This year’s C2C line-up has seen a shift away from established names in favour of stars on the rise thanks to social media. Despite three sturdy headliners in the shape of Lainey Wilson, Dierks Bentley and Cody Johnson, much of the rest of the line-up comprises artists that are just finding their feet in the genre with many relative unknowns to the majority of the festival’s target audience. This was very evident with the three acts that took to the arena’s Spotlight Stage on the first day.
Stationed at the back of The O2 arena, the Spotlight Stage has hosted a wealth of artists that have gone on to be big stars including Sam Hunt, Maren Morris, Drake White, Brett Young and Russell Dickerson. At the time these artists were known to a good portion of the audience but they hadn’t had their breakthrough moments yet. Day 1 of C2C 2025 took the Spotlight Stage in a different direction, opting for three artists that had risen to prominence via social media. Bayker Blankenship, Max McNown and Willow Avalon all built their audience after going viral, and with a lot of younger music fans finding artists on TikTok, it’s no surprise that C2C chose to take a gamble on putting these artists on the Spotlight Stage.
First up was 19-year-old Tennessee-born Bayker Blankenship who opened his three-song set with ‘Lost Time’. Armed with just his acoustic guitar, Blankenship was the only artist on the Spotlight Stage that performed solo. With a baseball cap pulled down covering his face, Blankenship unleashed his powerful and distinctive voice but his diction (or maybe it was the sound?) was quite difficult to understand. Blankenship warmed up a little by ‘300 Miles’ but he continued to struggle to engage with the audience, many of whom were exiting the arena to fill up their drinks and grab some food. His final song ‘Maxed Out’, was his strongest moment. The lyrics draw on personal pain and experience, and it’s clear that Blankenship has lived a life in his 19 years.
The second artist on the Spotlight Stage was Max McNown. The 24-year-old Oregon-born rising star turned videos of himself busking on the pier in Southern California to a record deal with Fugitive Records. With two albums under his belt, McNown was easily the most experienced and confident of the Spotlight Stage performers. Opening up with ‘Better Me For You (Brown Eyes)’, McNown leaned into Country-pop bringing to mind the more recent output from Shawn Mendes. Second song ‘Marley’ was a more earnest Country-leaning moment that McNown mashed up with Bob Marley’s ‘Three Little Birds’. Likely aware that the audience may not know his music, it proved to be a genius move as it prompted a sing-a-long and it kept people in their seats. McNown ended his set with the folksy ‘A Little More Free’ and he dug deep vocally, ripping emotion from his soul.
The final Spotlight Stage artist for Day 1 was 26-year-old Georgia native Willow Avalon. A stark contrast to the two artists that played the same stage before her, Avalon opened with ‘Yodelayheewho’. The song’s biting lyrics combined with a more traditional Country sound, while Avalon’s distinctive drawl pierced through the middle. Keeping things low-key, Avalon moved on to ‘Baby Blue’, and like Blankenship before her, she struggled to keep the attention of the audience. The final song of the set was ‘Homewrecker’, which showcased Avalon’s sweet vocals and once again channelled traditional Country rather than the pop-leaning Country that dominates radio right now. For the uninitiated it was a crash course in Avalon’s sound but coming just before Lainey Wilson, the performance was perhaps a little too low-key to keep the vibe of the audience high.
With three very different social media stars turned artists on the Spotlight Stage, it really was a mixed bag. Of the three, it’s Max McNown that I’d expect us to see at C2C again in the future, and given he’s already announced shows at the end of the year on this side of the pond, he’s clearly determined to make a go of it. As to whether any of these three artists go on to graduate to the Main Stage remains to be seen and the jury is still out as to whether social media can create stars of the same calibre as what has come before, through the traditional routes.
Set lists: Bayker Blankenship 1. Lost Time 2. 300 Miles 3. Maxed Out Max McNown 1. Better Me For You (Brown Eyes) 2. Marley / Three Little Birds 3. A Lot More Free Willow Avalon 1. Yodelayheewho 2. Baby Blue 3. Homewrecker Venue: The O2, London Performance date: 14th March 2025
