Good weather, good food and good music were all on tap at the Good Life Festival in Queen Creek, Arizona, last weekend. With Saturday’s lineup including Blue Öyster Cult and Kansas, there was no shortage of families out to have a good time at one of Schnepf Farms’ most popular events.
Blue Öyster Cult took the stage as the late afternoon sun beamed over the growing crowd- many of whom brought their own lawn chairs and set up camp for a lively evening. With over 50 years of music and stories under their collective belt, the Long Island rockers still bring plenty of high energy to their audiences. Attendees armed with local beer and a sampling of the amazing food options at the festival danced to “Golden Age of Leather” and “Burnin’ For You” before the group gave us one of their biggest hits in “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper”.
It was a set that fans of all ages in the crowd thoroughly enjoyed and there were plenty of happy exclamations from various voices after the band exited the stage. The Subaru-sponsored festival also held numerous charity guitar auctions between sets, one of the most popular being the guitar signed by BOC- another testament to the band’s enduring legacy and love from their fans.
The sun dipped low and so did the temperatures but that didn’t stop Kansas from bringing their own heat to the Arizona desert. They’re another band with decades of music to pull from and they made sure that the setlist had something for everyone. From the opening notes of “Point of Know Return” to the swaying twang of “Memories Down the Line”, it’s clear that Kansas is another group that’s still got plenty of verve in their live shows.
Having such iconic acts like these bands visit Arizona and play to us under the springtime stars is a treat in itself- and the band made sure to thank everyone for toughing out the unseasonably cold night. They also weaved stories in between songs and traded vocal duties on “Throwing Mountains” and the jaunty “Paradox”. Naturally, we couldn’t leave until we’d sang our hearts out to the timeless “Carry On Wayward Son”, a tune that had everyone from the kids to the security guards raising their voices to harmonize with the classic track.
The Good Life Festival has brought plenty of incredible bands to the farm over the years and 2023 was a great return to an event that’s beloved by Arizona festival goers- we’re looking forward to what future lineups bring.
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Story and photos by Olivia Khiel
