In a shady nook at the Porch Stage (the best stage) this weekend at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass fest, I was impressed by a soulful rock band from Detroit called Jessica Hernandez & The Deltas, who were perfectly described as “think Gwen Stefani meets Amy Winehouse” (thanks Ty). She had all the 90s fashion spunk of Gwen, and the sexy dark retro vibe of Amy, and a powerful voice and dance moves to match it. Behind Jessica was a band of young guys, including a trombonist, playing upbeat and highly danceable music. The crowd went wild for them, and they even made an older drunk couple grind erotically. FUN!
Another highly honorable mention of the day was 21-year-old Oklahoma native Parker Millsap, who played soulful, crooning ballads that were brought to energetic life with his honky tonky band and his rockabilly moves. Check him out!