An analysis of contemporary country music at Cosmic Country Cookout

Frequent trips to Texas catalyzed my connection to country music. The genre was littered through much of my childhood - when Carrie Underwood won American Idol, I cried tears of joy. To this day I love the banjo, and the genre has retained my attention.

I went into Local Universe’s Cosmic Country Cookout blind to the lineup, not having listened to any of the musicians previously. The festival took place at Judson & Moore, a new distillery in Avondale. It was a perfect Chicago summer Sunday - I was completely sweaty, but it also felt amazing to be outside listening to honky-tonk music. I had never been to this part of Avondale, and it made me feel like I was on vacation since I was in a completely new environment.

There was a great turnout, and the event hit capacity not long after I got there with lines forming around the distillery. The well-dressed crowd composed one of the most collectively attractive concert audiences I have ever witnessed! There were bolo ties galore, too many cowboy hats to count, and a shoe store’s worth of boots. Everyone was dressed impeccably, fully accessorized and coordinated. I was impressed by the level of commitment to the theme amongst attendees. 

Country music holds quite a stigma, especially within my generation, and is quite divisive with many music fans. I normally don’t gravitate towards the “stadium/bro country”, but do I find some of it catchy? Sure. Do I know some of the words to some of the more popular tunes? Sue me! But, I tend to gravitate towards musicians that would be closer to indie or have their roots in more classic country western. I love twang and the instrumentations that are the backbone of many country songs. I feel like there has recently been a movement of queer country artists, and I love how they’re breathing life into this genre that has so many stereotypes and holds specific expectations about subject matter. Orville Peck is probably the biggest name in this wave, and I am a huge fan. 

At Cosmic Country Cookout, the first act I was able to catch was Lavender Country. They released the first gay country album in the 70s. The lead singer, Patrick Haggerty, told stories of being an out man in the Pacific Northwest, and he captured many of his experiences in his songs. He also told many krass jokes that made the crowd roar. One in particular was called “Gay Bar Blues”, which was about his experience at his first gay bar in Spokane, Washington. 

The crowd was very familiar with his songs and sang them loudly and proudly. Haggerty even came into the crowd and urged people to dance, and yours truly danced with the man! I wasn’t going to turn him down. Towards the end of the set, he sang a classic love song standard to his husband of 35 years. Truly a tender moment! I felt lucky that I got to see such an influential performer who was so ahead of his time, and I’m glad he was finally getting the recognition that he deserved. 

The next performer, Andrew Sa, was a country dreamboat - he had a sparkly get-up and a voice that carried through the entire space. I was at the far end eating nachos, and I still was holding onto his every word. He had a crooning voice that made me believe he was related to Frank Sinatra. 

His band included a pedal steel guitar (which 95% of the acts also had); I listened to him as I drank a sparkling tea in the shade and was refreshed with a gentle breeze every now and again. Truly a perfect experience.

Toadvine was the next band up and again– that pedal steel guitar! Man, the instruments that encompass country music are truly the best. I would argue that the genre with the best array of instruments is country, hands down. I recognized many of the band members as audience members earlier during Lavender Country’s set. While at capacity, the event felt tight-knit in the sense that the line between the audience and the performers was blurred. It was as though those on the lineup would have attended the event, anyway. Every person in that building felt perfectly placed. 

Toadvine and their pedal steel guitar photographed by Christian Heinzel.

This band felt more indie-adjacent than the previous, they definitely had more of a mainstream appeal. Their music is made for those who grew up listening to Willie Nelson because of their parents and then found rock music in their teens; they were a country band through osmosis. I know that each of the band members had a really intense deep dive into Neil Young, and if they hadn’t yet…boy, they’re in for an awakening.

The following act was Tobacco City, and they just oozed nostalgia. They were a band that I felt like I already knew and loved even though I had never heard them before. They nailed the classic country harmonies that form the quilt of Americana. This band makes music that was meant to be played in a car; I wasn’t usually not one to notice bass, but it felt very prominent in a way that wasn’t a distraction. They were extremely cohesive and airtight - like a line of perfectly placed dominoes, it was so satisfying to watch them all play together.

Nothing could have prepared me for the next performer…personally my favorite for the night, Boulevards was truly out of this world. Boulevards is the stage name of Jamil Rashad and he was joined by a band on stage - they fully encapsulated the cosmic part of the festival. 

Rashad’s outfit was impeccable; he wore a tight, embroidered denim vest with even tighter denim jeans. His cowboy boots and hat rounded out the look, and his jerky movements would have brought a smile to James Brown’s face. Rashad is an R&B, funky cowboy who absolutely dominated the stage. Every groove and jam felt earnest and perfect - this man belonged in a stadium.

Boulevards photographed by Christian Heinzel.

Boulevards were the least classically “country” and present, but they still had the boogie and soul of americana, so they didn’t feel out of place in the slightest. Some songs even verged into the hard rock territory - like, straight up shredding and head banging from his band members. For the final song, he organized a Soul Train-esque dance line for the audience members to fully strut their stuff. 

Dougie Poole was the headliner; he felt like a true embodiment of the crossroad between classic and modern country. The music accompaniment in his performance was very straightforward and simple (all things considered), but contemporary influence couldn’t be missed in his lyrics. Country music has roots in radicalism and being a place for those to talk about issues and problems: the moans and groans of life or sticking it to the man! I felt like this could best be seen through his song “Vaping on the Job”. While most of the other acts of the night modernized the music, Poole did that with his lyrics. 

Poole’s country was boot-stomping country, which I gleefully took part in (even though I was wearing Reeboks). He had the classic country voice, almost talky and a little bit growly. The clothing of the band also fully encompassed the wide span of country music - one member was wearing a yellow patterned suit with a graphic tee underneath, another had a trucker hat, and the rest were in full western wear. 

My time at Cosmic Country Cookout made up a great Sunday. I left with a whole slew of new artists to follow, and I felt revived by a genre that I have long loved but have ignored as of late. It was amazing to be surrounded by passionate music-goers in such an intimate setting; I have been to many music festivals, and even though this was on a smaller scale, by definition, I’d still declare it as such. Founded in 2019 and surviving COVID, I am excited for the annual return of this festival; I will be the first in line every year.