“Welcome to the first annual, and I’d like to stress annual, Starry Night Music Festival!”

Bryan Grace, creator and organizer of Starry Night, has been a busy man for the last few months. In June, he realized that residents in Bowling Green were looking for a new musical outlet. After encouragement from friends and bands, Grace decided he might be the one to make a difference.

“The bars around here are small and too smoky,” says Grace. “There are people around here that would drive hundreds of miles for an event like this.”

It seems the days of long drives and smoky bars may be over. If this weekend is any basis, Bowling Green could have a stronger, more diverse musical presence in the Mid-West as the years go by.

Shortly after 7 p.m. Saturday evening, a crowd was gathering on a farm off Morgantown Road. Many who participated seemed adamant about upending the current music scene and expanding the possibilities of music in Western Kentucky.

About 500 people of all ages gathered to witness the first of many promised Starry Night festivals. Despite some technical issues including start times being pushed pack, the bands and audience came together and really brought out something unique.

“I am totally satisfied with the turnout and crowd reaction,” said Grace.

From the reggae-metal fusion of Nashville’s The Running to the psychedelic jamming of Texas’ Morning Teleportation, every band brought something exciting and different to the festival crushing any doubts the crowd may have had with impressively catchy songs and crowd interaction.

Moon Taxi and The Dink delivered experimental jams until early in the morning while the Lost River Cavemen won over the earlier crowd with Irish jams and covers of The Misfits and Johnny Cash.

When the dust finally settled at the stage, the audience moved the party back to the camp area with many going until dawn.

In fact, everyone seemed to be ready to do it again. Rumors ran through the crowd discussing everything from additional acres added to the camping grounds next year to surprise bands coming out to perform.

None of these rumors were answered but that barely seemed to matter to the swelling crowd. How can one stay focused on such rumors when a man in a banana costume is dancing next to you?

Michael McMillian, singer and guitarist for The Lost River Cavemen summed up the feelings of the festival halfway through the band’s set.

“We should have done this with you folks a long time ago,” said McMillian. “Now I want to see everybody dance!”

The crowd was happy to oblige.

Reach Aaron Burch at diversions@chherald.com.