Country music legend Alan Jackson performed his last concert in Texas at a festival drawing unfortunate comparisons to the infamously disastrous Fyre Festival.
The Two Step Inn festival in Georgetown, Texas, was intended to be a heartfelt farewell for Jackson, but the event was plagued by crowd control, logistical, and sound issues.
Headlining the April 5 event as part of his Last Call: One for the Road tour, Jackson gave what he said would likely be his final performance in Texas, an emotional milestone for both fans and the artist.
As he performed "Good Time," the artist—intent to deliver on the song's title— encouraged fans to jump the security barrier separating the audience from the stage.
@jdranchboutique Alan Jackson at Two Step Inn gets concert paused 🤠 he said he just wanted to have a good time🤪 #twostepinn #alanjackson #georgetowntx #countrymusic ♬ original sound - Jackie | JD Ranch Boutique
"I wanna see some of y'all climb over them fences and dancing down these aisles right here, I don't care, c'mon," Jackson goaded from the stage. "Don't worry, they won't arrest you."
When the crowd followed Jackson's instructions, security intervened, halting the performance for nearly 15 minutes while the booing crowd was forced to clear the area.
The Good Time interruption was not the only complaint. Festival-goers took to social media to vent about hour-long waits for entry, inadequate bathroom access, quiet or inconsistent sound, and lengthy merch lines.
@taylor_rae520 First and probably last time going to Two Step Inn. Not included: the sound for Alan Jackson was in and out and was competing with diplo since the stages were too close together. Diplo was cool and we hardly waited for food or drinks. But yeah poor planning made for a really long night. I'll never take ACL for granted again #twostepinn #capcut #alanjackson #mirandalambert #countrymusic #georgetown #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp #CapCut @Hayley ♬ original sound - Taylor Rae Siders
"First and probably last time going to Two Step Inn," user @taylor_rae520 said on TikTok. "Poor planning made for a really long night."
Others compared the disorganized festival to Fyre Fest, the notorious 2017 event that became a byword for mismanagement.
@billboardbrandon This was miserable ngl😂😂 we were packed in there like sardines #austintx #atx #atxlife #twostepinn #georgetowntx #alanjackson ♬ sad SpongeBob music - michael
Despite the issues, fans were still moved by many of the performances, including Jackson's.
The 66-year-old icon is on his farewell tour because of Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease, a degenerative nerve condition that effects movement and balance. Jackson has donated a dollar of every Last Call tour ticket sold to CMT Research Foundation.
Jackson has been open about the challenges of performing with CMT, yet he stood for most of Saturday's performance, and even brought his wife on stage for a surprise slow-dance.
"I've been blessed and I've lived the American dream," Jackson told his fans from the stage.
As much as the festival was seemingly filled with logistical missteps attendees would like to forget, Jackson did what he could to deliver a memorable performance.
Originally published on Latin Times
