.), Rachel Wammack (N 3:20 p.m.), Maddie & Tae (S 3:35 p.m.), Claire Dunn (N 4:20 p.m.), Midland (M 4:20 p.m.), Michael Franti & Spearhead (S 5:10 p.m.), Maren Morris (M 6 p.m.), Flo Rida (S 7:10 p.m.), Thomas Rhett (M 8:25 p.m.)
Sunday, April 14: Gabby Barrett (N 1 p.m.), Carly Pearce (M 1: 05 p.m.), Delta Rae (S 1:20 p.m.), Caroline Jones (N 1:35 p.m.), David Lee Murphy (M 1:55 p.m.), Levon (N 2:15 p.m.), Danielle Bradbury (S 2:20 p.m.), Filmore (N 3 p.m.), Michael Ray (M 3 p.m.), the Wheeland Brothers (S 3:35 p.m.), Abby Anderson (N 3:50 p.m.), Chris Janson (M 4:10 p.m.), Logan Mize (N 4:45 p.m.), Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue (S 5:10 p.m.), Sheryl Crow (M 6 p.m.), Dustin Lynch (S 7:10 p.m.), Kenny Chesney (M 8:25 p.m.)