By Renee Clark Quade

We came to GlassFest Friday night expecting a concert. What we didn’t expect was discovering just how much live music is woven into the entire festival experience.

Held annually in Corning, GlassFest fills Market Street with local vendors, food trucks, live glass blowing demonstrations, and artists showcasing incredible handmade work. One of the biggest surprises of the weekend was how much music could be found throughout the festival grounds. Small stages and tents featured local performers all day long before the main Rock the Park Concert Series even began.

By the time the main stage kicked off Friday night, the festival already felt alive.

Fall Creek Brass Band opened the evening at 5:30 p.m. and immediately turned the crowd into part of the show. The Ithaca-based group blended funk energy with party band fun, mixing originals with unexpected covers from Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys. Locals packed in early to support them, and the atmosphere quickly shifted from casual festival traffic into a true community gathering.

Next up was John King, who brought a more stripped-down country set that fit the night perfectly. Backed by only a guitarist and his younger brother, Andrew on drums, King relied heavily on storytelling and crowd interaction to pull people in.

He moved easily between covers and originals throughout the set. From a crowd-pleasing rendition of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s “Fishing in the Dark” to his own songs like “Country Happy” and “Your Man,” King kept the audience fully engaged. Before playing “Your Man,” he shared the story of marrying his high school sweetheart and encouraged couples in the crowd to slow dance together. A few songs later, the mood shifted again as he had the audience jumping during “Shut Up and Dance” and dancing along to “Uptown Funk.”

King’s personality carried the set just as much as the music. His story about Randy Houser accidentally dropping $100 into his tip jar at Puckett’s near the Ryman, eventually leading to King writing Houser’s number one hit “We Went” felt like classic Nashville storytelling. The crowd hung onto every word.

By the time Drake White took the stage at 8:30 p.m., fans were packed tightly near the barricade while families bundled up against the cool spring air across the field. Some longtime fans had held their spots since earlier in the evening, ready to sing along from the very first song. From the moment White walked onstage wearing his signature hat, the atmosphere noticeably shifted.

The lighting remained moodier and darker throughout the set, fitting the emotional tone that carried through much of the night. This was not a festival crowd looking for background music or a party atmosphere. Fans were completely locked into the experience and genuinely happy to see White healthy, thriving, and back onstage doing what he loves. He still carries the same commanding stage presence and powerful vocals that made audiences connect with him years ago, balancing moments of full crowd interaction with others that felt deeply personal and completely immersed in the music.

Under the brim of his hat read the phrase “manifestando prosperidad y abundancia,” Spanish for “manifesting prosperity and abundance.” For longtime fans familiar with White’s recovery journey and positive outlook on life, it felt like another small but meaningful reflection of where he is today.

Some of the strongest moments of the night came through the stories between songs. Before performing “The Healing Power of a Woman,” White shared how his wife helped him relearn how to walk by duct taping her leg to his during recovery. Later, during “Coast Is Clear,” he opened up about dark moments and sleepless nights before asking the crowd to light up the field with their phone lights, reminding them that “one light leads to others.” Within seconds, lights filled the crowd from front to back.

That emotional connection carried into “Back to Free,” which White introduced by asking fans to put their phones away and simply live in the moment with him. Surprisingly, the audience listened. For a few minutes, the crowd stopped filming, stopped scrolling, and simply stood there taking in the performance together. It became one of the most powerful moments of the entire set.

White balanced those heavier moments with lighter ones throughout the night. “Heartbeat” blended into Kings of Leon’s “Use Somebody,” while “Everyone’s Got Their Story” featured harmonica solos and a snippet of Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours.” Near the end of the set, White addressed the question he often hears about why he is not a bigger commercial artist. Looking out at the packed crowd in downtown Corning, he smiled and said he already felt “pretty big right now.”

Watching the audience sing every word back to him Friday night at GlassFest, it was hard not to believe him.

Photo Gallery – Drake White – GlassFest 2026 – Corning, NY

Setlist – Drake White – GlassFest 2026 – Corning, NY

Livin The Dream
Mix “Em
Birds of A Feather
story
Heartbeat
Wildflower
It Feels Good Alabama Dirt Road
Hurts The Healing Power Of A Woman
Coast Is Clear Back To Free
Fat Bottomed Girls
Making Years
Me Look Good
Little Help

Photo Gallery – John King – GlassFest 2026 – Corning, NY