Pop artist Orianthi may not have been the technically first performer to kick off the 2023 Food and Wine Festival, but she is the first artist that is most recognized and those that saw it over the last two days were thrilled with the upbeat rock 30-minute rock show.
The band Funkafied was the first performing group to take the stage at the American Garden Theater. They played on July 27th but it was Orianthi that ramped up the energy to really welcome the concert season that transitions from summer into fall.
Orianthi performed on July 28th and 29th and will leave the stage for the next act, For King + Country who will take the stage on July 30th and 31st.
I'm personally holding out for the Bacon Brothers who are reportedly going to be on the stage August 13th and 14th.
Orianthi, however, brought her rock style to the stage. An Australian writer, singer, and performer, Orianthi's first album was produced by Geffen Records.
Her most successful song in the U.S. is "According to You," a song about being teased and belittled by some but loved by others. It's a fantastic pop song. She followed that with the song "Believe" off the same album.
She found another semi-hit with the cover of "Missing You" by John Waite, a hit song from the mid-1980s and my favorite song in the entire world.
With the concert season now in full swing at Epcot, it's a reminder that it is time to take in the heat, take in the drink, and take in the eat.