2024 High Water Festival Charleston, SC

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Beautiful scenes and sounds were all around at the 2024 High Water Festival last weekend. The two-day music fest hosted by C3 Presents took place in North Charleston, South Carolina, where 20 artists and 15,000 fans gathered along a picture-perfect Riverfront Park.

The Cooper River fishing piers became dance floors. A grove of mossy oak trees offered a picnic spot for loads of food trucks and their hungry guests. Just offshore, people anchored their boats to take in the tunes. And behind the alternating Stono and Edisto stages, large ships floated by.

The weekend forecast jumped from low 90s to downpours, but even in brief heavy rain, live music outshined and set times stayed smooth sailing.

On day one, artists like Noah Kahan, Fleet Foxes, Courtney Barnett and Houndmouth stayed true to High Water’s folk-inspired roots, a feat the fest has boasted since its 2017 inception.

Kahan drew in a packed crowd and delivered a headlining set that mixed songs mostly off Stick Season and his signature comedic banter.

“If everybody can look at the person that they came in here with today real quick for me..” Kahan said to awwing fans, many of whom had lined up at 6am for a spot to see the singer. “And I want you to identify your least favorite quality about that person!” he continued.

Flanked by a full band and thousands in the audience, Kahan’s set felt intimate and emotive. Highlights included set-opener “Dial Drunk”, “Stick Season” and a performance of the unreleased song, “The Great Divide.”

Day one also featured a set from married duo Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst, together known as Shovels & Rope. Trent and Hearst not only represent Charleston’s very own music scene, but they’re the curators of the High Water Festival as well.

**Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent of SHOVELS & ROPE**

Fresh off a spring tour, Shovels & Rope took the center of Edisto Stage and filled the air with the lush sounds of steel guitar strings, the harmonica, easygoing drumbeats and gorgeous two-part harmonies. The setlist included songs “Bridge on Fire”, “Swimmin’ Time” and “C’mon Utah!”.

The midday sets laid out a mix of sounds, with New York’s The Walkmen leaning into rock and multi-hyphenate cellist and singer-songwriter Leyla Mccalla brought out elements of classical. Houndmouth put on the blues, The Dip brought the funk and Al Olender kicked things off in folk fashion.

Detroit native Olivia Jean delivered a surfy, guitar-driven set alongside a full band. Donning bright blue zebra print, retro mod sunglasses and a fuscia Fender Hot Rod, Jean performed 14 songs, mostly off solo albums Bathtub Love Killings, Night Owl and 2023’s Raving Ghost.

Fog machines were blasting in full force as Jean and company delivered punchy riffs on cuts like “Trouble” and “I Need You”. She also covered Mohammed Rafi’s “Jaan Pahechan Ho” and closed her set performing “Wishing Well” by her band, the Black Belles.

Following suit of the heavy rain, day two turned in heavier sounds.

Grace Potter’s set packed in powerful vocals from the Vermont singer-songwriter, while her band showed off some serious shredding. The dampened weather had no effect on the turnout at the Edisto Stage, as Potter and fans jumped and jammed on songs like “Medicine Woman” and “Something That I Want.” Newer material like “Ready Set Go” and “Mother Road” had Potter switching between the piano, tambourine and phenomenal belting.

The Flaming Lips played their 2002 classic, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, in full, as four giant inflatable robots flanked the psychedelic rockers. While Sunday’s weather had people dressed in ponchos and waterproof gear, Wayne Coyne (in signature Wayne Coyne fashion) appeared onstage in a plastic bubble.

Hozier’s headlining set felt like watching the clouds part after a storm. The rain cleared up, and the Irish singer-songwriter delivered 16 divine songs, his resonant baritone vocals matching the echoes of the crowd chanting along. Three songs in, Hozier sent fans head over heels diving into “Too Sweet”, his TikTok-viral hit off latest album Unreal Unearth: Unheard.

At its loudest, Hozier’s set colored the Stono Stage with a gospel wall of sound and vibrant visuals and lights. But on songs like “Cherry Wine”, the scene felt incredibly intimate. He closed with his Mavis Staples collaboration, “Nina Cried Power”, and “Work Song”.

Sunday’s undercard sets were jam packed with just as much energy with The Wallflowers laying out alt-rock tuneage. Led by Jakob Dylan, he and the band played fan favorites off 1996’s Bringing Down The Horse like “One Headlight” and “6th Avenue Heartache”. They also covered “Refugee” and “The Waiting” by Tom Petty, an homage to his dear friend as well as his father, Bob Dylan’s close connection to the late rocker.

Gen Z was well-represented by artists like Briston Maroney, The Linda Lindas and Babe Club. Maroney paired folk stylings with fuzzy riffage on songs like “Small Talk” and “Caroline.” The Linda Lindas brought punk and power pop energy, especially on fan favorites “Racist, Sexist Boy” and “Nino”, a song about a beloved cat. Meanwhile, Charleston’s Babe Club got the High Water crowd into the groove with their lush synth-pop.

**Corey Campbell and Jenna Desmond of BABE CLUB**

Sets from Kevin Morby, The Heavy Heavy and Cut Worms had a twang that reminisced sun-soaked nostalgia. Under gray skies, their performances were a sweet reprieve at the rainy High Water Festival, mixing blues, country pop and folk rock.