Pecos & The Rooftops headline the fourth annual Federales Fest Friday at Live Oak at Cedar Lodge in Baton Rouge, bringing a country-rock catalog built on a 2019 debut single that has become the closing number of every one of their shows. The five-act bill also features Starboro, Doussan Garrett Benoit, B.B. Palmer and The Love.Craft Band, rounding out a night organizers have grown steadily since the festival's first year.
According to federalesfest.com, doors open at 3 p.m. Friday, and the festival is capped at 1,500 attendees. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Be Positive BRLA, a 501(c)3 nonprofit that supports youth arts programming in the Capital Region, The Advocate reports.
Pecos & The Rooftops formed in Lubbock, Texas, while its members attended South Plains College, and is now based in Paris, Texas, according to The Advocate's profile on the band. The profile identifies Pecos Hurley as the group's frontman and songwriter. Hurley is a former Marine who grew up in a rodeo family in East Texas, per Red Light Management.
A Baton Rouge Connection
Hurley has said the band enjoys performing in Baton Rouge, where it has played the Texas Club, according to The Advocate's profile. He has described songwriting as his main priority and said he values writing songs that listeners can relate to and find uplifting, the profile reports.
That Texas Club history includes a Feb. 5 show with opener KG & The Bad Habits starting at 8:30 p.m., with tickets starting at $31, according to 225.
The Song That Changed Everything
Pecos & The Rooftops self-released their debut single, “This Damn Song,” in 2019, Red Light Management notes. Hurley wrote the track with original Rooftops bass player Kalen Davis in 2018, and it has since accumulated 600 million digital streams, according to The Advocate's profile. The band still plays it last at every show, and Hurley has said it remains a highlight of their sets — the response to the song, he said, motivated him to keep making music.
The song's early traction also opened doors beyond the stage. BandWag reported that “This Damn Song” led to a touring slot with Kolby Cooper, which the outlet described as a step toward further gigs and success. By March 2023, the band had accumulated more than 350 million global streams and over 101 million video views, with “This Damn Song” alone racking up more than 250 million global streams at that point, per MusicRow. That same month, Hurley signed a global publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music, an announcement made during the band's headlining performance at SXSW, MusicRow reported.
Holding Out for Creative Control
The Advocate's profile reports that the band turned down early label offers it considered unfavorable. Hurley sought control over songwriting and released music in negotiations with Warner Bros. Records, which ultimately signed the band.
How This Year's Lineup Compares
Federales Fest has grown steadily since its debut, with attendance climbing from 750 in its first year to 950 the following year; founder J. Hover had hoped to pass the 1,000 mark in 2025, The Advocate reported at the time. Last year's event ran from noon to 11 p.m. on a Saturday, with general admission priced at $75 and VIP tickets at $250, and a lineup that included Paul Cauthen, Sam Morrow, George Porter Jr., Zach Edwards and the Medicine, Dominick Michael and a reunion of Baton Rouge's Captain Legendary Band.
This year's five-act bill trades that larger roster for a tighter lineup topped by Pecos & The Rooftops, alongside Starboro, Doussan Garrett Benoit, B.B. Palmer and The Love.Craft Band, according to federalesfest.com. With doors opening at 3 p.m. Friday and capacity capped at 1,500, organizers are once again framing the night as both a concert and a fundraiser for Be Positive BRLA's youth arts work in the Capital Region.
What Published Records Establish
Be Positive BRLA says its mission is to support and develop the next generation of Louisiana artists, chefs and musicians, according to Be Positive BRLA. That mission statement does not specify individual youth programs or provide figures documenting the nonprofit’s reach or finances; the information cited here does not establish those details.
Federales Fest's own information lists its third-year edition at Live Oak at Cedar Lodge for Saturday, October 4, from noon to 11 p.m., according to the festival's event information. That listing establishes a date, venue and schedule, but does not state attendance. The current event page's 1,500-person cap is noted above.
