Photography courtesy Let’s Go! Festival, LLC
Chris Hartman and Liz Rawlings
Fest founders Chris Hartman and Liz Rawlings celebrate five years of bringing this unique live music experience to the community
Sharing in the groove could be the credo that drives brother/sister Chris Hartman and Liz Rawlings in their, now, five-year quest producing Let’s Go! Music Festival. The founders/producers of the widely popular weekend festival are fans of multiple music genres. And they credit their lifelong passion for chasing great concerts as the impetus for developing a festival in their own backyard, so to speak, that offers an interactive, family-friendly live music experience.
Held at Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds in Crownsville, Maryland, Let’s Go! Music Festival—held June 6th and 7th—will see more than 15 national and local bands perform across two stages, headlined by Young the Giant (Friday) and Third Eye Blind (Saturday). With a nod to contemporary and nostalgic acts, this year’s festival leans toward a rock lineup. But that wasn’t always the case, as we learn in our interview with Hartman and Rawlings.
How did you brainstorm this year’s lineup, then pursue the talent and land the contracts? Chris Hartman: It’s like an NFL draft board—planning between bands, dates, routing, and who’s coming through (the area). There are bands that want to play for us, but they’re starting their tour out in California, so that’s a “no.” You’ve got a list of everybody that you think you’re going to get, and then…
Liz Rawlings: We try to listen to what people want and build a cohesive festival. Some years it’s indie, some years it’s punk pop. Some years it’s rock. Some years it’s a blend of all of it.
Hartman: The festival celebrates music across the board. We did country (in 2022) and that didn’t quite pan out, but indie rock has been doing well. Liz and I have wanted Third Eye Blind for three years now. We’ve been asking and asking, and finally they said yes. So now, we start building the show around them. And you walk it backwards.
Rawlings: We try to bring in big names and rising acts. Last year, Almost Monday was on our second stage, but two months ago they had a number one hit. So, they were at Let’s Go! last year, and now they’re all over the radio waves and a big act.
It must be fun to bring in these national acts and have them see our little neck of the woods. Rawlings: They love coming here. They usually hit the major markets like D.C. or Baltimore. Knowing that this also exists just 25 minutes down the road has been quite positive for our area, for the artists, too. They think Annapolis is wonderful. It’s been fun talking about our town and showcasing everything local.
And they’re getting a chance to actually interact with a lot of local artists. Rawlings: It’s awesome. One year we dedicated our second stage to all local artists. We want to really amplify and showcase our local talent. Our area is rich with music. So, we want to show our appreciation for everybody that is in the music area, here.
Photography courtesy Let’s Go! Festival, LLC
And you’re bringing in premium and local vendors. Rawlings: We are. And it has to be the right fit for everybody—the right menus, the right vendors. We’d love to bring everybody in, but we try to make sure they all complement each other and don’t compete against each other.
Hartman: We spread the love. If we don’t use one vendor this year, we’ll give them a shot next year. Some have been with us from the beginning. But we try to spread it around, so that everybody gets a piece of this.
Rawlings: We try to create an intimate experience. You can see the stage from the food vendors.
What excites you about the Let’s Go! live experience? Hartman: We’ve introduced the Ospreys Nest, which is like a crow’s nest above the soundboard. It features the best sound. So, if you’re a true rock and roll fan, we’re going to let you go down the front and then up the chute, which is pretty cool. You’ve got thousands of fans on both sides, and then you get up the stairwell and you’re looking down directly upon the stage. But I think what makes it magical is, for example, Gavin Rossdale (of Bush) ran up there and started singing last year. He did that on his own.
Rawlings: We’re putting on a big party and we love to do this. We want people to be happy and have a good time. When everybody is there and enjoying themselves, that makes us happy.
Hartman: What charges up me, and I know this does for Liz, too, is the family experience. We’ve seen fathers, sons, and grandsons out there together, and you can’t put a price tag on that.
For the full lineup and details about this year’s Let’s Go! Music Festival, visit letsgofest.com.
