The inaugural South Star Festival in Alabama last week had several obstacles to overcome. The late cancellation of main stage draw Jane’s Addiction after their reunion tour combusted was a blow to many fans, but the biggest hurdle came in the form of damage caused in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. While the fest’s location in Huntsville was not as severely impacted as counties that were devastated in the Southeast, the festival grounds were so saturated by the storm that they were forced to cancel the second day of the event.

“Unfortunately, as you know, Hurricane Helene saturated John Hunt Park before you arrived, and Saturday’s foot traffic has led to severe deterioration of the grounds,” the festival announced after the first day. “Following an inspection by festival organizers along with city officials, it has been determined that the grounds are no longer safe to welcome you back today. In coordination with the City of Huntsville, we have made the difficult decision to cancel today’s festival. Safety is paramount, and we do not take this decision lightly.”

Photographer Donny Evans was there on behalf of FLOOD to cover the festival, yet was unfortunately unable to capture shots of some of the event’s most alluring artists slated to perform on Sunday: Beck, Bully, blink-182, Pete Yorn, Jimmy Eat World, and Big Boi. The lineup on the first day, meanwhile, was all over the map. The main draw was a rare performance from pop icon Gwen Stefani, but there were also sets from R&B and rap throwbacks Ludacris, TLC, and Juvenile, ’90s alt-rockers Gin Blossoms, and Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello (who stepped up to replace Jane’s Addiction).

Here’s some of what went down in John Hunt Park before the cancellation.

FLOOD

TLC

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