THE GORGE, Wash. —
The Gorge, Country Music and Shredders. All coming together in Eastern Washington for one weekend before school is back in session.
For 11 years, Live Nation has been bringing together headline artists, fans and up and coming artists in one place for an entire weekend.
With its ‘Next from Nashville’ stage, Brian O’Connell tells me it’s an opportunity to showcase the talented artists in the industry before the fame.
“We’ve seen artists come from the ‘Next from Nashville’ stage to the main stage.” says the President of Festival and Touring for the ticketing company. “I mean we had a kid last year who’s doing pretty well for himself, headlining our festivals, his name is Morgan Wallen.”
Brian tells me his goal as president has always been to create a space and community where anyone can share their love for live music—comparing the sounds of a musician on the radio or streaming service like Spotify and Apple Music.
For one artist, this opportunity means exactly what Brian hoped.
Peytan Porter is a musician born and raised in Dawsonville, Georgia as the middle of three girls. She tells me growing up, she always knew she would do something different than her sisters. They played basketball while she was looking from the outside.
She finds herself writing songs about the outsiders perspective. During my one-on-one interview, the singer/songwriter compares herself to artists like Eric Church and Chris Stapleton. Her debut song ‘Therapy’ was released in the Fall of 2021, followed by her solo album in the Summer.
Porter tells me her debut album was not what she envisioned for herself. She always compared herself to the “edgy and America” side of the Country music spectrum. In her interview, Porter says she took the time to look back on why she started writing songs.
She was 15 years old at a Rascal Flatts concert when a young artist named Taylor Swift was opening. Just as Swift was getting ready to perform she told the audience she just wrote songs about the boys in her school. That moment was when Porter knew what she would do.
She grew up listening to Eric Church with her dad and hopes to one day tour with him.
While she lives in Nashville, she tells me her songs come in a Melody, bridge or even just a tune she wants to use.
Having toured a handful of times, she writes her songs on her experiences and shares them with her listeners. Listeners who’ve made connections of their own.
“To have people come up and tell you their stories and tell you how your song has stuck with them through a year or a week.” she tells me, “or them singing the words back is something that will never not make my brain explode.”
Porter tells me being able to get the iconic Taylor Swift “friendship bracelets” made and shared with her makes it a full circle moment. A moment she will never get over.
When asked what makes playing at Watershed so iconic and special to artists, Porter said, it’s a bucketlist venue to most artists and being on that list is all the more special.
Brian O’Connell tells me it’s often something artists don’t recognize until they’re on the stage.
“When they walk off stage or they’re on stage, standing there and they look over at me on stage left and say ‘oh I get it now.’ because it’s a different experience.” says O’Connell.
With headliners like Luke Bryan, Carly Pearce and Keith Urban, Porter is hoping to join the “big fish group of artists” that dominate the industry.
Porter will be performing at the Next from Nashville stage Friday, August 3rd at 2:00 p.m.
